Cubs Sign Shawn Estes

GForce22 · 12-20-2002, 02:17 PM

Cubs agree to one-year deal with LHP Shawn Estes
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SportsTicker

CHICAGO (Ticker) - Lefthander Shawn Estes found another home on Friday, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

ESPN Radio 1000, citing unidentified sources, is reporting that Estes has signed a contract for $3 million, with incentives that could push the value to $4.5 million.

After spending his first seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Estes was dealt to the New York Mets prior to the 2002 campaign. He went 4-9 with a 4.55 ERA before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in July. He was 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA for the Reds, completing a career-worst campaign.

In Chicago, Estes is reunited with new Cubs bench coach Dick Pole, who was his pitching coach with the Giants in 1997.

Estes, 29, made his debut in 1995 and is 69-62 with a 4.37 ERA in 189 games, all starts. In 1997, his first full season, he went 19-5 with a 3.16 ERA.

Estes also was 15-6 in 2000 but has won just 14 games since. He would join a rotation that includes Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

blubbla · 12-20-2002, 02:27 PM

I think this will be a good move. Reuniting Estes with Dusty Baker and Dick Pole, along with putting him under the tutelage of Larry Rothschild, should get him back to the pitcher he was in his early years with the Giants.

It's a typical Cubs gamble, but i think this will pan out.

LivnLegend · 12-20-2002, 02:29 PM

He's still just a bicycle thief!

TheDude · 12-20-2002, 04:15 PM

Yeah, I like the move. Another proven player who can go to Chicago and regress back to rookie ball talent. It's not anyone's fault, just the strange cosmic occurances that are Cubs baseball.

JML · 12-20-2002, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheDude
Yeah, I like the move. Another proven player who can go to Chicago and regress back to rookie ball talent. It's not anyone's fault, just the strange cosmic occurances that are Cubs baseball.

sadly. But at least they sucked last year. That means there is a possibility they will be good this year. As we all know, the Cubs aren't allowed to have back-to-back winning seasons.

TheDude · 12-20-2002, 07:53 PM

That's true about the back-to-back winning seasons. And the Cubs might actually stink less than last year. I have to say things like this as a Cardinals fan. I thought I would see if I could stir up some Cubs and Pirates fans today. A couple of Pitt guys got upset in another thread.

JML · 12-20-2002, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheDude
That's true about the back-to-back winning seasons. And the Cubs might actually stink less than last year. I have to say things like this as a Cardinals fan. I thought I would see if I could stir up some Cubs and Pirates fans today. A couple of Pitt guys got upset in another thread.

Grrrrrr...

I grew up in Heyworth, just south of Bloomington. You know how it is there, you have to make a decision. Unless of course you cop out and become a White Sox fan.

TheDude · 12-20-2002, 08:16 PM

I'm actually from further south, Pana, IL, but I'm at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington. My roommate is a White Sox fan. He sucks. I hope you're reading this Dave.

holyroller · 12-20-2002, 08:58 PM

As a Cubs fan....I can't even bring myself to care enough to write about this at any length. The Cubs came in to this off-season with a real chance to let their talented kids lead them in to the future and instead have fallen back on the same tried and true formula of bringing in overpaid mediocre veterans. I guess they think that since they have Dusty Baker, Great Manager (tm), it will work this time. I think I may have to not pay any attention to them this year.

Axe Hippo · 12-23-2002, 09:41 PM

The point of bringing in Estes is (hopefully) to produce some legitimate competition to get Zambrano and Cruz back on track, and maybe accelerate their progress. I can't see anything tragic coming out of this signing, as $3 million is pocket change to the Tribune.

By the way, do you think that Rothschild cares that Estes keeps talking about Dick Pole so much? Will one of them be off the staff by next year?

TrojanBoy · 12-24-2002, 12:38 AM

As a Cubs fan, I wasnt to excited about this. I didn't really care because I was excited about the Cubs rotation next year. Wood, Prior, Clement, Zambrano and Cruz looked good to me. Hopefully the signing of Estes gets Cruz, who I believe is a great pitcher and Zambrano. Just need the offense to get going a little, and the Cubs could be atleast competive in a very tough NL Central. Third place would be acceptable, atleast for this year.

blubbla · 12-24-2002, 01:10 PM

We'll find out if there's a conflict between Rothschild and Pole before long. I bet if the pitchers are throwing well from either man's philosophy, I don't think either man will care which guy the pitchers turn to -- as long as they are winning. If the winning isn't there, somebody will go -- and I bet it would be Rothschild.

I still think Estes will look good in between all those righty power pitchers, and the fact that he has more major league experience than any of the others can't hurt.

Still hope we can add a 3B better than Bill Mueller -- otherwise we may as well use Bellhorn and Grudzielanek there.

Recte44 · 12-24-2002, 02:12 PM

Cubs- Red Sox in the Series!!!!!

Rene · 12-25-2002, 03:23 PM

Once again the Reds have been out witted by another base ball dynasty. LOL. Good good bye Estes.

A Reds Fan.

MJohnson · 12-25-2002, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GBC Chairman
Cubs- Red Sox in the Series!!!!!

I'd like that. Finally a team the Sox could beat in the Series

blubbla · 12-25-2002, 08:21 PM

You sure about that???

12-20-2002, 02:17 PM	#1
GForce22 Banned Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,654	Cubs Sign Shawn Estes Cubs agree to one-year deal with LHP Shawn Estes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SportsTicker CHICAGO (Ticker) - Lefthander Shawn Estes found another home on Friday, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. Financial terms were not disclosed. ESPN Radio 1000, citing unidentified sources, is reporting that Estes has signed a contract for $3 million, with incentives that could push the value to $4.5 million. After spending his first seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Estes was dealt to the New York Mets prior to the 2002 campaign. He went 4-9 with a 4.55 ERA before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in July. He was 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA for the Reds, completing a career-worst campaign. In Chicago, Estes is reunited with new Cubs bench coach Dick Pole, who was his pitching coach with the Giants in 1997. Estes, 29, made his debut in 1995 and is 69-62 with a 4.37 ERA in 189 games, all starts. In 1997, his first full season, he went 19-5 with a 3.16 ERA. Estes also was 15-6 in 2000 but has won just 14 games since. He would join a rotation that includes Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

12-20-2002, 02:29 PM	#3
LivnLegend Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: 100% pure adrenaline! Posts: 5,624	He's still just a bicycle thief! __________________ Excess ain't rebellion. You're drinking what they're selling.

12-20-2002, 04:15 PM	#4
TheDude Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Bloomington, IL Posts: 33	Yeah, I like the move. Another proven player who can go to Chicago and regress back to rookie ball talent. It's not anyone's fault, just the strange cosmic occurances that are Cubs baseball. __________________ Well, The Dude abides.

12-20-2002, 07:53 PM	#6
TheDude Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Bloomington, IL Posts: 33	That's true about the back-to-back winning seasons. And the Cubs might actually stink less than last year. I have to say things like this as a Cardinals fan. I thought I would see if I could stir up some Cubs and Pirates fans today. A couple of Pitt guys got upset in another thread. __________________ Well, The Dude abides.

12-20-2002, 08:16 PM	#8
TheDude Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Bloomington, IL Posts: 33	I'm actually from further south, Pana, IL, but I'm at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington. My roommate is a White Sox fan. He sucks. I hope you're reading this Dave. __________________ Well, The Dude abides.

12-20-2002, 02:27 PM	#2
blubbla Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Herscher, IL Posts: 2,459	I think this will be a good move. Reuniting Estes with Dusty Baker and Dick Pole, along with putting him under the tutelage of Larry Rothschild, should get him back to the pitcher he was in his early years with the Giants. It's a typical Cubs gamble, but i think this will pan out.

12-20-2002, 08:58 PM	#9
holyroller Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: OTBL Forums Posts: 3,532	As a Cubs fan....I can't even bring myself to care enough to write about this at any length. The Cubs came in to this off-season with a real chance to let their talented kids lead them in to the future and instead have fallen back on the same tried and true formula of bringing in overpaid mediocre veterans. I guess they think that since they have Dusty Baker, Great Manager (tm), it will work this time. I think I may have to not pay any attention to them this year. __________________ Back to work, but not drawing a paycheck. TonyJ et. al.'s alias “I confused it with the chicken’s neck,” Mocanu, who was admitted to the emergency hospital in Galati, was quoted as saying. “I cut it ... and the dog rushed and ate it.”

12-23-2002, 09:41 PM	#10
Axe Hippo Bat Boy Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 3	The point of bringing in Estes is (hopefully) to produce some legitimate competition to get Zambrano and Cruz back on track, and maybe accelerate their progress. I can't see anything tragic coming out of this signing, as $3 million is pocket change to the Tribune. By the way, do you think that Rothschild cares that Estes keeps talking about Dick Pole so much? Will one of them be off the staff by next year? __________________ Axe Hippo

12-24-2002, 12:38 AM	#11
TrojanBoy Bat Boy Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4	As a Cubs fan, I wasnt to excited about this. I didn't really care because I was excited about the Cubs rotation next year. Wood, Prior, Clement, Zambrano and Cruz looked good to me. Hopefully the signing of Estes gets Cruz, who I believe is a great pitcher and Zambrano. Just need the offense to get going a little, and the Cubs could be atleast competive in a very tough NL Central. Third place would be acceptable, atleast for this year.

12-24-2002, 01:10 PM	#12
blubbla Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Herscher, IL Posts: 2,459	We'll find out if there's a conflict between Rothschild and Pole before long. I bet if the pitchers are throwing well from either man's philosophy, I don't think either man will care which guy the pitchers turn to -- as long as they are winning. If the winning isn't there, somebody will go -- and I bet it would be Rothschild. I still think Estes will look good in between all those righty power pitchers, and the fact that he has more major league experience than any of the others can't hurt. Still hope we can add a 3B better than Bill Mueller -- otherwise we may as well use Bellhorn and Grudzielanek there.

12-24-2002, 02:12 PM	#13
Recte44 Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Oconomowoc, WI Posts: 2,818	Cubs- Red Sox in the Series!!!!! __________________ Matt Rectenwald Commissioner, GM: Las Vegas Hustlers, The Brewster Baseball Association- fictional league (JOIN NOW)

12-25-2002, 03:23 PM	#14
Rene Minors (Single A) Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Midwest Posts: 52	Once again the Reds have been out witted by another base ball dynasty. LOL. Good good bye Estes. A Reds Fan. __________________ There is no shame in losing, but there is glory in winning.

12-25-2002, 08:21 PM	#16
blubbla Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Herscher, IL Posts: 2,459	You sure about that???