BigbadB

The thing that frustrates me to no end on this subject matter is the fact that players turn to this stuff in an attempt to improve their game and reap big monetary rewards. Meanwhile, guys who don't touch the stuff and follow the letter of the law end up losing roster spots to these clowns and possibly never achieving a professional career. That, or they see that they too need to order PED's to be be able to compete on the same level as those already taking PED's. Maybe Ankiel falls under the last group, but we'll never know. Baseball needs to find a way to rid itself of this demon (PED usage). While I have never been a fan of peeing in a cup because it's each person's right to live their life as they choose, playing a professional sport that can earn you millions of dollars is limited to a small talent pool. Those that abuse that privilege don't deserve to be there any longer. The players who deserve to make millions in front of a national stage are those that got their without the assistance of illegal substances. And while I can see someone like Ankiel getting "off the hook" because of the time frame, I'm referring more towards moving forward. If earning millions to play a game means peeing in a cup once or twice a week, I think that's a small price to pay to not only help clean up this game, but to put an end to PED use to get ahead of the competition.

While I haven't actually heard too many people calling for Ankiel to be burned at the stake, we have poked a little fun at his expense. If it turns out that Cub players did the same, a little turn about would be fair play.

Wow, that firing came only about 6 years too late. But, thanks for Aramis!

How do we know he didn't jack up the price and sell them to DLee to make a quick buck? His numbers did jump in '05. This really is fun. :roll: Rick Ankiel sold it to Jose Macias, who in turn dropped it in DLee's coffee cup unbeknownst to Derrek. Yeah, that's it.

And how do we know that the shipment Ankiel received wasn't a lifetime supply? :D This is fun.

While I agree with this premise, could it be that Lou didn't feel like he could get someone else ready quickly enough to pitch in Dempster's place?

Now we all know why half of Ankiel's throws ended up at the back stop when he was a pitcher. The track marks in his arm hurt very much each time he threw the ball. :D

I agree with this, but unfortunately, there isn't a single guy in the Cub line up that even closely resembles Ted Williams at the plate. Pitchers often walked Ted Williams because Ted had an amazing plate presence, AND pitchers feared the alternative (grooving a pitch down the heart of the plate). On a related note, why does it seem like Soriano always swings at the worst pitches of an at bat and lets the best pitches to hit hit the catcher's mitt?

I also recall about 3 come from behind victories in the last few weeks.

It's been explained once already to get back on topic. Please respect these requests. Now, back to Rick "track marks" Ankiel.

The Cubs had wonderful scoring opportunities that never came to fruition. The wind was blowing out, so 4 runs isn't exactly setting the world on fire offensively. This loss hurts, but the ridiculous losses in April hurt a lot more.

Milwaukee's very last series is with the Padres, possible playoff implications for both teams. That might be a fun one to watch.

Can I get a shout out for the great defensive prowess of Fred McGriff, who singlehandedly proved to the world how valuable good defense at 1b really can be?

Yeah, but if Blanco had pictures of you to, maybe you would have been in the Hendry camp. :D

IF (big if) Milwaukee pays to keep their star young talent.

I've officially become tired of seeing the Cardinals and Houston leading early in their games and the Cubs losing early in their games. Let's just blow it up with 10 runs in the first.

Not sure if it's the wisest idea to put a guy, who has never stepped on a major league mound with not a single empty seat in the house with the bases loaded and nobody out, on the mound with all that pressure with playoff implications. After walking the first guy in 4 pitches, he really settled down and looked very good.

While I wouldn't discount Marmol's arm slot dropping, why would the Cubs use Marmol in that situation anyway? Granted, the game wasn't a blow out or anything, but his value to this team is protecting leads rather than keeping the Cubs close. You can't use a reliever everyday.

When I watch Jacque Jones at the plate, I wonder how this guy has ever hit 27 HR's in a season. He looks more like Juan Pierre out there most of the time, swinging at anything and everything. He's falling backwards when he swings. How has no one helped him fix his swing?

Yours is a much sillier statement. So it is not bullying to point out someone's faults and then making a spectacle of them? Showing that you dislike someone's actions is easy enough in more constructive ways. Don't go to the game, ignore the action altogether, write concerned letters. What purpose does booing have? It's the only immediate satisfaction I can think of for fans to let a player, manager or team know right away that you are not satisfied with the results on the field. Throwing tomatoes would be deemed unacceptable. Throwing batteries or spilling your drink would be unacceptable. Screaming profanities is unacceptable. Making boo noises is not unacceptable. You hear them in nearly every sporting venue in the world.

Yours is a much sillier statement.

Isn't power down across the entire league?

? I don't get it. Didn't Patterson rope a double down the right field line yesterday? How was he sent home? Yeah he did. I didn't catch anything after the top of the 5th, but he didn't stay in after that AB did he? If he was being disciplined, why would he have batted at all?

Just for oldcubsfan.......... Ben Grieve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But seriously, right now one of the more underrated players in the game to me is Matt Diaz. Tampa cut him, the Royals picked him up and traded him to Atlanta for a minor leaguer. All the guy has ever done is hit. And you want to tell me that the Kansas City Royals didn't have room in their outfield for a guy like Diaz?

? I don't get it. Didn't Patterson rope a double down the right field line yesterday? How was he sent home?