Abe Frohman

Ok, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who could tell he was being sarcastic. It seems like no matter what Barry says, everybody takes it as negatively as possible, without including any context or anything else about the press conference. I watched his post game conference and I thought he was actually pretty funny and not being a jerk for once. Good point. I was a little surprised after watching his comments about Chicago fans. He was very classy. Especially when you consider the abuse I hear he got by the bucketloads.

A lot of the venom is because Bonds has always seemed to have a "superiority complex." Barry used to be one of my favorite players because he was the best. He was colorful, talented, and you just knew you were watching greatness. He was the complete player. Everyone knew he was a jerk from what they read and heard through the media - but no one knows him. I was a big Tony Gwynn fan until the day I met him. Bonds has earned his "venom." So has any other PED user in MLB, as far as I am concerned. I have heard that steroids help aid in muscle recovery. That would be an excellent advantage for a pitcher - but a different benefit altogether from what a hitter would gain. Both would be dishonorable advantages. Bonds is Bonds. The rumors go all the way back to his college playing days. I know a guy who was teammates with Bonds in SF, and he tells me that Barry was one of the best teammates he ever had. Said he was a great guy. I disagree. Performance Enhancing Drugs are totally different than the above listed methods of bending the rules. If you can't see that the abuse of these drugs are dangerous to your health, banned in nearly every other sport, and that Big League ballplayers are role models for kids - than I don't know how else to explain that Steroids and other PED's are in a League of their own. I think that if Sammy Sosa or Mark McGwire were about to break the HR record, I would feel the same level of disappointment as I do in Bonds. We should seperate the personality of ballplayers since 98% of fans will never personally know said players. It is besides the point. All of those things will factor in. To dismiss PED's as a reason for the surge is sort of a cop-out. That, to me, is the big problem that the players are going to have to live with. As far as I am concerned, during this "Steroid Era" in baseball, all impressive numbers accumulated are suspect. The players had their chance to do something about it. They did nothing as a group. They all have to live with it. Ridiculous. Tobacco is addictive and hazardous to your health. Look, when you use steroids, you add bulk. When you are bigger and stronger, the ball goes further off the bat. It's physics. WHEN YOU ARE STRONGER, YOU HIT THE BALL HARDER/FARTHER. There is a reason why they test in the Olympics. I don't see the similarity. That is drug abuse of a different nature.

I remember on the Cubs team, Willie Wilson was a badass. The best player. Hit homeruns and was crazy fast.

Shreveport has direct flights to Chicago now...... Just sayin.

Dude has some big, big marbles (no pun intended). What kind of idiot would throw thousands of dollars away? Who said they would throw the ball back? Every single person in the bleachers should have been equipped with a "back up" ball to throw back should they catch a home run. Every one of those balls should have had "Suck it, Barroid" on them.

I'm rooting for his knee to explode and his career to end tomorrow.

Leon Lee just exposed himself in a hotel room, he didn't blow all his money and act like a complete ass. I've done all three of those things in one night. On multiple occasions.

"Baseball Stars" was the absolute best video baseball game ever created. Ken Griffey JR baseball for the Super Nintendo was also greatness.

Well, at least DLee still talks to his family.

Umm, I'll take Derrek Lee.

His .097 batting average and .121 On Base % meant enough to get him a bus ride to Iowa. He'll be back, and hopefully he will be doing what we all feel he is capable of doing.

With the season he had last year and the performance he had in the little time he was in Chicago this year - why give him an opportunity? The guy needs to put it together in AAA. I'm sure he'll get the call when Izturis is traded/DFA. Besides, Theriot is producing nicely. 162 game averages: Cedeno: 52 runs, 123 hits, 8 SB, 18 BB, 100 K, .245 BA, .275 OB% Theriot: 91 runs, 139 hits, 32 SB, 49 BB, 56 K, .292 BA, .361 OB%

The point is to win. The Cubs are winning. The chemistry, talent, and other un-statistic related factors seem to be good right now for our Cubbies. Who is against improving? There is a difference in improving and experimenting, especially when some of those experiments have already failed. I strongly disagree that Theriot has been "underperforming." He had a slump, and came back strong. He has good at-bats, gets on base, and scores runs. His defense has been a plus. Ryan Theriot is not a liability for the Cubs. I do think that having Cedeno to back him up would make the team better than having Izturis back him up - but what are the Cubs going to do? They have to get rid of Cesar. I would not be opposed at all at having Pie back on the team, but he was mired in a miserable slump and looked lost. Piniella couldn't put him in the lineup and he is better served getting at-bats in Iowa then reeling in Chicago. He'll be back, and he'll help this team. In the mean time, Angel Pagan is doing a nice job and doesn't deserve to be replaced. RF is something the Cubs haven't figured out yet. Matt Murton could work in RF, but he doesn't have the arm of a RFer - and that will be taken advantage of in the Major Leagues. He was a fine LFer, and I think he is going to be a good producer - but he is rotting away in AAA, and the best thing for him would be a trade or a chance. I think he proved himself last season, but his spot was taken by Alfonso Soriano (who I think could be a good RFer, but don't know why that wasn't ever put on the table).

-Murton is clearly better than Floyd against lefties. DeRosa should be at 2B, with Murton RF against lefties. It's beyond stupid to delay this. -Pie is not likely to perform any worse offensively than Pagan or Jones and is far better defensively than either. He's always adjusted well after moving up a level, and I don't see why he wouldn't do so again, given time. -Cedeno is a good bet to be better than Izturis and certainly isn't likely to be worse. The bottom line is none of these moves will make the Cubs worse, and all have a decent chance to actually make them better. Saying you can't give these guys a shot and keep winning is beyond absurd. It's just plain wrong. I really can't disagree with any of your points above. The only conflict is with the third point concerning Cedeno. Piniella seems to love Fontenot and Theriot for obvious reasons (even though Fontenot is in a terrible slump). I think the concensus would agree that the main reason Murton, Cedeno, and Pie are still in AAA is because Izturis and Jones have not been moved. What if Jones starts getting productive, though? In addition, how hard would it be for the Cubs to trade those two if they are rotting on the bench? I think they realize this and maybe that's why Jones has been starting more lately...

The Cubs aren't on a winning streak. The Cubs are winning. Please, explain to us why now would be a good time to make Murton, Pie, and Cedeno starters. Because they are have the potential to be better than the people they will replace. That's true, but the Cubs are winning now with what they have. Why change that? Vance - I totally agree that the "Soriano Experiment" should have started with him in RF in Spring Training. I never understood why they didn't go with Murton in LF, Pie in CF, and Soriano in RF. I like Murton, and the Floyd point is legit. I have no idea why they wouldn't stick with Murton in RF (even though I don't think he is a RF, or ever will be), but would run Floyd out there.

The Cubs aren't on a winning streak. The Cubs are winning. Please, explain to us why now would be a good time to make Murton, Pie, and Cedeno starters.

Vance - I retract. Murton wasn't a fit. He's not a RFer. CubNY - again, please explain. Pie is ready defensively, but had to be sent down for the same reason that Cedeno lost his job - they swing a rubber bat. I have every confidence that both of them are going to be great Cubs - I just think it is unrealistic to be calling for them to be inserted on this team right now. Everyone in baseball knows that you don't f with a winning streak. The Cubs are playing good ball right now. If they can dump Jones and Izturis, then replace them with Cedeno and Pie. Until then, those two are better off playing in Iowa and getting ready for the stretch.

What? Please explain. Here in the nonfantasysabremetricswhatever world the Cubs are one of the hottest teams in baseball. Why exactly would you change what is working? Pie, Murton, and Cedeno have ALL shown that they can't handle a Major League job with the Cubs. Theriot, Pagan, and the other players who have been put in the lineup are part of the reason the Cubs are now considered contenders. They have been producing. The Cubs have been winning. That is all that matters.

He should have made that catch on the popup behind the plate, but it would have taken a hell of a play to pick that throw from Soriano and put a tag on the runner. Soriano made a tough throw for a catcher to handle. I'd like to see any catcher cleanly pick that throw and put down a tag.

cedeno should be starting. no doubt. if you're against this you're against winning. "If you're against this you're against winning?" You mean the same kind of winning that the Cubs have been doing with Ryan Theriot at SS?

If the Cubs are only paying 4 million for Kendall, this is a good acquisition.

Probably that trading Pie for Willis is a horrible idea?

I love the Rock. It has to be said that he used to slide headfirst so that he wouldn't break the viles of blow in his back pocket.....

I don't see why the Cubs wouldn't give the Dope man a look. He's putting up some pretty impressive numbers in Iowa. Call him up when Lee serves his suspension.

Stoney's reliable. If we don't get Z, we sure as hell better get A-Rod. The Cubs would be better off with Z in the long run.