Sammy Sofa

Annnnnnnnnnnnd here comes the k and then the double play.

Oh man, so close in this softball league-looking field.

Nice start, boys. I had no idea Woody was so old.

Eric is just Corey with a clever disguise. DUM-DUM-DUMMMMMMMMMM!!!

We wouldn't have to worry about the Sox. But the Nationals, the Dodgers, the Cardinals... yeah there are teams who would claim him before we had a shot. I don't see how our chances of Dunn are any better than hoping for the one card suckout. It's just very unlikely... I really like Dunn, but I guess I'm just not rating him as highly as others here. If the Reds and Cubs have an informal/formal agreement that's pretty clearly solid, I don't see other teams diving on Dunn. I could easily be wrong.

What exactly is this in response to?

He is starting to hit, but don't mention catching the ball or throwing out runners. Give him a break on that one too, I think. Needs some time to get used to the staff. Most of his throws to get runners aren't even close.

Eric Patterson is our best hitter? Damn straight! Did you see that perfect sac last night? How did you get into the locker room?

Hell, Tejada just did. I know Dunn is younger and cheaper, but I don't think it's completely impossible. And someone lumped Dunn in with all the others as a "miserable option?" Right. From what I understand, Tejada did not clear waivers, but was claimed from them by the White Sox. Right, but as bad as the Sox are, aren't there teams below them that could have put in a claim first? My point is that if the teams have a "gentleman's agreement," it seems unlikely that people just swoop in and bust up the deail unless it's some kind of superstar player.

So is this your new "thing?"

Stop trying to strike out every batter. so hill should stop having such a good curve ball, and zambrano should stop having so much movement on his pitches? those guys can't help it that they're high k pitchers (not that they should want to change it)...high k guys are going to get a lot of foul balls. Of course I'm not saying these guys should drop their best pitches, but there are plenty of times it seems like they want the k and nothing but the k and they give up foul after foul and rack up a ton of high pitch battles...and it's hardly exclusive to Hill or Zambrano. Like I said, this has been the Cubs' SOP since Wood fanned 20. They seem to instill the thinking in their starters that they need to go after the k no matter what. I'm obviously not saying that they shouldn't strike batters out, but to me it seems like I've been seeing Cubs starters seemingly avoid trying to get any kind of out but the k for the better part of a decade now...and what have we gotten? Tons of walks of handed out and overworked pitchers. Grand. Sometimes they need to just need to try and put the ball in play.

Hell, Tejada just did. I know Dunn is younger and cheaper, but I don't think it's completely impossible. And someone lumped Dunn in with all the others as a "miserable option?" Right.

I just tossed my cookies and I am unable to re-vote. I am, however, very tired and thirsty.

Stop trying to strike out every batter. This organization has been obsessed with the k being the ultimate out every since Wood's big game in '98. Having Maddux back had its ups and downs, but damn, it was refreshing to see a pitcher who wasn't afraid to put the ball in play for an out.

I'd plead innocent if I were him. I don't know. Maybe he's tweaking their approach or something and the result will be a better hitter in the long term (with the power back), but for whatever reason it's sapping power right now. Nothing scientific behind the idea, just a thought that seemed to make a little sense. I'm completely at a loss as to why the HR's are suddenly down so much. OK, Lee is coming off a wrist injury and Floyd's getting old and Soriano is streaky...but Jacque only has 2? Barrett was way off his mark when he was here, too. Coming into this year, HR's were the one aspect of hitting I wasn't worried about and now they worry me the most. Actually, Barrett was on pace for a new career high IIRC. But I agree that homers concered me the least this year and instead, the lack of them has become the biggest problem for this offense. What's the most he's ever gotten in a season? Isn't it something like 18? Wow, I didn't know he got off to such a quick start.

BOSH. FLIMSHAW.

I'd plead innocent if I were him. I don't know. Maybe he's tweaking their approach or something and the result will be a better hitter in the long term (with the power back), but for whatever reason it's sapping power right now. Nothing scientific behind the idea, just a thought that seemed to make a little sense. I'm completely at a loss as to why the HR's are suddenly down so much. OK, Lee is coming off a wrist injury and Floyd's getting old and Soriano is streaky...but Jacque only has 2? Barrett was way off his mark when he was here, too. Coming into this year, HR's were the one aspect of hitting I wasn't worried about and now they worry me the most.

Scary for who?

actually, many of these guys would have to play DOWN to expectations, as they are playing above their heads right now. do not want Who exactly is playing above their head besides Fontenot? derosa lilly marquis howry marmol Or DeRosa is showing that last year wasn't a fluke. And maybe Lilly is just naturally adjusting to no longer playing in the offensively brutal AL East. Marquis I'll give you. How is Howry playing above his head? He's been a very good reliever for something like 4 years now. And Marmol is an unknown. What past is he playing against that indicates he's playing way above what he can "normally" do? How is Marquis performing above his head? The season is 4 months old. He was very good for 2 and very awful for two, and he's started out month 5 as very awful. I'd say he's performing right in line with expectations. If you take that one outing where his own error led to 4 "unearned runs" and count them as earned, he's got a 4.66 ERA, and a sub 100 ERA+. He's basically performing in line with career norms, off the pace of his best years but better than his worst. His season might end up worse than it is now, but I'd say the up and down inconsistently with some extreme variance (complete game shutout and multiple disaster starts) was probably what was expected in the first place. I didn't think Marquis was performing above his head now. I thought he was for the first two. Please don't assume that I'm trying to prop up a hump like Jason.

Unlike Miller, however, Wood managed to hit the heat.

By all account I've read (besides fans here), DeRosa is an above average defensive outfielder. he has seemed a little overwhelmed the last couple of games Based on what?

actually, many of these guys would have to play DOWN to expectations, as they are playing above their heads right now. do not want Who exactly is playing above their head besides Fontenot? derosa lilly marquis howry marmol Or DeRosa is showing that last year wasn't a fluke. And maybe Lilly is just naturally adjusting to no longer playing in the offensively brutal AL East. Marquis I'll give you. How is Howry playing above his head? He's been a very good reliever for something like 4 years now. And Marmol is an unknown. What past is he playing against that indicates he's playing way above what he can "normally" do?

Why? Because of a couple bad outings after they've been stretched out covering for most of starters not going more then 5 innings?

Lou bringing in Ohman when he did was beyond stupid. People can gripe and moan about how LOOGY's shouldn't exist, but bottom line, that's what Ohman is. Throw him up against a bunch of right-handed batters and you're going to pay, period. I have no idea why he didn't flip Wuertz and Ohman. And it's easy to crap on the bullpen when you ignore that our starting pitching is hauling their butts out of the game by the 6th at the very latest these days, and even that is pretty rare if the pitchers aren't named "Lilly" and "Zambrano." Like I said in another thread, the bullpen is gonna drop dead by the end of this week. Oh, and then Lou lets Jacque hit against a lefty with guys on base while Murton rides the pine. BRILLIANT.

I'm pissed that Lou waited this long so his return got oversahdowed by Glavine's night AND it wasn't broadcast on WGN or CSN.