C.C.

Maybe Lawrence can just root for whoever wins the world series this year. He was a Cubs fan last time I listened to the Score. I have no respect for those people. I honestly have not heard the score in a year. Glad to know nothing has changed there...

but managers shouldn't "rock the boat". they're there to do a simple job--do whatever upper management wants them to do. unfortunately, in our case, that would be a terrible thing, as upper management is even more incompetent than field management. and while i think that girardi rocking the boat would help us in the short-term, the only thing that will help us truly is the deconstruction and reconstruction of the front-office with a team president like sandy alderson, a GM like paul depodesta, and any old ex-player they can find to do an easy job in the field. Too many managers let their ego affect their moves. They can't just put the guys on the field and let them play, they have to feel important so they call things like pitch outs, sac bunts, hit and runs, etc to put their stamp on the team. It's partially because they know the media laps that stuff up as a manager who is making things happen and doing the little things to be a winner. Very true, and it's the reason why managers like Bobby Cox have been so successful for so long and managers like Ozzie won't.

Baseball and basketball are so different though. Even a winning Pittsburgh doesn't bring in the revenue that a losing Cubs does. The market is just different. The A's win all the time, but they still have to have a smaller payroll than say San Francisco or LA. Basketball has a salary cap, and that help make all the team compete on the same level. You don't hear a lot of about market disparities in the NBA, because it's just not the same issue. Some of that also has to do with basketball being an indoor game, and playing half as many games as baseball does. I simply don't think Cuban is going to view the Cubs and Pirates as having the same long term potential. You might be right. I'd take Cuban in a heartbeat. Dramatic change is exactly what the Cubs need, and switching to Cuban would be a very, very dramatic change. That's if the other owners would want to deal with Cuban. He isn't exactly liked in the NBA and baseball is much more conservative.

Joe does get some credit. Sure the talent is there but not every manager in baseball is good at bringing the talent out.

link I hope we go get Fredi Gonzalez before Florida does. But something tells me JH will welcome Girardi with open arms. I agree. It seems like a perfect marketing-feel-good-story move for the Cubs...

The one thing Sox had this year, that the Cubs didn't in 2004, was health. This year Sox team, like last year, has been healthy. BTW - I'm loving every single minute of the Sox not making the playoffs! I have bitter Sox fans, who has to remind me every second of the baseball season just how bad the Cubs are...Blah, blah, blah....Worry about your own team! I can't stand Sox fans! Who would've thought that the Twins and Tigers are going to the playoffs, and the Sox and the Indians aren't! I just love baseball...You just never know.

Joe looks as good as gone in florida.... http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0609220127sep22,1,6392341.story?coll=chi-sportsnew-hed On a scale of 1 to 10, Girardi's chances of returning next year are "zero," according to a source who has spoken with the Marlins' front office. "I don't think there is any chance," the source said. AND The last straw for Girardi, 41, apparently was his ill-fated decision to bring back prized right-hander Josh Johnson after an 82-minute rain delay Sept. 12 at Dolphin Stadium. "Not one of the smarter moves of the year," the source said. The more I read about him the more I don't want him here....

Nice little kudos for Rich Hill in Rob Neyer's chat today on ESPN.COM: Mike (Alexandria, VA) : Rob: Do you think the Cubs' Rich Hill has finally turned the corner and will be (at least) a serviceable starter for 2007? Or is this flash of brilliance merely that; a flash? SportsNation Rob Neyer: (12:35 PM ET ) Rich Hill's really this good. He just need to make the adjustmend and/or get a bit luckier. I was never worried about him (though I was a bit worried about the Cubs' intelligence).

Baseball career wise correct? Because this is just a game. Just a game? I wish I was that casual about baseball. Baseball = Life! Although my wife will disagree.. I understand what you're saying but after what has happened to Raush and Lee's little girl a little perspective is needed. Indeed...very true

Baseball career wise correct? Because this is just a game. Just a game? I wish I was that casual about baseball. Baseball = Life! Although my wife will disagree..

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-0609210288sep21,1,6413331.story?coll=chi-sportscubs-hed "Jacque took heat even before he really got on the field," manager Dusty Baker said, referring to criticism of Jones' three-year contract. "Jacque has had a good year, and Jacque knows he can get better. I talked to [him on Tuesday] and he said, `Man, I gave away over 100 at-bats.' He wants to cut down on the strikeouts (112). He has played an outstanding right field. Right field in Wrigley Field is about as tough as it gets." What the hell is Dusty talking about?!?!?!?!

I really think he stays. I can't see the Cubs letting him go. It'll have too much impact on the club as a whole. Hendry has two years left on his current deal. He's not going to blow everything up and rebuild. He'll do whatever it takes to sign him. ARAM stays with a similar deal that they gave DLEE.

Will Carroll lastest about Aram: posting.php?mode=reply&t=34229 Aunt Jemima (Atlanta): If Aramis Ramirez leaves the Cubs as a free agent, any chance the Cubs would be smart enough to pick up Edwin Encarnacion, a player that the Reds seem to unappreciate? Which guy would they be better off with? Will Carroll: I don't think Ramirez will leave. In fact, I think the deal's essentially done to keep him. Encarnacion? Sure, Krivsky traded Lopez and Kearns but that doesn't mean that every GM can pillage his roster, does it?

I don't understand what they did wrong? The pitching staff went south. Who knew that Buerhle would crumble? Agreed -- IMO KW did a great job making a good team even better on paper this past off-season, but what looked good on paper did not materialize on the field. Maybe the starters threw too many innings last year and just didn't have anything left for this year, maybe the drive to win another championship isn't as strong as it is to win the first, or maybe it just goes to show how many things have to go your way to win it all.... 2005 White Sox = very lucky, 2006 White Sox = not so much luck. BTW -- not saying luck is the only reason they won last year. You have to be a good team for luck to even matter in the equation. It's not what they did but what they said. If they kept their mouths shut every once in a while and not piss off the world perhaps the situation could be better... Wait...we are talking about the Sox fans right? I kid...I kid. :lol: Them too!

I don't understand what they did wrong? The pitching staff went south. Who knew that Buerhle would crumble? Agreed -- IMO KW did a great job making a good team even better on paper this past off-season, but what looked good on paper did not materialize on the field. Maybe the starters threw too many innings last year and just didn't have anything left for this year, maybe the drive to win another championship isn't as strong as it is to win the first, or maybe it just goes to show how many things have to go your way to win it all.... 2005 White Sox = very lucky, 2006 White Sox = not so much luck. BTW -- not saying luck is the only reason they won last year. You have to be a good team for luck to even matter in the equation. It's not what they did but what they said. If they kept their mouths shut every once in a while and not piss off the world perhaps the situation could be better...

Ozzie and Kenny got so full of themselves...Karma is a bitch.

Ken Rosenthal thinks the Cubs may be interested in having Soriano play CF. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5977638 "The Cubs view Soriano as an option in center." I was just going to post this also...Interesting...

Not a thread per se but a discussion group like we have for Game Threads and Basball Disscussions.

I couldn't agree with you more. People are always blown away by how clean the City is. I had friend from NY come down this summer and they couldn't get over how clean it is. But compared to NY, which I honestly think is dirty beyond belief, any City is clean....

NSBB is in serious need for a thread that people can talk rumors of FA and trades...

If their goal is coming in 3rd or 4th at best, sure. just like hill is a aaaa pitcher, murton a 4th outfielder & theriot isnt a starting 2b. if the cubs went young in 2007 i think they could contend. i am tired of high priced free agents who either suck or get hurt. the future of the cubs is in the farm system not on the free agent list. That's basically what we have right now and we stink. It's not that high priced free agents stink, it's only the high priced FA we pick up. so did detroit & the marlins last year. this year they both seem to be doing ok. besides they young guys havent played full time the whole year. it took dusty almost the whole season to start using murton in LF everyday and theriot, soto & mateo are only getting playing time because nefi is gone and barrett, lee & rusch are injured. If you want to be the Marlins, say goodbye to Barrett, Lee, Aramis, et al. Do you want all youth or what? You can't just randomly make your lineup half or more rookies and young players and keep a few vets here or there. 9 times out of 10 that kind of mix isn't going to work. Soto is not going to outplay Barrett. If anything, he'll take on a Blanco-like role. Mateo is not ready to be a counted on starting pitcher for an entire year if you're putting him up there with 2 other starting rookie pitchers and you expect the team to win and hit .500. Bottom line, you're suggesting a hideous team that potentially does even worse than this year's. Agreed and a team that draws 3 million should not be the Marlins. And the Marlins are nothing but a .500 team. Big deal...If we are going full on youth movement, it does not mean we are going to be good. If anything the TRIB really needs to raise the payroll to at least 110 million...

If their goal is coming in 3rd or 4th at best, sure. just like hill is a aaaa pitcher, murton a 4th outfielder & theriot isnt a starting 2b. if the cubs went young in 2007 i think they could contend. i am tired of high priced free agents who either suck or get hurt. the future of the cubs is in the farm system not on the free agent list. That's basically what we have right now and we stink. It's not that high priced free agents stink, it's only the high priced FA we pick up.

I was one of those guys who wondered what Hendry saw in this guy to make him untradable. I understand how frustrated everyone has been this year, but there could be some hope for next year with 1 FA pitcher to go with Zambrano, Hill, Prior, and Miller/Mateo/Marshall/Guzman. Also, I'm hoping there will be another "eating crow" thread for Matt Murton next year for the doubters. Just to clarify, Hendy never said that Hill was untradable. That was actually brought up at the Cubs Convention last year and Hendry said show me when and where I said that.

I agree. So far I'm wrong about Hill, but it's only been a couple of months. I'm not ready to say he's the number 2 or 3 pitcher next year just yet, and I hope neither does Hendry. He's the only positive that has come out of this year...Hopefully he keeps it up.

For whatever it's worth... http://bleedcubbieblue.com/ I heard one rumor today that I will pass along to you, and I do think it has some credibility -- Alfonso Soriano has reportedly let his agent know that the Cubs are his top choice club for 2007, and to play second base.