soapy

I think those saying Lee over reacted are possibly under estimating what it must be like to have a 90 MPH fastball come at your head/face and then have the culprit of the pitch laugh it off. I only got as far as HS baseball and didn't have a 90 MPH at my head, but I took one about 80 MPH off the helmet on a pitch I was sure was intentional (I was the starting pitcher and had hit their best player the previous inning). Honestly, that pitcher could have stood there and said nothing, but I was still going after him. That's a far cry from the situation/responsibility a MLB star like Lee faces obviously, but I can at least appreciate what he might of been thinking on some (small) level. I'm quite sure he wasn't thinking clearly and I think it's understandable.

Jones. hahahaha....i'm sure this will go well.

:shock:

It is on Lou. Everyone knew Marquis had to come out. I didn't. They weren't hitting him. He got what should have been an inning ending DP. He hadn't thrown that many pitches. I don't see how you can assume he's done there. well, he was getting really wild too. i'm not watching but pat and ron sure seemed to think something was wrong. whatever. i'm sure they would have found some other way to blow it anyway.

hahahahaha....color me shocked.

I didn't see it as an excuse at all. He basically said he knows he's better than he's played (and better than Lou thinks) and he's going to prove it. The Cubs have (IMO) basically ignored his very productive 2005 and 2006 and given him a demotion he doesn't deserve (after denying him the playing time he deserved and, possibly, contributing to his struggles). Would this happen to someone of Jones' status? Floyd's? Of course not. They're "proven" and will/would be given every oppurtunity to break out of a slump. Look no further than Jones for exhibit A. And Murton has been as good as Jones the last two seasons. Hell, believe it or not he's been better than Jones this year.

cubs lose 19-17 in 12 innings. all 17 runs come in the 1st.

Lou was saying the right things during spring training, and although he isn't Baker-bad with his love for veterans he's close to it. A good manager would not allow Jones or Izturis in the lineup, period. Both of them bring absolutely zero to this team. Unfortunately, I get the impression this is more the norm for managers than the exception. Especially ex-players.

This blows. I'm biased by my love for Murton, but I really loathe the way he's been used by Lou. It's really a shame. I understand that sending him down at this point may be the best for him, but it should never have come to this. They've basically eliminated the one guy from their team that can bring them a solid OBP (exactly what they need the most) at little cost. That's how you take a $100 million team into the fecal league standings. Inexcusable. If Floyd's options vest, my head is going to explode. Just get rid of Jones already and go with a Murton/Floyd combo. I was glad to see Murton's reaction in the press. Something along the lines of "Two months of sporadic at-bats does not define a player."

IBL

i'll go out on a limb and say the cubs lose in agonizing fashion.

I do think it was Jones. I was thinking about that last night and it seems like he's started basically every game since that "meeting". I don't know if that's true or just perception tho. I look for Fred to confirm/deny this in 3...2...1...

Lou's better than Dusty, but he's nothing great, so far. Pros: -starting pitcher usage. not as much abuse (aside from last night, but that was sort of an extreme case). this was far and away my biggest concern before the season. for the most part, he's kept pitch counts at a reasonable level, IMO. -Theriot and Fontenot are getting regular playing time dispite their rookie status. I hope that continues. -more emphasis (or so it seems) on walks. both taking them for hitters and limiting them for pitchers. this is still a problem, but i'm guessing the coaching staff can only do so much. -Pie (seemingly) becoming the primary CF. Cons: -J. Jones continues to play regularly and hit in key spots in the order. There is no rational explination for this. Murton and Floyd are both better options (even Pagan at this point). -bullpen usage. still defering to veteran guys too much even when they continue to fail. -5th starter. old news, but Miller in the rotation was a joke and probably cost the cubs a few games. then he couldn't decide if he wanted Guzman there or not and started jerking him around. stupid. -Murton should be playing more. I have no problem with he and Floyd platooning, but there is no rational reason why he would be behind Jones. I'd be happy to see close to a 50/50 split between Murton and Floyd. -the lineups annoy me, though that's not a huge deal. Jones hits high too often, and Soriano/Pie isn't exactly an ideal 1/2. Not sure who is though.

if the cubs win again, there should probably be some sort of investigation.

Sadly I had already considered Hendry doing something like this. And thankfully there's a great chance this is Hendry's last year. But if the sale takes time to go through, that will delay the overhaul, potentially leaving Hendry in charge of decision making during the free agency period. don't do this to me, goony. just stop. i'm going to have nightmares about this. Hunter is just the perfect Hendry-type player. Yuck

it sounds like the injury came from stepping awkwardly on first base and has zero to do with hustling or any lack thereof.

Yeah, that touches on what a few of us have been theorizing might be happening with Z. when you look at this and factor in the abuse he's taken over the last few years, it's hard to believe there isn't an injury there. honestly, it was pretty gut-wrentching to read the abuse Wood has taken in HS, from Riggleman, and from Baker. They really should be ashamed. Unfortunately, Baker will never accept any responsibility for any of this. That is a shame. At least Rigglemen admitted that he probably should have done things a little differently.

this is not going to end well for zambrano. loss

I finally got around to reading that Kerry Wood article in the NYT and this part made me think of Carlos (along with many others):

tough choice, but I went with 4-3 for a few reasons. 1) what they gave up to get him; 2) seeing him leadoff every single day; and 3) so many people think he's good.

had to go with Dusty because i'll never forget/forgive the way he abused Wood/Prior/Zambrano.

I think it was mainly to make room for Pie. Reports that Floyd and Murton were also DL candidates suggest that the main purpose of the move was to bring Pie up. Someone had to go on the DL to make room for him and they decided on Ward. I think all three of them really are banged up, but none of them bad enough to really need to go on the DL. Of course, unless somebody (hopefully Jones) is traded by then, another decision will need to be made when Ward is eligible to come off the DL. They may just get rid of Ward when he comes back from the DL. I think that's more likely than moving Jones, unfortunately.

honestly, i don't understand how lou doesn't lose it. i can't imagine being in charge of this bunch of bums right now. i would have gone crazy by now if i was him.

the biggest concerns for me are Soriano, Lee and Jones. I didn't expect a whole lot from Jones, but i expected more power than this. floyd and murton are concerning, but not as much so because i just didn't expect as much, power-wise.

Real changes? Like firing the manager and most of the coaching staff, then spending $300 million on FAs? Or are you referring to firing the GM and hiring a new GM that actually has a 3 year plan to get and stay competitieve? Hendry had a plan as well until that plan started to fail and his job was on the line. Hendry has a plan, but usually a bad one that changes every year so nothing ever gets accomplished. Hendry & Snyder(Redskins) should get together. Hendry's Snyder's kind of guy. To hell with player development, just take all the cash and blow it on the latest FA's, put together your ballclub like a jigsaw puzzle and then act shocked when it doesn't work. the worst thing that happened to the cubs may be their 2003 season. when they got that close, hendry thought the cubs were right there and began to mortgage the future with trades and/or big contracts thinking the cubs were just a move or two from a championship. the fact is they were lucky to get into the playoffs in 03 largely based on houston's choke job and the combo of Wood and Prior. on topic: i'm not finding it funny, really. at the same time, i don't have the kind of rage that's usually there when they lose. i seem to be finding it depressing lately because the division is so bad and the cubs still aren't good enough to win it (or so it seems).