RedFlash

We could try Steve Trachsel again..... :ninja:

I much rather have seen Tim Lahey as the ptbnl after he cleared waivers. This Mr. Deeds (yes, I play off the movie) is nothing more then an organizational player.

But can we do that without the spousal abuse jokes, tho?

I'm usually don't mind the off-color jokes, cause I love me some good jokes, but these amateurish spousal abuse jokes, are just that.....amateur. I think these jokes are in poor taste, and most of your guys are above those kinds of jokes. I can't tell people what kind of jokes that can be told on this site, but what I can do is.....disapprove of these jokes 100%. [-X at anybody who thnks spousal abuse jokes are funny. And yes, I am a stick in a mud, about spousal abuse jokes. So can please can the spousal abuse jokes, and get back to baseball, please?

I don't. Wellemeyer has been below league average since coming into the majors, and Lilly has been above league average. If Welly can keep his era under 5 for the full season, colour me surprise.

Now "Happy Pawelek Day" would just be when (or if) he finally makes it to a full-season level. He made a few starts at Peoria last year, didn't he? No. He made 2 relief appearances at the beginning of last season with Peoria. can you imagine if we would have drafted Rasmus, ellsbury or bucholz, instead? And none of them would have reached the majors with the Cubs. Chances are, all three would prolly be at AA.....

I don't think so. When I hear the GREAT and FEARED players of this league, Chase Utley is rarely mentioned. Utley is a DAMN good player, but like Derek Jeter, he's slightly overpaid, due to the "GRIT" factor. I said, slightly overpaid, he's more of a $10-12 mill per, and not $13 mill +. I'm talking about the Chase Utley that right now looks like he could have a better career than Jeff Kent and Ryne Sandberg. Which one are you talking about? http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/scomp.cgi?I=utleych01:Chase+Utley&st=career How about the one, who career's numbers are in line with Bill Hall ($4.8 mill this yr), Victor Martinez ($4.25 mill this yr), David Wright ($5 mill this yr) and Jose Reyes ($4 mill this yr) and Grady Sizemore ($3mill this yr)? Thes guys are in his same group (25-30 yrs old). And while they don't play the same position, it doesn't change the facts his numbers are no different then said players. So, while Utley is a damn good player, I don't view him as highly as some. So yeah, I would not pay Utley more then $12 mill per yr. Is that simple. Utley has been overrated, just a tad. Not Jeter'd, not even Theriot'd, but slightly overrated. And I wouldn't say he would a better career then Sandberg and Kent, I would say he would be on par with both guys. In that bandbox of a park, I could see him pass both guys, but Kent and Sandberg were more important to their teams in their heydays (Cubs and Giants), then Utley is to the Phillies.

Don't worry, after that happens, his AARP Insurances kicks, and he would be ready to play again by 40. So he'd only be out a couple weeks? =D> Not even the incomparable Albert "Clark Kent/Superman" Pujols could return to the field after a couple of weeks after breaking a hip, at his "AGE."

No; you're probably thinking of Koronka. Welly was with Florida and Kansas City after leaving the Cubs. I forgot who Welly went too, thanks NCCF. And I think Red was right, it may have been Leicester. Leicester never pitched for the Rangers at the major league level, but he was in their organization in the minor leagues for awhile. I swore I thought I saw Leicester pitched for the Rangers (maybe it was spring training, or something), but your right, Leicester never pitched for the Rangers at the ML level. It's so hard to keep up with so many medicore arms that Hendry has manage to cut loose.

I wish....Both Haarvey and Dopirak oozes talent, but right now, they don't ooze baseball intelligence. I'm actually counting down the days till the Cubs decide to end the Harvey as a "hitter" experiment, and move him to the mound, so he could explode like Carlos Marmol. I know, I know it's a longshot, but where Cubs fans, and we're allowed to dream a little dream, aren't we?

I know it may not be fasionable, but I still would prefer to not give into the Pirates early season strength (and that killing lefties). I would almost like to see Lieber start, let him go 5 innings, atleast. Have Marshall pitched 2 innings, and then finish the game with Howry and/or Wood. So that's the major problem with playing two LONG Extra inning games, you leave yourself thin for a couple of games. Trying to throw Lieber out there for that long without getting him properly stretched back out at his age is just begging for him to get hurt, at least IMO. The guy wasn't even available to pitch at all last night. How is he going to suddenly be able to go 5 or 6 innings just 1 day later? It really is too bad that Marquis couldn't start tonight though. Philadelphia is a terrible matchup for Marquis (except for Jimmy Rollins-for some reason Marquis absolutely owns him), and Pittsburgh of course has this strange split as well that impacts Hill. Then the Cubs will be playing with fire, by starting a lefty against a lefty killing offense.

No shame in Wood's outing. Giving up a solo shot to a good fastball hitter like Bay will happen from time to time...the important thing is that he immediately stopped the bleeding and made the next three batters look like chumps and kept the Cubs in it. Exactly. He made one mistake and a good fastball hitter picked on it. It's not as if Bay 'crashed' it. In fact, I distintively remember hearing that the commentators were surprise that the ball got out. Otherwise, it was definately a good outing--excluding one pitch---for Wood.

I know it may not be fasionable, but I still would prefer to not give into the Pirates early season strength (and that killing lefties). I would almost like to see Lieber start, let him go 5 innings, atleast. Have Marshall pitched 2 innings, and then finish the game with Howry and/or Wood. So that's the major problem with playing two LONG Extra inning games, you leave yourself thin for a couple of games.

Both ESPN and CBSSPORTSLINE, but still has Hill listed as the probable starter, but I still believe Marquis will go tonight. The signifcant different between righties and lefties against the Pirates, it too great to ignore.

I haven't heard anything, but considering the splits for the Pirates, I pretty sure it will be Marquis (if he can go) or if he can't go, it wouldn't surprise me if Lieber gets the call. I don't like the splits for Pirates against lefties, so Hill should be push back to Philly at all cost.

Agreed. With the Cubs likely to face two lefties in Philly (Hamels and Moyer), getting Pie a start today, is almost mandatory. But I kinda hope Pie just the start against Moyer, when the Cubs go to Philly.

Don't worry, after that happens, his AARP Insurances kicks, and he would be ready to play again by 40.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/887565,CST-SPT-cubnt10.article As of right now, it looks like Jason Marquis is going to pitch tonight, with Hill going against the Phillies. I think the Cubs sent Marquis back to the hotel last night, as a way for Marquis to get more rest, knowing he'll prolly start on Thursday night. And it might be the best, seeing as the Pirates have struggled against RHs, and murdered lefties....if you need to see why........go back over the first two games of the series, hit well against Lilly, but struggled against Dempster. So, I believe we can change the "probably starter" from Hill to Marquis.

I don't think so. When I hear the GREAT and FEARED players of this league, Chase Utley is rarely mentioned. Utley is a DAMN good player, but like Derek Jeter, he's slightly overpaid, due to the "GRIT" factor. I said, slightly overpaid, he's more of a $10-12 mill per, and not $13 mill +.

No; you're probably thinking of Koronka. Welly was with Florida and Kansas City after leaving the Cubs. Or perhaps he was thinking about Jon Leicester?

Luke Hagerty? Ryan "Space Needle" Anderson?

And now he works for the Cubs, I believe.

But he'll probably be facing Jason Marquis and a tapped Cubs pen...so.. I still like our odds in that matchup. I do to. And it's a good thing it's a night game tomorrow, cause I am pretty sure these guys are worn out.

Those were the moments that make life so worth living.....but then the Cubs snapped us back into reality.... Edit: Just as I wrote that, the Cubs decided it was time to stop playing with the Pirates. GO figure...............

Because: A: The Cubs are not a normal team. and B: The Cubs fans are not normal. So we get the abnormal games.