Bruce Miles – who continues to be the shining star of the MSM in Chicago – yesterday asked Mike Quade whether he holds veterans and youngsters to a different standard when it comes to hustle. Miles was obviously alluding to Quade’s seemingly repeated lectures of Starlin Castro for loafing, while veterans who appear to do the same are not addressed.
Quade gave a long, non-answer.
“To me, especially with him being a younger player, there’s shouldn’t be different standards,” he said. “I get a kick out of … the same thing I’m talking about with Starlin, anytime a guy doesn’t give me an effort, it gets addressed one on one with me. If it’s a pattern, if I see it several times or a couple of times, the guy gets a break the first time and you address it and if it happens again, then you deal with it whether it’s a veteran or whether it’s a kid. Every time there’s a mistake made, physical, mental or anything else, I’m not in the habit of, ‘OK, you’re done for a while.’ So you deal with it however.
“Veteran status does matter some, for sure. It doesn’t matter as far as me addressing it. It just depends on whether or not it becomes a regular issue.”
That sounds like a swell, pre-packaged response to an issue Quade could see looming. But it doesn’t explain why the only player we hear about getting an earful is Castro.
I can understand Castro getting it a bit more than the vets – he’s a young star, and he needs extra attention to ensure that he stays on the right track. But, and maybe I’m petty, just once I’d like to see Quade giving it to Aramis Ramirez when he stares down a pop fly out of the box.