Blizzau

Very true. But wtf happened to Helton's power last year? Helton had some crazy stomach condition (possibly a parasite?) that sidelined him for a long time. After returning to the lineup, he was never at 100%. Selfishly, I hope the Rockies don't trade him. Helton is one of the only recognizable players here, and when he's on, he's a total masher.

It's currently December. With two months to go until spring training, I really don't see how the Reds could really use any additional outfielder right now. In all likelihood, Junior will be fine come Opening Day.

Since when are there anything but IFs in baseball? The whole game is one big IF. Perhaps you would care to clarify your meaning? Perhaps he could clarify the entire post... Though I'm often pretty adept at picking up on sarcasm, there may have been too much of it in that post to actually decipher its meaning.

We got rid of Cedeno??? I must have missed something!

yeah, that was the problem alll those years, not the hopelessly incompetent pitching staffs ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) At least it's good to know that the Cubs management team isn't the only one in the league that is misguided in attempting to fix its problems! :wink:

My $.02 from Denver: There has been no mention in local papers of the Rockies wanting/trying to trade Taveras. Since they have been looking for a CF and were severely lacking in speed last year, he seems to fit them pretty well. Clint Hurdle also apparently is very excited to have him and Kaz Matsui batting 1-2, and many here are talking about "small ball" finally becoming the focus of the team.

It's not like he hasn't been playing full seasons because his teams didn't appreciate him. Anyone care to translate this? The triple negative lost me!

Common sense would say that Bonds would go DH somewhere and an AL team would take advatage of that. What do the Yanks have for DH? The Yankees are set at DH with Giambi, who apparently is never going to play 1B again from what I've been reading... NEXT!

I agree that Dusty's moves - or lack thereof - helped to finish off the NLCS for the Cubs that year. Your logic, however, in placing more blame on one position player over another seems flawed. Alex Gonzales bobbled a ball, which happens occasionally in baseball. Even D-Lee will misplay a ball sometimes. Is it not human to err? Moises, meanwhile, displayed an emotional outburst during the infamous play. It is also human to respond emotionally sometimes, no? My logic tells me that mistakes happen, and it's fine for people (baseball players included) to make them. However, it is also up to professionals (again, including ballplayers) to behave professionally. Therefore, one could blame Moises for blowing up when he should have just trotted back out to LF and awaited the next play. But it's all just water the bridge at this point, I suppose...

??? Parla usted ingles? (Name that movie quote) ;) I really couldn't understand those sentences, and will gladly chalk it up to the early morning wake-up factor based on when you submitted your post. It would be helpful if you could clarify...

Stay away from Congress Plaza Hotel!!! The lobby is beautful, as are the hallways and elevators... But the rooms are horribly obsolete, and reek of mildew! A much better bet (and I used to travel around Chicagoland all the time for my old job) is the Hampton Inn on Illinois (at Dearborn). Similarly, the Courtyard by Marriott is relatively luxurious... Or you could go find comparably priced rooms at the House of Blues, my favorite hotel in Chicago. Good luck!

I think we might see listach as our new pitching coach if it isnt rothschild.. Interesting... Don't former pitchers become pitching coaches? I imagine there are more desirable candidates to fill that position that a former infielder.

As has been pointed out on NSBB, Pierre is not that great of a baserunner. He was caught stealing 20 times this year; he succeeded 58 times (74% success rate). This is consistent with his career average, as he has stolen 325 of 441 (74%). In order to "break even" - that is, to be be neither beneficial nor detrimental to your team as a baserunner - I believe a runner must average about 70%. (Hopefully another poster can provide the specific stat.) He is a pretty good runner, but not efficient or productive enough to warrant a hefty contract. When it comes to hits, of course he accumulates a lot of them batting leadoff and playing 162 games/year. However, he also gets out quite a bit. While his batting average is respectable, his on-base percentage is lacking. This year, he reached base at a .330 clip. His career average is .350 (a solid number), but he has been very inconsistent from year to year: 2000 .353 2001 .378 2002 .332 2003 .361 2004 .374 2005 .326 2006 .330 His most recent two years are alarming, and certainly not productive enough for a leadoff hitter. In comparison, Todd Walker had an OBP of .355 in 2005 with the Cubs, and .352 (Cubs) and .366 (Padres) this season. Walker's career OBP is .349, and he costs his team a fraction of the price Pierre does and will following his next contract. As Pierre ages, his ability to run out scrappy hits presumably will decrease. That he offers no advantages on defense (except for speed) also does not justify his pricetag. All this said, I like Pierre and his attitude. However, if the Cubs are looking at cost effective improvements in production, they should look elsewhere. EDIT: Mods, can the Pierre talk be merged into its own thread?

To be filed under Rants? Of the nonsensical kind, that is...

Maybe it is just what it sounds like to me - a lot of personal issues coming up in the lives of players. I know that when I was going through a broken engagement, my performance at work decreased substantially. In fact, I went from the best performer in the office to worst that year. It was enough of an effort just to make it through one day at a time; everything else (including my statistics and $ raised) became secondary, or even pointless. But I'm getting verklemped... talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island. Discuss! There, I'm feeling better now.

Even with the offesive improvement (Soriano) you proposed, I don't see how a competitive starting lineup could include both Angel Pagan and Cesar Izturis, who doesn't appear to be going anywhere, in my opinion. Could Pagan possibly put up decent numbers over the course of a season? Is he more than a AAAA player?

What???

Just a suggestion: If you do end up writing your letter to Cubs management, you may want to pay extra attention while editing grammar and punctuation. It is a lot easier to follow someone's writing when the appropriate there (location)/ their (possessive) / they're (contraction) is used, for example. Good luck with your letter, and let it all out...

Michigan isn't far from Chicago at all. It shouldn't be a surprise that many fans are coming to Wrigley to see an interleague match between the Tigers and Cubs. I grew up in Michigan, and I would have relished the opportunity to see the Tigers play the Cubs at Wrigley.

Jim Hendry is at it again - excuses, excuses, excuses. It appears that he is too afraid to admit to his error in hiring Dusty, as he proclaimed that Dusty's job is safe... after a 5-21 skid that doesn't look to be stopping anytime soon. This management team makes me sick. LINK EDIT: That was my first attempt at including a link. Could someone add a functional link to that article? Danke.

What is the likelihood of Hendry being canned just days after receiving an extension? Can anyone think of precedent set by other ballclubs for re-signing a GM and then cutting him loose? Although Hendry engineered some remarkably creative trades during his earlier days as GM of the Cubs, I think the last three years prove that he really doesn't know how to run an MLB team. Back to player development, Jim - No soup for you!!!

Could you clarify those comments, please? (wishing I had a TV or radio right now...)

I don't buy the '98 thing anymore than I buy anything else. Why should any of us believe ANYTHING, at this point? McGwire has been severely scrutinized. During the Andro thing, he was the ONLY one being scrutinized, and it hadn't even been shown that he had done anything wrong. Had he stayed in the game, I'm guessing that he'd be catching ALOT of heat right now. It wasn't worth it to him. Apparently it IS worth it to Bonds, because he chooses to keep himself in the spotlight. It doesn't matter whether YOU believe allegations that Bonds used steroids. The fact is that it has been alleged - by reasonably credible sources apparently with access to Grand Jury testimony - that Bonds began using steroids in 1998. Whether you choose to believe that is a completely different matter. To argue that he didn't allegedly use steroids simply because you do not believe the allegations is illogical.

Now that the Red Sox have pulled off a coup and acquired Wily Mo Pena, does anyone else see the Cubs making a push to land Trot Nixon? He could provide insurance in case either Murton or Jones falters. If there is a fit, what do you think the Cubs would offer to the Red Sox?

I'm surprised no one in this thread has blamed Alou for blowing his top and unnecessarily freaking out at Bartman. That, in my opinion, was the act that caused the entire Cubs team to lose its focus. Gonzales then booted the ball, Prior's concentration broke, and we all know the outcome. Dang you, Moises.