gflore34

2008: 4 days: 2.53 5 days: 1.24 6+ days: 2.47 career: 4: 3.77 5: 3.61 6+: 2.78 Wow, given this it would seem the smart move, beyond DLing him and surgery, would be to makle certain he's goes on 6+ days rest for the remainder of the season. But, then again, when have our Cubbies ever been sharp in their handling of players?

Correct if I'm wrong but, I heard (it may have been from Steve Stone some time ago) that a tell tale sign of a pitcher being injured is not so much velocity as it is lack of control and movement. If true, that certain applies to Harden.

Love the bolded Amen brother, at least he didn't shower them with false praise being diplomatic and all. Screw the Cardinals.

Wasn't Hart recently optioned out? If so, I believe Marshall may be in the rotation.

Hope: They'll play some consistently good baseball, has yet to happen, if it does, the Cardinals, Brewers, et al will be in the rear view mirror. Expectations: Well it's the Cubs so, I expect the worst and hope for the best that being said, I'd expect: 1. Soriano to continue slumping in fact, to go homer-less until the last week of season on his way to setting career lows in BA, HR, RBI and a career high in K's 2. Ramirez DL'ed for the remainder of the season within 10 or so games of the second half 3. Soto to never regain his ROY form 4. Fukudome to continue slumping, more Fuku-copters to come 5. Lee to hit the DL with neck spasms 6. Dempster because, he's a Cub, to take far longer than normal to return from a broken toe 7. Basically everything that's gone wrong to continue doing so and somehow get worse while of course, Albert Pujols and the Lilliputians win the WS

It's very frustrating watching him struggle against the likes of Thurston, Ryan i.e., average to poor hitters. I really wish the Cubs would wake up and DL him, put him under the knife, fix or try to fix what's broken and go from there. I'm thinking he'll a cheap sign on the mend and could pay off big time.

I've thought for a while that he just needs some time off. He's gone through slumps before but never anything like this. I guess it's possible that he's falling off a cliff with his hitting, but I don't think that's likely. If he had dropped 50 points off his OPS, I'd be more likely to believe that he's just getting older, but 170 points just seems too extreme. With how he's hitting, it's not like he's helping the team all that much so I don't see the big deal with sending him to the 15-day DL, giving him two weeks off and bringing him back to see what he can do then. As far as I'm concerned, a DL stint can't result in anything bad. If he continues to suck, well, it's the same production that he's giving now. But if it helps him, then he might actually start to help the team offensively. Why isn't it possible for a guy like Soriano to fall off a cliff? I mean, I would think somebody like him, with a horrible approach at the plate, no discipline at all, reliant on god given ability almost exclusively, would be a prime candidate for cliff diving once his body starts to give out on him. He's approaching his mid 30's and getting injured frequently, and somewhat flukishly. That's what happens to dudes after 30. I think the injuries are much more of a symptom than a cause for struggles. They are the injuries of a tightly muscled dude who is no longer 28 years old. You might want to read a little better. I didn't say that it wasn't possible for him to fall off a cliff, I just said it wasn't all that likely (i.e. still possible) for that his drop off would be as extreme as it has been this year. It doesn't help that he's been playing on a gimpy knee either, why not DL him and give him a chance to get healthy. And take Harden with him

I've thought for a while that he just needs some time off. He's gone through slumps before but never anything like this. I guess it's possible that he's falling off a cliff with his hitting, but I don't think that's likely. If he had dropped 50 points off his OPS, I'd be more likely to believe that he's just getting older, but 170 points just seems too extreme. With how he's hitting, it's not like he's helping the team all that much so I don't see the big deal with sending him to the 15-day DL, giving him two weeks off and bringing him back to see what he can do then. As far as I'm concerned, a DL stint can't result in anything bad. If he continues to suck, well, it's the same production that he's giving now. But if it helps him, then he might actually start to help the team offensively. Why isn't it possible for a guy like Soriano to fall off a cliff? I mean, I would think somebody like him, with a horrible approach at the plate, no discipline at all, reliant on god given ability almost exclusively, would be a prime candidate for cliff diving once his body starts to give out on him. He's approaching his mid 30's and getting injured frequently, and somewhat flukishly. That's what happens to dudes after 30. I think the injuries are much more of a symptom than a cause for struggles. They are the injuries of a tightly muscled dude who is no longer 28 years old. You might want to read a little better. I didn't say that it wasn't possible for him to fall off a cliff, I just said it wasn't all that likely (i.e. still possible) for that his drop off would be as extreme as it has been this year. It doesn't help that he's been playing on a gimpy knee either, why not DL him and give him a chance to get healthy.

Like never ever pick a toolsy guy like Justin Upton when you could have a complete baseball player like Alex Gordon? Sure the Colvin picked sucked, but Hendry isn't really the guy to blame for that one. That would be Tim Wilken. Just looked at his minor league statistics and to say the pick sucked is an understatement, he's awful and quite probably will never even sniff a major league roster.

Like never ever pick a toolsy guy like Justin Upton when you could have a complete baseball player like Alex Gordon? Sure the Colvin picked sucked, but Hendry isn't really the guy to blame for that one. That would be Tim Wilken. Bret Jackson fits the same profile

I feel bad for Arnold about how his heart will break when the next GM after Hendry is worse. What is your evidence that the next GM will be a lock in terms of being inferior to Hendry? I'd take a GM who drafted baseball players instead of "toolsy" athletes like Tyler Colvin. The draft is a crapshoot. I know its a crapshoot but, at least draft someone who excels at baseball not, someone who has the ability to play baseball and may or may not excel at it.

I feel bad for Arnold about how his heart will break when the next GM after Hendry is worse. What is your evidence that the next GM will be a lock in terms of being inferior to Hendry? I'd take a GM who drafted baseball players instead of "toolsy" athletes like Tyler Colvin.

DL Soriano, if can't hit, he completely useless, go with Fox in LF.

Of course now the Ump' zone becomes consistent!!!

It really wouldn't, that's what I'm trying to say. Guys fall off the cliff all the time in baseball. We understand now that the most likely result is a guy staying about the same each year (plexiglass principle and all), but we seem to be underestimating the spread of possibilities. The bell curve is much wider than common expectations around here seem to think. Baseball players rarely follow a simple curve over their career. They break out big and they bust out big quite frequently. So when's Alby gonna fall off one? Don't know because, I'm convinced he's 36-38 years old if he's a day.

Another Carpenter strike there, not called

LOL Campbell saying Hossa has made him look silly before, like that's hard to do or something.

I think you're right, lets hope Bradley, Soto, Soriano and Ramirez come into next season healthy.

I'd really like to see Pujols brushed back here

Look it's the Red Wings' playoff MVP to do the 7th inning stretch.

A healthy Cub team playing to near their abilities blows this Cardinal team away.

I'm ready for football, in Jay Cutler, we, for a change, have the big time player.

And yet Lou sits, guess he's conceded this game.

I imagine they will win it all again this year. It's been a few years since they took a team of little leaguers with Albert to the title. Albert Pujols or not they've got no chance against a real team such as the Dodgers.

Making this Cardinal team look good is not that easy of task yet, the Cubs are having no problems doing so.