oldcubsfan

Here's the Sullivan interview- http://www.670thescore.com/includes/news_items/1/919/paul_sullivan.mp3

Didn't Sullivan indicate that it wasn't him who leaked the story? Regardless, I can only ask why? Why would either Hendry or MacPhail feel the need to do this? I mean, what where they thinking? Everyone who reads Sullivan know he's more gossip columnist then beat writer. And on top of all that, why should they care? If Jones is that fragile, if I'm Hendry I'm looking to get him out Chicago on the next flight to KC, Miami, or Seattle. holy smokes, this is bad. Real, real, bad. But it does explain a lot about the Cubs. Sullivan didn't say who leaked the story, but Sullivan wanted it to stay in house. He did say he always got along with Hendry and thought he did with MacPahail, but is still mad at MacPhail now. What were they thinking? They didn't want the company that owns the Cubs ripping the Cubs. The Score ripped this apart today. What purpose do you have as a writer if you can't be objective? You can't get rid of Jones. He is the Cubs hottest hitter, even though that aint saying much. Remember Sullivan misquotes Jones. Jones isn't as fragile as Sullivan made him seem. Walker is. The Tribune and the Cubs are only related because they are held by a sinlge mulit-national, billion dollar corporation. The tribune isn't Cubs.com. The job of Hendry and McPhaill is to put a winning product on the field. The job of Sullivan is to write about that product. I suppose Hendry & Co. have a right to their opinion but people in their position shouldn't do what they did. This is like Stonegate all over again. They are only making it worse for themselves. From your statement, I can only assume that you do not work for a large company, quite possiblby you work in the public sector or are in school. The relationship is far deeper than you describe, the Trib is a media company in the entertainment business and to have some contract worker hack ripping apart everything, everyday, well it just isn't good business. The Board will look at a 500 mill asset vs a $50k writer or editor and decide which is the more valuable asset to protect. It sure won't be Sullivan or McGrath. Just as Stone and Chip thought they were the product and found out that wasn't the case, so will Sullivan and McGrath.

It goes back to where Sullivan said Jones "ripped" the fans severalweeks ago. Ask Bruce about what Jones said, and he will tell you Jones didn't rip the fans. The Suntimes story and the Herald story were very different than little Paul's story.

Why shouldn't be able to express his displeasure? I assume you mean his displeasure over Sullivan writing something critical of the team, not his displeasure about being misquoted. The answer is, because Sullivan's simply doing his job, and if the team's failing miserably then it's his responsibility to write about how and why he thinks they're failing. Meanwhile a big part of Hendry's job is to be immune from this sort of criticism. It goes with the territory. This has been boiling for quite a while. It goes back at least to 2003.

Why shouldn't be able to express his displeasure?

That's assinine. We don't run the Cubs. But anyway, I can't speak for anyone other than myslef, but if Hendry were justified in calling a reporter on the carpet that would be one thing. But with the state of the currentl club, it is quite another. And I am in no way defending the hack Paul Sullivan. His sportswriting is just bad, but then again that is not what Hendry was complaining about. No, it's not "assinine" at all. If you or I see something from Sullivan that we don't like, no one is going to get all pissy because we comment on it. Just because Hendry has the ability to go straight to Sullivan rather than whining about it on a message board doesn't make it any different. He saw something that he didn't like and he let it be known. Not a big deal. There is a difference with letting it be know and calling someone into your office and berating them. Hendry is an infantile egomaniac and deserves to get lambasted over this. It seems Sullivan is the whiny twit. This isn't over one article but his whole body of work the last few years. McGrath is the one who will probably be gone first. Sullivan is just a contract writer, I don't think he is a fulltime employee of the Trib.

He's better than Neifi and Bynum. Not really. He's probably getting traded for Clark. That would be great. Maybe they'll trade Rusch with him and then he can shut out the Cubs too. :D You might be able to shut them out, but I'm old, I'd give up one run. LOL!!!

He's better than Neifi and Bynum. Not really. He's probably getting traded for Clark.

What's with all the Moises hate? They heard it for the god Stone. I sure miss Alou far more than Stone.

You sound like Stone.

I thought Sullivan wrote an article about it in the Trib to get everything escalating. He did and where do you think he got the info from?

Either Stone or Chip are the ones who made it public, which was really stupid. Tearing down the company product is not usually a good way to get a raise or a new contract, no matter what company you work for. These two weren't smart enough to realize that they weren't the product, they were just someone paid to talk and no one pays to watch them. Ratings and attendance show that they were very mistaken to think they were the main attraction.

Merkcer was the nicest and least arrogant baseball player I ever met. that's fine. but the way he handled his spat with stone was lame and unprofessional It seems Stone was even more unprofessional. It seems the great "high and mighty" Stone just couldn't handle someone not bowing to him. I really agree with you. Stone is one of the most overrated broadcasters ever. I miss Alou far more than I'll ever miss Stone.

If you auction the UNOPENED boxes you should do far better. People will spend far more for unopened boxes that may have the card. Go to a llocal card show and see what you can get. I wouldn't open them, let someone else pay you to take the chance for the card. You'll make far more than 80-100 bucks. But do it soon, while the publicity on the card is hot.

Yes, I'm fairly confident that's what he's saying, and that means he doesn't understand averages I would say that taking such a small sample size and stating that will continue for a whole season doesn't understanding averages.

All those numbers mean is that he is due for a hot streak to get back to career norms. The team has been winning despite his struggles, so hopefully they continue winning when he comes around. Same canbe said for Aramis Ramirez. Even if his numbers were much, much worse than what you could expect for him, there's no reason to think he'll get a hot streak to average it out. Averages do not work that way. Yes, they do. That is exactly why they are called averages.

Hinske has gone backwards so much that Toronto can't wait to get rid of him. It sure wouldn't take much too get him if a team is willing to pick up his salary.

I don't think it is callous, it is just a reflection on those that express that kind of sentiment after someone's death.

So all that crap about none of them being back until June was just that... Crap? I believe it was Paul Sullivan that said none of them would return until June (while everyone else in the media and associated with the team is pointing to May for Prior and Wood). I don't believe sullivan ever wrote that. Maybe he said it on the radio, but not in print.

We can only report the things we hear, sir. While the radio stations aren't always accurate, I tend to trust their "news" enough to report something if I hear it from them. I will not feel vindicated if the Cubs actually wind up nabbing Day, should his appeal against waivers fail. It would be a bad move. So is it your blog?

Huff's on the DL.

Link Dusty went to Alf for advice?!? Where was Larry? Alf was certainly right.

Because they need long relief, which Novoa does. Aardsma is working as a closer, and could become valuable later in the year as such.

I would guess what the players have to say is far more important than the opinion of people on a message board. The players know who is a good manager and who is a bad manager. It really is no surprise why people who work in baseball have such a low regard for most message boards. I truly doubt that there ever has been decision made in baseball based on the opinions expressed on any message board. How do you know what people in baseball think about message boards? You can doubt all you want. However just to shine a little light on your dark, dark existence, at least one organization in baseball thinks enough of someone who posts on a message board that they hired him to work for them. His name is Voors Mckracken and he works for the Boston Red Sox. Be that as it may. I would think you are partially correct. It would seem to me that upper management would want a happy clubhouse. But winning trumps everything except for losing. The players can profess their undieng devotion to a manager but if he is a bad manager that won't save him. I am glad Lee likes Dusty, I am also glad that Lee signed an extension with the Cubs. In case you don't know, which I am almost sure you don't, Lee's ties to Dusty go way back well before Lee was even a prospect. Dusty knew Derrek when he was a teenager and his friends with his father Leon. "My dark, dark existence" --- how quaint.

I would guess what the players have to say is far more important than the opinion of people on a message board. The players know who is a good manager and who is a bad manager. It really is no surprise why people who work in baseball have such a low regard for most message boards. I truly doubt that there ever has been decision made in baseball based on the opinions expressed on any message board.