UMFan83

This thread will allow me to test the new smilies: :clapping: :confused: :blush: :rotfl: :blink: :blackeye: :lol: :shock: :scratch: :glare: :banghead:

Ty Cobb ....oh wait, he's already in there (just playing OMC)

Any updates today? Edit: Shameless attempt at 160

Why is that hard to believe? They were 6th in the based on record last season, and 2 teams were within 2 games of them. Some teams have improved, while some Cubs fans believe that the rotation really overachieved last season and is bound to regress. They were also 2 games from having the 3rd best record, pythag-wise. We can debate progression/regression for every team until the end of time, but the Cubs were relatively easily among the Top 8 teams last year, and they've improved the roster. It's irrationally pessimistic to have them as low as 8th. And I think its irrationally optimistic to have them as high as 3. I know I'm the boards (mostly) sane pessimist, but I really don't think its irrational to htink the Cubs will be the 8th best team in the NL this year. Your point about teams being bunched together between 3rd and 8th only proves that there are a lot of teams that are in that 87-80 win range. A couple flukey wins here and there and a 3rd best team becomes an 8th place team. If someone looks at a team like the Dodgers, who won 80 games last year and the Brewers who won 83 and sees them both improved more than the Cubs, thats not irrational.

Why is that hard to believe? They were 6th in the based on record last season, and 2 teams were within 2 games of them. Some teams have improved, while some Cubs fans believe that the rotation really overachieved last season and is bound to regress.

2 weeks ago this news would have upset me.

Also as someone mentioned in the thread that never ends, PECOTA projects BRob's WARP at 6.6, which would be the highest on the Cubs and would give the Cubs a 3.3 WARP boost over DeRosa. Maybe we need to get this guy.

best moment i've ever had at a sporting event...simply electric. That was the best moment I've had at a sporting even until.... last September when the Cubs entered the 9th down by 2 to the Reds and Aramis Ramirez roped that game tying double followed by Mark DeRosa's game winning single. I think the Barrett moment was cooler, but the situation behind the Reds game was a lot more dramatic. The Cubs entered the day 1 game up on the Brewers, and at the time of the 9th inning, the Brewers had already won. What a feeling.

Quite odd PECOTA is projecting the Cubs to have a slight better offense, and the Brewers to have better pitching. I would have thought it was the other way around.

Not sure if Spring Training Parks count, but I will include them ALW Los Angeles Angels X (Fenway) Oakland Athletics X (Cell) Seattle Mariners X (Cell) Texas Rangers X (Memorial Stadium - Baltimore, Ho Ho Kam) ALC Chicago White Sox WX (Wrigley, Comiskey, Cell, Chase Field) Cleveland Indians X (Comiskey) Detroit Tigers X (County Stadium, Clearwater Park in Florida) Kansas City Royals X (Fenway) Minnesota Twins ALE Baltimore Orioles X (Memorial Stadium, Camden Yards) Boston Red Sox WX (Fenway, Cell, Wrigley) New York Yankees X (Cell) Tampa Bay Rays X (Fenway) Toronto Blue Jays W NLW Arizona Diamondbacks WX (Wrigley, Chase Field) Colorado Rockies WX (Wrigley, Chase Field) Los Angeles Dodgers W (Wrigley) San Diego Padres WX (Jack Murphey Stadium, Wrigley) San Francisco Giants W NLC Chicago Cubs WX (Wrigley, Chase Field, Cell, Miller Park) Cincinnati Reds W Houston Astros W Milwaukee Brewers WX (Wrigley, Miller Park) Pittsburgh Pirates W St. Louis Cardinals W NLE Atlanta Braves WX (Some stadium in Florida for Spring Training, Jack Murphy Stadium Florida Marlins WX (Some stadium in Florida for Spring Training, New York Mets W Philadelphia Phillies WX (Wrigley, Clearwater Stadium in Florida) Washington Nationals W And for the heck of it... Montreal Expos WX (Olympic Stadium) Looks like the only Major League baseball team that I am not sure if I've seen in person is the Twins.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to actually feel disappointed if this issue gets resolved one way or another anytime soon. I honestly can't imagine my life without this thread.

Why don't we sign Mike Sweeney for a bat off the bench? He's still available and has a career .369 OBP/.492 SLG

Donaldson can't be traded til a year after he signed. And trading one of our few good prospects for more things we don't have a pressing need for is not a great idea IMO. It's definitely not a need. But I wouldn't mind having literally 5 inning games. Can you imagine how a team feels going into the 6th inning down by a run and having to face Wood, Howry, Marmol, Nathan? It would also help our weak backend of our rotation. You don't need to rely on Lieber and Marquis going 7 innings every time

Man that lineup is an Adam Dunn or Khalil Greene away from being an NSBB approved team.

Any way we can trade like Dempster, Ceda, Donaldson and Wuertz? Or am I waaaaaaaaaaaaaay lowballing? Basically I don't want to give up Marmol, but I would assume any trade for Nathan would include Marmol. If we can keep him though CL - Nathan 8th - Marmol 7th - Howry 6th - Wood LHR - Eyre

BCB linked to this in Al's blog entry today, and I thought I'd post it here. Raido calls from Len and Bob, Pat and Ron, and Bob Uecker during Aramis' walkoff against the Brewers last June 29th. Pitchers and catchers only 2 weeks away.... http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/story/2007/6/29/185350/258

What? Brad Wilkerson has signed with Seattle... which wouldn't make much sense if this trade doesn't go through, what with Ibanez, Ichiro, and Jones set in the outfield, with Sexson at first, and Vidro the DH. Yeah, it was a move that originally was intended to be made after the Bedard trade as as countermove for losing Jones. They were originally holding the signing back until after Bedard was dealt, but I'm assuming they signed him because either A) they are just about set to acquire him or B) They are still confident in the deal, and Wilkerson's agent is getting pissed that this verbal agreement isn't going through yet.

Haha, that's crazy. I've checked this some, but haven't posted much in it. I just haven't cared until it finally now looks like it will happen. And don't get mad at me if I insult E-Pat (assuming that's what your name refers), I just have this personal hate towards him. It's funny you bring that up, my username is because I'm from East Peoria, Illinois. The irony is that Patterson was a Chief the summer I was an intern there. So no, it's not for Patterson, but I do like the guy. Did you interact with him at all? What is he like? We all heard about his issues with being tardy and stuff and the impression that it leaves us of him.

Someone on Orioles Hangout said that Pie wasn't in the deal. I think he had a source too, but I'm too lazy to check. If it was 2 for 1 without Pie, maybe its Gallagher/Colvin.

WAIT! STOP THE PRESSES! Are you trying to tell me that a Roberts to Cubs deal is close??

Mark him down for the DL Edit: Oh and hopefully 18 is the only thing that Geovany Soto takes from Jason Kendall.

If this is indeed what is holding the trade i would imagine that the deal can be announced tomorrow or saturday. If the mariners fix the paperwork this afternoon i would imagine Sherill and Jones would get check by the orioles tomorrow and then the deal would get announced. Anyway i can't imagine what the reaction would be in here if Roberts gets traded to the indians the next day after Bedard is gone. :lol: At this point I'd just laugh hysterically. Or start talking with a British accent like Britney Spears.

Here are the average rankings thru the first 11 results: 1. Mets - 1.0 (highest - 1, lowest - 1) 2. Dodgers - 3.2 (2, 7) 3. Phillies - 4.2 (2, 7) 4. Cubs - 4.9 (2, 8) 4. Diamondbacks - 4.9 (2, 8) 6. Rockies - 5.5 (2, 8) 7. Brewers - 6.0 (2,9) 8. Padres - 6.6 (2,10) 9. Braves - 6.9 (2, 9) -------------------------------------------------------- 10. Reds - 10.1 (8, 12) 11. Astros - 11.9 (10, 15) 12. Cardinals - 12.7 (11, 15) 13. Nationals - 13.2 (11, 15) 14. Marlins - 14.0 (10, 16) 15. Giants - 14.1 (11, 16) 16. Pirates - 14.8 (12, 16)

Is this the new Random Chat Thread?

I'd like to hear your arguments. This is what I said in another thread: My argument for the Diamondbacks is that just about their entire lineup consists of highly regarded prospects playing their in their first and second MLB seasons last year. Considering that they managed to have the best record in the NL last year despite their prospects learning on the job, I would expect vast improvement from their lineup. If they produce like last year, you are right. But they obviously got a lot better in SP, essentially replacing Livan Hernandez with Haren and Petit with Randy Johnson. FYI, the Diamondbacks team OPS by month: April: .714 May: .757 June: .700 July: .706 August: .715 September: .811 Playoffs vs. Cubs: .890 The problem with the D'Backs is offensively, they don't have one sure thing. Their whole team is like 23 years old. They could be very good if they all take big steps, but they could be terrible if none of them do (offensively at least). More than likely, they will be below average with an great starting rotation. Randy Johnson will probably be hurt at some point though. I can see them being in a lot of close games this year, so if they get lucky/manage their bullpen perfectly or whatever made them outperform their pythag last year they can be a contender, but it seems unlikely. At least to me. I agree they are very unproven. I think by the end of this year, you will see Justin Upton emerge as the teams star, with Eric Byrnes, Chris Young and Connor Jackson playing minor stars. Combine that with a 1-2 of Webb and Haren and you are going to see the DBacks wreck some havoc in the league.