muntjack

The Cubs as a team have an OPS over 1.000 against Lohse. ARam is 5 for 5 with 2 2B and a HR. We should get this one.

I posted this in the Pie thread, but perhaps it deserves its own, because no one was paying attention.

Pie not going anywhere according to Hendry. http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_hardball/2007/07/hendry-felix-pi.html

"You don't want to blow your whole wad....."

Perhaps you're right, but that's a pretty good deal for both teams, imo. Cabrera is going to end up with half of the Marlins payroll before long, and to get 3 good, young, cheap MLB players and Felix Pie is a pretty good haul.

I'm aware that other teams could offer better packages, but at this late hour, I'd have to think that an offer of Marshall Pie Murton Marmol For M. Cabrera would have to be seriously considered by the marlins. You've got a young guy who's hit near .300 with discipline, a top shelf CF prospect, A young SP who has had success at this level, and one of the best bullpen arms in baseball. All of them are cheap.

What on earth is even remotely interesting about Laird? He has a career OPS under .700. Is he great behind the dish?

Why on earth do the Cards have Duncan hitting 6th?

ugh.

My mlb.tv is so behind it's not even funny. however, i do take a sick pleasure in pretending i can see the future. At least yours is working. I keep getting a server error. somebody said one time when they got that error they could access it if they clicked on the mlb.tv link from cubs.com. maybe that'll help? Tried it and nothing. Thanks, though.

My mlb.tv is so behind it's not even funny. however, i do take a sick pleasure in pretending i can see the future. At least yours is working. I keep getting a server error.

anyone else getting a busy server error for mlb.tv?

Wow, that was......Wow.

I would try to acquire a legit #2 starter if it's possible. Marshall + Marmol for Erik Bedard, perhaps?

I agree that he shouldn't go, but he is likely to be the NL's best pitcher going into the break. He is right now.

This doesn't make sense... you're basically writing off his God-awful 2006 and his few ABs with the big club in 2007, but you're embracing the "amazing plate discipline" he's shown in about 100 PAs with Iowa? No, sir, but I do attribute a lot of his struggles in '06 to the uber-aggressive approach that Dusty Baker and Co. worked to instill in him. are we sure that dusty was telling him to swing at everything? Or would it be more accurate to say that Dusty wasn't telling him not to swing at everything. This seems inconsequential. When Ronnie first came up (no Dusty influence) in '05 he looked very good, agreed? In 2006 (Dusty) Ronnie was horrible. In ST of this year (No Dusty), he was back to good again. He is destroying AAA right now. Obviously he had 39 ABs this year in which his numbers were beyond horrible. I could argue sample size and that he was basically being platooned, so he never had a chance to develop any rhythm. The 100 ABs in AAA is also a small sample size, but toss in the ST ABs and Ronnie's 2005 and I think a case starts to build. I certainly think its feasible that there is a correlation between Dusty teaching and young players struggling with plate discipline. Perhaps I'm completely wrong and Cedeno will become AAA filler, but I think the evidence at least warrants giving him another real shot.

This doesn't make sense... you're basically writing off his God-awful 2006 and his few ABs with the big club in 2007, but you're embracing the "amazing plate discipline" he's shown in about 100 PAs with Iowa? No, sir, but I do attribute a lot of his struggles in '06 to the uber-aggressive approach that Dusty Baker and Co. worked to instill in him.

In Iowa: Ronny Cedeno has apparently replaced himself with Alex Rodriguez (.347/.446/.537) in ~100 ABs Geovany Soto has been on fire all year long (.325/.398/.548) and EPatt looks like he could contribute right now (.308/.368/.500) I like Mark DeRosa and I have no problem keeping EPatt in Iowa until September, but I am firmly in the Give-Cedeno-Another-Chance camp. He was terrible here in April but that was in 31 sporadic ABs. He's the same age as EPatt and is showing amazing plate discipline in AAA. Soto turned 24 in January and is above average behind the plate. If MB isn't going to play, he needs to be here.

Remember Bud Smith's no-hitter? Remember Kerry's 20 K game? Which was the better pitched game?

Adam Dunn in RF would be an epic nightmare.

Yes, I would only want Milledge if he were to be spun off to another team. This guy is WAY too similar to CPatt for my taste. No thank you. Martinez is intriguing. We should be after major league ready middle infield prospects and high ceiling pitching prospects, imo. I would love to see Z traded to Arizona. There's a pretty good prospect down there I hear.

I spent last night perusing this: http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/ We certainly aren't the only ones to botch a draft. Also, take a look at the list of pitchers taken #1 overall and compare to those taken #2. #1's: Bryan Bullington, Matt Anderson, Kris Benson, Paul Wilson, Brien Taylor, Ben McDonald, Andy Benes #2's: Justin Verlander, Mark Prior, Adam Johnson, Josh Beckett, Mark Mulder, Darren Dreifort, Paul Shuey, Greg Swindell

Say it with me. 6-4-

It really does seem that way, though. 2IP 5H is good for him these days.