jersey cubs fan

Not sure why that necessarily spells trouble.

So what? Philly is within an hour of much of Northern New Jersey, but there aren't many Philly fans up there. Probably because the Yankees have existed for the last 109 years. The point is, having a team an hour away is hardly a roadblock to running a successful baseball team, especially along the northeastern corridor. There are millions of people and gaggles of money to be spent there. If they can compete, there's no reason why that franchise can't survive, and thrive. Baltimore may have had a hold on those folks in their 50's and 60's, but I don't see how the younger generation would be unable to adopt the Nationals over the Orioles.

So what? Philly is within an hour of much of Northern New Jersey, but there aren't many Philly fans up there. An hour away is very far for an everyday sport like baseball. The power and money flowing into and out of Washington right now is unprecedented. The city has a never ending supply of its biggest industry, and they will be able to easily support a franchise, if they have some success.

Hey, if the Cubs can hold them to one base at a time that would be nice.

You've made a very stupid post here for your debut fella. 6 games is fairly standard for pitchers, it forces them to miss time. The league may have gone further, if the ump hadn't contributed to the problem. But it was a perfectly acceptable outcome. Again, very stupid post, put some thought into it next time.

Zambrano's words reminds me he probably never should have started that inning. Coming back from injury, facing the lineup for the 4th time that day, with about 110 pitches thrown, that was the time to pull him.

6 games does not equate to missing a start, it pushes it back 2 days, which could be for the best. If he appeals and waits for MLB to provide a response, he could actually miss a start, as they could always fudge the date they give the final decision. If they wait until the day before a schedule start, they can still reduce it to 4-5 games and essentially force him to miss a turn in the rotation. Unlike Bradley's which was a very short outburst that probably wouldn't have drawn a suspension for most players, what Z did was much more deserving of a suspension, and I have to think he's going to be a little more likely to accept it. If he does, he can appeal up until his next start, then drop it the next day.

Las Vegas is getting its ass kicked economically. Also, there is no baseball team in NJ (although one could prosper if built along the waterfront in Hudson county, the most densely populated county in the country), they are in NY. And the hangup is sports betting. There isn't any sports betting in NJ. There is in Vegas. There is plenty of sportsbetting in N.J. like anywhere else...bookies and the internet...Vegas is getting its ass kicked like every other city. Why would a dome be needed? That dry heat thing is no myth. The point about illegal sports betting doesn't really matter. It doesn't compare to legalized sports betting. And again, there is no team in Jersey. Vegas is getting its assed kick far and away worse than just about any other city in the country. It's the biggest loser so far. Dry heat isn't a myth, but it's still oppressive. You couldn't have a non-dome stadium in Phoenix, and you couldn't have one in Vegas. I never said there was Baseball in N.J.... 2 teams mean Nets and Giants. And do you think L.A.s AAA team there has a dome? You said "The N.J. teams seem OK."

There's a note on the trib site saying mlb expects quick decision on Z, possibly tonight or tomorrow.

Wanna bet? I've been cheated on, but never cheated on someone I was with. I got over it. It's really not that big of a deal. Oh, and in each case, I'm glad they did it. I'm a better person today for it. And not just because I'm no longer with them. If that's true you wouldn't have the stance you have on cat shooting.

Las Vegas is getting its ass kicked economically. Also, there is no baseball team in NJ (although one could prosper if built along the waterfront in Hudson county, the most densely populated county in the country), they are in NY. And the hangup is sports betting. There isn't any sports betting in NJ. There is in Vegas. There is plenty of sportsbetting in N.J. like anywhere else...bookies and the internet...Vegas is getting its ass kicked like every other city. Why would a dome be needed? That dry heat thing is no myth. The point about illegal sports betting doesn't really matter. It doesn't compare to legalized sports betting. And again, there is no team in Jersey. Vegas is getting its assed kick far and away worse than just about any other city in the country. It's the biggest loser so far. Dry heat isn't a myth, but it's still oppressive. You couldn't have a non-dome stadium in Phoenix, and you couldn't have one in Vegas.

I honestly believe the both did. I don't really know how anybody can try and pretend Hendry did not.

You are naive if you think Torre had any sort of control over rosters. Any of those guys can request whatever they want. But if their GMS went on foolish endeavors every offseason to find the next need, they'd be deserving of whatever criticism came their way. It's the GMs job to field the best team possible. If he has to massage the ego of his manager, so be it. But he doesn't have to go season to season on a quest for those players that really aren't helpful in the end.

All that is well and good, but it doesn't change the fact that a NTC is just a negotiating asset, and a pitcher would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to pitch in SD. That might be for most players, but it doesn't seem to be that way for Samardzija (who is following in the footprints of someone like Brian Giles who doesn't use it as a negotiating asset either). And yes, I do believe Samardzija would be foolish to pass up a trade to SD. He could make a lot of money in his career over there. But while most people with a NTC in trade talks say that they'll consider their options if the club wants to trade them but they're happy there etc., Samardzija came right out during the trade talks last offseason and said that he wouldn't even consider waiving the NTC no matter what the Cubs did. I think he's prepared to be that foolish. Brian Giles was on the tail end of his career after spending a long time nowhere near home. That just isn't a valid comparison. I can see Samardzija initially genuinely just wanting to play in Chicago, especially as he became comfortable being a full-time baseball player. But I think it's naive to think he's going to keep that mindset throughout his career. Odds are he will spend at least part of his career somewhere else. If he has limited opportunities to play in the majors with Chicago but ample opportunity to play in the majors elsewhere, especially in a pitcher friendly park, he's going to wise up and consider it. His agent is going to tell him they can get an extra guaranteed year or a trading bonus or something by accepting a trade, not to mention build up service time. That NTC is only valid while he is under this contract. When it expires, he's still Cubs controlled property, but with no NTC rights.

All that is well and good, but it doesn't change the fact that a NTC is just a negotiating asset, and a pitcher would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to pitch in SD.

It's amazing to me that all of this nonsense is being dumped in Hendry's lap. Lou (and Dusty before him) is the one setting these agendas, by and large. This whole getting more lefthanded business mostly Piniella's idea. Hendry's options are: a) construct the team in the way his manager wants it (what he's doing now), or b) fire the manager and hire one with a different philosophy (what he did when Dusty's gameplan wasn't working). Regardless, the GM and the manager need to be reading from the same playbook, and that comes predominantly from the manager. Hendry's job is to build the best team he can, it is not to get the manager whatever he wants. And that is especially true when your manager routinely runs off perfectly capable guys and you are forced to waste resources on replacing those guys. The GM sets the agenda. He hires the manager, he acquires the players. Hendry needs to give Lou what he wants to give Lou. "This gets dumped in Hendry's lap" because that is exactly where it belongs.

I think that all hinges on what kind of deal you can sign him to. A minimal 2009 guaranteed salary means none of those other risks really matter. Sure there's a PR aspect to it, but if he gets busted for drugs again, you cut him and lose very little. Maybe he's going to hold out for a better deal, but I would think he'd like to go to a place where he can be a featured WR and play with a quality QB, thus giving him a chance to build up his contract demands for next offseason.

Im not, but Shark probably is, and since, he has a full NTC, thats the only guy who needs to be against it. Yeah, the NTC was the only way we could talk him out of playing football. I don't think there's a chance he would accept a trade. I don't think it was the only way. The main thing was the money. The NTC is just a bargaining chip. I think any pitcher would be a fool to turn down a potential trade to SD, especially a young one trying to build up his resume for arbitration/free agency. A couple years pitching in Petco could help Samardzija big time. He can use the NTC to negotiate something else into his deal.

And given completely irrational contracts.

$ $$$ and he was never one to shy away from expressing how awesome he was with the ladies.

It's not just Hendry, though. Traditional thinking tends to be that balance in a lineup is more important than having the best talent in the lineup. I remember numerous times last year and offseason when ESPN analysts would bemoan the lack of left handed hitting in the Cubs' lineup and that being why they lost to the Dodgers. Hendry is not alone in this thinking. The fact that other people think the same dumb way doesn't justify it.

Rolen is hitting decently enough, but I'd worry that the Jays will ask a king's ransom for him. They're competing (for now) and he's producing, so he won't come cheap. And welcome to the board! They are falling fast and won't be able to contend with Boston or NYY for long, plus he makes a ton of dough. But he is signed through next season, which means the Cubs would have to do something with him, Lee or Ramirez by then, and I don't see that happening. I'd think Toronto would accept a reasonable offer for him, but Chicago would shy away from taking on his deal.

If he ends up signing the guy after doing his homework they will run a story saying he reversed his stance on Jones.

I think the only realistic way they can bring Havlat back may be for him to agree to a 1 year deal while awaiting a rebound in the economy. The cap declining hurts the Blackhawks, but at least they have avoided the struggles that other teams are enduring. There might not be a huge market for Havlat this summer. You'd have to have a team with cap space and financial health necessary to give him a 3/15-18 type deal that would take him away from Chicago (I'm guessing). In better times more teams might be willing to risk taking on such a huge injury risk longer term.

Las Vegas is getting its ass kicked economically. Also, there is no baseball team in NJ (although one could prosper if built along the waterfront in Hudson county, the most densely populated county in the country), they are in NY. And the hangup is sports betting. There isn't any sports betting in NJ. There is in Vegas.