Benchwarmer

That's what bugs the crap out of me. I watch a ton of games and listen to even more on the radio, so I hear several different broadcasters. A majority of them (especially the TV analysts) don't know a damn thing about anything outside of the 25-man roster of their own team, and they might not even know that much. Seriously, if it's your job, the thing you do everyday for a living, and you have a fairly decent audience paying attention to you when you're doing your job, you'd think you wouldn't want to come across like a complete moron. If your primary job is to sit in a booth and talk about baseball for approximately three hours 162 times a season, be prepared. If the team you cover is playing a three-game series against another team, don't you think it would be a good idea to get a basic knowledge of the opponent? Perhaps learn a little bit about some nagging injuries they might have that could be affecting performance or learn about some their top prospects? If they're struggling in an area, maybe spend five minutes finding out why, so you can talk about it on the air. Oh look, they called up a mediocre rookie pitcher to fill in for a start; might be a good idea to figure out what he throws before you go on the air. This is a main reason why people rip on Joe Morgan all the time. On the rare occasion he won't offer an opinion on something, he uses the excuse that he hasn't seen that team play much, if at all, this season. He's doing what, one or two broadcasts per week? Watch some damn video and be prepared. I know numbers are scary and all, but pick up a stat sheet and review it for an hour. It's not all that hard. Like Santo prepares for a game? "Who's that in rightfield for the Cubs, Patrick?" "How did Soriano get to third?"

who was it? Haha, he's talking about Jim Thome. I could understand why you're confused since he got essentially everything wrong in his post. Don't let facts get in your way. 2006-2008: Thome-- 111 HR, 295 RBI, .554 Slugging DLee--- 50HR, 202 RBI, .483 Slugging Easy to slurp up the Hendry Kool-Aid for some.

This team is far from great on paper or anywhere else. It's the poor decisions and lack of talent evaluations by Hendry. Take for example the winter of 2005, a local free agent, a power hitting, left handed hitter shows up at Wrigley Field. The Hendry regime treats him like a bum and like he's just a casual fan. No interest in talking to him at all about joining the Cubs. For the next 3 years he hits 61 MORE HR, 93 MORE RBI and a Slugging % 71 Points HIGHER than Hendry's pet. But we're not interested in even talking to him.

Everything I've read says that Smoltz's only hope is a one inning reliever, probably more set-up than closer. He doesn't have it any more as a starter. The guy has done alot for the game and hope he doesn't hang on too long and get pounded.

Good team on paper? How about a good team on the field? Hendry has dug a huge hole for this team and needs to be fired IMMEDIATELY!! There is no leadership on the field, in the front office or in the dugout? Lou just lets these clowns do what they want and there's no responsibility. To sit Baker and let Fontenot start last night was stupid. DLee is too laid back and he's the only guy who could be a leader. The worst part is that the core overpaid players will be here for the next two years. Nice going, Hendry. Get your resume ready.

The question becomes how the team would be helped by releasing some of the names on that list. For example, Fukudome. Why would you want to get absolutely nothing back for one of the best CF's in the league this year? Harden and Gregg are both free agents after this year and both might bring the Cubs back draft picks in free agency. Losing them for nothing could only hurt the Cubs at this point and not help them. Fontenot is at worst a cheap backup at 2B and still has 1 option left to be sent down to the minors. With both those options at the Cubs disposal, why should they lose him for nothing instead? Bradley and Z I can sort of see, although Bradley has been turning it around quite a bit and Z has been consistently good year after year and that's a hard thing to replace in a rotation. Injury risk does come into play here though. Heilman is also a free agent after the season and likely will not bring back anything in return. It doesn't really matter either way if the Cubs lose him through the waiver process or not. Soriano I would agree with that I would give up for nothing. He'll likely produce in the next couple years better than this year, but having his money available for other things would still be much better than having him for the next 5 years. And I don't think you'll get any argument on the benefit of losing Miles for nothing. Getting out from under his contract would help next year's club slightly. So there's a few names on your list that would be fine for waiving in that fashion, but there's also several names where it would be absolutely ridiculous for the Cubs to do that move. And the Cubs cannot force another team to put in a claim for their obvious bad contracts (Soriano, Miles). How would it help the 2010-2012 Cubs to let go of the rest? I stand corrected on The Shark-it was a 5 yr. $10M deal, with a $2.5M bonus. But he's just a thrower, not a pitcher. Hendry's love of Notre Dame has yet to pay off on anyone from South Bend. If you can trade any of these losers and get some salary relief, I'm fine with that. The problem is that Hendry doesn't have a plan how to rebuild and he'd just go out and sign similar players to the same type of contract. I just want them out of here. That includes Larry Rothschild. A decent pitching coach would be working with Marmol on control and pitching approach. I'd move The Riot to second and get a bona fide SS in there. Fukudome has been a bust. Zambrano is a joke. He's no 'Ace'. Why sign Bradley, a player with a long, long history of blowups and attitude problems. Get them outta here.

Yeah..yeah. Take your shots. I'm tired of Hendry going after these bums, offering them long-term, high $$$, no trade contracts. And his fascination with signing Domer pitchers who are lousy. Anyone think the Shark was worth $10M bonus? Kenny Williams shows this guy up all the time and I freakin' hate Kenny Williams. Hendry has no plan and doesn't have the ability to recognize talent. Gary Hughes(he of the stupid Hawaiian shirts) is supposed to be such a great talent evaluator and he's overrated. You're darn right I'm pissed.

This team isn't going anywhere in October but home. Hendry has screwed the pooch with all these long-term contracts that will still have 2 years to go. Here's hoping that the second new ownership takes over, Hendry and his staff are fired immediately. I would put Big Z, Harden, Bradley, Soriano, Miles, Fontenot, Fukudome, Gregg, Heilman on waivers right now and hope somebody picks them up. I don't want anything back, just clear space. None of this paying another team their salary, cut'em loose with no strings. Unless we do something drastic, this is the Cubs team in 2010.

I think I remember hearing that he was a disruptive force in the dugout and clubhouse for the White Sox. Big reason he's been a number of clubs( just like Milton).

I have to disagree on St. Louis. It's been on the decline for decades. It's lost hundreds of thousands of residents and people are not moving back. Their riverfront development is minimal(how long has the Mississippi been there?). Unlike Wrigley, Cardinal fans don't have a reason to stay in the stadium area after a game-they get out as fast as they can. The first thing Cardinal fans do in the morning is see what the Cubs did, not what their team did. Don't know if that's envy or what.

Plenty of Cardinal fans on the ledge. :-)) You would think that acquiring DeRo and Holliday would be more than enough. But their back end of the rotation starters are pretty bad. Rasmus apparently has a foot problem and Glaus is still rehabbing in the minors. With our struggles, injuries and all, to be in first place now is quite an accomplishment. No wonder St. Louis fans are sweating bullets.

While we are suffering on the Northside, the Cardinals are having their problems too. A friend is staying with us for a few days and provided the following: .

I'm in for dumping players, but because Hendry has foolishly spent $$$ and years on Soriano, Koskuke, Bradley and Lee, we have to move at least two of them. Very tough with this economy and the 4 are underachieving. I think that Harden, Marshall may have value and certainly Marmol, Ascanio, Heilman could be moved. I'd also trade Zambrano, but want the top 2-3 minor league position players in their system. Hendry has a big problem which he brought upon himself.

Did anyone notice that creep Sox fan behind home plate? He had a t-shirt on with a big 'L' and was wearing a goat's head mask. Before every pitch he did this voodoo curse move with his hands. What a clown. Then the lovely and gifted model April Rose was seated in the front row to the first base side of the plate. Very nice.

Hendry worked for the Marlins for three years before joining the Cubs. He has worked for the Cubs since 1995. Explain to me how Chad Fox having pitched for the Marlins in 2003 and 2004 would possibly qualify him as one of Hendry's "pets from Florida". You have completely owned this argument. Not to mention Hendry has worked for the Cubs longer than Fox has even been in the majors Maybe Hendry will stop bringing back his pets and start developing some talent.

Chad Fox is one of Hendry's pets from Florida and shouldn't be in the organization, let alone brought up. But Hendry has his favorites and that will be his undoing as a GM.

Was there some real behind the scenes reason that DeRosa was traded? Was he a bit of pain on the bench or in the clubhouse? I'm trying to figure out if Lou forced this deal or Hendry thought he was saving money. This is a team with laid back personalities(not counting Milton and Z) and maybe DeRosa was a little outspoken. I don't know. I liked DeRosa and we could sure use him at 2nd, 3rd and RF early.

And I'm tiring of these prima donna players who milk the media when it suits them and blame the media when their production drops. Bradley took on the responsibility by signing a long term deal and so far, he's not earned it. It's up to people like Paul Sullivan to ask the tough questions everyday and while you may disagree with it, I'd rather have the beat writers push hard than lay back. Hendry is really up against it now. Bradley-Miles-Gregg aren't performing, DLee is struggling, Z is struggling, Geo is struggling, ARam is hurt, etc.. DL Bradley till he's healthy, bring up Jake Fox and play him in RF.

I had high hopes for this kid when we drafted him so high. If I remember correctly, Harvey was looking forward to 2007 when he could RF(replacing Sammy) and send blasts onto Waveland. Now, I don't even know where he's gone. What happened to him? I know his swing had some holes but did the coaching help?

I hope one of these days that there's no one there to stop LaRussa and he charges somebody and gets his clock cleaned. He hated it when Dusty would fire back at him and throw at some Cardinals. He is a tool.

LaRussa really is a comedy act. He can't take a Cubs beating like a man, he's got to do some silly conspiracy theory. It's the umpires favoring the Cubs with calls, it's the Cubs stealing signs, it's the Cubs throwing inside, it's everybody else's fault but his team. :-)) I don't see Lou doing that. =D> =D>

I think it's a combination of both. Really good hitters seem to recognize the pitch, where it's going in the strike zone, can they hit it well, do they just foul it off or take it. Yogi Berra who was a notoriously bad ball hitter created a real problem for pitchers, becase he'd swing and hit pitches nowhere near the strike zone. Frank Thomas was often criticized for taking strikes, looking for the perfect pitch.

Jiggets is a deep thinker compared to high school drop out North. It's North/Jiggetts or Mike/Mike on ESPN. Which one is going to talk more about the Cubs?

I know this is a little late, but Comcast's 'Monsters in the Morning' had a Harry Caray impersonator on this morning and he was just great. I think they may replay the highlights at 11PM(CST) tonight. I miss Harry's style and this guy had it down perfectly. "Do you know what Kevin Gregg spelled backwards is? Blown save."

Like Len said today, because of Gregg's leg-if Lou gets him up, he's going in to pitch. I thought he looked pretty good today also. Don't miss Kerry Wood in the slightest.