Arnold Layne

Ahh...."hopefully", "promising". Right up there with "crapshoot" and "ahh shucks".

#26th: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/farm-system-value-rankings-part-one/ NLC farm system values: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/3/5/780647/nl-central-farm-system-val http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9266 The Cubs' farm system is poor, especially at the upper levels. That's because from 2003-2006 the organization had some of the worst drafts around. Taking them one at at time: In all honesty, I'd love to see the reports indicating the improvment. I'd love to see the system improving.

Except that it's not a myth. The Cubs getting swept in the first round last year and the Cardinals winning it all in 2006 prove it. If you look at the Cardinals in the years preceding their WS ring, they were knocking at that door. It wasn't surprising they were capable of going to the WS after getting healthy. NLCS in 2002, World Series in 2004, NLCS in 2005, World Series win in 2006. That's no fluke. That's consistent knocking on the door. The real fluke was the Cubs record in 2008.

More Hendry goodness: http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3848691&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dlaw_keith%26id%3d3848691 27th ranked farm.

Suddenly I've stumbled into Teentext.com

No kidding. Seems like built-in excuse in all honesty. The Cubs can't win a game in the post season? Crapshoot. The Cubs can't compete for an inning in the post season? Crapshoot. The Cubs can't win a WS in 100 yearS? Crapshoot. Just the luck of the draw. No one is accountable for anything.

Ahhh..more of the Great Jim Hendry: MSNBC 7/30/2009 Chicago Cubs: General manager Jim Hendry tinkered too much with a good thing last winter — foolishly giving Milton Bradley a three-year deal, and sacrificing Mark DeRosa and Jason Marquis in the process. And now he's given up two high-velocity right-handed arms in Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio to fill a left-handed need he failed to address previously, and received only marginal talent in return — Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow. //nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32245552/ns/sports-baseball/page/2/

Absolutely. See the sports columns talking about the Cubs system. Yes, and they get fired eventually. Hendry seems to have some church buddies in charge of his job. Hendry is better than most GM's? No, I think a sound and well researched hire would do a better job with a top five NL payroll every year.

Did any of those players come back in the same season and help the arch rival win the division? Because that's what we may be looking at here.

Agreed it is the worst move in since brock. Letting Greg Maddux walk in his prime was peanuts compared to the awesome power of a 35 year old middle infielder in the final year of his deal who was coming off a career year. I'd love to see the look on your face if DeRo ends up with 25+ HR, 90+ RBI and a Division Title with the Cards while having something like $40 million less to work with than Hendry. If you don't think DeRosa was bungled, you're on your third great big jug of apologist Kool-Aid.

He's a "mixed bag" with a top five NL payroll every year of his tenure. That's not acceptable. The Cubs system is openly mocked by various outlets, and he is known for one of the worst contracts in MLB.

He should be fired for Aaron Miles at the very least. If not that, trading away DeRosa to the Indians for scraps, which ultimately put DeRosa on the arch division rival in one of the most embarrassing Cubs GM moves in decades. That move continues to haunt this team.

Hendry's greatest move since Aram and Lofton has been tying his hands with his own contracts this trade deadline. He can no longer mess up the team and will hopefully be fired in the offseason.

Please never bat him leadoff again. He's fine.

I could care less about his ego. The problem is that he's ten times the baseball announcer than anyone in the Cubs booth, both the TV and radio side. I don't want to be friends with him, I just want a quality baseball broadcast.