dbeider

The Cubs are saving their bats for another 6 or 7 run late game inning, so they can give them back up and lose again.

3-0, that should do it (1-0 may have done it). So I wonder if we'll ever see Theriot Soriano Lee Floyd Ramirez Barrett DeRosa Murton For a few games in a row

Piniella should have told Lee to not get picked off

And Im already sick of all the ass kissing of Lou no matter how many times he puts his team in a terrible position by one of his terrible moves. Nobody here has said its 100 percent Lous fault, the players get alot of the blame as well, but Lou definatly hasnt helped this team. Ass kissing? Where? So which manager is the guy that manages his bullpen so well? And if it's Randolph or Black this year, it's pretty easy to manage a bullpen that doesn't give anything up. Give a guy a terrible team and he gets a terrible team. think what you want you are going to defend Lou no matter how many times he puts the Eyres and Howrys in the game. Im done with this discussion No I'm not. He keeps bringing in Eyre I'll scream my head off. Guy hasn't pitched well since the first half of last year. But Lou Piniella is far from the biggest problem this team has. That's the point.

Myth. Cause you say so? The guys there when putting up numbers along with their career numbers are talented enough to win this division. There's plenty of talent on the team, but dumb players or dumb playing with talent don't equal wins.

And Im already sick of all the ass kissing of Lou no matter how many times he puts his team in a terrible position by one of his terrible moves. Nobody here has said its 100 percent Lous fault, the players get alot of the blame as well, but Lou definatly hasnt helped this team. Ass kissing? Where? So which manager is the guy that manages his bullpen so well? And if it's Randolph or Black this year, it's pretty easy to manage a bullpen that doesn't give anything up. Give a guy a terrible team and he gets a terrible team.

This guy has not had an ERA under 4.87 since 2003!!!

This is what makes this team bad (well this and the failures of the bullpen) In other words, blame Lou all you want but... This year alone the Cubs have lost to Mark Redman, his only good start and he has subsequently been released. They have lost to Masset in a game it was hoped he would get through four innings, he went at least 6. And so far Kim, coming in with at 7+ ERA. Good teams? Take care of Masset to complete the sweep against the White Sox giving them momentum going on a road trip. Winning against a bum to take a series against a league leading team (Braves). And entering a series against the Marlins? Wail on the guy, get into the bullpen early and get the team to be at a disadvantage for the rest of the series. I'm already sick of the crying about Piniella. The team he was handed is playing lousy baseball, can't hit well and certainly can't pitch well out of the bullpen. Let these pitchers get themselves in trouble once in a while. No patience at all.

So because the bullpen sucks, Lou must walk on eggshells and bring in the exact perfect person or he's an idiot? The perfect person of course being Howry or Ohman, every single time. Never mind that a strategy like that will send those 2 to the DL by July. This makes no sense. Eyre sucks, he's on the team. Either get him off the team, or Lou will have to use him. Period, end of story. Well, he doesn't have to use him. Lou chose to bring him in in the eight today but he didn't have to. Maybe it's Lou's way of letting Hendry know he need to get rid of Eyre. He can't have a guy taking a roster spot, particularly in the pen and not use him. Just can't, it will hurt as much as sending the guy out there over time. If Lous way of letting Hendry know to get rid of Eyre is to put his team in a bad situation, then he should be fired now. They have things like email, text messages, phones, and even these things called cell phones that can be used to convey to Hendry he wants Eyre off the team. Given, I doubt that he is trying to send a message by putting him in in that situation. However, Eyre riding the pine for a week I think was message enough. Ultimately what is he going to do? He has to bring in a lefty.

Had to be done on a 0-0 game that late. The way this team has been hitting you need that run. Not to mention Ward almost had a single, what would everyone have been saying then? That Lous bad decision got lucky. Son shines on a dogs butt every once in awhile basically and the move did not have to be made. You leave your pitcher in that gives you the best chance and not giving up runs, and in case you havent noticed thats not out bullpen. I notice every time. Can't not use the bullpen. Everyone is crying about taking Wuertz out. Is it that they took Hill out or Wuertz out? If Wuertz stayed in and the team won 1-0 then what? Still the wrong decision? It's freaking baseball, I watch enough to know that things go wrong, and things go right. With this team things go wrong all the time and it sucks for all of us. You have a 25 man roster for a reason, you need to use them. Doesn't matter how bad the bullpen is. In 2003 Baker refused to use the bullpen because it was horrible and now everyone cries that he ruined Wood and Prior because of it. Nobody can win when a team plays like crap. They need the players and when a pitcher can't perform they should be held accountable, sent down, cut whatever, doesn't matter how much they are paid. The right thing in this game was to take him out and try to get the win, use Wuertz for 2 innings and Dempster in the 9th.

So because the bullpen sucks, Lou must walk on eggshells and bring in the exact perfect person or he's an idiot? The perfect person of course being Howry or Ohman, every single time. Never mind that a strategy like that will send those 2 to the DL by July. This makes no sense. Eyre sucks, he's on the team. Either get him off the team, or Lou will have to use him. Period, end of story. Well, he doesn't have to use him. Lou chose to bring him in in the eight today but he didn't have to. Maybe it's Lou's way of letting Hendry know he need to get rid of Eyre. He can't have a guy taking a roster spot, particularly in the pen and not use him. Just can't, it will hurt as much as sending the guy out there over time.

How many times has that post been made this year alone already, then being back the next day posting and watching and hoping for a win?

Had to be done on a 0-0 game that late. The way this team has been hitting you need that run. Not to mention Ward almost had a single, what would everyone have been saying then?

I'm as frustrated as the next fan, but some of the comments are just absurd. Eyre sucks, he should be released tomorrow and not to be seen pitching another pitch for the Cubs. Outside of that, the blame should be spread around. Can't hit, can't pitch, can't get a guy out during a rundown (that is not the first time Barret has not charged the runner). Blame Lou for bringing in Eyre, but he was handed a bullpen that can't keep a lead period. The guy that has been pitching well has been coming in and blowing games. They find ways to lose, not Lou, no one player (outside of Eyre). In the meantime they are still in a division that in the end could be won by being .500. Hopefully they will make the players accountable, make the team closer to "average" and see where the chips fall. The posts on this board are getting closer to those ESPN boards years ago outside of there being no trolls around.

They should have just taken the loss 5-1. What's the point of coming back if it's so early in the game like the 7th inning. If you're going to come back do it in the 9th, maybe 8th and perhaps you can win the game. Silly players

I mean at least last year they just were so terrible the games were over early. This is absurd. This is the second time they have come up with a big 7th inning to take a lead, only cough it up in unbelievable fashion. I know the offense has been inconsitent, but this team is 1 or 2 games in back of the Brewers with an average to even just below average bullpen. Seriously what will it take? There is no answer.

Certainly I'm being absurd but I get this weird feeling the are more reasons that extension has not been signed outside of Trib being bought. Already this year Z has said he would win the Cy Young, the Cubs would win the WS and the Brewers are much worse than the Reds (which who knows by the end of the year they may be). But to date the Cubs are sub .500, Zambrano would be lucky to win a 5th starter of the year award and the Brewers are 6 games ahead of the Cubs. Is it possible him being a headcase has gotten to them and they just aren't into the quirky fun they used to enjoy? Maybe because they got Marquis and Lilly, who don't have equal stuff, but throw innings and have gotten off to great starts they think that they can let him walk or trade him later this year and benefit long term with more starters like the others. Maybe they think it's ok, whoever buys the Cubs will be in at such a high basis that they could not afford to have one seat vacant and will load up such a huge payroll a la Yankees/Red Sox that they can afford to let him go, he'll be replaced by another high priced free agent who is not crazy. Or maybe I'm just ultra frustrated and looking for reasons to justify the garbage we are seeing again, when a thrown together rotation kicks @ss outside of the self proclaimed Cy Young winning ace, and he loses 6 run leads and games to some guy making his ML starting debut. Put me in my place.

Cy Marquis. They needed that

It's a function of bad relief pitching. Teams often go late into games an far into extra innings games wtihout scoring much. Fact of the matter is they had enough runs to win the game with 4. Relief blew the game again. Eyre is responsible for at least 3 losses this year.

Finding ways to lose It's unbelievable, with this team you literally just wait for the other shoe to drop. They cannot find ways to win. Unbelievable

Bet better soon Ron

Yeah but I think you really need a middle IF for when Ramirez needs to be rested or DRO or ARAM have a mild injury for a few days and can't put someone on the DL to bring someone up. Theriot is your middle IF. Outside of yesterday Cedeno has been awful. Pie brings a complete different dimension to the team with his speed, defense and attitude.

This is false.. borderline ridiculous. miller is AAA quality. Marquis certainly has the ability to suck and from the sounds of things lucked out on the crappy cards offense today. Zambrano has been awful so far. So...care to back up your post? Miller is a AAA quality pitcher based on his starts this year. But Marquis, this year is 2-1 with a what 1.22 ERA? Zambrano has sucked so far, if you want to qualify that as AAA quality, even though we all know what Zambrano is. So based on this year alone, you have 2 poor performing pitchers. Based on the past, Marquis last year was awful, so maybe that defines AAA quality. What else? Miller being hurt? How about Lilly, Hill and Z? Hill was in AAA, so is he a AAA quality starter, even with his performance end last year and to start this year? I just don't see where there are 3 AAA quality starters on the team. Last year there were 3 maybe 4. Not this year.

I don't think Cedeno can play 3B anyway... Yeah, but DeRosa is the backup 3rd baseman. They could play Cedeno at 2nd and DeRosa at 3rd.

Love love love Theriot. Play every day. If Ramirez is out for a little bit, and DeRosa can play, Theriot better be in there over Cedeno.