UMFan83

Gritty indeed. Really nice work Ryan.

I'm sorry, I'm not usually one of those guys who picks apart every move a manager makes....but Lou has been awful this series. I can't believe some of the moves he is making.

How the hell did this moran win a freaking Silver Slugger??

So it looks like 6 weeks of sparse playing time has affected Cedeno's ability to play well.

I don't know if anyone noticed, but apparently Pujols left the game tonight after being HBP. This is a second hand story from my (Cardinals fan) roommate, so I don't know where he was hit or if it was precautionary.

Man Marquis really enjoys pitching to the heart of the order doesn't he? Once he sniffs Giles or Gonzalez, he just throws balls until he gets to them.

I just realized, Marquis is scheduled to be pitching on Sunday Night Baseball at Dodger Stadium. Wow we're going to be embarassed on National TV

Wow was that Jacque Jones or Juan Pierre in center? I can't tell.

I think Lou might seriously be considering removing Marquis from the rotation.

I'm surprised that Lou isn't sending the runners to third and home.

I'd prefer half-strength swings. C'mon you know theres a difference between a fast uppercut swing and a regular swing.

Lou you idiot. I know it worked but...you idiot.

I don't know why Lee has shown the HR swing multiple times in this AB. I don't think many HRs will be hit tonight.

How about he steps into one?

I hate to hear "runners moving" with 0 outs...even if Mr. DP himself is up.

I would rather have 7 Todd Hundleys, 6 Jim Edmonds' and 12 Mel Rojas' on my team that 1 Jason Marquis among an otherwise solid team.

Hmm. The walks have been a smidge down. Interesting, considering we're winning. Because we've been hitting. But as we know (see 2003-2006 Cubs), the hits don't always come

Why don't the Cubs walk anymore?

Woah, just because I try not to get sky high when things are going good doesn't mean I'm always a pessimist. I'm just not one of those guys that say "OMG we are for certain the best team in the NL and on June 2nd I can definitively say that we are talented enough to ensure a World Series appearance". OK, I am generally a pessimist, but I am not outright dismissing the Cubs chances in October. I am basically saying that all things equal, the playoffs are a crapshoot, and pitching is the one thing that can quantify a team's chances in October. So instead of hoping that Soriano happens to not be in one of his 2-30 spells when the playoffs arrive, I'd rather know I can count on having 2 lock down starters in October who consistently pitch to the best hitters in baseball. Look, the list of teams that have started out equally hot or more as the Cubs and flopped either before the playoffs or in the postseason is numerous. Do you know how many 100 win teams this decade have crapped out in the first round of the playoffs? It's more than a couple. The 2007 Mets, the previous years NLCS loser, and loaded with talent, started out 37-21. Sound familiar? I know these posts are going to make me seem like the board's doom and gloom guy. I really am enjoying the Cubs play, and I'm not trying to bring anyone down. They really can win the World Series this year. But I am a realist, and I know that teams like the 2002 Red Sox, who started 42-15 and didn't make the playoffs, the 1977 Cubs (47-22), the 69 Cubs, etc etc have been there before and let their fans down. I look at the Cubs starters as not good enough, and I think its essential that we pick up a front line starter to ensure we have a good October.

If there were any semblance of logic in the O's front office, we would have Roberts. Can't really blame Stone for not foreseeing that kind of stupidity. Big mistake by them. Anyway, Hendry has a history of getting major deals done when the Cubs are legit contenders at the deadline (last year notwithstanding). With the Cubs on the cusp of a possible championship season, I could see him giving up whatever it takes (if he has enough, that is) to attempt to secure that championship. We'll see. Possibly. Hendry has never been in a position where he was overwhelmingly ahead of a playoff spot, which is where he would be if the Cubs kept winning at a decent clip. I could easily see Hendry being content with a team that is playing at a 103 win pace and assume that if its good enough to win in the regular season, its good enough to win in October, which we all know its not. I have to take issue with the bolded. It's good enough to win now, and it's good enough to win in October, especially if we have home field advantage. Adding a pitcher would just further improve those chances. Ehhh...I don't know. It could win. I just can't see us matching up against Webb and Haren four times in a possible 5 game series with Zambrano, Lilly and Dempster. The Cubs face a pitcher the caliber of Webb or Haren maybe twice a month in the regular season. In the playoffs, they will be facing them much more frequently. Not to steal a stereotype (especially one that has been proven wrong on a few occasions), but pitching wins in October. I'm not discrediting the fact that the Cubs could win as currently assembled, but at this point, I wouldn't put us as the unanimous favorites in the NL. We're right up there, but I think the DBacks, despite their slippage, and the Phillies are still right up there. At this point we basically have to hope that we are the hottest team coming into October.

If there were any semblance of logic in the O's front office, we would have Roberts. Can't really blame Stone for not foreseeing that kind of stupidity. Big mistake by them. Anyway, Hendry has a history of getting major deals done when the Cubs are legit contenders at the deadline (last year notwithstanding). With the Cubs on the cusp of a possible championship season, I could see him giving up whatever it takes (if he has enough, that is) to attempt to secure that championship. We'll see. Possibly. Hendry has never been in a position where he was overwhelmingly ahead of a playoff spot, which is where he would be if the Cubs kept winning at a decent clip. I could easily see Hendry being content with a team that is playing at a 103 win pace and assume that if its good enough to win in the regular season, its good enough to win in October, which we all know its not.

Can Brian Roberts be a frontline starter? Adam Dunn? I am not used to needing pitching (or at least being set with offense)

i dunno. he is a pretty damn good hitter, one of the best in the league... most people don't realize it though, because he plays in a small market with a cavernous home park. Agreed. Though I think his point was, no one gets the better of the Carlos' and lives to tell about it.

Hmmm... :-k

some of the rare sounds of Padres fans Are you sure those weren't Cubs fans? :)