The Voice of Reason

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/4842310

Yes, Sammy's number should be retired but the fans should leave early that day (before the ceremony).

Hoops - Nice, creative ideas. How about going a step further and replacing President MacPhail with one of the top GMs in the game (Jocketty, Beane, John S. (the Braves guy), etc. BTW, you gotta be Sanjay H., Barry Rosner's favorite GM not working in baseball today. Correct?

I thought Hendry's wife divorced him last year. Maybe you Dad just discovered the source of the "disagreement."

Maitland Florida led by the pitching and hitting of Dante Bichette, Jr. The kid swings for the fences just like the old man, except he connects a lot more often. Barely made it to the WS, could be a team of destiny.

No, evidently a lot of softball teams like them as well. :)

Evidently MSNBC has been eavesdroping on this discussion. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8999163/

More than likely, they will never stop believing in luck Was it bad coaching by the Cubs that caused Prior to miss significant time after a line drive hit him in the elbow? Was it bad coaching by the Cardinals a few years ago when a lot of their pitchers were injured? I would argue in both cases, it was simply bad luck.

This year, a Cardinal starter hasn't missed a start. There is no comparison between the injuries the Cubs have suffered this year and those the Cards have suffered. Cards do deserve credit for how well their bench as played - probably have done better than the regulars would have.

welcome to our world. the difference of course is yet another crappy utility player is having a stellar year for the Cardinals How many starting pitchers for the Cardinals have missed signifcant time this year due to injury (as Wood and Prior have)? Position players are easier to replace than starting pitchers.

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/8744821/1

I realize it was a different era and he had his problems off the field, but check out the HBO documentary on Mickey Mantle. He always hustled despite being in constant and incredible pain. How come people always forget abut Bill Madlock? He hit .313, .354 and .339 with the Cubs. Could have been one of their best 3B (career. 305 average) if the Cubs weren't too cheap to pay him what he deserved and didn't trade him for a has-been like Bobby Murcer. No, the Usher gave him a break.

Exile on Waveland wrote: Don't worry about it EOW, I'm starting to get used to it (and admittedly a fair share of it has been deserved) but I am thinking about changing by screen name to "Lightening Rod." :?

Different era. If Gibson faced today's hitters, he'd get rocked. Not surprising, considering Gibson's over 60. :) Seriously, I think you are dissing the talents of pre-stroid era players like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Willie McCovey, etc. Bob Gibson was phenomenal.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/john_donovan/08/15/cubs.debacle/index.html Very flattering picture of Todd Walker.

No big deal US. I've been married 15 years and am very used to getting nitpicked (and nagged) :) I honestly think Ramirez could be the next Pujols if he adopted some of Prince Albert's work habits. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I think a lot of ARam's nagging injuries could be avoided with better diet, conditioning and training. One would think with the money the Cubs are paying him, he could afford a personal trainer. With Leyland as manager next year (wishful thinking), any POSSIBLE lack of hustle would not be tolerated. If you don't hustle for Leyland does he make you sit in the dugout and smoke cigs with him :?: :lol: Yes, but when the smoke finally clears he'll let you look at his World Series ring.

No big deal US. I've been married 15 years and am very used to getting nitpicked (and nagged) :) I honestly think Ramirez could be the next Pujols if he adopted some of Prince Albert's work habits. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I think a lot of ARam's nagging injuries could be avoided with better diet, conditioning and training. One would think with the money the Cubs are paying him, he could afford a personal trainer. With Leyland as manager next year (wishful thinking), any POSSIBLE lack of hustle would not be tolerated.

Maybe it wasn't clear on TV to you, but on the double play balls hit to him throughout the series, he nonchallantly jogged to third making it necessary to rush his throws to first and which caused the bad throws/errors. Last night there was no reason not to go home first. I wouldn't attribute these mistake to injuries or bad footwork but lack of fundamentals, hustle and mental errors which I blame Dusty Baker for as much as Aramis. Again, Ramirez is a very good player. He could be a great player. He didn't "nonchallantly" jog. He is hurt! Your lateral movement and ability to have a quick first step is hampered when you have leg injuries. He made a couple of bad throws, because of a mental mistake in the 6th last night, and his footwork isn't very good right now, but it's not a lack of "hustle". Honestly, stop listening to talk radio. The same people who rip ARam for being lazy or not hustling are the very same who ripped Wood and Prior for not pitching through pain. You can't have it both ways. You either accept that a guy playing through pain isn't always going to look quick, look sharp, or be at his best, or you don't cry "lack of heart" when he shuts it down to get healthy. It's faulty logic and it's hypocritical. Let the record show that when he was in Pittsburgh, Aramiz was consistently criticized for not hustling and poor fundamentals. Was he hurt the whole time in Pittsburgh as well? Please, I won't compare your logic to Dusty Baker's, if you don't compare mine to Mike North (WSCR). :D

Maybe it wasn't clear on TV to you, but on the double play balls hit to him throughout the series, he nonchallantly jogged to third making it necessary to rush his throws to first and which caused the bad throws/errors. Last night there was no reason not to go home first. I wouldn't attribute these mistake to injuries or bad footwork but lack of fundamentals, hustle and mental errors which I blame Dusty Baker for as much as Aramis. Again, Ramirez is a very good player. He could be a great player.

After watching Ramirez's play in the Cardinal series, I have concluded that he is one of the most frustrating Cub players to watch of all-time. His talent is enormous. His offensive skills are unquestioned. However, his lack of hustle and poor judgement is downright excruciating. Three times in the four game series his lackadaisical play led to failures to convert double plays (or at least get the lead runner). After each of his mental/physical errors, the Cardinal's scored. IMO, without D. Lee at 1B, Aramis would have about 22 errors instead of 16. His lack of hustle on the fly ball he hit to right (converting a double into a single) was inexcuseable. I found it ironic, when Stoney proposed the Mueller/Manny traded for Aramis (which I think would have been a mistake), many Cubs fans criticized the proposal because of Manny's poor fielding, lack of hustle, etc. The most frustrating thing about Ramirez, is that he could go from a very good player to a geat player simply by working on his defense and hustling. On Saturday, as I rose to applaud as his majestic home run sail onto Waveland, one of the "World's Greatest Fans" that I was surrounded by, commented that Ramirez wouldn't last long on the Cardinals because of his attitude, work ethic, etc. I thought (maybe he's right and that's why they're 18 games in front of the Cubs) but my Cub fan pride wouldn't let me agree with him, so I choose to respond with "Usher, check these guys tickets, they didn't pay for box seats."

Doesn't he stand out now in St. Louis?

Just looking for a silver lining, grasping at straws, etc.

Twice as many HRs by D.Lee today and a key fielding error by Pujols - I'd say that's cheaters proof that the right man started at first in the all-star game.

Yes Cardinal fans, keep telling yourself that Pujols is just as good a fielder as D. Lee. RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess that Tinkers - Evers - Chance (all victims) should be famous for something besides being a double-play combination.