Lee Fails to Control Himself, Hurts Team

June 16, 2007 by cubsnet

Derrek Lee provided a teaching moment today for all parents watching this game with their children. To the left is a picture of what is supposed to be two grown men.

Chris Young threw a fastball up-and-in to Lee in the 4th inning, hitting Lee in the arm. Lee got up, shook it off, and began to walk to first. He appeared calm. But he decided to walk a little too far inside the first base line. And he started speaking with Young. And then Young said . . . something. No one, including Lee and Young, is saying what that something was. Whatever it was, Lee decided that it was worth throwing -- and missing -- a punch over.

I do not pretend to know that I would have kept my cool in that situation. But it would have been my duty to do so. Lee was neither defending himself nor defending others from physical harm. His failure to keep his cool resulted in the Cubs losing him for this game, and certainly for several others. He thus hurt his team because of a few words from an opposing pitcher.

The Cubs simply do not operate with a big enough margin to lose their star first baseman to a suspension, especially with their star third baseman already on the disabled list.

The fight, and Lee's pending suspension, overshadows Carlos Zambrano's complete game gem, in which he took a no-hitter into the 8th inning. It was his third very good game in a row. Unfortunately, the Cubs' offense was completely unable to breakthrough against the Padres' bullpen after Young was ejected, resulting in another one-run loss. The final batter in the game? Jacque Jones (611 OPS), hitting for Cesar Izturis (620 OPS). In Lee's spot in the lineup.

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