rawaction

I think the whole "Dusty has a calming influence" thing has been debunked. The clubhouses got more chaotic the longer he stuck around. Debunked? If you say so. When was the last time the Cubs got in an in-house fight? It was all us against the world. Bradley did have problems with the fans, which Dusty wouldn't have prevented (look at Jones), but the bickering with teammates wouldn't have happened. Bradley would body slam Piniella. He ain't no Rob Dibble. No, the Cubs never punched each other in the clubhouse....that was Bonds and Kent, the 2 star players for Baker's other EX-team. Baker's Cubs just bickered with the announcers, media, fans, and smashed each others' boomboxes. I would say that calming influence has been debunked and then some. Yeah, Sosa and Bonds, the two most massive egos in the game... Any unbiased reported (read: not Baker haters) says that Baker runs a happy, hands off clubhouse, dependent on veteran leadership to do his policing. Does this mean there is an absence of conflict? Heck no. But Baker and his players don't feud. Can you say the same about Piniella? I love Bradley the player and was willing to overlook his faults as person with Baker here. With Bochy, sure. With Girardi or Piniella, no way. A rough approach won't reach Bradley. Do you seriously think Sweet Lou can handle Bradley? I don't care what an unbiased report says. Fact says, Kent and Bonds got into a fight in the dugout, during a game. Fact says, Mercker, Walker, Alou and others got into arguments with the broadcast team. Hawkins trashed the fans and media in Chicago. Jones trashed the fans for booing. There were also speculations in the Baker era that Wood and Prior smashed Sosa's boombox. Baker himself was rumored to be feuding with Patterson, Sosa, Hawkins, and others in private. Baker being a calming influence is so unbelievably false. You can't pick and choose your argument. I take from your post that you don't blame him for not controlling Sosa and Bonds because of their egos (which, I'd be willing to give you that since Sosa was made a monster before Baker and Bonds is well, Bonds). But if he can't calm down the star, he can't properly discipline the rest of the team. You also don't blame him for the stuff I mentioned, which shows a group of veterans all running wild and complaining about any and everything while the team was getting beat.

I think the whole "Dusty has a calming influence" thing has been debunked. The clubhouses got more chaotic the longer he stuck around. Debunked? If you say so. When was the last time the Cubs got in an in-house fight? It was all us against the world. Bradley did have problems with the fans, which Dusty wouldn't have prevented (look at Jones), but the bickering with teammates wouldn't have happened. Bradley would body slam Piniella. He ain't no Rob Dibble. No, the Cubs never punched each other in the clubhouse....that was Bonds and Kent, the 2 star players for Baker's other EX-team. Baker's Cubs just bickered with the announcers, media, fans, and smashed each others' boomboxes. I would say that calming influence has been debunked and then some.

Agreed with the general point. I'm sure I could study and hand pick a manager myself and I would still complain about some in game moves. OF course, Piniella has run Randy Johnson and Freddy Garcia into the ground and his likely pitching coach has sat quietly while 2 of his aces have been run into the ground.

He's only making 3M this year, so he will be affordable for Oakland.

I think ND will beat USC this year. WVU and Louisville will be the game of the year. Louisville wins, they have a good chance at the national title game. I don't think WVU has the strength of schedule to make it if they win and a 1-loss team will go. I thought Penn St. would beat Michigan, but it looks like Ohio St. will just have to destroy them at the end of the year. Boise St, who cares. So, basically...I think the NC game is OSU vs. USC/ND/Fla/Texas/WVU/Louisville......all of which are double digit wins for OSU.

I thought Bradley would be a FA after this year, but apparently he doesn't have the service time.

There's so many ways I could go to spend the alleged $38M. With that payroll, there's really no reason the Cubs should NOT have at least 1 of A. Jones, Soriano, Drew, CLee, Dunn, Wells, ARod, Tejada if they are available. Obviously, I go after ARod first. Then probably Tejada and Soriano, with Soriano's position depending on who else I sign (Bradley, Loretta, Durham, Roberts). Then lastly the OFs, with Drew or Jones the top target of that group. Realistically, I think it's a longshot the Cubs get any of the big arms; Schmidt, Zito, Matsuzaka. So, if I'm the GM, I jump hard on any deal that nets the Cubs a starter along with a bat. The Jones/Hudson combo seems to be the best and most likely to be available fit. But I would explore ARod/Pavano first and see if that would work. Ultimately, I think it comes down to Jones and Hudson for Pie, Marshall, and another player, with the Braves eating some of Hud's deal later in the contract. So, Jones at 14M and Hudson at 6M, puts me at about 88M. I'd probably then look to sign a relatively cheap FA pitcher (Padilla, Batista, Lilly). Say Padilla 2 yrs/$12M. That puts me at 94M. Then I'd go after middle IF, first getting into the Lugo bidding for SS, then going after Durham, Loretta, and Derosa for 2B. Assuming, I only get one and Lugo outprices himself....I get Durham for 2yrs/$13M. That puts me over 100M. The rest I'd use to give Ramirez and Zambrano raises. I'd re-sign Wood for the bullpen and look to trade Dempster for prospects (Howry closer, Wood RH setup). I'd go after Wes Helms as my corner IF backup and Jose Cruz Jr. for my backup OF. Lineup- 2B-Durham LF-Murton 1B-Lee CF-Jones 3B-Ramirez RF-Jones C-Barrett SS-Izturis Rotation- Zambrano, Hudson, Hill, Prior, Padilla Bullpen- CL-Howry, Wood, Wuertz, Ohman, Eyre, Aardsma Bench- Cruz, Helms, Cedeno, Theriot, Soto, Pagan

-.126 BB/PA this year, career .109. -still just 28 years old (29 in April) -great defensive OF -should be cheap and willing to sign a short-term deal. -switch hitter -.276, .370, .447 this year I know he gets hurt alot (only 105 games/yr in his career), but I think he would be well worth the gamble. IF he stays healthy, he's an .850 OPS waiting to happen. Even if he doesn't I think he's the perfect option for a very productive 4-man OF. He can start as the everyday CF. Get a good 4th OF and he can play RF against LHPs (.886 against LHs this year, solid career splits vs. LHs). I think with Bradley, the Cubs could even break Pie in pretty well. If Bradley goes down, bring Felix up. Then when he comes back you can mix and match with Pie, Murton, Jones, and Bradley in the OF and maximize all their production by playing RH/LH matchups. Bradley will also come cheap enough (I'm guessing 1 year with or w/o option for 4-5M) that the Cubs can still go out and get a big bat in the middle IF (Tejada, Soriano, ARod) and add to the pitching staff.

IU is very close to being 6-1. If Hardy had played against SIU and UConn, it would have made up the 7-point difference in both games.

HOOSIER HYSTERIA! WHAT? HUCK THE FAWKEYES! I WANT A BOWL GAME!

Unless the coaching staff will change their plans this week, Idonije played for Wale against Buffalo. Yeah, you're right. I'm really excited about Anderson though. And now I just saw that he is featured in the top story on Yahoo's football page, about draft steals. As much as we talked about the Bears draft being too defensive oriented, they really did an amazing job so far. I would be happy with every draft from here to eternity if the Bears got a starter (Manning), key contributor (Anderson), and a special teams standout (Hester) in every draft.

Crap. If Ogunleye doesn't play that means the Bears have to play Anderson and his 5.5 sacks, which are only 1/2 a sack away from best in the league. Honestly, though. I would like it if one of the 3 injureds were able to play. I hope Wale can go for about 15 plays.

The Cubs should take a SMART gamble. Any of the guys mentioned would be gambles, but they better not be the type of gamble that hinges the entire season. By smart gamble, I mean like a couple years ago overpaying Beltran. Hendry should have gambled that he could trade Sosa somewhere. He should have gambled that in Beltran he could have had one of the best players in baseball. He should have gambled with a big contract when he still had cheap production out of Prior, Zambrano, Patterson, Walker and others. All that playing safe got the Cubs was 2 years of Burnitz/Jones in RF. Trading 3 ML ready pitchers for a mediocre slap hitter. And now the challenge of adding to a team who has given increases to Prior, Zambrano, Lee, Ramirez, and others. The Cubs are now at the point where if they want to win anytime soon, they have to make a huge gamble. If they want to go the route of paying a big-name free-agent, they are gonna have to overpay with the Angels, Dodgers, Sox, and Yanks in the running ofr the same players. If they want to go the route of bringing in a few solid players (Loretta, Roberts, Padilla, Lilly), they have to gamble that they can win w/i 2 years, because none of those guys will get long term deals, and will become free agents around the same time as the core of the team. If they want to go the trade route, they are gonna have to gamble by giving up a prospect they may not want to move, in order to greatly improve.

TAMPA BAY (+5.5) over Cincinnati (give me Cincy) ATLANTA (-3) over NY Giants (I'll take the Giants) Tennessee (+10.5) over WASHINGTON (agree) DALLAS (-13) over Houston (agree) Carolina (+3) over BALTIMORE (agree) DETROIT (+1) over Buffalo (Give me Buffalo) ST. LOUIS (+3) over Seattle (Seattle) Philadelphia (-3) over NEW ORLEANS (Agree) Miami (+2.5) over NY JETS (give me the Jets) PITTSBURGH (-7) over Kansas City (KC beats spread, Pitt wins) San Diego (-10) over SAN FRANCISCO (SF beats spread, SD wins) DENVER (-15) over Oakland (agree) Chicago (-10.5) over ARIZONA (Zona beats spread, Bears win)

Like I said, I honestly think the Cubs want Bochy. I honestly think they want someone else to get Girardi. I think Piniella is the fallback plan if Bochy isn't available.

Part of me doesn't know what to think about Soriano. I'm pretty sure he won't maintain his overnight discovery of a near elite batting eye from a career of Patterson-ish walk rates. I don't know what to think about him coming off what was by far his best power season. But I look at him playing in a very tough park for hitters and in the weakest lineup, by far, that he has ever played in and I am encouraged. I'd still sign Soriano at 5/$75M. Just like I would have signed Beltran at whatever money he got. Just like I would have signed ARod at the contract he got. Not saying Soriano is nearly in the same league as those two were at the time of their signings or that they are now. But I don't have a problem overpaying for production. Soriano will produce. I don't think he will produce at the level he produced at in 2006, but I don't think he will be as bad as he was in 2005. I look at his 2002-03 numbers with Yanks and can easily see those numbers being attainable on a consistent basis for at least the next 3 years. I think 3 years of .285, .340, .510 is very much worth the money for a team that desperately needs offensive production.

I knew completely who you were talking about, but that doesn't mean my heart didn't stop beating for 2 seconds.

Will definitely be an interesting team. I don't know what to think. Definitely can be great defensively. Gonna look a lot like Kelvin's OU teams with a bunch of games in the 50s. Calloway needs to carry over from late last year. Wilmont needs to take the next step to becoming a better scorer. Ratliff needs to play a much bigger role and pretend every game is Kentucky. White needs to show what he did as a freshman. I don't know what to think about the JC guys, but we're gonna need a lot of help from them. I don't see the freshman of this year (or last for that matter outside of Allen) being big factors. The team is pretty weak at the wing positions (SG, SF) with just Wilmont and Ratliff having any kind of experience. Shaw is gonna have to play some big time minutes this year. Vaden's loss will hurt a ton, especially early.

Mets 3B coach, Acta has been mentioned, but I think that's a long shot. I think it's pretty obvious he's waiting on Bochy now. Waiting to get permission and/or an agreement.

I really suck at this.

Why does Murton need a platoon? I kinda like Jenkins. I expected big things from him after a huge 2nd half in 2005, where he had an OPS of over 1.0 after June. He didn't do much, and has a large salary and injury history to go along with him. I'd hope the Cubs can get a better bat than Jenkins.

That's good news. Who would the Cubs have to give up if he were to come to Chicago? Of all the prospective candidates I like Bochy the best. If Hendry gives up any player of value in a deal for a manager he's a bigger idiot than I thought. This team needs the right players, the manager is a secondary thought. Managers don't win. What if we could give up Dempster? or Izturis? I'd rather trade them for players. It has to be a pretty bad player, IMO, to warrant trading a player for a coach.

This would be an excellent move. Please, make this happen Jim. Please allow it to happen San Diego.

What was our score Vance? Dumbass LJ Smith, can't make a freakin' tackle. SF scores 4 TDs and their leading rusher and receiver in the game doesn't score at all. Don't know what the hell Brunell was doing?

Does anyone know if Arod can still play SS? He hasn't looked all that smooth in the games I've seen him at 3B.