Andy

JOCK!

Len busting out the "tip your cap" line :roll:

Random. Len was talking about Kerry "being penciled in" for Sunday's start but not necessarily a lock to make it.

Good catch Murt!

The Ewing/lottery conspiracy is widely known around the league, even more so than the "Stern drove Jordan out of the game for 18 months because of his gambling" theory.

Rusch strikes again...

Good bloop there by Luis Matos...I mean...Todd Walker. :)

Nice smack by the Wombat!

Well, I'm psyched for Monday's game and I'm not even a soccer fan. :)

Seconded

Sammy is mentioned in that article too I see.

Won't be too long before Nevin starts being a clubhouse cancer here too when he realizes that he's effectively being benched for the Neifi/Womack show.

Arroyo will go 1-2 with an RBI double and a BB. Reds will win 6-2.

didn't we say that about the white sox last year Arroyo, Harang, Milton, and Claussen is a far cry from Buehrle, Contreras, Garcia, and Garland. This is true, but to be fair, this time last year it wasn't that big a jump at all.

Maybe the Cubs should invest in guys who take 6 or 7 pitches per at bat. Those guys tend to be better hitters. They'd also help get to the bullpen much sooner in games when the opposing pitcher is on. Who on the Cubs takes the most pitches? Their best hitter, Derrek Lee. Coincidence? Do you think Jeff Francoeur is a good hitter? He's a notorious first pitch swinger. Have you seen his average? Batting average on this board...that's blasphemy. I thought the only meaningful statistic was on base percentage. (sarcasm intended) His .252 average is iffy at best. His .268 OBP is absolutely awful. (Pierre's is better)

With this season likely in the tank anyway, I'm all for bringing up a bunch of the kids and seeing what they can do. Guzman struggled when he was up here in April but also showed flashes of what we know he can be, and it's worth giving him another opportunity this year to see if he can put it all together.

did hill kill your sister or something? Why the hatred? Why not give him a chance to develop? Hill's birthdate: 3/11/80.

I think the bolded is exactly what we all want to see. Our problem is that the Cubs are often aggressive when the situation dictates the exact opposite.

Forgot to mention, welcome to the forums! And a solid first post.

Arroyo will go 1-2 with an RBI double and a BB. Reds will win 6-2.

People on this board have been complaining about this for quite some time. Depending on who you are and what the situation is, there is absolutely nothing wrong with going after the first pitch if it's something you're looking for. These guys know the scouting reports and what they're trying to do up there...swinging at the first pitch is NOT a bad thing. Swinging at the first pitch and getting out is one of the biggest wastes of an at-bat possible. If you swing at the first pitch and get a hit, then fantastic. But if not, you just wasted your at bat. That is absolutely ridiculous. It is one thing for your 1 and 2 hole hitters to be swinging at the first pitch since you'd like for them to take pitches and get on base. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with swinging at the first pitch IF it's what you're looking for and where you're looking for it. I like your argument here by the way. If he gets a hit then it's okay, if not, it's a total waste. Sounds logical.... The point is there is absolutely no reason to ever swing at the first pitch unless you are sitting on a pitch and you get it, or maybe if you are working against a guy like Greg Maddux who rarely strays from the zone. And there is certainly no reason ever to swing at 2-0 or 3-1 pitches unless they are right there, and there is definitely no reason possible to swing at the first pitch after a walk (particularly on a walk where the pitcher shows an obvious lack of control), or at the first pitch after the pitcher makes an out, especially if it's the second out. And what the people on this board have been complaining about, quite justly IMO, is the fact that the Cubs have a tendency to do swing at all of those types of first pitches, and almost never do anything with them.

Lee has also said he wants to stay in Milwaukee, but he does indeed still live in Chicago and make the daily commute. I don't see the Cubs acquiring him in a trade as they have no shot at the playoffs this year. I would be he will be a free agent target though if/when he hits the market. Inter-divison trades happen all the time. Teams make deals for the best players back in return regardless of who they are trading with. Off the top of my head: Cubs-Pirates Aramis Deal Casey from Pitt to Reds Shawn Green from LA to Arizona Delgado from Marlins to Mets What do all of those deals have in common besides being inter-division trades? Ooooh, I know, I know!!! *raises hand and yelps* SALARY DUMPS!

Just in time to face the Cubs. Then again if form holds, the Cubs will take 3 of 4 to get our hopes up again then tank it for the next week.

Count me in too.

There is no chance Pierre would accept arbitration. There is still a team stupid enough to give him a multiyear deal out there. have you seen his numbers? Of course I have, hence the word "stupid". If the Cubs can sign Neifi and Rusch for two yrs and 12M combined, anything is possible.