Little Slide Rooter

It's not like the Sox have been "really good", though. They've been above average. If they went on a Braves or Yankees type run of making the playoffs every year for a 5 year stretch, then they'd be a hell of a lot more popular. Theyve been good enough that they could have dominated the NL Central throughout most of that era, aside from the 2004-2005 when the Cards were 100+ win teams. As for whose the most popular show in town, all the Cubs really have to do is show signs of improvement and Wrigley Field will again look like it did when you had to go online the moment tickets went on sale to get them. The Sox, not so much.

Overall they've been better, but the Cubs have made 4 playoff appearances post-strike while the White Sox have made 3. Although they actually capitalized on their "destiny" year and the Cubs crapped the bed. The Sox have been consistently around .500 and have had no really awful seasons, but is that really a badge of honor? It's almost easier to win in cycles of really bad and then really good than just hovering around .500 most years. I'm not sure where you're coming from. The CWS won 90+ three times in the 2000s, plus an 88 and 89 win season. They were below .500 once. They've been better than the Cubs. Still doesn't mean anyone cares, which kind of flies in the face of his "taking over Chicago" claim. True. Im not going to lie though, Id rather the Cubs be really good and nobody caring than sucking and having the benefit of a large market, famous park, and plenty of folklore.

I remember at the beginning of the season there was an article posted here about this being the year that the White Sox finally take over Chicago. Pretty sure it was Cowley. ETA: Yup, here it is. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/3761701-419/cowley-call-me-crazy-but-its-a-sox-town-now.html Sounds like Joe wants the Sox to become the Number 1 team in town that he thinks that if he keeps writing these kinds of articles it will happen.

Ack, had a post then lost it. Long story short, the Cubs have about 64 million coming off the payroll the next 2 years . Considering Prince/Kemp/Reyes are looking at 17-18+ per year, that doesn't really leave you the necessary resources to fill out a rotation that would consist of Garza, Wells, and a pocketful of wishes. Just out of curiosity, why are so many people ruling out Cashner? Also, McNutt should be ready by 2013 if not 2012.

Back to the pedo thing, while I was being facetious about the Beatles song, THIS is just wrong. She is hot though. Remember Horace Goodspeed of the Dharma Initiative? http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=654080&GT1=28101

. Please, tell us how you really feel Hes also blissfully ignoring the fact that the Nationals are one of the hottest teams in baseball and have a better record than the White Sox.

Max Ramirez hasn't been in the Cubs organization for over a month. Hes been signed by and released by the Astros since.

The Cubs do in fact have their fair share of aging, declining players due to ill advised contracts. If the ALL IN White Sox fans want to look into a crystal ball showing them what their team will look like in 2-3 years, look no further. Meanwhile the Royals and Indians have the young talent to take over that division sooner than later, and their will always be the Twins. As for taking over the town, the 1st step for the White Sox will have to be to get out of the ghetto and head north.

Yeah, but, like, who cares? He isn't helping the Cubs this year - no one is - and his $18 million next year could almost certainly be put to better use. Unless you believe he's going to reverse course next year (which is not inconceivable given how dominant he was in the second half last year), I just can't be too upset about losing Z's hypothetical production for 2012. NOBODY is saying that if someone wants to pick up the 18 mil that we shouldnt let them have him. The general consensus is that we shouldnt have to pay him more than 1/3 of his salary to pitch for someone else unless were getting some top prospects. If some team really wants to pick up the remainder of his contract, theres probabbly not a poster on this board who wouldnt happily drive him to the airport. Its similar to the Soriano situation. Sure, it would be better if we didnt have to pay him,but considering the production you get, if you do have to pay him anyway, it should be for us. I think you're wrong about that. For instance, anyone that believes that the Cubs can contend next year will disagree. Any equation that has the Cubs contending next year includes Z pitching like he has in the past. Or trading Z to a contender now, getting some prospects and then trading for King Felix this offseason. There are a variety of scenarios where Z gets traded that would still work for contending in 2012. To me, it depends on what the Cubs feel Z has left in the tank. If they feel he's not ever going to be the pitcher he was in the past again, then they should trade him while the value is still relatively high. If they feel that he can still have a second half like he did last year, then they should keep him and have one less gap in the offseason. Id love for that to happen, but if the Mariners are smart, they'll keep Felix as long as they can. him and Pineda could be the most dominant 1-2 SP combo in baseball in a few years.

I dont remember seeing him doing it, but I remember having his 1987 Topps card that said 1B/MGR.

I doubt he has a better arm. IMHO Soriano really isnt as bad a defender as people think, it seems hes normally OK but sometimes makes some mind bogglingly dumb plays, or I should say non-plays.

I don't remember specifics, I just remember really hating the guy. My irrational hatred for the Marlins will probably never go away because of him. I dont remember the specifics, but by the end of the '03 NLCS, my hatred for the old codger was 2nd only to Beckett.

is it as remarkable as blaming livestock?

Just to clarify, Bartman didn't catch the ball. Closest to it. Plus he was an easy scapegoat.

Weve got our lineup: Fuku RF Castro SS DeWitt LF :banghead: Aram 3B Pena 1B Soriano DH Soto C LaMehiu 2B Campana CF Really, I dont hate DeWitt, but he has slightly more business hitting 3rd than Campana.

I'm a terrible fan and Bartman is overplayed. He might be overplayed, but that's quite different from insisting that it wasn't a critically important moment in an historic game. Those are meatballs who do that. They differ from the meatballs who insist it's all his fault, but they're still meatballs. It was a crucial moment not only for the series but Cubs history in general. However, you really cant blame the 1 guy who caught the ball, especially when their were several people after it. In an alternate universe, there is no fan intereference, Moises doesnt catch the ball, and Alex Gonzalez still boots that routine DP and earns the spot in history he deserves as The Cubs Bill Buckner.

Nightmare scenario: Pujols opts to stay with the Cards for less money, the Brewers win it all and Fielder opts to stay and the Cubs plunge further down the shame spiral. I don't see Fielder staying regardless. A realistic scenario is this injury bringing the bidding for Pujols down into the Cards' range, and it drags out deep into the offseason, when he eventually re-signs with STL. The Cubs wait out the Pujols decision, while Prince signs elsewhere during the process, leaving them with neither. Even Pena moves on, and Hendry spreads out several million dollars between Wilson Betemit, Micheal Cuddyer and Edwin Jackson. We enter a very dismal period in Cubs baseball and Starlin Castro becomes the youngest player ever to demand a trade.

Aren't the Cubs only like 3-4 games behind the Sox in this godforsaken series? It was split evenly until a couple years ago, but now it's about 4 games in favor of the White Sox. Its OK, once the ALL IN White Sox fall apart either through age or free agency or both in 1-3 years with little to nothing to show for it and no farm system whatsoever, it will swing back in our favor.

Aren't the Cubs only like 3-4 games behind the Sox in this godforsaken series? I meant this season in general.

I can't be alone in not getting this at all. My only guess is that its an attempt at an poorly conceived gay joke.

LOL at the Cubs. Although, didn't we get Baker for him? Baker has been very good with the Cubs. And the team we traded him to let him walk as a minor league free agent. No reason to LOL at the Cubs anymore than 28 other teams. Theres no reason to believe hed ever get past AA in the Cubs organization, even considering how awful our pen has been the past few years. Theres really no reason to go all Casey McGhee over him. He does have a cool name though.

With this and the crumbling Reds pitching staff, if theres such thing as baseball Gods, they sure want the Brewers to win the NL Central.

FFS guys, don't embarass us any further. At lest split the damn series. On a side note, has anyone else caught the new Comcast Sportsnet promos for the CTC? Anyway, you'll notice at the end, it has Quade and Ozzie back to back, and Quade randomly looks down with a creepy smile, and he's totally checking out Ozzies package.

Thomas Diamond has found a new home with the Twins.

Yeah including Soriano and Grabow, but ignoring Pena seems really strange. Pena is probably the Cubs' best trade chip, unless they make Soto available. 760 OPS so far this year after last season's 732. I'm not so sure he's much of a chip. Hes a lefty. hes a slugger. hes a very good fielder. Theres no commitment past this year. Id say hes a pretty good chip.