dalgreen

No way.

Baker's veteran fetish is ridiculous and moronic, but let's not forget that Hendry knew this when interviewing him and when hiring him. Hendry "enabled" Baker's veteran disease by making vets like Burnitz, Macias, Hollandsworth and Perez available to him. To me, Hendry doesn't get let off the hook just because it took a "butt-whooping" in Atlanta halfway through the season to open up his eyes.

Was this before or after the injuries to Wood, Prior and Nomar? I thought it was a playoff team back in March, if and only if Wood and Prior remained healthy the whole season. That's when I criticized Hendry for taking such a large gamble on two pitchers with a history of injuries. I also think poor baseball decisions be it personnel decisions, managerial choices, baseball philosophy, etc. have been the curse of the Cubs and not some stupid goat.

The Cardinals have been better than the Cubs, overall. One thing that few Cardinal fans want to point out is how much easier it is to win when your starting rotation and bullpen can remain intact for a full season. Even with a healthy Rolen and Walker, had you missed Carpenter and/or Mulder for an extended period of time you wouldn't have clinched the division last night -- it might have waited to next week or the week after or not at all, but it definitely helps to have a healthy starting rotation and bullpen. And when you speak of having healthy pitchers that's where luck does play a part.

Sadly, I agree. I think you'll hear some boos then some others will feel obligated to drown out the boos by standing and cheering. Just as some other poster stated. I can't believe McGwire retires by sending a fax to ESPN, not the Cardinals, then does everything but admit to using steroids and the fans will be totally forgiving. One guy who should be upset is Tony LaRussa who went way out of his way defending McGwire throughout the whole Canseco allegation, only to find out that it's extremely likely that McGwire did take steroids. Yet if Tino Martinez came back he would get booed. :scratch:

Your opinion would be more valid if the Cub ownership allocated less money to Hendry than what Cardinal ownership allocates to Jocketty. Or do you think they gave Hendry $100 million and told him, "spend it unwisely." The Trib has more in the way of resources than the Cardinals will ever have, yet the Cardinals run rings around the Cubs when it comes to scouting, development, etc. because the Trib will pour in just enough to be competitive and keep the fans coming back. You can't just look at player salaries. You have to look at the entire organization. I agree with you that it's a total organization thing than a payroll thing. However, one reason why the Cards have been successful than the Cubs in the last 11 years (not to mention the last eighty years) has been better personnel decisions. The "experts" have said the Cubs have had the better minor league talent for some of those 11 years, but we haven't been the recipients of this so-called talent. And, remember, stockholders buy shares of the Tribune Co. because of its main purpose -- mass media, not the Cubs. Now if we can get a million stockholders who only cared about the Cubs and not the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, KPLR-tv, WGN-tv, KWGN-tv, and the dozens of other media outlets than maybe we can toss more and more out there. But I still contend that we haven't had people making smart decisions with the dollars they do have to work with. I believe JC mentioned Jeromy Burnitz as an example, and that's a good example. Remember Hendry was interested in him as early as 2003 when CPatt was hurt. Why? And why did he still have this fixation with him two years later when he wasn't being courted by others? This thread isn't meant to be turned into a Sosa vs. Burnitz thread, but this is an example of poor decisions made by the Cubs that turns a high payroll into a moot point. If you're going to spend $87 million or $100 million stupidly then you might as well only have a $70 million payroll.

Your opinion would be more valid if the Cub ownership allocated less money to Hendry than what Cardinal ownership allocates to Jocketty. Or do you think they gave Hendry $100 million and told him, "spend it unwisely."

It all comes from the culture of an organization from the top on down. I moved to St. Louis the same year that Anheuser-Busch sold the Cardinals to its current owners. I will never forget Mark Lamping's (Cardinals President) first press conference. He said, "Any season that we are not contending for the division title will be considered a disappointing season." I know that's a little different than what Pujols was saying, but after 11 years, I'm still trying to find a quote by MacPhail that is similar to the one Lamping made.

Well I read in the Post Dispatch that the Cardinals have invited, and he's accepted, Mark McGwire to attend with other former Cardinals on the final weekend of the season at Busch Stadium. So my question is when he's announced would you boo, cheer or stay quiet? It's not surprising that he'd accept since he probably knows the majority of people will cheer for him like they did in 1998. What astounds me is if Garry Templeton came back he'd be booed to no end, and all he did was flip off the fans. Funny, but who deserves more of an ovation from a baseball fan - Mark McGwire or Jose Canseco?

I think you're missing my point. What is the big deal that Barrett is one of the best offensive catchers in the game? It only matters on the Cubs because our offense has been so bad. Barrett's numbers wouldn't mean so much on this team had we had a couple of high OPS guys in the outfield. I would hope that's one of Hendry's priorities during the off-season.

When you have a lineup like the Cards, you can afford to have a weak hitting catcher. That's my point. The fact that he's one of the best offensive catchers in the league would be a moot point if we can pick up a couple of high OPS outfielders.

I don't want Blanco being the everyday catcher either. As to moving Barrett to the outfield, he already is below average defensively at his position (catcher). My point is I would rather have a below average defensive outfielder than catcher. As to his offense as an outfielder I agree that he might be considered less than average. maybe a platoon (with Burnitz?). The overriding point is that the Cubs have to get better defensively and catcher is a good place to start. I don't want to come off as disliking Barrett because I do like him, but I have never thought of him as being a "smart" baseball player. If you move him to another position, I could easily see him taking his glove to the plate and having a bad offensive year.

I still wonder why some of the people who advocate trading Lee because his trade value is high don't say the same thing about Barrett. His offfensive numbers are only good on this team because this team's offense is so bad. If we had big time OPS guys in the outfield his offensive numbers wouldn't be as crucial. If you could generate the same kind of offensive numbers from the outfield that Barrett produces, I would rather have a great defensive catcher and give up on the offensive. After all the Cardinals and Astros seem to have done okay with Matheny and Ausmus as their catchers over the years.

Who cares about the bathrooms? Are you going to NOT go to a baseball game because the area that you take a whiz doesn't have a butler in it? People don't go to baseball games to take in the asthetic (I know that's spelled wrong) beauty of the crapper. I hate it when people badmouth Wrigley by saying their bathrooms are nasty. WHO CARES! EDIT: In other words... what Vance and DJAXXFAN said. I don't think it's any more or less of an issue than cigarette butts on the sidewalk outside of Busch Stadium. I wish he would've mentioned that there are way too many mullets at Busch Stadium.

Yes, if a Cardinals media bags on Wrigley, or the Cubs, I would expect you to call them on it. Don't expect me to defend Hrabosky, or Bernie. As for Buck, saying that a stadium has "small clubhouses" is alot different than saying that a stadium is "dumpy", and "not a real ballpark". Like I said, even if your wife is ugly, it's not OK for others to say that your wife is ugly. Sullivan can write what he wants, and Cardinal fans are certainly free to unload on him. Why would I call them out especially if it's the truth? I guess that's what happens when you pretty much run away with the division and that's all you have to be concerned about. Thanks for the reminder, there are a couple of STL media who have said that Minute Maid isn't a real ballpark. My guess is that every ballpark has been criticized by opposing fans/media with the exceptions of Dodger Stadium (Dodger fans get criticized) and the newer stadiums minus Minute Maid. I still think it's the small market insecurity. Anyway, I would think you all would be more concerned with Willis, Beckett and Burnett than some hack writer from Chicago, who many Cub fans don't like.

Man, Cardinal fans get so sensitive. The small market insecurity shows up again. It's part of the territory. Most media dogs out other teams' park. Where is the criticism when that idiot Hrabosky moans about the small visiting clubhouse at Wrigley? Or when he calls Shea Stadium a dump. Or when McLaughlin speaks of the "quirkiness" of Dolphin Stadium, or when Buck talks about the small clubhouse at Fenway. I'm sure Bernie Miklasz has been critical of ballparks, too. You give Sullivan too much credit by getting upset at things that others admit are true.

Id' go Carp, Marquis and Mulder or Carp, Mulder and Marquis depending on the schedule. Basically, you should want Marquis pitching on three days' rest and Mulder pitching at night. I don't know if their series will be a Tuesday, off Wednesday and play Thursday or not. The Cards, and especially Mulder, better root for the Astros because if the Cards play the Marlins none of those games will be night games.

Trachsel has made a lot of money throwing a baseball. :wink: Correct me if I'm wrong Dal but hasn't Mitre had a lot of success pitchng at the AAA level? If he was getting lit up there I'd agree with you in a second but he has something to offer and I'm curious if it just isn't a mental thing for him. I just don't get hung up on our minor leaguers as others do. Mitre has shown me no development at all from his first time with the Cubs and now. You'd think by now he'd show some sort of improvement or at the very least not be known as just a question mark. Regarding success at AAA, I think that can become irrelevant after some time. I just don't see why he's not in the rotation by now, or at least the sixth man other than he's just not that good. When a team "thinks" it's in a pennant race like the Cubs do they don't really have the time to fiddle around with a pitcher like Mitre. I'm not saying he's the best pitcher out there but he has some value and IMO in time he will be a decent 4 or 5 guy for a team that has the patience to let him have his ups and downs and gain confidence. I do understand what you're saying and I just think Mitre is a player that is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Again, not dominating but a functional 4 or 5 guy. As long as he's a #4 or #5 on another team I'd be fine with it. He is a guy who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he created the situation. As I see it now going into 2006, he'd be behind Williams, Rusch, Hill, Nolasco and Pinto (I could add Guzman to the list, but it's long enough already) for a spot in the rotation. Two years ago no one would've thought he would fall that far behind. If we deal him and he becomes a great talent, so be it. I doubt it, but so be it.

Trachsel has made a lot of money throwing a baseball. :wink: Correct me if I'm wrong Dal but hasn't Mitre had a lot of success pitchng at the AAA level? If he was getting lit up there I'd agree with you in a second but he has something to offer and I'm curious if it just isn't a mental thing for him. I just don't get hung up on our minor leaguers as others do. Mitre has shown me no development at all from his first time with the Cubs and now. You'd think by now he'd show some sort of improvement or at the very least not be known as just a question mark. Regarding success at AAA, I think that can become irrelevant after some time. I just don't see why he's not in the rotation by now, or at least the sixth man other than he's just not that good.

Although Mitre was used wrong last night by Baker, I have long been through with Mitre. Other than straight loyalty, I don't see what some posters still see in Mitre. I have seen no real improvement from him from last year or the year before. Other than the two dominating starts against Toronto, and the other team escapes me, I have not been hopeful of him. The loyalty of fans to him reminds me of the loyalty shown to Steve Trachsel.

Thanks for your time, Len. We hear about "getaway day" in baseball. So how much time does it actually take from the last pitch of a game to the time the plane takes off at the airport?

Am I being paranoid for thinking that Hendry would be highly interested in getting Encarnacion? He just seems to be the type of player Hendry likes.

Why do you think Griffey would okay a trade? He's seemed pretty set on remaining in Cincinnati to date. I think anyone is tradeable. Threaten to put him on the bench, and he suddenly becomes more open to moving on. I heard that the Reds' owner(s) is looking to sell the team. A Cincinnati businessman is very much interested but told current ownership if Griffey was dealt he would no longer be interested in buying the team. I either heard it on a Reds broadcast or another team's broadcast whose team was playing the Reds.

I'm not so sure that Sean Casey doesn't deserve it this year. The guy only has 2 errors. TWO! That's pretty sporty. And he's slightly ahead of Lee in ZR and RF. Granted, I'm not sold on ZR and RF at all, but I'm not sure of any other way to quantify defensive excellence. Unfortunately, the gold glove seems to have become as much an offensive award as defensive award. My bet is that Lee gets it.

I'll be glad when Cardinals fans can see Edmonds as the fraud he is. Average speed+playing shallow center= lots of catches with your back to the infield. He has an accurate arm, but his arm strength to me is distorted because he throws guys out from shallow center as opposed to medium to deep as other outfielders do. His catches outnumber the number of balls that get over his head and I think that's why he's not called out on it. He's a good defensive CF, but in the same breath the most overrated as well. There's a bozo sports-talk host who had the audacity to say that Edmonds is the best defensive CF in Cardinal history. Call it selective memory, I guess. There is no ball that Edmonds has gotten to that Flood nor McGee couldn't. Both of those guys would've caught Perez's ball last night even if they played a shallow CF. Oh yeah, Edmonds never played at Busch when it was 386 to the power alleys and 414 to dead center.