LuvChicagoSports

. Murton has played in only a few games, I'm not sure how many. He's doing great. That being said, I'm not ready to declare him the starting left fielder. As far as Cedeno over Perez I would like to see Cedeno get more starts, but I understand Dusty's point. Neifi is a prove4n player, Cedeno is not. YOu just don't junk a proven player over an unproven talent. Neifi is a bench player through and through, but we're not sure what Cedeno is yet. Anyway, I want Nomar back. And, I watch pretty much every game in my capacity as a lazy college student. Just because a few rookies came up and got a few hits doesn't mean I'm ready to declare them the answer to all the Cub's problems. Once again, I like Murton and Cedeno a lot. But, experience counts more in my book than RAW, UNTRIED talent. If Murton proves himself a little more (and he's well on his way to doing that, at least in my eyes) great! Cedeno could be the man to, I don't know yet. But, just because Neifi isn't batting .350 anymore doesn't mean I'm ready to junk him. This isn't an attack on you by any means, but are you saying that you think experience is more important even if that experience isn't good. So by what you are saying it would make more sense for Dusty to call C-Pat up and play him everyday instead of Murton. I mean I know C-Pat was doing terrible, but in the same token Hollandsworth has done just as bad if not worse. Yes Corey struck out WAY more times, but he had more hits, runs, stolen bases, and home runs. Basically what I am saying is that two thirds of our starting outfield was pathetic this season so the experience doesn't mean anything. If a rookie has more to offer than a player who hasn't played well thus far, the rookie should play. A lot of people are saying that Murton doesn't have the power to be a starting corner outfielder. Last I checked Todd Hollandsworth has absolutely no power. His slugging is under .400 and ops is under .700. So the one knock on Murton doesn't have any substantial weight because the player he would be playing for has the same knock on him. It boils down to Dusty Baker being stubborn. In spring training, Hendry was quoted as saying he wanted Ryan Dempster to close, but Dusty said he was going with his boy Hawk cause he has the stuff. When his boy continued to be terrible in the closers role, he kept throwing him out there. Think where we would be right now if Dempster had been closing the whole time like Hendry had suggested. We could easily be 3 or 4 games better than now which would put us in the lead or a tie for the WC. I don't have a problem with Dusty wanting to play vets when the vets are good, but I do have a prolem with him being so stubborn that he refuses to admit the vet is struggling and there are better options. Murton should be the starting left fielder til he shows that he is as bad or worse than Hollandsworth. You don't make the playoffs by playing experienced players over players that are better. At this point in time right now Murton is better. I'm not saying he is going to be great which I hope he is going to be, but I am saying that he is better right now than Hollandsworth for tomorrow's game. I want to make the playoffs, not have experienced bad players get playing time because they have been there before.

(Edited - please don't post the entire text of articles; providing the link and an excerpt is good. Thanks!) Thought some others might have enjoyed this. Sorry once again.....learning my way around these boards. I'll remember that for the future. I post a lot of articles so that is good to know. ESPN Insider makes articles readily available

yep I hear ya that is why I had to post the article. At least one journalist is coming out and saying it. A lot of the idiots at ESPN listen to him too. Rob Neyer ranks Ryno as the 8th best 2b of all time. He lists Alomar and Biggio ahead of him. Makes me sick. Ryno doesn't get the respect he deserves. Oh an Neyer says that Joe Morgan is the best of all time. What a joke.

Sorry guys new to the boards and didn't see that there was a transactions forum. My mistake

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/0728onbaseball0728.html (Edited - please don't post the entire text of articles; providing the link and an excerpt is good. Thanks!) Thought some others might have enjoyed this.

Comcast Sports Net has reported that the Cubs and Rangers are in discusions about Alfonso Soriano. I would make a deal for him very quickly as long as it didn't include Pie. He has a low obp. which isn't a good thing, but it would be a major upgrade in slugging and he has a good average.

What it boils down to with me is that Murton has proven he is able to have a good at bat in big situations at that point in time we were down 1 run, I do not think it was right to take out a hitter that you could very well need later in the game. But in Dusty's mind rookies can't be effective and Todd Hollandsworth is the guy to count on because at least he has sucked for a long time.

I'd like it better than Hollandsworth, but we all know Dusty and it isn't going to happen. He's going to keep playing Hollandsworth and when he finally does something good Dusty is gonna say see he's my guy for a reason, ignoring the fact that playing him every day could have lost us 4 of the last 7 games or something like that. Personally I'd like to see Murton get some games against righties so we know what he is capable of. Against tough righties Gerut would be fine, but Murton was the stud of our famr system this season so I'd like to know if he can be a potential every day player for us in the near future. But like I said I would take Gerut any day of Worthless.

it doesn't matter the more mistakes the idiot makes the sooner we can get rid of him. The Giants fans found out how pathetic he was as a manager and let him go after he took the team to the world series. I always thought it was odd that a manager that took a team to the world series would be let go, but we now know why it happened. Because Dusty didn't take the team to the world series, but the players made it in spite of him. Dusty is a pathetic in-game manager and is costing the Cubs not only a chance to make the playoffs, but also a chance to look at our young players to determine if they are capable of being everyday players for us in the future. Dusty Baker is a major problem and until he is no longer with the Cubs we will no play up to our potential.

Hey good old Holly screws up again. Why does Dusty continue to put this guy out there? I cannot stand to watch him manage games. I would have put Macias out there because at least he has made contact more lately than Hollandsworthless. Dusty has a problem with thinking he is smarter than all the fans so he trots the same guy out over and over so when the guy FINALLY does something good Dusty can say see I told you so.

I would have had Rusch come in if I was going to make a double switch. Ohman got the guys out in the 6th inning, but the problem is he isn't a long reliever, so sending him back out in the seventh was a risk. And now Hollandsworth k's which is nothing new. Dusty's boy is a POS who should not start more than once a week. Murton should get the majority of the playing time, although some very difficult righties should allow Gerut to get a day of play.

I understand what you are saying, but Neifi could have been moved for walker. I guess in my book it is a lose lose situation because Neifi has been playing better as of late and has gotten big hits in the past week. I guess I get upset that all the fans want to see Murton play, he gets a hit and 1 other at bat and then is done for two more days. I know it made sense to make a double switch, and I am not upset about that I guess I am just frustrated we don't see more of Murton.

I don't care Gerut is a lefty that hasn't proven anything yet. Don't get me wrong I like him on our team, but the one guy that has proven he is worthy of playing time doesn't get it. Hollandsworth hasn't shown anything except for two weeks of play. Dusty has his guys and if you aren't on the list it's a bad situation for you. Are you telling me that there aren't rookies who've played extremely well in the past? Are you telling me rookies are incapable of getting big hits even though Murton proved yesterday he is more capable of getting runs in than Dusty's boy Hollandsworth? I'm tired of watching this shi*t. The players are managing to win despite their manager continuing to make bad decisions. I was all about Dusty Baker when the Cubs decided to bring him in, but he has made enough bad moves that I can't even stand watching the games sometimes because it gets frustrating. LOL, and of course my point is gone to waste cause Gerut gets a double. Way to be newcomer, go cubbies!

Dusty in a double switch decides to take one of his hottest hitters in his lineup out of the game. I don't understand this, he could have just as easily taken 0-2 Neifi out of the game and put Walker in. I can't stand watching the moves Dusty makes. He is an incompetant manager and Jim needs to get him out of town.

yeah I know that was a questionable move especially since he threw 9 innings his last start in St. Louis. I just am tired of watching his managerial moves. I'm extatic that we won the game, just don't see us going anywhere with Dusty making the decisions. The players win the games despite the moves he makes.

Dusty was wrong again to start Todd Hollandsworth today. Murton comes into the game and instantly makes an impact. Just think if he would have been in earlier in the game with a man on 3rd and less than 1 out. Dusty will claim to have made the right move by pinch hitting for Hollandsworth and giving Murton the chance to be sucessful, but most Cubs fans are smart enough to see Hollandsworth was worthless today in a wonderful 0-3 3k performance. Murton could have done that so Dusty you are full of it. Not a single person should give Dusty any credit, because if any fan could have written the lineup card Hollandsworth would have never played to begin with. Oh and thank you Matt Murton way to play the game right.

Hey Dusty's boy is 0-3 with 3 k's. One of those with a man on third and 1 out. Way to play a bad aging vet Dusty. I hope we fire you as soon as possible. I hope no team in baseball is ignorant enough to give you another job. I don't want you to be responsible for ruining any more of our young players. Hendry fire this POS or he's gonna cost you your job.

I'll bet Murton gets the starts -- if there are three straight lefties facing the Cubs. I dislike Hollandsworth starting, as I said back in March, but isn't Murton's average benefitting from his first start? I thought with his hit last night, he's now 4-16. I like the kid, but I'm not sure yet if he's Bo Hart or a real everyday player. My main contention is that we should've gotten a bonafide leftfielder in the offseason (as I still scratch my head wondering why so many people were hoping we weren't going to get Cliff Floyd), hopefully we can still get one. Murton is hitting over 400 not .250. He actually could be a legitimate LF and we don't need a huge power guy. We need a guy that makes consistent contact and can get runners in. Murton also showed decent pop in the minors, so he could be a quality starter for us if we get rid of Dustbag.

Yeah Alou made some bogus moves last night, but he isn't know for making terrible in game decisions like Dusty. With him being a players manager he is supposed to attract guys to come play in Chicago, but if I was a young player I would want nothing to do with the Cubs. Murton is the obvious choice of the fans and probably the GM, but Dusty keeps trotting out Holly. Personally I think that he is digging his own grave, cause I think he is making Hendry mad with the decisions to play the vets over the young guys. Murton was brought up to play and see if he would be a legitimate guy to man LF next year so we don't have the same terrible outfield we do now. I never thought I would say Burnitz is the Cubs best outfielder, but he's been a pleasant surprise in my mind (Don't get me started on him hitting 4th though.) As for managers next season, I'd love to see Girardi, but I think he is gonna wait out the Yanks managerial position. Also, I like the idea of Mark Grace, but don't think he has the coaching experience you look for, Grace is more a future candidate. We have Grady Little in the organization and many people thought it was Hendry's move to keep him in the org. so he could be the manager when Hendry finally had enough of the toothprick.

yeah I know I am totally blown away that day in day out we have to watch Hollandsworth hit little pop-ups, strike out, and get a meaningless hit 2 out of every 10 ab's. Your right he is solid off the bench, but if Dusty doesn't understand how to use him, then take him away from Dusty. I prefer to just fire the idiot, and two of my friends in San Fran laugh at me everyday because we have this idiot managing us and they don't have to watch that trash anymore. Murton has done everything he can to earn the everyday spot. Dusty just doesn't think he hit .350 in the minors against righties only lefties. Oh and can I remind you that black skin handles the heat better. Dusty is an idiot and has proved it over and over.

this is the one of the worst situations I have been able to watch. Hollandsworth has had a good two weeks this year that is it, yet Dusty Baker plays him every day over a kid who has shown more ability than Hollandsworth. I can't stand Dusty Baker for these reasons. I can look past some of the smaller things like not bunting or bunting in some situations. That is just a difference in philosophy. He makes some terrible in game decisions and those are well noted, but it is his loyalty to bad players that has me furious. I want Dusty outta town and you can send Hollandsworth with him. I like him off the bench, but seeing him every day has gotten me tired of him all together.