Pinktermite

I apologize for my tone. Given that, I just think we get too caught up in stats (money ball, percentages) and use that to beat Jim H and Dusty over the head with them. Baseball is random by it's very nature and to nit pick, armchair quarterback, and criticize nearly everything they do is not fair. No other team in baseball would be doing well, either, given the circumstances they are in. So let the debate begin, without all the accusations.

Is there any way to listen to the WGN radio pregame on the MLB website, I can't seem to login and listen until the game has started. Is there a trick to picking up the pregame without sitting in the car and sweating my arse off?

Umm, I think we'll see Neifi draw 100 walks before we see Joe Mauer hit .400, no offense to Joe Mauer.

I agree with Dalgreen, there are those on these boards that fall in love with somebody for some reason and I haven't figured out why, yet they are the first to criticize a decision made by the management. I personally think Jim Hendry is a pretty good evaluator of talent, Michael Barrett was a trade that he got for nothing, Derrek Lee, Aramis... NO GM is going to do this right every time. Albert P. was a 13th round draft pick for goodness sake, baseball is more random than any other sport...that's what makes it fun to watch and be involved in. Murton is not what some of you think he is. He is not a power guy, not an RBI guy, but he's in there because he has potential and he has a good OBP, and is getting a chance. More Dusty and Jim Hendry bashing. I love it. All the ratios and statistics and baloney thrown out on here about this percentage or that, it all comes down to the fact that some people on here would just as soon burn dusty and Jim Hendry at the stake, and then a year from now complain about who their replacements were. Note the cards record since Albert went down, Tony LaRussa doesn't look like such a genius now does he? Why expect Dusty and Jim to do any better? Sorry, that was a tangent in a Murton thread...forgive me.

I think this is just crap, Carlos is a horse, always has been and if he was going to break down because of dusty's supposed "pitcher abuse" he would have done so by now. I think, if anything, we coddle these guys way too much. John Smoltz and Randy Johnson are both 40 years old and still doing it, so is Roger Clemens, I'm sure he had a few 130 pitch outings in his year or two in the league, so has Curt Schilling. Again, you guys harp on how lousy dusty is without taking into account the players that he's given/asks for. I won't say that dusty is Bobby Cox or any other great manager, but let up a little fellas, this team is lousy for the most part BECAUSE it's starters are big strong guys who can't pitch. I for one think that 120 pitches should be expected, not shunned, unless your name is Greg Maddux.

Okay, maybe he will slump to his career OBP. But he's had 56, not 40 ab's (a small diff, yes), but he's doing well now, so why not keep using him now? Just because his career numbers show that, doesn't mean he will do that this year, though I agree that he probably will...he's still a better leadoff hitter than pierre, he has the same speed, and hits the ball harder...and takes more walks.

I like the platoon idea as well for next year, or later this year. Murt appears to be more of a slap hitter, like a right handed mark grace. He needs to start driving the ball a little more or I think he's doomed. Getting on base via the walk is the job of a leadoff hitter with speed who plays CF or SS, not a left fielder where there should be more punch provided. Good call.

Thank God, I found a thread where Jacque is praised, rather than thrown to the dogs and used as an excuse to complain about Hendry. There are many players, as you guys have so adroitly pointed out, that have done better as Cubs than they were with their previous teams. Some people on here hate everything and the Cubs can do nothing right, or so it seems.

Oh goody, another Jones basher on here. Now that he's hitting .306, this isn't good enough? His .343 obp isn't good enough? Come on, Jacque is doing great, and at the least it looks like he'll be good trade bait if they are out of it in July. Hello, the team is losing because the starting pitching sucks the last month and a half. There's no other team in baseball, or it's management, that would do much (maybe a little?) better given the same circumstances. The cards have lost most of their games without pujols the last week, and with poor starting pitching. We are not the only ones in this boat. I like Jacque personally, and think he's doing fine.

Okay, what's wrong with Womack's .359 OBP? Someone please tell me how this isn't an improvement over Pierre and Neifi? Dusty can't do anything right as far as you guys are concerned and maybe you guys will never be happy. If Nevin starts playing and you see how he can't hit except for hitting for power, you guys would complain about THAT! Put Pierre batting 8th, Cedeno 2nd, and Womack leading off, I wouldn't mind that at all. But geez guys, the team is a lousy team, and anything dusty does won't make any of you guys happy. Hendry's a gambler, and gamblers sometimes lose. He won with Dempster and won with Lee and won with Ramirez. He lost with Pierre, who he thought would do better. It's a long season and Pierre is not stupid, if you've ever heard him interviewed, he knows he's doing poorly and I'm sure would move willingly to the bottom of the lineup. But damn it, bashing dusty gets us noplace, he's trying to do anything to spark the team, and nothing will work until DLee comes back, and even then it will be too late. You can't put a dress on a pig and find her a date...

I agree with Fred, Murt is sixth on the team in at bats. And frankly I'm tired of all the Dusty bashing on here. Hendry gave him the players that he's working with, not the other way around. And if you notice, Neifi hasn't played much lately, so give the guy a break, he's playing with a team that's average at best.

This was happening in Florida, it's not like it's new. Watching him on Extra Innings he couldn't get the ball out of the infield either. He still has great speed, he just can't get on base. It doesn't have anything to do with Dusty, he doesn't hold the bat in his hands.

I for one, given the premise, would have guessed the Cubs at around 5 games above .500 or around there. The problem is, as we all know, is the bad things going on are really BAD! Gawd, if only Pierre didn't suck so bad and so much playing time given to so many bad players and so many starts to so many average starters...woulda coulda shoulda...

Kerry's velocity is not as much a concern as his location. He throws hard enough, he just will never have the mechanics he needs to place the ball so they don't hit it hard. I for one am very worried. Maybe Marmol is a diamond in the rough for us.

Come on guys! Dusty will NOT put Murton at leadoff, his OBP is wayyy too high. Neifi must bat second, or even leadoff, that's the only way for this team to win! *snickers*. On a serious note, I was wondering when someone might suggest Murton lead off, it looks like his power might be a little weak to put in the middle of the order, and he'd be perfect for leadoff, with JP hitting 8th, where he's shown he deserves to be placed. We wasted three good pitchers on this guy? Man oh man.

Dusty has a note from his doctor stating an allergy to playing the best offensive team on any given day. It also states an allergy to NOT playing Neifi. If he goes more than one day without playing Neifi, he breaks into terrible hives and gets wheezy and short of breath.

The Trib doesn't spend this money...Jim Hendry (and to an extent Andy MacPhail). I don't think the Tribune brass and Dennis Fitzsimmons gives a hootin hell about who they spend the money on. This is Hendry's and Dusty's and Andy's baby...plain and simple. Which tells a very bad story indeed.

I just don't see how you can say that because the team had a better record when Jacque was doing poorly, that it's because of Jacque. That's like saying my Dad had a heart attack when it was raining, therefore the rain caused his heart attack. Neifi, the starting pitching, Neifi, no DLee, Neifi, Glendon as a starter, and Neifi are this team's problem. you guys are brutal, expending energy on whoever you pick to criticize on any given day.

What I would really like to know is: Did Dusty ASK for Neifi to come back? Or did Jim force Dusty to take Neifi. I would tend to say the former, given Dusty's penchant for veterans who suck. Be that as it may, Hendry deserves credit for MOST (obviously not all) of the things he has done. Signing Lee, Aramis, Erye, Howry, Dempster, (maybe) Wade Miller, and getting rid of Sammy. I doubt Neifi would still be with the team if Hendry had anything to do with it. He sent Jerry packing for a power hitting (washed up?) right handed guy who can play two or three positions. Hendry's not stupid. Neither is Dusty. Given that, I would say that this team sucks because it spends money surrounding its great players (Aramis, DLee, Barrett, Walker, Murton...(all high OBP players)...with players that suck so bad they look and smell like a dead body. So that 95 million should have been spent on the best bench players available. He did it with the relief corps...but not with the bench, and alas, we pay the price when a star goes down. That's why we should cut loose Neifi, Bynum, possibly Womack (though he playing well right now), Maybry...and replace them with the highest OPS player available at that position in the minors, AA and above. To hell with the fact they are rookies, we have great veteran players that will help that out. We'd save a bundle in payroll, and use that money next off season or at the deadline to keep the payroll around 100 million. I'm probably goofy, but I think this would help.

Jacque is not the problem, he's playing well...give the man his due credit.

That means they are 14-17 when he doesn't start. Not great, but a considerable improvement. Helllllllllloooooo!!!!!!!!! Get rid of this guy. Right before he swung at the first pitch in the 9th last night, I said to my very knowledgeable 10 year old son, "He's gonna swing at the first pitch..." And he did, bouncing to the pitcher. I don't know what kind of pictures he has of Dusty, whether with a goat or whatever, but there can be no other reason he is on this team. He is a great defensive player with NO bat...and those guys are a friggin dime a dozen. Arrrghhhhhhhhh!!!

I think there's a little too much Womack bashing on here personally. He's played two games for the cubs and done well. When he was with the cubs, he played hurt. He certainly is more patient than Neifi, and has better speed. So let's give the guy a shot, he's no worse than what we have. Neifi, like all the other players, is being asked by Dusty to do things he is not capable of. Neifi is a defensive replacement who handles a bat well (doesn't strike out, can bunt if you need him to...etc). Stop all the Womack bashing, and let's see how it plays out. They nearly won on sunday except for Aramis, and they won yesterday. Rome wasn't built in a day

I for one don't care what his velocity is, if he's not hurt and he's getting the ball over the plate, he's an improvement over any of these other bozos they run out there (Hill, Ryu)...problem is, now that Glendon looked like Randy Johnson on Sunday, Baker will insert him into the rotation for another month, instead of letting Glendon do what he does best, which is fill in when a starter fails, like he did sunday. It was refreshing to see Dusty use a guy as he was intended...albeit forced...but he did it, and Glendon shined, because that's his position on the club. But for Prior, who cares if he's a 88-89, if he's getting the ball over the plate, Maddux hasn't hit over 90 in 15 years...and he gets people out. It's a non issue...unless he's hurt.

Does it really matter which team was worse? they all suck

yup...something umm, Ruth...wasn't it?