CubinNY

Tony Womack got DFA today.

This is a big game for Z and the Cubs. They need to take care of this AAAA team.

Wholy Lyle Lovitt, Batman!

You are correct. It also means the player can't play anywhere else either. I have no idea if what I am about to tell you is true or not. But I played with a guy in a 30 and over league a couple of years ago who was a catching prospect with the Cubs during the Wilkens, Berryhill, Girardi era. Supposedly, he was ahead of both Wilkens and Berryhill in terms of talent and was the starting catcher in Iowa. He said the Cubs drafted Girardi and pushed him through the system. Anyway, when Joe was ready they put him in AAA and made him the starter. They guy I played with (his first name was Scott) got pissed and asked for his release. The Cubs wouldn't give it to him. So like an idiot he quit. Well, he had just signed a two year contract. The Cubs put him on the restricted list. By the time his contract was up he was done in professional baseball. If one is around a lot of minor league ballplayers one hears these stories all the time. But appearently this dude was a stud. He was the best 36 year old catcher I've ever seen. You could probably contact someone in Media Relations with the Iowa Cubs and request stats and/or a roster for the 1988 and 1989 teams. Girardi was with Iowa in 1989. Not to hijack the thread, but are you still playing in the amateur league? Since we moved to NY I haven't played (3 years). But we are moving to Memphis and they have a MSBL league I might play if my shoulder will let me.

I got a chuckle out of that one Jon. Thanks.

You are correct. It also means the player can't play anywhere else either. I have no idea if what I am about to tell you is true or not. But I played with a guy in a 30 and over league a couple of years ago who was a catching prospect with the Cubs during the Wilkens, Berryhill, Girardi era. Supposedly, he was ahead of both Wilkens and Berryhill in terms of talent and was the starting catcher in Iowa. He said the Cubs drafted Girardi and pushed him through the system. Anyway, when Joe was ready they put him in AAA and made him the starter. They guy I played with (his first name was Scott) got pissed and asked for his release. The Cubs wouldn't give it to him. So like an idiot he quit. Well, he had just signed a two year contract. The Cubs put him on the restricted list. By the time his contract was up he was done in professional baseball. If one is around a lot of minor league ballplayers one hears these stories all the time. But appearently this dude was a stud. He was the best 36 year old catcher I've ever seen.

So what happens when the Yankees or Sawx offer him 18? They already have. Do you think Clemens has some loyalty to the Astros? If so, where does that notion come from?

Well, Andy said a team could never have enough pitching.

Everyone can call me crazy if they want to, but I'd wait and see if Wood can be healthy and productive before writing him off. I know the arm troubles have caused everyone frustration, but when he is healthy he is among the best pitchers in the game. I'd hate to see him finally get everything worked out and go on to success with another team.

Won't happen, unless Drayton seriously low balls him. And what makes the yankees any closer to winning a WS than the astros with the addition of Clemens? That one is pretty easy Damon, Jeter, A-Rod, Matsui, Sheffield, and Cano. Musina, Johnson, Clemens > Oswalt, Pettitte, Clemens

That's the point. I don't think LaRussa thought Maddux was scuffing the ball either. He was trying some silly little league poor sportsmanship stuff. It looked to me a little like the ump gave Maddux a little larger strike zone on the next two pitches too. And Maddux continuted to pound on them like a rented mule.

Well then, if Cedeno was so "obviously" playing him to pull in such a sever manner, shouldn't Walker have been playing virtually up the middle? I guess that depends on what the spray charts say. Also, I don't remember Baker ever saying "walks are overrated". Does anyone have a link? Maybe I missed it. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2669 I really hate those qoutes. It depresses me everytime I read them.

I don't think the Cardinals get anymore calls then the Cubs do. That is just nonsense, quite frankly. Howerver, that has nothing to do with what LaRussa did. I don't think it is standard operating porcedure in baseball either. Usually when this thing happens they find something incriminating on the guy, ala Cybil Tavaras. What LaRussa did was just poor sportsmanship. He appears to be a very petty human being.

You compared their career path, which insinuates comparing them at similar ages. Lofton is going to be out of baseball in a year or two. You can't compare Pierre now with Lofton now. I think they will have a similar career paths. I think Pierre will get a three year deal from someone that gets him to 33 or 34. Lofton played with two teams until the age of 34. After 34 he has bounced around because of his speed. I could see that happening with Pierre too. And it says nothing about their skills sets except for footspeed. Pierre now is not as good as Lofton was at his age. Of that there is little doubt. But the one thing they have in common is their foot speed. Lots of players with who can run have similar career paths.

Nobody was comparing their skill sets at the same age, at least I wasn't.

Here is the score: Tony is a dick. Maddux was making the Cardinal hitters look useless. So what does he do? He resorts to the lowest sophomoric tactics one can think of. Then the other dick (Edmonds) takes a page from Tony's book and does it again. So? That's not my point. My point is that it happens all over baseball and people are acting like it is exclusive to LaRussa and the Cardinals. This kind of stuff has been going on in baseball for 100+ years. It's a non issue. Get over it. Maddux didn't get his feelings hurt, just some of you apparently. No Maddux just laughed at their patheticness.

Here is the score: Tony is a dick. Maddux was making the Cardinal hitters look useless. So what does he do? He resorts to the lowest sophomoric tactics one can think of. Then the other dick (Edmonds) takes a page from Tony's book and does it again. I would be embarrased if I were a Cardinal fan. Just as I was as Cubs fan when Zambrano plunked Edmonds twice[/code]

So all that crap about none of them being back until June was just that... Crap? It's not crap until he pitches for the Chicago Cubs. May Day (the workers holliday) is one week from now. I don't expect him back until late May at the earliest. That is only a month away. If he throws 1 start in the minors next week then his first start with the Cubs will be pushed back a week from that start date (that makes two weeks). I think he'll make more than one minor league start. If he makes two minor league starts that puts him 3 weeks away from a start with the Cubs. And that is with no setbacks. I don't think June is that far fetched.

His one tool is speed. I see his career path kind of Like Kenny Lofton's. Yep, I was thinking exactly the same thing. There's a good reason why Lofton has been on one year contracts for a while now. It's because at his age he's liable to lose another step any day now and become utterly worthless. He does deserve one year offers, but that's all. In another couple of years Pierre will be the same. actually, by that logic, the Cubs should sign him up for three or four years. Lofton put up fantastic numbers the first three or four years after he was first eligible for free agency, and at a similar age. not that I advocate such a thing, but it is logically inconsistent and/or premature to say 'his career path will be like Kenny Lofton, therefore only sign him to one year contracts.' What is it with you? A career path like Kenny Lofton does not mean exactly. Only similar. Be that as it may, I could well see Pierre get a three year deal next year. I just hope it isn't with the Cubs.

His one tool is speed. I see his career path kind of Like Kenny Lofton's.

If he retired 15 to 20 years ago he might have a shot, might. But with the offensive explosion of the past decade there is no way he gets in. None.

It is beyoond the bounds of playing the game the right way. Now if there is evidence to suggest a pitcher is doctoring the ball that is on thing, but it was clear he wasn't. LaRussa is lucky he didn't put one of his players in Jeopardy. A lesser human being (like myself) would have earholed the first batter after two outs and no one on. What TLR did was well beyond the bounds of gamesmenship.

What is going on with Sing???

You use the first when you like the player, and you use the second when you don't. No, you use the second when a new guy is with the ballclub and he has performed poorly, as in, "Jacque Jones and Juan Peirre have been terrible as Cubs" becuase they have. The statement makes no prognostications about the future. It is only a statement about the present. What? If it makes a statement about the present and ONLY the present, how does that only encompass "new" players to the team? Because they have no past with the Cubs.

You use the first when you like the player, and you use the second when you don't. No, you use the second when a new guy is with the ballclub and he has performed poorly, as in, "Jacque Jones and Juan Peirre have been terrible as Cubs" becuase they have. The statement makes no prognostications about the future. It is only a statement about the present.