C.C.

I think he's the next Greg Maddux... :wink:

I've been thinking the same thing. Can you imagine? Nah! Me neither...

Oh god no! I just thought it was funny that's all.

Emergency callup Ryan O'Malley shut out the Astros for eight innings to win his major league debut on Wednesday. O'Malley deserves a lot of credit here, but it was another pathetic showing from the Astros, who scored in just two of 36 innings while getting swept at home by one of baseball's worst teams. The 26-year-old O'Malley, who couldn't have found out about the assignment until after midnight last night, allowed five hits, walked six and struck out two in an 109-pitch outing. There's a good chance he's earned himself additional starts, if not right away then in September, but he isn't currently recommended in NL-only leagues.

I would definitely agree with you there that Beltran is worth that extra money. The only problem is that if he's only making 12 million this year, the contract must be back loaded (because the deal averages exactly 17 million per year). So Beltran could be making 20 million in his last 2 years of the deal at 33 and 34, and he would probably not be worth it then. That said, I would still want him-and hope other baseball salaries continue to go up and make that deal seem less expensive in comparison. Your right. It's a 7/119 million dollar contract.

Okay check it! If the Cards lose tonight we are 11.5 games out. When we sweep the Cards this weekend we are only 8.5 game out! Wow! How does it feel to witness a Cubs miracle in your lifetime!?!? GO CUBS!!!! Am I the only one with a bad feeling about this weekend series against the Cards? It seems everytime the media or fans dismiss a team as an "easy win" because of past success, it backfires right in our face. The Cubs have been living dangerously against the Cards at Wrigley. I would be shocked if we swept. I don't have a great feeling about it. I doubt we sweep-I'm hoping we can take 2 out of 3 against them. It would be really fun to win all 10 at home though-so that is why part of the optimism comes from. CubbieChris, we have 2 things that will hamper that thought to be that good. Remember, the Cardinals play the Reds tomorrow also. So we could be either 11, 12, or 13 games out of the Cardinals starting the series-but if we're 11, then the Reds will only be 1/2 game out of the Cardinals and playing Pittsburgh over the weekend-which means they would most likely be leading the division if we swept the Cardinals. I hope the Cardinals beat the Reds in both games remaining in their series-we have to catch the Reds anyway, and that way we can make headway in both the division and WC race (remember everyone, I don't think this will happen-but it could, and it's fun to dream). I know Colt, it was a tongue and cheek post. I realize it's next to impossbile to happen, but dammit it's nice to dream! :wink:

Okay check it! If the Cards lose tonight we are 11.5 games out. When we sweep the Cards this weekend we are only 8.5 game out! Wow! How does it feel to witness a Cubs miracle in your lifetime!?!? GO CUBS!!!!

9.5 games out of the WC!

World Series baby!!!!!

And we suck even more, so what does that prove?

Good article...

I loved it! And now I hope we sweep these guys. Can't stand Houston or St. Louis...

He was due to start today for Iowa. Makes sense. He's 7-7 with a 4.08 era...

They have talent. Ok then, MORE talent. They need baseball talent. They have athletic talent, which hides their weaknesses from the eyes of Hendry, Baker and Co., but they don't have nearly enough baseball talent. I'd much rather see a bunch of sad and angry winners than happy losers. I don't see alot of winners sad....

They have talent. Ok then, MORE talent. You can never have enough talent. I can't imagine what next year Cubs team will look like.

There is no doubt he's becoming a leader along with Barrett and Lee...

Is it wrong to love this game so far! I hope we win this game and sweep the series.

I could not agree more! It's seems like it's getting worse lately.

Never doubt Scott Boras. I didn't think Beltran was going to get 17 million a season, but I can't see anyone paying a unproven pitcher 20 million a year. That's insane!

Now that I agree with you...Cali signed him for 12-13 million a year. What a steal!

In 2004, the Cubs had the best chance of winning. When Hendry signed Maddux the chances increased even more. Disagree. The 2004 Cubs with Beltran and Cruz/Rusch (2004)/Mitre are a better team that the 2004 Cubs with Maddux and Patterson. The only way to get Beltran in 2004 was a trade. Maddux and Beltran were not choices up against each other. Maddux was signed after the 03 season, and Beltran was traded to Houston in June of 04 and became a free agent after the 04 season. We had no idea that a player like Beltran would automatically be available the next offseason (and of course Beltran hadn't completely broken out then either) when we signed Maddux before the 04 season. And again 17 million a year for Beltran is alot and I mean alot of money! Sosa was in that vicinity, and Beltran would've been our new superstar talent. They only would've had to have swallowed one year of both contracts. Yeah, but Sosa put up the numbers and Beltran hadn't yet...And quite frankly still hasn't.

This isn't exactly true. Beltran was already being hyped (sort of the way ARod was) as the big free agent of the class well before the 2004 season started. No, no, no...Beltran might of been "Hyped" as much as AROD but no where near the talent.

I'm not sure about that because Houston was pretty close to the Mets in money and years and Houston doesn't even have state taxes...And yet he still went to the Mets. It would've taken more then 9 million a year to sign Beltran, and Maddux was signed after Beltran signed. So signing Maddux has nothing to do with not signing Beltran. The Cubs made a fair offer to Beltran but Mets offered more...17 million a year for Beltran is a lot of money... Wrong. And nobody is saying that Beltran would've signed for 9 million. But the 9 million could easily have been used to up our "offer," which, IIRC, was reported to be in the 5 year 12-13 per range or something like that... (I'm a little hazy on the numbers) I actually forgot that Beltran signed after 2004 so never mind. I had a brain fart there...5 years 12-13 is a far cry from 7\119 million. That's a huge difference and honestly the Cubs gave him a very fair offer...I have no problem with this at all.

At some point you have to leave the starters out there though-Marmol had to stay in that game on Sunday. There were 2 relievers who were unavailable for Sunday's game because they had pitched so much recently, and if we had taken out Marmol earlier we may have run out of pitchers. I was just going to say that.

In 2004, the Cubs had the best chance of winning. When Hendry signed Maddux the chances increased even more. Disagree. The 2004 Cubs with Beltran and Cruz/Rusch (2004)/Mitre are a better team that the 2004 Cubs with Maddux and Patterson. The only way to get Beltran in 2004 was a trade. Maddux and Beltran were not choices up against each other. Maddux was signed after the 03 season, and Beltran was traded to Houston in June of 04 and became a free agent after the 04 season. We had no idea that a player like Beltran would automatically be available the next offseason (and of course Beltran hadn't completely broken out then either) when we signed Maddux before the 04 season. And again 17 million a year for Beltran is alot and I mean alot of money!