KenCub

I liked the part where the PUSH guy says "Atlanta has many talented players", as if the Braves would have exclusive provincial rights to them. If Atlanta's available amateur players are good enough, 29 other teams would be scouting/drafting/signing them, too. So it's not as simple as having a Braves scout check out random youth leagues for talent. If PUSH wanted to make change, not just make noise, they'd pump some money into youth leagues, sponsor high school programs, renovate or create playable fields in the inner cities, and things like that. But that costs a lot more money than demanding a meeting does, so that tells me where their priorities are.

Bob Howry is awful. The Cubs have no chance at all if they keep running him out there in important situations. Give him the mop and only throw him in blowouts.

I don't hate Bonds. I don't care about him enough to hate him. I think he's a hate-filled, self-absorbed boor with a victim complex, but I personally don't care about him either way. I do think, however, that the home run itself has been devalued by the steroid clouds, and I think that (along with the fact that many people DO hate Bonds) will drive the price down. I think if we were talking about Griffey or Rodriguez, the ball may fetch a little more money than I believe it will. Someone will pay for the ball, I'd just be very surprised if it got anywhere near what McFarlane paid for McGwire's.

I believe it won't fetch as much as McGwire's for a few reasons: McFarlane says he's out of the HR ball business, so he won't be around to overpay Bonds is pretty universally hated, and is still potentially involved in several investigations Aaron is pretty universally respected The perceived value of the home run has dipped since all the steroid talk began Of course, I could be way off, but I don't think people will hold Bonds' record in very high regard.

Well, THAT's more like it! I leave to tuck my kid into bed and the Cubs are losing, I come back and they're ahead!

Yeah, we'll see a few of these this year from Lilly. Hopefully not too many as ugly as this one's been so far.

Either play a tape of Harry or just let the fans sing it by ourselves (maybe with Harry's "a-one, a-two, a-three" beforehand).

Is there a surgery for "genetic looseness"?

"He'll need a rocket up his *ss to catch that one." There's never a bad time for a Major League reference. :D

Agree 100%. Put him in in the 5th or 6th like Eyre. Let Wuertz take his 8th/9th inning role.

Fast outfielders who get good reads and jumps are fun to watch. :D

This would be the quickest, easiest answer. The Cubs just need to find a team to take Jacque. They couldn't find a good trade partner over the winter and spring training, but maybe some team's needs have changed since then. Any ideas of teams who might need Jacque right now?

This post and your avatar are going to meet in the parking lot to settle things. :D

you mean the eastern seaboard promotional network? I like the Eastern States Propaganda Network, myself. :D

...if only Harry were alive to say this name.... :shock: :lol:

BEAUTIFUL inning by Wuertz! Keeps hope alive for now!

Get one more guy, Michael!

Wow. Nice work, Ohman. Let's try Wuertz now, and hope he's better than THAT.

I love when guys say this: "I'm not making any excuses for ______, but (enter excuse here)."

Ugh. Ohman with a 4-pitch walk. Tie game.

Z always walks guys. He was rarely in any trouble today before the 5th.

What a sudden, weird turn of events. From cruising to getting slapped around just like that. Need a huge effort from the pen right now.

I'm not that well versed, but it seems to me that Levin has no experience with a big time franchise. He's done a nice job with the Wolves, making it a family-friendly experience for the fans at a good price. But isn't this what all minor league clubs offer? The Wolves, by the way, are associated with the Atlanta Thrashers, not any Chicago franchise. It can be debated whether Levin has been responsible for the Wolves' success, or if it has really been due to solid player personnel moves coming from the Thrashers (who are, by the way, now reaping the rewards of those moves). In other words, if the Wolves were associated with the Blackhawks would we even be talking about Levin? I doubt it. I think Levin would be totally and completely out of his league. But hey, I could be wrong. Remember: we get to do this thing, in all likelihood, one more time before we die. Given that, do we want to give our beloved Cubbies over to a total wildcard like Levin? I'd prefer an experienced, successful big time owner. The Wolves' association with the Thrashers is a fairly recent thing - before Atlanta stepped in the Wolves were an independent franchise, dealing solely with free agent (unaffiliated) players and other players that various NHL teams needed to find a temporary team for. I'm pretty sure all of their titles came as an independent. Certainly all of their IHL titles did. Their front office has done a very good job of working with unaffiliated talent and now with largely Atlanta prospects. I'm not sure how Levin would do with a major-league franchise, but he and his group have done a marvelous job with the Wolves in every way you can name. They have developed a winning franchise at reasonable prices with the fans in mind. That's to be commended.

Ahhh, good news! Thanks, guys!

That's pretty much what I was guessing. Thanks, NC. I just hope they call it before I have to leave work. Don't really want to sit in that stuff if I can avoid it.