Old friends
The fan reception for De-Ro and Woody was great. The comments you heard while De-Ro was here playing, and the comments you heard about him when he left were all good. When they mention either De-Ro’s name or Woody’s name, it’s always somebody saying something positive about those guys. This can be a tough city for players who come back and play here whether they’ve had a long career or short career here. Not many of them will get warm welcomes, but those two guys did. They go about their business the right way and I think the fans recognize that.
When I went back to Toronto last year, I got a nice reception. I don’t know if Woody or De-Ro felt the same way I did. I knew the fans appreciated me, but when I came back last year, it was magnified even more and you realize how much they miss you as a player and I think those two guys got a taste of that Friday.
I’m sure the fans are happy to see them but I’m sure they’re even happier we ended up winning the game. That’s the way everybody’s wired together here. Thanks for stopping by, but, geez, I hope we win. It was a good win for us, too.
— Reed
Reed Between the Lines 
Hey Reed,
It was great to see De-Ro and Woody again. I’ve been looking forward to this series for a while. I miss De-Ro a lot and I think he was an awesome player for the Cubs. It’s too bad he’s not in the lineup today. Kerry Wood will always be a Cub. Just like Ron Santo. I believe the #34 will be retired at Wrigley in the future.
Ultimately, they’re the opposition now, but only in baseball.
You guys had an amazing game yesterday! The bats are finally heating up!
-Tori
We still miss you in Toronto Reed! A very questionable decidsion at the time to let you go. I knew that Cub were in for a treat when they acquired you.
http://homerfoodandhistory.mlblogs.com/
FROM DUNLAPIL@AOL.COM…………….. SORIANO !!!!!……. Tell Soriano to shave off 1/4 oz from his bat weight….. it will be the ajustment he is looking for… once he gets back into his stride, then he can go back to full weight…… But, something is off, and every attempted hit is just a split second late causing the hit to suck…… I think a 1/2 oz would be too much…. maybe 3/10 of an oz or 2/10 of an oz….. I would go with 2/10 of a ounce….If I were there I would just take a knife and cut out some wood off the back side of one of his bats to use…. but it won’t take much… just to speed up that bat a fraction….. If I had to guess… I would Soriano is starting to feel the effects of age and it takes longer for his mind to tell the arms to swing.. so by reducing the weight, it will make up the difference for the added mental-hand delay…… It’s just a split second… but every swing is late… Dialing in on the curve or splitter would also get better results as Soriano could ajust his swing easier….. But, that should break the slump and get the Cubs back in 1st place…
It was so awesome to see Derosa and Wood back. Watched his interviews and he really seems hurt by the decision that Cubs made. (all the fans were hurt, too!) What a great guy! It was hard to know who to cheer for yesterday. I noticed after the dlee homerun, it was mixed emotions! ALSO, WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU PLAY EVERYDAY! There’s always a great catch or hit when you’re in the game. If we only had 25 Reed Johnson’s on the team.
I’m glad the fans gave you a good reception when you went back to Toronto. We fans do miss many of our favorite players when they are traded.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
This season hasn’t quite yet felt real for me, as I’m in Germany studying for the semester. So as I am listening to the game online right now, and heard DeRosa’s name being called to hit, I got excited. Because it was DeRosa. And then confused. Because it was the top of the inning. And then sad. As he no longer plays for the Cubs.
I was happy to see the standing ovations both guys got while at Wrigley. It was amazing seeing those comeback wins, but at the same time kinda sad when I saw Kerry’s reaction after the wild pitch. Always loved that guy in his years as a cub. i still have the Tribune from when he struck out 20.
Great blog Reed, you never seen to miss on acknowledgements of others, that’s a wonderful quality to have. Dero and Kerry definitely deserved the ovation but it was nice to get the win and have the fans cheering for other reasons like you said. I saw that game where you got the standing ovation in Toronto, you for sure deserved that and I’m happy that they did that for you. Keep swinging the bat like you did yesterday with that nice homerun and always know you have plenty of support from the Cubs nation. See ya soon and great teamwork and offense by the club.
Roxy
Man, Reed, that home run you hit yesterday was where the BIG boys hit ’em. That was so great. Yeah, I miss DeRo so much, and it was sad to see Woody blow two saves, but I think in secret he wanted his Cubbies to win, too! I think you should bring back the Fontenot jokes soon!! Miss them.
I was glad to see DeRo and Woody get a warm welcome, they deserve it. And I (and I am sure all other Cubs fans do too) appreciate the nice things they said about Chicago and Cubs fans on Friday….which made me miss them even more. Though I was very happy we won that game (thanks for the homer!!!) And the Cubs pulled out another awesome game today. Though I did feel bad for Woody, if it was only a different Tribe pitcher! So this one was a bit bitter-sweet….but still mostly SWEET! You guys are looking good….let’s go for the sweep! We haven’t had one of those in a while.
I was at the game yesterday, and was extremely happy and impressed with the rest of the Cubs fans and the reception we gave Wood and Derosa. At one point, a rather belligerent fan began yelling at Kerry Wood warming up in the pen, but the people around him quickly put him in his place. Those guys are class acts and they deserve to be treated as so.
So are you Reed. You obviously would prefer to play everyday, but whether you are pinch-hitting or starting, you always take the same approach. You didn’t even mention in your blog how you got the offense started with that huge homerun in the 5th. It’s no wonder you received such a nice reception in Toronto, and I hope you are a Cub for years to come. Good luck the rest of the way!
Love your blog Reed!! Keep up the awesome work on the field. (you’re my mom’s favorite player!!!)
You’re right… we were definitely happy that we came up with those BIG Ws yesterday and today. I was at both games and had mixed emotions. I was happy to see Wood and especially DeRo (as everyone around me knew with all the signs). We’re all upset about the trade- he belongs in pinstripes, but I think I speak for everyone in saying our allegiance is always to the Cubs. Those were two of the best games I have ever been to… keep those bats swinging!
~Reed~
I am so happy to see Woody and DeRo again, I miss both of them. I was also glad that they had a good reception, both played extremely well for us. Glad to see them, but even happier that we have won both games. You guys busted your butts for those wins and deserved them, let’s take the series tomorrow! Go Cubs Go!
~Milli~
Re-DeRo and Woody – It is hard for older fans to watch players play for different clubs, but that seems to be the rule now, rather than the exception. Back in the 1950s, most good players spent entire careers with a single club. The Cubs had been looking for a 2nd baseman for a long time, and signed DeRosa as a stopgap measure. Good luck to him. In the mean time, our new 2nd baseman/third baseman seems to be playing hurt, and is afraid to tell anyone, for fear of losing his job. The big guys can call in sick, and get medical attention, plus rehab, and get back in the lineup when they feel better. Little Mike is afraid that once he tells about his injury, he will be back on the bench for good. Maybe he is waiting for Aramis to get back before saying anything, but in the mean time he is taking pitches he usually sends out of the park, and swinging weakly at others. He needs to get that wrist x-rayed to see what is wrong. The look he has on his face reminds me of a boy I knew as a child, who broke his arm, and was afraid to tell his parents, because they couldn’t afford a doctor.
I’m glad you commented on the return of our friends, DeRo and Woody. Cub fans are classy folks and I expected no less than the warm welcome they gave both these guys. I feel bad for Kerry, but the job is to win the game. And the catcher’s throw into CF didn’t help him either. But in his 10 years here, he was nothing but a stand up guy, even when times were tough for him (injuries, transitioning to the BP etc.). As for the fans, it’s always nice to hear that the players actually care about the reception they get and the passion the fans have for the game. Loved DeRo’s story on WGN Radio when he said that during a pitching change, one of his fellow OFs came over and told him that he understood now why DeRo loved playing here; said something like, you can have Fenway, this is the greatest place to play! Best of luck to both of them (maybe we’ll see one of them back soon….). Go Cubs!
This is the part of baseball I hate, the business side. DeRo and Woody were added to the list of players that I felt very bitter about being let go. It always seems to come back and haunt us with these quality guys. Could we use DeRo right now? With all the struggles in the bully, what influence could Woody’s passion for the game have had there?
Kind of like Maddux showing us what he was all about with the Braves, Grace being able to get a ring. Hmmm?
Hope Woody and DeRo have a great season, successful career just a s Gracie and Maddux did.
Above all I am still waiting for my beloved boys in blue to make it to the series.
Reed,
Thanks for blogging about Keri and DeRo. I miss them both. I listen to the games for the most part on MLB Audio and every time they were talking about DeRo I couldn’t get it out of my mind that he was on the otherside. As for Keri, I think he should have left his number 34 at Wrigley and started his second career with a new number. 34 lived at Wrigley and I don’t think he’ll be able to come back into his old house and get a save.
Also, thanks for the great games at Wrigley during the week of 05-12-09. I got to get back there and see three games that week. It was so awesome to be home and at Wrigley. Got lots of new stuff to bring back to CA where I now live and bother all of the Dodger fans with go to see you guys play at Dodger stadium
Go Cubs Go!
Hey Reed,
GREAT HOMER the other day. I hope your back feels better soon. I had only planned on going to Friday’s game, but wound up going with friends to Saturday’s as well. THANK YOU for taking the time to sign stuff; I got a baseball signed. Whee!
It was good, but sad, to see Kerry and Mark back. It felt wrong to have to hope that they would lose, especially Kerry since he’s in the closer position. Ack. I’m glad they both realize how much we still love them here in Chicago. Those two are always going to be Cubs in my book.
Hey Reed,
I was in Toronto when you got that ovation and I ONLY heard positive things about you, and you definitely deserved a great ovation. I know when your playing days are over, (hopefully not for a very long time) Cubs fans will give you a tremendous ovation as well. We only think positively about you, the way you carry yourself on the field and off the field.
Keep up the great work Reed and you’re the man!!
Hey, Reed! I love reading your blog. I was sad when Mark left, as it was up in the air if someone else would be blogging, and I was so happy when I heard it would be you. And you haven’t disappointed!
I drew this “for” you as a joke between my friends and I. We have this vision of you blogging in the dugout of Wrigley that we just can’t shake. And after the Gatorade machine fiasco, I just had to include the cooler. I hope you get a kick out of it (and that you think it looks like you at least a little)!
Keep up the great work this season! I’m looking forward to watching a lot more Cubs baseball into the fall.
Woody and DeRo will always be some of my favorite players. Especially, Woody. I remember where I was when he fanned 20 Astros. I have watched him his entire career and it’s sad to see him wear anything but a Cubs jersey.
Thank you Reed for acknowledging the fans appreciation of both DeRosa and Wood. Well done.
Ron
http://reedjohnson.mlblogs.com/
I was at Fridays game and was so excited to see Mark DeRosa again- even though he’s not with the Cubs anymore he’ll always be a favorite of mine! I felt bad for Woody, it had to be a tough outing for him. He’s a neat guy though and we miss him.
Reed, I would like to thank you for hitting that home run, I said to my sister when you came to bat that you were going to crank one and just then you did, right on cue! Thanks for doing that for me 🙂 You are the coolest!
Reed-I really wish we could get De-Ro back. When they traded him on News Year’s Eve I knew it was a big, big mistake. I think he could really help us. His attitude was great for the team. I also believe Wood will always be a Cub. Yes, I was glad we won, but felt very sorry for Wood. What a classy, classy guy he is. They both are. Toronto’s loss if definately our gain. I am so glad you are with us and love to see you in the line-up. Keep up the good, hard work! And GO Cubbies!
Reed-I really wish we could get De-Ro back. When they traded him on News Year’s Eve I knew it was a big, big mistake. I think he could really help us. His attitude was great for the team. I also believe Wood will always be a Cub. Yes, I was glad we won, but felt very sorry for Wood. What a classy, classy guy he is. They both are. Toronto’s loss if definately our gain. I am so glad you are with us and love to see you in the line-up. Keep up the good, hard work! And GO Cubbies!
First, Reed, I have no clue why Toronto would let you go. In my opinion, you are in the category of players who play the game the way it should be played – all out, no jogging to first base. but jumping above the wall or diving for a ball. Second, no matter how the Cubs end up under Jim Hendry, in this age of asterisks, he will have one with the comment, “yeah, but he is the guy who traded DeRosa.” Third, I think Cubs fans live day to day (you’d die if you didn’t) because we appreciate every victory. These past four games have been … let’s just say that you shouldn’t watch the Cubs if you have heart problems! I was so proud of our fans for the way they welcomed Mark and Kerry. Kerry can play anywhere else, but he is ALWAYS a Cub. He grew up with us. DeRo was only here two years, but he got it. That’s what I’d say about you too. You get it. You get what being a Cub is. Thanks
Laura
It was a bittersweet feeling, seeing as I love both of those guys, I wanted the best for them. However, I also wanted them to win. I went to both of the games Saturday and Sunday (and paid for it by a weird sunburn), and it was amazing seeing them play again. Unfortunate for Woody on Saturday but we won and you guys seem to be finding a way to hit well and it’s great. It’s really sad to me that DeRo isn’t on our team anymore because he was one of my favorites. But it was great that we were able to play them and have them back at Wrigley. The response to them on Saturday and Sunday was great as well. They’re really appreciated here…I think more than some players would be and that’s awesome. I love this team more than anything because I believe everyone appreciates being a Cub and understands the relationship and connection between the players and the fans and every time I go to Wrigley, the atmosphere is stellar and even on the hottest or coldest of days, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Thank you for doing what you’re doing and keep up the good work! And keep wearing those tall socks, my friend loves that!
sounds like you have some great fans in Chicago.
http://eatsleepmlb.mlblogs.com
While I miss both of them, I thought it was time for Kerry to move on; but when Gregg became our closer, it was kind of like, wait, he’s no “better” than Kerry. If it was going to be an “even” exchange, then I would have said keep Kerry obviously. Then DeRo. I know hind-sight is 20-20, but like others here I was very upset on NYE. Looking at it now, I have been saying that it was just like when they traded Maddux. I realize the difference, but the impact is the same, if not worse this season (as noted by gdwgo88 above). Bad, bad, decision. I guess we’ll have to wait to see how the three minor league pitchers we got turn out…but I don’t have a lot of faith there.
And lovingthecubs, nice drawing of Reed in the dugout!!
We miss you so much in and around the Toronto area. you were a great player and role model to the organization. i hope youre enjoy chicago very well and you know that the Jays fans still love you.
JR – Always love to read your blog and have to comment about Mark and Kerry…..quite frankly I think that maybe Jim Hendry should be the one who was let go and we should keep the guys who have proven themselves time and time again. Kerry Wood is still a great pitcher – and our bullpen is certainly nothing to brag about at this point..obviously needs help. Quite frankly I feel we could trade Freel and Bradley and a couple of our bullpen guys if we could get Mark DeRosa and Kerry Wood back – their value to the team is priceless. If money is the object then find a way to weed out the non-producers and get our team back on track. We love it when you play center field – and then Fukodome could get back in right field, Soriano in left and all would be right with the Cub world!
Yo Reed,
I, like many, wish we would have kept Woody and dumped Soriano. Of course, I was very displeased about DeRosa leaving too!! Soriano and Bradley are defensive liabilities and do not produce at the plate often enough to earn thier exorbitant salaries. I know Woody had a tough time here at Wrigley, but with him in the bullpen, I doubt that we would be in the position we are in presently. Go Cubs!!
As much as Cubs fans like DeRosa, has it occurred to anyone that we did him a favor by trading him? He is a player who should play regularly, yet, at the time he was traded, there was no position for him. There is no guarantee that he would have been able to play daily. Had we known that Aramis would be out so long, it would have been nice to have him, but Aramis is due back soon. The Cubs signed him as a utility player because of his bat, and put him at 2B, because it was the only position open, yet they were always talking about getting Brian Roberts. They lost their man crush on Roberts only after Fontenot proved to be better defensively, and Soriano got locked into the leadoff spot. If we had DeRosa now, and Aramis came back, guess who he would be taking at-bats away from – Reed Johnson. The only way we could have kept DeRo, is as the regular right fielder, but he didn’t like being “lost out there in right field” – his words exactly. Now he is playing third base, where the fan can see him up close, and he is helping a team that needs him. There is no guarantee that if he were a Cub, he wouldn’t also have caught the poor hitting bug that has plagued the rest of the team. There was never a time when the rest of the team sucked, and DeRo carried them. He was a good player on a good team. No more no less. The grieving period should be over.
Who wrote the “welcome back De-Ro” message in the batting cage last Sunday??? 🙂
Just read that you’re going on the 15-day DL 😦 You will be missed… get better soon cuz we need guys like you in the lineup to keep the momentum going. Reed Rulz! 😉
i think its aweomse that you take the time to write a blog. its great to see derosa and wood back because they were such great team leaders. but not only them that are team leaders but so are you. you are literally my idol because you have a great attitude and your a great player on top of that. i dont play baseball, but the charactor and attitude you display can help me and everyone really, to excel in sports. i will always look up to you, and thanks for being such a motivating role model. i dont know if you have time to read any of these comments, but i just want you to know that no matter what kind of slump the cubs are in, you and the cubs always have a fan rooting for you.
bridget from iowa
i think it is so awesome that not only are u playing, but you also take the time to write a blog about yourself. you are honetsly like my idol. really. i admire you so much and you are a great team leader, just as derosa was. i dont play baseball, but the attitude you show is a great example for me and everyone really in any sport. i dont know if you have time to read these comments but i want you to know that no matter how big the losing streak or offensive lack of the cubbies is, you and the cubs in general will always have one fan rooting from them!
bridget from iowa