Caryatid

Schmidt's missed like 5 starts in 5 years. Zito missed like 1 start in 5 years Zito has made, on average, 6 more starts per year than has Schmidt. Schmidt: 28.8 Starts/Season (01-05) Zito: 35 Starts/Season (01-05) EDIT: added numbers for verification purposes

If last year was any indication, we already did do that with Lee. Anyway-what isn't a fantasy in this forum? Unless you're talking about things that have already happened, its all fantasy. Aside from that, seeing as how we all love to second guess so much, I just figured I'd throw a first-guess in there. Why not speculate? $98 million could buy an incredibly competitive (dare I say World Series contending) team. I should have clarified: This team is not capable of trading for an already great hitter who hasn't even hit his prime yet. When we traded for Lee he was good, but not great. I'm not sure what the point is of just saying "its never going to happen, this team's terrible and it always will be terrible." If that's the case, then why bother being so involved with them? Isn't speculation and hope the only thing we have at this point? We spend enough time having to revel in the crappiness that is this team right now-if we're all forced to then revel in the potential crappiness that is forever with this team, then we might as well just give up and stop posting, stop rooting for them, stop going to games, stop buying merchandise, etc., because right now, hope is all we got. You do have a point, but I find very little to be hopeful about right now. I think you just hit the nail on the head and gave me a title for a book on Cubs fans: "Unreasonable Hope Offset by Periods of Utter Despair: The Life of a Chicago Cubs Fan"

If last year was any indication, we already did do that with Lee. Anyway-what isn't a fantasy in this forum? Unless you're talking about things that have already happened, its all fantasy. Aside from that, seeing as how we all love to second guess so much, I just figured I'd throw a first-guess in there. Why not speculate? $98 million could buy an incredibly competitive (dare I say World Series contending) team. I should have clarified: This team is not capable of trading for an already great hitter who hasn't even hit his prime yet. When we traded for Lee he was good, but not great. I'm not sure what the point is of just saying "its never going to happen, this team's terrible and it always will be terrible." If that's the case, then why bother being so involved with them? Isn't speculation and hope the only thing we have at this point? We spend enough time having to revel in the crappiness that is this team right now-if we're all forced to then revel in the potential crappiness that is forever with this team, then we might as well just give up and stop posting, stop rooting for them, stop going to games, stop buying merchandise, etc., because right now, hope is all we got.

If last year was any indication, we already did do that with Lee. Anyway-what isn't a fantasy in this forum? Unless you're talking about things that have already happened, its all fantasy. Aside from that, seeing as how we all love to second guess so much, I just figured I'd throw a first-guess in there. Why not speculate? $98 million could buy an incredibly competitive (dare I say World Series contending) team.

I hate Baker as much as anyone, but this is a pretty good burn: Cubs manager Dusty Baker remembers a 12-year-old Sabathia attending his baseball camp in northern California. "He was big then," Baker said. "He was born big. I didn't know if he'd be a pitcher. He could really hit the ball. He was good at everything. He wore his hat straight back then, though." That virtually sideways cap always made me want to slap the taste out of Sabbathia's mouth.

The larger point here is that if you were to trade Pierre and Jones and pick up a Crawford and Cabrera, you'd save roughly 8 million in salary. Couple that with the 22 coming off the books for Maddux and Wood, and the team would have 30 million in salary. That's THREE $10 million per year pitchers, if need be. The team could pick up Zito and still have probably 18-20 million in salary to spend. Or pick up Zito and Smoltz and still have 8 million just to equal this year's payroll. Your starting rotation for 07 Z Prior Marshall Marmol Miller Barring any major trades. So, in other words, mediocrity again. That's the whole point of this-you could make smart deals for young, talented players, and fill pitching holes with successful, tried-and-true starters. Theoretically, 98 million could buy a starting lineup of Crawford, Walker, Lee, Cabrera, Ramirez, Barrett, Murton, and Cedeno, and a rotation of Zambrano, Schmidt/Smoltz, Zito, Prior, and Marshall/Marmol.

The larger point here is that if you were to trade Pierre and Jones and pick up a Crawford and Cabrera, you'd save roughly 8 million in salary. Couple that with the 22 coming off the books for Maddux and Wood, and the team would have 30 million in salary. That's THREE $10 million per year pitchers, if need be. The team could pick up Zito and still have probably 18-20 million in salary to spend. Or pick up Zito and Smoltz and still have 8 million just to equal this year's payroll.

If the Cubs are, in fact, willing to blow out their farm system for anyone (Juan Pierre, anyone?), they might as well think big. The fact is, if they could send out Pierre, Jones, Dempster and whatever they have of value for prospects in July, I'd be happy. If, at the same time, they also could go after two players that have been hinted at being available, I would consider this season a success: Carl Crawford (.850 OPS and only 23) and Miguel Cabrera. Its entirely possible that they don't have the prospects to get these two players, but if they could go into next season with an outfield of Murton/Platoon, Crawford, and Cabrera along with an infield of Ramirez, Cedeno, X, and Lee, this team would, in my opinion, contend again.

It does seem that way doesn't it? Maybe it is me! Not a prediction: IF the Cubs win each series starting with Cleveland today, then they could possibily see 0.500 by Aug 2nd. Would Like like to see that? Yes. Will it happen....ahhhh sure. willing to bet the farm on it? No way! I'm a Cubs fan, not stupid!! Good, so you aren't going insane. Thanks for clearing that up. Winning every series between now and then would be a huge accomplishment. But it would also leave them very far from contention. Yes but it would. But what else do we have. I hate to see the Cubs lose. I've been in a bad mood for over 2 months now!! So instread of sending out Dusty hating vibes I sending out positive team vibes. Just win. I can careless if Dusty was the manager or Sammy sosa was. Just win. I honestly blame the players, Not Dusty compeletly. I would hope that everyone could agree that even without Baker, this team isn't good. But even with a good team, I'm fairly confident Baker would do just enough to disappoint everyone, and probably screw the team for the foreseeable future (see 2003). I don't really blame the players for being bad-they are what they are. I blame the man who put all these people in places they shouldn't be-Jim Hendry.

I think the person said they'd be closer to .300 than they would be to .500, which is basically their pace right now (.380). Didn't you already predict that they'd be at or within 5 games of .500 by the All Star Break?

No way! My guess is 0.500 (+/- 0.050) (Yes engineering variance) Wait-are you actually saying they're going to be .500 by August 2?

"I want my team back"-2006 (another injury excuse) "Its a society problem" "This is a hitter's time of year. The ball just flies out of the park." (after Prior gives up 4 HRs, the Cubs give up 12...and score 2)

Wrong. Everything starts at the top. Hendry is an employee of the Cubs just like MacPhail and Baker. The Trib are the owners, who are in turn responsible for hiring the management for the ballclub, starting with MacPhail. I fail to see why so many cannot accept this. It's most certainly NOT a case of simply providing enough cash, and that's it. Anyone who has ever owned a corporation will tell you that. I'm happy to blame the Trib for MacPhail and Hendry's continual employment, but I'm not going to blame them for not putting up enough money. $96 million is more than enough to win a World Series. I don't think that's what you're arguing, but I know quite a few people love to fall back on that one.

Furcal's OBP isn't that much better than Cedeno's. I just hate Cedeno's inability to see pitches at certain points. I think Furcal is a better player at this stage, hopefully Cedeno improves his patience. Remove your sunglasses, dude, please. Cause considering AGE, and FINANCIAL commitments, Cedeno is performing better then Furcal. Cedeno didn't start progressing as a offensive player, till like 3 yrs ago. So he still have a ways to go. Not to mention this is Cedeno's first full season in the majors. So, you expect similar numbers to what Cedeno has put up. I fully expect Cedeno to improve in those areas as he gets older. What is Furcal's "excuse" for being a below-average SS? Thanks for TELLING me, dude. I have REMOVED my sunglasses, and now I SEE the light. I was speaking in tearms of ability, Furcal is better at this point. One more time on base every 60 ABs, coupled with 5 more errors, leads me to believe that he's not better regardless of salary.

The basic flaw in this premise is that you assume by hiring a "painter" the Trib's goal was a well painted house. As a business, the Trib's goal is making a return on assets, here, their "painter" while using inferior, or overpriced "paint" has still managed to show a substantial return for their investment. From the business side of it, he's done great. I think, even from the business side of it, he's done a poor job. He could have saved the company upwards of $20 million and gotten identical production to what he's gotten. Given that the park would most likely have been sold out for the year without that $20 million, he's even done a poor job from that perspective.

Ok, like the other people have said, let's take Wood out of it. At the time, it would have been seen as foolish for us to get rid of him-so we can't help if he didn't turn out. So that's 23.6 million for 7 player spots that we would have to fill. What suggestions do you have with 23.6 million to spend? That's maybe 1 star player, a few bench players, and a couple more young guys. So-what options would have given us significantly more production with the money that we had left? Also-let's look at a couple more players on your list. Do you really think Blanco is significantly overpaid or we could have gotten somebody else to back up at the catcher spot? That is simply a position you have to have, and I think Blanco has been what a backup catcher simply is. Finally-Mabry and Miller. Mabry has been slightly disappointing, but do you really think you could have gotten somebody considerably better for that money? Miller also-we can't even evaluate him yet-many people knew that it would probably be after the All Star Break that he would pitch anyway. Let's wait on that 1 million to see if it really is a horrible move. So-what would have been your plan? Feel free to take Wood out of it. 23 million to spend over the last three years-Replace Perez with Bellhorn (savings of 2 million), Mabry with Theriot (saving 1.2 million), or, if you want a veteran, go with Hatteberg (saving 300,000 min). Miller wasn't any good when he was healthy, so its a waste. Replace Blanco with any catcher in baseball-might as well bring up Soto to play once a week and hit .180 (his recent hot streak notwithstanding)-saving over a million. Take 23 million (over the last two years), and go a few ways: 1. Carlos Beltran (13.5) 2. Kenny Rogers (8.0) Or: 1. Ordonez (11) 2. Garciaparra (5) 3. Millwood (8.0) Or: 1. Alou (7.5) 2. Dye (5) 3. Cabrera (7.5) Any one of those would have worked fine.

This might be a dumb question, but how is his avg. higher than his OBP?

They're spending $98 million. Remove the following salaries: Pierre: 5.75 Mabry: 1.1 Blanco: 1.5 Perez: 2.5 Rusch: 2.75 Wood: 12 Miller: 1.0 Maddux: 9 Total: 35.6 That's $35.6 million to spend on quality players (or-more than double the Marlins total payroll). Think about what a good GM could have done with 35.6 million and ask yourself whether or not its truly the Trib's fault for not giving Hendry enough money. To put it another way. Hire a guy to paint your house. Give him money up front. Instead of spending it on good paint, he buys mediocre paint that peels almost immediately. Are you going to give him MORE money to do a bad job again? No-you're going to look for a new painter. That is the Trib's only mistake here-not hiring a new painter.

I'd be more happy if they spent $86 million and didn't have Perez, Rusch, and Pierre on the team, and a solid abilty to evaluate talent.

Exactly. I heard the replays on the radio on 3 different stations and only one beeped the word out. Never guess who that was. Heres a hint the company that owns them owns the Cubs. I've heard the word on any number of primetime shows, and its rampant on cable shows. Cable has taken it a step further, though. In watching "Old School" on TBS (which, I believe, was shown concurrent to the Cubs game), there was reference to a part of the male anatomy (and is also the first name of Ruthven, Bavetta, Sargent, York, and Pole). Hadn't heard that one on basic cable before.

After the home run off Novoa, he said: "I'm a little confused-is this still batting practice?"

"Fire" doesn't win games. Talent and strategy does. Ask Bill Belicheck. Fire Hendry. You can't honestly tell me the White Sox last year were the most talented team in baseball. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Cardinals were all far more talented. The White Sox had more passion and love for the game. That makes a difference. The Marlins were not teh most talented in 2003 and the Angels were also not the most talented in 2002. Talent is not everything. Your Bill Belicheck analogy doens't make much sense to me. He has never had the most talented team in football. Alway the best coached and most motivated teams. That is why they have been able to replace players. Actually, Belicheck is known as one of the calmest, least "firey" managers in the NFL. His own players have made the "put a mirror in front of his face to see if he's still breathing" joke. Talent+strategy+execution=wins "Fire" is a nice story to write about after the fact, but I doubt it has much of a factor in winning games. Just ask Billy Martin, Larry Bowa, Lloyd McLendon, etc., etc., etc. I'll take a boring smart manager over a firey dumb one anytime. Unfortunately, the Cubs have a boring dumb manager.

a. Personally, I doubt that there was an agreement made beforehand that he wouldn't say that. My guess is that is just Tribune Company CYA. b. I thought it was acceptable, appropriate, and funny. I feel no reason to judge. c. I appreciated his honesty in the booth more than any joker of a guest they've had so far this year. My guess is that if he's not asked back, it'll be because he dared to criticize the team, not because he cursed.

One more reason to get rid of the 7th inning stretch singers. This is just like Ozzie's little act a couple years ago. It is all about self promotion. Maybe it will start an escalation of who can use the most vile language without the Cubs permission during their rendition. Bring on Andrew Dice Clay, another shining example of how swearing makes you hilarious to a certain fan base, and I am sure he will really show it to "the man". Ugh... Relax-it was one word. I'm sure kids have heard a lot worse from their friends, neighbors, and relatives. Ugh... you kind of missed the whole point. :roll: Actually, I get the idea of self-promotion, and I doubt the use of the phrase garnered the show any additional converts-seeing as how its on pay cable and appeals to a certain fanbase who are probably already watching the show. The point is that if the use of one word during the seventh inning stretch is enough to stunt your worldview enough to call him pathetic, then you probably just need to relax a little and stay off the high horse.

"Fire" doesn't win games. Talent and strategy does. Ask Bill Belicheck. Fire Hendry.