cubsfan5150

The Cubs seem to be the kings of putting a guy on the DL with a BS injury, so I'd expect the same to happen to Grabow soon so that he can get a few appearances in the minors to straighten things out.

Not even close for me and three words explain it all: FIVE OUTS AWAY See the biggest reason why 2008 stung more is because by Memorial Day we were almost on playoff cruise control (with some bumps in the way). Everyone was just kinda waiting for the postseason, and expecting great things because that was a terrific team. In 2003, the playoff race was half the battle. Remember at that point, the Cubs had made the playoffs just 1 time in the last 14 years. So making the playoffs with a team that lost 90 games the year before was a significant accomplishment. I don't think many would have hung their heads if the Cubs lost game 5 in Atlanta. It was of course very painful because we all believed we were going to do it. In 2008, we had made the postseason the year before, making the playoffs wasn't a big accomplishment for us. We all just waited several months for the playoffs to start, and when they did, the team basically flatlined and in the blink of an eye it was over. Yeah, you know 2003 was just freaking magical throughout. The taking of 4 out of 5 games against the Cards is a series that I'll always remember, clinching while I was on a plane to teh Middle East, and the NLDS was classic. Everyone will always remember Sammy's HR off Urbina in game 1 on the NLCS too. Just magical all the way through, even the way it ended. As upset as we were, it was just too magical to be pissed, it was more of a belief thing. 2008 on the other hand, you knew we were making the playoffs half way through the season and when we just totally dumped in the playoffs yet again, it was awful. What made it worse for me was that (if I remember correctly), we basically didn't play hard vs the Brewers at the end of the season, and had we won that series, we'd have played the Mets in the first round as opposed to the Dodgers, whom I didn't think we matched up well against. And well, we didn't.

Good for that guy.

His strike outs seem to be down this season (mainly because he doesn't seem to swing at horrible pitches right now), and that's a reason to believe he might have a GREAT season to me.

Has it started yet?

Heard a good point on ESPN radio... Obviously they overpaid for Howard, who is a good player but not a "special" player. The guy (maybe Kurkchen (sp?)) said that based on this deal, Pujols should be able to ask for $50m being that he's twice the player as Howard. I know that Pujols couldn't approach that much, but he is a considerably better player than Howard and if he tries to get paid like it, I could see $35m per. Probably won't happen though being that Pujols is on decline.

That's just not gonna happen at mid-level SEC schools like Ole Miss or Ark. I think what Ole Miss has done the past two years (being ranked in top 15 and being about two wins away from being a BCS school) is about as close as it is gonna get for schools our size. We aren't LSU or BAMA and we never will be. However, Arkansas probably should be better than they are though. Y'all have the entire state to recruit from basically. Mississippi has an insane amount of football talent but it is completely distributed between Ole Miss, Miss St, and our lovely neighbors right next door: LSU and BAMA. Throw in the fact that Southern Miss occasionally steals someone like DeAndre Brown, and it is really spread thin. So I guess at least the Mississippi schools have an excuse. There's no reason Arkansas shouldn't get the majority of your in state players. And if Petrino is ever gonna do anything, he sure as hell should recruit better than he did this past year. 49th in recruiting?? At least Nutt had y'all in the top 25 just about every year. I think you underestimate those schools. Look at Iowa this coming year. If they are able to get their O-line rebuilt, they're loaded everywhere else, they could very well contend for the National Title. And that's from the smallest B10 school (well, public school) in the state with the smallest recruiting base in the conference and having to share that base with another BCS school (well, Iowa State is kind of a BCS school). Short of that, they've been to what, 7 New Years day games (2 of them BCS) in the last 10 seasons? That's pretty good success for a team with the limitations they have. With the right coach schools like Ole Miss, MSU, Arkansas should have it much easier than Iowa. Difference is that Iowa has to play the likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State, whereas the Hogs have to play LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, etc. Wii bit tougher in the SEC IMO.

I think the Rangers need to throw in a pack of Topps too.

Closer? 8th inning guy? What's the plan?

Only thing that I'm worried about is the high amount of K's. He usually puts the ball in play.

:pig: You wouldn't pay $20 to watch even mediocre baseball? I would as it is the best sport there is. I agree. I really wish that ESPN still had their Friday night double header like they did when I was a kid.

That's just not gonna happen at mid-level SEC schools like Ole Miss or Ark. I think what Ole Miss has done the past two years (being ranked in top 15 and being about two wins away from being a BCS school) is about as close as it is gonna get for schools our size. We aren't LSU or BAMA and we never will be. However, Arkansas probably should be better than they are though. Y'all have the entire state to recruit from basically. Mississippi has an insane amount of football talent but it is completely distributed between Ole Miss, Miss St, and our lovely neighbors right next door: LSU and BAMA. Throw in the fact that Southern Miss occasionally steals someone like DeAndre Brown, and it is really spread thin. So I guess at least the Mississippi schools have an excuse. There's no reason Arkansas shouldn't get the majority of your in state players. And if Petrino is ever gonna do anything, he sure as hell should recruit better than he did this past year. 49th in recruiting?? At least Nutt had y'all in the top 25 just about every year. I agree with the recruiting thing. Last year was odd, in that I really thought he'd be able to recruit off of what the O was doing to just about everyone last year. Now as far as being able to play for a NC, with what the Hogs have done in track and basketball, and ARE doing in baseball there's no reason to believe that they can't get there in football. Not a perennial contender, but contending every four to five years shouldn't be out of the question. Hell, the Hogs were a Percy Harvin long run and a muffed punt away from playing for the NC in 2006, and that was under HDN.

You hog fans must have delusions of grandeur or something because I wouldn't call any coach at Ole Miss a joke if we went to 8 bowl games in 10 years and won the West 3 times in those 10 years. I don't care if the coach is a professional clown, I'd take that record any day of the week and twice on sunday. That said, there are plenty of things I don't like about him so far. Sorry to derail the thread, but anyway, what makes us Hog fans delusional is that we want to compete for more than a West title every few years and a Cotton Bowl. We want BCS bowls and chances to play for the NC. Nutt would never get us there, Petrino might.

If I were to hazard a guess, I'd bet he's mistakenly thinking of journeyman infielder Josh Wilson, who did take a loss against the D'backs for the Padres last season. Probably so, he said it was against the D-backs. And yes, baseball reference is great. We use football-reference in our tecmo super bowl leagues and it's spot on every time.

A member of my Hogville message board pointed out that Jack Wilson got a decision in a game last season. Ole Miss Cub... Houston Dale Nutt is a joke. You'll find that out this season for sure.

I'd be willing to bet it's blow outs more often.

How many times you plan on posting that?

Probably the last time a position player pitched. Put a little thought into this before answering. When do position players usually pitch? When it's a blowout loss. Not when it's a tight game.

Mather took the loss in the Mets/Cards game. When was the last time a position player took a decision in a game?

Send me the info to cubsfan5150@suddenlink.net ASAP... thanks.

If I didn't know better, I'd think you've read Nolan Richardson's recently released bio.

Good thing those racist owners are trying to keep Dye out of the game... http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Dye-turned-down-Nationals?urn=mlb,233804

So does Kosuke's studly April spin him into a good season, or can we expect another steep decline throughout the season?

I don't see them as one of those ALL-TIME bad teams. They'll get Berkman back and Pence will begin hitting soon enough. They're pitching won't be awful, not good either though. I could see them lose 90+ games, but I can't see them lose 100. Now, with this start to the season, players could be giving up already, which would help them approach the century mark.

Complete steal if they can keep his mouth shut.