01-29-2009, 02:19 AM
HTC found this article, and I thought it was pretty good, so I'm printing for us (with a few choice sections cut out, for the law)
It makes me, dare I say, a little bit excited to see Heilman come pitch for his favorite team.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->A Heilman Homecoming
By BEN SHPIGEL
Just a few days ago, Steve Kelley of The Seattle Times wrote a column about one of the newest Mariners, Aaron Heilman. In it, Heilman was quoted as saying that he was looking forward to (finally) getting a chance to start and that he was hopeful the change of scenery could revive his career.
In the coming days, we may see similar columns in The Chicago Tribune or The Chicago Sun-Times. On Wednesday morning, Heilman was traded again, this time to the Chicago Cubs. As much as he may have enjoyed pitching in spacious Safeco Field or in beautiful Seattle, there is no doubt that he is a much, much happier man because of this deal.
Until Logansport, Ind., receives an expansion team (my Magic 8 ball says, “don’t count on it”), playing for the Cubs is the closest thing to going home. Heilman went to Notre Dame, a 90-mile straight shot on I-90, and now lives with his wife in the Chicago suburbs. His agent, Mark Rodgers, is friends with Cubs G.M. Jim Hendry. Heilman grew up a Cubs fan, and I always figured that, as soon as he reached free agency, he would find a way to pitch for them. Now, he will.
The local connection extends a little deeper, too. His new teammate Jeff Samardzija (a former All-American receiver) also attended Notre Dame, which seems to be churning out better baseball players than football players these days (see Lidge, Brad), so now Heilman can have someone to vent to on those September Saturdays. Samardzija will also challenge Heilman for a role on the staff.
On a conference call announcing the deal, the Cubs said that Heilman could continue pitching out of the bullpen, though he may compete with Sean Marshall, Chad Gaudin and Samardzija (who both pitched exclusively in relief last year) for the final rotation slot. Where Heilman fits in is difficult to project. Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg are expected to pitch the eighth and ninth innings, and Luis Vizcaino, Neal Cotts and Michael Wuertz are pretty much guaranteed of spots. Gaudin and Samardzija, both right-handers, may join that mix, too.
If Heilman loses the starting competition and winds up pitching in relief, I’m sure he’ll be disappointed. But he’ll handle that decision professionally, just as he did during his time with the Mets. Heilman purchased an ad in the scorebook sold at Sunday night’s annual awards dinner of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. It read: “Playing at Shea before you folks was an experience I will always savor. Thank you for support.”
By joining the Cubs, Heilman gets to savor another unforgettable experience, too.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It makes me, dare I say, a little bit excited to see Heilman come pitch for his favorite team.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->A Heilman Homecoming
By BEN SHPIGEL
Just a few days ago, Steve Kelley of The Seattle Times wrote a column about one of the newest Mariners, Aaron Heilman. In it, Heilman was quoted as saying that he was looking forward to (finally) getting a chance to start and that he was hopeful the change of scenery could revive his career.
In the coming days, we may see similar columns in The Chicago Tribune or The Chicago Sun-Times. On Wednesday morning, Heilman was traded again, this time to the Chicago Cubs. As much as he may have enjoyed pitching in spacious Safeco Field or in beautiful Seattle, there is no doubt that he is a much, much happier man because of this deal.
Until Logansport, Ind., receives an expansion team (my Magic 8 ball says, “don’t count on it”), playing for the Cubs is the closest thing to going home. Heilman went to Notre Dame, a 90-mile straight shot on I-90, and now lives with his wife in the Chicago suburbs. His agent, Mark Rodgers, is friends with Cubs G.M. Jim Hendry. Heilman grew up a Cubs fan, and I always figured that, as soon as he reached free agency, he would find a way to pitch for them. Now, he will.
The local connection extends a little deeper, too. His new teammate Jeff Samardzija (a former All-American receiver) also attended Notre Dame, which seems to be churning out better baseball players than football players these days (see Lidge, Brad), so now Heilman can have someone to vent to on those September Saturdays. Samardzija will also challenge Heilman for a role on the staff.
On a conference call announcing the deal, the Cubs said that Heilman could continue pitching out of the bullpen, though he may compete with Sean Marshall, Chad Gaudin and Samardzija (who both pitched exclusively in relief last year) for the final rotation slot. Where Heilman fits in is difficult to project. Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg are expected to pitch the eighth and ninth innings, and Luis Vizcaino, Neal Cotts and Michael Wuertz are pretty much guaranteed of spots. Gaudin and Samardzija, both right-handers, may join that mix, too.
If Heilman loses the starting competition and winds up pitching in relief, I’m sure he’ll be disappointed. But he’ll handle that decision professionally, just as he did during his time with the Mets. Heilman purchased an ad in the scorebook sold at Sunday night’s annual awards dinner of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. It read: “Playing at Shea before you folks was an experience I will always savor. Thank you for support.”
By joining the Cubs, Heilman gets to savor another unforgettable experience, too.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance