jersey cubs fan

listening now. i think it will happen not sure if it will happen today or tomorrow Cubs and orioles need to do more scouting names i've heard, combination of gallagher marshall, cedeno murton and a few others. payton may be involved roberts seems enthusiastic, millar told him to pretend he was hurt i think roberts will be gone, it just makes too much sense i will be shocked if deal isn't consumated

Wow, this post makes absolutely no sense. It doesn't make sense that he'd let a friend know about taking steroids, but lie to the public about how often he used them? Seriously? You don't think that makes sense? Wow. Andy Pettite did the exact same thing by the way. History is littered with people who have been forced to admit a wrong doing but who also downplay the frequency/extent of their wrongdoing. It makes perfect sense why he would try and downplay how often he took them.

Was he horrible, or could he have been better? I don't think he was horrible when you look at the complete year, I think he was horrible in a few stretches. Defensively, Theriot is rarely going to make hightlight plays, but he is going to make the plays he should be making. His range could be better, but he isn't a liability defensively. He's a smart player, who maximizes his abilities. Offensively, he was very streaky in 2007. It was also his first full season in MLB. His OB% was below par, but I will not be surprised to see a better year out of him. Scoring 80 runs is a respectable number in MLB, even for a first year guy on a playoff team. I don't understand all the hate. He was horrible. The Cubs had the worst SS production in the NL last year and he was largely responsible.

I agree. He's really not who I'd like playing there but if he's struggling I'm sure the Cubs will make a move before the deadline and upgrade the position. I'm rooting for the Riot to have a career year. I'm not so sure. He was horrible last year and they didn't lift a finger in trying to replace him. I don't get why people think his horribleness would not be tolerated this year. The problem is the Cubs think Theriot isn't a problem. He would have to get signficantly worse in order to be bad enough for them to wake up to the problem.

That's utterly ridiculous. If you want to argue that spring training should be cancelled, that's one thing. But players come into spring training in shape-this isn't 1934 where they're pulling a double shift at the factory in the offseason. The only thing that can be accomplished during Spring Training is for management to get a feel for the team, especially new players. Aside from that, you're taking the quote waaaaaaaaay too far. In no way, shape, or form did he state that a decision had been made. He simply stated that he MAY make a change TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. That's about as noncommital as possible. To imply that he simply made a snap decision and has completely made up his mind is dishonest. If anything, Piniella has shown a penchant to think out loud with reporters, and speculate as to some possible changes that, realistically, won't come to pass nearly as quickly as he states (see Dempster situation last season). This is a non-story. Game shape wilco, I'm not talking about guys doing laps. It's about getting pitchers arms stretched out, for starters to get ready to throw 100+ pitches, for relievers to get ready for back to back days. It's for hitters to get their timing ready. I didn't say anything about cancelling spring training. It serves a purpose. Unfortunately, some people think it's capable of serving more than it's purpose. Lou experimented with a guy hitting third and didn't like what he saw after 7 ABs, and now he wants to change things up. I'm not taking anything too far. Managers have a horribly inflated ego with regards to their ability to "get a read on guys". Lou is no different. They can't learn squat from a handful of at bats. Thankfully, in the grand scheme of things, whether Fukudome hits 3rd or 2nd probably will not make a lick of difference with how well he hits and how well the team performs, so this sort of tinkering won't hurt too bad. But it won't help either.

This is a very stupid post displaying an extreme lack of knowledge regarding NFL.

I think this is kinda ridiculous. You wrote it yourself-this is Spring Training. The whole point, especially with players a manager has never seen before, is to try various things out and see if they work. Piniella said himself: "I might drop him back down to the two-spot and see what happens." It sounds like he's tinkering with things to see what works best. The last time I checked, that's the point of practice games. Why not? I'd much rather have a manager who tries things (ESPECIALLY in Spring Training) to see what might work best over a manager who is so wedded to his stupid philosophies that he refuses to try anything new. I think his quote here is telling: "Maybe the three-hole might be asking a little much too soon. We might drop him to the two-hole, and he might be more comfortable there." I don't think this has anything to do with "protection," or anything else we flippantly label "old school." I think it has more to do with the fact that Piniella probably believes that Fukudome is trying to drive the ball too much, thus expanding his strike zone, instead of remaining patient and trying to simply get on base. Putting him in the #2 hole might be a way to allow Fukudome to re-establish those facets that make him a good hitter. Most importantly, however, I think an Allen Iverson quote is probably the most important to remember for some perspective here. Practice? You're talking about Practice... Not the games. Practice... That's all well and good, except for the fact that he apparantly tried the 3 spot for all of 7 AB and was able to determine that Fukudome in the 3 spot didn't work. Spring training should not be about trying things. Spring training should be about getting in game shape. If you want to throw guys into different defensive positions, just to get them some experience, fine, but spring training is a horrible place to "see if things work". Nothing that happens in spring training should determine who plays, and where people hit, in the regular season - with the exception of injuries or trades.

pawelek??? if that guy hadn't been drafted in the first round, he wouldn't even be talked about as a prospect any more. he's done absolutely nothing to affirm his status as a prospect. He was top 15 last year, along with Harvey and Dopirak, so clearly these lists don't care much for what guys actually do while playing the game of baseball.

Absolutely unacceptable. The Bears had been rebuilding for years and years (with the exception of the fluke 2001 season). They finally make it back to the playoffs for two years. Rebuilding AGAIN so quickly after only two playoff appearances is not an option.You may find it unacceptable, but it is the truth. Currently the Bears need 2 more WR's, an OT, and OG, and and another RB. I won't even get into the QB situation. That is 5 key positions on offense, and the FA market is dwindling. Do you really expect Angelo to plug these holes via the draft? Espcecially considering his track record regarding offensive players? NFL teams are constantly rebuilding, unless they have a QB who can provide them steady pro bowl caliber play, year-in and year-out. I don't see how it's unacceptable for this team to be rebuilding. And I don't see why it should take more than 1 season to be back into the playoffs.

As a Sox employee, he may be contractually obligated to give his opinion about the Cubs even more frequently.

He was fairly similar to what I thought he would be for the Bears. Not bad, but not good. If this was a very good team that just needed hand holding at QB, he could have done the job. Unfortunately, the Bears needed more than hand holding at QB.

not always true

okay that is gross. mayonnaise or nothing on tuna. It had mayo. But after so many years of tuna+mayo and nothing else, you need to add a little. It really gave it a nice... awesome mustard taste. Honestly, it worked well. I'm kind of crazy when it comes to ingredients in food though. A madman. oh yeah, did you go out and get this stuff yet? freaking crack mustard Yes, tuna/mayo is nice, for 5th graders. But you gotta kick it up a notch later in life. I like a little spicy mustard in there, sometimes some relish as well.

Trading a prospect is not giving up on a prospect, nor is it giving away a prospect. Value such as what Roberts brings requires losing something of value. While I agree with your statement that trading somebody is not "giving up on" or "giving away", I don't think our friend from across the pond was suggesting it was. He was asking if the upgrade was worth the talent going the other way, acknowledging, I believe, that you have to give up something to get something.

definetly don't disagree but it the late in the game, the drain is clogged and the level is up a foot. I don't know how a troth can help anybody get in and get out of anything, except for perhaps a wedding in the middle ages. A trough is a fantastic receptacle to pee in. I've never seen one in Wrigley that was a foot deep with pee. Then again, I'm not a woman who needs to pee every inning.

Except for the fact that he was the one who signed Marquis to that predictably bad contract in the first place.

it's a friday during lent :cry: The best time of the year to get seated at a steakhouse.

No conflict for me. I want the line first and foremost. I have felt that way for 3 years, back when everybody was so hung up on the GD TE position. Give me a line and the RB will follow.

It's not just Brown. They lost people at every level of the defense. The loss to Dallas killed them physically and ruined the season. SD- Lost Dusty D and Mike Brown... BTW the best rb in the nfl ran 17 times for 25 yards. Dallas- Lost Vasher, Tommie Harris hurt is knee, and Rube Brown lost an arm and an ankle. So then against Det- We blame grossman, play Griese who then throws 3 ints, and Kitna burns a secondary starting 3 new players, oh and btw... Kevin Payne breaks his arm... I can continue. Don't forget Briggs, he was hurt vs Dallas, 2nd half I believe.

That last point is a myth. They didn't have a running game in 2006. Sub 4 yards per attempt. Pathetic. The D can be dominant. Contrary to Peter King's absurd opinion, they were devestated by injury in 2007. He wouldn't take much to vault them back up to dominant status. Likewise, while they currently don't have an offensive line, there's no reason why by September 2008 they can't have a decent one, and that is going to be the most important aspect affecting your third point. The running game might not have been great in 2006, but it was still somewhat existent. Enough to make teams somewhat respect the PA pass. Also considering the fact that the Bears don't figure to be major players for any top FA lineman, and todays commment by Angelo in the paper that he prefers veteran olineman(basically indicating that if an Olineman is drafted high, he won't start), I think a capable Oline by next season is a pipe dream. The running game sucked in 2006 and nobody respected it. Grossman was able to lead the offense through the air early, but then teams decided to concentrate on stopping the pass because they never had to worry about Jones, or Benson, killing them.

How much help can that be for a guy whose eye has never been a problem and for whom contact isn't much of an issue?

It's possible to still get value out of his career. The key is to keep him around for his peak years, limit the financial commitment, and be prepared to cut ties when he becomes expensive. Jacque Jones level production, at minimum wage, and as the 5th or 6th best bat on the team, isn't bad. That's especially true if he's a CF. You'd then have to commit financially to having greater production elsewhere. Ideally you'd trade him as he approaches 30 and before he hits his last year of arbitration. Maybe you can sucker some team into getting quality. But even if you just let him walk, by and large that would have to be considered a successful investment. the problem is, what if felix pie turns out to be a good everyday player. i mean, i guess that's not a problem, but colvin will in no way be good enough to man one of the corner spots. i suppose he could be a 4th outfielder, but I'd just rather trade him now before everyone realizes that he isn't that good. Fukudome and Soriano aren't going to allow him to play a role in the corner. If Felix turns out to be good, you trade Colvin. But that is a long way away, and by no means anything close to a certainty. As you pointed it, it's not really a problem. I look at it this way. I think Colvin is a low risk low reward guy right now. I think he's a safe bet to do something at the major league level. So, you try and strike gold with Pie for now, and keep letting Colvin develop - this also allows you to delay his arbitration clock, and makes it easier to keep him during what should be his peak years.

It's not just Brown. They lost people at every level of the defense. The loss to Dallas killed them physically and ruined the season.

That last point is a myth. They didn't have a running game in 2006. Sub 4 yards per attempt. Pathetic. The D can be dominant. Contrary to Peter King's absurd opinion, they were devestated by injury in 2007. He wouldn't take much to vault them back up to dominant status. Likewise, while they currently don't have an offensive line, there's no reason why by September 2008 they can't have a decent one, and that is going to be the most important aspect affecting your third point.

pardon me?