FergieJ31
-
Posts
1,260 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Joomla Posts 1
Chicago Cubs Videos
Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits
2026 Chicago Cubs Top Prospects Ranking
News
2023 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
Guides & Resources
2024 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
The Chicago Cubs Players Project
2025 Chicago Cubs Draft Pick Tracker
Blogs
Events
Forums
Store
Gallery
Everything posted by FergieJ31
-
When does futility become relative? (re: Cards)
FergieJ31 replied to Derwood's topic in General Baseball Talk
Yes, but one can argue that if that ultimate goal is to win the World Series, the difference between the pennant and last place isn't too big. I mean there is the "the team always sucks and never makes the postseason bad", and then there's the "Atlanta Braves always win the division but choke in the playoffs" bad. I don't know which woudl be more frustrating Remember how glorious it felt the day the Cubs clinched the division in 03, the doubleheader against the Pirates? How bout Kerry Wood's game 5 vs Atlanta in '03? How bout when they beat the Giants in the WC playoff in '98? The parade around Wrigley in 89 after that clinching game? Those four clinching games are clearly etched in my mind among the rare highlights of my life as a Cub fan. Would I trade them away now, knowing they weren't going to win the WS? Hell no. -
When does futility become relative? (re: Cards)
FergieJ31 replied to Derwood's topic in General Baseball Talk
I think the "relative" part of relative drought really has to do with your age, right? There are certainly a ton of Cards fans who were too young or not yet born in '82 to revel in that glory, so they feel the "drought" more. By the same token, very few of us Cubs fans were around in 1908 so we don't FEEL the magnitude of that drought. (And incidentally I completely agree that the 1945 number is at least as embarrassing as the 1908 number). And, like soccer10k said, there are 30 teams now, so teams shouldn't be expected to win more than once every thirty years on a purely statstical basis; the Cards have several more years at least to rest on their '82 laurels. So no, there's absolutely no drought for the Cardinals, certainly not as long as they continue to ring up NL Central championships and a pennant or three in the intervening years (85, 87, 04). -
Great feature on big Z in the latest ESPN Magazine - anyone read it? Not all the Cubs have taken to his emotional shtick, as everyone knows, but DLee came out and said he doesn't want Z to ever change, and that he's a better pitcher when he's unleashed. Eyre had a funny line about how everyone in the Giants dugout thought Z was a ****** when he celebrated after his famous showdown vs Bonds in 2003, but now, naturally, Eyre loves Z's antics. The story also described Z's at-bat vs Florida last month, when he struck out and proceeded to break the bat over his left leg. The next day in the clubhouse some of the Cubs wanted to see the bruise; Z said "what bruise?" ... pulls his pants down, sure enough, no bruise. Great stuff ... but we all knew Z was Superman 8)
-
Fred, thanks for all of your updates & stats!! Very helpful, even if the updates and stats are often depressing. Your effort is much appreciated by those of us who sometimes follow the game via the game thread.
-
Is it Carrie Muskat? Maybe her awful voice carries over to her crap writing. who knows, but it's like a dentist's drill to my ear Could be worse. .... Glendon could still be pitching. Be realistic...when was the last time Glendon pitched into the 9th? Little League? Aren't those 7 inning games? I'm still guessing he got taken yard a couple times by then...or he got hungry for the nachos from the snack shop. actually GR didn't used to be quite so chunky, 1997 rookie card: http://www.autograph-cards.com/Cards/BigCards/011410.jpg http://www.autograph-cards.com/Cards/BigCardsX/0110975.jpg
-
Robertson would be pitching a 2 hit shutout were it not for the offensive juggernaut that is Hank White :lol:
-
alright, this is a really good spot for Gooz's 6th K
-
Haha ohh yes Back back .. baack.... HEY HEY!!! A homerun for Whitey!! Wheeeeee
-
Not as crazy as some here might think. I know some clubs use tandem starters in the minors - each guy expected to throw about 4 innings. The Cubs have 12 pitchers on the roster, so it's not like they couldn't do that sort of thing. Hill/Guzman and Wood/Marshall? I've wondered why not let Wood/Prior pitch the same game, about 4-5 innings each, as they "inch" (to borrow Len's adjective) their way back from the DL. It'd save the pen for a day.
-
Da Gooz mowin' em down, and the Tigers are bummed that BP is over.
-
Naturally, why wouldn't Det score early and often? Let's the Gooz going in the pen Dusty.
-
Be careful of what you wish for... Meaning what? You think a new owner would mean big change. Well let me give you an example...two words can explain it all (if you know who he is)...David Glass. Good point. David Glass, Bill Wirtz ... things could be much, much worse than the Trib owning the Cubs. hace you seen the standings lately? and who is manager??? seriously...it CANT GET WORSE Dusty is not the only problem the Cubs have -- certainly not their main problem. If a David Glass or Bill Wirtz-type bought the Cubs? Yes, it CAN get worse.
-
The only thing that would be better than Cuban buying the Cubs and cleaning house would be if the Cubs were literally incorporated and sold to the public, like the Green Bay Packers: http://www.packers.com/stockholders/ NSBBers could then buy a majority of the shares and elect a board of directors & executive committee who subscribe to building a team Moneyball-style .... ok, that's enough from me, I haven't fantasized that much since that Farrah Fawcett red swimsuit poster came out in '77 :lol: (I'm dating myself here no doubt)
-
Be careful of what you wish for... Meaning what? You think a new owner would mean big change. Well let me give you an example...two words can explain it all (if you know who he is)...David Glass. Good point. David Glass, Bill Wirtz ... things could be much, much worse than the Trib owning the Cubs.
-
The Marlins have caught up to the Cubs too - the Cubs could be in the NL basement by the weekend.
-
Much as I'd love to see Cuban own the Cubs, directly or indirectly, this seems like a stretch ... the Trib is a $9 bil company, Cuban's net worth is between $1 and $2 bil. Of course he runs with a wealthy crowd - it'd be nice if he did form a new media company. http://images.forbes.com/media/lists/10/2003/IXMB.jpg
-
Who would some likely buyers be in an LBO scenario - Viacom maybe? Liberty Media? I know this was beaten to death in another thread but I still find it hard to believe the Cubs would be put up for sale before an LBO.
-
I remember that game very well too; saw it from the bleachers. Sosa hit his 60th that day, a clutch 3-run jack in the 7th. There were some crazy games down the stretch in '98, not to mention the HR chase -- just a wild, fantastic ride, culminating in a Rockie named Neifury! getting us a shot at SF. Waxing nostalgic, remember when the Cubs won four consecutive games? Good times ... :cry:
-
This thread reminds me why I left the cubs.com message board, right down to the spelling & punctuation errors and subsequent corrections :D
-
Absolutely! Well said. I've often commented about how the Cubs are the very antithesis of Moneyball. I remember a section in the book where Beane (or maybe Lewis himself) comments about the pitfalls of scouting a player based on how he looks, or his athleticism. Billy Beane LOOKED like a great ballplayer but he couldn't hit a lick at the big league level. As a player he has Cub written all over him. As a GM, well ... if only :roll: Lenny Dykstra, on the other hand, apparently wasn't fazed in the slightest about facing Steve Carlton :) That's the type of player you want on your team, career OBP 0.375
-
Yeah exactly what he said. In spite of his weak numbers this year I'm convinced (or maybe delusional?) that JP will have trade value at the deadline. Contending teams will hopefully look at his strong '03 playoff performance, especially vs the Yankees. Add to that the false but widely believed perception that his offensive numbers have been hurt by Wrigley's high grass, and the usual "change of scenery" hope, and the Cubs might get more than a bag of balls for him.
-
Great line! Getting rid of Dusty (unlikely as it is) will hardly help, not as long as the GM, scouts and coaching staff buy into this "toolsy" philosophy
-
I was in the LF bleachers ... it wasn't the can of corn a lot of people think. He SHOULD have caught it of course but it had a slight hook on it, like a golf drive. That game was totally nuts, probably the craziest I've ever seen, between the Brewers comeback and the HR chase. > The Cubs had to walk down the left field line to get to the clubhouse? I can still see Ronnie jumping along the left field line, doing his patented heel-click after a Cub win. :) > ABC had Monday Night Baseball? The good ol' days ... > The 1994 World Series was canceled? .. and the bad ol' days. > Harry Caray would call Andre Dawson "Andre Rogers"? And Lou Boudreau saying "George Hendricks" ... I always maybe he might be a Jimi Hendrix fan b/c he NEVER said George Hendrick. > Kirby Puckett became the first $3 million player? > George Foster became the first $2 million player? Who was the first $1 mil player, Rose? > Marla Collins was the hottest woman in sports? "Heyy there she is without her shorts! haha" Great post, tnx for the memories...
-
Ooh, What A Cubbie Fan He Was (song parody)
FergieJ31 replied to Yestheydo's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
Very cool - nice work. Coincidentally, I happened to read this post just before heading out to see the Carl Palmer Band play at a northside pub last night (56-year-old dude still rocks). -
Exactly. The owners might drag feet on approval or heavily scrutinize the finances, but Cuban would get approved. I suspect Cuban would get tagged as a potential Steinbrenner of the NL, and given the oft-argued economic disparity in the league that alone would be sufficient reason to blackball Cuban. The Cubs could only afford four no-votes; the NL Central alone would be able to block the purchase. Pitt, Cincy and Milw are small-market teams - they would be heavily incented to block. Owners don't necessarily want to make it impossible to sell their teams. Blocking other owners from selling because it might improve that team isn't necessarily good business. Yes, of course, and if the Cubs team payroll didn't budge much from its current level with Cuban as an owner I wouldn't argue the point that Cuban would get blackballed. I have no idea what payroll would be under Cuban but it's not a stretch to say it'd increase from current levels -- 10%, 15%? As you said earlier, goony, if the owners felt he would throw off the payscale they would be incented to block.