CubinNY

That has the makings of a pretty bad rotation, especeially that question mark guy. My hope is that Guzman breaks out and Prior is healthy. Miller is a shell of his former self and even if healthy will not be the same pitcher he was in Houston. I disagree with the comment about the makings of a pretty bad rotation. If Prior is healthy, this becomes an extremely good rotation. If Guzman breaks out and/or Miller is healthy, this is a good rotation. Don't forget that you still have Marshall et al to back up or take over for someone in the rotation. Of course there are question marks, but show me any team that doesn't have question marks, especially at this time of the year. I know this is a time of optimism, but Marquis has been mediocre at best. I've like Hill for quite awhile and I'm a big supporter, but the jury is still out. Lilly has been helped by playing in bigger ball parks, so I think he is due to give up some HRs and if he doesn't keep his walks down he could be down right bad. Same with Hill. If Prior is healthy and Guzman pitches to his "stuff" that changes things a lot. However, a rotation of Z, Hill, Lilly, Marquis and a question mark does not inspire a lot of confidence. I am really not counting on anything from Miller, we shall see.

That has the makings of a pretty bad rotation, especeially that question mark guy. My hope is that Guzman breaks out and Prior is healthy. Miller is a shell of his former self and even if healthy will not be the same pitcher he was in Houston.

I don't think this is a big deal, but it does bring back bad memories.

Ted Lilly has never pitched 200 innings in his career (197 is the high point). Jason Marquis has done it twice. Neither are a good bet to do it next year. I'd put the over/under around 185 for both of these guys. 185 is right around Lilly's career average. 187 is Marquis' average. I think both will give up too many walks and HRs to get to 200. I'm just hoping Prior can pitch 185 innings. That would be a huge accomplishment.

Ted Lilly has never pitched 200 innings in his career (197 is the high point). Jason Marquis has done it twice. Neither are a good bet to do it next year.

They must have tested him right after or right before a game b/c those drugs pass through the system rather quickly.

Exactly. I love baseball on the radio. And I love Pat and Ron. I know others doen't though. Sometimes my wife and I just go for a drive for a few hours on a Sunday. If they'd just put more games on WGN, that would be fine by me. But I can envision a time in the not too distant future where WGN will broadcast 0 Cub games.

I don't know who "HatGuy" is. Where does he write?

You really love kneejerk reactions, don't you? One game after a 51 day layoff shows he is a gutless chocking dog.

As are the suicide prevention hot lines. Good thing classes haven't started yet.

I cannot believe that Tressell hasn't adjusted to the short passing game. It's like Lloyd Car put on a Mission Impossible mask and is on the OSU sideline. Urban Myer's game plan for this game is just superb.

My wife made the same comment. I had no idea what song they were playing. One more thing I cannot stand about OSU, They are so proud of their band. The members acturally wear TBDBL (The Best Damn Band in the Land) t-shirts around campus. I dont get it either. Its just a college band. Fans buy CD's of the band playing. What the hell. I have an ND band CD (although I only play it during Irish games). Too much information.:wink: ------------- A Buckeye is a poisonous nut.

My wife made the same comment. I had no idea what song they were playing. One more thing I cannot stand about OSU, They are so proud of their band. The members acturally wear TBDBL (The Best Damn Band in the Land) t-shirts around campus.

Ohio State looks awful. One mistake after another and they can't stop the short to intermediate passing game. Tressell has a big job at half time. Eddie Geroge was dead on. They've gotten down and paniced and then they try to gain 25 yards on each play. I expect continued domination by Florida in the second half. This is as bad as ever seen OSU look under Tressell.

They're worse than terrible.

The point I am trying to make, perhaps not so wel is this: If the Cubs actually find a time share partner for Murton I think it is a poor use of recources. People can call it what they like, I don't really care. To me the big question is, what are the Cubs going to do about CF if JJ is traded? I don't think Pie is ready, and hope is not a plan.

Otherwise, anyone who doesn't play 162 games is apparently in a platoon. "Platoon" and "share time" might be semantics on a layman's level but they are certainly different intentions when it comes to managing a club. The funny thing is we're debating whether "share time" actually means "platoon" when the person who used the phrase clarified he didn't mean a platoon. The concept of a platoon essentially is allocating the position amongst multiple players around a predetermined variable - speed vs power, RHP vs. LHP, etc. Signing a backup for the position is not assigning a platoon and so far every indication from the club, and those close to it, are that Murton is the primary LF. Are they planning on getting a time share partner for Lee or Aramis or Izturis or Soriano? I believe all of them will have someone who can back them up. Bruce didn't clairify anything. He saind "not necessarily a platoon". He did not say "not a platoon partner". Every indication is that the Cubs once again don't have a clue as to how to allocate resources.

Here's an idea, don't be a pompous jerk who thinks the world revolves around you because you have money and are borderline famous. Then you won't have to worry about going to jail. again, that's not really a crime that should get you arrested. I agree. Just call a tow truck. Peavy acted like a jerk, but parking a car illegally is hardly a cause to get arrested.

The implication is that if Sosa was going to be ran out of town they better have a plan to replace him. They could have be proactive and gone after Beltran or done any number of different things then replace him with Burnitz. It wasn't an either or. Saying "sharing time" and "platoon" is only different on a sematic level. If he's sharing time with someone it will be a platoon. How much? I've already stated I think Murton would get less than 450 PAs. How much less? I can say. Regardless, Murton doesn't need a platoon/time share partner. It seems a bit simplistic to say the Cubs should have had a better plan to replace Sosa and should have been proactive and gone after Beltran. Sosa had an albatross contract with a clause the gave him a guaranteed option year if traded. It was very hard to move without eating a lot of money and/or getting him to waive the option. He was coming off a year that did not exactly make him a hot commodity. This was the MacPhail era, so the Cubs were not going to be signing Beltran without at least clearing the Sosa money off the books. Also, IMO platoon means one guy against righties and another against lefties. Giving a guy most of the starts with occassional relief versus especially tough righties is not a platoon, it is sharing time. Therefore, more than a semantic difference and I believe that was also the intended point of the post you are using as your support that it will be a platoon. It seems a bit simplistic to say that the Cubs had to trade Sosa and not have a plan. About the platoon, whatever. It is so Cubs like to waste rescources in one spot it is not needed while leaving CF wide open. The Cubs have put all their eggs in the Pie baskett.

The implication is that if Sosa was going to be ran out of town they better have a plan to replace him. They could have be proactive and gone after Beltran or done any number of different things then replace him with Burnitz. It wasn't an either or. Saying "sharing time" and "platoon" is only different on a sematic level. If he's sharing time with someone it will be a platoon. How much? I've already stated I think Murton would get less than 450 PAs. How much less? I can't say. Regardless, Murton doesn't need a platoon/time share partner.

But the reason he and Boras are balking at Boston's (possible) out-clause is probably becuase they don't like his chances to play well enough this season that he would be an attractive 2008 FA. I don't think that is the case. If he was hurt this year he didn't show it. To Giles Bros., I don't want to trade Murton. I love Ginger Kids. However, the Cubs don't, or at least they don't seem too. They've talked repeatedly about a platoon for Murton this year. This will be his third season in the bigs and if they are talking platoon they obviously don't value him very highly. The Cubs have never talked about a platoon for Murton. With the Cubs statements about wanting to get a left-handed bat, many people have assumed they want a platoon for Murton, but the Cubs have never come out and said it-they could want another left-handed bat for center field, for example. All the Cubs have said about Murton is that he will get plenty of playing time. Not according to Bruce Miles. Can you point me to where he said it? I didn't think he said that, but I certainly could be wrong (and probably am, if you remember him saying it)-do you know if it was in the paper, or what thread it was in? http://www.northsidebaseball.com/PremiumForum/viewtopic.php?t=37701&start=20 "Share time" is a platoon by any ohter name. I guess I just don't believe that if Murton gets 70-75 percent of the at-bats over a guy like Cliff Floyd it proves that the organization doesn't value Murton. It is more of a case that they want a left-handed guy with pop for the bench. To get somebody really good, they have to promise him some starts. Right now, Murton is really the only candidate to give away some of those starts, unless that person can play CF (which is unlikely). Will a guy like Floyd's presence help the team next year? Almost definitely. Will it hurt Murton's development? Maybe-but it really depends on how much of the playing time Murton gets, and if he gets 70-75 percent I don't think it will impair his development much at all. If the roster stays as it is right now, I can't see Murton not getting just about all of the at-bats, unless they determine Pie is ready and give Jones some of Murton's AB's. Platooning Murton makes little sense. If they bring in a someone to "share time" with him, Murton will get less than 450 PAs. If they want to platoon someone they should find a mate for JJ. However, JJ will likely not be on the team. I really have no idea what the Cubs are going to do. The outfield has been a mess since Sosa was ran out of town.

But the reason he and Boras are balking at Boston's (possible) out-clause is probably becuase they don't like his chances to play well enough this season that he would be an attractive 2008 FA. I don't think that is the case. If he was hurt this year he didn't show it. To Giles Bros., I don't want to trade Murton. I love Ginger Kids. However, the Cubs don't, or at least they don't seem too. They've talked repeatedly about a platoon for Murton this year. This will be his third season in the bigs and if they are talking platoon they obviously don't value him very highly. The Cubs have never talked about a platoon for Murton. With the Cubs statements about wanting to get a left-handed bat, many people have assumed they want a platoon for Murton, but the Cubs have never come out and said it-they could want another left-handed bat for center field, for example. All the Cubs have said about Murton is that he will get plenty of playing time. Not according to Bruce Miles. Can you point me to where he said it? I didn't think he said that, but I certainly could be wrong (and probably am, if you remember him saying it)-do you know if it was in the paper, or what thread it was in? http://www.northsidebaseball.com/PremiumForum/viewtopic.php?t=37701&start=20 "Share time" is a platoon by any ohter name.

But the reason he and Boras are balking at Boston's (possible) out-clause is probably becuase they don't like his chances to play well enough this season that he would be an attractive 2008 FA. I don't think that is the case. If he was hurt this year he didn't show it. To Giles Bros., I don't want to trade Murton. I love Ginger Kids. However, the Cubs don't, or at least they don't seem too. They've talked repeatedly about a platoon for Murton this year. This will be his third season in the bigs and if they are talking platoon they obviously don't value him very highly. The Cubs have never talked about a platoon for Murton. With the Cubs statements about wanting to get a left-handed bat, many people have assumed they want a platoon for Murton, but the Cubs have never come out and said it-they could want another left-handed bat for center field, for example. All the Cubs have said about Murton is that he will get plenty of playing time. Not according to Bruce Miles.

So they use which part of the plate then? I watch a lot of college baseball, and they pitch inside plenty. Nevertheless, two things make hitting with a metal bat important. The first is the weight. In resent years high school and colleges have restricted the length to weight ratio to -3. That means if the batter is using a 34 inch bat it can only weigh a minimum of 31 ounces. Metal fabrication technology has progress to a point were Easton and Lousiville Slugger were making bats with ultra thin skins, creating both less weight (as much as -6 or-7) and more elasticity, meaning that balls fly faster and balls fly farther. In short, the less the bat weighs, the faster you can swing it. The faster you can swing it, the farther the ball will go. The second thing is the diameter of the barrell. The barrell of an alluminium bat is bigger than that of a wood bat creating a bigger sweat spot. That's part of the reason why it's hard to jam a hitter using an aluminum bat (the other part being bat speed). High school and college now have new rules about diameter too. It's not so much about breaking wood but about a faster swing and a bigger sweat spot.

But the reason he and Boras are balking at Boston's (possible) out-clause is probably becuase they don't like his chances to play well enough this season that he would be an attractive 2008 FA. I don't think that is the case. If he was hurt this year he didn't show it. To Giles Bros., I don't want to trade Murton. I love Ginger Kids. However, the Cubs don't, or at least they don't seem too. They've talked repeatedly about a platoon for Murton this year. This will be his third season in the bigs and if they are talking platoon they obviously don't value him very highly.