CubinNY

Z is the one untouchable on this team.

I thought he was asking for a ball personally. The ump threw one to him right after that. Z was yelling at AJ even before AJ was half-way down the 3rd base line. How did you see that. Are you watching WGN.

I really hope not. Don't the Cubs look bad enough? Let them talk.

What's going on?

Murton is not the problem. In fact, he is one of the bright spots along with Marshall and Cedeno. Probably the only bright spots right now.

Micah was on Minors and Majors today on XM 175. What a great interview. When the guy asked him about playing a position behind Lee he said it's great and terrible. he said he doesn't worry about too much about it becuase he cannot control the situation. Words to live by. Seems like a real good kid.

Every team in sports has injuries. Good teams can over come them, especially with a good front office who prepares for them. Let's look at the other side of town. Last year, Thomas hurt and Orlando Hernandez sore, resign Everett and bring up McCarthy. This year, Contreras gets hurt, oh, there were 6 capable starters on the team anyways. At some point you also have to look at the coaching staff. There's an issue when the same guys keep getting hurt. Do you look at the specific coaches, trainer, GM for putting so much stock in these guys, or GM for not getting backups in the offseason (the pitching didn't knock your socks off with everyone healthy anyways, unless you like 4 man rotations, plenty of starters were out there). It makes it worse with a guy like Wood who has never really proven anything (remember when someone found his scouting report in the clubhouse and it was one of an average pitcher. He's making a living off of one game) and when guys not affiliated with the team or city are pointing out mechanics problems Derek Lee was a freak accident, but this Cubs bench is horrible, you need some suitable backups! Welcome to the forum and great first post.

Didn't Sullivan indicate that it wasn't him who leaked the story? Regardless, I can only ask why? Why would either Hendry or MacPhail feel the need to do this? I mean, what where they thinking? Everyone who reads Sullivan know he's more gossip columnist then beat writer. And on top of all that, why should they care? If Jones is that fragile, if I'm Hendry I'm looking to get him out Chicago on the next flight to KC, Miami, or Seattle. holy smokes, this is bad. Real, real, bad. But it does explain a lot about the Cubs. Sullivan didn't say who leaked the story, but Sullivan wanted it to stay in house. He did say he always got along with Hendry and thought he did with MacPahail, but is still mad at MacPhail now. What were they thinking? They didn't want the company that owns the Cubs ripping the Cubs. The Score ripped this apart today. What purpose do you have as a writer if you can't be objective? You can't get rid of Jones. He is the Cubs hottest hitter, even though that aint saying much. Remember Sullivan misquotes Jones. Jones isn't as fragile as Sullivan made him seem. Walker is. The Tribune and the Cubs are only related because they are held by a sinlge mulit-national, billion dollar corporation. The tribune isn't Cubs.com. The job of Hendry and McPhaill is to put a winning product on the field. The job of Sullivan is to write about that product. I suppose Hendry & Co. have a right to their opinion but people in their position shouldn't do what they did. This is like Stonegate all over again. They are only making it worse for themselves. From your statement, I can only assume that you do not work for a large company, quite possiblby you work in the public sector or are in school. The relationship is far deeper than you describe, the Trib is a media company in the entertainment business and to have some contract worker hack ripping apart everything, everyday, well it just isn't good business. The Board will look at a 500 mill asset vs a $50k writer or editor and decide which is the more valuable asset to protect. It sure won't be Sullivan or McGrath. Just as Stone and Chip thought they were the product and found out that wasn't the case, so will Sullivan and McGrath. LOL, BREAKING NEWS: Sullivan rips Jones in Trib. Stock Drops 50 points. If the Trib want to protect their 500 million dollar ass(et) then the best thing they can do is get rid of Hendry and McPhaill and not worry about some hack writer trying to sell copy.

With 5 out of 8 everyday position players batting right handed. So much for right/left splits Dusty.

Didn't Sullivan indicate that it wasn't him who leaked the story? Regardless, I can only ask why? Why would either Hendry or MacPhail feel the need to do this? I mean, what where they thinking? Everyone who reads Sullivan know he's more gossip columnist then beat writer. And on top of all that, why should they care? If Jones is that fragile, if I'm Hendry I'm looking to get him out Chicago on the next flight to KC, Miami, or Seattle. holy smokes, this is bad. Real, real, bad. But it does explain a lot about the Cubs. Sullivan didn't say who leaked the story, but Sullivan wanted it to stay in house. He did say he always got along with Hendry and thought he did with MacPahail, but is still mad at MacPhail now. What were they thinking? They didn't want the company that owns the Cubs ripping the Cubs. The Score ripped this apart today. What purpose do you have as a writer if you can't be objective? You can't get rid of Jones. He is the Cubs hottest hitter, even though that aint saying much. Remember Sullivan misquotes Jones. Jones isn't as fragile as Sullivan made him seem. Walker is. The Tribune and the Cubs are only related because they are held by a sinlge mulit-national, billion dollar corporation. The tribune isn't Cubs.com. The job of Hendry and McPhaill is to put a winning product on the field. The job of Sullivan is to write about that product. I suppose Hendry & Co. have a right to their opinion but people in their position shouldn't do what they did. This is like Stonegate all over again. They are only making it worse for themselves.

Didn't Sullivan indicate that it wasn't him who leaked the story? Regardless, I can only ask why? Why would either Hendry or MacPhail feel the need to do this? I mean, what where they thinking? Everyone who reads Sullivan know he's more gossip columnist then beat writer. And on top of all that, why should they care? If Jones is that fragile, if I'm Hendry I'm looking to get him out Chicago on the next flight to KC, Miami, or Seattle. holy smokes, this is bad. Real, real, bad. But it does explain a lot about the Cubs.

They're going to need some more balls. Nice compact swing, and from the left side. He looked a little off ballance on a few of those though, probably because of the camera. He's big for a SS.

Another inspried effort by the boys from the north. Oh, boy it's going to be a long year.

That's assinine. We don't run the Cubs. But anyway, I can't speak for anyone other than myslef, but if Hendry were justified in calling a reporter on the carpet that would be one thing. But with the state of the currentl club, it is quite another. And I am in no way defending the hack Paul Sullivan. His sportswriting is just bad, but then again that is not what Hendry was complaining about.

It's funny because it's true.

Isn't this just like the Cubs? Everytime I think it can't get any worse... it does. Every time. The cubs attempting four sac bunts in one game: bad Aramis with back spasms: worse Neifi bunts to end a game: bad Learning the Hendry & Co. are berating a sportswriter: worse It just keeps sinking to new lows. I expect the next thing to happen is Swept by the Sox: bad Tony Womack called up, Ryan Theriot sent down: worse.

I haven't been happy with his whole career either, but for entirely different reasons.

It's only natural, they're the architects of this mess. Any criticism of the team is a criticism of them. It is pathetic, but I don't think it should be made a big deal of. The team and the paper are completely seperate entities.

I don't think a manger has ever won or lost a baseball game. In fact, I don't think a manger has ever seen a baseball game. :D Damn my spelling. Anyway, my man anger is very high at the Cubs manager right now. Maybe Dusty will understand this: This team is flipping and flopping around like a bass out of water. What the Cubs need to do is decide who are the keepers to put in the live well and who are the ones to throw back.

True story, When I was in highschool I went to the University of Michigan Football Camp every year. One year the swearing by the campers must have gotten out of control or something becuase Bo Shembechler had a sit down with us to talk about our language. I can only remember two lines 1. Cussing is a converstional crutch. Then a few minutes later one of his staff inturrpted him with a question and he said in a voice only those within a ten foot proximity could hear: 2. I don't give a ______ can't you see I'm giving a talk.

I love Brian Giles. Even if he never wanted to leave San Diego. Could you imagine the numbers he'd put up? San Diego's on the water Chicago's on the water. What's the difference?

Absolutely I agree. But The Cubs needed to win these games or the towel would have hit the canvas. Glad to see the team play baseball. Baby Steps people Baby Steps. They still have people getting doubled off of the bases and I wouldn't say they are playing great baseball. They have gotten some good pitching and won two games in a row, but if guys (Jacque Jones... cough, cough) keep making horrendous base running gaffes, missing cut off men, etc... this little winning streak will be short lived and when they start playing good teams we will see a lot more 5 and 6 game losing streaks. Just to add to that, if they keep sac bunting three or four times a game they're not going to be going on many long winning streaks. The Cubs are just lucky they are playing a more inept team.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the wonders of the Cubs front office never cease to amaze me in craptacularness. In the imortal words of Nancy Kerrigan, "Why! Why!"

For one year instead of three. Nevermind, you don't want to hear it. For the 8 millionth time, the chances of Jones being on the Cubs for 3 years are very slim. For the 8 millionth time, how do you know that? This isn't MVP Baseball where you can trade anyone you want. Who will want to pay a crappy player 4 million? So if Hendry does trade him, the Cubs will likely be paying Jones to play for another team.

They (whomever they are) say that a manager is only good for a couple of wins each season. If this is true, does that also mean the manager is only responsible for a couple of losses too? Or can a bad manager cost the team much more than a few? I don't know, but Jim Leyland has the Tigers off to a 26-13 start this year with roughly the exact same team as last year's (minus Kenny Rogers) that went 71-91. Early on he set the tone when on get away day the Tigers mailed one in and looked bad. He publically chastized not just the players but the coaches too. He was noticably mad. Since that time the Tigers haven't set the world on fire but they've played pretty well.