Once again, we begin with the music of Steve Goodman. This one isn’t Cubs-related, but I like it anyway. And there’s a picture about 40 seconds in with him wearing a Cubs jacket and a cap. Close enough.
The lineup so far–reading from right to left in the picture above–is Dave Roberts, Sam Fuld, Ken Holtzman, Jason Marquis, Steve Stone, and Adam Greenberg. Please feel free to check them out if you’re so inclined. Tonight’s player–Andrew Lorraine–has no Cubs baseball card that I’ve ever found, but he was a member of the Cubs under Jim Riggleman in 1999, and Don Baylor in 2000. His first Cubs outing was by far his best, when he pitched a three-hit shutout against the Houston Astros in Wrigley Field on August 6, 1999. He faced only 29 batters, two over the minimum, and took a 6-0 victory to salvage a doubleheader split. And it was all downhill from there.
Lorraine lost his next five decisions, and won a meaningless game in St. Louis on the final weekend of the season to finish at 2-5, with a 5.55 ERA. He won his first decision of the 2000 season, but dropped his next two decisions and pitched sporadically out of the bullpen before being released in late May. He pitched again with Cleveland that season, and made a handful of appearances for the Brewers at the end of the 2002 season. He pitched for seven big league organizations, and finished with a 6-11 record for his career. The complete game shutout appears to have been the highlight of his career, and it came in a Cubs uniform. So that’s something to remember here.
There’s only one night left in this exercise, so come back tomorrow and we’ll wrap this thing up. See you then.
Blue Batting Helmet 