The Starlin Castro Farewell Tour?

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Really nice play in the top of the ninth from our boy, there.

There's actually nothing but upside to his situation right now.  If Castro settles into a platoon with Coghlan/La Stella and starts mashing left-handed pitching, well obviously that'd be great.  If not then Javy--who's probably gong to be getting at-bats somewhere anyway--will step in.  Both of them could be above-average 2B defensively.

[SKO]

Really nice play in the top of the ninth from our boy, there.

There's actually nothing but upside to his situation right now.  If Castro settles into a platoon with Coghlan/La Stella and starts mashing left-handed pitching, well obviously that'd be great.  If not then Javy--who's probably gong to be getting at-bats somewhere anyway--will step in.  Both of them could be above-average 2B defensively.

Castro enters as late inning replacement in a game the Cubs lead 2-0, 1 game lead over the Giants for the 2nd WC. A ball is hit directly to him at second base, he throws it into the seats, two runs score, the Cubs go on to lose. Everyone naturally blames Starlin, of course, but some also wonder why Joe was putting a historically poor defender into a game as a defensive replacement at a position that wasn't even his. Rick Morrissey wonders aloud why Theo Epstein didn't find an upgrade at second base at the trade deadline instead of playing small. The most promising Cubs season in seven years goes up in flames.

Most importantly, someone shows Huey's father this post, and the old man, disappointed in his jinxin' ass son one last time, goes quietly into that dark night.

[ChuckD]

Really nice play in the top of the ninth from our boy, there.

There's actually nothing but upside to his situation right now.  If Castro settles into a platoon with Coghlan/La Stella and starts mashing left-handed pitching, well obviously that'd be great.  If not then Javy--who's probably gong to be getting at-bats somewhere anyway--will step in.  Both of them could be above-average 2B defensively.

Castro enters as late inning replacement in a game the Cubs lead 2-0, 1 game lead over the Giants for the 2nd WC. A ball is hit directly to him at second base, he throws it into the seats, two runs score, the Cubs go on to lose. Everyone naturally blames Starlin, of course, but some also wonder why Joe was putting a historically poor defender into a game as a defensive replacement at a position that wasn't even his. Rick Morrissey wonders aloud why Theo Epstein didn't find an upgrade at second base at the trade deadline instead of playing small. The most promising Cubs season in seven years goes up in flames.

Most importantly, someone shows Huey's father this post, and the old man, disappointed in his jinxin' ass son one last time, goes quietly into that dark night.

Way to always connect it to something awful and suck the joy out of joyful.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Is SKO wishing death upon my dad?

[SKO]

Is SKO wishing death upon my dad?

No, just imagining his disappointment upon you saying there's only upside possible in something sports related, given your detailed explanation of his ANGER over any kind of potential jinxing.

[SKO]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

[InternetApex]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

[SKO]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

I remember Shawon only a little better than I remember Sandberg (I pretty much only remember post-comeback, broken down Sandberg), but I have wondered sometimes if Starlin's career just feels like Dunston's on repeat to you old timers. All that promise and potential ultimately wasted.

[Slaky]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

I remember Shawon only a little better than I remember Sandberg (I pretty much only remember post-comeback, broken down Sandberg), but I have wondered sometimes if Starlin's career just feels like Dunston's on repeat to you old timers. All that promise and potential ultimately wasted.

Nah, Dunston was the balls.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

I remember Shawon only a little better than I remember Sandberg (I pretty much only remember post-comeback, broken down Sandberg), but I have wondered sometimes if Starlin's career just feels like Dunston's on repeat to you old timers. All that promise and potential ultimately wasted.

Shawon never had as good of a season as Castro had last year. And he was not as good of a hitter fresh out of the minors.  But he was fun to watch.  He'd lay off a low and away slider or curve and he'd be talking to himself out loud about "Man, good thing you laid off that one," while making "cool it" motions with his hands.  He took charge on all pop ups. Probably threw in the mid 90's on plays to first.  He was nuts.  And fun. And that covered a lot of the disappointment.  Not all, but a lot.

What hurt was the constant reminder that the Cubs took him over Dwight Gooden.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

I remember Shawon only a little better than I remember Sandberg (I pretty much only remember post-comeback, broken down Sandberg), but I have wondered sometimes if Starlin's career just feels like Dunston's on repeat to you old timers. All that promise and potential ultimately wasted.

Nah, Dunston was the balls.

For some, maybe.  He definitely fell short of expectations though.  Admittedly those expectations were  high as he was the 1st pick in the draft in 1982 and then joined an other-wise veteran-rich Cubs team that had won 96 games as their starting SS as a 21 year old.  Definitely called up to soon in any event, and that didn't help matters, but I don't know if that's the reason he NEVER learned to lay off the 2-strike breaking ball in the dirt.  Anyway he was back to stay around late '86 and he was pretty exciting at times, 2-time All-Star I want to say, but mostly an up and down, streaky player, then injuries started hitting him and slowed his exciting talent.  It's actually not an awful comparison come to think of it, but I'm not sure I see Castro as a 38 year old hitting a pinch home run in the World Series as Dunston did in the 2002.  Dunston stretched his career to two decades but personally, I've never escaped the nagging feeling that he should've had a greater career.

[SKO]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

I remember Shawon only a little better than I remember Sandberg (I pretty much only remember post-comeback, broken down Sandberg), but I have wondered sometimes if Starlin's career just feels like Dunston's on repeat to you old timers. All that promise and potential ultimately wasted.

Nah, Dunston was the balls.

This is usually the response I get from people your age when I mention Dunston. People who were older tend to take a more measured approach like Chuck's. Grandpa often bemoaned the guy's wasted potential.

[Bort]

Is SKO wishing death upon my dad?

I'm just glad my whore grandmother isn't alive to see this.

[Bort]

DPD: I always loved Dunston (one of the most fun Cubs to watch in my childhood), while also feeling like he should've had a better career.

[InternetApex]

DPD: I always loved Dunston (one of the most fun Cubs to watch in my childhood), while also feeling like he should've had a better career.

Watch this entire video. (tears up)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BXXcgCeXe4

But cue it to 2:39 - 3:20 to see why we Gen X'ers will never get over our Dunston Boners, disappointing career stats be damned.

EDIT: I must have watched that game-ending double play on the pop up vs. the Mets eleventy bajillion times on Betamax cassette, and tried to replicate it with a tennis ball in my parents' driveway a thousand more.