Cubs fan, we warned you

[IFallsRon]

Jacque: Exit, stage right

Much-maligned Jones may get wish—trade; Cubs leaders for Lilly

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By Paul Sullivan

Tribune staff reporter

December 5, 2006, 9:55 PM CST

ORLANDO -- Jacque Jones never could understand why Cubs fans refused to give him the benefit of the doubt after his slow start in April. By September, he had let it be known he wouldn't mind a new address in 2007.

The Cubs are trying to accommodate the outfielder, for the good of both him and the organization. In an interview Tuesday with ESPN2, Jones labeled himself "a Cub until further notice" and repeated his claim that fans called his cell phone to harass him.

Asked if he had requested a trade, Jones replied: "Uh, I don't know about that. … It was rough for me a little bit in Chicago last year, and I played through it. I signed there for three years, so … I gotta do what I gotta do, and that's fulfill the last two years of my contract."

Rumors that Colorado was interested in Jones were erroneous, but San Francisco and Texas might be suitors. Cubs general manager Jim Hendry wouldn't deny Jones wanted out.

"I don't get into that," Hendry said. "If guys really, in the long run, don't want to be in a certain place, I try to accommodate them.

"But I'm not big on [revealing] conversations that happen [with] players and agents."

Was Jones happy as a Cub? Hendry skirted the question.

"I had a good relationship with Jacque," he said. "Obviously, he had some tough times earlier in the year. The Cubs were very supportive of him.

"A lot of people put unfair expectations on him before the season even started. At the end of the day Jacque Jones did exactly [as much] offensively as we'd hoped he would when we signed him."

Jones' problems with fans stemmed more from his early baserunning gaffes and consistently weak throws from right field. He also sat near the dugout steps during a game against the New York Mets in July and baited a couple of hecklers, an incident witnessed by about 200 fans and several Mets players and coaches. Jones denied the incident.

Meanwhile, the Cubs continued to lead the pack in negotiations for left-hander Ted Lilly and were in the race for right-handers Jason Schmidt and Gil Meche.

Talks with Cliff Floyd's agent also heated up, and the Cubs are likely to sign the free-agent outfielder to an incentive-laden deal by the end of the month.

Lilly's agent, Larry O'Brien, suggested the Cubs were the front-runners over Toronto and the New York Yankees. Lilly is expected to receive a four-year deal worth about $40 million.

"I'm not going to go into detail, but [the Cubs] have pretty much indicated they're willing to pay whatever is going to need to be paid to get Ted Lilly," O'Brien said.

Manager Lou Piniella was expected to give a sales pitch to Lilly by phone Tuesday and has been recruiting free agents for Hendry.

"I've talked to a few of them, and the ones I haven't, I leave nice messages," Piniella said.

Meche, who pitched for Piniella in Seattle, would be in line to become the Cubs' No. 4 starter.

"I had a nice conversation with Gil and told him we thought Chicago would be a really nice place for him to pitch," Piniella said.

Piniella declined to say whether he had spoken to Julio Lugo, another of his former players. Lugo agreed to a deal Tuesday night with the Red Sox.

[genegodawa]

So let's see now:

Mariner fans will warn us about Piniella.

WSox fans will warn us about Cotts.

Nat fans will warn us about Soriano.

Ranger fans will warn us about DeRosa.

BJay fans will warn us about Lily.

and most probably Card fans will warn us about Marquis.

Let me be the first Cub fan to warn you -

It'll be like heaven, for Cub fans in 2007!

[Cicada]

Ain't love blind?

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

As a bat, Cicada. Poor misguided Geno will just keep sipping that Cubbie Kool-Aid from his Official Sammy Sosa Magic Juice Cup! LOL

Windy

[CNY Tim]

Gene I love you but Jason Marquis??? You can bet he will be bringing his neck brace from St. Louis Happy Birthday Geno!

[genegodawa]

His neck brace will go along quite well with all the medical eqpt Prior and Wood have in the clubhouse.

Thanks for the well-wishes.

I'm ONLY 51, but I feel old enough to know better but too young to care!

PS Windy, I love how you wove that whole baseball related thing - a bat - into your reply quip to Cicada....funnnneee!

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Happy Birthday Old Man,

Just remember, you're not getting older...You're getting longer!

Windy

[genegodawa]

For me, it is WIDER!

[IFallsRon]

A year later and the Cubs can't get a sack of balls for J.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

I Falls,

Maybe they can package him with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Surely there are teams out there that can already hit and pitch and are just looking to bloat their team salary, don't you think.

Tee Hee

Windy

[fishyguy]

Hey...there is a team just across town from the Cubbies that spent $109 million to achieve a paltry .237 team average. Maybe he would fit in there.

Oops....I probably shouldn't pick on the Sox hitting the day after the Twins only get about 3 balls out of the infield but I couldn't resist.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

Fishy,

I guess misery loves company this year and both our teams are leaving much to be desired. Some more than others, agreed, but we are both playing second fiddle to the Tribe and Kitties. I am surprised that we have not had Knoppers chiming in already since his boys have been in the lead for most of the season.

Windy

[genegodawa]

That's third fiddle there Windy....behind the Cubbies also.

I just re-read this old thread and I must thank all the fans out there that "warned" me about Soriano (an all-star), DeRosa, Marquis, and Lily.....took 'em awhile to get going, but it's all dividends now.