BigbadB

A lot of rumors. Yes. However, not the type of rumors I want to hear. They have done nothing to convince me they intend to improve the weakness this team has.

Partially. Not firing Baker. Burnitz has not been released from his option Rumored to have no interest in Nomar Walker's option hasn't been picked up yet Cubs are not even a blip on the radar screen for Giles Rumors of Preston Wilson type players Rumor of Baker and staff extensions I could go on.

I'm reserving final judgment once this offseason is over. However, I'm not liking the way it's starting.

Ridiculous argument. Batman undeniably is better than Spiderman like Baker is better than LaRussa. :D

How would you like Lofton at 2/$6m, along with Wilson for 2/$10-14m? Because that's probably the type of people Hendry thinks would help this team. How do you know what Hendry thinks (assuming that's a typo), and yes, I know you said "probably"? Just basing it on his history of overpaying for mediocrity, and ignoring the BB/OBP problem on this team. Lofton, in theory, isn't a bad option. But if Kenny gets more than 1 year, or more than $1-2 million, and he's guaranteed the CF/leadoff job, no matter how he performs, it's a bad move. I actually think it would be kind of interesting to have Corey/Kenny/Greenberg battling for CF. But that would only be acceptable if they go big in RF. And going off Hendry's history, I'm not certain he'd solve that RF problem with an impact bat. Besides Burnitz what history is there?? Choi for Lee? Signing Walker? Trading for Nomar? Trading for ARam and Lofton? Giving DuBois a shot in LF? Giving Patterson a million shots in CF? Trading for Barrett?? Trading for Lawton? Neifi Perez was never signed to start btw. Contrary to your continual revision of history, Hendry has a clue. With Dusty Baker as the manager of this team and Hendry being Baker's boss: Neifi Perez not only batted lead off 114 times, he hit 2nd 268 times Jose Macias not only batted lead off 35 times, he hit 2nd 13 times Corey Patterson 128 times and 78 times Enrique Wilson hit 2nd 5 times That was just in 2005. I can reference many other occasions in 2004 and 2003 where some of these same names mentioned above along with Rey Ordonez, Damian Jackson, Lenny Harris, Ramon Martinez and others received way too many opportunities to hit at the top of the order. I'd call that ignoring the BB/OBP issue this team has had. I'm not sure Hendry has a clue.

The first thing should be to stop complaining about how hard it is to play at home. Quit making excuses. There's no reason why they can't win at home, and there's no special team to build in order to win at home. Just build a lineup that gets on base and hits for some power, a defense that fields the ball, and a pitching staff that gets outs and doesn't give up walks. Baseball is simple, there's no reason to try and make it complex. Here are some interesting facts: Cubs offense 5th in XBH's 10th in AVG 20th in runs scored 28th in walks Cubs pitching 5th best in BAA 7th worst in BB's 15th in ERA With this team, it's all about the lack of respect for damage a walk can do. As Goony stated, it's really simple and there is no reason to make it any more complex than that. Here are two simple questions to answer based on the stats I provided above: 1. Why does a team that averages in the top 10 in batting average and XBH's finish in the bottom 10 in runs scored? 2. Why does a team that ranks in the top 5 in BAA finish in the bottom 15 in ERA?

I think the Cardinals will only be lukewarm in interest for Giles. If they get into the bidding, it will be to see if they can get him on the cheap or to help boost his bidding price. With what they currently have, I don't see a need for them to spend big money on a Brian Giles when they seem much better at picking up an unnoticed or forgotten player that they can get + production for the dollar. Walker was never an impact bat for the Cardinals. Simply a role player. That's really all they need to stay competitive and ahead of the competition, especially if Rolen comes back healthy next year. By throwing the blanket "we are interested in Giles" out there, they have already boosted his asking price. They can sit back and giggle while the teams desperate for Gileslike production try to outbid each other. Or, St. Louis could honestly be interested and not be bluffing. Either way, they have postured themselves. The Cubs have not.

Undeniably!

It's starting to really unravel in San Diego as I predicted. They have made a ton of money on this new ballpark deal, and the owner is buying up everything he can "around" the stadium rather than on the product on the field. Towers is interviewing for the Arizona job and they have a nice long list of free agents in Trevor Hoffman (he wants 10m plus) Brian Giles (is already hinting about leaving) Ramon Hernandez (Padres are already dealing with life without him) Joe Randa Mark Sweeney Tim Hammond Pedro Astacio Rudy Seanez Robert Fick They have several arbitration elibigibles in Sean Burroughs Adam Eaton Dave Roberts Miguel Olivo And, big AND here, they have a bunch of overpaid crap players under contract: Chan Ho Park 10m Klesko 10m Woody Williams 5m Brian Lawrence 4m All the guys listed under contract already add up to 36m. They could probably spend close to 90m and still come out way ahead in profits, but will probably settle for something in the mid 50's like they did in 2004 and 2005. The talk is if Giles leaves, they'll work on Jacque Jones and Juan Encarnacion or go with Ben Johnson. That's the kind of talk that will not only please me as a Cub fan, but will make all of my SD neighbors livid. This team is headed down a road the Pittsburgh Pirates recently traveled.

Zero? That's a nice kick in the teeth. Way to burn those bridges!! I can't say I'm overly interested in Girardi, but Girardi in a vegetative state is probably still better than Dusty. I'm starting to think Cubs management is in a vegetative state.

Let the potentially horrible offseason begin. The Cubs have done nothing to make Nomar believe he will be welcomed back. Some other team is already serenading him. Weak free agent class Few marketable players to trade Holes that weren't necessarily holes (Nomar/Walker) that increase holes ____________________________________________ = bad offseason ____________________________________________ =Wait until 2007

Lofton was only a part time player last year. How is he going to reasonably expect some team to pay Yankee type money for him at this stage of his career? It's not reasonable. The Yankees dreaded that signing nearly the day after they did it. They also had the toughest time moving him once he signed that deal. He signed a one year/1m deal to play for the White Sox in 2002, a one year/1m deal to play for the Pirates in 2003, and the Yankees came along with their fat checkbook and forked out 3m a year for him, then traded him after the first year. All three of those signings Lofton ended up being traded halfway through his contract. I'll say again that he wouldn't be a bad pick up to platoon with Hairston or as a pinch hitter/pinch runner. Of course it would be a bad signing to give him Yankee money. And of course it would be horrible to sign him AND Preston Wilson. It could happen, but I would hope Hendry wouldn't be that dumb.

60"? What part of LA are you in? Lindbergh Field in San Diego reported 5.31 inches of rain last year.

Why shouldn't they? That's exactly how you keep people happy. If you have built a successful organization that goes out and wins year in and year out, and you owe part of that success to the person who is being contacted, why not give that person the freedom to go out and see if they would like to increase their salary or take the success to another team or for whatever reason that person wishes. If he stays, it just says that much more about what you've accomplished. If he leaves, you'll have a hard time replacing him. I don't see any reason why he would want to leave. Offer away, but it doesn't mean he'll accept.

The list you just provided has 7 out of 8 guys who can provide .350+ OBP. You also have Milton Bradley AND Preston Wilson listed. You want to see whining and crying and unhappiness on day 1? Have those two on your roster and only put one of them in centerfield. Trade for Bradley and don't sign Wilson. Trade for some other good OBP/power guy and you have 8 instead of 7.

Lofton is a cheap signing for protection in the event Patterson continues to implode. Patterson could possibly boost his trade value by the trade deadline in a utility role. Pie could be ready by the all star break. Lofton could be a nice bat off the bench. There are plenty of reasons to like Lofton returning on a cheap, one year deal.

Wilson the last couple years was very similar to Corey's career numbers. He doesn't get on base, and that's the single biggest problem with this team. He's overpaid due to some early success and overhype. He would not help this team one bit. The negatives about Wilson have been listed repeatedly. Why is obp such a necessity in the 6 hole, if you're getting really good obp from 1-5 and Murton and Barrett are pretty good?? With the options out there, Wilson is not bad at all. I take it you don't want Pie or Patterson in cf. The lists of really good OF's isn't very deep after Giles, and the Cubs don't have a lot of assets to trade away for good OF's. Their farm system is not stocked w/ future superstars. I sit on the side of the fence that says you don't necessarily need a good OBP in the 6 spot. But, if you don't have a good OBP, you at least need to have a good AVG to hit 6th. The 6th spot in the order will be hitting directly behind the best OBP guys in the line up. That good AVG (Nomar Garciaparra) will drive in a lot more runs than someone like Preston Wilson, who doesn't have a good OBP or AVG.

Why is a whole line up of .350+ OBP guys not realistic? Walker/Hairston/Lofton covering 2nd/CF Nomar/Furcal Aramis Lee Barrett Giles/Abreu/Bradley/Murton/Dunn/Huff/Damon/Floyd Take 3 names out of that outfield group and you have guys who all can put up .350+ OBP's to go along with all the guys we had last year that could do it. You only sign a token Preston Wilson type guy if 6 or 7 of the other guys are locked in and good production guys.

I have absolutely no faith in anyone in the Cubs system that Neifi will be sent packing this offseason. They have already entertained thoughts of letting both Walker and Nomar walk. Do you think they would also let Neifi walk? He filled in nicely in Nomar and Walker's absence, therefore he will be considered a nice bench player who could "fill in" when times get tough. If there is any remote consideration for Cedeno as an opening day starter, you better believe that Dusty will have Neifi waiting in the wings the first time Cedeno has an Ofer. The Cubs did not address their biggest problem ALL YEAR. OBP. 162 games went by and they ran the same guys out there. Murton, Cedeno, Walker and Hairston were the only real options to hit at the top of the order, yet Patterson, Macias and Perez had more than their fair share of at bats there. To me, this says they prefer the aggresive approach. Nothing has convinced me that they intend to change that approach. They didn't move Murton to the top of the order while he was sporting a .400 OBP. In 2003, they attempted to convert OBP machine Mark Bellhorn into an RBI machine at the bottom of the order. Instead of hitting him at the top of the order where he could do the most damage, they let him draw walks for the bad 8th and 9th place hitters. In 2004, Rey F. Ordonez had a ridiculous amount of at bats in the #2 spot in the order. With that said, I don't find it at all unlikely to think that Preston Wilson, Jeromy Burnitz among others of that same mold get a contract to play for the Cubs in 2006.

You don't see Neifi playing over Cedeno, but your not Dusty. I saw Neifi play over Cedeno quite often. More often than he should have. When games no longer meant anything other than a chance at a .500 season, I saw Cedeno sitting while Neifi played. As long as Dusty is in charge, you should be very leery of a situation where a rookie is battling a crafty (oops, I meant crappy) veteran.

Yeah, it's pouring out there. Some of what we've been having the past few days. I thought it never rained in California and Arizona? It isn't real rain. It's more like a heavy mist. Being a born and bred midwesterner, I can tell people who are native Californians that they have never truly seen a "good" rain. I've lived in California for 10 years now, and I have seen lightning storms here 3 times. That's it.

Wouldn't that be what you use your ROBBBGY for? You know the guy who sits next to the LOOGY? Yeah, the Righty One Batter Bean Ball Guy.

It doesn't scare you just a little bit that they trotted Corey Patterson, Neifi Perez and Jose Macias out there at the top of the order all year long when better options were available? It sure scares me that this team doesn't seem to think there is a serious problem with the offense (lack of OBP). To hear the press leaks for Preston Wilson and other leaks about not retaining Nomar or Walker leads me to believe that they don't think there is a problem. They seem to be all too interested in Furcal. But, I'll bet they are interested in Furcal because of his speed. Baker has been quoted as saying you need a speed guy at the top of the order. I wonder if they even know what Furcal's OBP was this past year. That's what is scary.

No, BBB, I know they can't just try and outddo St Louis, but I was trying to make a point that it might be, realistically, one of the things that kicks Hendry into paying market value for the one impact player in this years crop. Well, wouldn't it be somewhat nice if there was a small leak or two to the baseball press gods that the Cubs were at least slightly, remotely, considerably and minutely interested in one, Brian Giles? Why do I have to read that all these other teams are already expressing interest in taking him away from home? It's probably considered tampering to even talk to him at this point, but I see nothing wrong with posturing.

You just ruined my day. Not to ruin your day any further, but there is no guarantee on Furcal, either. There are 29 other teams that will be hunting the free agent pile and the pickings are slim. Knowing the pickings are slim, when a team sees what they want, they will make their offers.