Andy

Do we really have excellent instructors? I'm probably one of the minor league instructors biggest critics. It's getting real old hearing how good so and so is yet seeing guys not reaching their potential. Guys like Choi, Hill, Kelton, Dubois Jackson, etc. I'm still seeing nothing really extraordinary from Harvey. So, our instructors are considered excellent based on.....? I was under the impression that the DJAXX had really good coaches. I think they do. Why doesn't the talent in the minors translate in the bigs? I think there are several reasons. Most are not under the organization's control, but some are. For example, I don't think it does much good to platoon a player until he demonstrates he cannot produce. Yet the Cubs want to platoon young guys. I don't think it does much good for a guy who is use to playing every day and sit them on the bench only to give them infrequent starts and pinch hits (Choi, Dubios, Hill) . It doesn't help a guy to yo-yo him from the big club to the minors, especially a pitcher who might go from starter in AAA to reliver in the bigs (Cruz, Z, Hill, Farns, etc). It doesn't help a young player by batting him in the 1 spot for a month then 2 then 6 then 7th then back to 1 (Patterson), One of the reasons why I'm so high on Matt Murton is because he didn't come through our system. I have a feeling he's going to refute your theory about how platooning a young player can mess with his development. I think he's going to be a very fine player even after platooning last year. Just because a player (like Murton) is good enough to succeed even after platooning doesn't mean that platooning rookies isn't a stupid idea.

Forgive the hyperbole, but with 40 teams in the Big East they should get a bunch of bids. I think a 16 team conference is ridiculous. It's not just that there are 16 teams. Teams like Louisville, Cincinnati and Marquette (any of whom would have a good shot at winning the Big 12) already have two conference losses. The Big East is loaded.

They impressed me when I went to go see them beat ND at the Allstate. That Wilson Chandler kid can play. That team has a bright future.

I haven't heard anything to suggest Morgan and Peppers won't play for Carolina, and Alexander seems pretty dead set on playing as well.

He will... Notre Dame is becoming the place that everyone wants to go now. They're the new Duke or Yankees of college football. Did you wake up 60 years ago? ND has on and off been the #1 preferred destination for HS players for a very long time, you know. You can't say that about the last decade or so pre-Weiss. I know that. That's why I included the phrase "on and off".

He will... Notre Dame is becoming the place that everyone wants to go now. They're the new Duke or Yankees of college football. Did you wake up 60 years ago? ND has on and off been the #1 preferred destination for HS players for a very long time, you know.

I think being a Cubs fan is what makes being a Carolina fan feel so odd - I'm totally unused to being a fan of a team that always seems to pull out a big play when they need one, especially in big games.

Jake Delhomme is now the highest-rated passer in the history of the NFL postseason (min. 150 pass attempts). Pretty much sums up my feelings on the guy.

Just for the record, I was full-on the Bears bandwagon had Carolina lost. I love defense.

Thought: Big Z might want to stay with the Cubs, and Boras might have been trying to convince him to jump at the first opportunity for the highest bidder. That's my optimistic side talking.

I'd rather him come to ND and become the next Brady Quinn (minus the 03-04 struggles which were clearly Willingham's fault more than anything).

Nope, didn't play the Mariners in 2001. They did take 2 of 3 in 2002, though. The lesson: I'm an idiot.

YES!!!!

I'll start one - preferably night games, since I have classes during the day.

Actually, it was 2001 - I remember because I spent the off-season bragging about how the Cubs took 2 of 3 from a team that won 116 games (as Seattle did that year).

Len, what sort of adjustments (if any) did you have to make last year from the Florida weather to the Chicago weather, and did you find any of those adjustments successful? Here's hoping you haven't accidentally set yourself on fire like our beloved Ron Santo did on one memorable occasion!

I like interleague play - even though we get the White Sox and STL gets the Royals every year...

Nowhere yet. He's only an HS junior right now.

Salisbury picked Carolina to beat Seattle, then beat Denver in the Super Bowl. Jaworski picked Carolina and Pittsburgh to win this weekend on PTI yesterday. At some point, the Panther bandwagon at ESPN has to get one wrong...right?

I'd hold off on such lofty comparisons for Claussen. Not my words, Raisin. I've only seen two videos on the kid and he does look like he could start for some college teams next year already and, if given the choice, i would take him in two years over Mustain next since Brady is still here. However, with all the hype on the kid I wonder if it's even possible to live up to it. Hopefully he becomes the next Ron Pawlus, and I mean that in every way. I hope so too - as long as he doesn't go to ND. That said, I don't think the Irish will be unlucky enough to bomb out on two can't-miss QB prospects in a row. But I'm not willing to count Jimmy as an ND player until he commits.

These last few weeks have been absolutely amazing and much more than I could have expected. And now we are one step away from the Super Bowl!! This one ought to be a really good game I think. I get the feeling Seattle will pull it out though.

Great job at the end of the game by Quin switching to the 2-3 zone on that 2nd to last possession with great results. And Gardner is a stud. What a game indeed.

Other than andro, I do not believe Mac has admitted to taking anything that is currently disallowed by baseball.

Based solely on pure talent, I don't think I'll ever see a better Cubs team than 2004. Sosa, Nomar, Ramirez, Alou (at the height of his powers), CPatt (ditto), Wood, Prior, Z, Maddux, Hawkins, Grudzie/Walker (both having great years). The only problem is that many of these players were not playing at their best. I have no doubt that that team would have at least won the pennant had they made the playoffs, especially the way Prior and Wood were going at the end.

NL Central faced AL Central in 02. faced AL East in 03. faced AL West in 04. faced AL East in 05. Doesn't make sense to me either.