(DeRosa, giving Jacque Jones the only hug he ever got in Wrigley)
Don’t know what’s going on with the fractious Mets Clubhouse, but somewhere between Piniella Swagger and Oprah style talking it all out, the Cubs are on the verge of a Dodger sweep tonight. Some insight into what keeps the team together comes today from Mark DeRosa’s blog, The Pulse, as he takes this stroll down memory lane with former DeRosa hata’ Ryan Theriot. Buzz Bissinger and Skip Carey might diss blogs, but which one of them ever broke a hugfest like this? And for the record, I’m bummed that DeRosa chose to go with his team nickname for the blog rather than the fan suggestion, “De-Scoop with De-Ro.”
DEROSA: How did it feel when you’re sitting in Baton Rouge and it came across the ticker that Mark DeRosa had just signed to play second base with the Chicago Cubs.
THERIOT: In all honestly, when I saw it, I really felt like punching you right in the mouth and or breaking your leg. It was kind of a shock. It was a little upsetting in the beginning. But after Jim [Hendry] called me, and we talked a little bit about it, I felt better about the whole situation.
DEROSA: And when I showed up at Fitch Park, what were your impressions about me?
THERIOT: I didn’t know if we were getting a second baseman or an Ultimate Fighter. Your physique was comparable to that of a Greek god.
DEROSA: Or Bob Howry.
THERIOT: Or Bob Howry.
DEROSA: So, I was intimidating at first?
THERIOT: You were intimidating at first, yeah. Once I got to know you, I understood your skit.
DEROSA: You basically figured out I was soft.
THERIOT: Yeah, in so many words.