USSoccer

There is a lot of doubt that he'd want to go to the west coast, and be that much further from Miami. Chicago is about the same distance as NY. Maybe he would relish the opportunity to play daytime baseball in Chicago, which he might percieve as less pressure, but a much higher reward for his legacy if he should lead the Cubs to a World Series...

Do you think the Yankees would send him another AL team? The Rangers did. I think the inter-division, inter-league trade prohibition is a baseball myth. I think teams look for the best possible deal they can get. I am only thinking that the ever PR conscious Yankees would probably take slightly less in return from a NL team. If a team like the White Sox or Angels, who are contenders for the pennant in 2007 make an offer, I could see their cost being more. Maybe not signifigantly less, but somewhat less... The Rangers, I think, were just happy to get rid of part of the giant contract. I think that if ARod were making $16m/yr in the winter of 2003, they would have either held out for more than Soriano or not dealt him at all.

Do you think the Yankees would send him another AL team?

goony's just arguing for the sake of arguing with me. he hates words that mean nothing just as much as i do. I was mostly re-responding to 'Cuse. I don't like how this "Aramis loafs" stuff gets tossed around like he walks backwards every time he hits a groundball. I especially don't like how people act like no other really good players occasionally have a lapse of hustle.

What's being glossed over is that Beltran had the rep of being a major loafer when he was stuck in Kansas City. It's not like he's always been Charlie Hustle. It seems going to consistently winning teams made a difference for him...

Its hard for me to tell too, but thats because I don't see color. Everyone is American to me. I only know I'm white because I can catch a cab and belong to an all white country club. wow It's a Colbert reference.

'Cuse, Aramis stayed in shape this season. He had zero leg issues as far as we know. He improved defensively, and had two or three lapses of concentration where he loafed it out of the box. If it weren't for his reputation and for the team's struggles, I'd bet 90% of fans and media would never have noticed those two or three lapses. He's not the lazy, indifferent guy that he's been made out to be over the last 6 months. He's the Cubs' best run producer. He's the best potential FA player in this offseason by far. The Cubs need him to be on the team for 2007, and if that means he'll loaf 1 PA out of 200, then I'll trade that for his production without hesitation. I understand your points, and while ideally you'd like to match Ramirez's raw talent with, say, Theriot's hustle, sports doesn't work like that. You make tradeoffs. The tradeoff with Ramirez is one worth making.

Wow. I saw he had a heart attack last week, but that's terrible. He was a pretty good assistant to Arena for the USMNT. It's unfortunate that his last games with the team were in Germany. My sympathies go out to his family and the USMNT family.

What value could Don Zimmer possibly provide? Pursuing that would be a negligent waste of time by Hendry. I wouldn't find it interesting, entertaining, valuable, cute, honorable, or anything other than stupid and unnecessary.

It's an interesting question. Prior is still very young, and has top 5 pitcher upside. ARod still probably has at least 3 seasons of very high productivity. I guess it comes down to whether or not you think Prior is going to be the Prior of 2003 again. If not, you probably make that deal, although I wonder if the PR-conscious Yankees would make that trade. They'd probably have a tough time trading for someone with the injury-prone rep after Pavano, Johnson and Wright.

This team needs production more than it needs scrappers and grinders. Someone should gild that quote and screw it to Jim Hendry's desk.

Maybe in your world. Not in the baseball community... The baseball community is second only to politics in taking reputation over substance. Exactly. So even if you assume he has no value actually, he has perceived value, and therefore would be worth something in another trade. He was worth no more than a washed up pitcher this year, not sure how his perceived value has improved. You could get a player for him, but probably just another worthless player. Unless you find a really stupid GM, Goony's right. You wouldn't get anything worth anything back for him.

Maybe in your world. Not in the baseball community... The baseball community is second only to politics in taking reputation over substance.

So far so good...

That's some tough talk coming from a 1-4 team.

I think you're right. If a team is willing to take back Wright or Pavano, you're going to have a shot at ARod. I'd probably structure a deal like Izturis/Eyre/Marshall/Aardsma plus cash.

You're wrong. I can list you 10 decisions off the top of my head that contributed to their NLCS loss, all of which are on Baker. I'll rattle 'em off right now for you, actually, and I'll just use NLCS decisions, not regular season decisions that helped lead to the loss: #1-Having Mark Guthrie pitch to Mike Lowell, eschewing the feared Lenny Harris/Alfonseca matchup. There's no universe that exists where Lowell should get picthed to for fear of Harris. Lowell promptly hits a GW homerun. #2-Allowing Mark Prior to throw 2 unneccesary innings in a Game 2 blowout. Would have been nice to have those pitches back for Game 6, right? but hey, you had to protect that 10 run lead. #3-Not going out to calm Prior and the IF down after the Bartman play. #4-Not having Farnsworth warming up immediately after. #5-Having Farnsworth come in and intentionally walk the 1st batter he faced. #6-Game 7, not having someone warming up going into the 5th inning, when it was clear that Kerry Wood didn't have it. #7-Leaving Matt Clement in the bullpen, rather than having him come in as a sinkerballer on short rest. #8-6th inning, 2 on, 2 out, down 7-5, he taps Dave Veres to come in and try and stop the bleeding and keep the game within reach. The Cubs' 7th best reliever promptly gives up 2 runs. #9-Using Troy O'Leary in a bases empty situation instead of saving him for when someone might actually be on base. O'Leary hit a solo HR, but that 1 run meant nothing. #10-Ater a leadoff walk by Ramirez in the 9th, the Cubs needed a baserunner badly. He then PH Randall Simon, who has power but no patience, who struck out and effectively ended any hope of a rally.

You're wrong. I can list you 10 decisions off the top of my head that contributed to their NLCS loss, all of which are on Baker.

No one here concerned about the lack of contract extension for Kirk Hinrich?

True. But, I'd like to see Pedro Feliz in Cubbie Blue. Give me Feliz, Soriano, Zito, and a ARam for ARod swap, and then we're talking. Oh God, that would be horrible.

Bruce, Thank you for being a part of our online community! What insights can you give us on the Ramirez contract situation? Has Hendry or anyone in the organization indicating anything other than a commitment to making sure he's a Cub in 2007?

You know what else is a fact? That Baker's negligent overuse of both of them in 2003 resulted in the fact that they were often injured in 2005 and 2006. I'm sure Baker is a decent human being, but he's a terrible baseball manager, and deserved to have his contract nonrenewed. It's a business, and he failed. And the fact that you were upset by personal attacks on Baker, yet personally attacked Hendry's weight is ironic and hypocritical.

Buffalo wins 17-13. The Curse of Dick Jauron. Grossman struggles, throws 2 picks, and the passing game hits a major snag. McGahee runs for over 100, and the Bear turnovers create a short field for Losman, and they score 10 pts off turnovers. They control the ball and play the field position game for the 2nd half, and a late TD drive by the Bears comes up short. Reverse Jinx.

No one has done less with more over the last 5 years than Joe Torre. I hope he retires. Keep in mind he was a very mediocre manager prior to getting the Yankee job.

I'd rather have a good manager than comedy.