jersey cubs fan

Because the Yankees will specifically retire Mariano's pinstriped number, including a ceremony or whatever else they do.

Dont want to cloud up the playoff thread with this, but while watching Havlat being the best player on the team in the 2nd half, I can't help but thinking if they will keep him, and what they will be doing in the near future. I think you let Khabi walk. If they lose in round 1 or 2, it will be easiliy justified. If he takes you to the Cup, great, but the man is old and didn't live up to his contract until this year. If you can get rid of Huet, then you can consider it, but the longterm health of the franchise requires resigning the young guys, not Khabi. But I think they have to keep Havlat. Aside from Toews and Kane, they just don't have enough effective forwards to withstand losing Havlat. And neither Toews or Kane is going to make up for that loss by contending for the scoring title. The Campbell contract, which I was for, could really hurt them in a couple years, let alone 6-7 years down the line.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I umped a few youth girls softball, and a couple boys baseball games. It was amazing to me how horrible the coach/father types were with the girls game. They had one of those mats where if the ball lands on it, it's a strike, if not, it's a ball. And they still argued balls and strikes. The kids were all great though. Pretty easy and enjoyable $20-25 (I don't remember).

If that happens, I'd be really concerned about this team.

It shouldn't be too late, nobody has picked since then, right?

You suck. [expletive] you blue, you stupid son of a bitch, get some mother [expletive] glasses you cocksucking whore. He was [expletive] safe and you know it. Who paid you off? Does somebody have photos of you sucking a goat's [expletive] or something?

I'm not a fan of the players' union, but I wish they would push for more player rights when situations like this occur. It's like MLB is in lock-step with the umpires' union. As somebody who umps very competitive youth baseball I understand the idea that you can get chucked for any arguing of the zone, but sometimes in situations like that on what I'm sure Vanover thought was a border-line call you have to use your judgment and let the guy give off some steam. I wouldn't make a report on a player who barely, incidentally touched me when I made a "borderline" call in his opposition in such a big situation. To be fair though, the rule is in place so umps don't have to/aren't allowed to be subjective on the arguing of balls/strikes. Everyone knows that rule, if you break it you get thrown out. Similarly with having to file a report if there is contact. From what I understand its not the ump to determine if it was incidental or not, but I could be wrong. And on a side note I've really never understood how you get around not arguing balls/strikes. Sure seems to me that theres a lot of bickering when a player is upset with a call and not everyone gets thrown out. A player will comment right after a call and usually get away with it if he handles it well (keep your eyes toward the pitcher while jabbering, keep the words to a minimum, stay in the batters box). A coach can jabber a little as well. The problems come up when the player (batter, catcher or pitcher) makes it obvious he's arguing and delays the game in some way by arguing. Also, when a coach comes out of the dugout to argue a pitch call, or doesn't relent after stating his displeasure. If you bitch at multiple calls, you're gone. But the biggy, I think, is coming out to discuss something else (a close call at first) and then referencing a ball/strike call from earlier in the game.

There are questions about 95 percent of baseball players, every season. Naming worst-case scenarios for a bunch of Cubs doesn't really show anything. I'm not sure what he listed up there was a worst case scenario. Soto having a sophomore slump isn't worst case. Soto missing tons of time and sucking is worst case. Lee continuing his late career decline isn't worst case, it's most likely. Fontenot can't hit lefties, and Miles is the only other MI option, where's the worst case? Sorry, I shouldn't have said "worst case." I just meant that it's pointless to name a bunch of players and say what could go wrong. That can be done with any team, and it doesn't prove anything. Why does he have to prove something? He's concerned about the Cubs this year and listed reasons why. He didn't say stuff like aliens might steal Aramis Ramirez or a stalker fan might assassinate another player. He listed a couple of real world concerns.

I think we did it over again because it's kind of fun to do mock drafts and this one is turning out to be significantly different than the previous one.

There are questions about 95 percent of baseball players, every season. Naming worst-case scenarios for a bunch of Cubs doesn't really show anything. I'm not sure what he listed up there was a worst case scenario. Soto having a sophomore slump isn't worst case. Soto missing tons of time and sucking is worst case. Lee continuing his late career decline isn't worst case, it's most likely. Fontenot can't hit lefties, and Miles is the only other MI option, where's the worst case?

PJ Walters faces Carlos Zambrano. Walters (RHP) is an 11th round draft pick from 2006 who has had a fairly decent minor league career so far. Weather is 60s and sunny with a slight breeze to left center.

Cutler should have been at least the 2nd star of the game.

The Cubs had Samardzija for like 2 months last year.

I've never understood the hate for Madden. I've always liked him. He slipped toward the end, but he was always the best football analyst.

Dempster and Heilman have been trash?

But the point is he's very likely to make an out, and he did. Plus, his career OBP is partially propped up by a somewhat fluking 2008. His current OBP is something like 100 and he's looked like absolute crap. So, as the person noted, the Cubs practically started that inning with an out.

I don't see how Wuertz is really that much better then the guys we have. . Okay, but he is.

gameday had it well in the zone (they had the Bradley strike 3 out of the zone)

How did Pujols get a single and then go to third on a ground ball to shortstop?

I have a feeling Miles will get on. He wants to show his old team that they should have resigned him. Yea I wouldnt hold your breath Miles Career OBP: .328 Avg NL OBP, 2008: .331 Pessimism probably isn't worth it there. . . ;) So he's very likely to make an out, what's your point?

Because Kerry Wood is gonoe and Michael Wuertz was traded.

I honestly don't mind him getting tossed. He was coming out of the game anyway and like you said, there is no excuse for those two calls. Exactly. And he's going to miss 20-50 more games anyways, a couple days off for suspension might help him rest.

Welcome to being a Cubs fan. It's happened approximately 86,000 times in the 20 years I've been a fan. I've always wanted some manager to intentionally walk the bases loaded against the Cubs and see how he does. I'd bet more often than not it would work. I'd bet you'd be wrong.

No you don't, not when you think it's a ball.