cubfan1955

I have the utmost confidence they can pull it off.

But that was a team that should have won 95 games. And in fairness to Jim, we didn't know Wood and Prior were walking disasters yet going into 2004. Agreed, but it's not like those two alone are the reason for the 2004 collapse. You look at the team the Cubs had on paper at the end there and it still boggles my mind they didn't win up to 95 games. Everything just fell apart those last two weeks, and I'm still not even sure why. Two words: Dusty Baker I thought it was Steve and Chips fault? :twisted:

All of the Cubs baserunning woes are the result of a very poorly managed and coached team from top to bottom. A young guy sees a veteran try something like that and Baker defends him in the press so they give it a shot too. I guarantee that if it had been Jones, Aramis or someone like that Dusty would have defended it as a good agressive play that just didn't work out. Much like the Neifi bunt with 2 outs in the 9th.

With Lee and Soriano both poised to receive top free agent dollar you can rest assured the Cubs will only make a slight gesture to sign either. Just like Beltran and others.

But saying that the minority handles the heat better is implying they will play better (in the summer heat). I'm not saying Dusty is a racist. He's just ignorant. As was Campanis. If the racist shoe fits one it should fit both. whoa, ignorance = racism? Where does that come from? You say "I'm not saying Dusty is a racist" then you say "if the racist shoe fits one it should fit both." So are you saying Dusty's a racist? Dusty said he handles the heat better. Whatever you infer from that statement does not mean that was Dusty's intent. Dusty didn't say either player was better than the other, he made an observation that darker skinned folks handle heat better. So maybe a white guy gets burned or has to use sunscreen or sweats more, he didn't say "White guys can't handle heat. So on hot summer days I only play black guys." Again, if you're going to come to the table and declare Dusty a racist, you're going to need more than that. Again, I don't believe Dusty is a racist. Just ignorant. I feel the same about Campanis. I don't think he is the grand puba of the KKK but he was fired for his ignorant remarks. I guarantee if a white coach of the US bobsledding team made the same statements about whites handling the cold, snow, or ice better than a black he would be fired immediately. There is a double standard in this country today and that's not a good thing either.

I would be equally offended by both and consider the person saying them as ignorant.

But saying that the minority handles the heat better is implying they will play better (in the summer heat). I'm not saying Dusty is a racist. He's just ignorant. As was Campanis. If the racist shoe fits one it should fit both.

Controversial, yes, but racist? The evidence isn't there. If one is racist and in the league for as long as Dusty has, shouldn't he have a string of incriminating incidents and quotes by now? Do you want to really pretend to know what's in his heart? I'm sorry but when you say "He honestly believes black people are quicker and better in heat, and therefore better at baseball", that's pure conjecture. You have nothing to back it up. Say what you will about Dusty's managerial skills and I'll most certainly agree with you: he's not a good game manager. But let's stop with the racism crap. Dusty's quotes are on about the same level as Al Campanis a few ago whom was promptly labeled a racist and fired. Al Campanis said: Dusty Baker said: CNN Transcripts: CNN Transcripts

Neifi leaving is the best thing to happen to the Cubs since 1908. You can't have too many threads about that! :D

You know, just to be safe, they should trade us Utley for Pierre. We'll keep him out of Rowand's way. Throw in Izturis and we're good to go. :lol:

I hope the sniveling little rat is bitter.

I guess Neifi didn't think too much of Mateo when he plunked ol' respected Roger?

What the hell does that mean? Anyone who uses race is a racist by definition, whether or not they're sending hate mail or celebrating one's accomplishments. What's the difference between "you suck, " or "that is actually pretty good"? I don't think that's what cubfan1955 was saying. I understood him to say that "true racists" hate certain groups and will hate them even when they're doing well. Whether they use racial slurs to speak negatively or positively about someone wasn't the distinction. The distinction was whether the subject of their hatred was good or bad at his job. Apparently "true racists" voice their racism at all times, whereas racists who aren't "true racists" only voice their racism when a player isn't doing well and possibly even cheer when the subject is performing well. That doesn't make any sense. Are we now measuring degrees of racism? I think there are degrees of racism. Some racists believe all minorities should be killed and wiped from the face of the Earth. Others just think they should be killed if they can't pitch, hit, throw, or manage. Both are deplorable but they do exist.

What the hell does that mean? Anyone who uses race is a racist by definition, whether or not they're sending hate mail or celebrating one's accomplishments. What's the difference between "you suck, " or "that is actually pretty good"? Sorry, poor choice of words on my part. Yes they are all racists. My point was that the Cubs black players have generally been treated well and not ALL Cubs fans are racists (in fact I'm sure the percentage of Cubs fans that are racists are no greater than any other team). If they were, every black player that has ever played for them would be receiving that type of thing and to my knowledge they haven't. It's never justified to send anyone hate mail or death threats whether it's a hall of famer going after a record or manager that isn't capable of filling out a decent lineup card.

I'm not sure. He was playing in Atlanta and the KKK was going strong in the south back then so I'd just venture a guess that some of them were Braves fans. I would also guess racists have their priorities. Hate over baseball team.

Not to mention that the most popular Cubs(Zambano, Lee) are minorities. Interesting how no one sends racist hate mail to players who don't suck. I'm not psychologist, but it seems to me that these morons are going more along the lines of "hey you suck, AND you're black." Wouldn't a true racist hate anyone who was not in their preferred ethnic group, regardless of how good they were? Yes, the ones that sent death threats to Hank Aaron as he approached the Babe's homerun total were true racists. He was good and they still hated him. As far as I know, and I could be wrong, but I don't remember hearing of Banks, Williams, Jenkins, Dawson or Sosa getting any death threats. Well, Sammy might have after he fell out favor but you get the point.

I must be missing something when I look at Izturis. His stats are almost identical to Neifis both career wise and for the season. And he's younger, which for a player that sucks means he has more years left to suck than Neifi. There is just absolutely no upside that I can see to having Izturis. The Maddux deal would have been better for the Cubs if they had just given Maddux to the Dodgers. Why Hendry traded for a guy that can't hit and can't get on base to play for a team that can't hit, can't get base runners on, and can't score is a mystery to me.

Maybe I just don't hang with racists because I've never heard another Cubs fan say that he dislikes a player because he is black. It's always because a player just isn't good in that persons opinion. I think if a black player gets booed a lot of people just assume it is because he is black. That's the easy excuse anyway. That said, no one should ever send hate mail of any kind for any reason. I really don't get what anyone would get out of sitting down and writing a hateful letter to a player. Even if it's just to tell him he sucks without even mentioning race. Does the letter writer think it will serve as motivation to play better?

No, I don't think Hendry would stand on the rooftops and shout how a player he traded for sucks but...you can tell just by listening to him that he is real proud of himself for landing Izturis. Plus he has that "fox in the henhouse" look on his face when he talks about Izturis. Too bad he'll wake up and realize he's in the outhouse instead of the henhouse soon.

I agree about the day games. Too many 2nd half swoons to support the notion that it doesn't make a difference. The stadium is only a problem because this team wasn't built to fit the stadium and we continually get clubbed to death by other teams. A team that plays in Wrigley needs to be able to out homer other teams and out pitch them too. It looked like we were headed that way after the 2003 season and then the wheels fell off.

I fear he'll be back no matter how they play. The dude hasn't had his horses for a couple of years now. :cry:

I don't think Hendry views Izturis as untouchable. I think he'd go in the right deal. I didn't say he was untouchable. Just that Hendry really believes he's found his SS for 2007 and won't even attempt to deal him. Now if someone makes an offer he can't refuse (Choi for Lee comes to mind) then yeah, he'd probably deal him. Make no mistake it about though, Hendry really likes Izturis.

Izturis has won a gold glove and made the all star team once and Hendry thinks he pulled a coup by getting him. He ain't going anywhere.

Yes...they really are out of it.

August 20, 2006. It really should be declared a holiday from this day forth.