Outshined_One

That pretty much sums this thread up.

He was a relief pitcher for only one year with TCU; prior to that he was a starter at his JC (or it may have been his CC?). As a starter, his stuff wasn't particularly impressive for whatever reason. However, TCU moved him to the bullpen and made him their closer, which worked out pretty well for him since his stuff improved dramatically.

Part of me hopes Ramirez opts out just because it'd give the Cubs incentive to blow the team up, trade off veterans, and basically spend a year focusing on rebuilding the farm system and developing young players. Even if Lee and Lilly come back, Ramirez leaving would really hurt the team offensively, especially considering the lack of quality 3B that will be available in free agency and down on the farm. However, if Ramirez comes back, I could talk myself into thinking this team could compete for the division. I'd really, really, really hate myself for thinking it, but the lineup could hit reasonably well. The rotation and bullpen should be halfway decent, too.

And the two best players thus far both have z's in their name - Kurcz and Szczur. Minor League Splits really hates Szczur when you neutralize luck and park.

It's kind of weird that the most impressive 2010 draftee so far is a 10th round relief pitcher. Granted, Aaron Kurcz has the potential to be a really good relief pitcher...but still.

Box Scores Iowa won 8-5 Box Score CF S. Fuld 1/4, BB, R, K SS D. Barney 2/5, 3 RBI, 2 K RF B. Snyder 2/4, R, RBI, 2 K 1B M. Hoffpauir 1/4, R, 2 RBI, HR (13), K 2B B. Scales 1/3, R, RBI, HR (5), 2 K, HBP DH B. LaHair 1/3, BB, R, 2 K C C. Robinson 1/4, R, K, E (1, throw) LF J. Dubois 0/4, 2 K 3B M. Camp 3/4, 2 R, RBI, 2B (11), E (12, fielding) SP J. Samardzija 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6/3 K/BB, WP, 2-5 GO-FO RP C. Martin 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3/0 K/BB, WP, 0-2 GO-FO RP Y. Gonzalez 0.1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB RP B. Schlitter .1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1/1 K/BB RP S. Maine 1.2 scoreless, 3 H, 2/0 K/BB, 1-1 GO-FO Daytona won 5-2 Box Score 3B DJ LeMahieu 2/4, R 2B R. Flaherty 1/3, BB, R C M. Brenly 1/4, R 1B R. Ridling 1/4, 2 K RF K. Burke 2/4, R, 2 RBI, 2B (24), K SS J. Lake 0/4, K SP B. Raley 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 8/0 K/BB, 8-3 GO-FO RP J. Leverton 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2/0 K/BB, 4-0 GO-FO Peoria won 10-0 Box Score SS HJ Lee 4/5, BB, 2 R, RBI, 3B (4), HR (1) 2B L. Watkins 2/5, BB, 2 R, RBI, 3B (6) 3B M. Cerda 1/6, R, 3 RBI, 2B (13) 1B J. Bour 2/5, 2 R, RBI, 2B (16), K DH DJ Fitzgerald 4/5, R, 2B (10) LF N. Perez 2/5, R, 4 RBI, HR (5), K RF JH Ha 0/5 SP N. Struck 6 scoreless, 2 H, 6/2 K/BB, 4-7 GO-FO RP D. Keefe 2 scoreless, 2 H, 1/0 K/BB, 3-2 GO-FO Boise won 7-2 Box Score SS E. Soto 1/4, R 2B P. LePage 1/4, R, RBI, 2B (9) 1B R. Jones 2/4, R, 2 RBI, 2B (11) LF M. Szczur 3/4, 2 R, RBI, 2B (8) DH C. Huseby 2/4, R, RBI, 2B (2) 3B A. Alcantara 0/3, RBI C M. Gibbs 0/3, BB CF KM Na 0/4 SP A. Kirk 5 scoreless, 3 H, 3/1 K/BB, 5-4 GO-FO RP M. Loosen 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2/2 K/BB, HBP, 0-3 GO-FO RP A. Sosa 1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 1-1 GO-FO DSL Cubs 1 lost 6-4 Box Score CF O. Zapata 1/5, K 2B G. Amaya 2/5, 2 RBI, 2B (5), K SS M. Hernandez 1/4, CS (9) RF D. Arcila 0/3, BB, K DSL Cubs 2 lost 7-4 Box Score 1B G. Jimenez 2/4, 2 RBI, K Tennessee and the AZL Cubs with an off day OVERALL: 4-2

Creditors? I'd be shocked if the Ricketts paid for the Cubs out of pocket.

I just hope the Cubs realize how important Ramirez is to this team... I remember how pissed I was when we almost lost him a few years ago. I remember the epic Aramis Ramirez to test free agency thread, where we all jumped off the cliff. If he keeps this up, get ready for a repeat this offseason.

Definitely something that should be monitored, but good news, all things considered.

Do we know exactly what happened to Trey? No official word yet. The Cubs might have him on a low pitch count to help combat any ill effects of dead arm, but I think that's really unlikely. Just keep your fingers crossed that it was something minor like cramps.

Hendry could always get the Dick Jauron treatment: find a replacement for Oneri Fleita or find yourself a new job.

Me either. I really only hate Lee and Theriot. Even then, they don't hold a candle to outright jackasses like Todd Hundley and Jacque Jones.

The weird thing is, I don't actively despise this team nearly as much as I did in 2002 and 2006. They just suck and it's kind of sad.

I look forward to everyone hating said draft pick either when the selection is made or when he's a 20 year old in AA.

You cannot go into into the deadline looking to shed payroll without a general manager can you? Remember, Hendry's duties have been scaled back a bit following his health scare awhile back and Randy Bush has been working as Assistant General Manager since 2006. I'd imagine that Bush could come into Hendry's role and at least have an idea of where the organization stands, what teams are interested in the Cubs' players, and which prospects/young players the Cubs want to target. I don't know if he'd do as well as Hendry, but he probably could do a respectable job. I wouldn't recommend it this close to the deadline, but it could be done.

I can kind of understand Ricketts being supportive of Jim Hendry if he has no intention of firing Hendry now. If you come out and say you'll fire him in the offseason, why not fire him now and get it over with? That said, I'm going to be ticked off if Jim Hendry is still GM come next season.

The guy who screws up the least. That actually is a pretty good description.

Ryne Sandberg, come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn down!

He pitched an inning a few days ago. I have no idea what's going on with him.

Box Scores Iowa won Game 1 of its DH 9-2 Box Score CF S. Fuld 2/4, 2 R, 2 2B (8) SS D. Barney 3/4, 2 R, RBI RF B. Snyder 0/2, R, K, HBP 1B M. Hoffpauir 2/3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (12) 2B B. Scales 1/3, K LF B. LaHair 2/3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (13) DH J. Adduci 0/3, K C C. Robinson 0/3, K 3B M. Camp 0/3 SP C. Coleman 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0/1 K/BB, HR, 15-4 GO-FO Iowa won Game 2 of its DH 4-3 Box Score CF S. Fuld 1/3, R, 2 RBI, HR (4) SS D. Barney 1/3, 2 SB (10) RF B. Snyder 0/3 1B M. Hoffpauir 0/2, BB 2B B. Scales 0/2, BB DH B. LaHair 1/2, R, 2B (23), K, HBP LF T. Wright 0/3, K C W. Castillo 1/3, R 3B M. Smith 2/2, R, RBI, 2B (14) SP HW Chen 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2/2 K/BB, HR, 5-7 GO-FO RP D. Cales 1 scoreless, 1 H, 1/1 K/BB, 2-0 GO-FO RP S. Maine 1 scoreless, 0 H, 0/1 K/BB, 0-3 GO-FO Tennessee won 4-3 Box Score CF T. Campana 1/4, CS (16) RF B. Jackson 2/4, R, 2B (6), K 3B J. Vitters 1/4 1B R. Canzler 0/2 BB, RBI, K C R. Chirinos 1/4, K DH M. Spencer 1/4, R, K LF B. Guyer 2/4, 2 R, K, SB (14) 2B T. Thomas 2/4, 2 RBI, 2 2B (20), E (12, fielding) SS M. Gonzalez 1/3, BB, RBI, E (16, throw) SP M. Mateo 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4/0 K/BB, HR, 4-1 GO-FO RP R. Buchter 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2/2 K/BB, 4-0 GO-FO RP J. Muyco 2 scoreless, 4 H, 4-2 GO-FO RP A. Shafer 2 scoreless, 0 H, 3/0 K/BB, 1-2 GO-FO Daytona won 6-2 Box Score 3B DJ LeMahieu 3/5, R, RBI 2B R. Flaherty 2/5, R, RBI, 2B (23), 2 K DH M. Brenly 3/5, K RF K. Burke 1/5, 3 K 1B R. Ridling 2/5, R, 2B (24), K SS J. Lake 2/3, R, RBI, 2B (11) SP K. McNutt 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1/1 K/BB, Balk, 1-2 GO-FO (Left due to a blister: Link) RP C. Lambert 2 scoreless, 2 H, 1/0 K/BB, WP, 3-0 GO-FO RP A. Maestri 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2/0 K/BB, 3-2 GO-FO RP D. Patton 3 perfect, 3/0 K/BB, 5-0 GO-FO Peoria with an off day Boise won 3-0 Box Score SS E. Soto 1/4, R, RBI, 2B (2) 2B P. LePage 1/3, BB, RBI, 2B (8) 1B R. Jones 1/4 LF M. Szczur 1/3, BB, R, SB (1) DH C. Huseby 0/4, 2 K C J. Vigurs 2/3, BB, 2B (1) 3B W. Darvill 0/4, RBI, SB (3) CF KM Na 2/4, R SP JY Serrano 5 scoreless, 3 H, 2/1 K/BB, WP, 7-3 GO-FO RP C. Rojas 2 scoreless, 1 H, 1/0 K/BB, 3-1 GO-FO RP A. Kurcz 2 scoreless, 0 H, 2/0 K/BB, HBP, 4-0 GO-FO AZL Cubs won 9-8 Box Score 2B V. Bieneme 2/6, 2 R, RBI, K 1B R. Cuneo 4/4, BB, R, 2 RBI, 2B (9) 3B D. Geiger 1/5, R, RBI, 2 K C C. Romero 2/5, R, 2 K SS D. Harrington 1/5, R, RBI, 2B (5), K SP H. Ackerman 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1/0 K/BB, 3-2 GO-FO RP YL Wang 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 6/1 K/BB, HBP, 3-2 GO-FO RP R. Hartman 1 perfect, 2/0 K/BB, 0-1 GO-FO Both DSL teams PPD OVERALL: 6-0!

Daytona scored 3 runs in the 1st. They didn't score again until the 19th.

Jim Hendry responds, plus Sandy Alderson also weighed in.

Zambrano pitched a perfect inning down in Mesa today, striking out one.

Milo Hamilton is an embittered old bastard who could never get over the fact that Cubs fans loved Harry Caray and didn't care much for him.

I once thought I had mono for an entire year. It turned out I was just really bored.