jersey cubs fan

That 2004 team gets overrated by so many people. It was a very talented pitching staff hanging on by a thread due largely in part to inevitable injuries to the guys they rode so hard the year before, and an average at best lineup. They had a team OPS+ of 99 and were 14th in the league in walks. The 2004 demise was going to happen the minute they signed Dusty Baker to a job managing a team with no patient hitters and complete reliance on young arms.

This story cracks me up every year. Basically, the Bears aren't as disgustingly over the top whores as the Cowboys and Redskins and they didn't get a $1.6 billion stadium built for them like the NY teams. Big fing deal. It's not the size of the market that makes the difference. "Sharing" NY hasn't stopped the Yankees from dominating MLB market values so why do the Giants get a pass for only being 4th? They are a private family business that is successful, but they get ridiculed for not being McDonald's. Everybody has extremely similar revenue numbers except for the two outlier teams with the most obnoxious owners, and even that isn't that crazy of a difference. This is a non-story, but they would get criticized if they acted more like Snyder and they are criticized for not acting enough like Snyder. I don't get it. They should have canned their football personel and started fresh, but the business is strong and healthy and this story is dumb.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/09/packed-house-to-watch-blackhawks-first-practice.html First practice starts in a week. Games are in 2 weeks and the regular season opens one month from today. Summer really wrapped up in a hurry, but I'm dying for these last days before the NFL season starts.

I think that is highly doubtful.

I actually think his return could be more than his value to this team. He's far from irreplacable and hardly a difference maker. He's only been more valuable than Fukudome because of playing time issues. And he just turned 33. It really wouldn't take a huge drop in production for his value to be gone, like 2009. He's had a nice season, but he's probably getting praised for more than he's actually doing (the Mets announcers were slobbing all over him while disparaging guys like Fukudome and Ramirez - deservedly so on the latter). If the general consensus on Marlon is fairly high especially at his price you could get something significant for him and/or him and another player. After you list a multitude of negatives about Byrd, you then think some GM is going to give you "something significant" for him. Byrd is not a big-name player so I don't think any GM is going to give you anything signficant for him. He's been a very solid hitter for the past 4 seasons (all working with Jaramillo) and I don't see any reason to predict a huge drop in production. It doesn't have to be huge to have an impact. And he's 33, guys decline in their 30's. I don't see why there has to be a specific reason that he will decline, it happens to everybody eventually. He's got 2 years left on his deal at which time he will be 35 and it would be unlikely that he's with the team beyond then. They've got other people who can handle his job, and it's possible they could get serious value for him. Some low budget team hoping to contend may love to substitute his salary into the lineup. Marlon Byrd isn't going to be the difference between the Cubs contending next year or not, and he's not going to be selling tickets either. You don't have to move him, but there is absolutely no reason why you can't look into it and pull the trigger if something of value comes up.

http://tv.gawker.com/5631918/wayne-rooney-and-his-hooker-get-the-taiwanese-animation-treatment The Taiwanese animators of the Tiger Woods story did one for Rooney and his hookers.

It's becoming the thing to do. Send people down and stroke the ego, kiss the butay, whatever. Buy the guy something and tell him how much you love him, I don't know. Vikes did it with Favre, now the Jets with Revis. Probably other cases out there. Seems silly to me, but then those teams that do it have experienced success with those players, so whatever puts wins up on the board.........that's what gets done. The Revis story and Favre story are not at all similar. Favre was just doing what he does, avoiding training camp and getting attention. Revis was negotiating for his financial future. Teams send down the big guns when negotiations come to a head, it happens all the time.

It's a 6.5 point line now. Vegas is begging people to take the Lions.

I actually think his return could be more than his value to this team. He's far from irreplacable and hardly a difference maker. He's only been more valuable than Fukudome because of playing time issues. And he just turned 33. It really wouldn't take a huge drop in production for his value to be gone, like 2009. He's had a nice season, but he's probably getting praised for more than he's actually doing (the Mets announcers were slobbing all over him while disparaging guys like Fukudome and Ramirez - deservedly so on the latter). If the general consensus on Marlon is fairly high especially at his price you could get something significant for him and/or him and another player.

I wonder how many times in MLB history has a hitter gone from hitting 8th one day to hitting 4th the next, and it wasn't a decision that involved platoon splits either day? I understand hitting a LH like Colvin 8th against a tough LHP and then hitting him 4th (should never hit 4th, but that's another issue) against a RHP. But one, Soto doesn't have a problem with RHPs. And two, both pitchers the last 2 days have been LH. He was teaching Castro a lesson.

Right on all counts

http://deadspin.com/5629806/omar-minaya-flies-coach-gets-heckled Minaya flew coach with the fans to Chicago. http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/11/2010/09/500x_omar.jpg

Was that a manager trying to make something happened and running the team out of an inning? Can't complain about that aggressive play....................

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=332542

He's got a 908 OPS against in the second half. And his walks are dangerously close to equaling his Ks.

Ugga, Cashner

Mini Todd Walker with his 4th Cub HR. Can he reach double digits as he approaches his mid 20's?

5 2/3 innings, 8 hits, 4 walks, 4 K, a couple line drives/hard hit outs. Wells remains inconsistent but incredibly hittable.

Sure the record doesn't matter, but the performance was very disappointing regardless. The fact that previous teams went 0-4 and ended up really good also doesn't matter. Yes the performance was disapointing, but its hard to not look disapointed when going 0-4 in a 4 game span. I can't see a scenario where any football team would lose all 4 of their preseason games and their fans saying "im more optimistic about my teams chances after watching this preseason". I could see that easily. A lot of the excuses about preseason not mattering is that guys who don't make the team influence the outcome. If the starters played well and left with leads but undrafted rookies gave it up, that's an 0-4 that might not reflect the play. But this team was disappointing from the starters on down to the backups. And unlike the Colts they have a poor history of performance as well.

Wells is really working on a nice good/bad/good/bad streak right now. Keith Hernandez says this is such a typical Cubs team, really good offense, shaky pitching. Not only is that inaccurate this season (hitting and pitching is bad), but it's the complete opposite of the past decade of Cubs teams. They've been a very good pitching team and a very poor to mediocre hitting team almost every year.

On the previously discussed topic of the Tribune unnecessarily discussing low attendance: The Mets announcers are talking about how despite the Cubs sucking they still draw a great crowd "despite a few empty seats". Then they pan to the stands and from what you can see half the seats are empty.

Ah, interesting. I hadn't thought of that. A guy in my office says they do it every year for labor day. And the mets announcers say Soriano is probably the worst outfielder in major league baseball.

I have not heard anything about a time switch. They do often play day games this time of year in response to jewish holidays. Earl is supposed to be through here this afternoon and done by early evening, so I doubt it's that.

Sure the record doesn't matter, but the performance was very disappointing regardless. The fact that previous teams went 0-4 and ended up really good also doesn't matter.

I think platooning has played a part, but I wouldn't attribute it all to that. He's done this before. He's produced great late in the season despite ignorance of that fact that pervades the general consensus. I also think 4 has and can work. None of these guys are 162 game irreplacables.