imb

I'm a big Choi fan, but I just dont think having a guy that can't make contact and can only play first base will work well on this roster. Granted, he's probably a better option than Mabry, but what's the point.

"I was gonna make a sign for this game but I really just don't care anymore. oops"

But it is unbalanced statements like this one that I tend to challenge and I am often met with nothing but ridicule when I do. Wouldn't one have to ignore all of the good moves that Hendry has made in order to stand by such a statement? All the good moves? This team is about 30 under .500 the past two seasons. Where are all these good moves? I don't really have to list them for you, do I? I think you know what the good moves he has made have been. But we are in agreement that it certainly hasn't been enough the past two seasons. Listing them is pointless. He's had a couple decent moves, but only when you look at them without considering the big picture. Concentrating on bullpen, speed and defense was an absolute failure of strategy, no matter how well Eyre and Howry have pitched. Top notch relievers are pointless when your lineup and rotation suck. Jim Hendry is an awful GM. He not only has failed to win a WS, he's failed to field a competitive team. He's also been the most inefficient GM in the league, with the highest payroll/win ratio. It's stunningly pathetic how poor of a job he has done. This isn't just a GM with a mid range payroll building a .500 team. This is a GM with an upper echelon payroll building a way below .500 team. I repeat. Nothing in his past suggests he is capable of making the necessary moves to turn this team into a winner. What he did between July of 2002 and the end of 2003 is still in his past, isn't it? He came awfully close to proving you wrong right there. If he can do that, why can't he get 5 more outs at some point down the road? I understand your reasons for doubting him, but to say that there is nothing in his past just seems unsupportable to me. If the Cubs had done nothing from July 2002 to now, would 2003 have happened? This team, as currently constructed is in far, far, far worse shape than it was when we got to 5 outs away from the world series. To get back to that point, Hendry will have to pull some kind of super rabbit out of his hat, which is something that he appears to be incapable of doing, seeing as how he has done pretty much nothing right since the Nomar trade.

Didn't see this posted, but I haven't read all 55 pages of posts. This comment makes this deal even worse. Hendry could have had a package of high level prospects, but took Izturis? ](*,) Hahahahah, I would have taken any one player in the dodgers system, regardless of age/level/ability over Izturis. How can Hendry be such an f-up?

Only Hendry could trade a Hall of Famer and Todd Walker, and get more return from Todd Walker.

The Cubs came out much better on this deal than I thought. There had to have been essentially no market for Walker, and they got a guy with potential, at least.

I think the real big winners here are the Cubs, since Lee can't kick our ass for the rest of the year. Texas can't (or shouldn't, not for 5/65) resign Lee and Milwaukee didn't get anything too worthwhile out of it. I thought they would have gone for prospects, but I guess they're young enough as it is.

Yeah, he's a great hitting catcher. Exactly what team is so desperate for a great hitting catcher that they would give us something that would make starting Blanco 140 times a season worthwhile? If someone wants to blow the Cubs away with an offer, then by all means, do it. Hell, someone wants to blow the Cubs away with an offer for Lee, Aramis or Zambrano, go for it.

Ill take Drew Bennett

dammit, i had no idea it was me already HERE GOES

Being a great hitting catcher is like being a tall midget. No one needs him bad enough to give us enough value to make it worth our while.

zambrano is from another freaking planet

He's going to get at least 10m a year come next year. It's what the current market demands. I mean is Furcal worth 13m a year? Is AJ Burnett worth 5\60 million? No and no. Just b/c people are stupid enough to pay average players crazy money doesn't mean you jump into the stupid pool. He may get $10m from someone next year, in fact I'd be surprised if he didn't, but he'll be 31 next year and he has a career .835 OPS. For a corner OF, that's above average, but not $10m worth. Put it this way - the team that pays him $10m next year is not going to get a good return on their investment (disclaimer - if he moves back to 2B that helps, but I still think $10m is too much - Walker had a better OPS each of the last 2 seasons). OPS or no OPS, Walker isn't even in the same universe as Soriano (except when it comes to defense). 2004 .820 2005 .829 2004 .808 2005 .821 Who is who? Obviously Soriano is having a far, far superior year in 2006, but the last 2 years I would much rather have had Walker at second base.

IMB takes Ron Dayne

IVE BEEN BUSY

Because they are terrible, like I explained in the original post. I'm not expecting top flight stuff for Williamson, just not the garbage we ended up getting. If the roles were reversed and the Cubs were in contention and had just given up 2 of their top 20 prospects for a pitcher with equivalent numbers to Williamson people would be ripping Hendry. Hendry has been shopping Williamson for a while now and if there was a better deal out there I am sure he would have taken it. To assume a strong market exists for a middle reliever that has an era over 5.00 and a questionable elbow is quite a reach. Those guys are top 30 prospects because San Diego's system is a joke. They're terrible, and if we had given up players with their numbers and their careers to get a reliever for a pennant chase, everyone would've been plenty fine with it because no one would miss Todd Blackford and Carlos Perez. that system may be garbage Tiger but you'd have no idea... please enlighten us on San Diego's system then. These players are terrible, but Williamson was pretty terrible too. The best news is that it cleared up a spot for Wuertz on the major league roster, so all in all, no big deal. It's a backassward way to go about it, but we traded trash for trash and replaced it with someone (Wuertz) that should actually improve our team.

lol i love political humor

no wait, it was WMDs

the second thing was monica lewinsky's panties

I don't blame him

He better be the best pitcher on the roster, he's pitching against 18 year olds.

I don't see what the Blue Jays ex-draft guy has to do with appreciating walks. That organization turned more sabr-centric when he wasn't there. You can point out little individual reasons why you think it's not true, but the big picture suggests otherwise. They are last in walks, by a wide margin, and the organization is dominated by overly aggressive hackers. There just is not enough to support the notion that he's coming along. Maybe he values walks to some extent, but the evidence shows he values them less than any other organization in the league. And that's what matters. the Blue Jays ex-draft guy is relevant because of the good discipline and walk rates of the hitters he drafted. the big picture does suggest otherwise Hendry has not valued walks in the past. that is why I suggested that Hendry is coming around, not that he valued walks all along. my point is not that Hendry absolutely, without a doubt values walks. my point is there is evidence that he's gaining a greater appreciation for walks. the fact that evidence has not shown up tangibly in the lineup to this point is really not material. further, 5/8 of the lineup that should be out there day in/day out are historically pretty good or vastly improved at taking walks. not great, but pretty good (Walker, Lee, Aram, Barrett, Murton). Who has Wilken drafted that has great plate patience? Rios? Wells? Both are allergic to walks (Wells less so).

Obviously the close calls of 2003 and 2004 make this season even more unbearable. This season has been one continuous series of haymakers to the nuts. Close calls in 2003 and 2004, an injury-plagued, wasted 2005, an offseason of getting nothing accomplished followed by poor managing, poor playing, poor planning and more and more injuries to just about every above average player left on our depleted roster. I thought 2000 was bad, but this season has been a constant tea-bagging.

Tapani

Why, you expect the Cubs to even make an offer? Why waste team talking about a player, when you KNOW in your heart the Cubs have no interests in. Meaning even if Ichiro is available, the Cubs ain't interested. Willy Pierre Juan Taverez Makes me no never mind. I expect the Cubs to acquire SOMEBODY else with Taverez to make a deal worthwhile, I would love to take Brandon Backe off their hands. why are you so sure the cubs aren't interested? He's fast, a great defender and bats leadoff - all things the cubs value. How about the fact that Ichiro has a career .377 OBP, and the fact that the Cubs simply don't understand that getting on base is the object of the game. They would view Ichiro as a baseclogging, and instantly deem him "not a good fit." I would love to have Ichiro, but with the current regime, he would be tremendously WASTED. The quote was, "unless you can run, walks just clog up the bases for the guys who can". Not that it matters cause it was a stupid quote, but everyone gets it wrong.