CubsWin

Yeah, but the way things had been going, a lot of us were expecting him to trip on the way to the starting line. :lol: To expound upon your bad metaphor, this guy who looked like he could barely walk, not only didn't trip on his way to the starting line but looked like Carl Lewis getting there. Let's hope he can run and finish the race as well as he approached the starting line.

I couldn't agree more.

Nice. Thanks for the repost and link. Good to know. Is there a more trustworthy source than Bruce Miles? I don't think so...

He has got a long, long way to go, and I really don't know where it is coming from, but so far this off season, Jim Hendry is actually exceeding expectations. I didn't expect Miller to return for so little. I certainly didn't think Wood would sign for less than 3 million. And 5/73 for Ramirez didn't seem very likely either. This guy, who so many have written off, seems like a different man. Is it the departure of MacPhail? Did he consult too much with Dusty on which players Baker would like to see? What in tarnation is goin' on 'round here? In my estimation, Hendry will need the Cubs to make the playoffs this year to win back any amount of the cred he had after taking the team to within 5 outs of the World Series. He's got a lot of work ahead of him if he is going to accomplish that.

No one is saying otherwise, are they? No, but you and others are acting very condescending about this. Even with Ramirez signed, it might still be best to consider rebuilding if we don't land at least a couple of the premier guys on the market. I thought it was a bit premature to assume that Ramirez hadn't signed and wouldn't sign. Yes, there was one report on FoxSports.com. But it was far from definitive and there was no word from either Kinzer or the Cubs on the subject. Without waiting until Sunday to find out if anything got done at midnight the night before, the assumption was made that not only did the Cubs not resign Ramirez before he hit the open market, but that there was no chance of him returning even after he did. This is faithless, overreactionary stuff. And those that participated in it, like predicting a Cubs loss in a game thread when it turns out they won, deserve a little razzing. If you think I and others are being condescending, I invite you to read some of the remarks I get when I post something positive about the Cubs that is supported by facts and that some people on this board disagree with. This is razzing, Tim, but if you think it is inappropriate, so be it. Rotoworld and ESPN.com were also reporting it, that's really not an assumption. I think the reaction was based on what seemed at the time to be solid information. Not signing before the deadline didn't mean he wouldn't sign. People assumed he was gone and slammed Hendry right and left. That was the overreaction. Thank you. The opening post in this thread reads, "With Ramirez gone..." and he is not gone. How can that not be an overreaction and a defeatist's assumption? Jeez, some fans predict terrible things will happen to the team and then these terrible things don't happen and they get razzed a bit for it. Then the razzers get admonished and called condescending. But someone dares to find something positive about the team that is supported by facts or dares to defend one of Hendry's move with facts and this guy gets more than just razzed. He gets ridiculed and personally attacked. If no one else is going to talk about the elephant in the room, I will. The growing double standard on this board is troubling.

I dunno, under the assumption that Ramirez was gone, I think it's a very supportable argument that the Cubs should rebuild. And ultimately, none of us are/were privy to the information of the negotiations, so none of us can definitively say that was a mistaken approach at that time. I totally agree. Under the assumption that Ramirez was gone, the argument for rebuilding is very supportable. My oops comment wasn't about that, though. It was about the assumption. I thought that was obvious. Sorry for any confusion.

No one is saying otherwise, are they? No, but you and others are acting very condescending about this. Even with Ramirez signed, it might still be best to consider rebuilding if we don't land at least a couple of the premier guys on the market. I thought it was a bit premature to assume that Ramirez hadn't signed and wouldn't sign. Yes, there was one report on FoxSports.com. But it was far from definitive and there was no word from either Kinzer or the Cubs on the subject. Without waiting until Sunday to find out if anything got done at midnight the night before, the assumption was made that not only did the Cubs not resign Ramirez before he hit the open market, but that there was no chance of him returning even after he did. This is faithless, overreactionary stuff. And those that participated in it, like predicting a Cubs loss in a game thread when it turns out they won, deserve a little razzing. If you think I and others are being condescending, I invite you to read some of the remarks I get when I post something positive about the Cubs that is supported by facts and that some people on this board disagree with. This is razzing, Tim, but if you think it is inappropriate, so be it.

i dont see why they would risk it. if he can be effective as a reliever, they are risking alot putting him back in the rotation where he proved he cannot stay healthy. besdies if he can be as dominate as he was in his short stint this year, they can get something for either howry or dempster. Then again, he is signed to just a one year contract so if he got injured again, it wouldn't hurt the team financially. Wood would have to want to do it, too. I say if he wants to and the Cubs need him to, it would be a good idea unless he has been being the team's closer or something. I don't think he has proven he can't stay healthy at all as a starter. Just not for more than a year and a half or so. If all the Cubs needs is a few months from him, why not try it. It very well might be the difference between getting into the post season and not. Now if the Cubs sign two more dependable starters, they very likely will not have a need to use Woody as a starter in any circumstance with Miller already under contract and the wealth of young, near-ready arms in their system.

Exactly. Signing the players keeps from making a terrible team even worse, but they still need to get alot better. Hendry has, in my opinion, earned a temporary stay of execution, but he still needs to do A LOT more.This is a little off topic, but what result would be acceptable at the end of the '07 season? For me, assuming the team stays moderately healthy and doesn't lose any of their best players for vast majorities of the season, Hendry needs to get the Cubs into the playoffs to have any level of redemption. Problem is, the Cubs always lose some of their best players for vast majorities of the season. I think if the team's healthy, 2nd place, at least, is a must. The NL Central totally blows right now, which is why a division title is not out of the question with some luck and Hendry pushing the right buttons. Come on, not always.

Exactly. Signing the players keeps from making a terrible team even worse, but they still need to get alot better. Hendry has, in my opinion, earned a temporary stay of execution, but he still needs to do A LOT more.This is a little off topic, but what result would be acceptable at the end of the '07 season? For me, assuming the team stays moderately healthy and doesn't lose any of their best players for vast majorities of the season, Hendry needs to get the Cubs into the playoffs to have any level of redemption.

No one is saying otherwise, are they?

It's just a matter of time. Yep. About 5, possibly 6, years worth of time.

I would add Zito to that list and possibly one other veteran starter, but otherwise, you took the words right out of my mouth. I can live without the 2B, but Drew and the starters are crucial.

According to Buster Olney on ESPN.com, the Seibu Lions have until Tuesday 5pm, New York time, or 96 hours after the bidding ends, to announce whether they have accepted the bid. I can't imagine if the rumors about the Red Sox bidding between 37-45 million dollars are true, that the Lions management and ownership would have to think very long about accepting it. Perhaps, the longer they wait, the less believable that rumor becomes. Thanks, I updated the subject header. No problem.

According to Buster Olney on ESPN.com, the Seibu Lions have until Tuesday 5pm, New York time, or 96 hours after the bidding ends, to announce whether they have accepted the bid. I can't imagine if the rumors about the Red Sox bidding between 37-45 million dollars are true, that the Lions management and ownership would have to think very long about accepting it. Perhaps, the longer they wait, the less believable that rumor becomes.

This was something that I thought would always get done. And I'm glad it did. But its just the beginning. Whereas the Cubs did finish with the worst record in the NL and had a $94 million payroll, it seems some people continue to forget that Derrek Lee hardly played last season and Mark Prior, who previously had been injured mostly by flukes, disappeared completely as well. Those are the Cubs two best players. Take Pujols and Carpenter off the Cardinals and they are going to have a hard time getting over .500, too. So, I don't think the Cubs when their best players are healthy are actually the worst team in baseball. That, like so much else in this thread, is an overstatement. Don't get me wrong, Hendry still has a lot of work to do. I would start with J.D. Drew in CF and possibly Iwamura to play 2B if the Cubs bid on him. After that, get the best starters you can and call it an off season. How much of that will actually happen? Will have to wait and see. Maybe next time, we'll actually wait before we think we see. Way to get it done, Jim. Great contract. Now spend the savings on Drew and the best starters you can get.

Oops.

Dude, hold off until he actually signs with another team. Strokes can suck.

Yes it has. Moving on...

Sure there is, haven't you heard? Hendry is an idiot. Come on CW. There's ample evidence to support the fact that Hendry isn't good at his job. Yes, there is. And there is a huge difference between having failed and being an idiot. There is also ample evidence that he has done some very smart things. One side of the scale is far heavier than the other. I'd say that is a very supportable statement, but still debatable. Look, I'm one that subscribes to the axiom that the more a man learns, the less he knows for sure. So, from where I sit, we simply don't know enough to hold these opinions so dear and to state them with such certainty. But I'm certainly in the minority when it comes to that and not just on this board, so have at it.

I never said you couldn't call him a stupid GM. Just that it isn't a very supportable statement. Has he failed the last couple of years? Yes. Has some of his moves and non-moves not worked out and angered us? Yes. Have we called for him to do different moves than he has done? Yes. Does any of that equal that he is stupid? No.

Sure there is, haven't you heard? Hendry is an idiot. Come on CW. There's ample evidence to support the fact that Hendry isn't good at his job. Yes, there is. And there is a huge difference between having failed and being an idiot. There is also ample evidence that he has done some very smart things.

Sure there is, haven't you heard? Hendry is an idiot.

Its still very possible. Maybe even probable. Its impossible for us to know whats probable at this point without knowing the minds of Hendry and Ramirez. But according to all that has been said publicly, Hendry wants to keep him and Ramirez wants to stay, so...

To say that Hendry has failed as the Cubs GM is a very supportable statement.