Laura

Thanks. Furthermore, in private I asked McDonough about mending bridges with Sosa and he said he said that would be something that should happen. He said Sosa has made some indirect overtures toward that goal, but that he hadn't spoken to Sosa directly. He did acknowledge that the divorce from the Cubs with Sosa was a messy, but stated that "Sosa was one of the most powerful forces in baseball (not just the Cubs) over the past ten years" and stated it would be unfortunate if the Cubs didn't mend that bridge. When I stated that I'd love to see a flag with #21 on the fould poles along with those for Banks, Williams, Sandberg and Santo he said that someday in the future that should happen. In my talks with McDonough, I was really impressed with him. I understand he's a marketing guy, so maybe he just knows how to spin things, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being. BTW, the Trib says that Marquis is still welcome to take #21.

Brewers fan friend emailed me about hearing that Samardzija signed a 5-year deal with the Cubs and hopes to be in the '08 rotation. He said he heard it mentioned on the Dan Patrick show. I don't know how that jives with whatever contract he had signed before.

I wasn't around when Corey left so please don't automatically assume I thought the same about Corey. However Corey had every reason not to like it here his last year. I wouldn't like it there, and I'm a diehard cubs fan. I'll tell you what though. I'm going to continue to feel that way about Prior until I see him in a post game interview with a smile on his face. If you're not smiling, your not happy. I can only imagine how angry people would be if he smiled after a game this past season. "He's happy, he doesn't care."

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Welcome aboard, everyone! The list should be updated through this post.

If you're interested in starting a game thread for the 2007 regular season, please sign up now by posting in this thread. Starters will go in the order that they sign up. This signup is for regular season games. Spring training games are first-come, first-served. Gameday Information: Link to Flash Chat Radio The Chicago Cubs Radio Network (Affiliates) - regular season games are broadcast on WGN Radio & the Cubs Radio Network XM Baseball Broadcast Schedule Television Cubs.com - shows local Chicago tv channel information for next game DirecTV MLB Extra Innings Broadcast Schedule Zap2it.com TV Listings - enter your location for tv schedule MLB MLB MultiMedia Broadcast Guide MLB Scoreboard - scores with links to mlb.tv, mlb audio, press pass, gameday and live box scores for each game -------------------- Current Starter:: UMFan83 (0-0) Soccer10K Southpaw19 (0-1) Davhern (0-1) Playoffs Rotation Southpaw (7-1) (regular season record) Davhern (7-2) UMFan83 (8-3) Soccer10K (7-3) On Call: BHogg (2-1) -------------------- Current Starter: BHOGG (0-0) On Deck: CubmanPi (0-1) Andy (1-1) Chris (0-1) Coach_C (2-1) Rocket Sauce (0-1) mhuber92211 (0-1) MrWood (1-1) Brian (1-1) WindyCity (0-1) CT Cubs Fan (0-5) Laura (1-2) A New Era (1-1) HenryBlanco (0-1) JockJones (0-1) IWU_CUBS_FAN (3-1) b_wiggy_66 (0-1) Southpaw19 (7-1) 98navigator (3-1) TruffleShuffle (1-1) Swordsman (1-1) Cubbies75 (4-1) earth2sean (2-1) Garwilly (2-1) EJ (0-1) Alfonso Soriano (2-1) Friendly Confines (2-1) Tomy23 (0-1) MurtonFan (1-1) Handlebar McSkullet (0-1) Jazz (0-1) TysonCBulls423 (0-1) Vance the Cubs Fan (0-3) Electron Blue (0-1) baseball7897 (1-2) Flames24Rulz (5-3) soccer10K (7-3) Mark_R (0-2) Otis89 (2-2) RoastTheD---Goat (1-2) sweetpeteman (2-2) Fred Hornkohl (5-4) CaliforniaRaisin (3-3) Bob Sanders (0-1) Flames24Rulz (6-4) UMFan83 (8-3) davhern (7-2) Derwood (4-1) Omar (0-2) Aramis Fan (0-2) On Call: BHogg Soccer10K Alfonso Soriano Reserve List: Big Fergie J (0-0) Jim Sorgi (0-0)

who?

That guy is John Dewan; it's what the first post in this thread is about.

Thanks!

Time will. I mentioned this in the transactions thread, but it's worth noting that Hawk, Ryno, Maddux, Sammy and Fergie all have pennants flying over Wrigley Field. Not the same as having a number retired, but still an honor. I was looking for a list of all the flags (or at least the non-year pennant flags), but I couldn't find one.

[you] [you][/you]

Jae Kuk Ryu is still listed as wearing No. 20. Subject to change at any time, certainly, but No. 20 Ryu and No. 17 Pie is what the roster says at present. Yeah, I saw that too. Pie shouldn't be #17, that was only good for Gracie. (Bobby Hill sucked in it.) I believe he wears #22? in the minors, but in the winter leagues he wore #20 from pictures I've seen. In his time in the minors, he's worn #15 and #20. The Cubs better retire Sammy's number!! The Cubs should retire #21 before #31. Unless the 31 is Jenkins, I agree 100%. Maddux shouldn't have his number retired by the Cubs. A certain Mr. Jenkins would like to have your support for #31 being retired. They'll retire the number and say it's a dual honor for Fergie & Maddux. Fergie, Maddux and Sammy all have pennants flying over Wrigley with their names despite not having their numbers retired yet.

Don't you read the boards? He's this years Jacque Jones. He can do no good and will be run out of town at the end of the season. This will be known as the Marquis Rebellion.

Yes. Posey (the housemate / bodyguard / murder victim) is also an ex-con who served time for armed robbery.

The last time I checked you can't punish someone merely for being at the scene of a crime. But the scene of the crime was a club, not some place like his home. The Bears didn't deactivate him to go out late at night after being arrested while on probation. Being in a bar/club violated the terms of his bond (consuming any alcohol would have as well).

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That would be an end-run around the luxury tax and the rest of MLB would be foolish to allow that to happen. Next time around, the Yankees would be well-served to bid $100M, sign the player to a minimal contract and just agree to have a team kick back half the bid. At least they don't have to pay luxury tax on bids vs. payroll.

Seems to me a ripe area for collective action. Something a union might even get involved in. Sometimes market solutions might be the best solutions. The Japanese team is being compensated for surrendering a player's rights. Why should it matter whether the compensation is transferred from an MLB bank account or a non-MLB bank account? Under the current system, a Japanese player has to fulfill the requirements of Japanese free agency (whether by earning it through service time or going through the posting process and having his rights bought out). If posted, then the player has to restart the process and fulfill the MLB free agency requirements. If anything, part of the problem here seems to be that the system is out of whack in terms of the market. I don't know the details of how much service time is required in Japan for free agency. Maybe a short-term fix would be for a team to bid on the remaining free agency years and not have the MLB free agency clock reset when the player signs. It would lower the initial bids, since an MLB team would be bidding on remaining service time vs a set period of owning the rights, but it would likely increase the chances of a player signing. I've read about this concept before Matsuzaka was posted. I'm not sure how many people think the posting process is flawless, although $51.1M would probably appease any lingering Seibu Lions concerns. Of course, if this is viewed as a Big Bad Scott Boras issue, then he becomes the problem and the only solution is to get rid of him. Which is much easier said than done. I'd still guess that Matsuzaka gets signed, but I'd like to see some action toward improving the system.

Boras trying to pay for Matsuzaka's "freedom". This is getting funnier and funnier every day. Hmmm ... I don't know why allowing Japanese players to buy out their own rights wouldn't be a better solution than the posting system.

Wow. Jayson Stark claims that Pettitte offered to return to the Astros for $2M less than the Yankees offer -- which would have been $2M more than the Astros' original offer, thus splitting the difference between the two offers -- but that the Astros didn't pony up due to pressure from the Commissioner's Office over the Carlos Lee deal. Huh?

Then I suppose it's all just one big coincidence. whaaa? I was giving a reason why GMs wouldn't tamper. I'm the one that brought up the tampering issue in the first place. And I was responding that it must be a big coincidence, and one that will likely never be investigated beyond rumorville because the same cliques that would discourage tampering would also discourage investigation of suspected tampering.

Then I suppose it's all just one big coincidence.

Except it's the second recent example of whispers about Boston tampering (Lugo being the other). (beaten by cbbryan!) From a business standpoint, why not tamper? When's the last time a tampering complaint was filed, much less investigated? I think all MLB does -- if they even undergo an investigation and find cause to act -- is impose a token fine. Big whoop, with a top payroll, it's just part of the price of doing business and you still have your players.

One thing to keep an eye on as further contract details emerge for Lilly is whether there was a signing bonus. The Cubs.com article notes which may be why there seemed to be some confusion over whether the contract was 4/40 or 4/44 when it was first announced.

I hope he didn't get a no-trade clause.