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This just seems like typical lee to me. He shows up in the boxscores when it no longer matters. It happened this year and to a degree last year. He played great in 05 when it didn't matter. When it comes to crunch time as in the post season, the guy has zero rbi's with the cubs and 8 total in 100 at bats. Hes just not a legitimate star, team leader, nor a three hitter. Unfortunately year after year we were left to depend on him in this capacity.

Had we claimed Dunn, in order to get him we'd have to give up significant young talent that wouldn't have made it worth it (most likely). And while I'm not a big fan of DLee still batting third, a vastly underperforming veteran with a good track record (including intangibles) starting for an organization isn't that odd. Jason Varitek got 908 PAs for the Red Sox between 2008 and 2009 even though he posted OPS' of .672 and .703 in those seasons. The reason given for continuing to start him was his "veteran leadership." yeah but varitek never batted third and played solid defense and handled the pitching staff well. Yes keeping a guy like that in the line up isn't all that unheard of but continuing to bat him third is down right crazy. And of course they cant bench him without any first base prospect to take a look at but the guy is close to the bottom for every hitting stat for 1st baseman in the NL. But I do feel like since he is not an option for next year any decent team would have at least went about acquiring a possibility at the position for the future. Especially given the fact that the Rickets probably wont pay for Dunn or Pena. Chris davis? I don't know this is way off topic now though.

I was kind of hoping we would claim someone off waivers like Dunn (some team did claim him) and then sign him to a two or three year deal. It would be nice to get a head start on next year. Plus we wouldn't have to watch D-Lee and his 12 homeruns batting third for the rest of the year. If it were any other team he'd be riding the pine already.

the stretch singing happens at many stadiums. its not unique to wrigley, only the guest conductors are. Which I agree should go. Just let len and bob sing it alternating with ronny and pepper in some harry and Bill murray for kicks. But fans get hammered everywhere during this time of the game. Other fans don't sing a really lame shmaltzy folk song to let other teams and fans know how rare it is that they actually do win. And it would be one thing if the song were good, I probably wouldn't be that opposed to it. But its a poorly written song in all facets no matter how many posters' three year olds like it.

just play a tape of harry singing it for the seventh inning stretch. Back to go cubs go, its a poorly written song that may be catchy but remains sappy and terrible. It just seems like such a cub thing to do sing a song after winning. You know because they dont do it that much. I say no songs after wins or if there must be one in the name of tradition make it an old one. All this song does is keep the tradition of losing alive.

seriously am I the only one who hates this song?

Lilly was a good player for the cubs and one who actually held up to his contracts worth. but we werent signing him nor risking arbitration next year. Theriot was a good story and is a guy who gets the most out of his lesser talents. But he was incredibly inconsistent at times a mediocre fielder and just plain hard too watch as he swung at the first pitch for the first two months of the year. I'm happy to get some potential back for these guys. I dont think that DeWitt will pan out in the end but if he does icing on the cake, but wallach seems to be a solid get.

thank god. I was thinking he would be the guy that wouldnt wave the no trade clause. As bad as aramis has been at least he has an exuse albeit a lame one: the thumb but Lee has just flat out stunk this year.

ugh that is so sappy.

bet he's got that LSU connection. \:D/ Seriously though he should be fine but may not be the quick mover they thought. Also could just be done from all the time behind the plate already this year.

oh I don't really care about Dye playing here at all. maybe he helps maybe not either way we still suck. I was just saying that Lee is currently that bad and probably untradable. Dye had a good half before he fell apart. Lee needs to do the reverse but I don't see him coming anywhere close to a .942 ops in the second half. He looks old and completely lost at the plate.

seriously the guy has 3 rbi in his last 20 games. And he is our 3 hitter/clubhouse leader? Oh and 1/3 of his rbi to begin with are from driving in himself. And when I was calling him Jermaine Dye in April everyone thought I was crazy.

His .717 OPS would be 5th overall among AL SS. It's amazing how bad they've been. The NL OPS is just .729. It's amazing how bad everybody has been. roids

He's 21 with a strong pedigree. Here are his prospect rankings. I will admit they are trending in the wrong direction. He is also injury prone: Prospect Ratings by Baseball America: Pre-2007: Rated #22 Prospect Pre-2008: Rated #20 Prospect Pre-2009: Rated #30 Prospect Pre-2010: Rated #77 Prospect He had a stronger campaign last year and his doubles may turn into homers later. The question is whether he (and another Met prospect) are better than two 2011 sandwich picks. I don't have the past ratings but this reads alot like the Lastings Milledge story as I remember it. Over-Hyped and brought up too early when expectations were too high.

yeah theriots obp is abysmal, defense is mediocre, and is extremely inconsistent overall. But lets keep him. :good: One more reason to fire Hendry. I don't see how we get any prospects of quality back for Fukudome, it would basically require us paying all of his salary and with Ricketts that isnt going to happen. Also I don't expect that much back from Lilly as a rental, or an aging overpaid D-Lee rental, or any possible relievers. With the economics of baseball shrinking teams are more likely to hold onto their prospects than trade them for a mediocre 4 month player. On another note Rickets said he would address the team and the media after this weekend per the tribune. Hopefully Hendry gets chopped.

Isn't McCann a much better defender where as Soto is a bit below avg? Also Soto went on a big slump where he was batting .150 over an extended period. Plus he's on a terrible team. On another note I'm tired of ridiculous All Star choices. Its time to go by the statistically best player at each position. Guys like Jason Heyward, while a good rookie, has no business being on the NL team.

ugh get rid of him now before he has a chance to make a trade and mess up this team even more.

I think the scouts don't get enough blame for this team being bad for so long. They need to be axed. Plus minor league instructors who fail to teach the farm guys fundamentals and stress playing the game the right way. So basically most of them at the lower levels. Basically a complete organization restructuring beyond Sandberg, Jaramillo, and a few of the others guys others have mentioned. This is ricketts chance to make us more like the twins or braves and less like ... the cubs.

I'm with you regular bad just isn't enough with the cubs. We need crazy bad for Ricketts to clean house. I really think almost everyone scouts on up needs to be fired. Keep Wilkens, Jaramillo, Sandberg, maybe a few others and let everyone else go. This organization does a lot of things the wrong ways from top to bottom and this is the perfect opportunity to fix it. Also we need to get rid of that stupid go cubs go song. Its bush league. Any team that needs to play a song for the fans to sing after a win is a team that isn't used to winning often. You don't see the Red Sox, Braves, or Yankees doing this.

Hendry's always been slow to trade away players. Even guys like Sosa and Bradley who it was obvious were going to be traded took the better part of the offseason each time. Between his patience and some of the big contracts he'll be trying to move, I wouldn't expect that much movement before the deadline. Basically this is why he needs to be fired before any rebuilding does occur.

I guess what I meant is that our prospects do great get hyped and fold under the pressure of the expectations or better yet somehow put up phenomenal numbers in the minors with significant holes in their game (lack of control, can't hit a breaking ball cant play any sort of defense etc.) and therefore can't live up to the hype. Its nothing intentional just something that continues to happen to young cubs.

Yeah, I'm definitely not talking about the pitching. But we can't even get Derrek Lee and Aramis moved out of the three and four holes for more than a game or so. They can't even combine their numbers to meet what Miguel Cabrera has done this year. I heard Kenny Williams on the news the other day talking about the whitesox before they went on their recent tear of national league pitching. He was talking about not settling for a poor on the field product and how he almost had a fire sale to prepare for next year and to show some respect to the fans. And as much as I think Kenny is an _____________(insert insult) you have to respect him that he could man up and admit that below average is below expectations and unacceptable. Why can't the cubs see this? The waiting period for this offense to figure things out is long expired. We need moves to be made and perhaps there is even one that makes us better this year. I don't know. But Hendry and upper management sitting on their hands is a complete joke. Between the ticket increases, drafting a DII player for below slot money with our first round pick and standing by while the team sinks like the titanic the trib years are looking pretty good compared to "year one" of the Ricketts.

do we have to endure this crap team? Seriously what is the threshold of shittyness that we have to surpass to get some sort of response from management?

another victim of the cubs hype machine. They are piling up these days.

two scenarios.: 1 where Jim Hendry stays and one where he is fired. Similar results Aramis stays no matter what, he could hit 40 hr's from here on out and not get the money he is currently getting. The market has changed. Z probably stays either way as well. If Hendry is here he will probably try to resign Lou, Derrek Lee, trade fukudome for nothing, sign a second baseman proclaim him leadoff man, resign Lilly for too much, and overpay for a reliever. Other than that same team same crap. We will be bored by june and won't be watching in august. If Hendry is axed :beg: so is lou, Ryno steps up even though Brenly is probably the better candidate. Sign a first baseman Overbay seem like the stopgap or move soriano to first and sign an outfielder. Idk Kubek, Crawford? Still probably need a second baseman Jose Lopez? he can play third too. Given the fact that the cubs need a go to run producer and the absence of these guys besides Dunn and Pena, who i don't expect to sign here. Lily is gone in favor of J Jackson or Cashner and we will end up a bit better than this year but still very much mediocre. i don't think that there is anything the cubs can do next year to get over the hump. Sure they could make the playoffs but that is probably a stretch. Our pitching staff is also probably due for a step back. We still need that go to guy 3 hitter and we probably won't find him.