CubinNY

Those stupid Cubs. They're so dumb, putting together the best team in baseball and winning all the time. Hendry and Lou should be fired. Demoting Pie and signing and playing Edmonds has nothing to do with the Cubs winning. But, if it makes you happy...

Edmonds is done. Done Done Done On top of that, Pie may lose another 1/2 season of "seasoning". However, the Cubs may just be good enough to overcome the ridiculous decisions they some times make.

I think the wife and I will travel to Jackson to see Jeff pitch. Hopefully the team will look better than they did when I saw them in Montgomery. I'll give my very ammeter scouting report.

There was an excellent fluff piece in the Sunday NY Times about Pedro Alverez. The kid sure does seem to have a good head on his shoulders.

Felix Pie.

Dunedin...high-A affiliate for the Blue Jays. Isn't this his 3rd FSL All-Star Game appearance? If so, that is a pretty dubious honor.

It's a standard deviation artifact.

I think it's absolutely a sure thing he gets in. What isn't a sure thing is whether it's on the first ballot.No way. He doesn't have the numbers and baseball writers have an extremely long memory. See Santo, Ron. W L ERA 200+ IP 216 146 3.46 9 The only thing he's done that is HOF worthy is keep the walks and HRs (for the most par) down. I'd love to hear Bruce Miles opinion on this. sportswriters love postseason success. they think that's very important. Year Round Tm Opp WLser G GS ERA W L SV CG IP H ER BB SO +------+-----+---+---+-----+---+---+------+--+--+--+--+-----+---+---+---+---+ 1993 NLCS PHI ATL W 2 2 1.69 0 0 0 0 16 11 3 5 19 WS PHI TOR L 2 2 3.52 1 1 0 1 15.1 13 6 5 9 2001 NLDS ARI STL W 2 2 0.50 2 0 0 2 18 9 1 2 18 NLCS ARI ATL W 1 1 1.00 1 0 0 1 9 4 1 2 12 WS ARI NYY W 3 3 1.69 1 0 0 0 21.1 12 4 2 26 2002 NLDS ARI STL L 1 1 1.29 0 0 0 0 7 7 1 1 7 2004 ALDS BOS ANA W 1 1 2.70 1 0 0 0 6.2 9 2 2 4 ALCS BOS NYY W 2 2 6.30 1 1 0 0 10 10 7 2 5 WS BOS STL W 1 1 0.00 1 0 0 0 6 4 0 1 4 2007 ALDS BOS LAA W 1 1 0.00 1 0 0 0 7 6 0 1 4 ALCS BOS CLE W 2 2 5.40 1 0 0 0 11.2 15 7 0 8 WS BOS COL W 1 1 1.69 1 0 0 0 5.1 4 1 2 4 +------+-----+---+---+-----+---+---+------+--+--+--+--+-----+---+---+---+---+ 4 Lg Div Series 3-1 5 5 0.93 4 0 0 2 38.2 31 4 6 33 4 Lg Champ Series 4-0 7 7 3.47 3 1 0 1 46.2 40 18 9 44 4 World Series 3-1 7 7 2.06 4 1 0 1 48 33 11 10 43 12 Postseason Ser 10-2 19 19 2.23 11 2 0 4 133.1 104 33 25 120 +--------------------+-----+---+---+------+--+--+--+--+-----+---+---+---+---+ The post season won't matter with his record in the regular season and his attitude. If he gets in it will be several years down the road.

I'd be all over that like white on rice. It probably won't happen though. I think the Cubs are happy with Soriano. Omar will fire Willie before he will trade Beltran.

The Count is way better looking than Harang. Way better.

I think it's absolutely a sure thing he gets in. What isn't a sure thing is whether it's on the first ballot.No way. He doesn't have the numbers and baseball writers have an extremely long memory. See Santo, Ron. W L ERA 200+ IP 216 146 3.46 9 The only thing he's done that is HOF worthy is keep the walks and HRs (for the most par) down. I'd love to hear Bruce Miles opinion on this.

Well, minor league records don't matter, so it shouldn't be how anybody rates a minor league manager. But aren't the Tenn Smokies the Cubs AA team? How do they have "a lot of talent"? Fox Craig Colvin Samardzija Holliman Veal Clevenger There are a lot of high round draft picks there. I think one has to measure talent by the level of competition.

I'm not much of a college basketball fan so I cannot comment on the Coleman Beasley thing, however low graduation rates are somewhat of a red herring. When I was at OSU the graduation rate (within 4 years) for ALL undergrads averaged around 35%-45%. At most of these big schools graduation rates for all undergraduates is pretty poor. Graduation rates are always going to be worse because many times the athletes come to college unprepared to succeed at college. I know some of the people who work with the athletes at the University of Memphis, and they are working hard with the athletes even before the athletes formally take classes. I think it is a bit unfair to make blanket statements about programs. But it's not unfair to pick on the outliers, which, I believe Huggins' programs have always been. I don't disagree, but I'd like to know what the overall graduation rate at Cin. was when Huggins was there. Rose is a good kid and has worked hard in school even though everyone knew he was only staying for one year. If I'm the Bulls, I draft him.

Schilling might get in but it is no sure thing. He's been a dick to the baseball writers for most of his entire career. Also, his peers don't much care for him either. If Pedro, Johnson, Maddux, Glavin, and Piazza (already retired) all retire after this year, it will be one helluva class. Bagwell and Bigeo (sp?) better hope they get in on the first ballot or it may be a few years before they get in. Sosa and Clemens may have to wait a long time too. It will be real interesting to see how the baseball writers handle the steroid era.

I'm not much of a college basketball fan so I cannot comment on the Coleman Beasley thing, however low graduation rates are somewhat of a red herring. When I was at OSU the graduation rate (within 4 years) for ALL undergrads averaged around 35%-45%. At most of these big schools graduation rates for all undergraduates is pretty poor. Graduation rates are always going to be worse because many times the athletes come to college unprepared to succeed at college. I know some of the people who work with the athletes at the University of Memphis, and they are working hard with the athletes even before the athletes formally take classes. I think it is a bit unfair to make blanket statements about programs.

I mentioned this is my useless scouting report of the Smokies, but they don't look good. It's hard for me to describe, but they just don't look like a good team. They don't have that, I don't know what to call it, but whatever it is they ain't got it. However, they seem to have a lot of talent on the team. My question to the experts is this: How much does a minor league coach affect winning? Is it the same as a major league manager or is the manger in the minors more important? Do minor league managers ever get fired/promoted during the season? Who is Buddy Bailey?

It's not one season, it's his entire HS career (not weak, but not 1st round status either). He impressed in a couple of showcase game and the scouts went ga-ga. The Cubs drafted him, then he held out for the big signing bonus and didn't play baseball for an entire summer. He comes back from the long lay off and all of the sudden his swing doesn't look so sweat. And now he's hurt. I think we all want the Cubs prospects to be lights out good.

You are weird. i was going to say something about it, and then i saw the his slg is all the way down to 431. i wouldn't say that i'm "not at all impressed," but he really needs to start hitting for some power. I'll amend my statement to say what tree said. Maybe if Lou batted him higher in the order like he should it would make things better for me. He's in a run producing position in the order. I'll agree with this. As far as I'm concerned he's been very impressive, they're just batting him in the wrong spot. Hey Roast, I'm about 2 blocks south of you at the Chicago Hilton. I passed by Columbia college and almost bought a shirt.

You are weird. i was going to say something about it, and then i saw the his slg is all the way down to 431. i wouldn't say that i'm "not at all impressed," but he really needs to start hitting for some power. I'll amend my statement to say what tree said. Maybe if Lou batted him higher in the order like he should it would make things better for me. He's in a run producing position in the order.

The Cubs are for real. However, they are a good team, not a great team (great meaning over 90 wins). To be great they will need to get better production out of CF. Also, I'm not at all impressed with Fukudome. The pitching staff will be fine once they drop Marquis and Put Hill back where he belongs.

I'll be on the road again for this game. Listening to Milo Hamilton makes my brain hurt. Every thing that goes wrong for the Astros is an "almost" and everything the Cubs do well is an "almost" Astros: "If Derrek Lee was on inch shorter he doesn't come up with that hard line drive." Cubs: "If Soto didn't foul off that last pitch he would have struck out." Also, he hates Harry Carey. What a dick.

We're trying to. But we keep getting shouted down by the "Four runs in 4.1 innings is a good start!" crowd. That's good for his future with the Cubs, irrelevant to his present with the Cubs. Couldn't care less about this part though. Lots of players work hard, I care about whether they are good or not. Is this the buddy-up with the kids' family thread, or the discuss him as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs thread? If it's the first one, can I be directed to the second? Please, spare me with your objectional distance. They way I see it is that you are tyring, and tyring very hard I might add to be a dick. and you are succeeding extremely well at it. I'd say you've achieved your goal. The kid gets his first win and his parents come here to celebrate. People congratulate them. Yet somehow you make this out to be some sort of love festival where criticism won't be tolerated.

I think people are overreacting to his 2 starts. They haven't been as good as some of the things I've read on here. Not to say he's been bad, but I think a more tempered reaction would be in order. Maybe he makes a few more starts, his arm gets accustomed to the workload and he stays consistent. I'd be ecstatic and the first to admit my skepticism was incorrect. Anyone who pays attention around here knows I'm not overly stubborn. There is also a chance he gets knocked around and some of the line drives he's given up fall in. I think wariness is prudent. Irrational Exuberance might be a good catchphrase here. Who is being irrationaly exuberant? Here's my take: His parents are excited he gets his first win and people congratualte them and him. Why not let it be what it is? He's 22 years old and has worked extremely hard to get to where he is. He'll likely have more downs than ups if he stays in the rotation this year. But this way definately a time for celebration, especially for people with an emotional investment. Why come down on them and those who congratualted them? (Seperate issue: I'd take him over Marquis any day.)

Lack of institutional control. Don't tell me compliance, or Pink Floyd or Pom Pom didn't know. Don't tell me you have any reason to be so certain in your own absolutist claims that compliance, Floyd, or Carroll MUST HAVE known other than your own bias. And I'm not even saying they didn't know...but "because I say so" hardly constitutes grounds for certainty. But that game is so easy to play. Dan Guerrero and Radio MUST HAVE KNOWN that Eric Scott was a common burglar. DON'T YOU TELL ME THEY DIDN'T! See how easy that is? I don't really care, but when Mayo shows up to campus driving a Lexus alarm bells should be going off all over Troy. The kid comes from a single parent home where his mom makes @ $23,000/year. IMO, the entire problem is related to the stupid one year rule. Lot's of bright kids get jobs right out of highschool and choose not to go to college. The problem is the NCAA and their hold politics. However, that doesn't excuse any program from feigning ignorance.

Well, no player stood out at the Smokies-Biscuits games. Both offenses look pathetic. I will say that the team doesn't look good now that Listach isn't coaching them. It's hard to explain, but with the talent on this team they should be a lot better. I don't know the coach's name but I wasn't impressed with their performance. The Biscuts pitcher was working the high 80s and had a real mediocre curveball and they couldn't hit him. Some notes: Colvin showed good bat control (going the other way on a hit and run) and a great arm in right field. He almost threw a guy out at home from deep right field. He's still skinny as a rail. Sam Fuld (I thought he was in Iowa) played a good CF and drove a ball that would have been out at Wrigley. Mantulia didn't have an error, it was the SS, Simotakis (sp?). Mantulia playes a great 2nd but he's hitting .200. Holliman and Shaver looked pretty good. Holliman was working in the high 80s and had a couple of nice off speed pitches. The umpire was squeezing the pitchers a little but there were a lot of 3-2 counts all night. Riverwalk park is a beautiful minor league facility.