Short Stay Sunday - Raul Gonzalez

Everyone loves a good underdog story.

One of the most timeless tales in baseball is that of the career minor-leaguer who finally ascends to the top of the latter.

Everyone loves to see perseverance and hard work pay off in the end, to see someone achieve their lifelong dream.  I think we can all relate in some form.

One such story involves a forgotten Cub of the previous decade - one Raul Gonzalez:

Fleer basically plagiarized 1954 Topps to honor Raul and his ascent in their Tradition Series Update from 2000.  When he made his MLB debut that season, he had already been struggling for 10 years.

Drafted in the 17th round of the 1990 draft by the Kansas City Royals out of Puerto Rico, Raul spent 7 years in their organization producing solid (but unspectacular) offensive numbers with a respectable glove.

After a short stay in the Red Sox system, Raul was signed by the Cubs going into the 2000 season for organizational depth.  He picked the right team.

The 2000 Cubs were a terrible squad.  Their  65-97 record placed them in the cellar of the National League and their outfield of castoffs + Sammy Sosa was part of the problem.  Slammy could only do so much.

"Oh Henry" Rodriguez and Rondell White spent most of the season on the DL and with names like Damon Buford, Gary Matthews Jr., Brant Brown, an over-the-hill Glenallen Hill, etc. getting significant playing time, it's no wonder they weren't getting the job done.

 Oh Henry, why couldn't you and Rondell stay healthy?

Therefore, the Cubs started throwing crap at the wall, hoping something would stick; Raul got his chance that May.

Unfortunately, he did not seize the moment.  Although he only got 2 at-bats, he went 0-2 with 2 Ks.  In left field, he saw action in 3 innings over 3 games; however, he never had a ball hit to him.

The Cubs had much less patience with the minor-league lifer than they would a traditional prospect and demoted him back to AAA after about a month.  Then came Ross Gload, the undeveloped Corey Patterson and the dated Dave Martinez... things didn't get better.

 Ross Gload & Dave Martinez - AKA "crap on the wall"

Also, note the similar batting stances

Gonzo wasn't done in the Bigs though.  After finishing out the season in Iowa, Raul saw MLB time each season through 2004 with the Reds, Mets and Indians, including 107 games as a de-facto starter for the '03 New Yorkers.

After continuing to bounce around in the minors and independents through 2007, Raul saw his name in the big league press yet again in 2010; except this time, it wasn't for his on-field exploits.

Following the Februrary 2010 DUI arrest of Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers brought Raul into the fold as a "companion" in order to keep the young superstar in check.  He reportedly spent the entire year making sure that Miggy laid off the sauce and focused his talents.

Miggy owes a little thanks to Raul Gonzalez

It looks like it's worked out in the long-run for Cabrera.

As for Raul Gonzalez, all things considered, not too bad of a career for a 17th rounder who took 10 years to finally reach the top rung.

We should all be so lucky as to have such an interesting adventure through professional baseball.

 The intricacies of an underdog tale like Raul's is always compelling.

Short Stay Sunday: Zach Putnam

It's been one week since you looked at me...

Or, rather, one week since I've looked at Wrigley Roster Jenga. Sorry that you now have Barenaked Ladies stuck in your head though.

This is what happens when you move and your Internet service is going through growing pains, or your apartment complex has lead walls - one of the two.

But, no matter; let's get right back at it.

Last night, my girlfriend and I chaperoned a children's charity outing to the White Sox game.  Now, I love free baseball, no matter what side of town it's being played on, and I'm always willing to volunteer some time to a good cause.

In yesterday's game, I learned two things: 1) The South Side offense is almost as anemic as the North Side, almost 2) this guy is back in the Major Leagues:

I'm not going to lie, I didn't even know he was still in organized baseball at all.

This journeyman reliever (pictured in his college days) has played with Cleveland, Colorado and  the White Sox, but I'll always remember him for his time as a Cub.  He wasn't here for long though, hence his appearance on Short Stay Sunday.

A fifth round draft pick by the Indians in 2008, the power reliever made his major league debut there in 2011.  He lasted 8 games, giving up 5 runs in 7.1 innings.  Unimpressed, the Tribe traded Putnam to the Rockies for Kevin Slowey in the offseason.

With the Rockies, he was completely unscored upon in all of his appearances.  Unfortunately for Zach, that was only 2 innings stretched across 2 games.  That's a bit strange, since the Rockies were almost single-handedly responsible for keeping relievers employed.  13 pitchers made 15 or more appearances out of the bullpen in 2012.

At the end of the year, the Rockies tried to sneak him through waivers; the Cubs were perched and waiting.  They took him and then, when he became a free agent, signed him on Christmas Day.  As a Cubs fan, this gift was sorta like that generic off-brand toy that your aunt bought on the way to your house at the last minute.

 Look! Darth Vader has Sammy Sosa disease!

Image courtesy of CollectorsQuest.com

Like said toy, Zach broke almost immediately after the Cubs got him.  He was called up to the bigs around Memorial Day.  After 5 appearances, he found himself on the disabled list with elbow problems.

Not that it was a huge loss.  After a three pitch, scoreless 1/3 inning in his debut, Putnam gave up 4 ER on 6 hits in just 1 inning against the Diamondbacks and it was all downhill from there.

After hitting the DL, he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his pitching elbow.  Zach later admitted that he had been pitching through pain for quite a while.  Thus, his performance on the North Side.

Jeff Samardzija James Russell Zach Putnam pitching in spring training, 2013.

I thought that this marked the end of his career.  The road to stardom is littered with pitchers in Zach's predicament.  But, as it turns out, he signed with the White Sox in the offseason (which I failed to notice) and has now become a key member of their bullpen.  Drat.

In fact, he even pitched 2 perfect innings at Wrigley, getting the win in relief against the Cubs in the Crosstown Cup.  The Cubs just can't catch a break.

I wish Zach all the best, despite my bitterness.  After all, I'm only bitter because I wish he were a part of the other Chicago bullpen, the one that couldn't hold a lead if it had handles on it that were soaked in super glue.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for this card itself, it comes from Upper Deck's 2010 World of Sports set.  It shows him pitching for the University of Michigan... 2 years after he had already been in professional baseball.  But, I'll cut them some slack, as UD was still trying to figure out what to do with their baseball cards after losing their MLB license and the trouble surrounding their unlicensed 2009 set.

But, I do enjoy cards that depict MLB players in their bush league days, so one that goes all the way back to their collegiate days is even cooler!

Side note -  I hope Zach washes his hat more often now, look at those sweaty salt deposits!

At that, I must be on my way.  I'll be back tomorrow with Old as Moses Monday - I shan't be disappearing for weeks on end anymore as I think I finally have my internet kinks straightened out.

However, since you have probably had this stuck in your head throughout the entire post:

Good luck with those lyrics though!

Short Stay Sunday: Tarrik Brock

Brock is an infamous name in Cubs history.  Every Cub fan still cringes at the thought of the dreaded Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio trade made 50 years ago.  However, Lou was not the only Brock who made a brief cameo on the Cubs roster.

However, Tarrik is of no relation and is of far lesser consequence.  Drafted in the second round by the Detroit Tigers in 1991 with much hype, he languished for several seasons in A ball, a level at which he had a career .228 batting average.  As for his ballyhooed legs, he never stole more than 25 bases in his six seasons with the Tigers organization.

After spending some time in the Mariners and Rockies organization, he found his way to Chicago by trade in 1999.  In 54 games for AA West Tennessee, he batted a paltry .217, stealing 9 bases.

Despite these weak numbers, Tarrik finally made a major league roster for the first time as the Cubs opened their 2000 season in Japan.  He even singled in his long-awaited first MLB at bat off of Rich Rodriguez, pinch hitting in the 7th inning.

But, that's where the magic ended.  Over the course of his 13 games (16 PAs), he was only able to muster one other hit. This earned him a ticket back down to AAA and would mark the end of his major league career.

That is to say, his career as an active player was over.  After spending several seasons as a roving base running coordinator in the Marlins organization, Tarrik is no back in the big leagues.  He's currently serving as the first base coach in Houston under another former Cub in manager Bo Porter.

Tarrik coaching first base with the Astros

In addition, in his personal life, his family consists of plenty of other athletic talent.  His wife, Kanika, was a sprinter at USC and currently serves as a coach at Encino Crespi High School in California.  One of her star charges is their son Tarrik Jr., who last year ran the fastest 100 meters in state history for a freshman.

He won his heat in 10.57 seconds. As a former track pseudo-star myself, that's pretty flippin' fast!

The card that I have representing in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection comes from the 2002 edition of Line Up; the subject of these sets was the Venezuelan Winter League.  Obscure/forgotten player, oddball card, off-the-wall set basis... sounds like my kind of thing!

Thus concludes today's edition of Short Stay Sunday on Wrigley Roster Jenga.  I hope you enjoyed it, but Imust get going; I have a concert to get to!

Short Stay Sunday: Rey Ordonez

For today's edition of Short Stay Sunday, I'll be featuring a player who I had an odd attachment to when he was on the roster.  This guy was known for his defense and not much else; basically, he was a modern day Mario Mendoza with an exceptionally better glove.  His name is Rey Ordonez and he was briefly a Cub in the summer of 2004.

Oh, those 2004 Cubs.... to this day, thinking of that disappointing collapse makes my stomach turn.  After the near miss in 2003 and the high quality imports brought in in the off-season, it truly felt like the Cubs were destined to end the drought.  Instead, they underachieved and blew it in the end.

However, Rey Ordonez was only a minor factor in that gut-wrenching blow up.  The longtime Met won 3 straight Gold Glove awards at shortstop from 1997-1999.  However, his defense was the only thing that assured his starting spot; his batting average as a Met was a weak .245 with an even more pathetic OPB of .290.  Needless to say, he was an easy out.

Rey was traded away to Tampa for 2003 after calling Mets fans stupid, never a good idea, and then injuries robbed him of most of the season.  Suddenly, Rey was at a career crossroads.

He went into 2004 battling with an unknown rookie named Khalil Greene for the shortstop job in San Diego.  Obviously, he lost that battle and again found himself on the scrap heap.  Things were looking pretty bleak for Rey, but then Alex Gonzalez broke his wrist.

 Gonzo - why couldn't you field that groundball?

Alex Gonzalez, simultaneously a postseason hero and goat during the magical 2003 playoff run, took a pitch off of his wrist that May and found himself sidelined for several weeks.  Enter Rey Ordonez.

GM Jim Hendry signed Rey to be Rey.  That is, all he needed to do was bring his Gold Glove and at least look like he knew how to hold a bat.  However, he only held up one end of that bargain.

In his time to shine, Rey had the worst offensive season of his career and that is certainly saying something.  In 23 games, Rey batted .164 at a time when the Cubs were in the thick of the playoff race.  Obviously this wouldn't cut it.

That July, the Cubs cut ties with Ordonez.  Alex Gonzalez was back and unbeknownst to us at the time, soon to be included in a blockbuster three-way trade to acquire Nomar Garciaparra to take over at short.  Obviously Ordonez was dead weight.

 Nomahh - soon to be the hero of many Chicago children

In an ironic twist, Gonzalez ended the season at the starting shortstop for San Diego, the very team that cut Ordonez to begin the season.  Baseball is a funny sport.

With that, Rey Ordonez's MLB career was over and done with.  He found himself out of baseball for the rest of 2004 and all of '05.  He attempted a brief comeback in '06 with Seattle and looked to have made the team out of spring training.  That is, until a late trade with San Francisco for Jason Ellison pushed him out of the picture.  He refused a minor league assignment, saying "he was too old for that," took his ball and went home.

So, why was I attached to a player far past their prime on a team that was doomed to disappoint Cubs fans for the rest of their lives?  I always root for the underdog.

I always want to see that career minor-leaguer get his chance to succeed in the majors, to see a "4A" player make it to the bigs and succeed, to see an aging veteran come in and see one successful go around before calling it quits.  Thus, I developed special affinities for guys like Bobby Scales, Bryan LaHair and, you guessed it, Rey Ordonez.

C'mon - who wasn't rooting for these guys to stick?

Not to mention, he hit his only homer of the season against the White Sox.  As a Cub fan deep in the south side of Chicago, anyone who showed it to the Sox and got the kids at school to shut up was cool in my book!

This card itself was acquired just yesterday at a community wide garage sale day in Coal City.  I have several Rey Ordonez cards, however this one shot to the top of the stack because it features him wearing the number zero.  I love it when players wear unorthodox numbers; you have to change things up after all!

Its the matte version of the 1996 edition of Fleer.  While I'd rather have the glossy one, this one is definitely satisfactory.  Unfortunately, since Rey's time with the Cubs was so short and over by late summer, he never got a card with a Cubs jersey, not even in Update.

But, that was far from the only thing I got at the garage sales; in fact, I got a whole bunch of new cards to show off.  They'll be divided into two posts, starting on Tuesday (tomorrow is Old as Moses Monday after all).

I'm sure you're all waiting with bated breath.

Short Stay Sunday: Ed Mayer

It took Ed Mayer six seasons to finally reach the big leagues and it really wasn't even worth the wait - statistically anyway.  However, as the card below might imply, Ed faced a lot of discrimination on his ascent to the majors due to his religious beliefs - but, more on that later.

Mayer only pitched for two partial seasons in the MLB, both with the Cubs from 1957-58.  The Cal-Berkley alum was signed by the Boston Red Sox out of college and he slowly began to work his way up the ladder.  After later being taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in the minor league draft of 1955, his velocity finally took him to the upper minors.

It wasn't until the Cubs traded Jim King to get him (with Bobby Del Greco) in April of '57 that Mayer finally made it to the top of the pyramid.  That year, Ed got a September call-up and saw some brief action out of the bullpen and even got one start.  The start was a doozy - he gave up 5 runs in 5 innings against the Giants - but the Cubs came back and he didn't allow a run in his 2 relief appearances.  The FO liked what they saw.

They were impressed enough that Ed broke camp with the parent club the next season as a member of their bullpen, were his velocity was better served due to his spotty control (16 walks in 23 innings).  Through May, Ed was impressive.  Keeping his ERA under 3 throughout most of the month, he kept the surprisingly competitive team in ballgames.  But, as May came to an end, unknowingly, Ed Mayer's big league career was also wrapping up.

Courtesy of Baseball-Almanac.com

In late May, Ed's arm started to get tired - then downright sore.  He was losing velocity on his fastball and his ERA started to climb.  On June 5th, he gave up 2 earned runs without recording an out against the Phillies and the Cubs sent him back to the bush leagues.  He eventually recovered enough to keep going in the minors until 1959 (with less than stellar results), Ed Mayer never saw his name in a big league lineup again.

While his career was a pretty common tale in the annals of baseball history, Ed was notable for his being Jewish in a time when major league sports shunned the religion; he faced a fare amount of prejudice during his time in professional baseball.

For instance, in 1956 when pitching for the Cardinals AAA club “Out there on the mound, I hear this guy yelling stuff about me because I was Jewish, and I didn't pay any attention to him, but he was getting on my a-- about it.”

The incidents didn't stop when he came to the Cubs either.  “One of my teammates on the Cubs, who I won’t name, didn’t like Jews at all,” Mayer commented. “He was overtly anti-Jewish, and you could tell. That wasn’t good.”  We'll never know who that teammate was because Ed took the high road.  Thus, even though his baseball career didn't amount to very much, Ed should be remembered for his being a good man and standing tall in the face of discrimination. 

The American Jewish Historical Society agrees with me.  In 2003, they issued a special commemorative baseball card set that depicts Major League Baseball players who practiced Judaism in order to shine a light on some forgotten trailblazers.  The Society has since issued a few updates, including one earlier this year, in order to include more recent heroes, such as Adam Greenberg and Jason Marquis.

Courtesy of JewishMajorLeaguers.com

The set was printed is limited quantities and has become highly sought after.  They are one of my favorite oddball sets of all-time; they shine the spotlight on forgotten heroes, further an excellent cause, are made of good quality and are relatively rare - what's not to like?

With that, I must go - today is another packing day for my upcoming move.  While I'd rather blog about baseball, life just has a habit of getting in the way.  I'll be back tomorrow with Old as Moses Monday.

Short Stay Sunday: Len Church

The man's name made him a shoe-in candidate to be profiled on my weekly Sunday feature.  Does this count as visiting church?  Well, if you're Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham or if collecting baseball cards is your religion too, then absolutely!

Now, let us begin today's sermon:

This piece from Larry Fritsch's One Year Winners collection pictures Len Church.  As mentioned in previous Sunday's, this set focused exclusively on players who spent 1 year or less in the major leagues.  Many of these players had no other cards issued in their lifetime; big points for originality.

Pictured in the uniform he spent most of his baseball career, Tacoma, Church was a local boy who graduated from Lane Tech High School.  Lane Tech, of course, is the baseball powerhouse that also produced Chicago royale Phil Cavaretta.  Phil was somewhat more successful, however.

Signed in 1963, in the days before the amateur draft, he made the big league team for the first time in for the infamous 1966 Cubs as a reliever.

Why is that team significant?  Well, it's the only roster in MLB history that has included 5 HOF players and lost 100 games.

Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Robin Roberts couldn't save that club and neither could Len Church.

Of course, the 4 games that he appeared in that summer wouldn't have made a difference anyway.

Church's statistics from that stint are exceptionally ugly:  0-1 while giving up 5 earned runs in 6 innings, with two blown saves and surrendering two leads in the 9th inning.  The Cubs lost every game he appeared in.

He was sent down in September, never again to see his name listed on a big league roster.  He kept on trying though, playing mostly in AAA-Tacoma through the 1971 season before finally calling it quits.

Prospect to organizational filler in 4 games flat.

So, despite his last name being Church, Len was completely incapable of "saving" anything.  Hey-yo!

Short Stay Sunday: Billy Petrick

Imagine yourself as a young, 23 year old rookie, getting called up to the major leagues for the first time for your hometown team (and the team you grew up rooting for) in the thick of a pennant race.  Sounds pretty exhilarating right?  That's what happened to one Billy Petrick in the summer of 2007.

The Morris, IL native was a third round draft choice by the Cubs in 2002 (talk about a weak drafting class, ugh).  A large man (6'7" and 245 lbs.) with a power arm, he drew comparisons to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.  I think you can figure out where this is going.

But, he struggled coming out of the rotation and had to undergo shoulder surgery mid-2005.  After that, he floundered in the system for a few more years, never advancing above A-ball.

It wasn't until he was switched to the bullpen that Petrick regained prospect status.  At that point, he rocketed up in the ladder, going from Daytona to the Major Leagues in just half of a season! He jumped from AA to the majors after going 1-1 with two saves and a 2.37 ERA in 18 relief appearances for Tennessee. He struck out 33 and walked eight.  The Cubs liked what they saw.

Enough to give him a shot in the bullpen in their chase for the division crown.  Upon being called up, he debuted against the Rockies, giving up a 2 run home run.  But, he set down 6 of the 7 batters he faced.  Five more scoreless appearances seemed to indicate that Petrick was up for good.

But that wasn't to be.  His velocity was ticking downward with each appearance.  His 98mph fastball upon his callup had dwindled to 87mph in just a few weeks.  Bats started to catch up and Petrick tried to pitch through.  After giving up 4 runs in just 1 inning in late July against the Cardinals, the Cubs had seen enough.

He was sent down to AAA.  Then AA.  By the end of 2008, he was all the way back in A-ball with no velocity returning.  The Cubs cut ties with Billy after that 2008 season and his career in affiliated baseball was over.

He wouldn't give up though.  Billy signed with my local minor league baseball team, the Windy City Thunderbolts based out of Crestwood, IL of the Frontier League, for the 2009 season to be their closer.  After 11 appearances for the 'Bolts with an impressive 2.13 earned run average, three saves, 15 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings, something popped in his elbow.

He tore a tendon and needed Tommy John surgery. It could have been the end for Billy, but he rehabbed and kept trying to regain that velocity that had brought him to the Majors.  

He was traded to my adopted hometown's minor league team in 2009, the Joliet Slammers, and came back to pitch 2 seasons more seasons for them.  After spending the 2012 season in the NABL with 2 teams, Billy finally packed it in, calling it a career after 10 years in the minors with just 8 big league appearances to his name.

Seeing as he pitched for my two favorite minor league teams and my favorite big league team, Billy Petrick will always be remembered fondly by me, even if he was just another name in the terrible 2002 draft by the Cubs.  Luke Hagerty, Bobby Brownlie, Chadd Blasko, Brian Dopirak... the only names with any success were Randy Wells and Rich Hill.  Yikes.

His rookie card in the 2007 edition of Topps Heritage would be his only Major League issue.  However, if anyone has one of his team-issued Thunderbolts or Slammers cards, I'll gladly organize a trade!  Unfortunately, I missed both of those days at the ballpark.

Short Stay Sunday: Paul Schramka

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the weekly feature "Short Stay Sunday."  Please make your way to your seats as the feature presentation is about to begin.

Today's profile will be on one Paul Schramka.  His short stay on the northside was really short; it lasted all of three days, April 14th-16th in 1953.  As a bright-eyed, 25 year old prospect, you really think he would've been around longer.

Athletics ran in the Schramka family blood, as his brother Gene captained the basketball team for Marquette University from 1951-1952.  Basketball, too, was a love of Paul and he excelled at both sports as a high schooler in Milwaukee.

But, it was his skills on the diamond that caught the attention of a Cubs scout, who signed him to a minor league deal out of high school. Paul had other ideas though.  Namely, playing hoops at the University of Notre Dame and he was granted his release in order to pursue that dream before actually appearing in a game.

It was not to be though, having failed to impress the Notre Dame basketball coach during tryouts, Paul transferred out after just one semester.  He landed at the University of San Francisco in 1946, where he was to receive a scholarship for basketball and baseball.  But, he soon dropped basketball to focus exclusively on baseball as his playing time on the court diminished.

The tiny school (1,800 enrolled) didn't even have athletic fields and didn't belong to an athletic conference.  However, it offered him the opportunity to play and he made the most of it, regularly batting over .330.  He even became good friends with future NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. That opportunity lead him right back to where he started, the Chicago Cubs.

He re-signed with the club in 1948, who out-bid 13 other teams for his services.  However, just 5 days after signing, while running up some steps on his way to church, he tripped and fell.  He injured his right shoulder enough to require surgery.  Ahhhh, Cubs prospects just never change do they?

Then, after regaining his health and playing in A-ball, Paul was drafted into the Army.  Instead of going to Korea, he was luckily shipped off to Germany.  But, it seemed as if he would never make it to the bigs.

A few bumps in the road wouldn't stop Paul though and he impressed upon his return stateside in 1952 during spring training. He got the call to open the season as the 7th (!!!) outfielder.  He only saw action as a pinch runner and substitute left fielder, never getting a plate appearance in 2 games.

He was sent right back down and never re-emerged.  After eventually being demoted back down to single-A, he was released 1953.  At age 85, he is back living in Milwaukee after a long career as an undertaker and playing baseball in industrial leagues.

But the real significance of Paul's career was his jersey number:  14.  He was the last person to wear the number before "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks came along.  It was Paul's telegraph to Ernie shortly after the latter was first called up that makes for one of the funniest moments in Cubs history.  It read, "I left all the base hits in the jersey for you."

The card I have to honor Mr. Schramka's short stay is from baseball card merchant Larry Fritsch's fascinating "One Year Wonder" set.  Another particularly useful collection of cards as this set spotlight's ball players who's stays were so short, that they never had a major league card.  As an added bonus, it's even autographed!

There you have it folks, the story of Paul Schramka.  I hope you enjoyed this week's edition of Short Stay Sunday.  Please kindly make your way to the exit and we hope to see you back next week to learn about another, more recent, local boy.

Short Stay Sunday: Miguel Socolovich

I just don't have the finances to purchases cards at the rate it would take to make a daily post about new acquisitions.  Therefore, I need to develop some weekly features.  So, spit-balling here, how about Short Stay Sunday?

On Sundays, I'll profile a player whose card I've obtained that just barely qualifies as a Cub.  I'll bet only the most hopeless of Cub fans (like I consider myself) will recognize these names. Let's delve in then, shall we?:

Miguel was a Cub for all of 6 games in the last half of 2012.  The only reason he really found his way onto the club was roster jenga (hey, sounds like a good name for a blog).  Pictured here is his 2013 BBM card, documenting his time spent in Japan.  Sidenote, I am fascinated with Japanese baseball cards as I love the thought of owning something not available on this side of the Atlantic.

Signed by the BoSox out of Venezuela in 2004 with a power arm, he was traded to the White Sox in 2008 for David Aardsma (another ex-Cubbie) before being granted minor league free agency after the 2011 season, still not having sniffed a MLB roster.

He signed with the Baltimore Orioles for the 2012 season, eventually working his way to the bigs for 6 underwhelming appearances, tossing 10.1 innings of relief with a 6.97 ERA.  This lead to his being DFA'ed in August.

The Cubs and their then-new boy wonder Theo Epstein claimed him on August 23rd, likely because they were familiar with him from his Red Sox days.  Plus, with the Cubs' bullpen in shambles, if you throw enough crap at a wall, some of it will stick.

He didn't stick.  His 6 innings of 4.50 ERA ball failed to leave much of an impression.  After being cut, he spent 2013 with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan.  This season, he's in camp with the New York Mets, trying to scrape his way onto the roster.

There you have it, the first Short Stay Sunday is complete.  I'll be back tomorrow with another new feature I'd like to try, Older Than Moses Monday!   I'll let that percolate a bit while I head out to dinner.