RedFlash

And to think, LaPorta is another guy that got away from the Cubs....but oh well... And if the Brewers think they can get a deal done before his next start, then they are crazy. Shapiro isn't going to take the first offer (essentially) and run. In fact, I kinda like the offer the Dodgers would be offer (starting with LaRoche) more then the Brewers offer. The Dodgers can't match LaPorta, but the Brewers can't match---IMO---the Dodgers depth. But if I am Cleveland, I would ask for either Either or Kemp, along with LaRoche. Because let's face it, Cleveland isn't going to rebuild, they are likely to reload, and getting major league ready players, IMO, is their top priority over getting TOP prospects. Now if the TOP Prospects is major league ready, then fine, but I feel the Indians wants players they can plug into the lineup quickly, and contend next yr. Which might hurt the Brewers chances, seeing as LaPorta is the only prospect that could be immediately pencil into the lineup next yr. But if the Dodgers offer up Kemp or Either and LaRoche, and maybe Hu for CC, I would take that deal over a deal that centers around LaPorta. But that is just me.

W

His twin brother's middle name is Shirley. That sounds like a Pat Hughes joke. Nope, it's a Scrubs reference. As for the Cubs..........let's remind the Cards that there are not a legit 12 games over .500 good. Take two of three from these bums, and let's get hot.

Well, look for Bama to jump up that list in a hurry. There are alot of talent, that are strong Alabama leans: Dre Kirkpatrick (#1 DB in the country), Tana Patrick and Nico Johnson (#3 and 5 Lbers in the country) Kendall Kelly (14th best WR in the nation, but watch out, he's a major sleeper going into next season), Ming (9th best SDE), I expect Alabama to finish with a Top 5 class. With that said, this is prolly too early to even talk about recruiting classes. I suspect the SEC will be highly represent in the Top 10 (Alabama/LSU/GA/Florida) along with USC, OSU Buckeyes, Michigan, Miami, Notre Dame, and perhaps even Texas to round out the Top 10.

I say, let the Brewers give up preminum talent to get CC for 1/2 season rental. Then when they fail to make the playoffs, just sign CC to a Johan deal in the offseason, and only give up 2 draft picks for him.

I don't know about the rest of you, but splitting with the Giants, to me is as good as a lost series. You needed to get healthy against a team like the Giants, and you can only split. The Cubs should sweep the freakin Jints, and yet, this Cubs team is playing like the pre-2007 Cubs, then the April 2008 Cubs.

You forget to add, without the ball ever leaving the infield". Yes, Aaron Miles will pull a Babe Ruth and hit an INF HR, tonight....

Sweet story, despite all the typos :wink: Yeah, you won't confused me with an English major.

I don't want a 5 game losing streak, Cobs......so win.

because they don't throw breaking balls during batting practice. yes yes I know that. I was kind of hoping he would learn to hit a breaking ball, ya know? At this point, as most would agreed, I would much rather him learning and developing a breaking ball, instead of embarrassing himself trying to hit it. Come on Cubs, make the transistion already.

Look at Milwaukee, I don't much about Braun defense in the minor, but the Brewers allow him to stay at 3rd, until it was painfully obviously he couldn't handle the position, and thus they move him to LF. In other words...keep him at one position, and developed offensively. If Vitters bat is as good as the Cubs brass is saying, then the Cubs will find a spot defensively to put Vitters. Don't mess him up, wondering what position is he going to play. Let him focus on his offense.

Tell me about. We are looking at the brilliant "4 second basemen" lineup.

Kerry Wood is just speaking on behalf of all Cub fans in the nation. The White Sox and their fans does the birdie.....

Would you, if you just saw your team "sleep walk" through a series with the White Sox. I much rather Lou have a "lively, man to man discussion" with his team, over him talking to the media. With that said, I hope Lou is in Hendry ear about making a GOOD/GREAT trade asap.

I want the Mega/Super Cubs back, not these imitators, the Cobs. --------- I'm with Lou on this, but I have grown tired of the interleague games. Just all of the "interesting" matchups have been play (outside of perhaps the Cubs going to Boston), so IMO, I think we can kill the interleague idea, now. I much rather take those 15 games against the AL, and use them to play the Cards/Brewers and perhaps the Astros an extra series a yr. That just me. I dont need to see the "AL" in the NL ballpark, and vice versa.

I don't care. Just because the Dodgers had the lead, and didn't need to bat in the 9th, doesn't make it less of a no-hitter. For all I care, the game was legal (past 5 innings), thus, IMO, it is a legal, and bonafid no-hitter.

Funny story about Kelton. Back in the yr he was senior, by HS decided to schedule a 3 team tournment, just near the border of Alabama/Georgia. Troupe and Newton are considered GA 5A, would be Alabama's 6A. To say we got our butts handed to us (17-2, and 22-7) is a pretty fair description. But anyways, I was a junior on the JV team (yeah, I pretty much sucked, but oh well), and our "brilliant" coach, knew we would be getting our butts spanked, so intead of risking his "star pitchers" he ask for myself, and two other JV pitchers to join the varsity team. To make a story short, I came in about the 5 inning of the 1st game again Kelton's team, and guess who the first batter I got to face...............David Kelton (and in a previous AB, he had crushed one for a 3 run blast). So my first pitch to him, was a "fastball" ( I loosely use the term fastball, because I could throw harder then a new born baby) that hit him in the back. And the next thing I knew, I saw him smiling and shaking his head. It didn't hurt him, is what more of a "can I stay up to hit, instead of the HBP" smile. After the game I caught up to him, and apologize for hitting him, and he said, "no problem, I won't even leave a bruise." Later the weekend, my HS team won the Tallassee Tournment. But the chance to pitch against Kelton was a pretty goo dmoment for me in HS.

I want tomorrow night. I want the season series. I wwwant those punks on the southside, to continue to hear about the Cubs. The Cubs will win tomorrow night.

At this point, I much rather have ARam/Edmonds hit 3-4, and Lee/Ward hitting 5-6. It's a CRIME that ARam is being forced to hit 5th.

.266/.326/.401 for Harris and .298/.335/.415 for Sanchez in their careers. Not great numbers, but they've been decent contributors at the ML level. As for Mr. Bonderman, when you closest comps---despite your talent level---is that of Jose Contreras, Adam Eaton, Bronson Arrojo, and Josh Fogg, you have really underachieved. So, maybe successful is a stretch for Sanchez/Harris, but you can't really considered Bonderman a "success", because he hasn't shown he is anything more then a #4. I was trying to limit the trades to the deadline area (July 1-31). Yes, I could have added the waiver-deal, but that wasn't the point. As for those deals, all three were considered decent, non-spectular trades. Maybe Giles is the closest, but none of them, classify as "superstar" trades. Outside of Oliver Perez, and Jason Bay, nobody else in those trades were considered more then decent prospects. your point is valid though; there have been a lot of busted prospects swapped at the trade deadline. Which means, IMO, prospects like Sean Marshall and Sean Gallagher (who both has had some success) at the ML level might have more value at the deadline, then a Top prospect. And seeing as Cleveland was to contend again in 2009, but they may take an offer with the best major league ready young players.

I'm looking back at trades made at the deadline, and here's a list of former top prospects that were dealt at the deadline (I used a July 2-31st as my deadline): Jon Rauch, Scott Kazmir, Justin Huber, HS Choi, Koyie Hill, Brendan Harris, Francis Beltran, Justin Jones, Royce Ring, Adrian Gonzalez, Ben Petrick, Bobby Hill, Phil Dumatrait, Brandon Claussen, Freddy Sanchez, Kurt Ainsworth, Carlos Pena, Jeremy Bonderman, Frankly German, JF Griffin, Justin Wayne, Carl Pavano, Ben Diggins, Bud Smith, Nick Bierbrodt, Jesse Foopert, Ben Zobrist, Ryan Wagner, Maximiliano Ramirez, C.J. Henry, Joel Guzman. As you can tell, outside of Scott Kazmir, Brendan Harris (he's been a solid ML), Adrian Gonzalez, Freddy Sanchez, and Carlos Pena, and to a lesser degree Bonderman, this is a former who's who of failed top prospects. In fact in the past 10 yrs, I can only think of two deadline deals, in which a dang good player, was given up for top prospects, and the prospects panned out ( Randy Johnson trade to Houston, and Bartolo Colon to Montreal. Maybe I am forgetting one, so feel free to include it). I surmise, thart you don't have to have great prospects to make a trade for a superstar player. Good prospects are usually more then enough to land quality impact players at the deadline. That's why I laugh at the suggestion that the Cubs don't have "top prospects" to land a CC Sabathia. Look what the Cards gave up for Mark McGwire. Look at what the Braves gave up for Tim Hudson. I'm not saying the Cubs will land CC, I just believe the Cubs have enough good prospects--regardless of what people think of the system, right now---to make a fair offer for CC.

Is TT really 6'10, or is just wishful thinking? I have not seen anywhere, outside of Thorpe, that says Thomas is now 6'10. So again, has this been confirmed?

Correct, however we do need another starter. No argument on that point; I'm just arguing that today's outing didn't make that more obvious (as the original post seemed to imply). Agreed. Dempster isn't the reason why the Cubs need another starter. Jason Marquis is the reason why the Cubs need another starter.

Agreed. I want Aram coming up in the 1st inning with runners on, instead of Lee.

Due diligence. That's all.