BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Cubs’ Gatorade dispenser designated for assignment

Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Cubs’ Gatorade dispenser designated for assignment—chicagotribune.com

When will someone start thinking of the Gatorade machines?

A congressional hearing is certainly in order.

Going, going, gone?

Foxsports.com reporter Ken Rosenthal quoted an unnamed Cubs official Saturday as saying the Gatorade dispenser will be removed from the Cubs’ dugout.

“We’ll get it out of there in a couple of days,” the high-ranking executive said.

The machine, which replaced the decades-old water cooler that dispensed Lake Michigan water to thirsty Cubs players from Joe Pepitone to Mark DeRosa, lasted only two months. It was brought in this season as a way to enhance advertising revenues through a sponsorship with Pepsi, which owns Gatorade.

Jim Furtado Posted: May 31, 2009 at 12:57 PM | 37 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: cubs

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

1. AndrewJ Posted: May 31, 2009 at 03:16 PM (#3200884)

I saw Zambrano destroy the Gatorade dispenser. Pity -- the dispenser was only two days away from retirement.

2. Gamingboy Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:38 PM (#3200945)

Designated for assignment? Think anyone will claim him? Does he have options left?

3. Crispix Attacks Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:43 PM (#3200951)

dispensed Lake Michigan water to thirsty Cubs players from Joe Pepitone to Mark DeRosa

Interesting choice of players there. Joe Pepitone was a Cub?

The Pepsi service technician who came out to fix the dispenser twice last week -- after a wayward punch by Ryan Dempster on Monday and Carlos Zambrano's bat-whacking episode on Wednesday -- will be glad to hear the news. He thought he might be on call the rest of the season.

So it's not being removed because it's broken, it's being removed because players just can't resist trying to destroy it. It's an attractive nuisance.

4. RJ in TO Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:46 PM (#3200953)

Interesting choice of players there. Joe Pepitone was a Cub?

He was, from 70 to 73, and it looks like he had a pretty good season in 1971.

With that being said, if it wasn't for B-R showing him playing there, I would have never known. Not surprisingly, I've always associated him with the Yankees.

(EDIT: Well, the Yankees, and jail.)

5. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:46 PM (#3200954)

Interesting choice of players there. Joe Pepitone was a Cub?

Not just a Cub, a *thirsty* Cub.

6. mack Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:47 PM (#3200955)

If I was Gatorade, I would pay the Cubs extra money to keep the dispenser there.
You can't buy the sort of publicity Zambrano got them.

7. Tripon Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:49 PM (#3200958)

The Pepsi service technician who came out to fix the dispenser twice last week -- after a wayward punch by Ryan Dempster on Monday and Carlos Zambrano's bat-whacking episode on Wednesday -- will be glad to hear the news. He thought he might be on call the rest of the season.

What, the Pepsi service technician isn't a Cubs fan? Heck, being able to hang out at Wriggly Stadium for half of the year isn't a nice perk for the Pepsi service technician?

8. Crispix Attacks Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:56 PM (#3200962)

That technician's name? Steve Bartman.

9. Misirlou's got a busy day, he's wearing a vest Posted: May 31, 2009 at 04:59 PM (#3200965)

Not surprisingly, I've always associated him with the Yankees.

(EDIT: Well, the Yankees, and jail.)

And toupees and porn.

Pepitone even had two toupees, one for general wear and one for under his baseball cap, which he called his "game piece." Bouton told a humorous story about how the game piece came loose one day when Pepitone took off his cap for the national anthem

In 1975 he posed nude for Foxy Lady magazine, featuring full frontal nudity.

One can find the image by googling Joe Pepitone and clicking on images.

10. Andere Richtingen

Posted: May 31, 2009 at 05:10 PM (#3200977)

How much does the dispenser cost? $15K? $25K? Every time a Cub player wails on it, that's some pretty cheap advertising for Gatorade.

Hell, GM should put one of their cars in the dugout next to the bat rack. Milton Bradley going at it after a called third would be the best publicity they've had in years.

11. Gamingboy Posted: May 31, 2009 at 05:13 PM (#3200981)

I read somewhere that Joe Pepitone's name was actually briefly adopted into the Japanese Vernacular as someone who Slacks off or plays hooky.

12. J. Bowman, upon reflection, does hate pants Posted: May 31, 2009 at 05:42 PM (#3201027)

Joe Pepitone or not, I own the inside part of that plate!

13. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: May 31, 2009 at 05:47 PM (#3201034)

If I was Gatorade, I would pay the Cubs extra money to keep the dispenser there.
You can't buy the sort of publicity Zambrano got them.

Seriously. Who is the marketing genius who decided this was bad for Gatorade? The Fox broadcast yesterday spent an entire inning discussing their product, and showing shot after shot of the machine. Hell, it almost made me want some Gatorade.

14. Brandon in MO (Yunitility Infielder) Posted: May 31, 2009 at 05:48 PM (#3201039)

The Royals need to pick this prospect up

15. cardsfanboy

Posted: May 31, 2009 at 05:53 PM (#3201043)

Seriously. Who is the marketing genius who decided this was bad for Gatorade? The Fox broadcast yesterday spent an entire inning discussing their product, and showing shot after shot of the machine. Hell, it almost made me want some Gatorade.

have to agree, the machine can't be that expensive and the free advertisement it got has to more than offset the cost of the machine. I mean you can't pay for that type of product placement.

16. Obo Posted: May 31, 2009 at 06:13 PM (#3201072)

Well it hasn't gone anywhere yet, so maybe this story is just part of the plan to keep it in the news. Tomorrow's headline can be "Reprieve for Gatorade Dispenser!" with accompanying guarded quotes from unidentified "high-ranking executive" that "while we're keeping it for now, it's clearly on probation", thereby leaving plenty of room for further developments.

17. ChuckO Posted: May 31, 2009 at 06:42 PM (#3201113)

Maybe teams should put one of those clown toys in the dugout. You know, the ones that bounce back up when you hit them. Let an angry player whale away on that. Seriously though, I don't know why teams tolerate that kind of behavior. Just because you're angry, that doesn't give you the right to destroy things in the dugout. If I ran a club, I'd fine players for that kind of thing, and it wouldn't just be a nominal fine. I'd hit them for several games worth of pay.

18. Shock Posted: May 31, 2009 at 07:11 PM (#3201160)

Designated for assignment? Think anyone will claim him? Does he have options left?

I heard a rumor that the Braves offered Francoeur. No word yet on if the Cubs will agree.

19. T.J. Posted: May 31, 2009 at 07:28 PM (#3201187)

Wriggly Stadium

This killed me (two typos in one!). I'm never going to be able to think of Wrigley again without imagining it moving vigorously from side to side.

20. Swedish Chef Posted: May 31, 2009 at 07:35 PM (#3201191)

Well it hasn't gone anywhere yet, so maybe this story is just part of the plan to keep it in the news.

You think the Gatorade machine will do a Brett Favre?

21. cardsfanboy

Posted: May 31, 2009 at 08:16 PM (#3201217)

I heard a rumor that the Braves offered Francoeur

wouldn't the Braves have to add someone to equal out the trade?

22. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: May 31, 2009 at 08:59 PM (#3201255)

I wonder what happened to the whiskey dispenser the Cubs had in their dugout before the Pepitone era.

23. Shalimar Posted: May 31, 2009 at 09:07 PM (#3201259)

wouldn't the Braves have to add someone to equal out the trade?

Nah, they have to agree to pay all of Francoeur's salary and the deal is relatively even. That is, assuming there are infinite Gatorade machines and this just saves them the trouble of going out and making a deal for one of their own. If there is only the one machine in MLB, then the Cubs would be getting hosed.

24. jwb Posted: May 31, 2009 at 09:13 PM (#3201260)

I would like to take a moment to thank Paul Sullivan or his editors for spelling Foxsports.com correctly. "Fox" is not an acronym; it is named after its founder, William Fox (born Wilhelm Fuchs), and should not be all-capitalized. Unless you are TOLAXOR.

A high level source has told me that Gatorade dispenser will accept the assignment and assures me that its contract will be purchased after the next injury to the beverage dispensing staff, although if Atlanta throws in Tommy Hanson, Gatorade dispenser can be fixed to dispense Coca-Cola products in about ten minutes.

I wonder what happened to the whiskey dispenser the Cubs had in their dugout

I haven't seen it since Hack Wilson left town.

25. cardsfanboy

Posted: May 31, 2009 at 09:22 PM (#3201265)

I haven't seen it since Hack Wilson left town.

didn't Harry Caray take it upstairs to the broadcast booth.

26. twon8 Posted: May 31, 2009 at 11:16 PM (#3201372)

have to agree, the machine can't be that expensive and the free advertisement it got has to more than offset the cost of the machine. I mean you can't pay for that type of product placement.

I don't think Pepsi wants us to see their brand being regularly beaten with a bat.

27. God Posted: May 31, 2009 at 11:28 PM (#3201380)

Well, it works for the Nationals.

28. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: May 31, 2009 at 11:33 PM (#3201382)

I don't think Pepsi wants us to see their brand being regularly beaten with a bat.

Why not? They pay Jeff Gordon millions to regularly drive their brand into a wall at 200mph.

29. Shock Posted: May 31, 2009 at 11:48 PM (#3201392)

I wonder what happened to the whiskey dispenser the Cubs had in their dugout

It was too far for Caray to walk.

edit: Ahh damn, didn't see #25. Hard to make a joke around here...

30. Non-Youkilidian Geometry Posted: June 01, 2009 at 03:20 AM (#3201504)

I heard a rumor that the Braves offered Francoeur. No word yet on if the Cubs will agree.

If the Cubs do this deal, does that mean Zambrano gets to come back to the dugout and pummel Francoeur with a bat? Is that even legal?

31. Maholm Shuffle Posted: June 01, 2009 at 05:12 AM (#3201548)

Back to the old water cooler? The Cubs just won't stay with the youth movement, will they?

32. DCW3 Posted: June 01, 2009 at 06:21 AM (#3201559)

With that being said, if it wasn't for B-R showing him playing there, I would have never known. Not surprisingly, I've always associated him with the Yankees.

(EDIT: Well, the Yankees, and jail.)

And designing Central Park.

33. villageidiom Posted: June 01, 2009 at 12:22 PM (#3201604)

The Cubs are now one step closer to stocking their dugout with Brawndo.

34. Hack Wilson Posted: June 01, 2009 at 12:36 PM (#3201606)

I haven't seen it since Hack Wilson left town.

Really? You think Hank Sauer was just on "spittin' tobaccy"?

35. Drew (Primakov, Gungho Iguanas) Posted: June 01, 2009 at 12:56 PM (#3201618)

Why not? They pay Jeff Gordon millions to regularly drive their brand into a wall at 200mph.

It amazes me how some advertisers don't understand that as long as your brand is talked about, heard, or seen, it DOES NOT MATTER what you do to it. You could run an ad campaign that says "Everyone, Please Hate Pepsi", and the Pepsi brand would be spread. In the end, people remember the brand, regardless of *what* they remember the brand for.

36. villageidiom Posted: June 01, 2009 at 01:18 PM (#3201637)

It amazes me how some advertisers don't understand that as long as your brand is talked about, heard, or seen, it DOES NOT MATTER what you do to it. You could run an ad campaign that says "Everyone, Please Hate Pepsi", and the Pepsi brand would be spread. In the end, people remember the brand, regardless of *what* they remember the brand for.

I used to think of Nestlé as a company that made candy bars and cookie dough. Then I met my future mother-in-law, who, whenever she heard the company's name would reflexively say, "Nestlé kills babies."

From then on I thought of Nestlé as a company that made candy bars and cookie dough.

37. Drew (Primakov, Gungho Iguanas) Posted: June 01, 2009 at 02:11 PM (#3201672)

"Nestlé kills babies."

I guess there's always exceptions to the rule.

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

<< Back to main

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Cubs’ Gatorade dispenser designated for assignment—chicagotribune.com

Reader Comments and Retorts

Support BBTF

Bookmarks

Hot Topics