Illini Iceman

Getting Ludwick is more like just trying to make your fans think your going for it.

If it was the Rangers then the offer almost certainly included the Cubs eating a lot of salary.

I don't know. If Philly is cleaning out their farm system to win it all this year, I wonder what kind of prospect we could get for Wood. Then just sign him again for next year. Exactly. Why are people happy about this? Agreed. Wood is a great reliever at the price, but I cant understand why he wouldn't want to go somewhere for a chance to win. Christ, its 2 months, probably closer to 3 for the Phillies, so he doesn't exactly have to uproot his family. Maybe because he enjoys where he is and doesn't see any great validation from being a spare part on a team that might win a championship. He has teammates he likes, lives in a city he is familiar with and enjoys, gets to spend a lot of time with his wife and kids and plays in front of fans that generally appreciate him. Do you think pitching middle relief for 3 months on a loaded team with a bunch of superstars would change his life because he might be able to flash around a championship ring he really didn't fully earn? Obviously he has enough money because he passed on a lot to come here, so at this point in his career he is where he wants to be.

This game is another nationally televised nail in Hendry and Quade's coffins. They are making it virtually impossible for Ricketts to come up with a spin on justifying bringing them back next year that wouldn't lead to an almost certain huge ticket sale drop for 2012.

And he also had this to say. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/6782205-417/gm-jim-hendry-doesnt-believe-cubs-need-to-go-boom-to-improve.html In any other division - 5th place is last. Jimbo benefits from the fact that we technically aren't in last place. So yeah, there better be a rebuilding effort. Semantics. If they were in a 5 team division with Houston they would be 4th so it really doesn't matter. Don't think Hendry is going to get any kudos because he finished 5th instead of last and I don't think he is implying in that quote that he has earned any.

Signing Fukudome was a good risk to take, it just didn't work out.

Signing Pena would be a bad move insomuch as it's a sign that it's going to be extremely difficult to contend if we settle for him. There's a limit on exactly how high I'd like to see the Cubs go to get Fielder, but it'd be a pretty high limit. He or Pujols are almost a must this offseason. I don't think there should be any doubt at this point that the Ricketts are willing to spend money - the rumors that we're going to sign Maples, Vogelbach, Dunston, etc, show that. The question I have, however, is what is the balance going to be between the major league and minor league budget. If the Cubs don't drop payroll, however, we have a very good shot of coming out of the offseason with Pujols or Fielder at a minimum and possibly/probably CJ Wilson as well. I don't see why it would be "extremely difficult" to contend with Pena if money is spent other places to improve the team. I haven't looked it up, but wouldn't think the win share difference between him and Fielder is that great. It seems with his power numbers and OBP he isn't a liability.

I'm not sure why you'd have that feeling. I'm pretty sure they won't try to convince us a 34 year old is a long-term option. Being able to sign either Pujols or Fielder isn't at all a sure thing and a 2 year deal for reasonable money for Pena wouldn't be the worst thing if they don't get either of the two since they have no good options to replace him in their system. Personally I think there is a very small chance that Pujols doesn't work something out with the Cardinals which would then leave the Cubs in a bidding war for Fielder and some team is likely to throw crazy money at him since he will be the most coveted bat left on the market. But I guess a two year deal isn't really a "long term" option anyway if they can go that route.

Not motivated probably means the Pirates wanted the Cubs to pay almost all the salary and still not give back anything of value.

The average major league 2B this season has hit .255/.316/.379 Barney is at .300/.328/.369 In other words, because of Barney's lack of plate discipline and power, he's only managed to be an average 2B despite his .300 batting average. So yeah, it's possible to be a productive ML player... but you aren't going to find many stars without real secondary skills. I don't think you will find many people (especially around here) too happy if Vitters winds up being a comp to Darwin Barney so not sure why it is relevant to be using him as an example of how Vitters can be successful without taking walks. Thank you....that's what I was thinking too. Yeah, Darwin Barney production out of a corner position sounds, well, terrible. Especially if it's 1st base (as it seems likely he won't stick at 3rd). Double whoosh! That wasn't anything close to a comparison, just an illustration of how a lack of secondary skills (i.e. patience) will result in average/below average production in spite of a good batting average. Which is where it appears Vitters may be headed at this point. He's obviously going to hit for a lot more power than Barney, but if his IsoD never gets above .030, he's not going to be nearly as dangerous/productive as his contact skills give him the potential to be. While what you say probably is true I don't see anything in the original post (which I was responding to) that comes even close to making any of those points.

I wonder where he is getting that information since indications lately out of most of the local sources are that the Cubs may be looking to hold on to Pena to hedge their bet against not being able to sign Fielder or Pujols.

Not to beat a dead horse, but still no sign of Wood and he hasn't pitched since 7/20. Samardzija and Marmol in their third straight day of pitching and now Grabow all before Wood even warms up.

Exact same situation earlier in the game with Garza up Quade tried the sacrifice and they easily threw out Soto at third. Not only does he try the same thing again with Barney but he waits to bring in the pinch runner until after they make the first out. It would take almost a perfect bunt by Barney to get Soto to third with both corner infielders playing in. Really dumb game management.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=samarje01&year=2011&t=p#innng::none To me it's not so much that I have a problem with Samardzija, more that I find it odd that in a series with 3 close games the only guys that haven't pitched are Ramon Ortiz and Kerry Wood.

Shark's arguably better than Wood this season. I didn't even see Wood warming up yesterday when Quade used just about every reliever he had. Hell, Rodrigo Lopez was in the bullpen in the ninth inning when Marmol got off to the bad start.

Is Wood hurt or something? Why is Quade using Samardzija instead of him in a set up situation when Wood hasn't pitched at all this series?

The Gillick think seems to actually be sounding like it could be a possibility. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-pat-gillick-on-cubs-rumors-i-dont-know-mr-ricketts-20110723,0,4016236.story I know he wouldn't want to publicly say anything different no matter how he feels, but this quote is still kind of scary in case he does get consideration for the job as President of the team:

The average major league 2B this season has hit .255/.316/.379 Barney is at .300/.328/.369 In other words, because of Barney's lack of plate discipline and power, he's only managed to be an average 2B despite his .300 batting average. So yeah, it's possible to be a productive ML player... but you aren't going to find many stars without real secondary skills. I don't think you will find many people (especially around here) too happy if Vitters winds up being a comp to Darwin Barney so not sure why it is relevant to be using him as an example of how Vitters can be successful without taking walks.

It would be really nice if Wells could finish the season with a strong 2 months and show we can count on him to be a reliable 4th or 5th starter next season.

If you're not going to celebrate a little bit when they win, why go to the game in the first place? Plus you have fans going to Wrigley for their first/second game all the time. It's a little bit of harmless fun that has nothing to do with how they may feel about the overall season. Celebrate what? The 2nd pick in next year's draft? Maybe they need a new song...it always reminds me of the 13 game losing streak in 1985, which I think was the reason it was made. Anyone know what they do at other mlb stadiums? Celebrate the win that many spent $100 or more to watch along with the time it took to transport in for the game (some from hours away), and then sat in the moderately hot sun for 3 hours to watch. It would be rather depressing to put all that time/effort/money into it and then not have some fun. If you live in Chicago and have been to quite a few more exciting Cubs games then it might not be that fun to watch this team, but if you fit that criteria you're probably not at many of these games anyway. I hate it when people have the nerve to cheer when the Cubs score a run as well. Don't they realize how ridiculous it is to applaud one measly score when the season is lost? Just pay your money, sit on your hands and and walk out with a depressed look on your face win or lose. That's what a real fan would do. Don't even get me started on putting that "W" flag up in CF after games.

Hey Soto actually held on to a throw!

That was worth throwing away the out last inning by letting him bat.

Damn that was hit hard.

Not the media, just Levine. And he rarely gets anything right so it shouldn't be a surprise.

The night is young and we still have the chance of Marmol getting in the game.