Don't look now..

[Guest]

Realism = no, they are not going to the playoffs. However, as a fan, it is enjoyable to watch them as of late. I would like to see them dig out of the under .500 hole and at least make 06 a somewhat respectable season.

 

Now, go sweep Milwaukee please!

 

Respectable to me is a very bad goal to set. Respectable reaks of mediocrity, and appreciating respectability is akin to accepting mediocrity. Even if they finish 82-80, what would be a strong finish, this season would be a disaster. You can't just judge a season based on how you play the last two months. Games in April, May and June count, even though the Cubs often downplay the risk of losing lots of them. A "respectable" finish to 2006 is only going to mean sustained mediocrity, which is going to keep this team locked into the cycle of mediocrity that has plagued them for so many years.

 

First off, I never set "respectable" as a goal for the Cubs season. We all wanted different, I can't stand the way the team has played the majority of they year and once again will be disappointed come October.

 

However, given the first half of the season and literally feeling like we wouldn't score a run the entire series; it is a welcome change since the Milwaukee series just before the AS break. Outside of the Nationals series and a few loses that we should have won, I enjoy seeing the Cubs win as of late.

 

I am not sure how you can argue wanting the Cubs win and then spin your argument into accepting mediocrity.

 

I agree with you. I understand the whole "Respectable should not be accepted", but it's nice to see the team battling everyday and winning on a regular basis. It certainly helps players like Murton, Pagan, Cedeno, Marshall, Marmol, Hill gain confidence, and hopefully they can continue to progress into next year. I'd rather see this, then the team just packing in the season.

My feelings are mixed. I want the players I desire as part of the team next year to do well. I want at least a couple of the young pitchers to step up in a huge way so that we don't have to overpay for a veteran starter that may not be much more reliable than the young guys next year. I most want Prior to look dominant for the rest of the season. Some of the guys I don't want around next year I want to do well so that they build up value.

 

But I also want Z to get more rest down the stretch. I want certain players to be bad enough that Hendry HAS to replace them with something better. I want the Cubs to have a high pick in what is shaping up to be a pretty strong draft. When the Cubs sign their inevitable FA's, I don't want to lose our first rounder as a result. I want a bad enough record that Dusty -- and hopefully Hendry either open up to new ideas or are shown the door.

 

I guess I'm conflicted. I want the players to do well and the team to do lousy.

[goonys evil twin]

I am not sure how you can argue wanting the Cubs win and then spin your argument into accepting mediocrity.

 

It's not spin, it's reality. Winning a few games in the 2nd half will change nothing. In the short-term it's nice to see a win. In the long-term, a "respectable" 2006 is about the worst case scenario. I'm more interested in the long-term success of this team, which will require massive changes in strategy. A respectable finish will only reinforce their misguided belief that they are headed in the right direction.

[C.C.]

I am not sure how you can argue wanting the Cubs win and then spin your argument into accepting mediocrity.

 

It's not spin, it's reality. Winning a few games in the 2nd half will change nothing. In the short-term it's nice to see a win. In the long-term, a "respectable" 2006 is about the worst case scenario. I'm more interested in the long-term success of this team, which will require massive changes in strategy. A respectable finish will only reinforce their misguided belief that they are headed in the right direction.

 

This arguement is a fine line. Do you just want to the Cubs to pack it in and lose and lose bad from here on out? Doesn't that reinforce our losing mentallity for the past 99 years? Why waste the year away when at least you can use this year (2nd half) as a positive learning expirence for the youth of this ballclub.

[CubinNY]

I am not sure how you can argue wanting the Cubs win and then spin your argument into accepting mediocrity.

 

It's not spin, it's reality. Winning a few games in the 2nd half will change nothing. In the short-term it's nice to see a win. In the long-term, a "respectable" 2006 is about the worst case scenario. I'm more interested in the long-term success of this team, which will require massive changes in strategy. A respectable finish will only reinforce their misguided belief that they are headed in the right direction.

 

This arguement is a fine line. Do you just want to the Cubs to pack it in and lose and lose bad from here on out? Doesn't that reinforce our losing mentallity for the past 99 years? Why waste the year away when at least you can use this year (2nd half) as a positive learning expirence for the youth of this ballclub.

 

That would be fine, if they were using this portion of the year to evaluate the youthfull talent they have. This winning thing has coincided with somewhat of a youth movement, but I don't know if the brain trust is noticing this. I wouldn't be a bit surprized if Angel Pagen is the starting in LF next year, when in almost every measureable way he is inferior to Murton.

[goonys evil twin]

I am not sure how you can argue wanting the Cubs win and then spin your argument into accepting mediocrity.

 

It's not spin, it's reality. Winning a few games in the 2nd half will change nothing. In the short-term it's nice to see a win. In the long-term, a "respectable" 2006 is about the worst case scenario. I'm more interested in the long-term success of this team, which will require massive changes in strategy. A respectable finish will only reinforce their misguided belief that they are headed in the right direction.

 

This arguement is a fine line. Do you just want to the Cubs to pack it in and lose and lose bad from here on out? Doesn't that reinforce our losing mentallity for the past 99 years? Why waste the year away when at least you can use this year (2nd half) as a positive learning expirence for the youth of this ballclub.

 

What could the young learn? That .500 is a respectable goal? I don't want them to pack it in and lose.

 

I want them to stop overusing Zambrano for no reason. I want them to stop skipping the 5th starters spot like ignorant morons. I want them to stop calling up promising young pitchers and then throwing them off their regular schedule with absurd usage patterns. I want them to play the promising young players as much as possible, and rid themselves of worthless veteran crap.

 

What I don't want is a .500 season to make them think Rusch and Neifi should be back next year, that speed at the top of the order is of utmost importance and that since Juan was so good in July, when the better play began, that means he's worthy of a 3 year contract, of any value. I don't want them to think that a late season recovery justified the very poor planning they had for the entire 2006.

 

Failing to get anywhere close to .500 is not wasting a year. Only somebody with the mentality of Dusty Baker would think that nothing can be gained and learned in a loss. Most importantly, they should learn that what they did to create this season was wrong. A late season surge will only act as positive reinforcement of a negative behavior.

[C.C.]

What could the young learn? That .500 is a respectable goal?

 

Of couse not! What I meant was learning by earning wins, getting confidence, Progressing. As for over-using Zambrano? Z is hell bent on getting that Cy Young award this year. Right or wrong, the Chicago Bears as a team couldn't hold him back in trying to earn that award this year. I do agree with everything else you said.

[FergieJ31]

My feelings are mixed. I want the players I desire as part of the team next year to do well. I want at least a couple of the young pitchers to step up in a huge way so that we don't have to overpay for a veteran starter that may not be much more reliable than the young guys next year. I most want Prior to look dominant for the rest of the season. Some of the guys I don't want around next year I want to do well so that they build up value.

 

But I also want Z to get more rest down the stretch. I want certain players to be bad enough that Hendry HAS to replace them with something better. I want the Cubs to have a high pick in what is shaping up to be a pretty strong draft. When the Cubs sign their inevitable FA's, I don't want to lose our first rounder as a result. I want a bad enough record that Dusty -- and hopefully Hendry either open up to new ideas or are shown the door.

 

I guess I'm conflicted. I want the players to do well and the team to do lousy.

 

This is exactly how I feel too, especially the last line. I was about to post something to that effect, but Tim said it much better than I would have.

[goonys evil twin]

What could the young learn? That .500 is a respectable goal?

 

Of couse not! What I meant was learning by earning wins, getting confidence, Progressing. As for over-using Zambrano? Z is hell bent on getting that Cy Young award this year. Right or wrong, the Chicago Bears as a team couldn't hold him back in trying to earn that award this year. I do agree with everything else you said.

 

He's not going to win it if he keeps up his post ASB 4+ ERA.

 

And it doesn't take the Bears to hold him back. It takes a manager with half a nut and most of a brain to not skip the 5th starter's spot, and to pull him before his pitch count gets high in any one game.

 

 

The higher ups in Cubdom, Hendry, MacPhail, Baker, will puff up a .500 season, or near .500 season as a tremendous accomplishment. The younger players can't help but learn that this is some sort of respectable goal. Just like they can't help but learn that aggressiveness at the plate is much more important than patience.

[thedaymen]

There are several cool things that could happen this year:

Z wins the Cy Young

Barrett wins the batting title

The Kiddie Corps pitching staff gets in a groove

Matt or Ronny (or both) close out the season strong...

 

But all of those are individual things that would be nice. The Cubs w-l record is meaningless at this point.

[C.C.]

There are several cool things that could happen this year:

Z wins the Cy Young

Barrett wins the batting title

The Kiddie Corps pitching staff gets in a groove

Matt or Ronny (or both) close out the season strong...

 

But all of those are individual things that would be nice. The Cubs w-l record is meaningless at this point.

 

I can agree on that...And how sad is that? We can have a batting title winner in Barrett and a Cy Young winner in Z and still not even touch .500 ball. What a waste...

[thedaymen]

There are several cool things that could happen this year:

Z wins the Cy Young

Barrett wins the batting title

The Kiddie Corps pitching staff gets in a groove

Matt or Ronny (or both) close out the season strong...

 

But all of those are individual things that would be nice. The Cubs w-l record is meaningless at this point.

 

I can agree on that...And how sad is that? We can have a batting title winner in Barrett and a Cy Young winner in Z and still not even touch .500 ball. What a waste...

 

Remember in 1987 the Cubs had the MVP and Sutcliffe was one point away from winning the Cy Young and that team was as bad as this one (although that team was more fun).

[soccer10k]

If the Cubs start to win with Izturis/Cedeno/Murton hitting/playing well and the young arms pitching well, shouldn't that be considered a good thing?

[Laura]

Not if it lulls the powers-that-be into thinking that this year's team was hunky-dory from the get-go and the only problem was that the horses went down at the wrong time.

 

There's no recent sign that the front office and Dusty have wised up. Witness

 

--the decision to use every off-day as an opportunity to flip to a 4-man rotation and pitch a hasn't-had-a-break-all-season-and-hasn't-been-sharp-lately Z, a shaky Prior, and two rooks (for all intents and purposes) instead of using a 5th starter ... despite the rationale of "opening up a rotation spot" being cited for trading Maddux.

 

--the trade for Izturis, a supposed wizard with the glove but just another guy who can't get on base. And batting him second. And acting excited about Izturis, Cedeno and Neifi as middle infield options for next season.

 

--the possibility of Aramis walking and the very very limited options for replacing his production, particularly if you lock yourself into Pierre in CF, and Hendry does get all hot and bothered over Pierre whenever he's asked about him.

 

--the sickening reality that Gary Hughes is the guy in Japan right now who may make the recommendation on that Japanese pitcher that some folks out there seem to think is a realistic possibility for a free agent signing.

 

The Cubs aren't run by a bunch of geniuses, but if they thought the Cubs had a snowball's chance, Maddux would still be on this team. Why fans insist they do is beyond me (I'm glad he's moved on to a team that does have a chance). I like a lot of the individual players and wish them well. But I can't root for meangingless wins given the disasterous and destructive management of the team to date and the increasing likelihood of that numb-skulled management continuing for the foreseeable future.

[thedaymen]

 

--the decision to use every off-day as an opportunity to flip to a 4-man rotation and pitch a hasn't-had-a-break-all-season-and-hasn't-been-sharp-lately Z, a shaky Prior, and two rooks (for all intents and purposes) instead of using a 5th starter ... despite the rationale of "opening up a rotation spot" being cited for trading Maddux.

 

Yeah...I'm not enjoying Z's race for the Cy Young award right now.

[CubinNY]

 

--the decision to use every off-day as an opportunity to flip to a 4-man rotation and pitch a hasn't-had-a-break-all-season-and-hasn't-been-sharp-lately Z, a shaky Prior, and two rooks (for all intents and purposes) instead of using a 5th starter ... despite the rationale of "opening up a rotation spot" being cited for trading Maddux.

 

Yeah...I'm not enjoying Z's race for the Cy Young award right now.

 

All individual awards in baseball are good for is the player's next contract/arbitration.

 

I hope Z doesn't come up lame this year or next.