bc2k

Exactly. No point in rushing him back. This season is already in the toilet. He should take his time coming back. Exactly, and I find it disturbing that the team and Lee are even worried about meeting a timeline. Once it heals, pick up a bat. Rushing back can cause more trouble.

This DL trip seems different to me. I feel closure in that I've completely given up on Kerry and am ready for his Cubs career to end.

:shock: :D nicely done.

Thank you! If Bonds was on the Cubs, people on this site would have such a diffrent attitude on Barry. If you support Sosa especially, then how could you hate Bonds? Ludacris. Best hitter of our generation, people. Big difference between Sosa and Bonds. First off, Sosa's not breaking any records. Second, and most importantly, Sosa is a suspected cheater, while Bonds is a known cheater. Bonds is heralded as the greatest hitter of our generation because of what he has done from 2001 and forward. That's going back to when he was 36. The 4 greatest offensive seasons of his career occured after he turned 36. He was outstanding before that, but nothing he did in his prime was ever considered Ruthian. It's been everything he did after he started juicing in 99 or 2000. I'll give you that nothing he did before 98 was ever considered Ruthian. But Bonds was the greatest player of our generation before steroids and the steriods issue makes people forget about this. If Bonds wouldn't have taken steroids, he would have been a first ballot HOFer anyway. The guy was the quintessiential five tool player. He would have ended up with over 500 HR's and over 500 SB's. He wouldn't have 715 career HR's but make no mistake about it, Bonds was a great player without steroids. Also, I read Howard Bryant's "Juicing The Game" a couple months ago and there was a line that went something like "steroids turn a average player into a good player and a good player into a great player. But who knows what they would do to a great player." Well, I think we know and Bonds is the example. I agree that without his use of performance-enhancing drugs, Bonds would have been a fist-ballot HOFer. I also believe that his use of performance-enhancing drugs is cheating and should be punished by not receiving the honor of admission to the HOF. There must be consequence for his cheating.

Based on his size, I don't think he's backed away from many plates in his lifetime.

If he is hurt or continues to be ineffective, we have the bullpen depth to replace him.

Marv Albert said he doesn't see anything wrong with Cora's actions.

I think Anderson did more fighting than Mabry by punching or attempting to punch Barrett and Mabry, thus should be suspended longer than Mabry. The only reason I can think of why Anderson and Mabry's suspensions could be equal is if MLB has video that's not available to us that shows more of Mabry fighting.

I don't think MLB suspended Barrett for 10 games because his punch landed, but because his punch was what ignited a bench-clearing fight--a fight that wouldn't have happened had Barrett not punched AJP.

So this means after appeals, Barrett will serve 5 games and Mabry 1.

Who has that picture of his huge house?

This is the second time youve called it "white trash" behavior, as if white people are the only ones who have ever thrown a punch. I didn't mean to say only white people exhibit this behavior. Let me amend my use of "white trash" to "trailer trash."

Its also prissy (in everyday speak I'd use another word that is p---y') behavior to take crap and not do anything about it. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and your team or you will be run over and disrespected all the time. There are some things going for blind masculine violence. I disagree with the behavior of saving face when "disrespected" because a man needs to have street credibility. That's white trash behavior and doesn't have any place on the baseball diamond either. I also disagree that Barrett was "disrespected" by AJ. That's a play that happens routinely in the game of baseball. I haven't seen a guy barrel into a catcher who didn't have the ball for years. Its typical Pierzynski behavior-do something that's totally unncessary, but just barely within the rules, so you can have some deniability. I, for one, am glad that Barrett did what he did. While Pierzynski may not have deserved it for this one incident, think of it as a lifetime achivement award. As far as the suspension, you all should spare your indignation. This team is going nowhere anyway. Losing Barrett for 10 days might change their record over that span from 2-8 to 1-9. It was pretty much the only entertaining thing this Cubs team has done this whole year. Running into a catcher is always acceptable on close plays when a catcher is blocking the plate. Only if Barrett left AJ a lane to slide into, and AJ still chose to run through Barrett, would AJ's play be dirty. Barrett made the decision for AJ. I commend Barrett for staying in front of the plate as long as he did, but there's no justification for punching AJ no matter how much of a jerk AJ has been to others.

Its also prissy (in everyday speak I'd use another word that is p---y') behavior to take crap and not do anything about it. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and your team or you will be run over and disrespected all the time. There are some things going for blind masculine violence. I disagree with the behavior of saving face when "disrespected" because a man needs to have street credibility. That's white trash behavior and doesn't have any place on the baseball diamond either. I also disagree that Barrett was "disrespected" by AJ. That's a play that happens routinely in the game of baseball.

I'd rather take the classy route. That message can be even more powerful.

Take your blinders off, watch it again, and tell me its clean. I love how people expect a guy going full speed into home to gauge where exactly the ball is and what velocity it's coming in at. Barrett was blocking the plate. That's all that needs to be said. Clean play. Maybe...but then AJ got up and started walking past Barrett when the dugout was the other way....AJ was trying to mix it up. Hughes said he was walking to pick up his helmet. His helmet wasn't over that way though. It was near the 3rd base line. There was no need for AJ to go left except to walk near Barrett. I'm going by what Hughes said, but if he was wrong, AJ certainly deserved to be hit in the face for walking the wrong way.

Listening to 720 all game, Hughes said AJ was walking to pick up his helmet.

I'm embarrassed to be a Cubs fan today. Not because of the losing effort on the field, but because of the unsportsmanlike, baby-fit that Barrett threw. It's not cool to get into physical fights. You're not any more of a man for punching others in the face. In fact, I think it's white trash behavior. It's disturbing some fans celebrate this. Barrett was blocking the plate and AJ ran through him. It was not a dirty play on AJ's part. AJ saw that Anderson hit a shallow fly ball to left and knew he was a slow runner so the play at home would likely be close. Add to the fact that AJ couldn't see the throw developing behind him, but had to know it was close since Barrett otherwise wouldn't be blocking the plate, and you can realize that this is a clean play and a part of baseball.

Take your blinders off, watch it again, and tell me its clean. I love how people expect a guy going full speed into home to gauge where exactly the ball is and what velocity it's coming in at. Barrett was blocking the plate. That's all that needs to be said. Clean play. Maybe...but then AJ got up and started walking past Barrett when the dugout was the other way....AJ was trying to mix it up. Hughes said he was walking to pick up his helmet.

I think the pessimism is a little much in this case. Rich Hill isn't our stopper, but note that the Sox are a poor hitting team against lefties. This game could go either way.

Buehrle isn't unlikable. He's one of the few I like on the Sox. If you were to create a pitcher, Mark Buehrle would have most of the qualities desired: left-handed; smooth delivery; quick-worker; great control; doesn't walk batters; great pickoff move that gets outs and prevents many baserunners from even attempting to steal; great defense; a reliable horse who logs lots of innings; pitches efficiently, going deep into games while minimizing his pitch count; and even saves a game in the World Series on short rest.

I don't think ARam is untouchable anymore. I'd want him included in a firesale. This isn't a knee-jeck reaction in response to his failure to contribute since DLee went down. I been disgusted with his hustle, hitting, and leg injuries.

I watch, but I do that to stay informed, not because I'd think about jumping bandwagons. I don't get into the bitterness of rooting for them to lose, I guess I'm apathetic to their performance. I do like a couple Sox players who I like to see do well.

Grady Little

With a healthy dominant Wood due back soon, and Prior right behind him, we will make our run. There's a lot of baseball left, and don't forget how good we started the season. There's life here. Remember before the season started we said, "As long as we can stay around .500 until Woody and Prior get back, we'll be in good shape." I was one of those who believed that and guess what, we're 2 under .500 with Wood's return imminent.