The Chicago Cubs released Carlos Silva on Sunday and team management didn't mince words when describing their feelings about Silva's verbal attack on pitching coach Mark Riggins and the Cubs organization.
"Obviously we're dealing with a man at this stage of his career who's not willing to face the facts," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "What he's done for the last few years in his career, except for a two-month period, is way below major league standards. And he seems to have the continual problem [of] blaming everybody but himself."
After learning on Saturday that he wouldn't make the Cubs' 25-man roster, Silva blasted Riggins, saying the pitching coach wasn't honest with him about his potential role on the team. Silva also said that the competition for the fifth starter's job was always weighted against him.
"I had a lot of chances [to make the team]," Silva said Saturday. "But say what you have to say. That's it. Don't say people are competing for a spot because it wasn't true. They already had their rotation down. It was very clear."
On Sunday morning, Cubs manager Mike Quade said it was his decision, and his decision alone to drop Silva from the Cubs' 12-man pitching staff.
"People need to know, whether he was upset with Riggs or whatever, everyone needs to know that this was my call," Quade said. "It wasn't Jim Hendry's. If [Silva wants] to be irritated with somebody, this is on me, OK. It was my decision, complete and totally.
"I was really disappointed when I heard [Silva's comments]. First of all, he's dead f---ing wrong, OK, about my pitching coach. And I have no f---ing time for that."
Quade continued to admonish the former Cubs pitcher.
"Respect is a two-way street," he said. "I don't want to hear anything about respect. If you ain't giving it, you ain't getting it."
