BigbadB

How so? This is from the 3/20 game thread: You can't be serious. You just CAN'T. Does this help you understand our chicken little syndrome a little better? :D Oh, and that line up ranks right up there among the worst I've ever seen. Let's hope he doesn't actually use that one during the regular season. Let's hope he's just getting it out of his system now.

I thought the Dodgers could have traded Choi to Tampa for Huff before they went on that huge spending spree. Choi's youth and being inexpensive seemed like a good fit for Tampa.

I agree he is a valuable asset. But, it doesn't appear to the Cubs organization that he is a valuable asset. And no other team is giving them any impression that he is a valuable asset. I have said all along that they should keep him, even if it means sitting on the bench, rather than give him up for less in return.

They didn't need to run him off though. All they had to do was not extend his contract. He even told them that if you intend to trade me, please do not extend my contract (not in exact words). I don't think Walker has handled this whole thing correctly, but Hendry certainly isn't a saint in this whole debacle.

I always thought Valley Fever was "like, gag me with a spoon" crazy talk.

What a really, really poor management team this is turning into. I could see Baltimore pushing a Matos/Walker deal, but the Cubs? Come on. It really peeves me badly to know that the Cubs are "pushing" this deal. Walker on the bench is better than Matos on the bench. That the Orioles are considering using Walker as their designated hitter makes it painfully obvious who is getting the short end of the stick here. Couldn't they just use Matos as their DH if he's equal to or better than Walker?

And if Jacque Jones comes out in the newspapers tomorrow that he only wants to play CF and refuses to play RF, do you still think that a player should have that kind of authority to make on field baseball decisions? Or are you basing your position on the fact that Soriano has expressed his desire to stay at 2nd base or should all teams discuss what position players want to or would be willing to play before trades are made?

My problem is that Neifi got a 2 year contract. My problem is that a guy like Jose Macias can have a job on the Cubs for 2 years. My problem is that a guy with the abilities of Neifi Perez or Jose Macias even get any newspaper time outside of a game winning hit after being the last guy off the bench in a close game. To me, Dusty values a guy like Neifi Perez way too much. Whatever my opinions of Walker or Hairston are, Neifi is an end of the bench, bottom of the order, late inning defensive replacement. Neifi had way too many top of the order at bats. He had way too many starts last year. Cedeno was sent to the minor leagues in favor of Enrique Wilson, who I think is even worse than Neifi Perez. It's only 6 months later, and Cedeno has very little more major league experience as he had when Dusty sent him down in favor of Wilson. A poor Spring Training isn't helping his cause. Rafael Furcal, Edgar Renteria, Julio Lugo, Miguel Tejada. A lot of names were thrown around in trade talks and free agency this offseason. They didn't do any of those deals. They wanted to go with Cedeno, or at least felt that the deals offered weren't worth it considering we had Ronny Cedeno (not Neifi Perez) already in our camp. A poor spring training should not change that and I hope it doesn't change that. But, given the current manager can bat Neifi Perez and Jose Macias 1st and 2nd in a batting order, pardon me for not having complete faith that Ronny will be given a fair shake.

If I knew it as fact, then yeah, I'd have an issue with the way Washington has dealt with this as well. But, I don't know that as fact.

I don't see this the same way you do. You are certainly welcome to be supportive (you being a generalization and not you directly) of every decision made by the Cubs organization. But, people have their reasons for why they can't or won't be supportive of those same decisions. Maybe it's because of the futile history of this organization. Maybe it's because Dusty hasn't given them reason to be optimistic. Maybe it's a combination of things. But, there is certainly no more wrong in believing that the sky is falling as there is in believing this organization can do no wrong. Argue those points without labeling someone who doesn't agree with you and we can achieve a great debate. If any organization should have a lot of pessimistic fans, it's the Cubs. Being pessimistic is not nearly as healthy as being optimistic. Some of the pessimistic fans were optimistic at one time, but something finally sent them over the edge. But, even the most pessimistic fans still want this organization to win. Wanting the organization to win and having the faith that they can do so are two different things. I didn't really come on board as a Cub fan until 1971. I basically missed the comedy that was 1969. I cannot show any disrespect to someone who lived through the heartache of 1969 because they lost their faith in this organization. Especially when they still follow them closely. One thing we all seem to have in common here is a geniune love for this baseball team. We aren't always going to agree on things because we are all totally different individuals. As long as we keep the debates from getting personal, we can agree to disagree and respect each others opinions. My reason for jumping into this thread is to stop the labeling and insults from getting out of hand. I haven't shared an opinion either way about the topic at hand.

Oh, I completely agree with you on the bar thing. We've had that ban here for years, and I don't mind going outside to smoke. The ban I'm speaking of is ANYWHERE within the stadium grounds at Petco Park. It's a hike and a half to leave the grounds to have a smoke. The choices are: 1) don't go, which I believe a lot of smokers have decided to do (season ticket holders included) 2) light up anyway, which will probably happen around lots of nonsmokers as I witnessed last night 3) try to make it a whole game without smoking, like I did last night. But, I only did that because it was a special game and felt like I could do so because it was a special game. I won't be going to any other games there this year and considering the hassles of getting to the park in the first place, this choice does not hurt my feelings at all. 4)leave the grounds to smoke (which doesn't appear to be the popular choice) The designated area seems to me to be the "compromise" method that would work best. I don't care if it is an enclosed tent at the far reaches of the stadium grounds where no non smoker can be offended. It's still better than having to exit the stadium. And it has to be better than what I witnessed last night. They just lit them up wherever they wanted to since there was no designated area and people were not willing to leave the grounds and miss an inning or two of the game.

I disagree that's any attack of person, it may be an attack of a group think though. And Thank you, I've gone 5-10 days at a time not smoking, but the minute I have a beer, it's all over. Yeah, I don't believe I ever said you attacked an individual poster. I feel horrible for the stadium security people. Instead of watching for fights and drunkeness, they have to run around like chickens with their heads cut off telling people to put out their cigarettes. I'm thinking the smoking ban is going to go over like a lead balloon, with much worse results than a designated smoking area. 29yearsloyal and I just shook our heads in amazement of how poor of an idea this was.

I've never even heard of that, and I'm not sure I want to know what that is. :shock: Bad timing anyway. I'm leaving for Vegas tomorrow for a week. I smoke like a chimney there, because I can. :roll: [-(

What's with the shouting all of a sudden? That's an insult. Sorry bout the shouting. I'm trying to quit smoking and this thread is aggravating my nerves. And whom specifically am I insulting? Or am I attacking a viewpoint? The viewpoint that Chicken Littles everything Neifi does? I don't recall ever mentioning a poster by name or by quote, therefore I can't be attacking a poster. It wasn't an attack of an individual poster, but rather a group of posters. Good luck with the no smoking thing. I attempted to quit not that long ago and my wife went and bought me a pack just to shut me up. I was starting to unravel a bit in that long 9th inning last night also. Petco doesn't allow any smoking anywhere on the stadium grounds. And how is that working? People are smoking everywhere now instead of in designated areas. Great plan! Not me, of course. I respected their rules last night.

Well, after watching Wily Mo barely make it around the 1st base bag on a dropped fly ball by the Cuban LFer, my opinion of Wily Mo has dropped significantly. Lazy ballplayer that lacks heart and hustle. How coincidental that he got traded a day later.

What's with the shouting all of a sudden? That's an insult.

I like how you posted the word OPINION in big letters. Because people here are allowed to post their OPINIONS, and if their OPINION does not agree with yours, their OPINION is apparently incorrect, or should I say a false misrepresentation? According to your interpretation or your OPINION, there was nothing in the quote to suggest that Cedeno was getting demoted. But, is it actually a fact or is it simply your opinion? Everyone has an opinion. You are welcome to disagree with someone's opinion, but you are not welcome to insult people who have differing opinions, which is basically what you have done.

All of this could have easily been avoided if you just stop going poop. :D I don't think this attitude will ever change. The United States isn't run in a way that would bring the races closer together. And it is sad.

Thanks Bruce. Not the first time posters have ignored the whole story, and only focused on the part that fits their agenda. What adgenda is that? It is about time for this stuff to stop. Only time will tell what Dusty will do. I don't know if it's an "agenda" but I'd qualify it as a propensity to misrepresent stories and quotes to fit one's viewpoint. Why? Every word should be viewed the same way by everyone based on how you view it, otherwise it's a propensity to misrepresent stories and quotes to fit one's viewpoint? I see nothing wrong with people reading something and making their own judgments as to the meaning.

I would agree with that. But, I think the US would win if they put together the right team. That would require leaving a lot of the million dollar babies at home, however.

to bad thats all he can do, whats his career BA and OBP? But I would still rather have his potential over Arroyo. You have to basically have had a career before you can look at things like career BA and OBP. The kid just turned 24. Our very own Derrek Lee had a .206 AVG and a .263 OBP at the age of 23, and the stats would be pretty similar for his "career" up to that point with Wily Mo. Sammy Sosa had a .260/.317 at the age of 23. And that was his highest OBP to date. Sosa only hit 8 HR's that year. Is it safe to say that what these guys did at 23 is not an accurate assessment of how their careers turned out?

It's bad enough that there are people with the Cubs that I do not like. It would be something entirely different to then also have a player on the team that I can't stand. Selfish players who think they are bigger than the game themselves are not welcome. I hope he sits out all season. I applaud the Nationals for taking a stand against Soriano.

I definitely enjoyed it. I went to the Saturday day game and the Monday night game. The crowd was nothing like any crowd I've ever seen for a game before. Very fun watching fans from other countries support their teams. It was also enjoyable watching teams play baseball the way it's supposed to be played. Hustle, backing each other up, etc...

Clement's price tag is much larger than Arroyo.

One problem with your argument. Wily Mo just turned 24 and has about a season and a half worth of at bats. Neifi is 33 and is past his prime. What had Sammy Sosa done by the time he turned 24? 26 HR's in 336 at bats in 2004 shows tremendous power potential.