Former Cub and current Cardinal Ryan Theriot appeared on ESPN 1000’s the “Waddle & Silvy Show” to talk about his return to Wrigley Field this week and now he’s taking a little heat for some comments he made at the start of the segment.

This is exactly how the conversation played out between Theriot and the two radio hosts:

Hosts: “Do you feel dirty walking around the city of Chicago, your former home, now as a Cardinal?�

Theriot: (Laughs) “No, should I?�

Hosts: “Did you pack your tank top and jean shorts to mesh right in with the Cardinal fans?�

Theriot: (Laughs) “You guys are funny.�

Hosts: “How many people file into [Busch Stadium] with that uniform on – the tank top and the jean shorts, come on?�

Theriot: “Tank top, jean shorts and some Timberland boots.� (Laughs)

Hosts: (Laughs) “There you go!�

And this is from STLSportsMinute.com in reaction to Theriot’s comments:

Whoa, Mr. Theriot. Sure you say some nice things about your teammates and about manager Tony La Russa, but what are you thinking bashing Cardinals fans? Why are you trying to make Cardinals fans upset?

I realize that your return to Chicago is nerve racking and you are trying to make as many friends as possible after your remarks last winter.

But do not go bashing Cardinals fans. These are the same fans that have supported you despite your defensive inefficiencies.

Sure some are unhappy with your inability to make routine plays and with the fact that you have committed eight errors this season. We do our best to try and not point out that your eight errors are tied for the most by any shortstop in baseball. We don’t bash you for using a frying pan as a glove.

So what’s up? Why the cheap shot?

Ryan Franklin bashed Cardinals fans earlier this season for booing some of his pathetic performances early in the season. Do you really want to put yourself in the same position as Ryan Franklin?

Come on, really? First and foremost, the radio hosts led Theriot into that comment and the entire opening to that segment was meant to be fun. Theriot used to play for the Cubs and obviously the Chicago radio hosts were trying to engage him in some playful banter, which Theriot obliged. It’s not like the shortstop said anything hurtful.

I liked the way the STLSportsMinute came back poking fun at how Theriot has been prone to making errors this year. Hey, if you’re going to engage in some playful banter, then they have the right to fire back. But the site made it sound like Theriot came out and facilitated the conversation about Cardinal fans and the way they dress. And that wasn’t the case. It’s not like Theriot came on and immediately said, “Man, thank God I’m talking to you guys. Those tank top-wearing, jean short-sporting weirdos down in the Lou with their Timberland boots really freak me out.” Again, he was led into the comment and I don’t think he would have bit if the conversation didn’t have a humorous tone to it.

Let’s everyone lighten up. The weather is getting nicer around the country, baseball is back in full swing and the smell of another barbecue is right around the corner. So let’s all change into some tank tops, jean shorts and Timberland boots and have some f*%king fun already.

All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

Before your 2009 fantasy baseball draft kicks off this year, do yourself a favor and repeat this three or four times to yourself: I will draft a shortstop in the first nine rounds.

Not unlike third basemen, the shortstop position is weak this season. After Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins come off the board in the first two rounds, you’re left with roughly eight shortstops that will give you adequate to good production this season. We project those eight shortstops to be selected anywhere between the fifth and ninth round in standard mixed leagues, which is why we suggest nabbing one before the conclusion of the ninth.

The good news is that in a 12-team league, you’ll definitely have the opportunity to land one of the big three (Ramirez, Reyes, Rollins) or scoop up one of the eight adequate-to-good shortstops that we’re referring to. The bad news is that shortstops can start flying off the board quickly and if you’re selecting in a snake draft, you could wind up on the wrong end of the spectrum when the run starts.

That’s why to be safe, you will draft a shortstop in one of the first nine rounds because you don’t want to be the guy that’s trying to figure out whether or not Edgar Renteria will bounce back now that he’s in the NL again, or having to choose between Orlando Cabrera’s consistent .280 batting average and Khalili Greene’s 25-plus home run potential. (Side note: If you do wind up being that guy come draft day, it might be wise to select two shortstops back to back and hope you catch lightning in a bottle with one of them.)

Obviously you still want to be smart on draft day; we’re not advising you to take Derek Jeter in the third because you’re spooked about failing to grab a shortstop before the ninth round. But taking one of the top 11 shortstops a round early might not be a bad idea considering what you’ll be left with later on.