CubinNY

IMO the only question is: Does Baker want to be back? If he does, Hendry will give him an extension. Jim and Dusty are two peas in a pod.

I wouldn't put to much stock into what went on on the field yesterday. It was opening day and the Cubs, for the most part, were in control. IMO Dusty was trying to get most of the position players a chance to say they played on opening day. Everybody want to play on opening day.

I try to ignore Ron Santo.He is the worst analyst that I can recall.He contributes nothing of substance. Blashemer! Santo was unusally good today. He was on top of the analysis of the game, peppering things with his usual Cub blue blood. If you listen to Santo for cogent analysis you are listening to the wrong guy. However, IMO his is great. He is us in the booth and I love him.

Are you joking? Thirty-seven pitches for a middle releiver is like 100 pitchers for a starter. They have a completely different approach to pitching. However, the Cubs have an off day tomorrow so the point is moot.

If said entity has very little measureable effect, how important is it? Edit: Stupid Typos, I curse my fingers.

We (see the rants thread) :stone: are going to bust up corn row brades Wedensday.

2005 opening day 2006 opening day Wholy deja vu, batman. Let us all hope the rest of the season doesn't follow suit.

ability to get on base> fast speed> average speed> slow speed

Holly would have had it. I think not.

MattVP

Santo on Zambrano "The man is a horse"

Red!

Santo is dispondent already. Ron wears his heart on his mic.

Deja vu of 2005 opening day?

Not me. I just sit here and think about the Cubs.

Production and nothing else should be what gets a guy promoted. But in the world of baseball that is rarely the case.

I pretty much read them all too. At the risk of souding like a kiss up, I think the Herald is the best. As far as the "beat" writers go, I really have a hard time with Sullivan, but I like Kiley and Bruce. Like a lot of guys at the bigger papers, I think Sullivan spends more time trying to demostrate to his readers how smart and witty he is and less about the game on the field. I also think he is a little too slanted toward spouting the company line.

like I said in my initial post, I don't know what the bench situation for Cleveland is, nor their organizational situation in terms of outfielders, but I have to wonder, were you saying that before Marquis Grissom retired? what if Holla was back in Cubs camp this year and the choice was between Restovich and Hollandsworth? I know there are differences in leagues and starter v. backup and needs of the team. but looking at the roster a little closer, you guys are also failing to take into account the Indians first base situation. Ben Broussard's complete inability to hit lefties and Eduardo Perez as the righthanded option (who by the way can only play one position). it really seems to me that Cleveland's GM, who I think is outstanding, has filled two roster spots with crappy veterans, when giving DuBois 350-400 ABs at first and outfield seems to be a viable option. I suppose Hollandworth CAN play center. it's not like he has done so in a number of years though. Casey Blake had one nice year but doesn't appear to be anything special (I don't know about the prospects at all), and the Indians have plenty of lefty sticks (Hafner, Sizemore, Martinez, Broussard). sorry, but the more I look at this it seems people will give Shapiro the benefit of the doubt for making the same decisions they would crucify the Cubs for making. But as you stated you don't know what the situation is in Cleveland. Neither do I. So I won't criticize the move.

What does that mean? They can play many positions? Not one of those guys is a deep threat or has much of a bat at all. What are they going to do with 1 out and a man on third in a tie game in the eight inning? I don't know that it would change the outcome of many games, but I would like to see at least a few guys on the bench who have the possibility to take a guy deep. That is why I wanted Sing or Restovich in one of those slots. Our bench is strong defensively and has speed. And can't hit. The Cubs are supposed to have an improved bullpen. If that is ture (and I'm not saying it is), then it seems much more prudent to find at least one guy with deep threat capabilities. As it stand now they have exactly 0 guys who fit that description. I don't think this is worth arguing over, so I leave it at that.

Outside of Cano, all the Yanks have is uber-expensive players and riff raff. You are forgetting about the big Wanger!

Who?

If Aramis walks Cabrera will play third base. He was only put in the outfield in the first place because Hollandsworth was stinking up right field and Lowell was at third. I would love for the Cubs to get him but there are other organizations that can afford to deal away much better, and more prospects than the Cubs. And then there is the "attitude" thing. Hendry spent the 04 off-season ridding the team of malcontents and did his damnedest to get rid of the best second baseman on the team this off-season. BTW> Who wouldn't have a bad attitude with the group of players assembled in Miami this year? If I'm Willis or Caberera I am marking the calendar every day until I leave or the Marlins leave S. Florida.

What does that mean? They can play many positions? Not one of those guys is a deep threat or has much of a bat at all. What are they going to do with 1 out and a man on third in a tie game in the eight inning? I don't know that it would change the outcome of many games, but I would like to see at least a few guys on the bench who have the possibility to take a guy deep. That is why I wanted Sing or Restovich in one of those slots.

I was thinking last night, as much as I rip Hendry he has done almost exactly what I wanted this offseason. The Cubs have overhaulled 4 positions from last year LF, CF, RF, and SS. They've went with youth instead of retreads and they've bolstered the pitching staff. Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Hendry has done exactly what I have done, b/c I would have traded for a big bat in the outfiled. Nevertheless, He certianly remade the roster. In the end I really don't think it is going to improve the Cubs that much from last year, but at least he didn't just rearrange the deck chairs.

This is such a hard question. Do you mean for one game? A season? A career? I don't think there is a "best" pitcher, put a select group of the best pitchers, and Maddux is certianly among them.