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Dusty sounds like he might be lobbying for Neifi: because... ...

I think I will end up playing Griffey. He was supposed to get one day off this week as is and the prognosis is for him to be back after sitting today's game. Instead, I decided to sit S. Stewart who only has 5 points in the last three weeks and start Payton. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were kind enough to move Suppan up to face the Cubs and Prior, rather than Rusch. My only remaining decision is whether to play Foulke over Ayala. I guess the only positive with Foulke this season is that he's scored just 59 points - making him an easy keeper.

Welcome Len! I'd only little exposure to your broadcasts through EI in Cubs games against Florida and when Dontrelle pitched coming into this season. I've thoroughly enjoyed hearing you call the games on a daily basis. You are as well-prepared as anyone in the game from personalities, to stats (OBP, OPS, pitcher-use, etc), and strategy. Keep up the good work with Bob!

Isn't tomorrow Matty Mo's turn in the rotation ? Or, is LaRussa skipping him for this critical pennant drive series because he'll give up 5 runs against the Cubs ?

If indeed there is a Buddiga / Hand Sanitizers matchups, it looks like Buddiga will be without Griffey Jr. He went down in a heap again at 3rd base and struggled off the field. Fortunately I picked up Jay Payton to save the day.

Buddiga and the Bulbs are separated by 1 point this evening. Unfortunately, Arroyo is having a crappy start against the Devil Rays which won't help matters. I may need help from the Dawgs.

Bellhorn is batting eighth and playing 3rd base tonight for the Yankees with A-Rod at DH.

It wasn't hard to root for Horny on the Red Sox, but it will be impossible to do so with the Yankees. It might become tough to cheer on Bellhorn, especially against the Red Sox (7 more games down the stretch). I think Cashman made an astute move by acquiring Bellhorn (not just because I'm a Bellhorn fan) and the numbers bear it out. Here are his numbers away from Fenway this season in 180 PA and the rank amongst AL 2nd Basemen: OBP - .398/1 OPS - .809/3 Cano hit .192 with a .462 OPS in August and seemingly is seeing one pitch per AB. If he's all the way back, I think Bellhorn will find his way into the lineup.

he continues to use this 'gotta win games' line as if playing the youngsters guarantees a loss and playing the veterans guarantees a win. here's the thing...you've been playing the vets all year, and you're fighting w/ cincinnati for fifth place. you haven't won all year with these scrubs, why do you think it's gonna happen now? and doesn't this contradict his statements about how september call ups will perform better than normal because no one has a book on them? so if that's the case, and you want to win games...shouldn't they play? This has been festering ever since the club tanked on the East Coast. Dusty has no idea how to handle this situation. He's never been in it and the situation exploits his weaknesses, which makes him look like a fool. The best thing the media can do is continue to be all over him if he continues to play his remaining veterans. Murton returns today with the exit of Hollandsworth. If he doesn't play on a regular basis, I think the mainstream media will really have it out for Baker. They were tough enough on the organization when Murton was sent back; so I expect them to be all over this situation.

Bellhorn to the Dark Side ? Don't Do it Horny!

Yep. Harry's Budcrew and Buddiga are 1-1 in the season series, so if there is a tie it goes to points. Currently, Buddiga holds a 188 pt edge in total points. Who do you want to play in Rd 1 ? hard to say. you would have seven starts (w/ suppan and vazquez getting two). i think HBC would have seven as well (w/ morris and lackey getting two). i'm just glad i won't have to run into a two start week from either of you guys' studs (willis and zito for you, z for HBC)...especially since i'm out sheets for the rest of the season. The Red Sox just added a Noon make up game on Labor Day with the White Sox. If Buddiga advances, that would make 8 starts with Arroyo getting two (ANA, @NYY).

Yep. Harry's Budcrew and Buddiga are 1-1 in the season series, so if there is a tie it goes to points. Currently, Buddiga holds a 188 pt edge in total points. Who do you want to play in Rd 1 ?

Choi tanked before the injury. I think the vast majority of players in the game go through a stretch where they hit .200/minimal run production over 50 ab during the course of a 600 ab, 162 game season.

I can't agree with that at all. In 2003 Karros put up a .683 OPS vs. right-handed pitching, despite getting more than his fair share of at bats against the weaker righties in the league, and it was well known going into the season that Karros could only hit lefties. Choi should have gotten all the starts vs. righties while he was healthy enough to play. Choi played himself out of the lineup. Choi AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS 03/31 - 05/14 85 22 23 9 0 7 53 20 21 8 0.271 0.426 0.624 1.049 05/15 - 06/07 50 5 10 4 0 0 14 2 7 18 0.200 0.298 0.280 0.578 06/30 - 07/31 67 4 11 4 0 1 18 6 8 23 0.164 0.282 0.269 0.551 It's tough to get your timing coming back from an injury when you start 10 times over the course of 32 days and never start back to back games. Of course, if the tables were turned and Karros had been the man returning from injuries, I'm sure he would have been given the opportunity to get plenty of starts and get his groove back; dude.

Oakland Athletics Batters (AL) P/PA 1. 3.86 SO 14. 621 That's amazing. They lead the league in pitches per PA, but have struck out less than anyone in the AL. Pretty much the entire offense, outside of Kotsay, Kendall, and Payton, is grown out of their organization.

Here's a fun one: AL Strikeouts (Rank/Team) 1/Texas 2/Cleveland 3/Boston AL Runs Scored (Rank/Team) 1/Boston 2/Texas t4/Cleveland If you plot runs against strikeouts in the game, you get no correlation. Strikeouts and it's effect on offensive production are the biggest myth in the game.

I don't think September performance changes the offseason approach at all. You still make the offseason a time to align the club to where you think you are procuring the best players you can for each position. Whether they come from the minor league system or through free agency should make no difference if they are ready to play at this level. The Cubs should know right now if they think Murton or Cedeno are ready to play every day next season. And, by the same token, there is no reason to call the kids up in September unless they are going to play everyday. Maybe I'm wrong, but I interpret Dusty's comments to be completely self-serving (what's new ?). The young players are brought up (Murton, Cedeno, Hill, Brownlie, etc), he is instructed to play them every day, and they play well. At that point, he must answer the many questions that are sure to come with it and hear about how the club could have been if he played these guys everyday and how he doesn't like young players. Dusty is not a stand up guy, he's never taken responsibility while he's been here, he's never offered up answers to tough questions. In fact, he fears this situation because it exploits his weaknesses as a ML manager. This is going to be the first September with the Cubs out of it (regardless of Dusty's delusions). We may learn a bit more about Dusty over the next 6 weeks.

Buddiga and SOS the worst battle in Roadkill history ? It's 38-30 on Wednesday Night.

+/- on pitches required to dispose of the Cubs in the 9th: 6 the house always wins.

Wood is due 5th next inning.

Wuertz and Wellemeyer still haven't pitched since Monday, August 15th, 2005.

Macias is the tying run. Will they walk him to face Burnitz ?

Hairston for Lawton. How idiotic with a thin bench and the decent chance that you'll need to hit for the bottom of the order. Not to mention, Lawton is having a decent ballgame.

Lawton's Walk Rate: w/Pirates, 58 BB/432 PA = 13.4% w/Cubs, 2 BB/75 PA = 2.7% Is this a case of Lawton trying to do too much with his new club ? Or, has the staff actually tried to change his approach and make him more aggressive at the plate ? He was 6th in the NL in walks at the time of the trade.

The only offensive stat in which the Cubs are terrible, other than walks taken, is hitting with 2 out/RISP. They are last in the majors in this category. It doesn't matter how many get on if you can't bring them in.