CubinNY

Well, written JC. I mostly just read here anymore (in baseball related discussions) as I don't know what to say about this organization. They can change the players, but as long as the philosophy and management doesn't change neither will the results.

I wouldn't put any stock in anything Hendry says. How many times has he made comments like this in the past only to see Dusty do the opposite? However, just for speculation purposes. What if Nomar is penciled in at 3rd, Nefury at short, Cedeno at 2nd, and Walker and Aramis are dealt. What kind of return could the Cubs get there???

so here we are about three weeks after I made this post. let's look and see what the Cards have been doing with Carpenter 8/19 5-4, 8+, 94 - a low pitch count game. LaRussa runs Carpenter out in the ninth trailing 0-2 and he gives up two more. 8/24 8-3, 8.0, 96 - a low pitch count game. the Cards put up a five spot in the top of the first and have a 6-2 lead going into the seventh. LaRussa leaves Carpenter in in another blow out. 8/29 6-1, 7.2, 94 - average pitch count for the point in the game. the Cards go into the bottom of the fifth with a 6-1 lead, but Carpenter is left in until he goes nearly 8. LaRussa chooses to use his two best right handers, Tavarez and Isringhausen, to mop up the final four outs with a five run lead. 9/3 4-2, 9, 120 - high pitch count in a duel between Clemens and Carpenter. Clemens is gone after 5 and the Cards take a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh. LaRussa sticks with Carpenter to finish the game. I did some research on this after this debate, and the Card fans who said this is what LaRussa always has done were absolutely correct. LaRussa has kept the peddle down throughout the regular season. with his history of failure in the post season, you'd think he would learn his lesson. let's do a cursory review 1983 White Sox - the White Sox clinch their division earlier than any other team in baseball history. Lamar Hoyt, Richard Dotson, and Floyd Bannister are leaned on heavily, 261, 241, 217 innings respectively. Bannister gives up 4 in six innings in game two, Bannister is shelled in game three. the White Sox bow out of the playoffs to the O's. 1988 A's - the A's win the division by 13 games. Sterart 275, Welch 244, Davis 202. LaRussa refuses to go to a four man rotation in the post season. the World Series is dominated by the Dodgers pitching. Davis gives up six in game two. and Stewart gives up four in seven innings. Davis gives up four runs in four innings in the clinching game 5. the A's lose the World Series. 1989 A's - the A's win their division by 7 games. LaRussa eases up a little on his starters. Stewart 258, Moore 242, Welch 210, Davis 169. he goes with a four man rotation in the playoffs, and only needs two starters in the WS because of the earthquake. A's win it all 1990 A's - the A's win their division by 9 games. Stewart 267, Welch 238, Sanderson 206, Moore 199. the A's pitching dominates the playoffs giving up only 4 runs to the RedSox, but LaRussa is back to a three man rotation. Stewart and Moor get shelled in games 1 and 3. A's are swept in the WS. 1996 Cards - they win a woeful Central by six games. Benes 230, Stottleyer 223, Benes 191, Osborne 199. Again he goes with a three man rotation in the playoffs. Cards sweep in the first round and lose the Championship series, including losses of 14-0 and 15-0 after taking a 3-1 lead in the series. 2000 Cards - Cards win division by 10 games. Kile 232, Hentgen 194, Stephenson 200. Cards sweep the Braves in the division series, mostly due to their offence, but neither Ankiel or Stephenson stay in the game long enough to get a W. Ankiel melts down and both Hentgen and Kile get shelled in a 4-1 series loss. 2001 Cards - Cards win WC by two games over the Giants. Kile 227, Morris 216. the Cards lose in the divisional playoffs. Morris and Kile hold up ok. too much Schilling-Johnson for the Cards to handle. 2002 Cards - Cards win the division by 13 games. Morris 210, Williams 220, Finley 185. Cards win divisional with a good start from Morris and great bullpen work in the other two games (Finley goes six and pitches well, Benes pitches into the fifth. Morris is shelled in game one of the Championship series, Finley is roughted up in his start. Cards lose series 4-1. 2004 Cards - Cards blow out the division, but LaRussa refuses to use a sixth starter until Carpenter gets nerve damage in his arm. they walk through the Dodgers. they have alot of trouble with an inferior Astros team and win a seven game series in which a Cards starter makes it into the seventh only once. in the WS, the Cards starters ERAs/IP Marquis 3.86/7.0 Suppan 7.71/4.2 Morris 8.31/4.1 Williams 27.00/2.1 year after year LaRussa has teams that blowout their division, he refuses to rest his starters, and his starters fail him in the post season. he's one of the best regular season managers in history, but pretty much chokes his shot at the big prize year after year, despite having superior teams to those he faces almost every year. Maybe, just maybe if he saved them a few innings here and there throughout the regular season LaRussa wouldn't contiually see his starters get shelled in the post season. Cub fans all saw it in 03 with Prior, Wood and Z, but the Cubs needed nearly every game to make the playoffs. LaRussa's teams have been in that position only once. you'd think he would learn his lesson, and you would think all Card fans would stop supporting some of his stupid philosphies, such as needlessly pushing his starters in the regular season. Nice analysis. Well done. We'll have to see what happens. However, history favors another disapointing post season for TLR.

I like to go on gut instinct, tea leaves, and wind direction. All of which say say Walker is cheap and productive. Cheap and productive are good things unless someone has changed the rules of MLB. auggiedoggie is that you?

Lee is having the definition of a career year. I would let him play out his contract and look at his numbers over the course of the contract before I start to throw money like that around. Besides he is 28 (I think), by the time the contract is done he will be vastly overpaid. My opinion of Lee is the same as it was before the year began. He is a good, not great first baseman.

If Dusty doesn't dramatically change the way he manages a game I doubt very much that the Cubs will be winning a World Series. However, if the Cubs win a WS with Dusty I will be just has happy as I would if he weren't the manager.

For those in the know: What can Harvey do to cut down on the Ks and still keep the good power numbers?

I figured the Brewers would be ahead of the Cubs but I didn't think the Reds would rank ahead.

Anyone else sick of Brantly? He has not stopped talking from the top of the first. Shut up for a minute.

I think i'd take his 2004 numbers, 30HR - 99RBI is nothing to sneeze at with gold glove defense. HR/RBI totals don't tell you much. First off, if you are in the middle of an order and not getting 100+ RBI in this day and age, you don't belong there. But I'm much more concerned with his longterm steady sub 900 OPS, which is not impressive for a first baseman and not close to worth top dollar. If they signed him to a 4/50 extension, and he went back to a sub 900 OPS type of production, they would regret it. I'm hoping though that he'll find a happy medium between his career average and career year, hopefully no less than 950-1000 OPS. I agree with goony. I watched Lee for two years when I lived in Miami. He has always been a guy with huge potential. This year he is having a career year. However, he has been pretty consistent in the past. His numbers are good, not great, and IMO first base defense is vastly over rated. Nonetheless, if he can repeat these numbers for another season he wil be worth a lot.

Although the dog days of summer are still here. The Cubs appear to be headed to yet another season of fultility, that would make it 97 and counting. For this reason I thought about an off-season move I'd like to share with the community. I'm not very good at this stuff but fire away anyway. The Cubs trade Corey Patterson to the Giants for Jason Schmidt. I think that is a fair trade given the fact that the Cubs will have to take on Schmidt's salary. I know Schmidt is an injury risk but he has thrown 134 innings this year, strikinging out 130 and walking 62. His ERA is 4.29 The Giants are in need of a lower priced CF with Alou and Bonds in the OF. I don't want to trade Patterson but I think he is done as a Cub. I would also like to see him get another chance somewhere else. 2006 Rotation Prior Schmidt Zambrono Wood??? Maddux

If he's in the pen, someone better hang a sign in the dugout that tells Dusty that he can't be used every stinking day. Ha! :D I can see it now. Guzman will lead Cub relievers in appearences until his elbow explodes.

Becuase I'm now living in a fantasy baseball world created by MVP 2005, I would compare Mazzone to whomever is the pitching coach for the MVP 2005 Cubs in my self-created world. The guy is great He can take a pitcher with an 80 rated FB and a 59 rated curve and no other pitch and turn him into a guy with a 1.23 ERA and 20 wins.

I got another one. A tradional Black college like Hampton or Morehouse could call themselves The Segregationists because Blacks were not let into many Southern state universities until the 20th Century. Their mascott could be an old white guy with a Doberman in one hand and a fire hose in the other. That would be a great tribute to the heritgae of the South.

Yes, I think some Native American high school in one of the reservations in South Dakota or Oklahoma should call themselves the The Honkey Slobs They could have a crying fat white kid with Snikers bar in his hand as the mascot. That would be great.

I'm just glad the game is on CSN so I can't watch it. My MVP 2005 Cubs are much better to watch anyway.

With the exception of this year, Lee has been the model of consistency. I look for him to regress back to his career numbers next year. Numbers, which aren't too shabby but not great either. .270/30HR/90 RBI

Nice "outside the box" thinking but I don't know if Nomar would go for it. Put Nomar is LF or RF? I also don't know what the Cubs think about Cedeno. To me it appears that they don't think he can be an everyday player, regardless of what Hendry has said. Talk is cheap and Ronny has wasted away on the bench until he was sent down.

Because we seem to be discussing faulty logic in this thread here is another one. The false choice someone who does not like Pierre wants a slugging lead off batter. nut hunh. no sir. There are reasons to not like Pierre that have nothing to do with a slugging. Those reasons have been enumerated countless times so I won't go into it. So, Mr/Mrs OHCF you will have to find another reason why you think people don't want Pierre.

NO!

The West Tennessee Diamnond Jax The Periora Cheifs The Dayton Cubs The Iowa Cubs, not so much.

There's where I'd prefer the philosophy of Bobby Cox to Baker. Cox believes that when you bring a kid up, you play him until he proves he can't not until he proves he can. And last I checked, Cox knows a lot more about winning than Baker. Exactly Vance. It is illogical to say that Dusty has put Murton in situations where he will succeed becuase he has yet to fail. Now if, Dusty gave Murton 100 ABs against both right and left handed pitchers and he fialed against righties. Baker might have a point, but as of now no one knows.

Nay No more retreads plz. Edit- Except for Larry Derkier.

I couldn't agree more. And you managed to do it without calling anyone stupid, gutless, heartless or a bum. Cudos to you JC!

I like your idea except I would put the Marlins and the D-Rays in the same division. Florida baseball, if it is to survive, needs to have a natural rivialry. So put the Marlins in the AL South. In additon I would move the Blue Jays to the NL East and add Nashville in the NL South. In the AL I would move Arizona to the AL west and Add New Orleans to the AL South. I would also move the Tigers to the AL East. Finally I would shorten the season by 20 games and add another teir to the playoffs by having two Wild Card teams NL East NY, Pitt, Phil, Toronto NL North Cubs, Stl, Cin, Mill NL West LA, SD, SF, Col NL South Hou, Atl, Wash, Nashville AL East Bos, NY, Bal, Det AL North Sox, Cle, Min, KC AL West Ariz, Sea, LAAAAA, Oak AL South New Orleans, FL, TB, TX