mul21

Yep, awful news that the 1st Cubs GM to bring the team to consistent respectability would get an extension. Worst. News. Ever. Not saying I agree with everything he does or even his overall philosophy, but, hey, we could have Ed Wade or Ned Colletti. Hmmmm....consistent respectability. That's quite a standard of success. Hendry has basically been given an open checkbook since he started and the Cubs have one playoff series win to show for it. If "consistent respectability" is what Cub fans are looking for then I guess Hendry has done a great job. Not true. I think it's become pretty clear that MacPhail kept the purse strings much tighter than Hendry would have like while he was still around, as is evidenced by the signing of Soriano the 1st off season Andy was gone.

Yep, awful news that the 1st Cubs GM to bring the team to consistent respectability would get an extension. Worst. News. Ever. Not saying I agree with everything he does or even his overall philosophy, but, hey, we could have Ed Wade or Ned Colletti.

If he starts he will start in the majors if he isn't good enough he will be in the bullpen. We just aren't simply going to throw a very good relief pitcher to the minors just so he can be a starter. A good starting pitcher>>>>> A mediocre starting pitcher>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Middle relief=A bad starting pitcher. He has much more value as a starter. Whether he can start and maintain his "stuff" is an open question. If the Cubs think he can start they will put him in AAA. I don't know what Wood will ask for but I'm guessing the Cubs will pay it. I think it will be described as a "fair" deal. You got to think like Piniella. Do you throw one of your best bullpen guys in the minors for the simple reason you want him to start? Or do you give him a shot to start in the majors if he isn't there yet keep him as a RP because he is one of your best. I highly doubt the Cubs are going to be willing to go without one of their best RP because he is in the minors starting. We called him up from the minors last year when he was starting and doing well I see no reason to think we will let him sit in the minors again next year. Um, yeah, no club has ever given a young pitcher an audition as a reliever before returning him to starting duty the next year. He has so much more value as a starter in the future that it would be idiotic to just say, well, he did a good job relieving, let's just leave him there. You get him more experience in the minors to develop his secondary pitchers and then you have a guy who can give you 200+ effective innings a year instead of 80. Yes, they did it with Marmol, but he's a guy with a funky delivery who may be a huge injury risk. He also doesn't have the repertoire that Shark does.

What about a Lee for Cano package? Cano or Derosa could be moved to 1B and the other plays 2B(This could also create some opportunities for Hoffpauir to get playing time in RF/1B), or we could sign Texiera (highly unlikely), or make a trade for a 1B Overbay, Huff? I also would wonder if there is any truth to the idea of picking up Harden's option and then trading him what about a Harden for Cano package? We already have a couple second basemen who are better than Cano. He's over hyped by the NY media just like Jeter has been forever. I want nothing to do with him. I don't know that there is anything the Yankees have I'd be interested in other than their young arms. Anybody with better MiL knowledge have suggestions?

uh, yeah, you owned him in that trade in my eyes.

Ryan Theriot's value is sky high? I love how you comment on one portion of posts and leave everything else completely untouched. Or maybe my perception is affected by your never ending negativity. And yes, sky high for him, AKA as much value as he's ever going to have.

What happens to Marquis and his $9+ million? Bradley can barely play a corner OF position at this point, let alone be your everyday guy in CF. It's definitely a quandry as to what should get done in the off season, and while I don't give a whole lot of credence to the LH bat thing, it would be nice to add a Texeira or Beltran type bat if for no other reason than to get Lee out of the 3 spot with all the ground balls he's hitting now. Even though it's not realistic, I'd like to see Lee, Soriano, and Marquis sent packing and bring in Manny and Texeira. That would give you a Manny, Tex, Aram 3-4-5 and free up some cash to bring back Demp or sign Lowe.

I like Tim's thought of looking at Tex in the OF, either corner is fine with me and move Soriano if necessary. Honestly, if that was to happen, I'd put him at the 3 and go Tex, Ram, and then Lee. I know Lou and Hendry both have a man crush on Riot, but they really should try to move him while his value is sky high. I don't know if I'm crazy about Furcal with the recent injury history, but that along with Cedeno would be a couple of options. Edmonds was great this year but I'm reluctant to bring him back. And if you do, you almost have to send Pie somewhere to get something for him before he has zero value to anybody. Starting pitching right now I guess you have Z, Harden, Lilly, Marquis, Marshall, the ghost of Rich Hill, Shark and some other assorted arms to choose from. I like the idea of Lowe. He seems to take the ball every 5th day and wouldn't have HR issues even being in Wrigley. I think you get him and if you can send Marquis somewhere you do that and free up cash to bring back Demp if he's willing to sign a 3 year deal. The big question I have is what gets done with Fukudome? Does he figure it out, does he go back to Japan? Does he stay here and keep sucking? I think that is something that has to be decided before any of the other pieces can be put into place.

It's not the matchup itself that's the difference it's how each team would use their RH'ers that made the difference. STL would challenge them inside and would pay for it, LA stayed away and the Cubs wet their pants trying to pull HRs into LF. In my mind, this is the biggest key. The few hard hit balls the Cubs did have in the series were all to the opposite field or up the middle. They never made the adjustment to dink and dunk to the opposite field to get a rally going.

Has any team other than the 06 Cardinals gotten as many good bounces and as much crappy defense played against them? I mean really, they are getting evry break that they possibly can. That still doesn't change the fact the Cubs have completely sucked thus far.

They don't need to blow it up. They need to send Fuku back to Japan, sign Manny and hit him 3rd. The you set the lineup like this: Theriot/Johnson DeRosa Manny Aramis DLee Soriano Soto Pie/Theriot Soriano quits whining and plays RF and hits 6th. Not that I'm a Soriano hater or think he's been a problem thus far, but that's just the best usage for him if they were to sign Manny.

DeAngelo Williams vs. KC, Chris Perry vs. Dallas, or Len Dale White vs. Baltimore

The only issue with this is that they had to have guys who can eat innings, something that Lohse does very well. Considering they got him for ~$2MM less per year than Silva got and he's never hurt, I think they could have done a lot worse. Very similar to the Lilly signing and for about the same money and he fills a huge need for them because really, who else do they have? Wainwright was dinged up this year, Carpenter is an unknown, Wellemeyer doesn't give them more than 6 IP/game, Looper won't be back, Pineiro is back but not very good, and their minor league guys are nothing to write home about. They were painted into a corner and took what will probably turn out to be the best option available. Unless they make a blockbuster deal in the off season with the excess outfielders they've got, they're up a creek if they don't do this.

Hate the Phillies. The Brewers would be an easier opponent in the NLCS.

Yup...right behind the library and Chase Park plaza...just east of the fountain on that street (whatever its name is) Thank you gentlemen, and change of wardrobe. I went home at lunch and grabbed my home jersey with a long sleeved blue shirt to wear underneath it. That, and khakis. Yeah, I know, I'm stylin'.

Maybe we can call thie new age of Cardinals baseball, "New Age of Stupid." There is no way Lohse should had gotten that contract. And the Cards are going to regret it when Lohse becomes the new Kip Wells. I don't think it's all that bad of a deal if they think Duncan figured him out and has him on the right track. He seems to be a classic Duncan guy who pitches to contact down in the zone and doesn't get a ton of Ks. The way they structured the deal, he won't kill them even if he does regress to a little above league average in the last couple years of the del assuming the price of pitching continues to go up.

Bar Louie is a right near Kingshighway and Lindell right?

Just got clearance from the tower, so I'm in. I'll probably be there around 5-5:15 and I'm wearing an orange shirt so you guys can find me.

More accurately, why is this game even being played if the Twins won the season series. The NFL and NBA and NHL don't do it this way.

If this is the rotation, I predict that Lilly won't make an appearance in the NLDS. Man, I hope that is what happens Could be a bad thing too. Blasphemer!!!! You shut your dirty mouth.

Yeah, that whole Thomas Jones thing worked out really well for me. I had him starting in one league where I was up 50 points going into Monday night and only had to worry about the Chargers D. I was up against him in another and had a 5 point lead going into Monday night and he only scored 2, giving me the win. I'm usually on the other end of both of those scenarios.

I work a little south of the brewery so I would be up for a downtown gathering on gameday. Let everybody know if you're gonna do it.

So why can't he have a scoreless inning when we really care?

You think Sutt would tell Rothschild. Actually, he said Hill was tipping Shark's pitches with the way he was setting up, not that Shark was tipping his pitches.

Anybody have the final line for Z?