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gflore34

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Everything posted by gflore34

  1. gflore34
    Plus add a RF, but I'd be happy with that and think that's the way it's going. I think it's way to early to criticize the moves that have or haven't been made. I know there's been no indication that Hendry is considering Giles (at least reported) but, after the above additions of Castillo and Pierre. If a Giles is added to the mix, a 1-6 of Pierre, Castillo, Giles, Lee, Ramirez and Barrett could rival anything the Cardinals come up with 1-6.
  2. gflore34
    I'm beginning to believe Hendry' going to make a deal with the Marlins for Castillo and Pierre. If this deal is made, I believe he'll back off Furcal and use the remainder of his FA money to go after Burnett/Milwood and a RF. When one considers it, a DP combination of Castillo/Cedeno makes sense and could turn out to be one of the better combinations in the NL.
  3. gflore34
    There's been lots of discussion about this, but why mess with an unknown quantity? Grossman has started fewer NFL games than Orton now, and Orton is on a 6 game win streak with this team. You can't tell me for sure what kind of quarterback Grossman can be...no one can. We just don't know. Grossman should remain the #2 behind Orton as long as Orton is winning games. You know what you're going to get with Orton. The 5 INT game not withstanding, he's not going to LOSE you games. We just don't know that about Grossman yet. Let it be open competition in camp next season of course though. Yet, under Orton the offense has shown no vertical improvement, the running game has been great but, at some point the passing game is going to be counted for a win. I don't believe its capable of such a feat.
  4. gflore34
    Please forgive me if this has been posted but, I believe Rex Grossman, as soon as he's ready to go, should be given back his starting job. Orton has done an OK job but, he's too mistake prone and has had the defense bail him out on way too many occassions. I also believe the offense will improve under Grossman to a point where it may be taken seriously in the playoffs.
  5. gflore34
    Freaking Cardinal fans! You gotta be loving this doo doo. We've got the money, we've got the talent, and our holes could be filled through Trade or FA this offseason. The Red Sox and White Sox have won a World Series, Houston has been to a World Series, the Cardinals are strong, and I've got 30 years experience telling me a Gonzalez/Perez middle infield wreaks of a classic Cub move. Even with the best possible DP combo - Walker/Furcal or Cedeno/Furcal, the Cubs hopes are still tied to pitching. Give me a healthy Wood and Prior each making 27+ starts and I'll have a contender even with a DP combo of Perez/Gonzalez. If the injury bug that has hit the Cubs' staff the last two years were to strike the Cards next season how much difference would their great lineup make?
  6. gflore34
    But more often than not, Furcal won't even be on base, so Pierre could just try and slap one through the hole. Yeah, because Furcal puts up such awful OBAs from year-to-year. I didn't say that. But somebody said Furcal would get on every time. He's only a .350 OBP guy. His addition doesn't cure all woes. Giles would cure a whole lot more. Dusty' boy Nefi mentioned him getting on base 2-3 times over 5 at-bats...
  7. gflore34
    Leadoff and CF was not the only problem. RF was as big a hole as CF last year. Pierre is a mediocre CF, Furcal is a 2nd tier SS, Giles is an outstanding RF. I don't want to hear about the "doesn't want to play here" BS. Players will play where they are offered money. You don't know if Giles wants to come here unless you try and convince him to come here. And if you're turned down early, don't just give up. That can't be your excuse not to go for the best. Exactly, along those lines, I love it when agents throw out that so and so is flattered by team' X interest in so and so line, such as Giles' agent with the Yankees. Bottom line, Giles will go where the money is, all the other talk is rhetoric.
  8. gflore34
    Some believe that if Furcal isn't signed, Perez, and not Cedeno will start at SS. But if that's true, then even if Furcal is signed, and Walker is moved as expected, then you'd have to assume Perez will get more time at 2nd than Cedeno. Of course, after posting, I thought of that, with Furcal at SS, it'll be too easy for Dusty, I can hear it now..."2b is not Cedeno' natural position". Perhaps, a signing of Furcal and retaining Walker keeps the lineup Nefi-free.
  9. gflore34
    It appears the negotiations are down to the Cubs and Braves. My guess is Furcal's agent wants to see how much more the Cubs need to offer to keep him from the Braves. I suspect we'll see a resolution to this saga fairly soon. Do you believe a Furcal decision will really start the ball rolling for this Cubs offseason? Moreover, I believe a Furcal signing is a key to keeping Perez out of the Cub 2006 lineup.
  10. gflore34
    As long as it keeps Nefi from leading off I'm for it seriously, though, it wouldn't be unprecedented for Pierre to have a career year prior to FA. Might as well be for the Cubs...
  11. gflore34
    Given the Cubs recent history with injuries and their luck I don't blame Hendry for being apprehensive about re-signing Nomar. Furcal is not a guarenteed sign but, I rather Hendry go all out in pursuit of a frontline SS who's a pretty good bet to play 150+ games than one who may miss a 1/3 or more of the season.
  12. gflore34
    If the Cubs don't sign Giles, I'd rather he sign with Yankees than watch him put a 1.00+ OPS as a Cardinal.
  13. gflore34
    Seconded, if Furcal seeks five years go for it because, regardless of Hendry' plan for Perez' role, if SS comes down to Cedeno and Perez. Baker will find a way to either outright start Perez or make him the de facto starter by playing him 5 of every 6 games. What is commentary on a Manager who, in order to not start one of the worst offensive players in baseball, must have his hands tied?
  14. gflore34
    Free agent after this season? Maybe, ala Womack for the Cards in 2004, he'll have a career season for the Cubs (along with helping them to the WS) and be ridiculously overpaid by the Yankees in 2007. Go for it Hendry!
  15. gflore34
    At this point I'm willing to give Hendry the benefit of the doubt, I'll wait on his remaining offseason moves. But, if he trades Walker and signs Furcal, Cedeno might as well buy himself a copy of War & Peace for 2006 bench reading.
  16. gflore34
    I think this is easier said then done. Besides why would you want to bury someone good and cheap on your bench? I think it would be a crime if the Cubs buried a player like Cedeno in a bench role. Neifi is an OK player if used in the right role. That's the point, Dusty cannot be trusted to use Neifi in the right role. If Furcal or Garciaparra are not signed leaving Cedeno and Neifi at SS, Dusty will find a way to start Neifi. The only way Neifi doesn't play a signifcant role with 2006 Cubs is if he's removed as an option.
  17. gflore34
    The offense is why this game is tied, a team with even a remotely competent offense would have put this game away in the third quarter.
  18. gflore34
    If Hendry keeps following the previous World Series winners "format" then he has no plan on how to run a team and that really would worry me. I agree, maybe Hendry has come to conclusion that adding pitching and defense, along with a OBP machine like Giles has good chance of producing a playoff team.
  19. gflore34
    Not in a million years, Zambrano owned the Cards and Astros, 4-1, 1.99 ERA, for that alone you keep Zambrano.
  20. gflore34
    To me, Hendry hotly pursuing Furcal makes sense for the following reasons: 1. Pitching and defense this was the MO of the White Sox and Astros, it was even that of Cardinals. Signing a Furcal and moving Cedeno to 2B represents a tenfold increase in the Cubs infield defense. 2. Garicaparra' injury prone, after the injury riddled seasons of 2004 and 2005 can you really blame Hendry for being a little gun shy about taking another chance on Garciaparra? I truly believe a healthy Nomar will but big numbers but, given the Cubs luck, does anyone doubt a re-signed Nomar will spend a third or more of 2006 on the DL? 3. OBP - by default Furcal leading off improves this category perhaps, not as much as we'd like but, relative to Perez and Patterson, this is a major upgrade. Furcal would be on base far more often for Lee and Ramirez than Perez and Patterson ever were or will be. 4. If Hendry can ink Furcal quickly, that leaves plenty of time to pursue Burnett, Millwood and Giles (Brain). I sincerely hope Hendry has Giles in his plans for, a 1,2,3,4,5 of Furcal, Barrett/Murton/Cedeno, Giles, Lee and Ramirez may take care of the Cubs offensive inconsistencies. Even Baker couldn’t muck that up…
  21. gflore34
    That I did not check. People were contending that even though they weren't much(if at all) better than the Cubs, that the ability to score consistently was the reason their offense was helping them win more. Turns out that wasn't true. there's the good old expected wins matrix on BP. Pitching and defense was the key to the 2005 White Sox success, Hawk Harrelson can shawk all he wishes about Pods' impact. But, without Garland having a career year, the bullpen pitching out of its collective minds, etc. none of the 2005 White Season would have happened Pods or no Pods.
  22. gflore34
    I was thinking along the same lines, should the Cubs win the 2006 WS, no doubt, someone will write of the great Chemistry they had...
  23. gflore34
    Has he learned nothing from last off season? Chemistry is such overrated garbage. Tell the 05 White Sox, 04 Red Sox, 03 Marlins, 02 Angels and the 96-2000 Yankees that. why? do you know for a fact that they had great 'chemistry'? The empirical evidence suggests they got along well, which helped their performance as a team. What evidence is that? I can give you the 04 BoSox got along well, but the 03 Marlins and 02 Angels? The notion of Chemistry is overrated garbage, when one looks a little deeper; the common element to all of the above teams was pitching and defense. How did the 72-74 Oakland A's win those consecutive WS with their Chemistry of fighting amongst themselves and basically disliking each other? What was more crucial to their success Chemistry or a rotation that included the likes of Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, and Ken Holtzman along with Rollie Fingers in the pen? A healthy Prior (maybe Borowski as well) in 2004 and a healthy Wood and Prior in 2005 and we're talking 3 consecutive playoff appearances for the Cubs.
  24. gflore34
    hyperbole If Prior, Z and Wood are all healthy, the Cubs can beat anyone. That's proven to be a big if. very big if. Very, very big if, getting 25 - 30 starts out of each is the key to 2006, if that happens the Cubs make the playoffs.
  25. gflore34
    Tell me know one saw the that "Pick 6" coming? Garcia got away with trying to make a play out of nothing last week vs. Cleveland with good results. But eventally, throwing the ball up for grabs and trying to force a big play will burn you...
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