Pickle

You're right - so does that make Ronnie our backup-backup middle infielder?? In what situtation do you see him playing?? It's generally a good idea to have 2.

Jock's not that petty. He's a good guy.

A jealous rival Cubs messageboard. Probably BCB. Unlikely, you say? That's why it's the perfect crime.

Then I gotta agree with ya. He wouldn't be "very good."

Is there a way to see what the average #5 hitter in baseball did? Then we'd know for sure how good Jock is. Besides, there is more than one way to look at a player. OBP, while good, is not the only way and that's something any knowledgeable baseball fan---sabermetrian or not---can agree on. And "Jock" is a nickname. Why change?

Bears fans talking about beating winning teams?? The only two winning teams the Bears have beaten are the Seahawks and the Jets. Anyways, this game means absolutely nothing to the Bears, while it could potentially mean everything for the Packers (or it could mean nothing, depending on how the earlier games turn out). The Bears don't need this game. Please just let the Packers win. Sounds like a Packer fan. We're in the EARN it business, fella. Unless you're a Bears DB in this game. I'm sure Farve will give them definitely a few gift INTs.

It appears any Todd Helton trade would be off the table and the pie in the sky deal of Figgins for Jones will live as only a message board rumor. Why would anyone want Figgins over Jones? .267/.336/.376 last year. That was worse than Pierre. I knew people didn't like Jones, but this is getting ridiculous. That just goes to show the seriousness of the hate-ons people have for Jones. Ridiculous is the perfect word.

What are the chances Ryno takes over after Sweet Lou retires? hopefully 0%, after reading some of his columns on yahoo i don't want him anywhere near the cubs. Interesting. I hadn't read any of those. Judging purely from his playing days I figured he'd be a pretty good option. He'd make a terrible major league manager. Seriously, I'm fully expecting him to do a very, very poor job, and I'd rather have had him scout or be a hitting/fielding coach than an actual manager of a team in our system. He's way too archaic and old-school for my tastes. His Yahoo.com writings look like Joe Morgan chats. Yeah, I'm for someone with no baseball instincts whatsoever that just bases every decision on statistics. The ideal manager wouldn't even need to be in the dugout, really. He could just make phone calls from his mom's basement.

In other words, a typical Cubs acquisition. Unfortunately, yes. Unfortunately, yes? Boy, are you guys stuck in the past. NCCubFan was just making a joke. Jokes are better when they are based in reality, so I didn't find it very funny, but you're actually agreeing with him. I can't think of anyone acquired in the last three years probably longer that fits that description. Marquis wasn't good last year, but hes not old and doesn't have a bad back. Maddux was old, but wasn't bad or injured. I mean you've got to go back a long way to find a time when the typical Cub acquisition was even two of those three. Gary Gaetti? Dave Kingman? I've got no problem being critical of our beloved team, but let's at least keep it real. Nicely said. Sometimes the negativity is almost too much.

The difference being that Cedeno has had some MLB experience and success. Izturis' hitting was terrible nearly his entire major league career, except for one half-season, where pitchers never saw enough of him to expose his crippling weaknesses at the plate. Once they did, he tanked as always has. He has little if any chance to improve, IMO You dislike the fact that Izturis has only had a good half season and then say Cedeno has a chance to improve because he was good for 41 games? If either has the better chance to improve it's Izturis who is closer to his peak than Cedeno. Also, Izturis' good half year lasted 159 games where he posted a .330 OBP. Granted not great, but he was 24 at the time. I just don't understand the opinion that there is no chance whatsoever that Izturis will even become a decent player. He's talked about like he's in his mid 30's and not mid 20's. And I'm not saying I think he will, just that because of his age there is the possibility. It seems like certain posters don't like Izturis and are very vocal about it. Others just like jumping in with them. Not everyone here thinks Izturis is going to be pitiful. God help Izturis if he gets off to a slow start. But, even if he starts off hot, then the ones that don't like him are going to be talking about how it's a fluke and he'll start sucking eventually and the cubs should trade him while he's got good value. It's really a no-win situation for some players.

I agree that there will probably be some action. I think the White Sox are more likely to get Baldelli than A-Rod. You're wrong on the Phillies, though. They have room for Cole Hamels. They have no room for Lieber.

I don't consider sucking at baseball to be a "non-baseball reason." Sammy was washed up 2 years ago and he won't be any better now. If Sammy platooned with Jones/Floyd, he would face primarily left handed pitching since Jones/Floyd can't hit LHP. Sammy's 2005 line vs LHP was .288/.370/.471/.841. That's a hell of a lot better than what Jones/Floyd would do against LHP. Well, we're talking about 2007 and Sammy missed last season and will be two years older. Let's all be realistic. I was mainly pointing out that Sammy wasn't "washed up 2 years ago". And when he was "washed up" he still hit LHP pretty well. I thought of that after I posted. I still don't think he'd be good now, though.

I don't consider sucking at baseball to be a "non-baseball reason." Sammy was washed up 2 years ago and he won't be any better now. If Sammy platooned with Jones/Floyd, he would face primarily left handed pitching since Jones/Floyd can't hit LHP. Sammy's 2005 line vs LHP was .288/.370/.471/.841. That's a hell of a lot better than what Jones/Floyd would do against LHP. Well, we're talking about 2007 and Sammy missed last season and will be two years older. Let's all be realistic.

nah, the humidor would defeat him I think his bat speed and inablility to make good contact would ultimately defeat him, rather than the humidor.

To answer the thread question... Because he's old and getting older. He's also nothing special anymore. If he was, then he'd have a job by now.

Very true. But wtf happened to Helton's power last year? He clearly took steroids but somehow gets away with it Let's avoid Salem witch trials, please. As you may have read in my other post, Helton had a scary stomach condition. For awhile, it looked like he was deathly ill and possibly finished as a ballplayer. To say that steroids was the issue proves one's ignorance, as well as one's willingness to jump to an inaccurate conclusion. Well, he may not have, but I think it's equally ignorant to totally dismiss it. It was mentioned at the time steroids was a big issue, but he got dismissed pretty quickly, probably because he plays in Colorado. Should Giambi get a pass because, he too, got violently ill and had his power sapped? I know nsbb doesn' t really steroid accusations but, to me, he's one of the people who should be considered an obvious candidate, yet somehow gets ignored. Players that sportswriters and fans like get a free pass. Unless they were mentioned in a book, that is. Then, they're fair game. Nowadays, any player that has a drop in power numbers is gonna look suspicious. That doesn't mean that they were on steroids, but that doesn't mean the steroid question shouldn't be breached. Anybody that played during that time should be looked at suspiciously. Not looking at them because you feel that it's unfair to the ballplayer to do so or reactionary or whatever is silly and part of the reason baseball got in the mess. Don't be part of the problem.

Long term, I like Danks better than McCarthy. Danks season stats look worse, but he usually sucks the first 5-10 starts at each new level, then adjusts. Danks has better stuff anyway. That's debateable, about who has better stuff/long term potential, but I am kind of a Nick Massett fan, and ultimately, Massett will help the Sox moreso then either Floyd or Danks. Interesting deal for the Sox, and they are looking ahead, to when and if Buehrle leaves for the Cardinals. They better hope Cooper can rejuveniate Floyd and perhaps Danks career (didn't the White Sox draft Danks kid brother a few yrs back?), or the Garcia/McCarthy will look awful. This trade is definately a push. I agree that the trade is a push, but I'd like to know your reasoning behind saying that Massett will help more than Floyd or Danks. Floyd had flashes last year and Danks is projected as at least a #2. Massett will have to take over for Jenks to have more impact, in my opinion, and I'm just not sure that's likely to happen.

Cesar Izturis at SS and Ryan Theriot at 2B.

Doesn't Eckstein have that title trademarked? No, Eckstein's got "scrappy" trademarked.

I gotta agree with ya, Soul. Floyd hasn't even been signed yet and people are acting like drama queens.

Dunn's OPS has decreased the last seasons. It's still good, but that's a bad trend. His defense is terrible. He can't run and, no matter what some of you believe, a ballplayer does need to be able to move around a little bit. It helps. A slow, .230 hitting, strikeout waiting to happen player with absolutely no redeeming defensive quality doesn't belong on the cubs. He belongs in the American League. He's not what the cubs need. He wonderful VORP and declining OPS do not make up for his faults. Move on. You'll be happier in the long run.

That was pretty good. Nice job.

You think Hawpe's a better player than Soriano? Yes. Hawpe's good. I don't really think he's better than Soriano. They're both pretty good and bring different things to the table. I don't really see why Soriano would necessarily block the cubs from getting Hawpe, unless you were kind of trying to voice some displeasure with the Soriano signing. I'm displeased with the Soriano signing, and practically speaking I don't think Hendry would go out and get a RF after signing Soriano to play RF. He's too much a "player's guy" and would view that as undercutting his word to Soriano that he would play RF, and probably thinks it a smack in the face to Alfonso that he would be the one changing positions. I thought the company line was that the positions weren't really set yet. The cubs know that they need another bat or two, so they're probably gonna see who they can get and then go from there.

You think Hawpe's a better player than Soriano? Yes. Hawpe's good. I don't really think he's better than Soriano. They're both pretty good and bring different things to the table. I don't really see why Soriano would necessarily block the cubs from getting Hawpe, unless you were kind of trying to voice some displeasure with the Soriano signing.

You think Hawpe's a better player than Soriano?