jersey cubs fan

Are people really saying this? I haven't noticed people saying this Cubs team is just lucky.

That's definitely true. All you can really do is build a team that makes the playoffs. And all you can do to build a team that makes the playoffs is have a team that scores more and gives up less than most of the rest of the league. I would say it's possible to build a team that could and should win 90+ games, without relying on luck. And that is what GMs should be striving for. Give yourself the best possible chance, so that, if you are a team that "should" win 98, but if you hit some bad luck you can still win 90-92 and have a chance to make it.

Calling Grossman a five-year veteran with no further qualification is just flat out dumb. Grossman is essentially in his 2nd full season and should do a much better job this year. I think this whole analysis is at best flawed and at worst flat out wrong. Calling him a 5 year vet is misleading. But calling him a 2nd year QB is as well. Obviously the truth is in between. He's started just a season+ worth of games, but has been around the league for a while. He's probably equivalent to a 3rd year player now, a guy who saw limited action as a rookie, started every game and was hit or miss as a 2nd year guy, and now has to either sink or swim. Another problem I have with this is the whole "take practice seriously" story. Rex sucked in the New Years game against GB, it was a meaningless game and Rex admitted as such afterward. Many in the media decided to say this meant Rex was out drinking and partying all week instead of practicing, and now many believe he doesn't practice or study hard. One writer went as far as saying he's more interested in the next party at the playboy mansion than the next game. Which is funny when you think that's pretty much what Matt Leinert is. It's Leinert, Romo, Roethlisberger, and a handful of others that are dating supermodels and going hollywood, while Rex is considered more or less a family man with a very low profile outside the game itself. I'm not sure why that story has had legs.

I'd like Griffey, but Griffy to Seattle would be cool.

I was under the impression he was doing much worse than he actually is so far this year.

I hope the White Sox DO get someone good, because that would weaken the Phillies and hurt their Wild Card chances. :D No kidding. People need to put things in perspective. The Phillies are much more of a competitor for the Cubs than the CWS, despite the rivalry.

He was never given a chance this year. He did struggle, but it was sporadic time. He also struggled at times last year. And most of the veterans on this team have struggled. Plus, the OF has offered basically nothing. Murton put up good numbers in the minors, and has the type of game that should translate to good numbers in the majors. He will probably never approach great, or even very good. But he could and should be a solid piece of the puzzle. But the Cubs screwed him over this year with their mismatched outfield mess and decided that he would be the odd man out, even though he didn't deserve that treatment.

It's quite simple really. Last year in the second half Murton put up this line, .319/.390/.522, that is All Star level production and better than any Cubs OF in a very long time. He did similar things in the minors. He has patience at the plate and gets on base, unlike the Cubs in general. And he's very young, and very cheap, so he could fill a position with above average production at well below average cost, allowing them to spend big in other areas. I really don't understand how hard it is to see why people like Murton.

Well, he's not taking up a roster spot right now, and I don't believe he's blocking any prospects from getting their starts. He's not going to retire today and forfeit the rest of his guaranteed money. I don't see any harm in keeping him around as a worst case scenario insurance policy for a spot start if something happens to the rest of the staff and all their backups. Isn't he on the 40 man? Technically, yes. But he's on the 60-day DL, which allows the Cubs to replace his spot on the 40-man roster.

I'm going to keep pretending that I'm ignoring the Kerry Wood situation.

Doesn't that depend on whether or not Jones' numbers trend up toward his career norms? For the record, if trading for Payton meant we'd actually see Pie play, I'd do it. It would depend on quite a few things. It could depend on whether Jones improves, but Payton could conceivably improve as well. Depends on how Pie would handle the time, or if he even got time. Obviously if they traded Jones for Payton to become the starting CF, I don't think you're any better off. But the Cubs need guys who can hit lefties, and Payton can.

or just have good taste in women :P One man's slumbuster is another man's steady girl.

I'd think Gallagher is next in-line, that is what Lou said.

The question is whether Pie with a little Payton sprinkled in is better than Jones with Pagan getting time.

He's been terrible all season. I don't see the point in pretending that people are making a judgement over 5-6 games. They are judging him on his numbers, all season long. He's been awful, all season long.

But my point is that if he goes on another run of these disaster starts, he will look like the worst pitcher in baseball. His July ERA is 6.70. June was over 5. He's had just 2 QS since late May. He's on the verge of pitching like the worst pitcher in baseball already. Since his July 1 outing, his ERA has risen 0.9 points. His season ERA could reach 5 with just 2 more similarly bad outings.

In the month of June he hit .295/.326/.432. And it barely put a dent in his terrible season. He hit 2 of the 3 HR he's hit in 3 years during that month to inflate those numbers. We can't realistically expect him to hit even 1 the rest of the way. And I think there's very little hope of him even putting up a .300 OBP the rest of the way. Why do you insist on pretending people are only giving him 5-6 games? He's played 86 this year with well over 300 AB and his numbers have been absolutely atrocious. Not struggling. Not off. Absolutely freaking atrocious. Old guys disappear in baseball. How many times do you have to see marginal players finish their careers in a Cubs uniform before admitting they have an awful tendency of thinking guys have more left in the tank than they actually do? Jim Hendry pays far too little attention to the negatives involved in older players. He's convinced himself that guys peak in their 30s when all the evidence indicates it's well before that. Why is it so hard to imagine that he and his scouting friends were impressed by, and fooled by Kendall's 3/3 1HR day against the Yankees and therefore mistakenly thought he could help? I don't see why anybody would want to give the benefit of the doubt to an old catcher who is obviously nowhere near the player he once was and is going through not just a slump, but a completely terrible season.

JJ signed a 3 year deal and is under contract through 2008

The Cubs need to get better vs LHP. They'd be able to slot Pie back into regular duty while resting him against the toughest LHP. I think it makes some sense. It's not going to greatly improve the team, but it would improve them without costing much of anything.

I thought he was in trouble with the commish there for a second.

He's had quite a few epic bad outings if you ask me. Last night is the kind of piss Lou off kind of outing that could force his hand. I'm talking like five or six straight epic bad. Otherwise, I don't think Hendry will let Marquis be anything but a starter regardless of what Lou wants. He's had 3 of 4 epic bad on two seperate occasions this year. He could get there. But I highly doubt it'll take 5 or 6 epic bad in a row for Piniella to make a change. Assuming yesterday was the 1st in what will become 5 or 6 in a row, do you really think Lou will let him go out and crap the bed against Philly, the Mets, Colorado (we're at 4 in a row now), Cincy and SF before making a change? If he doesn't mix in a good game against one of the next 3 opponents, I would not be the least bit surprised if he doesn't make his start against Cincy.

That's a short list. There aren't many. Also it should be noted that only IRod has been catching in the majors for as long as Kendall. JK has more innings behind the plate than all but IRod. He also doesn't have the DH to fall back on as a rest. And finally, all of those guys have something in their game that helps older plays stay relevent, a spot of power. Pudge is the one exception currently playing. Fisk is another from history. But very few catchers last as long as Kendall has, in terms of years of service and innings caught, without a steep decline. Kendall was a one dimensional player in recent years. It shouldn't shock anybody if a one dimensional player with a history of physical problems at a position like catcher could deteriorate quickly.

He's had quite a few epic bad outings if you ask me. Last night is the kind of piss Lou off kind of outing that could force his hand.

Well, he's not taking up a roster spot right now, and I don't believe he's blocking any prospects from getting their starts. He's not going to retire today and forfeit the rest of his guaranteed money. I don't see any harm in keeping him around as a worst case scenario insurance policy for a spot start if something happens to the rest of the staff and all their backups.

His best OBP month this year is .326. He's been sub .250 in April, May and July. It's not a 2 month bad streak. It's 3 months of complete suckitude. Not Neifi like .295 OBP suckitude, but new and improved suckitude the likes of which the Cubs don't even seen. Don't give me BS about "picking a stat". OPS matters. The fact that Kendall only provides one part of the package when he's going good, and that he hasn't even put up a good OBP in any month this year tells you he's worthless. I'm dead set on believing he's done because I'm dead set on not being naive enough to think the Cubs can coax the best out of an aging ballplayer. Catchers age quickly and disappear. Kendall is an old catcher with many miles on him and he has shown over the course of this entire season that he's done.