Blizzau

Link. That's our very own Jim Hendry there folk....looking for someone left-handed who can run. Oh Jesus! Carl Crawford, your table is ready. Bring him home from Nashville, Mr. Hendry. But why does Hendry come out and essentially say exactly what we're looking for? Does he not realize that he loses hand in potential trades when other teams infer that we need (and are willing to overpay for) their players? Makes no difference what Hendry or any other GM says in the press. Every GM knows what every other GM is looking for. It's a very small world, and if you remember, the GMs all had a big show and tell meeting at the GM meetings last month, upsetting the players association to no end. Thanks for your reply, Bruce. Do you believe that the Cubs will soon obtain what they're looking for since Hendry and other GMs have been so straightforward about their needs? Also, is the MLBPA alleging collusion again, and if so, will there be action taken against owners? Have a great time in Nashville. Thanks in advance for helping to keep us in the loop!

which would be terrible. what is with hendry's obsession with a left-handed bat anyway? geez, he's hopeless. What would be terrible about adding Crawford to our lineup? He's young, relatively cheap, plays solid defense, and is a solid offensive player. Oh, and he's left handed, of course. ;)

Link. That's our very own Jim Hendry there folk....looking for someone left-handed who can run. Oh Jesus! Carl Crawford, your table is ready. Bring him home from Nashville, Mr. Hendry. But why does Hendry come out and essentially say exactly what we're looking for? Does he not realize that he loses hand in potential trades when other teams infer that we need (and are willing to overpay for) their players?

A player's contract won't decrease if he reaches a certain weight, but the incentive (to stay below a certain weight) is paid if that end of the bargain is held by the player. See Schilling, Curt.

According to the article on MLB.com, Sheffield had been represented by Boras before negotiating his contract with the Yankees by himself four years ago. Wasn't that the deal Sheffield whined about after he himself negotiated the deal? Not that Mr. Clear would ever whine. That would be the one. Didn't Sheffield's eventual whining also lead him out of the Bronx in the Detroit trade? As a longtime Tiger fan, I like his production in the lineup, but can't stand his antics off the field. Another sign that 'roid rage turns good baseball players into jerks!

According to the article on MLB.com, Sheffield had been represented by Boras before negotiating his contract with the Yankees by himself four years ago.

any idea's who would have been a bigger impact than a guy like Lilly was that Hendry was trying to swing a deal for at the deadline. Parla usted ingles?!

He did. :lol: Congrats Rockies. Well-deserved. Rockies would've owned Chicago if the Cubs made it to the NLCS. no, actually the cubs would have done the unbelievable...they would have made it a good NLCS...i don't know if they would have won, but i know they wouldn't have been swept... i am SO happy the diamonds got the broom...hopefully it will make them realize that they were lucky that the cubs fell over and played possum What is the basis for your argument? The Rockies have the most potent offense in baseball, and it's clear their pitching staff can get the job done, too. I live in Denver and get to watch lots of Rockies games. Based on what I've seen from them this year, they would steamroll the Cubs (which happened when the Cubs were here in August).

Care to elaborate for those of us who didn't see the news?

Rant?

I! (or Aye!)

The Rockies announcer mentioned that although the throw was dead on, it took about 2.11 seconds to reach 2B. The average throw of a catcher from home plate to 2B is 2.0_ (can't remember the hundredth place value). It doesn't sound like a huge difference, but clearly Kendall throws slower than average. The result is that teams run at will against us. (For the record, I dig the offense the dude is providing!)

What has happened to this thread? It seems like every other page is off topic. Can we keep the focus on the potential acquisition of Ryan Church?

I would be suprised if Fontenot doesn't start at 2B and I'd be even more suprised if Jones and Fontenot are traded together. Any insight into why Lou would consider starting Fontenot at 2B a "surprise"?

In Muskat's latest pre-game writeup, there is a blurb that mentions Lou promising a surprise as to who will start at 2B tonight: Fontenot's value has never been higher. Since the Cubs are also trying to rid themselves of Jaque's contract, could they be packaged in a deal for a new, full-time 2B? DeRosa and Theriot seem to have the most value as supersubs... Is there a potential suitor who would have a use for Jones (insert numerous "bag of baseballs" jokes here) and Fontenot - who could also give us a quality starter at 2B? Discuss...

:?:

I would also rather have stronger offensive than defensive production from our outfield, but my concern is that it doesn't even seem like our outfielders are showing up to play defense. That could be a huge liability - and certainly not promising if we end up making the playoffs... Watching Soriano in CF makes me miss Corey Patterson (the defensive version of him, that is).

I'm sitting here in sunny Mesa, AZ, reflecting on the last three days and games I have attended. Through the excitement and optimism of a team that is actually fun to watch and seems to be working on fundamentals, one concern comes to mind: our outfield defense. Soriano is a butcher in CF based on what I have observed. He awkwardly dives at the wrong time, and misjudges (and then misses) the ball, which allows runners to advance. Floyd doesn't appear to have a clue, either. In today's game, he had a bizarre angle on a relatively routine drive to RF, which popped off the heal of his glove. On another play, he called off Izturis and Soriano, narrowly avoiding a collision with Izturis, and then flipped the ball to Izturis, who was only a few feet away and NOT expecting (and rightly so) a throw from Floyd. This play happened with less than two outs and a runner in scoring position. You can probably guess what happened to that runner... Jones in RF doesn't encourage me much more with his bizarre sense of where relay throws need to go. He has looked better than the previous two, though, and Murton has looked crisp since I got here. Really, Murton is the only OF I'm excited (and not fearful) to watch. I'm afraid that we're going to grimmace throughout the summer whenever a ball ends up in the outfield... Thoughts on the significance of having lackluster defense in the OF? Can we still compete if other areas are strong (and lucky)?

I'm spinning? Look where Furcal's right foot touches the bag. On the inside, if you don't feel like watching again. To say that if Furcal would've arrived at the bag at the same time, same speed, and 'basically the same path' is disregarding the fundamental truth that a straight line is the shortest, therefore the quickest, possible distance between two points. Was Lee asking for it by stepping in front of the baserunner's path? Certainly. Was a collision likely because of this? Yes. Would the collision have been different had Furcal taken a different path, therefore altering the time and place at which he would have crossed paths with Lee? Most definitely. Is it annoying when people make their point by asking numerous rhetorical questions and including their responses? Maybe... :wink: Just nitpicking... My old boss used to use this approach when talking to our department at staff meetings - only she would go on for at least 20 minutes in that fashion. It drove me nuts!

Lopez must be finished. The Rockies have hardly been set at catcher; I thought for sure he would make the team and end up becoming an offensive force again in Denver. That he didn't even make the team is a pretty strong indictment against his skill level... On an unrelated note, my friend saw some freak crash into Torrealba's car in a parking garage at her apartment last summer!

That everything was a fishing analogy became my first clue that Dusty didn't have a whole lot going on upstairs... For those of you who have seen Anything Else (a recent Woody Allen flick), Dusty's overuse of that metaphor reminded me of Danny DeVito's suit analogies. For those of you who haven't seen it, just imagine the most slimey, slippery imp of a man routinely comparing everything to suits fabrics, suit stores, suit fitting, etc.

Wrigley Field box office.

It would have been better if, before speaking, the GM had thought, "It's like I'm trying to get a little squirrel to come over to me here. I don't wanna make any big, sudden movements. I'll frighten him away."

Very true. But wtf happened to Helton's power last year? He clearly took steroids but somehow gets away with it Let's avoid Salem witch trials, please. As you may have read in my other post, Helton had a scary stomach condition. For awhile, it looked like he was deathly ill and possibly finished as a ballplayer. To say that steroids was the issue proves one's ignorance, as well as one's willingness to jump to an inaccurate conclusion. Pretty sure he was being sarcastic. OT - I'm here in Denver visiting/meeting my girlfriend's family and can't get out of here until Tuesday, which sucks. But I have to say, this city is beautiful. Haven't seen much of downtown besides a couple of bars last night. Some place named Opal is hands-down the most hilarious bar I've been to - and that counts townie southern Indiana bars. It's like a trendy-but-feels-like-a-cocaine-scene bar with a collection of bad characters from a really crappy movie, my favorites last night being the drugged-out asian guy all in white wearing a low hat with a cohort all in black, ski cap to boot, who would disappear whenever the other guy said something to him and mysteriously reappear 5 minutes later. Very weird scene. Not worth the saki. Hope you enjoyed the rant. On topic, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has denied re-initiating Helton trade talks with the Angels (per Rotoworld). He has no idea who came up with that report - or why. Off topic, I'm glad that you're making the best of your being trapped in Denver. Luckily my roommate has a Jeep, so we've been able to explore the insanity of the blizzard. My car has RWD, so I'm just hopeful I'll be able to break out of my driveway by Christmas. Opal is truly a unique bar (and right near my old place). If you're looking for more hip - or bizarre - places to grab a drink, try heading down to LoDo. Tryst is hip, and I dig the Tavern Downtown as well as the cowboy place next door. El Chapultapec (right across from Coors Field at 20th and Blake) is a famous jazz bar, with live music, cheap burritos, and the honor of being named one of Playboy's "best bars" in the nation. Enjoy the rest of your stay!

Very true. But wtf happened to Helton's power last year? He clearly took steroids but somehow gets away with it Let's avoid Salem witch trials, please. As you may have read in my other post, Helton had a scary stomach condition. For awhile, it looked like he was deathly ill and possibly finished as a ballplayer. To say that steroids was the issue proves one's ignorance, as well as one's willingness to jump to an inaccurate conclusion.