Rob

For what it's worth, the bleachers did sing Livin on a Prayer at yesterday's game... and they were very enthusiastic. Personally, when I'm looking to get pumped up, I throw this bad boy on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnUXZlatV6Y

Well, I just got back from the game. That sucked... not only the loss, but the weather. I've got a terrible sunburn.

Getting ready to leave for the game soon.

It depends on what you're using it for. If you're using it to establish the overall quality of the team from top to bottom, it's pretty useful. If you're using it to say which team is going to win in the playoffs, that's a bit different... it no longer matters that Jason Marquis is one of the best #5 starters in baseball, or that Sean Marshall is a pretty good swingman. So run differential is less useful than a head-to-head comparison of key players.

I'm perfectly happy just trying to trade off Marquis for some salary relief, and re-signing Demp and Wood (provided they give nice discounts). Pie can slide into CF with Johnson tendered a contract as a platoon-mate, Samardzija and Marshall duke it out over the #5 starter slot. Grab a backup catcher off the scrapheap and we're good to go.

Really good to see a solid outing from Russell. You'd hate to have his season end on the stretch he'd been in.

Goodness... our Latin program has problems.

Going into today...he has 53 hits as a Cub this year. 33 of those have gone for extra bases (62%) Other notable Cubs... Fontenot (49%) Soriano (44%) Soto (43%) Ramirez (39%) DeRosa (37%) Lee (35%) Johnson (31%) Fukudome (29%)

I'm gonna be there tomorrow, so I sure hope so.

That looked like a terrible call.

Go **** yourself. ****= love ?

This zone is terribly inconsistent.

Just as an added tidbit of information... the Brewers finished 2nd in the NL Central last year with 83 wins. It's only August, and we've already won enough games that we would have clinched last season.

1. Cubs (+193) 2. Phillies (+88) 3. Mets (+73) 4. Brewers (+72) 5. Cardinals (+55) 6. Diamondbacks (+34) 7. Dodgers (-2) 8. Braves (-22) 9. Marlins (-29) 10. Astros (-41) 11. Rockies (-56) 12. Giants (-103) 13. Reds (-108) 14. Padres (-110) 15. Pirates (-120) 16. Nationals (-159) I think the numbers speak for themselves.

http://www.fangraphs.com/lgraphs/280828116_Phillies_Cubs_108370058_lbig.png

I was offered Ryan Howard, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Denard Span, and Ty Wigginton for Ryan Braun, Rich Harden, and Corey Hart. Braun > Howard Harden > Matsuzaka Hart > Span Did he really think Ty Wigginton was enough to cover all of those gaps? Mind you, this is a 7 keeper league... so it'd be nailing me next year as well.

Motte is excellent as well, but wasn't really on the radar until this season. Anyone who doesn't know about Chris Perez, just doesn't follow baseball's minor leagues. Chris Perez is a borderline top 100 prospect, I don't know that many folks even on NSBB would know many guys in that 50-100 range. Can you name the Cubs top 3 prospects? I don't know about RedVerbs, but I would say Pie, Hill and Vitters. If you don't want to count Hill, replace him with Ceda. As far as guys that I think will make the club and be contributors I would say Cashner, Veal and Guzman. Just not too impressed by any position players in the system. Pie is intriguing and has put up some great numbers before, but he just seems really really raw. Pie, Hill, and Guzman have all lost their rookie eligibility. They aren't prospects anymore. And Chris Perez is certainly a solid prospect... but he's really not anything special, even among potential closers. Cashner, Fields, Perry, and Schlereth are all right there with him, and that's just from the first round of this draft. Add in the fact that closing prospects flame out more often than their counterparts (failed starters move to the bullpen... failed relievers move to the mexican league), and Perez loses some of that luster. Hell, just in the Cubs system I'd take Samardzija, Ceda, and maybe Cashner over him... and that's if you're forcing those guys into the bullpen. As for the Cards top 3 prospects, I'd go: 1. Rasmus 2. Wallace 3. Garcia Then again, I do have an irrational love for sinkerballers who get strikeouts (Webb, Z, Lowe, etc...). You probably wouldn't be out of your mind to pick somebody else at #3.

Keith Law is always this crazy. I've stopped paying attention. Although I do like the idea of calling up Ceda and seeing if he can't help us in the playoffs. Wood Marmol Samardzija Guzman Ceda That could, potentially, shut down teams in the playoffs like nobody's business.

You sound surprised. He has excellent stuff. I know you guys just follow the Cubs, but you should know that Chris Perez is one of the top 2-3 closing prospects in all of baseball. I'd like to see your list of "closing prospects."

Pujols had a nice little verbal spat with Villanueva. He realizes that was probably the end of the Cards magic ride.

The Cards are pissing away their wild card shot.

I don't think we're going to see Ceda in September. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if he did show up, but I think his consolation prize is just going to be another invite to ST.

Pretty good?

Leadoff triple for Victorino in the 13th. This thing is probably over.

Stat of the day, the Cubs are 82-0 when Geovany Soto wants to win, 0-50 when he wants to give the other teams a chance.