flynnhicks03

They're not twins.

I think "offense", as in taking offense to something, is truly in the eye of the beholder. Someone can say something truly despicable, and I might not be offended by it, but others may be. I don't think words, in-and-of themselves, are offensive; it's all in the listener's perception. Therefore offense can be taken, but that doesn't mean what was said was offensive. About that baseball stuff? That's over my head.

It's probably been mentioned, and I don't know the exact timeframe, but Kaplan was on our local sports talk show in Des Moines and mentioned that Oswalt and Peavy were out drinking one night, and Peavy got up and sang "Go Cubs Go" karaoke. Somebody asked him about it, and he said, "Dude, that's where I want to go", or "Dude, that's the only place I'll go" or something to that extent. I'm still really hoping we can land him...

So, are we getting Milton Bradley, or what?

I enjoy watching the celebration when they clinch. Since this game is on Fox, they probably won't show too much of that. Will they cut in on CSN or WGN and show that, I wonder?

Do you really pay money for this "insider" information?

Like I said, may just be my perception. I was just curious what others thought. Thanks for the input...

I hate ESPN, so I watch mostly SportsNite and SportsRise on CSN. However, it really seems like there is a White Sox bias. I think they spend the first 7 minutes on one team highlights/interviews/analysis and the other 7 minutes on the other team, but they almost always have another segment or two on the Sox. Ozzie's ugly mug is on there almost every time I turn it on. The SportsNite In-Depth last night was supposed to be on the Cubs (per the on-screen teaser), but they spent quite a bit of time on the Sox, too. Not to mention those terrible commericials with Burhle, A.J. with Harrelson commentating. Is this just my perception, or is CSN designed to be a Sox channel that also shows Cubs games?

Not sure why you're throwing Dempster in with those guys. Seems like he's been pretty solid.

Principal Park is just south of downtown Des Moines, so you're not too far from a lot of options. Just a block or two away is a bar called the High Life Lounge. Kind of a retro-70s type of place; Hamms and other crappy beers on tap, 70's decor, fun place to start the evening. Right next door is El Bait Shop, which is Mexican food and lots of microbrews on tap. Other restaurants in the downtown area are Legends, which is just a few blocks away. There are a couple of bars above Legend's: Liars Club and People's (good bands, sometimes), which are pretty hopping these days. A few other options in the Court Avenue area (2 or 3 blocks north of the stadium) are Court Avenue Brewery (decent local beers and a unique menu), Spaghetti Works, and Buzzard Billy's (cajun place).

This is the correct answer. Good post. ( I screwed something up so my post looks funny, but you get my point).

why would he feel any obligation not to go to the team he feels he fits best? why is it classless to go elsewhere in the division? It's a slap in the face to the Cubs fans that idolized him. You know the people that paid for the tickets, bought his jersey, etc. The city of Chicago and Cubs fans made him rich - and we've been waiting (and paying) for a long time for him to get healthy. If he wanted to repay a little bit of what he's been given by all of us he could have taken a two-year incentive laden deal. How about a little loyalty? If he comes back in the 2nd half of 08 pitching for another team in the same division it only magnifies things. Take your smug expressions and get out of town Mark. Things Mark Prior has given Cubs fans and management 657 IP 757 Ks, 223 BBs, 3.51 ERA, 1.225 WHIP 123 ERA+ Going out and pitching through pain for what appears to have been the majority of his Cubs career. Did I miss something? When did Prior pitch through pain? Seems to me he shut it down at the first sign of any pain. Nice try, though.

I don't think you need to look too hard for reasons for pessimism right now. We've got problems, and I'm very concerned.

...we'd be 12 games back.

Is it possible Pagan would be included in any deals, namely Dunn or Griffey? I'm not sure of his contract situation, but I imagine he's dirt cheap, he plays solid defense, he's had some flashes of power this year, and he's flexible as far as playing different outfield positions. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any problem with him on the team, but would some teams be interested if they couldn't have Pie?