Dirt Dog Sparly

Fred, thanks for fighting the good fight this year. If you find yourself in Middle Tennessee give me a PM and I'll see what I can do about a home cooked meal.

OMGOMGOMG... Glad I could make your day Goat.

Just announced on the radio that the Cubs would be making an announcement after the game.

They ended the alternating picks thing not too long ago. I thought that part fell through in final discussions to wrap up the CBA. It wasnt a deal breaker so it was left out to sign off on a complete deal.

The AL won the WS already? Awwww spit!!! You are right. Getting ahead of myself.

I believe that the Cubs will get the #2 pick over all due to the alternating of picks between the leagues. I also get the impression that since the AL won the world series the NL gets the first pick. I could be wrong on that part though.

Because he is just a serviceable left fielder. You think he is bad at second? Stick him in center and the 2007 Cubs blooper reels would be full of all sort of interesting pass patterns he was running out there. Soriano has gotten better in left but he is still at a point that makes Dunn look like a solid outfielder with a glove. As so many others are fond of quoting around here; at his age I dont expect to see any improvement.

Maybe in house bickering between the position players and pitchers, the coaches, and the front office. Team chemistry is easy when you are winning. When you dont, it is hard to have any team chemistry at all. Maybe MacPhail wanted Dusty gone and Hendry said no, and that got to Dusty? That lead to a clubhouse showdown where things were said on all sides and to many feelings got hurt on all sides. I know it sounds like a soap opera, but when dealing with the modern athlete it is.

Heh. In the PCL the clubhouses are dry by league decree. So we kept it in the clubhouse managers office. Somehow every night that BIG igloo cooler found its way into the clubhouse. It was like it had legs or something... Moral of the story, there is what is said and what is done.

No more Nomar please. He has spent DL time playing first this year. He is not a good defensive SS. He does hit for a good average when he is healthy and a little pop. Other than that he really doesn't bring anything to the table to me.

Actually count me in with those who thought the Brewers were going to be the team in the Central this year. At the least fighting with the Cards and Cubs for the Division title. So in that reguard they are a bit of a disapointment. No where near the Cubs, but a let down for them. They are still an exciting young team however with a good base to build on. On a seperate tact however are the Marlins. I dont think you could find anyone who thought that 100 losses were avoidable. To me, in the long view the real story of this year hasnt been the disapointments but the Marlins. Now for the Cubs as a team on the other hand...

Breaks into Scottish Brogue "Ayeeee The BRUcce!" I like that. I can see it now... Que the dramatic music.... Meeting on horse back in middle of Wrigley Field.... NSBBer: So Bruce, did you come to watch the game? The Bruce: No, I came to write intelligent articles. NSBBer: Who is that? *Looking toward 3rd base dugout* *Bad King Hendry and Marshall Baker appear on horseback.* The Bruce: *Wheels horse so that he can address the assembled masses* "FOR OPS!!!!!!!!!!" *Leads charge toward Hendry and Co.* Bad King Hendry: Do not fear Marshall Baker. We will defeat them with wild first hacks and slick fielding." Marshall Baker: "Dude." *The Bruce leading the charge beats King Hendry and Marshall Baker about the head and sholders with OPS while NSBBers cheer him on* Bad King Hendry: "See Marshall Baker I told you we would win with wild first hacks and slick feilding" *The Bruce remains as pristine as a baseball used by a soft tossing lefty against the Cubs* Marshall Baker: "Yep Dude. Just like Hank Aaron told me one time dude. Hey did you know I was on-deck when he hit 715 dude?" *Que to aftermath of wild melee* *The Bruce surveying the scene still as pristine as a baseball used by that soft tossing lefty* NSBBer: "The Bruce! Great article, when will King Hendry, et al learn?" The Bruce "When will they? When!?!" *Que dramatic exit music setting next scene for The Bruce and whinsome actress of the hour*

Hummmmm. Mr. Miles I hope you have your press pass well protected. I can see Hendry and MacPhail braying for yours after this. On the other hand very well done.

That is quoted for the absolute, outstanding, do you see the light, truth.

From personal experience where a tubeule had to be reattached, according to the doctor, everything should work quite well. On the wife front as long as she dosent mind doing the work in about a week everything should be go to go. In a manner of speaking. Trying to be very delicate here. Its the sudden stop that will be tricky for at least two weeks if not a little longer. I could still tweak myself hitting fungos about a month after my surgery. I cant see trying to hit a inside pitch and having to turn on it. :shock:

I had the same injury from playing with my Boxer. He just happened to hit me right and next thing I know I was being wheeled into surgery. Any bleeding internally is dangerous to a degree. I was sore for weeks afterwards. Not so much walking but anything that I needed to use my legs for that would put stress on the groin area. This summer, umpiring, I was hit on the side of the cup by a foul tip shoving everything to one side rapidly. I was lucker than Barrett this time but it was a week before I could get into position behind the plate again. I couldnt imagine trying to catch that soon.

From George Wills "Men At Work" "You can throw hitters fastballs up and in and curves down and away and God himself cant hit them. That is of course unless he knows they are coming." Our old Friend and former Manager Tom Trebelhorn

Considering Hill's age and the amount of time he's been pitching, I'm guessing that two seamer ain't happening any time soon. It could be that his four seamer looks EXACTLY like his curveballs. It could have to do with his arm angle, delivery, and mechanics. It could be that he tried it and hitters picked up on it really easily. Whatever the case may be, I don't see it happening. He'll be able to have a good career with his two curves, four seamer, and change. I am going to have to disagree with you here. Because of his age, (maturity factor), I believe that he could find a pitch easier. He has just experienced a mental change IMO to turn this corner. That should leave him more receptive to more learning/knowledge. I place Wood as example one. His success came a a young man and came quickly. He learned he has a stud and what he was doing was working. From what I have heard, read, and talked to player development people he is still a very good person; but you cant tell him squat about pitching because he K'd 20. So lets call Hill in all hopefullness an Anti-Wood.

He has finally made the mental adjustment aparently. Now he needs to refine his command and develop a good running two seamer. Right now he is going to be ok but, as was pointed out on TV today, everything runs the same direction. IF, IF, IF, he develops a two seamer and can command it the pitch will keep hitters honest and make his curve even more devistating.

Look at Earl Weaver. He is looked at as a genious for looking at things like he did in his day. He was also blessed with great players for the 70's teams that won the World Series in Baltimore. He however is the exception to the rule unfortunately. People (especially our current management team) look at the "Pitching, Defense, and the three run homerun" part of his philosophy and completely miss the ingredients that made the three run homerun a reality for all those teams. They are taking the "bad old knowledge" and using it to re-enforce the schema they currently hold. Even though in this case they are using good knowledge, just applying it in a bad old way. Which leads us back to the mafia / made man mindset one sees in baseball. Also throw in the stubborn pride of Baker and Hendry and you have your answer to why they can pay lip service to the right formula, (Weaver in his entirity), and still get the wrong things out of it. IE; your 2006 Chicago Cubs.

On XM 187 for those that listen that way.

You wouldn't expect managers to change their thinking (unnecessary small ball isn't going to be ending anytime soon), but you'd at least hope GMs could think through these things and come to the conclusion that OBP might just be more important than stolen base totals for a leadoff hitter. Looking at it from an education standpoint the answer is simple. We all carry with us the knowledge we have learned through our lives. To learn new knowledge requires us to "scaffold" the new knowledge onto the old. In this process we decide which of the information is "good" and which is "bad" changing our knowledge base accordingly. When we learn the "bad" new knowledge it requires us to not only unlearn the "bad" new knowledge but also relearn the "good" new knowledge to continue to learn the right things. Hard enough for a grade school student, much less a 50-year-old man whom views himself as a MLB GM. Applying this to baseball, (keeping in mind that the game has a very mafia mind set), you can see the same things happening. The work of Bill James and the others that have followed him have all been done by non-insiders. Hence to the "Made men" of baseball it is for the most part "bad new knowledge" because it challenges the knowledge base that has made them "successful" in their very closed field. Also it challenges the schema of knowledge they have gained through the application of "the good knowledge" to the problems before them. IE; when you steal, playing for one run, the hit and run, the sac bunt, the... you get the picture. If they fail to see a problem then their knowledge is still good. Human pride, which we all have, makes this difficult to see even with a mountain of evidence to the contrary. The Billy Beanes and Theo Epstiens of the world are not part of the "Baseball Mafia" who have been able to break into the ranks with out paying the dues (1). Because they enter with a different set of knowledge they are more open to "new" knowledge than their "made man" contemporaries. They have been able to embrace and integrate the new knowledge into the schema of thought in running their organizations. The end result we see is a World Series championship in Boston after a few false starts to learn where human nature must be taken into account over the numbers. Closer by committee comes to mind in Boston leading to the pick of Foulke to be the guy in the ninth. Until Chicago brings in, or promotes from within, someone who is willing to challenge the groupthink and approach the problems with a new schema of knowledge expect more of the same. (1)(Yes Beane was a marginal player, but is the exception to the rule, ala LaRussa who is also book smart that didn’t have the normal career path. Doug Glanville is a good homegrown name to throw out there for the hostility toward the "book smart" player in baseball.)

FYI the game is on XM 187. The agrivating thing is that there is no pregame for the Cubs on XM unlike the other teams.

Ive said it before and I will say it again. Its idiots that make livin hard. Give the rest of humanity a bad name. :cry:

That is why they dont have a realistic chance. Bynum will turn into the new Neffi and get ABs someone else should be getting. Cedeno needs to play. Period. Only way he gets better. Mabry needs to sit and watch and get a spot start once every 7 to 10 days. When Nevin and Pagan are your power off the bench.... Its been look forward to next year about two weeks after DLees wrist. Just another tease from the Cubs.