jersey cubs fan

What is it a sign of? The Bengals going to the Super Bowl?

I really respected him until I saw him standing there in that lobby before the match started in that ridiculous outfit.

Like the Cajun Connection?

So it sounds like no large salaries will be added this year. Here's the link to where you can read his blog: http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/2247 The other Bruce seems to have a different take on the situation. This is from Levines blog. http://espn.go.com/chicago/columns/blog?post=4309203&name=levine Levine certainly makes it sound like Ricketts will be making payroll decisions "under the table". I definitely believe that Ricketts would be able to do that, if he wanted to. The question is whether he would want to. The sale leaves a very convenient excuse, and given the already high payroll, Hendry's spotty record with efficiently utilizing higher payrolls, his expenses in purchasing the team and the economy, I think it's a justifiable excuse. If I just spent $900 million on a team that has the highest payroll in the division and is struggling to stay above .500, I'm not sure I'd want the architect of that team to rush into spending more money.

HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SPELL OUT THE GOOD REASON? He is a wasted roster spot. If you can find somebody dumb enough to take on his completely unwarranted contract, go right ahead and trade him. I'd have no problem with that, obviously. But I highly doubt somebody is going to take any significant portion of his contract. The Cubs have other people who are more useful, like guys who can do something with the bat or guys who can actually backup at SS and provide defense, so you keep those guys and dump Miles.

Seriously? It's the internet. Gallows humor is going to happen. A former athlete was killed alongside his mistress, it's a story.

That's a large part of it, yes. As soon as he gets back from the DL, I'd try to trade his salary for a PTBNL (which is possible, given the interest that was there in the offseason). If you can't trade him, though, and Fox or somebody is still hitting the ball great, then you cut Miles. But, if he returns and the only thing keeping him off the roster is, for instance, a 12th pitcher, then you demote the 12th pitcher and keep Miles. As for now, though, he's not hurting anything sitting on the DL and he's really no less useful than Blanco. Blanco is better with the glove, Miles is better with the bat. Miles is better with nothing. You are obsessed with his contract for no good reason. If they want to store him on the DL all year, fine, but that's not going to happen. The choice is going to be feel forced to keep him around because he has a guarantee or use that roster spot on somebody useful.

Totally different scenarios. Freel was owed nothing, Miles has a 2-year guaranteed contract. If you trade him, you aren't getting anything worthwhile.

I'm sure teams will be lining up to sign a .700-OPS corner outfielder to a $60/5 deal. If Pierre and GMJ can get their deals, maybe.......

I'm betting they're going to go with 11 pitchers til the break then. I doubt they'll expose Blanco to waivers and I'd be surprised if Fontenot gets demoted after a strong week. With a DH on Sunday, their infatuation with the extra arm and Harden's very short start on Saturday, I have extreme doubts that will be the case. But the question would have to be who is the guy that goes away. If Patton gets DLd that makes perfect sense. But if they send somebody down and have Patton be one of those 11, that would be very odd. They spent a month and a half desperate of bats with quality start after quality start and plenty of bullpen arms, but suddenly they'd be fine with a short bullpen?

I'd prefer Blanco too, but cutting Miles doesn't do us a whole lot of good at this point. Yes it does, it frees up a roster spot for somebody who can be useful, allowing you to keep somebody who can actually backup SS while getting rid of somebody who can't do a damn thing. Keep Miles and you have to decide to get rid of somebody who can help defensively or somebody who can help with the bat. The salary is eaten. It doesn't hurt the team at all. There will be plenty of other jack of a couple trades master at none players around to bring aboard if the need for such a player arises. So trade him for a PTBNL or something and shed the contract. If you can't trade him (which I doubt would be the case) and there comes a time when there's simply no spot for him, then consider cutting him. But cutting him now when it has no benefit for the team doesn't make much sense. Dew, you aren't making any sense. The benefit to the team is allowing you to keep a real backup SS and a guy who can do something with the bat, instead of losing one of those players just because you are afraid to "throw away" the money owed to Miles. Sunk cost. Aaron Miles is a sunk cost. You already have to pay him. If he was tradable, great, but I doubt anybody is picking up his contract. Instead of keeping him around solely because he has a guaranteed contract, even though he's the least useful part of the roster and entirely replacable, you just cut ties and be done with it. The mistake was signing him in the first place, but that is done.

I'd prefer Blanco too, but cutting Miles doesn't do us a whole lot of good at this point. Yes it does, it frees up a roster spot for somebody who can be useful, allowing you to keep somebody who can actually backup SS while getting rid of somebody who can't do a damn thing. Keep Miles and you have to decide to get rid of somebody who can help defensively or somebody who can help with the bat. The salary is eaten. It doesn't hurt the team at all. There will be plenty of other jack of a couple trades master at none players around to bring aboard if the need for such a player arises.

He's better offensively than Blanco. If we had a clearly better option, I'd support cutting him. But we don't, so there's no positive to cutting him. The positive is it's the only realistic way to keep an actual backup shortstop on the roster, which is something they failed to plan for all offseason, and something you legitimately need.

Ascanio, Hoffpauir, Fuld, and a random prospect might be equal to Murton and Patterson. Donaldson and Gallagher were the important parts of the trade. So, no. What is the point in comparing Harden to Bell? (or maybe more accurately, the package it required to get Harden/Gaudin to a package needed to get Bell)

Yeah most likely. Why else would he have ended up with two shots in the head and two in the chest? Sounds like this was one majorly p'd off(and emotional) chick. I wonder how long it will be before the made for tv movie about this comes out. I wonder who will get the story first, CSI, CSI: Miami, Law & Order.

I'm guessing you are thinking of John Canning who ended up not being nearly the player that all the Selig conspiracy nuts assumed he would be.

Z only has 14 starts and 90 IP so far this year though. I don't see the need of building in too much extra rest with him. I would not push to have him start on short rest, but I'd let him operate on normal rest for his next start and consider him for an inning or two on Sunday on three days rest.

I don't know how you can say this when I've heard so many mixed feelings on the Cutler situation. Lots of Bears fans are concerned about his diebetes, w-l record in Denver, attitude issues that led to him leaving Denver and the lack of receivers in Chicago, so much so that there's nowhere near consensus belief that he'll be amazing. None of that means the expectations aren't still insanely high. If there is not a consensus belief that performance will be amazing how can expectations be high? All of what I said is an indication that expectations aren't insanely high. Sure, some individuals may have insanely high expectations, but Bears fans, if they can be classified as one, don't have those expectations. I would say they are generally high, but not insane by any stretch. People expect better performance than Orton and Grossman and therefore a better record, and they should expect that. I think you're injecting your own, more reasonable, understanding of the situation on to Bear fans as a whole. I think you are injecting a few cases of overzealous expectations onto the entire group of Bears fans. I have high expectations. I have friends and family who I consider to be a fairly decent subset of Bears fans who represent varying levels of that expectation. The vast majority of people I have spoken to about this are much less excited than I am. They don't have anywhere close to insanely high expectations. Some "more casual" fans think it's great they have a real QB, but they don't know anything about him and don't really have any expectations, other than fewer ducks. The season ticket holder crowd I know is more or less expecting mediocrity, a 7-9 or 8-8 season in which Cutler won't be able to do a damn thing to help the weak WR group and porous defense. I honestly don't see how anybody can say there are widespread insanely high expectations for Cutler and the Bears.

I don't know how you can say this when I've heard so many mixed feelings on the Cutler situation. Lots of Bears fans are concerned about his diebetes, w-l record in Denver, attitude issues that led to him leaving Denver and the lack of receivers in Chicago, so much so that there's nowhere near consensus belief that he'll be amazing. None of that means the expectations aren't still insanely high. If there is not a consensus belief that performance will be amazing how can expectations be high? All of what I said is an indication that expectations aren't insanely high. Sure, some individuals may have insanely high expectations, but Bears fans, if they can be classified as one, don't have those expectations. I would say they are generally high, but not insane by any stretch. People expect better performance than Orton and Grossman and therefore a better record, and they should expect that.

Does this impact us right now in any way? Can we now make some moves that we couldn't before - or are we just a bit further along towards that goal?? We're a good bit further along towards that goal. But it probably depends on how much Ricketts really wants to improve payroll. Acquired businesses very frequently begin doing the bidding of the new owner before sales are fully complete, as long as the agreement is strong. Once the Trib and Ricketts agree and then pass that news along to the others who need to review it, that would be the case.

My wife thinks I'm in for disappointment...cuz she thinks there's no way he can live up to my expectations. How can he possibly meet Bears' fans expectations? They think he's going to show up and shoot lightning bolts out of his ass. The first time he throws a bad pick all that love is going to turn to disappointment. It's bound to happen. I don't know how you can say this when I've heard so many mixed feelings on the Cutler situation. Lots of Bears fans are concerned about his diebetes, w-l record in Denver, attitude issues that led to him leaving Denver and the lack of receivers in Chicago, so much so that there's nowhere near consensus belief that he'll be amazing.

My wife thinks I'm in for disappointment...cuz she thinks there's no way he can live up to my expectations. Tell her that just because your marriage didn't live up to your expectations doesn't mean Jay will do the same.

Even with the DH on Sunday they can still go to 11 pitchers. If they have a short outing by a starter and the bullpen gets taxed, then DL Patton, and call up a fresh arm. The best thing for this team right now is to send down Fuld, Hart, and Shark. With or without the ASB and the DH, I just don't see these guys going with 11 pitchers. That 7th reliever is like a security blanket for Lou.

I can't trust a publication that insists the girl was gorgeous.

Zambrano last pitched on 03 July. Pitching him on 08 July is not throwing him on short rest. He's referring to Zambrano starting Wednesday, and then one of the games on Sunday.