Ryan Theriot, the solid bench player that was scrappy enough to convince Tony LaRussa to give him a starting job. The facts are, 1. He’s really a pretty piss poor shortstop. 2. His jersey gets dirty. 3. He’s really really bad at talking to the press.
Post Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz describes Theriot’s latest flub:
Theriot may be in for some jeering when he returns to St. Louis after joining in on the fun on a Chicago sports-talk show (ESPN 1000).
When the hosts made fun of Cardinals fans wearing tank tops and cutoff jean shorts, Theriot laughed and enthusiastically added, “Tank tops, jean shorts and some Timberland boots.” And then Theriot laughed again.
Not a good move. You’re going to have to get really dirty to make up for this one buddy. Yes, he was just joking, but you don’t have a lot of leeway for poking at the fans to begin with, especially when comparing us to Chicago fans who we already have a healthy complex about. Throw in the fact that you used to be a Cub and your ability to make us all dream about the days of Brendan Ryan and you have a short leash dude. Why do you just leave the “Cardinals fans are hoosier jokes” to Joe Sports Fan and ourselves, and we’ll promise not to not play catch in front of Busch Stadium on game days to show you up with our superior glove work?
…oh and if you think the average fan will be wearing any shirt at all (other than their built-in South County sweater) once July hits, your nuts.
Meanwhile, “oh shit” spin has from Theriot has begun as he tried to dampen the fires he started on both sides (in the off season Theriot said we was finally on the “right side” of the Cards / Cubs rivalry which pissed off the Cubs).
“A thousand percent too much is made of it,” he told the Chicagoans about winter comments about being on the right side of the rivalry now. “… I think it’s really dumb. C’mon, it’s like who do you love more, your mom or your dad? It’s extremely blown out of proportion.”
And this to St. Louis media: “I like jean shorts. What’s wrong with tank tops?”
How is he just now figuring out how the rivalry works? Saying you like jean shorts and tank tops is not the way out of this. The pandering here is horribly obvious. No one actually likes those things, but some people wear them anyway because there’s no reason to spend money on “new” shorts when you can just take some scissors to your old work jeans, and tanks tops are the last resort after you realize how back your back hair looks smashed up by your neon-green mesh t-shirt.
via STLToday and Chicago Tribune