[don_kessinger_was_good]

Why do people keep wasting their time, breath, and interest in following ANYTHING Levine has to say? This guy is a complete deadbeat, he has NO inside information--zero. In fact, I'll posit that I have more inside info on the Cubs than Levine does, and I don't even have a paid gig in the city.

 

The guy is a tool, and he mimics what he reads on the internet and spins it as "info". Lazy and pathetic.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Gut check time. Does some sort of Prior for Tejada deal happen? I say yes - Tejada wants out and Hendry seems to be a man on a mission.

 

I'm hoping the Dodgers outbid him again.

[Sarcastic]

Why do people keep wasting their time, breath, and interest in following ANYTHING Levine has to say? This guy is a complete deadbeat, he has NO inside information--zero. In fact, I'll posit that I have more inside info on the Cubs than Levine does, and I don't even have a paid gig in the city.

 

The guy is a tool, and he mimics what he reads on the internet and spins it as "info". Lazy and pathetic.

 

It would be unfair to say that that's all he does. He also just plain makes stuff up, too. I'm sure no one has forgotten the time he said a slugger OF was going to be traded to the Cubs any day now. He still hasn't ever followed up on that.

[BigbadB]

Why do people keep wasting their time, breath, and interest in following ANYTHING Levine has to say? This guy is a complete deadbeat, he has NO inside information--zero. In fact, I'll posit that I have more inside info on the Cubs than Levine does, and I don't even have a paid gig in the city.

 

The guy is a tool, and he mimics what he reads on the internet and spins it as "info". Lazy and pathetic.

 

It would be unfair to say that that's all he does. He also just plain makes stuff up, too. I'm sure no one has forgotten the time he said a slugger OF was going to be traded to the Cubs any day now. He still hasn't ever followed up on that.

 

Well, you do know what "any" day means, right? :wink:

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Why do people keep wasting their time, breath, and interest in following ANYTHING Levine has to say? This guy is a complete deadbeat, he has NO inside information--zero. In fact, I'll posit that I have more inside info on the Cubs than Levine does, and I don't even have a paid gig in the city.

 

The guy is a tool, and he mimics what he reads on the internet and spins it as "info". Lazy and pathetic.

 

It would be unfair to say that that's all he does. He also just plain makes stuff up, too. I'm sure no one has forgotten the time he said a slugger OF was going to be traded to the Cubs any day now. He still hasn't ever followed up on that.

 

It's an embarassment that news outlets in a city like Chicago actually pay a twerp such as Levine. Zero journalistic credibility. Reporting rumor as fact is bad enough, but you are correct--Levine flat out fabricates "stories", he does so on a regular basis, and his enabling bosses spin it in support of advertising dollars, as they suck in naive listeners over and over again.

 

The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf is actually named Bruce Levine. And to his advertisting sponsors--I do not listen to any screed this guy puts out there, that means I avoid your products like the plague. Maybe you should think about that the next time you negotiate ad rates with the station.

[CUBZ99]

Why do people keep wasting their time, breath, and interest in following ANYTHING Levine has to say? This guy is a complete deadbeat, he has NO inside information--zero. In fact, I'll posit that I have more inside info on the Cubs than Levine does, and I don't even have a paid gig in the city.

 

The guy is a tool, and he mimics what he reads on the internet and spins it as "info". Lazy and pathetic.

 

 

He is citing sources from MLB and within the Cubs organization, that would be about as "inside" information as you can get. Just because we don't like the trade does not make the rumor invalid or made up. Also, wasn't Levine the guys who broke the Pierre trade 2 weeks before it actually happened, and BTW he was entirely correct on the names that he said would be involved in the trade, which is somewhat impressive.

 

As with any job, the risk he takes for reporting rumors are that most of them will never pan out and people will think he made them up.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Also, wasn't Levine the guys who broke the Pierre trade 2 weeks before it actually happened, and BTW he was entirely correct on the names that he said would be involved in the trade, which is somewhat impressive.

 

What part about the Pierre transaction news were you impressed with? I was impressed with Levine's ability to parrot Ken Rosenthal's scoop and claim it as his own. Yes, that was indeed impressive. And typical.

[Outshined_One]

Also, wasn't Levine the guys who broke the Pierre trade 2 weeks before it actually happened, and BTW he was entirely correct on the names that he said would be involved in the trade, which is somewhat impressive.

 

As with any job, the risk he takes for reporting rumors are that most of them will never pan out and people will think he made them up.

 

Honestly, most people saw that Pierre trade coming a mile away. We all knew Jimmy boy coveted a solution to top of the order, speed, and CF. We also knew the Marlins were looking for pitching that was ML-ready (or close to it) and would be cheap for a reasonable length of time.

 

Plus, sports writers are awesome at throwing crap at the wall 365 days a year. Thing is, the one time it actually sticks, you proclaim yourself a success and then everyone worships you for it.

[oldcubsfan]

Why do people keep wasting their time, breath, and interest in following ANYTHING Levine has to say? This guy is a complete deadbeat, he has NO inside information--zero. In fact, I'll posit that I have more inside info on the Cubs than Levine does, and I don't even have a paid gig in the city.

 

The guy is a tool, and he mimics what he reads on the internet and spins it as "info". Lazy and pathetic.

 

I disagree with you. Your description sounds more like George Offman of the score. Levine has more contacts in the organization than anyone else in the city.

[CubfaninCA]

[ Brian Giles wasn't one of them.

 

No, Giles wasn't one of them. But, lifetime.......

 

At Busch Stadium: 1.169 OPS

At GAP: .971

At Miller: 1.000

At PNC: 1.046

At MMP: .915

 

At Wrigley: 1.173

 

Giles' road split in 2005 was a 1.008 OPS.

 

Would it have been worth it at all to offer up and pay Mr. Giles 15m a year for the next 3 years to beat up on the entire NL Central. Couple in the fact he has never had two guys like Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez batting around him at the same time.

 

You add Giles, pick up Pierre, fill out the bullpen and bam, got yourself a playoff team. No discussion of trading Prior, Furcal is a distant memory and even Dusty would have a tough time figuring out a way to mess up that line up.

 

But, as I have been reminded time and again, Giles didn't want 15m a year, he wanted to stay in San Diego.

 

Unfortunately, that's a bold move this organization would never make.

[B]

Nothin new really. Levine believes pitching would be to mch of a question mark to say whether we could compete for division. Called Tejada a top 3 to 4 player in the game.

 

I disagree with Leivne.

 

He gets that a lot...

 

Haha, no kidding. This, however, provokes the question. who are your top five players in baseball?

 

 

For me its:

 

-ARod

-Vlad

-Johan Santana

-Miguel Cabrera

-Albert Pujouls

 

Not particularly in that order, but they most likely fill out the top five in my book.

 

What about Bonds?

[XZero771679666304]

Nothin new really. Levine believes pitching would be to mch of a question mark to say whether we could compete for division. Called Tejada a top 3 to 4 player in the game.

 

I disagree with Leivne.

 

He gets that a lot...

 

Haha, no kidding. This, however, provokes the question. who are your top five players in baseball?

 

 

For me its:

 

-ARod

-Vlad

-Johan Santana

-Miguel Cabrera

-Albert Pujouls

 

Not particularly in that order, but they most likely fill out the top five in my book.

 

What about Bonds?

 

At this point it's difficult to say what Bonds is going to give you, both in term of health and production.

[PieOnMyHands]

Players I think are better than Miggy (no particular order; put the numbers so it was easier to count up):

 

1. Alex Rodriguez

2. David Ortiz

3. Albert Pujols

4. Scott Rolen (better career batting numbers all-around; even better defense than Migs)

5. Barry Bonds

6. Vlad Guerrero

7. Johan Santana

8. Mark Prior

9. Carlos Zambrano

10. Chris Carpenter

11. Travis Hafner (even if he can't play defense, the significant gap in offense makes up for it)

12. Roger Clemens

13. Jake Peavy

14. Roy Oswalt

15. Jason Bay (much more of a five-tool player than people think)

16. Manny Ramirez

17. Todd Helton

18. Miguel Cabrera

19. Lance Berkman (numbers a little bit misleading last year due to playing hurt)

20. Carlos Delgado

 

I considered adding Dunn and Texiera to the list, but their home/road splits really scare me. They having a Coors-like affect, it almost seems like...

 

And this is just a rough list from my head and looking at some of the 2005 leaders (and their career numbers, of course).

 

 

So on a personal level, Miggy isn't even a top 20 player for me. While his durability is valuable, the elite hitters in the league hold a significant edge in offensive production, which more than matches what he does on defense.

[CUBZ99]

Also, wasn't Levine the guys who broke the Pierre trade 2 weeks before it actually happened, and BTW he was entirely correct on the names that he said would be involved in the trade, which is somewhat impressive.

 

As with any job, the risk he takes for reporting rumors are that most of them will never pan out and people will think he made them up.

 

Honestly, most people saw that Pierre trade coming a mile away. We all knew Jimmy boy coveted a solution to top of the order, speed, and CF. We also knew the Marlins were looking for pitching that was ML-ready (or close to it) and would be cheap for a reasonable length of time.

 

Plus, sports writers are awesome at throwing crap at the wall 365 days a year. Thing is, the one time it actually sticks, you proclaim yourself a success and then everyone worships you for it.

 

Not true. Other outlets, including WGN radio's Dave Kaplan claimed that Hendry did not have a trade in the works and hadn't talked to Florida regarding Pierre. Levine not only was one of the first people to report about a possible trade, but also named the players that were involved in the trade weeks before it happened. You call it luck, some might believe that he had inside knowledge.

[BigbadB]

Players I think are better than Miggy (no particular order; put the numbers so it was easier to count up):

 

1. Alex Rodriguez

2. David Ortiz

3. Albert Pujols

4. Scott Rolen (better career batting numbers all-around; even better defense than Migs)

5. Barry Bonds

6. Vlad Guerrero

7. Johan Santana

8. Mark Prior

9. Carlos Zambrano

10. Chris Carpenter

11. Travis Hafner (even if he can't play defense, the significant gap in offense makes up for it)

12. Roger Clemens

13. Jake Peavy

14. Roy Oswalt

15. Jason Bay (much more of a five-tool player than people think)

16. Manny Ramirez

17. Todd Helton

18. Miguel Cabrera

19. Lance Berkman (numbers a little bit misleading last year due to playing hurt)

20. Carlos Delgado

 

I considered adding Dunn and Texiera to the list, but their home/road splits really scare me. They having a Coors-like affect, it almost seems like...

 

And this is just a rough list from my head and looking at some of the 2005 leaders (and their career numbers, of course).

 

 

So on a personal level, Miggy isn't even a top 20 player for me. While his durability is valuable, the elite hitters in the league hold a significant edge in offensive production, which more than matches what he does on defense.

 

Alright, now pare down your list to just players who give you as much value or more than Miguel Cabrera does for how much he makes. He made 370K last year. In other words, would you rather have Todd Helton and his production at 17m or Miguel Cabrera at less than a million?

[USSoccer]

Also, wasn't Levine the guys who broke the Pierre trade 2 weeks before it actually happened, and BTW he was entirely correct on the names that he said would be involved in the trade, which is somewhat impressive.

 

As with any job, the risk he takes for reporting rumors are that most of them will never pan out and people will think he made them up.

 

Honestly, most people saw that Pierre trade coming a mile away. We all knew Jimmy boy coveted a solution to top of the order, speed, and CF. We also knew the Marlins were looking for pitching that was ML-ready (or close to it) and would be cheap for a reasonable length of time.

 

Plus, sports writers are awesome at throwing crap at the wall 365 days a year. Thing is, the one time it actually sticks, you proclaim yourself a success and then everyone worships you for it.

 

Not true. Other outlets, including WGN radio's Dave Kaplan claimed that Hendry did not have a trade in the works and hadn't talked to Florida regarding Pierre. Levine not only was one of the first people to report about a possible trade, but also named the players that were involved in the trade weeks before it happened. You call it luck, some might believe that he had inside knowledge.

 

Ofman actually called the players involved about a month before it happened, not Levine.

[fibro]

Has anyone heard what Steve Stone has had to say about this possible trade. I caught just the end of his segment on Murphs show and they were talking about it but didn't really catch any of Stone's opinion of the possibly dealing Prior.

[CUBZ99]

Has anyone heard what Steve Stone has had to say about this possible trade. I caught just the end of his segment on Murphs show and they were talking about it but didn't really catch any of Stone's opinion of the possibly dealing Prior.

 

Yesterday, he was saying that the Cubs should make the trade and seemed like he was less than impressed with Prior.

[Ram1380]

Has anyone heard what Steve Stone has had to say about this possible trade. I caught just the end of his segment on Murphs show and they were talking about it but didn't really catch any of Stone's opinion of the possibly dealing Prior.

 

 

I didn't get it all, but did get that he would trade Prior for Tejada.

 

 

 

Kinda surprised(and dissapointed) me to hear him say that.

[CUBZ99]

Also, wasn't Levine the guys who broke the Pierre trade 2 weeks before it actually happened, and BTW he was entirely correct on the names that he said would be involved in the trade, which is somewhat impressive.

 

As with any job, the risk he takes for reporting rumors are that most of them will never pan out and people will think he made them up.

 

Honestly, most people saw that Pierre trade coming a mile away. We all knew Jimmy boy coveted a solution to top of the order, speed, and CF. We also knew the Marlins were looking for pitching that was ML-ready (or close to it) and would be cheap for a reasonable length of time.

 

Plus, sports writers are awesome at throwing crap at the wall 365 days a year. Thing is, the one time it actually sticks, you proclaim yourself a success and then everyone worships you for it.

 

Not true. Other outlets, including WGN radio's Dave Kaplan claimed that Hendry did not have a trade in the works and hadn't talked to Florida regarding Pierre. Levine not only was one of the first people to report about a possible trade, but also named the players that were involved in the trade weeks before it happened. You call it luck, some might believe that he had inside knowledge.

 

Ofman actually called the players involved about a month before it happened, not Levine.

 

I think you got it mixed up. Levine reported the Pierre trade on November 15, 2005 and later named all of the possible players involved, which turned out to be the actual players involved.

[erik316wttn]

Has anyone heard what Steve Stone has had to say about this possible trade. I caught just the end of his segment on Murphs show and they were talking about it but didn't really catch any of Stone's opinion of the possibly dealing Prior.

 

 

I didn't get it all, but did get that he would trade Prior for Tejada.

 

 

 

Kinda surprised(and dissapointed) me to hear him say that.

 

I heard that, too, and my opinion of his baseball knowledge went down a bit.

[SouthSideRyan]

Has anyone heard what Steve Stone has had to say about this possible trade. I caught just the end of his segment on Murphs show and they were talking about it but didn't really catch any of Stone's opinion of the possibly dealing Prior.

 

Yesterday, he was saying that the Cubs should make the trade and seemed like he was less than impressed with Prior.

 

Prior probably threw a high fastball for strike 3 one time rather than a slider low and away. Steve doesn't like being shown up.

[Ram1380]

Has anyone heard what Steve Stone has had to say about this possible trade. I caught just the end of his segment on Murphs show and they were talking about it but didn't really catch any of Stone's opinion of the possibly dealing Prior.

 

 

I didn't get it all, but did get that he would trade Prior for Tejada.

 

 

 

Kinda surprised(and dissapointed) me to hear him say that.

 

I heard that, too, and my opinion of his baseball knowledge went down a bit.

 

 

He knows better, which pisses me off a little. I have always been a big supporter of his, but he obviously still has problems with some in the organization(as do I).

[fibro]

Did Stone talk about Bedard?

[USSoccer]

Also, wasn't Levine the guys who broke the Pierre trade 2 weeks before it actually happened, and BTW he was entirely correct on the names that he said would be involved in the trade, which is somewhat impressive.

 

As with any job, the risk he takes for reporting rumors are that most of them will never pan out and people will think he made them up.

 

Honestly, most people saw that Pierre trade coming a mile away. We all knew Jimmy boy coveted a solution to top of the order, speed, and CF. We also knew the Marlins were looking for pitching that was ML-ready (or close to it) and would be cheap for a reasonable length of time.

 

Plus, sports writers are awesome at throwing crap at the wall 365 days a year. Thing is, the one time it actually sticks, you proclaim yourself a success and then everyone worships you for it.

 

Not true. Other outlets, including WGN radio's Dave Kaplan claimed that Hendry did not have a trade in the works and hadn't talked to Florida regarding Pierre. Levine not only was one of the first people to report about a possible trade, but also named the players that were involved in the trade weeks before it happened. You call it luck, some might believe that he had inside knowledge.

 

Ofman actually called the players involved about a month before it happened, not Levine.

 

I think you got it mixed up. Levine reported the Pierre trade on November 15, 2005 and later named all of the possible players involved, which turned out to be the actual players involved.

 

I'm 100% positive that the first time I heard the name Reynel Pinto involved in a Pierre trade, it came from Ofman's mouth.

 

But no matter. Reporters-all of them-that try and break stories are hit and miss.