Should he stay or should he go? Cliff Floyd not sure yet

The man-child who entered Thornwood High School in 1987 made a lot of friends, captured a lot of imaginations, dazzled a lot of scouts and had an athletic future that knew no bounds.

<p class="MsoNormal">Twenty years later, the man who still enjoys playing a child's game is wondering if he has played his last major league baseball contest.

<p class="MsoNormal">Cubs outfielder Cliff Floyd, 34, grounded out to shortstop Stephen Drew in the eighth inning of Saturday's 5-1 loss to Arizona -- a setback that ended the North Siders' season, as they were swept in three games in the National League Division Series.

<p class="MsoNormal">After the game, Floyd stood at his locker in the clubhouse at Wrigley Field -- located between the lockers of Derrek Lee and Ryan Theriot -- talking for more than 20 minutes about the Cubs' stunning failure and pondering his future.

<p class="MsoNormal">Could that groundout to Drew have been it? Will he leave the Cubs after one year? Will he leave baseball after a career that saw him break into the majors just two years after his 1991 graduation from Thornwood?

<p class="MsoNormal">He doesn't have those answers just yet.

<p class="MsoNormal">Floyd has mulled scenario after scenario in his head all season, especially after his father, Cornelius, died in August. He talked publicly about retiring but has since backed off.

<p class="MsoNormal">In an interview with the Daily Southtown after the Cubs clinched the NL Central title, Floyd sounded torn when listing reasons why he should stay or go. But he had hoped the Cubs would make history and win the World Series and that his decisions would become a little easier to make.

<p class="MsoNormal">That changed with the abrupt sweep. Now Floyd is wondering whether it's worth trying to come back to try to win a second World Series. He earned a ring as a Florida Marlin in 1997.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I don't know -- I would love to go home and chill out a little bit and see what the heck is in store for me," he said. "I'll talk to my family. I'll talk to my mom (Olivia) and see what she's talking about and what she's thinking and make a decision.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I really don't think it will take too long. I hate the waiting game. If it's OK for me to be away, I'll play again. If not, daddy day care starts."

<p class="MsoNormal">He's come a long way since his days of hitting massive home runs in high school.

<p class="MsoNormal">Floyd remembered entering high school as a 6-foot-4 freshman and having his eyes on an NBA career. But he was still 6-4 as a senior and had become a baseball phenom. After mulling several college opportunities, he went pro right away, becoming a first-round selection of the Montreal Expos (No. 14 overall) in the 1991 draft.

<p class="MsoNormal">Early in his career, some envisioned him becoming a Willie McCovey-type player. While he's enjoyed a nice career so far, numerous injuries that have resulted in 10 trips to the disabled list have diminished his body of work.

<p class="MsoNormal">Over 15 major league seasons, Floyd has a .284 batting average, 222 homers and 826 RBI. Going into this season, he was one of just 15 active left-handed hitters with more than 200 homers and more than 300 doubles.

<p class="MsoNormal">He's played for Montreal, Florida, Boston, the New York Mets and the Cubs.

<p class="MsoNormal">Coming home to play for the Cubs proved to be a fun experience for him for most of the year. But in June, when his father became ill, it was more of a blessing that he was with the Cubs because he was able to spend a lot more time with his father and family.

<p class="MsoNormal">Floyd made $3 million in 2007, and his deal includes a mutual option for 2008. Had he reached his incentives, he could have made more than $17 million for the two years. But he hit just nine homers and drove in 45 runs in 282 at-bats. He shared outfield time with Matt Murton, Mark DeRosa and Jacque Jones.

<p class="MsoNormal">It's doubtful the Cubs will exercise their part of the option, as they're likely to go in another direction. If he comes back, it likely would be for less money and possibly as a bench player, something that doesn't appear to interest him.

<p class="MsoNormal">But when asked what he thought the odds were of him returning to the Cubs, Floyd didn't answer directly, instead opting to talk about how much fun he had with the team.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I don't know -- I love the team and I love the opportunity I had here," Floyd said. "I love all the guys. If you're going to play, you want to be comfortable, and this is comfortable. Everybody's together.

<p class="MsoNormal">"When you think it's greener on the other side, you get in trouble. I'm very content here. I'm very happy. Hopefully, if I do play again, it's for the Cubs."

<p class="MsoNormal">-- Daily Southtown