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Naturally it depends on what kind of organization or investor group takes over but in all probability whether or not the Cubs make the playoffs this year depends on the players on the field and coaches in the dugout. Obviously Hendry has provided the talent pool to compete as they are leading the division with 33 games remaining. Now the question really is does Hendry have a long term future with the club? My guess is that yes as does Piniella and staff through at least 2008 depending on the performance. The real culprit was not Hendry it was MacPhail who handcuffed the Cubs payroll so MacPhail could make the case that he is Commissioner material, pandering to the small and mid market clubs (KC, Mil, Minn, Pitt, TB, FL, Oak, Was, and mid-market clubs; SD, AZ, Clev, Cinc, StL, Den, SF's, Balt, Tex, Seattle, Tor, Det) who actually own the majority votes against the 10 biggees: NYY, BSOX, NYM, LAD, LAA, Cubs, CSox, Phil, Atl, & Hou It is about payroll and MacPhail put the Cubs in the mid-market payroll category and not the big market category....($125-135M) which would have given the Cubs a real RF'er, all star catcher or starting pitcher and another bench performer), but he kept the Cubs at $90-100M....That is your culprit. What a bunch of bs. How many teams have a 125-135 million dollar payroll, outside of the Yankees and Red Sox? Hendry has been given plenty of money to work with since 2003, and hes done nothing with it. The Cubs since Hendry has been here have been in the top 5 in payroll more often than not. To say Hendry has worked with a mid market payroll is a joke. That's actually not true. The Cubs have been in the top half every year, but not top 5. 2003: 12th in payroll 2004: 6th in payroll 2005: 9th in payroll 2006: 7th in payroll 2007: 8th in payroll So we have been a top 10 team in payroll most years, but never top 5. The Cubs still easily have had enough money to really not put much value on complaining that the funds simply weren't there, but top 5 is overstating it.

Yeah but he threw more innings than that last year. As a starter, with a set schedule and 4 days rest in between. It's not just innings, it's innings as a reliever. He's already got 40 AAA innings as a starter this year as well. He's thrown with 0 or 1 days rest 33 times this year. If he keeps up this pace and the Cubs make the playoffs, his total innings pitched this year will reach 115+. I would doubt there's another reliever on a playoff team that comes anywhere close to that number. There aren't many, but there are a few. Carlos Villenueva has 82.2 IP already in the majors with only 1 start, and now he's in the minors starting. He'll probably have more innings than Marmol overall. He's probably the best example of a reliever on a playoff team who will end up with that number of innings. There are probably a dozen relievers that will end up around 90 IP. There are 6-7 more that have less than 10 starts and will end up with 100-120 IP. So Marmol's workload isn't altogether rare for a swing starter/reliever, but it is on the top end of a reliever's workload.

One thing that helps is that for the amount of innings Marmol pitches, he doesn't pitch on consecutive days all that often. For a guy who has been a starter, the innings is not as much of a problem as the pitching on back-to back, 3 out of 4 days, etc. Marmol is used a lot, but Lou tries to avoid those situations which has helped Marmol stay fresh.

Which makes it the right call. Lou trusted his best contact hitter to simply make contact anywhere on the field.....and he didn't. He trusted one of his better judges of the strikezone to not strikeout...and he did. But we're still not factoring in the odds that he hits a liner or a soft flyball that turns into two or even three outs... which squarely place the move back in "wrong" category. Or the factors that the fielders out of position results in a better chance for a hit and that the runners moving means a better chance of scoring on a hit. There are 100 factors here, some of which support the runners moving and some of which don't.

Except that the Red Sox still lead by 7.5. While the Brewers have, in fact, collapsed. Yes, but the poll asks what would be the bigger collapse, so I have to assume that the Red Sox would lose the lead by the end of the season.

To show you how far behind we were behind everyone else in the walks department, the Cubs are currently 1 walk behind last year's total, and it's not even September yet. So they have improved quite a bit from last year to this year, but they were so far behind the pack that it hasn't meant they've moved up the rankings significantly.

It really depends on how many attempts you think Johnson is going to get this year. If you think he will challenge his own record from last year, then hold on to him. If you believe that KC is going to try to lighten the load off of him slightly and use Bennett a little more, then trade him. Manning will score more points than Johnson in that format, but Favre will score a lot of points in that format as well. The final question is-how much do you trust Marshawn Lynch? I wouldn't put my faith in any Denver RB for a full season because they love to change starters in Denver from game to game. You might have to turn to Lynch if that happens. So for your particular format, I guess I am leaning towards not making the deal, but the injury concerns for LJ have to make me strongly consider it.

Wickman is another short reliever who has had chemistry problems. He is completely the opposite of what Hendry is looking for.

The Red Sox have been at least 12 games up this season (maybe more) while I think the largest the Brewers have been up is 8.5 games. It's definitely a bigger Red Sox collapse.

This was posted in the game thread and backs up my assertion that it was the right call. Kendall is more likely to take ball four or hit the ball on the ground in that situation than he is to swing and miss. With most players I wouldn't make that move, but I would with Kendall. It eliminates the more likely outcome of grounding into a double play and also increases the chances of him getting a hit (even slightly) because the middle infielders are on the move. As was also mentioned, Theriot and Jacque aren't your ideal guys to hit a sac fly either. Good decision by Lou, poor execution by Kendall. I was actually about to quote the same thing. I did make one mistake. Before yesterday, he had 7 K's and 7 double plays on the season, not 6 and 7. Still, that doesn't change the numbers significantly. With runners on 1st in the last 3 seasons, Kendall has struck out 30 times (31 now after yesterday) and grounded into 53 double plays. If somebody had the time to go back and take the 2 out at-bats out of that (where he can strike out but not hit into a double play), the strikeouts would probably decrease to the point where grounding into a double play was more than twice as likely as striking out for Kendall. One other thing. Think about how many times the Cubs have started the runners for Kendall. Oakland probably did the same thing for him a good amount of the time he was there. How many other times would he have grounded into double plays if the runners weren't started a large percentage of the time?

Can you post your league scoring rules for QB's and RB's?

It cannot be Fontenot. He's the only backup middle IF. The Cubs definitely won't want to have Soriano as the emergency IF with him just coming back from injury, and nobody else is capable. So as bad as Fontenot may be, he's staying. So it's Pie or Murton. My guess is that it will be Pie, but that's only a guess. The perfect move would be to send down Pignatiello. He doesn't need to be eligible for the playoff roster, and he can be brought up again in less than a week. If the Cubs desperately need a bullpen arm before September 1st during the Milwaukee series due to overuse, they can always call up one of the other relievers instead. However, I don't see that happening. It will be Pie or Murton, with probably a slight lean towards Pie going down.

Why? Even if it works, I'm complaining. Yeah right. Yeah so, I'm the first to call out decisions that are bad even if they work We hadn't scored since what? The 3rd inning? Sorry, but that was not a bad decision, it was bad execution. Kendall couldn't execute the bunt, and then he couldn't execute with the runners moving. It's that simple. Why would you send the tying run with 0 outs in the 9th when he's already in scoring position. It makes no sense. so you don't need a hit to tie it up? But I hated the call. Valverde is a strikeout pitcher. Fontenot isn't fast. Too much risk. Sucks it didn't work out. I don't see how anyone can defend that call. 0 outs, runner already in scoring position, top of the order coming up. I was fine with bunting, but why take that big of a risk? It's not that big of a risk: Kendall grounds into a double play with runners on base a greater percentage of the time than he strikes out with runners on base. You add in the fact that there's a small possibility that Fontenot can beat the throw to 3rd base even if Kendall does strike out (and the small benefit of the runners moving if Kendall gets a hit), and the odds easily favor the runners moving in that situation. It's not something you do with many hitters-but Kendall strikes out so infrequently and grounds into enough double plays for it to be a good move. No it isnt if he swings and misses its a more sure double play than if he hits the ball. Plus, If there is a double play the way we did it keeps the lone runner on 2nd. The other way odds are we have a runner at 3rd. Here are the numbers for the past 3 years: Kendall with a runner on 1st base (1st only, 1st and 2nd, 1st and 3rd, bases loaded) 103 at-bats 6 K's 7 double plays When you consider that I didn't take out his at-bats with 2 outs (eliminating the double play but not the strikeout), striking out has happened less for him in double play situations than double plays have. Try 2006: 167 at-bats 13 K's 19 double plays And 2005: 194 AB's 10 K's 27 double plays If the runners had held on their bags, there would have been a much higher chance of having 2 outs than if they started the runners. As you can see, even when including the 2 out situations Kendall grounds into more double plays than K's in those situations each of the last 3 years.

Why? Even if it works, I'm complaining. Yeah right. Yeah so, I'm the first to call out decisions that are bad even if they work We hadn't scored since what? The 3rd inning? Sorry, but that was not a bad decision, it was bad execution. Kendall couldn't execute the bunt, and then he couldn't execute with the runners moving. It's that simple. Why would you send the tying run with 0 outs in the 9th when he's already in scoring position. It makes no sense. so you don't need a hit to tie it up? But I hated the call. Valverde is a strikeout pitcher. Fontenot isn't fast. Too much risk. Sucks it didn't work out. I don't see how anyone can defend that call. 0 outs, runner already in scoring position, top of the order coming up. I was fine with bunting, but why take that big of a risk? It's not that big of a risk: Kendall grounds into a double play with runners on base a greater percentage of the time than he strikes out with runners on base (if you look at the numbers this is true for him about every year of his career). You add in the fact that there's a small possibility that Fontenot can beat the throw to 3rd base even if Kendall does strike out (and the small benefit of the runners moving if Kendall gets a hit), and the odds easily favor the runners moving in that situation. It's not something you do with many hitters-but Kendall strikes out so infrequently and grounds into enough double plays for it to be a good move.

i didnt write that you fraud. I am not a marquis fan by any stretch but he isnt below average at all OMG JACQUE!!!! WHAT A PLAY I'm pretty sure his ERA+ proves he's the definition of below average. what is his era+? 110 this year isnt 110 techinically above average? Yes. 100 is average for all pitchers, and people have put the average ERA + for starters (as relievers typically have better ERA's then starters) at 90-95. Marquis' career ERA+ is 96. So he's basically the epitome of an average starter, and he's been a little above average so far this year.

It's strange. Marquis has been better this past month then he was the 2 months previous, but he cannot put back to back starts together. In his last 8 starts, start 1, 3, 5, and 7 were QS (he allowed 2, 3, 0, and 1 runs), and he allowed 6, 5, 4, and 5 so far today in starts 2, 4, 6, and 8.

Yes, it's in Chicago.

The other games threads get used pretty extensively when the Cubs are playing at a different time than the Brewers/Cardinals. For example, the thread last Sunday went 22 pages because the Brewers played during the day while the Cubs had a game that night.

That comment from the reporter was dumb, but Myers had already insulted him about his job and called him a name at that point. I don't think the reporter was baiting him-he just responded (which he shouldn't have done) when Myers baited him, and then things got out of hand.

I'm really hoping they don't win the West, though it's not as if the Cubs fare any better against the Padres. (sorry for tempting the baseball gods with playoffs talk) I don't think the Wild Card will come out of the West, and I do think the Padres will eventually catch up to and pass the D-Bags once they fall back to earth. That would mean the Cubs' first-round opponent would be the Mets, and in that case the Cubs would get absolutely steamrolled. Let's say the Padres do catch up and win the division. The Diamondbacks are currently 6 games up on any other wildcard team with 32-34 games to play. What team is going to possibly get hot enough to make up that large of a lead in that small of time?

If Ward pinch-hits, they bring the left-hander out of the bullpen, which is just as bad as putting Monroe up there against a right-hander. Ward's spot is in the 9 spot next inning against Arizona's closer where they won't bring in a left-hander to face him.

too bad that doesnt apply to murton, considering his season is nothing near solid. I'm quite sure he was referring to last season, which should have earned Murton the starting gig in LF (or RF) to start this year. Or were you arguing that last season he wasn't solid? It did earn him the starting position early this year. Then he lost it on his own. I may be wrong about this but I think Floyd was starting about 1/2 the games within the first couple of games of the season. Also after Murton's nice stretch recently he had a bad series against the Cardinals and hasnt started since. It was just 3 games. I just wonder why a bad series doesnt seem to effect Uncle Cliffy's PT. I don't agree with Murton not starting in any of the last 3 games, but it wasn't simply a bad series against the Cardinals. Going into that series with the Cardinals, Murton's was in the middle of a 4 for 19 stretch. Now, that has become a 4 for 31 stretch. He still should have played at least once or twice the last 4 days (and should start tonight), but Murton was starting to struggle again even before that bad Cardinals series.

He is. In the game notes from yesterday, they said he would be starting in RF tonight. My guess is that the OF will be Murton/Jones/Monroe tonight. The lineup will probably look something like this: Theriot DeRosa Lee Ramirez Monroe Murton Kendall Jones Lilly

Here is the link to the trade thread: viewtopic.php?t=42413 The search function is disabled-as soon as the board switches over to the new version, it will be back.

I think he's just meeting with the Cubs staff and they are going to get a quick progress report on how his recovery is going.