samhainn77

So is our offense.

Hoops, you're kinda creeping me out with all of this voodoo, black magic, baseball speculation.

Lol, agreed...I can see it now. One correction though. Soriano Perez Lee Burnitz Ramirez Hollandsworth Barrett Walker Nomar hasn't earned his spot back. Dude, man you can't take Neifi out of there, this guy has saved the team. Plus the Walker/Barret swap keeps the whole RLRL thing going.

Well....so much for the 8th. The meat of our order looked pretty sad there.

I think Neifi was bunting for a hit, and he nearly got it. Yeah it was a drag bunt trying to get on base and he was out by a half step. Not a bad play. At the worst it moves the runner to 3rd with only one out and at best he beats it out and we got guys at the corners with nobody out. If Hollandsworth executes we at least chip one run off that lead... Couldn't tell from computer screen. But, why would a bunt "surprise" the other team for a hit in that situation? Just seems odd to me. Then again, maybe it would surprise them because it's a bad thing to do when your down 3 runs. It didn't really surprise them, it was a really good drag bunt.

So your telling me that lefties are kicking the crap out of Remmy? Huh, never made the connection. But aren't ALL LHP good at getting out lefties? They have no other value IIRC.

Are you on drugs? He was pinch hitting for Rusch. Christ, you're hollandsworth hating is getting old, especially when it's so blatantly ridiculous and wrong. There are enough situations to get on Hollandsworth and Dusty about, you don't need to be incorrect to do it. Good lord, overreact much? He made a mistake. At any rate, we probably had a better chance for Rusch to drive the run in there.

Indeed, Dusty is a Mental Behemoth

There are few people who I'd not rather see up there than Holla. Another stranded.

This offense is just embarassing. For the last week we've been struggling to push 1 run across.

I look forward to this lineup: Macias CF --He was awesome against the Giants, dude! Neifi SS --Speed guy, earned his playing time over Nomar Lee 1B --MVP Burnitz RF --Lefty! Ramirez 3B --Now that I've let Macias spell him the last 3 games..Righty! Walker 2B --That high OBP or whatever they call it will be money for holla Hollandsworth LF -- 0 for his last 76, he's like due man, plus...LEFTY! Blanco C --97 out today...no way Barret can hold up. Hey look at the bright side, we have a bench of Nomar, Hairston, Gerut, Murton, Barret, Cedeno...we may be able to squeak our first run across in the late innings.

C'mon Z, nobody is expecting perfection...just common sense. Or at least learning from his mistakes. It was total exaggeration (except for the peanut vendors: Wrigley's are second to none), but is there any other position on the field that it's easier to second guess than manager? Some people just love to whine and try and look smarter than the manager. But when whoever replaces Dusty gets hired, it'll be the same stuff different day. Or they'll be whining about some other set of problems...but they'll still be whining. Fair enough, but I'll be happier complaining about the best player in each position not performing like he can than I would be about the same player rotting on the bench while the bench players are taking their starts.

C'mon Z, nobody is expecting perfection...just common sense. Or at least learning from his mistakes.

Actually, Dusty is the manager, not Corey. He could've said no if he wanted to. He should've known not to let a guy who was struggling hit in one of the most crucial on base spots in the line up. I understand his player's manager philosophy, but this is the same thing that happened with Sammy's refusal to move down last year. At some point, Dusty has to put on his manager's hat, and make a decision that's going to benefit the team, not just keep one player happy. Exactly right. If Aramis asked to bat leadoff, what then? What if Barrett wanted to coach third base? Neifi work concessions? Really though, BleedCubbieBlue said it right: it's not a Players' Manager's job to give everyone what they want, it's to keep everybody happy and productive. If Corey wanted to bat leadoff, Dusty should've pulled him aside and given him a "best for the team" talk. Lol! IMO Neifi should be working concessions for the first 7 innings or so. As far as bashing Dusty, he gets criticized because he does not put this team in the best position to win and that's his only job. You play your best players, you don't run your pitchers ragged, you anticipate the opposing team's moves and act accordingly. He does none of those things consistently. That's why people say the cubs are where they are in spite of Dusty not because of him. I mean can you really look back at Dusty's stint in Chicago without saying WTF was he thinking?

Yeah it was pretty dirty. It's hard to believe somebody would accidentally slide with his cleats at chest level. I will say that I'm glad he immediatly apologized although even that was somewhat condescending, he was patting Barajas on the face like it was his grandson or something. For the record, I am still angry at Edmonds for this. I don't blame Sammy as much as I blame the red queen.

Yeah it was pretty dirty. It's hard to believe somebody would accidentally slide with his cleats at chest level. I will say that I'm glad he immediatly apologized although even that was somewhat condescending, he was patting Barajas on the face like it was his grandson or something. For the record, I am still angry at Edmonds for this. I don't blame Sammy as much as I blame the red queen.

Because, unlike SOME people, he has been around the league a while. Old = Good. I can't believe that Murton loser has the nerve to try to play MLB without having played in the Majors before. I mean who does that? Somebody needs to tell this kid to try playing in the majors again in a few years, after he's played in the majors a while.

This lineup makes me want to throw up! Macias not only starting but leading off? What does Murton have to do get some damn PT? Why did we trade one of the better offensive prospects we've had in a while for a marginal major leaguer if said marginal magor leaguer is just going to rot on the bench like Dubois was? We'd be a scary team if we had a manager who had 1/4 of a clue.

Dude, they're crafty, speedy, veterens, man. Dude, man, Dusty needs his speed guys at the top of the order, man.

We under appreciate Neifi. He's a career sub who has filled in admirably. Let's not have short memories, Neifi and DLee were carrying the offense when Aramis and Corey were automatic outs early in the season. Without going into the same debate again, I'll have to strongly disagree. Neifi did well in April, but he's regressed to his career numbers, which I don't want on the roster at all. Nonsense. Since May 1: .241/.261/.337/.598 Who's been worse? Cory Patterson for one. Nope, actually 50 points better in OPS, but he's been deemed not good enough to be on a major league roster at that level of production. Yet Neifi has praise heaped upon him for being worse since his hot start. I should have clarified though, I was referring to infielders when I asked who was worse, since you claimed he was the best reserve. This is a prime example of why I'm glad the Cubs look at more than just selective stats. I guess you just ignore defense, but hey that's ok. Your're entitled to your opinion, I just disagree. CPat is where he belongs BTW. Interesting that you would use the "defense" argument for Neifi while you trash talk Patterson, easily our best defensive outfielder and one of the better fielders in the league.

Closing in on 90 after 4 2/3.

Good lord is Maddux throwing beach balls up there today? 9 hits through 4? Also, Dusty...his name is Ronnie Cedeno, he is your starting Shortstop for the duration of the year (barring Nomar being 100%)

I agree 100%. It's easy to see that Dubois was given the token chance rather than a fair chance...and Dusty will have his rear glued to the pine the rest of the year. That travesty aside, I think if Dubois isn't going to be out there then Hairston needs to get the nod. I mean his avg isn't great, but who cares? He works the count relentlessly and finds ways to get on base. He is the closest thing that we have to a leadoff hitter. I can't understand why Dusty tries so hard to prove the most logical options wrong and not even give them a chance. Have we seen this yet? Hairston LF Walker 2B Lee 1B Burnitz RF Ramirez 3B Patterson CF Barrett C Perez SS I mean I didn't even put Cedeno in at SS or take out Dusty's RLR out of the meat of the lineup. I'm mostly dealing with his guys. To me, this is the most optimal lineup we have available to us...yet we never see it and probably never will. I am a Corey fan (I realize that on this board that probably makes me an insta-idiot) but at this point in his career without developing some discipline at the plate...he has no business being 1 or 2 in the lineup. Anyone should be able to see that. If/when he finally gets it, he's going to be a run producer, not a table setter.