CubinNY

Daytona would be my guess. Maybe he is raw enough that they will want him to start in short season ball, but I think he did that last year and performed pretty well.

He would have to be in the top 5 depending on if Marshall, Hill, and Guzman are still considered "prospects" I would think.

Didn't take much second Sight, but I called it first... er second thanks to Baseball America.

Unless I write sentences 1000 times, I may never spell his name correctly. Samardzija. Samardzija. Samardzija. You might be right, you just tried 3 times and didn't get it right once :D Well, there you go. I cannot call him "Sammy" or "shark". Samardzija Samardzija Samardzija.

Unless I write sentences 1000 times, I may never spell his name correctly. Samardzija. Samardzija. Samardzija.

Because of the possible bad back or past over usage? More so about the abuse.

Zambrano contract (not extension) and Samardja is going to play baseball full time. Frankly, I am worried if they lock up Z long term.

Hah. I wasn't hallucinating in '03. Neither were you. Nobody on the planet saw Prior's current state coming. He was the Titanic: can't be sunk, mechanics are too good. But he still sunk. His talent was real. The hype was real too----but he was every bit what they said he was until the injuries. No doubt Prior's talent is real. I was just commenting on his being groomed to be a pitcher at a very early age, just like Morinavich.

I think House has been working with Prior since highschool or before. Prior is a Todd Morinavich type without the proclivity to abuse drugs, and probably with less artistic talent.

That would be great! I am so baseball deprived right now I can hardly stand it.

Actually the reports on Wood, Miller and Prior are positive! Man, I hope and pray Prior is healthy! http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070117&content_id=1780798&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc Not to be a rotten egg, but it is, after all, cubs.com... Translation: there will be no CF acquisition. Boy, it sounds like to me that the Cubs are planning on Pie contribuiting with the big club this year. I guess that's the answer to Cuse's thread in baseball discussions.

Who is on first, Abbot. :D

I think people are fussing because they don't know what is wrong with Prior (I honest to god haven't heard anything about his condition in a long time) and aren't confident he'll be ready for spring training. I think his injury history warrants extreme caution and skepticism from fans. That's fine. I am cautious too. But IMO people are complaining about Prior asking for a raise becuase he hasn't pitched in that many games. Let me try this one: An electrician is very good at his job. Much better than most with his experience and qualifications. He finishes jobs on time and with high quality. Then one day he is on a ladder and someone hits the ladder he loses ballance and falls breaking both his arms and fracturing his skull and he is out of work for a long time. Should he get a raise based on his performance or should his employer say, "well you've missed six months of work and when you came back with the splints on your work suffered, so I'm not giving you a raise?"

So tell us what is wrong with him right now and why we should count on him to be ready by spring training. That's not the point. I don't have a clue as to what is wrong with him, may be nothing. But it doesn't matter. People are fussing about Prior asking for a raise when all he's done is try to come back and pitch.

I hope we fire Lee or at least dock him his pay. That lazy bum. your argument doesn't fit with what he said. lee was hurt for four months last year and played in 158 and 161 games the previous two years as a cub. prior hasn't pitched in 30 starts since '03 (21 starts in '04, 27 starts in '05, 9 starts in '06). derrek lee has been much healthier than mark prior over the course of three seasons. None of these arguments make sense. This is baseball, not ACME Widget Manufacturing, School District 62 or Goldman Sachs. There is a system in place, agreed upon by the owners and players, that severely underpays players in comparison to the open market early in their careers, but then rewards the guys who last with great riches. I guarantee Prior would make more in the open market than he'll make via arbitration this year. All this nonsense about "how could he ask for a raise" is just completely naive. Well put. This past year is the only year where Prior has missed anything close to this amount of time due to anything besides a fluke injury a la Lee's broken wrist. And he barely makes more than Ohman. Boo-freakin'-hoo. I really want to be civil, but the nonstop chicken little-ing of Mark Prior's really not all that horrible and still very young career is beyond tiring at this point. Nobody is saying people can't be frustrated, but infinitely continuing posts acting like he's some huge burden on this team or like the baseball criminal of the century are beyond annoying and juvenile. Brav-O! It's like Prior went out and tried to get sick enough to put himself in the hospital. Then knew he wasn't 100% and pitched just so he could get hurt. Prior is a once in a decade type player, or at least was until he pitched hurt for the second half of 2003 without telling anyone, while producing when it counts. I wonder if he said to himself, "hey if I run in to Giles I may hurt my shoulder but just to make sure I'll go out and pitch another inning after I do it." or "If I throw this fastball just right it will come back and hit me on the elbow of my throwing arm." Freaking girly-man, bum.

Yes, she takes too much heat. She's just doing her job. I think of her the way I think of a George Stephanopolis or aTony Snow or any government spokesperson. Their job is to put a good spin on any news as it affects whomever they are working for. I'm not going to go to Cubs.com to find breaking news or indepth analysis of a game. Technically, she isn't a spokesperson or PR rep for the Cubs. She fancies herself a journalist. So did Tony Snow.

Right, wrong or indifferent, they are. I believe you. I just don't want to believe the Cubs.

Bingo. I still think it is possible that one of these lefties (Ohman or Cotts or Eyre) could be packaged with Jones to increase his trade value during the next 2 months. I suspect Hendry doesn't care as much about what he gets back for Jones as he cares about how much of the $11.67M due Jones over the next 2 years the trading partner is willing to pick up. A source, having no knowledge of any pending deal, said Hendry seems quite content to go with Murton in LF, Soriano in RF and a half-season placeholder in CF like a Steve Finley or Darin Erstad just as long as they free up cash by jettisoning the "disgruntled" Jones. The object of the Hendry's game here is to get rid of Jones and pick up little to no cash on his guaranteed money. Hoops I cannot believe they are banking on Pie being ready to contribute.

because just b/c pecota says it's gonna happen, doesn't mean it will. i don't think there's any way pie puts up a .340+ OBP and/or out-OPS's jones. Maybe out OPS Jones in AAA but not in MLB, but I don't think Pie will ever be a high OBP guy unless he hits @.300 too.

Yes, she takes too much heat. She's just doing her job. I think of her the way I think of a George Stephanopolis or aTony Snow or any government spokesperson. Their job is to put a good spin on any news as it affects whomever they are working for. I'm not going to go to Cubs.com to find breaking news or indepth analysis of a game.

Defense at first base is over rated. It is the easiest position to play on the baseball diamond. You don't have to take more than 3 or 4 steps or throw the ball most of the time. I really don't care what position Pujols plays, he is the best player in baseball.

Troy Aikeman has some huge meat hooks. I wish he'd wrap them around Buck's neck.

It's too early to tell.

you can also look at it as a potential 20 game winner and 3 potential 15 game winners. Aaron Small won 20 games for the Yanks...who cares? in case you didnt realize it, in baseball wins are a good thing. And the starting pitcher does it all by himself?

I've touched way worse when I worked in a group home. I said $100.