Sammy Sofa

Well, it's an out, but it's a promising out.

Christ, it's like Aramis is always instantly down 0-2.

Whew. Exhale. He was looking much better by the end there.

Lilly pitching poo.

You seem to be suggesting different things. Yes, you probably could snag a reliever for a couple of low level prospects...but he's not going to be, as you put it yourself, good and dependable. Good and dependable relievers are a luxury. Teams aren't just going to give them up without demanding a good return.

BtB, stop saying the Cubs can get a good, dependable reliever without overpaying. This is the real world. They can take chances on scrap heap relievers who might pull a decent season out of their asses, which is a totally different thing. There are no dependable relievers just sitting around waiting to be signed right now. They'd have to be traded for. Stop pretending otherwise.

Good.

My desired lineup for the Cubs today: Theriot Byrd Lee Soriano Soto Aramis Nady Baker

You certainly implied it. Why else bring up the Edmonds move, which had a significant impact on the team? You seem to be implying that there's a good chance that the Cubs would get similar results out of a reliever if they pick one up off the scrap heap or buy low. That's tremendously unlikely. Actually, their "track record" indicates that this could very easily be a very long year. Just last year we went through a similar streaky/feast or famine style of offense, and the team has changed little and it's old core group of players has only gotten older. What a ridiculous conclusion. This bullpen largely doesn't have much of a track record because of how many young pitchers are a part of it and likely will be a part of it from the minors. The Cubs would have to overpay to get a dependable reliever. There's no way around that. You're deluding yourself if you think they're going to somehow sneak a good reliever away from another team without having to overpay, and the guys available right now are out there because they're NOT dependable. Picking up any bullpen FA's right now would be a crap shoot, just like actually seeing what you have in-house. Getting a bullpen FA wouldn't be a huge deal, but if you're counting on them to make a "big difference" you're almost certainly going to be very disappointed. One of the worst things Hendry could do right now is trade for a reliever. If he wants to take a gamble on an unsigned or released one, hey, great, but trading for a reliever right now is not smart at all.

The Bears were not going to be able to immediately help the OL with their picks. That's a pipe dream. The only chance they have to shore that up for next season is through FA signings.

For the love of... Adding a reliever isn't going to fix the team. There is zero point in overpaying in a trade for a reliever right now so long as the offense isn't given any indication it can produce with any kind of regularity AND before they've even bothered to try cycling in some of the pitchers from the minors AND actually given the young arms we currently have up more work.

Oh my God, I am so sick of night games.

Nope. My point is that he got a bit of work yesterday warming up and getting the final out in the 9th. They could have then just sat him down and sent out one of the kids and just left him out there since he had 7 runs to play with.

Screw that. They could have spared a single guy to go out there and handle a 7-run lead. At some point soon Lou is going to have to figure out how to get the kids some pitching time in these blowouts.

its been like a year since anyone complained about his contract Ah, I see you missed the crazy rant earlier this season about how much of a waste Dempster is.

This was supposed to be an argument in favor of keeping Marmol in there?? Lou doesn't use any pitcher besides Marmol and Marshall (and soon Z) unless we're down by 3. Are you really worried that Jeff Gray would be too gassed to come in to some important spot because he was used with a 7 run lead? He's not pitching after the 5th inning anyway. With Lilly being activated, someone, probably between Berg, Samardjzjia, and Gray is going to Iowa. This would have been a good time to give one of them a chance to prove himself. Wait, are you saying that that in any way putting out the guy they know will go back down would have been a good idea? Guh?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9Bmaq23Hpe8/S9FX7ifAqRI/AAAAAAAABm4/WaL2LneqfPo/s1600/2.JPG

Nasty. Way to reign in that pitch count, Marmol. CUBS WIN!

tha's a pretty amusing read http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9Bmaq23Hpe8/S9GwNQHMuoI/AAAAAAAABnA/Fg8hWA-Be4I/s1600/Threat+Level+Ted+2.jpg

Why? He hasn't worked a whole ton recently and we're in the middle of a 19-game stretch w/out an off day. Plus Lilly is coming back w/ a pitch count tomorrow. Marmol looks to be on tonight, I have no doubt he can mow through the bottom of this order fairly quickly. No reason to waste another pitcher that we may need tomorrow. Eh, with a 7 run lead you can toss one guy out there and just let them finish it. It's good work for a bullpen that desperately needs more experience because it gives the pitcher a ton of room to make some mistakes.

It really is disheartening how Lou manages his bullpen.

Alright, Tyler...you are forgiven for bumping Soriano in the middle of a hot streak.

Yeah, Marmol should not be coming out again...but of course he will.

!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Im not sure about his use here either. But, whatever. When's the last time he pitched? Wednesday when he pitched in a blowout It kinda makes sense to use him right now with Lilly going tomorrow. His use has been relatively spaced out with all the losing, and the bullpen is likely to be called on early tomorrow unless Lilly is his usual self already and very efficient. He's going to be on a pretty tight pitch count. So Marmol is less likely to be needed tomorrow when the bullpen has been depleted by the 8th, or are you just sacrificing the game? Marmol can't pitch in back to back games all of a sudden? That's sort of essential with a closer.