CubinNY

Ankiel's future has to be considered up in the air at this point, as the commish is apparently going to be probing all over the lives of those named in Mitchell's report. Ankiel has no future in baseball. He was supposed to be a feel good story for one year. He doesn't make enough contact and doesn't take enough walks to stay on a "real" major league team for a year. Which is to say he might make the Cardinals team out of ST.

What's the point of not punishing past behavior and still naming names?

Me either. Would Soriano consider trying CF again. If he started training for it now he may make it a full season. Just a thought, but I wouldn't count on it. I don't think Lou would try him in CF again. Lou is old school, he likes power from "power positions" and he seems to like defense up the middle. He put the screws to Barrett pretty quick in ST and he didn't last a year behind the plate when his hitting went into the crapper. I also think this factors into why Murton has been relegated to bench duty. He doesn't hit for enough power and Lou likes a "balanced" line up. It's also Hendry's MO per sey (not that he actually has an MO), but he seems to try to get the manager players that fit the manager's proclivity. He is the exact opposite of Beane.

Well, la-dee-dah, God of the Interwebs. That's Lord of the Interwebs to you. All we need now are hat measurements, calve sizes, and acne counts to make this mockery of a witch hunt complete.

As predicted, this is the stupidist thread in NSBB history. Thank you George Mitchell and MLB

I wouldn't be overly concerned about Bowden leaving Auburn during the middle of the '98 season. Bobby Lowder, the same powerful board member who wanted to replace Tuberville with Petrino a few years back, had it in for Bowden that year. Without question, Bowden was going to be fired before the end of '98. That said, I don't believe Bowden is a great coach or recruiter; he wasn't with Auburn. He inherited a lot of talent from Pat Dye, and his Auburn teams consequently went 11-0 and 9-1-1 in '93 and '94. However, by the time he left in '98, the cupboard was bare, and his team was 1-5 when he resigned. Tuberville replaced Bowden, went 5-6 in '99, has turned the program around thereafter. I honestly can't provide a lot of expert analysis about Terry, but I'm pretty sure he has more experience and would have more input with the offensive side of the ball. Bottom line, my perception is that he wasn't a great coach ten years ago. Wasn't Bowden sleeping with a cheerleader or something? UCLA has some hoterific looking cheerleaders.

He'll pitch for the NYY and become a "true" Yankee, helping them to win multiple World Series titles and Cub fans will then spite him for taking money and leaving.

that's just a ridiculous statement. Sorry we can't put a number on it so you could understand it. well, sure, when you just pull stuff out of your ass, it's hard to put a number on it. Wouldn't that be number 2? What if you adjust for league and park factors? 1.89 NL 2.25 AL

Where is your proof/evidence?

It's kind of sad that Hendry still doesn't get it.

This is what I cannot stand. I can just imagine the self-righteous indignation that will be spilling out of the word processors of the likes of Mike Lupica, Bill Conlin, and their ilk over this. In two weeks, no one will care.

I agree with Ping/UK. It was a fair deal IMO, but that's about the most fair they've been to Prior in quite some time.

All of this is incorrect. All of it. Hendry even came out once in 2004 or 2005 and ripped Prior for coming out of a game when "nothing was wrong with him". They waited until 2007 (!) to have his shoulder properly examined and operated on. No, sorry, you're imagining a sentiment that didn't exist. I'm aware you wouldn't be convinced otherwise, especially since Prior is headed out, and I'm not sure what the point would be in debating arbitrary perceptions of a third-party's feelings - however, in all my dealings and with people I've talked to, I've never thought "the front office is sure treating Prior like garbage!" This is just the way some fans interpret the business. In all your dealings? Please share your dealings with the front office of the Cubs in relation Prior. All you have to do is dig up a Paul Sullivan article crica. 2005-2006 regarding Prior. Where would Sullivan and half the radio morons get the "Prior is soft" stuff from if not from Hendry and crew, saying "we can't find anything 'physically' wrong with Mark"?

Old Style Cub fans (pun intended) are much worse about heckling players, that's one reason why they got the name "bleacher bums". If anything, new style Cub fans are criticized for being uninvolved.

I love getting dome! ... :-k Did you study today? Good pick-up :crosses fingers:

I wouldn't mind that at all. Either he'll not be worth the money or he'll be in the AL, so who cares. The WS are just another team not playing in the NL.

ST is about the worst time to evaluate a player. The problem is that the Cubs cannot really afford either one to stink once the season begins. I'd take my chances with Cedeno.

Pretty much every forum that has this info lists the payroll of the team's opening day roster. For instance, you won't see the $16m the Cubs paid Baltimore to take Sammy Sosa, or the $3+ million they paid Rusch not to pitch. They will not account for midseason acquisitions like Nomar Garciaparra, Aramis Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, or Steve Trachsel. They won't include the money the Cubs will pay Detroit to take Jones. They fail to take into account a lot of things, and when you do take this into account, it's clear the Cubs have had financial resources to spend than their divisional competition. That is certainly a factor in to why those numbers would be off. At the same time, over the years the Cardinals have added plenty of money at the deadline themselves (probably more than the Cubs have because the Cubs have rarely been good enough to add payroll during the season), and both have had years where they have cut money at the deadline. As for paying money as part of a trade, iirc the Cardinals have done that a lot less than the Cubs have. At the same time, the Cardianls have been much more active during the season of cutting struggling players, eating the dead money, and signing new players for small contracts that still add up. Those reasons do throw the reported figures off, but that still doesn't push the Cubs significantly above the Cardinals. How much is significant? I'd say $1 dollar more than it takes to get a player they want. The fact is that the Cubs have spent more to get less than almost any other team in baseball. They have an advantage over every team in this division, including the Cardinals. And it isn't even close. In the Hendry era they've spent plenty and have nothing to show for it but a couple of mediocre seasons and a few terrible ones.

Study!

It's got its own solar system.

I went with Krivsky. The Reds underachieve every year and he just hired Dusty.

If the Cubs get Fukudome and Roberts, I will be pretty happy with this off-season. I will be expecting at least 90 wins too.

Just the same, I wouldn't get too worked up over any rumor posted on a message board, we are usually among the unwashed masses who get to know when everyone else does. I imagine Bruce Miles will know something before bigbird.

If he has a good DC and recruits well his style of offense would really play well in the Pac 10.

The design of the stadium fits the design of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge very well. It should be quite beautiful.