Why focus on Major League
Baseball?
One would think MLB would be
happy to help share a story about an ex-player who invented a tool to aid
children with sensory disorders.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case over the last five years. This begs a question. Why would MLB not want to help? I have good reason to believe, MLB has
actually stifled the story through their media contacts. I strongly believe the suppression goes back
to the tampering at signing and bonus paid.
It may seem odd to focus on the signing bonus, but that is where the
story begins. It is important to note
the signing bonus was the equivalent to a low first-round or supplemental
first-round draft pick. From the very beginning the Chicago Cubs (then owned by the Tribune Company) made it clear they wanted me to quit or have a career ending injury. I love baseball too much to quit so that left
MLB and the Cubs with very few options. Perhaps
Jim Hendry, the Scouting Director who signed me and later became the General
Manager of the Cubs, was being punished by MLB due to the bonus he
offered. Interestingly, when we were
negotiating my bonus, Jim Hendry kept stating he thought we had a deal with
another club and; therefore, another club was forcing up the price he'd have to pay. For the record, we never had contact with
another baseball club and to this day do not know how he came to this
conclusion or why he would sign me if he thought I was a liar. Perhaps another
club was having a bit of fun with him. Unfortunately,
I ultimately paid the price for his decision to sign me and so has every other
player drafted since 1999 with the implementation of the "slotted bonus" system used today by
Major League Baseball to regulate and limit signing bonuses.
Just some of the questionable behavior
on the part of the Chicago Cubs organization follows:
1. During the summer of 1998 while in the NY-Penn League in Williamsport, PA the Cubs Pitching Coordinator (Lester Strode) for the minor leagues came to visit our team. While only 19 years old this coach bought me a tequila shot and then other older players joined in by buying me more drinks. At the time, I was not a drinker nor should I have been drinking since I was not 21 years old. When a coach asks you to do something, you do it so I felt pressure to keep drinking. I should not have done this as I became very ill and only remember Coach Strode trying to “hook me up” with an older woman who had no teeth (which I didn’t). Why would a person in a position of authority (who determines whether or not a player is promoted) encourage under aged drinking and public humiliation? This must not be unacceptable behavior for the Cubs as Lester Strode eventually rose through the system to become the Bullpen Coach for the major league Cubs.
2. In the fall of 1998, after pitching a full season
of college baseball and a full season in the NY-Penn League, I was sent to Instructional
League where I caught pneumonia. The very
first reaction of the training staff was to give me Alka Seltzer and told me to
go to bed. There was no trip to the
doctor or medical treatment the next day until a call was made to Joe Housey
(my scout) and my agent at the time.
Despite the diagnosis of a medical doctor (full pneumonia in one lung) the
head trainer continued to insist it was not really pneumonia and I was kept
isolated in my room. While being kept a
virtual prisoner in my room (with only about five days left of training) the
club refused to let me return home for decent medical care until we again
contacted my agent. Why was it so
important for the Cubs to keep me isolated without medical checkups with so
little time left in the Instructional League?
What could have happened without medical treatment?
3. During
the 1998-1999 off-season I was told to put on weight and bulk up (played
college ball at 170-185 pounds). I began
an off-season training and nutritional program.
At 6’7” tall I reported to Spring Training in 1999 weighing a rational
and modest 215 pounds. This is certainly
not overweight yet the training staff placed me on the weight management program
to lose weight. Players in this program
tend to be very overweight and participation in the program requires additional
exercise to lose weight. Was this simply
retaliation by the training staff for revealing their deficiencies in their
treatment when I was diagnosed with pneumonia?
This is doubtful as nothing happens without the approval of management.
4. While
at Lansing in 1999 I was publicly humiliated, spat upon, and personally
attacked by the Manager. The Manager of
Lansing ultimately became the Pitching Coach for the major league Cubs. How does a club expect a player to do well
with this kind of treatment? Was the
treatment sanctioned by the club? Does
anyone perform well while working in a hostile work environment?
5. Back
to medical treatment. The 1999 season in
Lansing did not get off to a good beginning.
In one of my first starts (it was in the mid-30s) I strained an oblique
muscle in my ribs which caused difficulty breathing and missed a start. However, when I did pitch again the strain
and accompanying pain remained. Why
pitch in pain? The Manager told me he
did want me to seek treatment from the training staff and the nagging injury
lasted for weeks and greatly affected my pitching motion. Trying to avoid the pain my body simply would
not allow me to follow-through with the pitches or allow me to find my balance. As players know, a bad motion places undue
stress on the arm. What was the motivation behind this ill treatment?
6. In
attendance at my first start, upon my return to the lineup after the injury, was
the Minor League Pitching Coordinator, Lester Strode. The injury had changed motion and greatly
affected my velocity. After the first
inning where I was pitching only 85 mph, rather than being concerned for my
health, Coach Strode dragged me into the clubhouse and began yelling at me to
increase my velocity. After the yelling
session I was sent back out to continue pitching. Does this sound like a club who is concerned with
the health and well-being of a player?
Did Coach Strode want me to further injury myself? If so, did he or the club see this as an
opportunity to end my baseball career?
7. Also
in 1999, Lansing Pitching Coach Stan Kyles constantly wanted me to change
mechanics, even during games. He would
change mechanics one way, then back again, then on to another experiment. This can lead to arm injuries and waste
valuable development time. Why would a
professional pitching coach do this?
8. In
2000, I reported to Spring Training weighing 224 pounds. Again the training staff placed me on the
weight management program and ordered me to perform extra workouts. On March 10, 2000 I began coughing and felt
congested. Having been treated poorly by
the training staff in the past I was reluctant to seek their medical
attention. Within 3 days I was coughing
up green phlegm, saw the training staff, and they told me to “give it a few
days” before seeing a doctor. That
afternoon I saw a doctor on my own since the club was not going to provide
medical care. The next morning I advised
the Pitching Coordinator of the medical diagnosis which was a viral infection
and a heavy dose of antibiotics. This led to
an interesting day. Jim Hendry came over
while we were training and told me that he had; “talked to the trainer” and
asked if I wanted to take two days off. Told Jim I wanted to keep to the regular training schedule. A bit later in the day the Trainer came by
and was very upset. Told me he had been
yelled at and would be taking me off of the weight management bike program for
three days. Not long after this
conversation, the Conditioning Coach told me to continue on with the full
weight management program including the extra bike riding. Following events made it appear the Cubs were
putting on a good show to deflect blame should I be injured. On March 16, 2000 I pitched one inning after
a full day of workouts. This is a
regular part of Spring Training, but this time I was extremely weak and had a
sore arm. Velocity was down to 88-92 mph
and after the game Jim Hendry came by and, while shaking his head, he said;
“Matt, Matt, Matt” in a very disapproving tone of voice. On Sunday, the 19th of March my
velocity was down to 86-88 and the soreness had now spread to my left arm and
legs. Shortly after this outing Jim Hendry said; “Matt, you are running out of time.” Pitching Coordinator also got in my face yet
again yelling about increasing the velocity of my pitches and scheduled an
early morning "extra" workout session for the next
day. Anyway, why require extra work when a player is sick and hurting? Does this serve the long term interests of
the club or player? Were the Cubs
looking for yet another opportunity to injure me?
9. Began
the 2000 season at Lansing and, injury free and not harassed, became a Midwest
League All-Star and was promoted to Daytona mid-season without getting to
pitch in the All-Star game. When
promoted to Daytona, the club made reservations on two separate airlines from
Lansing to Daytona and scheduled the flights with no possibility to make the
connecting flight. After picking up my luggage and being told I'd missed my flight I began calling the Cubs front office and the Daytona Cubs trainer to figure out what to do. Without a response from the Cubs I had to use my own funds to purchase a
ticket to make sure I arrived in Daytona the same day. The only flight which arrived the same day near Daytona was in Orlando. Luckily I lived in Orlando
in the off-season so my girlfriend picked me up at the airport and took me directly to Daytona where the team was in the middle of a
game. Rather than bother the manager
during the game I waited in the stands until the game was over to let him know
I had arrived. When the game was over and the team was back in the locker room the manager flew into a rage
and screamed at me which isolated me from the rest of the team. He was yelling at me because the Cubs staff
thought I changed the flight to meet my own desires, which simply wasn’t
true. If I had not taken the initiative,
I would not have arrived until the following day. It was as if the Cubs had this scenario
already planned given the reaction of the manager. As I would learn while playing for Manager
Zisk, this screaming was very out of character for him and I never saw him raise
his voice to me or any other player again. Why
would the Cubs order a manager to publicly berate a player who had just been
promoted? What ends are served by trying
to shake the confidence of a player and isolate him from his teammates?
10. While
driving on the interstate going to a game in Daytona, where I was the scheduled
starting pitcher, my car was clipped while travelling at 70 mph on the interstate and ended up in
a multiple car crash in the ditch. While uninjured, I
was quite shaken and in shock. The lack
of care was surprising as the club had me pitch and the results were not
pretty. Between innings the Hitting
Coach for the Daytona Cubs, Joey Cora recommended the manager to change
pitchers since it was obvious I was in shock and not pitching well after the
accident. I certain appreciate Coach
Cora for being concerned about my well being.
11. Also
in 2000, the Daytona Cubs won the Florida League Championship. As good fortune would have it, I had the
honor of being the starting pitcher for the final game of the championship series. While the rest of the team was taking off to enjoy a celebration of the championship with the owner of the Daytona Cubs,
Lester Strode told me I had to take Juan Cruz to the Orlando airport. Normally, players would fly out of Daytona
the next day and in this case there was no guarantee we would win and may have
needed another game to clinch the championship. Therefore, the flight had to be
scheduled after the game. Why then would
the club schedule Juan’s flight for that evening and seemingly deny me the
opportunity to the victory celebration?
12. When
I was pitching very well and my mechanics were solid, Pitching Coordinator
Lester Strode would always try to get me to speed my delivery to the
plate while in the stretch. My speed to the plate was at the major league average of 1.2
seconds yet he was always trying to get me to be faster. When you rush your motion, a pitcher can start “dragging” his arm which adds additional pressure on the
elbow and shoulder. Was Coach Strode trying to get me
to injure myself?
13. In
2001 I started the season with the Daytona Cubs.
After a good start to the season, I was promoted to West Tennessee
(AA). My first game at AA was
outstanding! The second game began the
same, with a strikeout. Unfortunately,
the next pitch resulted in a line drive that hit off my right knee and the speed of the
ball (at over 100 mph) knocked me down. The
pain was intense but rather than replace me, the manager left me out to pitch
despite my hobbling around the mound.
Needless to say, it got ugly from there as my entire pitching motion was
now thrown off. My parents told me later
the radio announcers were shocked I was being left out there and even commented
about how much I was limping. No medical
treatment or even simple x-rays were taken to see if there was serious damage
to my knee. On only three days of rest and despite still limping and having a
knee which couldn’t even be touched without great pain I was sent to the mound
to start another game. With the injury, undoubtedly I wasn't successful. Shortly afterwards my parents came to watch me
start a game against Greenville and while the final result was good, my father
was concerned because my changed motion had me finishing my pitches not looking
at the plate, but rather into the first base dugout. This reflects tremendous pressure on the
shoulder with such a motion and certainly not a pitching motion which would
foster long-term success. At this game
my father saw Oneri Flieta who was the Director of the Minor Leagues for the
Chicago Cubs. Mr. Flieta praised my
results but my father told him my mechanics were off. At this point, Mr. Flieta asked no questions,
showed no concern, but rather said he had to make a phone call and disappeared. This serious injury was allowed to fester for weeks until
I was finally sent back down to Daytona.
All it would have taken was some rest and care by the training staff and
I would have been good as new in no time. However, the Cubs
obviously wanted me to play while hurt. In
fact, while in Daytona I could not pitch my last scheduled start due to arm
soreness and weakness caused by the poor mechanics.
The coaching staff ignored my arm soreness and weakness and even tried
to harass and shame me into pitching despite being injured. Given my past experiences, I knew they did not
have any concern for my health and would not be disappointed if I had a career
ending injury at that point. Why would
the Chicago Cubs not be concerned about a serious injury or potentially want to
see a player injured?
14. In
2002 I was delighted to have Bobby Dickerson as my manager and Alan Dunn as
the pitching coach. Both of them were
the most supportive coaches I ever had.
The results speak for themselves.
I was selected for the AA All-Star game.
The Cubs even found a way to take the joy and confidence building of
this honor. When the selections for the
All-Star team were announced, Manager Dickerson received a phone call. He refused to tell me the news, instead he
handed me the phone. On the other line
was Lester Strode, then the Pitching Coordinator for the Minor Leagues. Coach Strode advised me I was not going to go
to the All-Star game because the Cubs would not let me pitch in the game. To pitch one inning of the All-Star game
would have taken only about 15-25 pitches, which is less than the amount of pitches thrown during a side/bullpen (about 45 pitches). Told Lester I wanted to go to the game whether
I pitched or not. The Cubs still wanted
to deny me this opportunity and even tried to get a replacement player but the
AA Commissioner told the Cubs they wanted me there and would not accept a
substitute from the Cubs. While at the
All-Star game, the Manager for our team asked if I wanted to pitch, and
if so, he would “bump” the replacement pitcher and put me in for an inning. While I appreciated the offer, I thought it
best not pitch out of respect for the replacement pitcher and the wishes of the
Cubs. Upon return to West Tennessee,
Lester Strode was waiting for me and had me throw two sides on back-to-back
days (approximately 90 pitches). This
proves lie to the claim the Cubs were concerned about the number of pitches I
would have thrown in the All-Star game.
It was obvious Coach Strode was sending a message that I was not in
their plans. This explains why there
never was a concern by the Cubs for my health.
Why were the Cubs so petty and vindictive? Is this internal to the Chicago Cubs or were
they following orders from Major League Baseball?
15. A
player having an incredible AA season such as I had in 2002 at West Tennessee (ERA
of 3.16 as a starter which was 3rd in the league, 174 innings
pitched which was 2nd in the league and a league leading 158
strikeouts while walking only 48 and pitching at least 6 innings in 22 starts
including 14 games in a row) would normally earn a pitcher a September call-up
to the major league team to gain experience.
This is particularly true of a team in last place as were the Chicago
Cubs at the time. When my agent asked the Cubs about
this, he was told a call up would cost too much money.
An interesting position from one of the most popular baseball
clubs. During the off-season I never
heard from the Cubs with one exception.
Lester Strode called me to tell me I might not be placed on the 40-man
roster. Now very confident, I told Coach
Strode that the Cubs should do what they think is best for them and I was sure
some team would pick me up since I was eligible for the rule 5 draft. The Cubs did place me on the 40-man roster so
no other team could select me in the draft.
Why would the Cubs want to retain the rights to a player when they had
no intention to use the player on their major league club? Did Major League Baseball force Jim Hendry,
General Manager of the Cubs, to keep control of my contract so the issue of tampering
during the signing process did not come to light? Or was this an attempt to cover the story of
a significant signing bonus which led to the creation of slotted bonuses for
drafted players?
For those who might wonder about if and how the above
treatment can occur, I would invite you read a book published by Indiana
University Press: Stealing Lives: The Globalization of Baseball and the Tragic Story of
Alexis Quiroz. The authors are
Arturo J. Marcano Guevara, a Venezuelan attorney and David P. Fidler, a
professor of law at Indiana University.
The book describes inadequate medical treatment, abuse, and
refusal to admit responsibility along with improper conduct by coaches,
deception, exploitation, and disrespect at the hands of the Cubs. The treatment was so egregious the Cubs paid
a settlement equal to five times the original signing bonus to the player.
More to come...
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