ter

Agree!....Think he will surprise a lot of people.

I like it...I like it. Two years with a team option for the third year. Just the right type contract for Quade and I think he will be a pleasant suprise. He did a fine job in a short space of time and let the players know he knew what he wanted to do. As I recall, he made one of the veterans sit out a game because he missed a scheduled appointment. Showed he was not afraid to disicpline a player regardless of his status. I have a feeling he could stay around longer than two years. Time will tell.

When asked as a manager if he ever listens to the fans, Bobby Valentine said... "If I did everything the fans want me to do, next year I'd be sitting in the stands with them."

If we talk real nice to Jocketty, it just may be possible to get Dusty back. He may be more than happy to listen. As for me, I'll stay with Piniella and live with Cedeno and Pie on the bench. Nice to see you cant justify it either. The only thing Piniella brings that Dusty doesnt is Lou acknowledges OBP to an extent. We are both outsiders looking in and can only go by what we see, not what we really know. I can justify Piniella's moves just as you can justify your views but neither one of us has a clue as to what goes on behind closed doors when between games. He pitched Marmol in a blowout yesterday because he was the only fresh reliever left in the pen. He used the others because of Hill's poor performance. We don't even know if Gallagher was available based on when he last performed at Iowa. Pie is a work in progress and we all know that. Johnson meanwhile has given this team a spark and performed very well. Pie will get his chance but not because we think he is ready. How do you play Cedeno when everyone is perfroming well? At the beginning of the season, if we were told what DeRosa's and Theroit's stats would be on May 3, we would be thrilled. If Cedeno hit left-handed he probably would have played yesterday instead of Fontenot. However, Fontenot was probably the main reason the Cubs had a "laugher" and the reason he is starting again tonight. I understand this is not going to change your mind nor do I expect it to. But there are reasons (justifiable or not) on why Piniella does what he does. As I say, 18 and 12 and one of the best starts in recent history is good enough for me to let Lou be Lou. Anyway, this is a game thread so I'm outta here.

If we talk real nice to Jocketty, it just may be possible to get Dusty back. He may be more than happy to listen. As for me, I'll stay with Piniella and live with Cedeno and Pie on the bench.

Sure are a lot of dissatified Cub fans and they say Phillie fans are tough. Makes you wonder what this board would be like if the team was 12 and 18 versus 18 and 12.

I agree. Obviously Murton is very popular with many fans but to move Soriano or Fukudome to a position they don't play as well just to allow Murton to play a position he doesn't play well seems very unwise. He is a victum of circumstances and his limited defensive skills works against him. If the Cubs decided to go with 11 pitchers instead of 12, Murton would have a much better chance of making the club but with 12 pitchers a player like Johnson (who can play all OF positions) becomes more important than keeping Murton with his limitations on defense. Which leads to something to think about... Since almost all teams now go with 12 pitchers, maybe the answer is to increase rosters by 1 to 26 which then allows for the "normal" 6 reserves instead of 5. I'm sure the union would agree and this would then give management a bargaining chip to establish mandatory blood testing as a trade-off

I get confused easily. :? For years Cub fans complained that Cubs' management places little value on OBP. They just do not realize the importance of getting men on base in order to score more runs. Now they are going after one of the best OBP players and lead off hitters in the game and we say, we are giving up too much>>>>even though none of the players invloved is guaranteed to be a meaningful player on any 25 man roster. The four players that are rumored to be traded are all prospects with the "potential" to be starters on a team. In reality if 1 of the 4 become important to an organization's major league roster, that organization would be very pleased. In the case of Baltimore, I bet if Andy MacPhail was asked if the trade of Tejada, Bedard and Roberts gave him 4, or a maximum of 5, good major league players, he would be thrilled. There are too many unknowns in determining which player or players will be successful. No matter how much data you review or how many times you scout the player, it still is a crap shoot. Yes, there is a lot of potential that the Cubs may be sending to Baltimore but there is no guarantee who will make it and who will not. Meanwhile, the Cubs are guaranteed they will be getting a player who is at the peak of his game, who is one of the best (if not the best) lead-off hitters today and a player that has a history of providing good to excellent OBP with excellent speed. Is there a risk in trading four potential future major leaguers for Roberts? Anyone would obviously have to say "yes" but is a risk that should greatly improve this team's chances to score runs. If there is a chance to get such a player, I say the Cubs would be foolish not to!

Derosa actually ha a higher career RF at second. I realize discussing stats can become an endless debate but I show secondbase career numbers as follows: Roberts...FP=.987...Rfg=4.57...innings at position=6256 DeRosa...FP=.984...Rfg=4.09...innings at position=1564.7 Where did you get those numers from? ESPN.com has different ones. It has Deorsa as a 4.87 and Roberts as a 4.78. Anyways, my point was to show that Roberts isn't really an upgrade defensively. Here is where I got the info. http://www.baseball-reference.com/ I would not be surprised if I went to three different places, I would get three different figures. Regardless of DeRosa's and Roberts' stats, I am just not a huge fan of the Range Factor stat but that is just me.

Derosa actually ha a higher career RF at second. I realize discussing stats can become an endless debate but I show secondbase career numbers as follows: Roberts...FP=.987...Rfg=4.57...innings at position=6256 DeRosa...FP=.984...Rfg=4.09...innings at position=1564.7 I know I am only expressing my opinion but I have seen Roberts play probably a couple of dozen games over the years (Xtra innings) and he has looked awfully solid on defense, although DeRosa has too. Regardless, I feel Roberts would make a great addition to this team but as I said, I hate to see DeRosa relegated to the role of the super-sub. I really like the way he plays and he always seems to be "aware" of what is going on and what to do depending on the situation. I guess you call it baseball "savvy". If DeRosa was a first-class shortstop or centerfielder, then the world would be perfect (well, almost perfect).

Hmmm...Roberts has now played in 7 games for the O's. BA of .316 OBA of .435 7 stolen bases in 7 attempts. As much as I would hate ro see DeRosa become a super-sub, BRob really would be a great person to have bat ahead of Fukudome, Lee, Ramirez and Soriano. Plus the fact, that is a very good defensive player. He not only improves the defense (although DeRosa did O.K.) but that would give the Cubs one heck of a line-up from 1 through 5 plus Soto, etc..

Link? Ask and ye shall receive... http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playernews.aspx?sport=MLB Contributing to the march toward 200.

I also have Directv and I also have been told that Cincinnati is my "local" team even though I live in North Carolina. Atlanta is a lot closer to my locale than Cincinnati but I guess the powers that be don't want to blackout a team that has a superstation. I called Directv about this and they say blackout rules are determined by MLB.

Kendall is a no risk deal for the Cubs. He is in the last year of his contract and if he is a bust, you just let him walk. I think this is a decent acquisition if for no other reason that you do not want to try to get to the post season with two unproven catchers (Hill and Soto). It is a good move to have a veteran catcher on the staff that has been "through the wars". According to Beane, Kendall's greatest strength has been the handling and rapport he had with the young pitching staff of the Athletics. Going to a team like the Cubs with a chance for post-season play may just give him a new life.

----------------------- I agree. Jones certainly has had his share of problems but it is unfair to criticize him for saying exactly what we would all say in the same situation. He has no control over what will happen so he reports to work and does what he is told. What is so wrong with that? I think sometimes some people just need someone to pick on and Jones (from the very beginning) is the one.

Indeed. What happened? Hudson beaned Soriano on the first pitch of the game last night. Pretty obvious it was intentional. Well, just for the record. Soriano didn't get "beaned"....He was hit on the upper arm. That is how a rumor quickly becomes fact. Intentional? I have no doubt. But he didn't get "beaned"...The arm and the coconut are two different body parts.

The only way this *might* include Jones in a trade would be if a pitcher on the current roster is also included. Otherwise, just replacing Jones' spot on the roster means the Cubs would have 13 pitchers and only 12 position players.....I don't think so! Arent we at 11 pitchers right now? Eyre Howry Demp Guz Marmol Ohman and 5 starters What did you do with Wuertz?

The only way this *might* include Jones in a trade would be if a pitcher on the current roster is also included. Otherwise, just replacing Jones' spot on the roster means the Cubs would have 13 pitchers and only 12 position players.....I don't think so!

Yes, I realize games in May are just as important as July....I know a game is a game is a game. But you infer Piniella uses the worst possible relievers in the worst possible position. I'm just wondering who those not so terrible relievers are that he should use more often and if used more often, who do you replace them with when their arms fall off? And if Howry, Ohman and Eyre are the terrible relievers what should be done with them? Easy to say "dump them" but you're talking about some pretty good sized salaries to swallow.....and who do the Cubs have that are any better? Right or wrong Piniella has given them every chance to succeed, trying to build up their confidence. Meantime, most have failed, so just where do you go from here? What realistically should be done to correct the problem?

Do I have this straight? Lou has put terrible relievers in the worst possible position?....Which means there must be not so terrible relievers he should use more often. Who are those relievers that are not so terrible?.....Wuertz?....Demptster?...Guzman? If they are the ones you refer to, they have cost the Cubs ballgames coming out of the pen just like the terrible ones. So who are the rest that must be terrible?.....Howry?....Ohman?...Eyre? Funny thing is, Howry, Ohman and Eyre all admit they have been bad but if Piniella ignores them by not using them, the others (that may not be quite so bad) will be worn out within weeks. Doesn't leave much else.

Not too surprising to find there are quite a few Brave fans that want Cox replaced. Most of the reasoning is, even though they win their division just about every year, their play-off performance is terrible. What Cub fans wouldn't give to have the Braves' record....Just can't please everyone. I agree about mental toughness....If there are some Cub players that don't like Lou's approach then it is time for them to "move on" and bring in players that are mentally tough and won't feel hurt when they are criticized for making dumb mistakes.

My goodness....Have ballplayers become so soft they can't and shouldn't be criticized by their boss? It is also hard for me to believe that there are fans that honestly believe Piniella has "thrown players under the bus" (a phrase used too frequently without justification). He has criticized their performance with reason. Last year, fans were all over Baker for being too soft on his players....Now we are seeing messages that say Piniella is too tough on his players. If there are players that have given up on Lou because he is too critical, then as time permits get rid of them, replacing them with those that have some mental toughness. Last week Lou said something to the affect, "Give me time to get this straightened out. Don't judge me by the first two months." He has a three year contract....I say, give him time.

In the real world, Buster doesn't have a clue on what is the problem regarding the Cubs. He has no idea if Piniella has "lost control" or not. Makes for good gossip and helps fill up ESPN's TV time slots. ESPN producers have a tough job trying to keep finding something "interesting" for sport fans to listen to or watch.

That's what I was thinking. I haven't seen anything anywhere about this, other than his blog. I won't hold my breath, because even if this does happen, there's no guarantee that Lou is going to start Pie everyday like he should be. And why would someone who has a blog get "inside information" before Bruce Miles or other writters that cover the Cubs?

It can be argued that Piniella over-managed in winning the game in the 10th inning. I think though, there was also a method to his madness. His many changes was a way to tell this team to pay attention and be prepared to play when called upon. With Baker and his laid back style, last year these changes would never have occured. It is just another way of Lou telling this team, it is a new year, so be prepared. Piniella is a *lot* more involved in game strategy. Makes for very entertaining times for Cub fans, that is for sure.