Officially Eliminated

[EricG]

The loss today mathmatically eliminates the Cubs from the wild card race.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

i still believe. :lol:

[minnesotacubsfan]

The loss today mathmatically eliminates the Cubs from the wild card race.

 

better start Macias and Perez as much as possible to show EVERYONE what next year will be like!!!

 

 

 

:pukel:

[Chris]

Now we can focus on the important things at hand...

[otis89]

Now we can focus on the important things at hand...

 

Such as?

[Chris]

Now we can focus on the important things at hand...

 

Such as?

 

Making sure Perez-Macias/Macias-Perez bat 1-2 in the lineup and play the middle infield the rest of the season?

[otis89]

Now we can focus on the important things at hand...

 

Such as?

 

Making sure Perez-Macias/Macias-Perez bat 1-2 in the lineup and play the middle infield the rest of the season?

 

Oh, duh. I guess my priorities aren't straight. I thought that first priority should still be trying to win ballgames.

[Roast]

FInally, the misery is over.

 

Anyways, If i see macias or neifi in one more game this year I will throw things hard. Because now that we dont have to try to win games we should put in the talented players......... :x

[otis89]

FInally, the misery is over.

 

Anyways, If i see macias or neifi in one more game this year I will throw things hard. Because now that we dont have to try to win games we should put in the talented players......... :x

 

*runs for cover*

[Roast]

FInally, the misery is over.

 

Anyways, If i see macias or neifi in one more game this year I will throw things hard. Because now that we dont have to try to win games we should put in the talented players......... :x

 

*runs for cover*

 

I know. my arm will be tired by the end of the season.

[Geech]

Now that they're out of it Dusty has virtually no excuse to not play the kids.

[Chris]

Now that they're out of it Dusty has virtually no excuse to not play the kids.

 

No way, gotta reward the guys that got you here.

[RockTheIvy]

Last year, they could cling to the "Back-to-back winning seasons" line. This year? Dusty's got nothing to hide behind. In other words, two years of Macias and Neifi! didn't bring any playoff games to Wrigley, so Dusty should somehow realize that they suck. Please realize they suck, Dusty.

[mhuber92211]

You do realize that either Macias or Perez must play in a game. Only Theriot is available as an INF that doesn't play regularly and if Fontenot hasn't been called up yet he won't be.

 

Soto might get a start now though. His MLB Debut wasn't half bad.

[RockTheIvy]

You do realize that either Macias or Perez must play in a game. Only Theriot is available as an INF that doesn't play regularly and if Fontenot hasn't been called up yet he won't be.

 

Soto might get a start now though. His MLB Debut wasn't half bad.

 

My problems lie more with the fact that today Macias led off. And Neifi! batted second. Sweet table setters. If one of has to be in the lineup, thats fine, but bat him 8th. But, and this goes to JH as well, we gotta do somethng about this lineup! Today's lineup had Macias, Neifi! and Patterson. I have a better chance of getting attacked by a shark on the streets of El Paso then those guys getting on base.

[UMFan83]

You realize Dusty has played I think 4 games over the past 6 years when his team has no shot at the playoffs? That number is about to go waaaay up starting tomorrow

[Chris]

You do realize that either Macias or Perez must play in a game. Only Theriot is available as an INF that doesn't play regularly and if Fontenot hasn't been called up yet he won't be.

 

Soto might get a start now though. His MLB Debut wasn't half bad.

 

I understand that we'll see one of them in the game, but I'll be stunned if Theriot doesn't get at least one start before the season ends.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!! AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! Wheeee...............I love being a Cub fan. See you for the winter hot stove talk, folks. Time for a break from the bums for a couple months til then. What an ugly year.

[mhuber92211]

You do realize that either Macias or Perez must play in a game. Only Theriot is available as an INF that doesn't play regularly and if Fontenot hasn't been called up yet he won't be.

 

Soto might get a start now though. His MLB Debut wasn't half bad.

 

I understand that we'll see one of them in the game, but I'll be stunned if Theriot doesn't get at least one start before the season ends.

 

Me too. I was just trying to point out that despite the desire, it is logically no tpossible at this stange of the game now that AR isn't coming back and Fontenot won't be called up (which I still can't fathom why it was Riot and not Fontenot to begin with, who was already on the 40 man, not that I mind Riot at all)

[mhuber92211]

WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!! AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! Wheeee...............I love being a Cub fan. See you for the winter hot stove talk, folks. Time for a break from the bums for a couple months til then. What an ugly year.

 

Why stop now? This is when the year has some meaning again for the first time in a month! (not that I ever believed that we were out of it until today :P)

[mhuber92211]

You realize Dusty has played I think 4 games over the past 6 years when his team has no shot at the playoffs? That number is about to go waaaay up starting tomorrow

 

And this is why Dusty will return. Again, despite everyone's misgivings, Dusty has provided somewhat of a winner here. [/hijack]

[cubbieinexile]

Wait till next year!

 

Huh, next year could be even worse then this year depending on what happens during the offseason. Going into this offseason the Cubs will have more holes and more questions then they did going into this year.

 

1B: will be sort of question, but not really a bad question. Meaning which DLee will show up? Is this a new level of production, (doubtful), will he go back to his normal production, or will fall somewhere in between?

 

2B: Hole/Question position. Todd Walker has shown that he is good when healthy but that is becoming increasingly rare. Nor is it for sure that he is coming back, nor would I say Hairston is an answer should they decide he is one.

 

SS: Hole/Question. Does Nomar sign another one year contract? Does he stay healthy? If he isn't there then who?

 

3B: Question. Again this is another position in which it is becoming increasingly clear that the player manning this position cannot stay healthy

 

C: No real problem here, this one they don't have to worry about too much. Though of course C is always a high risk position.

 

LF: Best case scenario is that it is a question, worst case scenario a hole. Can Murton play everday and be decent? Will Baker let him? If he isn't allowed or cannot who plays their instead?

 

CF: Hole/Question. Whether its Corey or Pie or somebody else this position is going to be at the very least a question and a serious risk.

 

RF: Question/Hole. Nobody really waiting in the wings on the Cubs team for this spot so they are going to have to fill from the oustide.

 

So in terms of position players the Cubs very likely only have three positions (C, 1B, 3B) that they are not going to have to go out and fill. But one of those positions (3B) has a serious question attached to it while the another is going to have a smaller impact on overall offense due to playing time.

 

That leaves 5 positions that have very serious questions that need answering. Either during the offseason or they can only be answered with playing time. Murton might be the Cubs answer to LF but it will remain a serious question until he plays games. Same with CF. Not to mention that once again the Cubs will have to build a bench and hopefully most of the grizzled vets that filled it this year will not be back.

 

The pitching staff again has serious questions.

 

Starters: Kerry Wood, Greg Maddux, and a fifth starter. All three are serious questions. I think Zambrano and Prior are safe bets but the other three spots are serious questions to say the least. How will a Greg Maddux another year older perform? Can Kerry Wood pitch? Who is going to be the fifth starter?

 

Relievers: These guys are always question marks for virtually every team so this isn't exactly a unique problem much like how most teams always have to build a bench every year.

 

Anyway going into next season the Cubs really only have a handful of safe bets and are going to have 18-20 serious questions on their hands. Some of those problems they are going to have to hope for the best because the players are not going anywhere, so they can do very little to mitigate the potential damage. For instance the Cubs are not going to go out and sign A-Rod to answer their third base question. They are going to keep ARam and hope that a new instructor can keep him healthy througout the season.

[Careless]

You realize Dusty has played I think 4 games over the past 6 years when his team has no shot at the playoffs? That number is about to go waaaay up starting tomorrow

 

And this is why Dusty will return. Again, despite everyone's misgivings, Dusty has provided somewhat of a winner here. [/hijack]

If by "provided" you mean "abused and damaged the winner he was given when he arrived", I agree with you.

[Schwarber Fan]

Hey guys, since were on the topic of this season coming to an end, I thought I'd put in this season summary which I recently put on my website

 

Wait till next year.... unfortunately that saying will have to be used again by all Cubs fans. The 2005 season was a disappointment. Though it was a season of ups and downs, in the end, the downs heavily outweighed the ups. It was a season that featured a triple crown candidate, a chaotic outfield, and a plethora of injuries.

 

 

 

The Cubs started out with a spectacular season debut in Arizona. The Cubs scored 16 runs on 23 hits and got off to an amazing start. Following game 1, the season started to go bad. Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Walker were lost with injuries. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior also shared their time on the DL. They finished April with a record of 12-11.

 

 

 

On came May. The Cubs lost their first 6 games that month, including getting swept by Milwaukee. Toward the end of the month, the Cubs got hot. They took 3 of 4 from Colorado and started a great series with the Dodgers carrying over into June. The Cubs finished May, 14 and 13.

 

 

 

Still floating barely above .500, the Cubs started out with a great month of June. The continued to play well against the NL West as they completed their sweep of LA and took 3 of 4 from San Diego, the NL West leaders. Interleague play then started to take effect and it wasn't very pretty. The only bright spot was the Cubs taking 2 of 3 from the world champion Boston Red Sox, sandwiched in between a series loss to Toronto and a series loss to the Yankees, who swept the Cubs. They then lost 2 of 3 to Florida despite a 14-0 rout win in game 2 which featured 2 Derrek Lee home runs. The Cubs were able to finish off the month respectively, splitting a series with the Brewers and taking 2 out of 3 from Milwaukee and the Whit Sox. June saw the Cubs go 14-13 once again.

 

 

 

July started out in the worst way possible. The Cubs lost their first 7 games including getting swept in a double header in Atlanta. Derrek Lee went down with a minor injury that lasted only until a sweep of Florida which ended the first half of the season. At the All-Star break, the Cubs were 43-44 and not in very good shape. The Cubs used their winning momentum however, to take 3 of 4 in Cincinatti after the break. The Cubs struggled through the last series of the month, losing 3 of 4 at home to Arizona, sending the Cubs into the trade deadline, needing some moves made. In July, the Cubs were 13-15.

 

 

 

As August began, the Cubs had a new outfielder in Matt Lawton who was acquired from the Pirates in exchange for Jody Gerut. Lawton played well as the Cubs leadoff hitter but at the beginning of August, the Cubs had their worst stretch of the year, which broke the camel's back. The lost 8 games in a row, many, agonizing defeats. The ended the streak with a few wins against St. Louis who the Cubs played well against all year. The Cubs continued their struggles with the NL East as they then lost series' to Atlanta and Florida. The Cubs finished August with a series loss to the Dodgers and a record of 10-18.

 

 

 

So here we are in September. The Cubs playoff hopes are gone but there are still a few things to be settled. The Cubs would like to finish above .500 which would require them to go 6-1 in their last 7 games. They would also like to finish ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. Can they do it? That remains to be seem but it's essentially time to think about 2006.

 

 

 

So what's next? This offseason, Jim Hendry is expected to be extremely active and is reportedly interested in free agents Johnny Damon and Rafael Furcal. The Cubs also have to make a decision on their middle infield. Will Nomar stick around and then Ronny Cedeno play 2B or will Ronny take SS and bring Todd Walker back to play 2B? The outfield is also an issue. Will rookie Matt Murton patrol a corner spot in the outfield? Will Jeromy Burnitz be re-signed? Will prospect Felix Pie be ready to become the Cubs leadoff hitter and what will become of Corey Patterson?? Also, will the Cubs have a healthy and solid 5 man rotation with a bullpen? Will Ryan Dempster fill the closer role once again? All these question will have answers come opening day 2006 but for now, let's finish strong and see what we can do. That's all we can do.

[Derwood]

remember, you can't play the kids, because it's more important to try to beat HOU (to be fair to philly and florida) than to evaluate your own talent

 

](*,)