Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Addison Shea

It was a sad day for this Cubs fan in 1997 when the Cubs traded Brian McRae to the Mets. Sure, 1997 was a very awful season, but I can say with no shame at all that I genuinely liked Brian McRae. There was also no doubt, especilly in hindsight, that the Mets won the trade by quite a bit, despite only one of the players even recieving substantial playing time after 1997. The Cubs got Lance Johnson, Mark Clark and Manny Alexander for McRae, Turk Wendell and Mel Rojas. Johnson would never play more than 100 games in a season with the Cubs [or the Yankees, for whom he played 18 in 2000], Mark Clark was a servicable fifth starter in the Wild Card year of 1998 but nothing afterwards, and Manny Alexander was...Manny Alexander. McRae had only one good year left in him in which he hit .264/.360/.462 and 21 homers for the Mets in 1998 before playing for three teams in 1999. Wendell went on to have three more good years for the Mets and then made a lot of money thanks to the Phillies. Mel Rojas was...a contract.

But none of that is the point. The point is, Fred Mitchell reports today in the Chicago Tribune [subscription required] that as of today, Brian McRae is a father. He and his wife named their newborn daughter Addison Shea, after Shea stadium and the street on which Wrigley Field is located.

Thanks, Brian. I always loved you.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

<3 brian mcrae

i never liked darryl hamilton. he was fat.