CHICAGO -- The message was heard loud and clear throughout the Chicago Cubs organization: Bad baseball decisions, such as the one former Cub Julio Borbon made on Friday, will not be tolerated.
Borbon tried to advance on a ball thrown in the dirt in the ninth inning of the Cubs' 6-2 loss. Borbon was thrown out on a play that most little leaguers wouldn’t attempt. Manager Dale Sveum could only fume until the end of the game.
”That obviously was an unfortunate thing that happened," Sveum said. "We just can’t keep having those things go on. [Borbon] had a few of those himself.”
Borbon was designated for assignment on Saturday to prove a point. The Cubs are rebuilding with young players, and a play or two like Borbon’s gaffe is a bad example to young players and veteran’s alike.
"It was just time now to change the roster and see if somebody else can do the job,” Sveum said.
Sveum pointed out that this is not about liking or disliking a player.
"You have to have talent to play here, "Sveum said. “You do have to have a combination of talent and smart players who are always playing the game and thinking ahead. You expect just the most common things. If you continue to do those things over 162 games constantly, you are going to lose. Whether you lose [just] one of them, that is too many."
Cub management and Sveum didn’t waste much time designating Borbon.”That was a frustrating play, for sure," Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said. ”We had a chance to get their closer in the game, at the very least, and, all of a sudden, that affects today’s game. We have to make better decisions, and, hopefully, that is a message.
"We have had periods of time over the last couple of years where we have played solid baseball. We have also had periods of sloppiness. You don’t see really good teams do that stuff often.”
Veteran infielder Donnie Murphy was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Borbon’s roster spot.
