CubColtPacer

People have been predicting that every game for 3 years...and the Colts have won 5 out of 6 against the Jags in that span :D No, really though, the Jaguars even though they have only won that 1 game have played us tough each game the last few years. Their downfall has usually been that they could not keep Leftwich protected. If they do a better job of that, their running game has always been very good against the Colts. Also, Mathis is very prone to giving up the double move-Harrison usually burns him for a back breaking catch or two. Some injury news to report though from Indianapolis-MRI's are still not back for several players-Dwight Freeney, Adam Vinatieri, Brandon Stokely-their availability for this weekend is unknown. Add in Corey Simon who is still trying to come back, and those could be some key losses for the Colts in a very tough game.

And Miller looks good. Not all of a sudden though. More steadily. . Anybody think we have our #4 starter? I of course would like to see another good start in his last start, but Miller has really pitched well the last couple starts. I just hope that as he goes into FA that he isn't going to demand a huge contract, although I understand he definitely is going to get a decent-sized raise.

LOL..most of this has been happening already. This is the 4th time this month that the Blanco/Cedeno/Soto combination has been the bottom of the order. Now, Murton batting 4th-I don't think is that usual-it's usually been 5th. Though, I can understand why people have been taking time off from the team-it's certainly been well deserved after this year's team :D

And I know enough about the inadequacies of opinion, hearsay, hyperbole and people who trust their eyes over facts to discount this statement considerably. Not to mention, somebody who is basing his opinion on spring training. It's quite possible Izturis was once great with the glove. It's just as possible, that after several serious physical ailments he's just not the same. Izturis has been up and down with the glove in his short time here. He wa s very questionable the first week he was here..then he was amazing for the next two weeks before he got hurt (he made several plays that in my estimation other shortstops wouldn't have made). Then he's come back-in the couple games he's played, he's been very bad defensively-but he's also still been hurt in that time, as can be seen by the fact that he immediately has stopped playing again due to the hamstring. He's shown flashes of his reputation-he's also made substandard plays at a higher rate than a player with his reputation should have. Overall, I've been slightly disappointed, but with the injuries, the short sample size, and all the turnover I'm reserving final judgement on his abilities until 2007.

I've always wanted to say this. Can I borrow your time machine? Are you implying that Maddux is still a consistent pitcher? He has a 4.22 ERA this year, and is the type of pitcher that can keep you in the game, would be great around all of our rookies, and I beleive he still has the stuff to be a good #5. But as I said I would not offer him a whole lot. A 4.22 ERA isn't good. He took the Cubs out of games just as much as he kept them in them, and if he's such a good influence on our young pitchers then hire him to be a pitching coach or a bench coach. He's not worth committing a rotation spot to what should be a retooling team next season. If we got a 4.22 ERA out of our fifth starter, I would be ecstatic. In fact-if you told me before the season that I'd have a guaranteed 4.22 ERA from every single pitcher before the season, I'd sign on to that in a second-we'd move from 25th in pitching in the league rankings to 8th. If we can have a 5th starter with a 4.22 (or even a 4.4 or 4.5) he still would be better than just about any fifth starter in the league, and combined with a good bullpen we could have one of the better starting staffs in the entire league. I agree with a lot of this, but do you really want to pay your #5 guy what Maddux is likely to command/demand if he keeps playing? It depends on what he wants for how long. If it's a 1 year deal, then its not a big deal to overpay if you're mostly done with the rest of the offseason. I don't want to go hard after Maddux the first week-let's take care of the rest of our business (big bat, top of the rotation starter), and then when we get past those bigger needs to the pitcher slot where Maddux would be slotted into, if he's still available for one year it becomes a good deal. That money likely wouldn't go anywhere else at that point other then in the executives pocket anway.

Making contact isn't an accomplishment. The 2006 Chicago Cubs are some of the best contact makers in the league, if not the best. And they still suck. That's not ultimate. The Cubs are now 3rd in the NL in batting average, last in the NL in OBP (by a lot), and consequently last in the NL in runs scored. They have walked 200 fewer times than the Reds and Phillies. Actually, that's not true anymore. With the game last night, the Cubs officially moved ahead of the Pirates in Run per game by a small percentage (the Pirates are averaging between 4 and 5 runs a game, and the Cubs have played one more game than them and are 5 runs ahead). The interesting thing is that the next 2 teams up are Milwaukee and Houston-we almost assuredly won't catch Houston unless we're much better than them the next 10 days, but we have a small chance of catching Milwaukee (they've played 1 less game and have 3 more runs). The difference between the best offense in the Central to the top 5 offenses in the major leagues (I'm comparing them to #5 in runs) is greater than the difference between the best offense in the Central and the Cubs. That's an interesting statistic-it might not take a huge overhaul, but one or two bats to make us the best offense in the division.

I don't expect anyone to take this seriously because it's from an ND outlet and obviously it didn't have any impact on the outcome of the game, but I agree fully with this paragraph, and it hasn't just been the Michigan game. First, I do agree with him that they shouldn't have Big 10 officials to call this game. As I stated in the other thread, in a game between two teams from opposing conferences, the officials should come from a third conference. I do think that a game between two BCS teams should have officials from a BCS conference though. Second, I don't understand why this guy is complaining about the holding calls when in the very next paragraph he states: If the offensive line "sucks" as he so nicely put it, don't you think it's possible that they hold the players on the opposing team more because they, well, "suck" more than their opponent's offensive line? The offensive line has been horrible-but I think most of the controversial holding calls have not come from the line. In particular, Rhema Mcknight has been called for 2 huge holding calls this year, and replays showed that both times he was simply blocking. I can only recall one holding penalty against the line that I even questioned-most of them have been obvious calls. BTW, this next section is an observation, not a complaint about the officiation. If the rule is called this way, then it was completely the right call. Has anyone ever seen before though a block in the back called on the kicking team on a kickoff? I can never remember that call being made, and I didn't even know it was possible. In fact, that penalty at the end of the 1st half and Brady's dropping of the ball as he went to pass and couldn't fall on it and it going for a TD were the two plays that I think symbolized ND's day. They just could not do anything right, and when they started to do well in something they found a way to mess it up.

I've always wanted to say this. Can I borrow your time machine? Are you implying that Maddux is still a consistent pitcher? He has a 4.22 ERA this year, and is the type of pitcher that can keep you in the game, would be great around all of our rookies, and I beleive he still has the stuff to be a good #5. But as I said I would not offer him a whole lot. A 4.22 ERA isn't good. He took the Cubs out of games just as much as he kept them in them, and if he's such a good influence on our young pitchers then hire him to be a pitching coach or a bench coach. He's not worth committing a rotation spot to what should be a retooling team next season. If we got a 4.22 ERA out of our fifth starter, I would be ecstatic. In fact-if you told me before the season that I'd have a guaranteed 4.22 ERA from every single pitcher before the season, I'd sign on to that in a second-we'd move from 25th in pitching in the league rankings to 8th. If we can have a 5th starter with a 4.22 (or even a 4.4 or 4.5) he still would be better than just about any fifth starter in the league, and combined with a good bullpen we could have one of the better starting staffs in the entire league.

Gamecast had to reset, and now they show Pierre hitting a HR..is that right? Anyone watching the game in here?

I didn't know the Cubs were out of last in runs scored in the major leagues now-that's amazing with how far they were behind second to last earlier in the season.

I think he'll probably be on the roster, but probably not in the starting rotation. He's had 1 good year, 4 decent ones, and 2 terrible ones in the last 7 seasons-I hope he can get back to one of those decent seasons, and then we won't be too afraid to bring him out in long relief. If he is as bad next year as this year, I think he'll be gone by the end of May.

I definitely agree with that. I believe that hustling has an distinct effect on the field. I just wanted to point out that for those who dispute that contention (that the difference is more than negligable), there are still reasons as a fan for wanting a hustling player.

What do they gain besides making people "feel better?" An extra base? Not making an out? I edited my post above to expand on that. I think "hustle" is so subjective and varies so much from player to player, coach to coach and fan to fan that trying to set some kind of "hustling standard" to even begin to figure out if a player's lack of or having "hustle" significantly helps or hurts a team is next to impossible. I don't need anyone to come up with a stat to measure a player's hustle. That's ridiculous and unneccessary. I just want players to give their all. Period. Exactly. Hustle for me isn't about gaining a team extra wins, although it probably has a small effect on a ballgame. Hustle is about enjoying the game as a fan. Players hustling makes the game a great deal more fun. Does that mean I would get rid of a very talented, non-hustling player? No-I want to win also, but I wish he would hustle. For me, the most fun I had with this team was the day that Z beat out the infield hit and then stole second base. Did it really help out the team? Not really-I don't think he scored in that inning. Was it an awesome moment? In my mind, absolutely. I'd rather take talent over hustle, but hustling enhances the game experience in so many ways, at least for me. I equate it to character issues off of the field. It may not mean all that much on the field, but it makes a difference to me as a fan. For me, to say that I'm a fan means that the team is a representative of all their fans in some small part, and I want them to represent me well-both in winning and in character.

No. Hendry wasn't smart enough to include a club option in the contract. They may have basically paid him to rehabilitate for a year only to see him walk away.Did it occur to you that maybe Miller didn't want it? Wow. you do know that a contract is a two way deal, right? Yes, I do. That's my point. Just because the Cubs don't hold a team option on Miller next season doesn't automatically mean that Hendry didn't think to try to get it. Contracts are a "two way deal", as you put it. What was your point, exactly? that nobody held a gun to hendry's head and forced him to sign miller w/o an option. hendry could have said no option, no contract. you make it sound as though hendry had no choice. It was a $1 mil deal. No huge loss. What's your beef? In addition, that 1 million dollar deal was signed on January 23rd. There was nobody on the market by that point. Hendry still had money to spend-so he took a gamble on Miller coming back early. There was no real downside to that deal- all that 1 million would have done otherwise would be to go in the Tribune's pockets-It was good that he at least tried, even if it didn't work out.

Jones has been a very good player for the money this year. In fact, looking through other teams, I can't find many better bargains among the RF's who have hit FA already, and plenty of people who are producing the same or much less for more money (obviously, those who haven't are a much better bargain). Is the 3 years a potential problem? Definitely-but at least for this year, Jones has been very good. Now-management, go out and sign a platoon partner for him! That will make RF a good to great position instead of the above average position it has been this year.

I feel sort of the same way. I was starting to hope that maybe we could get through September undefeated, but in the month leading up to the season I was telling everyone who asked me that the team was going to lose at least 1 game in September-I just couldn't pin down who it was going to be to. Michigan played hard, took advantage of ND's mistakes, and deserved to go home with the victory. Hopefully, this lesson will just make ND stronger as Weis continues to try to build his team.

Georgia maybe-but of course, the TN-Florida game will have one team not undefeated at that point, and that loser will fall behind ND. I assumed with you having Florida at 7 that you think Florida will beat TN tonight. Yes, ND had the worst loss of all the 1 loss teams-but they also have the best win of any of them. That needs to factor in as well.

I bet that's what it'll be, unless USC hangs 70 on Nebraska. How far should ND and LSU fall after today. I'd rank LSU over ND, but I know I'm biased. I'd probably have my top ten as this: #1 OSU #2 Auburn #3 USC #4 Louisville #5 West Virginia #6 Florida #7 Florida State #8 Michigan #9 LSU #10 Texas I think you need to have Michigan over Florida State-if FSU is very good tonight against Clemson, then you might put FSU over-but their performances against Miami and Troy aren't as good as Michigan's performances so far, I think. I would agree with you as an ND fan Vance-LSU deserves to be ahead of ND, but the pollsters probably won't do that. In your top 10, ND would be 11 then I think-I can't think of anybody else who would be above them at that point.

I think they'll drop to 9 or 10, right behind where Texas is-they would drop farther, but with so many ranked teams playing each other, there will be some other losing teams that will also drop. This is one of those games where both credit goes to Michigan and blame goes to ND. ND played one of the worst games they will ever play, and Michigan responded by playing one of the better games they will play. I thought before the season there was no way ND got all the way through September undefeated, but I didn't think it would be this ugly. Good luck to Michigan the rest of the season.

I think he meant that people were upset about him throwing 119 pitches last outing, and so said that he'd be terrible today, which of course has not been the case.

ND-Michigan is usually earlier than this (week 3 is about the latest they play any season) and the teams are about even overall, if I remember right. The team Michigan has usually ruined late in the season was Ohio State-they ruined OSU's national title hopes around 4 times in the 90's on the final game of the season..

That's just what I was thinking about as well..it's set up to be possible today.

Whew..if the Irish had any chance in the second half, they absolutely had to have that drive. Hopefully the team actually shows up after halftime.

Me too..but that's all right. I've spent the last 4 years in TN, and have rarely found a single person rooting with me in a game, so I personally am very, very used to it.

Ouch-feel bad for Auburn, first good drive ends with a missed field goal-and especially for their kicker, who is still upset by last year's kicking debacle and does it again.