By Dave van Dyck
Derrek Lee admitted it was "weird" to put on an Atlanta Braves uniform Friday and then play in Wrigley Field against the Cubs, who traded him this week.
"To be 100 percent honest, I'd probably rather start somewhere else," Lee said.
But Lee not only was in the Braves' starting lineup but batting fourth against "one of my best friends" in Ryan Dempster.
Lee's No. 25 was already taken by the injured Troy Glaus, so he went with No. 27, which was his first big league number. He actually looked very comfortable in the Braves' traveling uniform.
Photo: Derrek Lee heads out to batting practice in an Atlanta Braves uniform. (Brian Cassella/Tribune)
"This is a uniform I've always had respect for," he said. "You watch the way they go about their business, such a winning tradition, the way (manager) Bobby (Cox) conducts his business. There's just something about a Braves uniform I've always had respect for. And it feels good putting it on.
"It's just a new beginning. I feel like a 15-year-old kid on the first day of school. It's just exciting. We play to get to the postseason. There's a great opportunity here to do that."
I like the way you sox fans say that the Cubs fans have alot to learn about the game. I guess when the white sox won the WS in 2005 you fans feel like you had a part in it.
pathetic fans that live vicariously through ballplayers like you guys were on the field earning it.
It is pathetic the way some losers desperately need to have a scapegoat to point their finger at.
The Cubs sucked before Derrick Lee was even born and they are certainly going to suck next year without him.
Funny how a team fighting to go to the World Series found him valuable enough to trade for him yet he is not good enough for your Cubbies?
Lee did not put this team together, he did not hand out these ridiculous contracts, he did sleep walk his way through managing the team for the last two years and he did not make you shell out your money to see the longest running joke in all of sports.
He did however stand up to that fat turd Zambrano when everyone else just looked at their shoes. At least he tried to bring some respect to that team.
And still you vent your whining towards a player who produced for most of his time here and was a class act from day one to the last day.
You really don’t deserve to win a World Series on the North side and you have a lot to learn about the game and how it should be played.
The Cubs need an enema on their front office, their roster and a good portion of their fan base.
There comes a time in every player's career when they just don't have the same skills they once had. They have lost a step. They can't catch up to the high fastball any more. I think Derek Lee got there last season and is fading. He is still very good defensively and a big target. I hope he helps the Braves but I'm glad he is gone.
Total agreement with sox4ever. Every time us cubs fans bash a cub or newly traded cub, we are letting the real problem off the hook and that is our bloated no clue of a gm that put this overpaid underachieving bag of crap together. Wake up cub fans. Hendry has to go. Please Hendry, spend the rest of your days getting fat and drunk at ridgemoor and let a person with a clue try to put this mess back together.
I see Lee batted fourth. How did they get him to do that? He likes to bat third. He should be batting 6th or 7th. He did go 0 for 4.
Still the Cubs found a way to lose. The Cubs have so many problems, it will take years for them to be resolved.
D-Lee will be missed by everyone that understands the game. Best of luck in Atlanta, and I wish that you and Ted Lilly could come back as free agents next year. The odds of that are the equivalent of Soriano feeling guilty about stealing money and retiring to void the balance his contract.
The good news is that Fukudome and Nady are playing everyday. Is it against league rules for them to wear a "For Sale" sign around their necks?
Not often I agree with Sox fans but D-Lee deserves nothing but thanks/respect. The Cubs troubles while he was a Cub wasn't his fault, much higher level. I suspect there are still a few bitter Hee Sop Choi fans out there? Plus, we owed the Braves...they gave us the Crime Dog Fred McGriff!
Hey, sox 4ever (notice the handle that is used) the GREAT majority of Cub fans appreciate what Lee has accomplished. You are just a Cub basher(OBVIOUSLY) and of course conveniently forget a lot of the strange things that Sox fans do (such as worry all the time about what the Cubs are doing rather than pay attention to your team that is in contention ) Have you noticed how many Sox fans have complained about Thome not being here (he is NOT better than what you have) including the manager?? Be a good fan and hope your team gets it going again rather than spending time making generalizations about other fans.
Man there certainly are alot of clueless and classess Cub Fans. How in the world can you rip a guy like D-Lee`s career with the cubs?? I mean the Guy is one of the best fielders at his position in the game (both leagues) Most of his 7? Years with the Northsiders were solid offensively too and he was a good guy on top of that. I am willing to bet that the REAL Cub Fans will appreciate him enough to give him a Standing ocation on his 1st AB against the Cubs and the BOO him after his first Hit. He deserves at least that much. Sheeeesh. Frank Thomas Came Back and got a Great ovation. Magglio Came back and got a great Ovation, that`s the way it should be. They got booed after hitting a HR or driving in a run for their new Club and thats also the way it should be.
Show some class people.
PS- If your wondering why a sox fan is over here, I`ll tell you why. D-Lee is respected around baseball by both players and Fans of the game. I thought it would be interesting to see what the articles say about the man. Good Luck D-Lee. Hope you atleast get to the Series. If you do and the sox should be fortunate enough to get there 2 times in the last 5 years, I hope you get your A** kicked :)
Not if he bats 3rd Sam... The Braves have a good club and got to where they are at without Lee. It's not like Lee has lead them to this point remember that. The Cubs would also be in contention if Lee and Ramirez would have produced in the 3 or 4 spot like they were supposed to. If you demand to hit 3rd then you need to produce and Lee didn't. In 2009 and 2010 Lee got hot late when the games didn't matter to inflate his medicore numbers. I'm glad Hendry saw right through this, this time.
If Lee was such a team player then why didn't he accept guidance from his hitting coach when he struggled? Why wasn't he flexible and object to being dropped in the order so that other guys that were hitting better? We had guys producing in the other spots. You losers (Lee apologists) forget that the Cubs in the 3 and 4 spot failures in the clutch is for the most part why this team as stunk this year. It just wasn't the bullpen or the manager.
Everybody can have a down year but that doesn't mean your attitude has to stink as well. Selfish player IMO not the traits you would want in a team captain. Not to mention his post game comments reflecting on his indifference towards the team and the results on the field whether it was his or the team's. The Cubs improved with addition by subtraction. 12M a year off the books to unload a loser.
agree with mtk. this guy may have had a few really bad seasons at the plate, but overall, he was solid offensively, incredible defensively (the number of runs he saved with his glove are countless), and in an era of showboats, showoffs, and loudmouths, he was a quiet leader.
I guess there is no reason now to bring back, "From the Cubicle".
Jerry Hairston did the same thing last year. He went from the 5th place Reds to the 1st place Yankees and now he sometimes wear a DIAMOND DOORKNOB with the initials "NY" on his finger.
D-lee will have another ring by September 10.
D-Lee jumped the fence. He will look past as his days with fond memories... as a good player in a loser organization. Now he is, once again, a winner on a winning organziation. Kudos to D-Lee
um, @Jeepers, lee actually was pretty solid the last couple of years:
08 - .291, 20 hr, 90rbi
09 - .306, 35hr, 111rbi (while playing only 141 games)
i agree that it was time for him to go, but don't be ignorant.
Doesn't it seem ironic that he keeps pointing out how exciting it is to be playing for 1st place when he is one of the key reasons the Cubs are *not*? I understand he had good years here, but I don't care for his statements about this losing atmosphere. We can't change history. If you aren't the type of leader who can turn this losing atmosphere around, don't come here.
All the DLee haters out there who filled every comment board with "get rid of DLee" messages over the years, they are happy.
And so is DLee. He is relieved of that horrible mess and shouldn't look back. Now he can play some real baseball.
Good riddance. DP Lee did nothing to help the club the last couple of years, especially this year. Being a team captain is more than making sure the team has their lunch prior to the game.
I hope that the knowledgeable portion of our fan base that appreciates a .300/25/90/.900 OPS guy with gold glove skills gives him a huge ovation when he steps to the plate today. He had a terrible season this year and it seems a lot of people have forgotten what he did for most of the rest of the time he had been here.
I sure hope Derrick Lee doesn't do to the cubs what Thome did to the Sox.
That's the last thing the cubs need right now.
Sir Dragon of Mulberry
STICK WITH THE SOX
I hope that the knowledgeable fan base that appreciates a .300/25/90/.900 OPS guy with gold glove skills gives him a huge ovation when he steps to the plate today. He had a terrible season this year and it seems a lot of people have forgotten what he did for most of the rest of the time he had been here.