Little Slide Rooter

I definitely think he should have gotten a call up, but he still has no business publicly bitching about it. I hope he hasn't screwed himself out of a spot for next year, because id sure as hell rather he be in the pen over Justin Berg or Jeff Stevens. Wellington Castillos also reportedly at Wrigley but is still dealing with a hammy issue so hasnt been activated. It would be nice to see him in the lineup every 5th game over the extra pitchers spot.

Looks like my gut sucks. It doesn't suck to keep him. What the heck is a young tapers player of suit? Phone typing...talent...Player or suit. Fleita is not talent. Nor is he young. But he is a white guy, which I never knew.

I like Carlos Pena a lot. I like Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder better. I think this is probably the mindset of the majority of the folks around here. I don't think anyone out and out hates having Carlos Pena on the team, but when you have the opportunity to sign two players who are leaps and bounds better than him, you start hoping for him to pack his bags in favor of one of those two guys. If we miss out on the Fielder and Pujols sweepstakes and we wind up with Carlos Pena again, it will be a little disappointing because we didn't land one of the big fish, but he's not a bad consolation prize because he does have good plate discipline and is good at getting on base and this team needs a guy like that. If we wind up with him because management decided he was the better option and they did not want to pursue Fielder or Lee as a by product of that thinking? [expletive] Carlos Pena I understand the reasons why just fine. It's still awfully ironic to me. Most casual fans look at Carlos Pena and see the batting average flirting with the mendoza line and probably have no idea that he gets on base more than most .300 hitters, including Starlin Castro. This being said, my main problem with retaining Pena is that even if we do sign CJ Wilson and part ways with Carlos Zambrano, the 2012 team will likely look an awful lot like this 2011 team, and we really don't want that. If the options came down to Pena and guys like Casey Kotchman and James Loney, I might prefer Pena, although trading for Loney and giving him a 1 year trial might be a better choice than a 3/30 deal for Pena. What it comes down to is that if the plan is a youth movent and building a team to compete in the next 4-5 years, and were looking at a bunch of sub .500 teams until then, there's really no need to be paying Carlos Pena 10 mil/year instead of a bunch of cheap band-aids like LaHair, Loney, and Ridling.

I really have to agree there, considering that they have to decide whether or not to roster Jay t protect him from the Rule 5, an I really think he's a guy who would be picked. Lopez is of no value to this team.

Never mind, some guy named Danny Valencia lead off the 8th with a double.

Jim Hendry pulled off some major deals for young superstars Aramis Ramirez and Rich Harden when his team needed them. Lets sign him.

White Sox pitcher Zach Stewart, who they got for Edwin Jackson has thrown 7 perfect innings against a Twins lineup consisting of Joe Mauer and 8 guys I've either vaguely heard of or never heard of at all.

According to a tweet from the I Cubs, LeMahieu, Montanez, and Gaub to be called up.

What call? He would have been silent almost the entire broadcast! He's talking about the Saturday game when they choked away an 8-1 lead and were still up 8-2 with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, not Sundays massacre. He would have been silent from the 5th inning on Sunday. Saturday, he'd of been yapping away until the bottom of the 9th.

Fear not, I actually have Hawk's call . It also would have been interesting to hear him pretty much all throughout last nights 18-2 massacre. If the Sox had any hope of heading into the playoffs going into the weekend, it's pretty much done for now.

I thought it was pretty much a given that if Ozzie leaves the Sox he's off to the Marlins, in fact, there was even talk of a Lou Pinealla Mariners/Rays "trade".

wow that's quite a haul in nearly 6 years of work Yeah, that list isn't at all impressive. May as well pad the list with Tony Campana and James Russell.

Surrender lineup today Castro SS Campana RF Aramis 3B Pena 1B LaHair LF Byrd CF Barney 2B Hil C Wells P The sad thing is that the B team doesn't look that much worse than the A team.

It also goes beyond FLeita. He/s been here for 7 years, I believe, and for years before that, pretty much all of our top prospects have ended up fizzling, be it once they hit the majors or if they never made it that far. Looking at the latest crop, starting with Castro, Soto, ,and Barney who have all had some degree of big league success, as well as the likes of Cashner, The Jacksons, LeMahieu, Flaherty, McNutt, Vitters, Szczur, Whitenack, Struck, Beliveau, Lake, and multiple others in the lower levels, there are a lot of guys who the jury is still very much out on, and of course the '10-'11 draft crop. I think this latest group will determine his future, and the next 4 years seems like a good time frame to decide how this group turns out. However, on the other hand, considering the lack of success in the previous groups of prospects and the potential of the current crop, could it be a better idea to put the future development of our prospects in someone elses hands?

Have to give him a mulligan on McGhee. He's a guy who never showed any kind of indication he'd ever be anything. It's not like he was a top prospect we gave up on. Besides, he seems to be turning back to a pumpkin.

Don't worry, I have it on good authority that the Cubs are awesome at developing pitchers under Fleita. So now that Hendry is gone I guess Fleita is the new scapegoat. DAMN YOU FLEITA FOR RUINING MCNUTT! THANK GOD ARCHER GOT OUT BEFORE YOU COULD DESTROY HIS CAREER AS WELL! Randy Wells and Rich Hill are the only starting pitchers Fleita has produced in, what, 7 years? And Hill had a really brief run. Not exactly something to hang your hat on. Dont forget Cashner. There's also Casey Coleman to anyone who takes him seriously as a big league starter.

If it makes you feel any better, Cubs werent the only game that lost a game they had no business losing. Sox were up 8-1 and choked it all away in the last 3 innings including a game tying 2 run shot in the 9th immediately followed by a walk off.

Im not sure of all the choices, but Marmol must be amongst the worst closers in baseball this year. You used to see him walk the bases loaded, sit back, and wonder how he gets out of it this time. Those days appear over. If there's something physically wrong with him, the time to shut him down was a few months ago.

Have you ever read the book or seen the movie Sometimes They Come Back? Yeah, that ones not about The Cubs.

I'm starting to wonder if a new closer should be on the offseason shopping list, or at least give the job to Marshall for the rest of the year and see how he looks. Marmol has had a few too many melt downs this season for my liking.

Anyone from the deadball era should probably be seperated.

Baez out of Boises lineup for the 2nd straight game after being pulled Thursday night. I wish there was some kind of updates on he and Szczur.

I think he'll settle somewhere in between Chris Young and McCutchen.

Nothing like a pair of young stud pitchers with 2 of the most exciting lineups in baseball behind them. Sadly, this game will be anything but that.

Because the point of this move was to catch the Brewers while we have an E number of 3.