Steve Stone and Cubs manager Dusty Baker crossed paths before Wednesday’s game, but Stone opted not to interview Baker or any players while he gathered information in his job as an ESPN analyst. He’ll do Thursday’s game for ESPN but not in Chicago.
Stone spent most of the pregame talking to St. Louis players and coaches because he thinks he already is well versed about the Cubs. But he expects Baker and Cubs players to cooperate when the time comes.
“I would expect no less from [them],” Stone said. “I get along with most of the guys and did last year when there was a lot of acrimony.
“As far as Dusty’s concerned, or his coaches, I said hello to Gary Matthews. I don’t anticipate any problems. It’s a new year. They have certain goals they have to attain and I’m trying to do my job. We’re not going to interact. I don’t have an interview show. I don’t have to get them for an extended interview or even an interview at all, so in that respect, it never really converges into that.”
Stone thinks his commentary on WSCR-AM has been taken out of context in one newspaper that runs excerpts, saying only the most critical statements make it into print. He said he has been effusive in his praise of many Cubs.
“The only thing I said is I’d like to see Carlos [Zambrano] harness his emotions at times–not all the time,” Stone said. “Obviously because of what happened last year, I think anything I say of a critical nature is going to be overblown a touch.”
Stone’s comment that Kerry Wood should “go sell cars” if he wasn’t willing to change his mechanics was seen by many in the Cubs clubhouse as a personal attack against Wood.
“That was hyperbole when I said he could take the vast sums of money he has made and go sell cars,” Stone said.
Does he regret the remark?
“No, because the business I’m in is to entertain listeners,” Stone said. “I do a commentary show. I answer questions. . . . I tried to be funny and make it loose.”
Stone said he also praised Wood as “astonishingly talented” during the interview, but the paper only concentrated on his negative remarks.
“The headline was something like `Stone to Wood: Go sell cars,'” he said. “That wasn’t even close to the gist of what I said. Then Kerry responds . . . so you start to have a running commentary back and forth. For him, that’s not very good. For me, it’s not too bad. I don’t know why they’re still responding to a lot of the things I say. Unless you get the entire context of what I have to say, you don’t know how it’s delivered.
“I always felt Kerry Wood should dominate National League hitters on a year-to-year basis. Mark Prior showed in 2003 and in two starts this year what I think Kerry Wood should be. He just hasn’t been.”
Stone said he’s not going to change his style to appease those who don’t agree with him.
“If I have something to say, I’m going to say it, and it’s going to be pretty direct and to the point,” he said. “I’m never going to be from the Henry Kissinger school of diplomacy.”
