mlarner
-
Posts
343 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Joomla Posts 1
Chicago Cubs Videos
Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits
2026 Chicago Cubs Top Prospects Ranking
News
2023 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
Guides & Resources
2024 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
The Chicago Cubs Players Project
2025 Chicago Cubs Draft Pick Tracker
Blogs
Events
Forums
Store
Gallery
Everything posted by mlarner
-
The CF joke was in regards to Furcal, not Giles. I think the Yankees are legitimately interested. Torre wouldn't be calling on their bahalf if they weren't. I personally don't think Giles wants to play there, but he'll use the Yankee offer to try to up the ante for other teams. Even Paul O'neil called him. Do you think Paul O'Neil promised to hit 2 home runs for him? Maybe one...but two? You can't just hit two homeruns. Do you know how hard it is to hit a homerun? How'd you get in here anyway? Oh, and by the way, Paul O'Neil has to catch a fly ball tomorrow night with his hat. Nice catch...that episode was just on tonight! :lol:
-
The CF joke was in regards to Furcal, not Giles. I think the Yankees are legitimately interested. Torre wouldn't be calling on their bahalf if they weren't. I personally don't think Giles wants to play there, but he'll use the Yankee offer to try to up the ante for other teams. Even Paul O'neil called him. Do you think Paul O'Neil promised to hit 2 home runs for him?
-
How serious are the Yankees in their interest? I thought I saw something where that was Cashman (or someone in the organization) basically joking around and saying they were going to put him in CF. Im almost positive, though, it was stated afterwards to only be a joke. Who else is out there with the need and the $? I think he's stated an interest in staying out West (so maybe the Angles?) but what are the other realistic possibilities?
-
Oh my God ... :wall: Yeah, Id love playing for Dusty too if my incentaves were all based on at bats and games played while I had a manager who refused to play anyone with less than 5 years of major league experience... #-o
-
Yeah, it had storybook ending written all over it. I really wished it had turned out differently, for both parties involved. Man, that just makes me think about LaTroy closing and blowing all those games down the stretch that year. Grrrrrrr. I still can't believe I never threw anything into my TV that year! I mean the Mets for goodness sakes!
-
I also think Hendry sees this year as vital, both because of a couple of recent down years and the success down on the South side. I would imagine he will go into the season with as few question marks as humanly possible (and I think this is why he'd stay away from Bradley in CF as well). You can go into the season knowing that some players will get hurt, that some of your relievers will come out of nowhere to be good and others that you had planned on taking major roles will stink, and all the craziness that happens in a 162 game schedule, but I see Hendry doing everything he can to minimize these possibilities as much as possible. He's also got the $ to do this as well. Other teams have to take more of these chances because of smaller budgets, but I don't think that applies too much in this instance.
-
Yeah, I think his agent did retract the $50 million demand. -Sorry if I labled anyone around here above. Hendry has gotten hit pretty hard for relying too heavily on players with a history of injuries (Woody and Nomar) thats all I was saying.
-
The people calling for the Cubs to re-sign Nomar are most likely the same people that complained that Hendry relied to heavily on players with a history of injuries. I think if the Cubs do not sign Furcal, Cedeno will be the starting SS and Walker will remain a Cub and be the starting 2b with Neifi backing up both. I agree 100% badgercub
-
Im not sure this is so much a ploy having to do with positioning for other players, sending signals, etc. as much as just the realization that Nomar is not wanted by the team as next year's SS. Partly due to injuries, and partly that he was never the best defensive SS in the first place, I think, means the Cubs are done with the experiment. Don't get me wrong, the storyline was there for Nomar to come to the Cubs and help them get to the WS (especially after he is traded by the Sox and they go all the way) and I was as excited as anyone else, but going into another year depending on him is just a mistake IMO. Its been said on here that his values is probably higest at 3rd base, and obviously thats a spot where the Cubs are set. I don't know where (or even at which position!) he will end up, but I certainly wish him well and Im glad that Hendry is being up front with him.
-
I have a hard time believeing Hendry will give too much attention to Bradley (unless he can be had for the proverbial bag o' balls). The media and the fans have killed Hendry in the last couple of years for depending too much on players who have had injury problems in the past (Woody and Nomar, Fox, etc.). How many times have we all ripped Hendry on this board for using key injuries as an excuse for disappointing seasons while at the same time he is still throwing money at them? Its not exactly the same thing here, but can't you make the argument that injuries are more "random" than some kind of "character issue" (however ill-defined that may be)? If he gets bashed for signing players who miss too many games due to injuries don't you think he will shy away from a player who may miss games because of tantrums aimed at the fans or meltdowns in the clubhouse, etc? A player can be more or less injury prone, and sometimes its a crap shoot if he will make it through the whole year or not, but signing someone with a pretty well established history of these problems seems like a huge gamble to me. If Im him, I stay far away-we are spending A LOT of $ trying to build a WS contender, so why put a huge question mark in CF?
-
Im curious, if we had Pierre in CF and Fucal at SS, do you guys think Hendry (or the fans, for that matter) would let Dusty bat Neifi! in the 2 hole (assuming he's sharing time with Ronny C at 2nd base)? I realize Dusty makes some crazy decisions that make no sense, but wouldn't this just cross the line? Could he possibly get away with this?
-
This would also be nice because of the timing. Furcal and his agent would no longer be able to hold the leadoff hitter need over our heads, possibly bringing his contract demands down to reasonable numbers and years. Combine that with the recent reports of the Yankees not seriously considering him for CF (which always seemed pretty unlikely anyway) and we might be in business with a new top of the lineup for Lee and Aramis!
-
I may be giving Hendry too much credit here or reading too much into the situation, but is it possible that he's doing a little posturing for the Giles sweepstakes? I mean he's obviously been so public about his desire for Furcal, that maybe he's taking a different track here? We know there's been a couple of national stories about the Cubs being interested in Giles (I can only remember Gammons off the top of my head but seems like there was another) and maybe he's trying to send a message to the Giles camp that hey, there are other options out there, even in this depressed FA year. I think with the lack of FA alternatives, talking up trades (especially for a guy in Dunn who represents what EVERYONE seems to realize the Cubs need in OBP) is about the only bargaining chip the Cubs have right now. Again, maybe reading too much into it and its just Hendry going after guys he's liked all the time, but it still keeps the Giles hopes alive for another day at the least!
-
I really like watching the kid play. He is patient, looks like he isn't afraid to take a strike or two, and just seems like he belongs on the field in the major leagues. I am excited to see him hitting some home runs lately, although I have to say I hope that doesn't get drilled into his head over the winter. Far be it for the Cubs to be satisfied with a good, patient hitter that actually gets on base at a good clip! OT: You don't get better than Aramis, but every time the Red Sox are on I wish we still had Billy Miller around-I just like the way he plays the game.