badgercub

Personally I think the contract year stuff with Maddux is kind of ridiculous. I think his improved performance due to his offseason workouts is a matter of self pride. Maddux was not satisfied with his performance the last couple of years and he did something about it, not because of it being a contract year. I find it odd that his self pride kicked in after a subpar season and before a contract season. I think he did the same things he always did in the past just thinking that would be enough. I don't think he slacked the last two seasons I just think he relized he needed to do more knowing that this was possibly going to be his last year, and he didn't want to go out on a sour note. Just my hypothesis As I said in my edit, given that we're paying him borderline #1 starter money, he should have been in shape before 2005. Now all of a sudden he's in shape and 4-0. Sorry, didn't see the edit. I know we have a difference of opinion on this, but if riding his bike and playing golf in the offseason is the same program he has been on for the last 19 years, including when he was the ace of the Braves staff, that is probably all he thought he needed to do. He actually did more than that, it's just he started getting in shape earlier and with a trainer.

Personally I think the contract year stuff with Maddux is kind of ridiculous. I think his improved performance due to his offseason workouts is a matter of self pride. Maddux was not satisfied with his performance the last couple of years and he did something about it, not because of it being a contract year. I find it odd that his self pride kicked in after a subpar season and before a contract season. I think he did the same things he always did in the past just thinking that would be enough. I don't think he slacked the last two seasons I just think he relized he needed to do more knowing that this was possibly going to be his last year, and he didn't want to go out on a sour note. Just my hypothesis What would lead you to believe that because this was his contract year he decided to turn it on? Because Maddux has signed a few contracts over the years and it doesn't seem to be something that he's done in the past.

Personally I think the contract year stuff with Maddux is kind of ridiculous. I think his improved performance due to his offseason workouts is a matter of self pride. Maddux was not satisfied with his performance the last couple of years and he did something about it, not because of it being a contract year. Maybe, maybe not. His agent has been all over the place talking money and possible destinations, so that sort of hints at the contract year concept. Kind of a which came first, the chicken or the egg debate. His agent is just taking advantage of the situation, if Maddux would have started off horribly there would be no interest. There wasn't any talk of extensions or it being a contract year until after he got off to a good start. I just don't see Maddux as the type of guy who doesn't give maximum effort everytime out. He just wasn't physically able to perform earlier in the season the last two years, but once he got into game shape, he pitched well in the second half.

Personally I think the contract year stuff with Maddux is kind of ridiculous. I think his improved performance due to his offseason workouts is a matter of self pride. Maddux was not satisfied with his performance the last couple of years and he did something about it, not because of it being a contract year.

If somebody offers him AJ Burnett money this offseason than the Cubs should let him go. But if he can come back and have a good remainder of the season, I believe they need to try and bring him back, at least on a 1 year deal. Isn't there a mutual option for next year? I would imagine that if Woody comes back healthy, gets 25 starts and can win 15+ games they will keep him around, especially with his reported new mechanics

Hits>walks>outs.

The Cubs trump all, even Jack Bauer. I have never seen an episode of 24 so I guess it is not a big deal to me.

Thanks, guess I should have looked up, Im kinda lazy that way.

I thought the Cubs got Bynum from Oakland didn't they?

Well I think it's useful b/c teams have to stress middle-relief less, b/c they can keep their starters in the game since they don't have to pull them for a bat when they're behind, and it can help keep players fresh I like the fact that middle relief is part of the game, especially now that the Cubs have a strong bullpen. The DH takes a lot of the strategy and thinking out of the game, with the DH you might as well call it beer league softball.

Or Choi getting knocked out by his own pitcher and taken off the field in an ambulance

Dont forget Sosa's sneeze heard round the world

Much better moderators here. In fact some guy named bartman_fan, or something like that got in all of two posts before he got the boot.

Is Michael Buffer around - "Lets get ready to rummmmmmble"

There's no reason to believe this won't be the case. Dusty shows an obvious preference for Neifi, so it seems likely that he will start at 2B in any games Walker either doesn't play or starts at 1B. 2006 starts at 2b Player starts Walker 10 Hairston 3 Perez 1 Seems perfectly obvious to me. I think you would likely see a platoon with Hairston starting against lefties, of which there are quite a few in the Central. Just to add, when righties start you might see those are the games that Mabry plays first and TWalk at 2nd

A lot of people saying Neifi would get more playing time is if Cedeno struggled, even for a short period of time. That has yet to happen, so obviously Cedeno is going to remain the starter while he's having success. Even Dusty isn't dumb enough to sit someone hitting as well as Ronny is right now. I hate Dusty. he's an idiot and plays crappy players when he doesn't have to way too much. with that said, many said all winter that Neifi would get all the SS at the first sign of Cedeno struggles, then Cedeno struggled all spring. come openning day, Cedeno was the starting shortstop, so his point is well taken. fwiw, cedeno was pretty much guaranteed the starting job going into spring training. if he struggled during the year like he did during the spring, neifi would probably be starting by now. If I recall correctly, Bobby Hill was "pretty much guaranteed" the starting second base job and managed to lose it before the season started, so Baker should at least get credit for giving Cedeno the shot.... IIRC Hill got sick at the end of spring training and that is why he was not the starting second baseman

Thats why he said that is what they NEEDED to do. Not that it was going to happen. He was just providing some analysis to the current situation. Which is much more than your post does.

I believe it was Dick Ruthven who was the other starter. And an obscure guy by the name of Rich Bordi, who I only remember because I have his autograph.

Richie Hebner, I thought he was known as he Grave Digger, not the Hacker.

"So you're saying we got a chance"

Right handed power that can play first and the OF. Who would you have brought up? Sing, who is still having troubles getting acclimated to AAA? Somebody that had potential to be good someday. BTW how many games has Restovich played at 1b in his career? Zero: Total as LF 34 Total as RF 49 It was also mentioned on the Score that he had played "some 1B" in spring training. That hardly makes me feel better. Moving from 1B to RF is one thing. Moving from RF to 1B is something else. Not sure he was called up to play 1st. I think Mabry will take that spot and Restovich will be called up to replace Mabry as an outfielder and come off the bench. Maybe?

I don't completely agree with this statement. While I wasn't happy with Jacque Jones being acquired Hendry did make the offense a little less reliant on the homerun. To this point, we have seen the Cubs run more than they ever have in recent memory, and will have to rely on the stolen base and hit runs to generate some scoring. Last years team was incapable of doing that. With Walker, a full year of Murton and Cedeno I think you have some guys who can execute a different kind of strategy than the Cubs have relied upon in the past. And with the additions to the bullpen, which looks like money well spent, the Cubs should be able to win a lot of one run games, which didn't happen last year.

It did for the Astros. I know people don't want to compare the teams, but they are pretty similar (I have said exactly this in other threads). Obviously, no Cubs pitchers will be as good as Clemens was most of last year. Heck, none may even come close to Pettitte either, nor be as good as Oswalt. But Zambrano will be very good. Prior and Wood will be very good WHEN they are able to pitch. Maddux looks to be primed for a good season. Every single spot in the Cubs rotation should easily be better than Backe, who was a run better than what Houston threw out in the 5th starter's role, helping to make up the difference. And Lidge is possibly the best Closer in the NL, but Dempster was better, in the closer's role, last season. He's not slowing down so far. I think the Cubs bullpen is also deeper and just as strong as the Astros were in setup (Wheeler, Qualls, Gallo = Howry, Williamson, Eyre). As for the offense, I think there's a very good chance, almost a given that Walker, Pierre, Barrett, Cedeno, Murton will be better to a man than Biggio, Tavarez, Ausmus, Everett, and the combo in LF were for Houston last year. Ramirez 06 and Ensberg 05 will be pretty close. Jones 06 and Lane 05 will also be similar. Then you have Berkman vs. Lee and his replacements. Lee will miss twice as much time as Berkman did last year (30 games), but when he's back he will outproduce what Berkman did last year. So, I think you have a similar team. Of course, with the way the Astros have started, they look to be better than the 05 version, also. That's insanity. We're nowhere near the '05 Stros. It's not even close. Back it up. Stros went the World Series last year. You think this year's Cub team would have made the World Series last year? I'm not going to argue about it-----that's insane. I don't think he is saying that. He is just saying they aren't going to be as bad as everyone seems to think and used some sound reasoning to back it up. He never said the Cubs were going to the World Series.

Agreed. But how about is air mail throw? Yikes. Routine plays seem to give him the most trouble. Let's hope he can work through it, he seems to have the desire and I think he can correct the throwing problem.

I just talked to my brother today and we are thinking of driving to Chicago Sat. morning. It's a couple hour drive. I am just not sure my sister in law will be thrilled about it. Two years ago we came home with a couple of the stadium seats and she did not looked pleased.