Outshined_One

Buster Olney is on Mike & Mike right now. The amount of hyperbole and indignation is awesome.

That's right folks, today is the day The Mitchell Report is released. I feel like I just woke up on Christmas morning! These comments pretty much sum up my feelings on this topic. Here's my favorite:

Considering you're claiming Mojo has a mancrush on Prior, I'm willing to say you have a vendetta against Prior. Look, it's one thing if you think the Cubs shouldn't have signed Prior because he was an injury waiting to happen. Nobody is going to argue with you on that point; the guy has had enough of an injury history to merit concern that he may never return to the form that we expected. On the other hand, you're going overboard. You want us to "read between the lines" and look at "comments to reporters that bear a representation of his feelings" regarding the organization. You rip on us for not accepting your viewpoint in the same way you seem to think we're ripping you based on your viewpoint. Whatever it is you may think about Prior, don't bring it out to us to the point of being almost insulting. Don't act like those of us who support Prior are a bunch of deluded morons. We've all read Prior's comments to the media. We've all had to put up with all of the crap that has gone on since Prior's injuries started. Don't speak to us like we just started following the Cubs yesterday. There's nothing irrational or stupid about interpreting the guy's comments in a way differently from your own. Quite frankly, I don't care for that attitude. Also, considering Prior's 2003 was a "total fluke", what do you have to say about his 2004 and 2005 numbers? I think you'll find plenty of people who would be happy to argue with you that they were not just average.

Show of hands, how many people here would be angry with the Cubs if Prior came back and pitched lights out with the Padres? *Raises hand*

I'm going to hold my breath on that one. We don't know anything until it's finally released.

Here's my take... Remember the Corey Patterson debacle? How people said he didn't look like he cared? That it always seemed like he was stubborn, childish, immature, and didn't listen to his coaches? Remember how much some people just hated him around here? This reminds me a lot about that. Frankly, I think few people can fairly criticize the guy because he's not loyal, doesn't do much in the community, isn't a good teammate, or whatever. We're not privy to his thoughts. We don't know what he's like in the clubhouse. He might be incredibly private or keeps to himself. We don't know whether he does charity work. For all we know, the Cubs have been jerking him around in these negotiations and never offered him a fair deal. He could do a ton in his community, yet keep quiet about it because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself in that way. I remember a ton of people ripping on Randy Moss while he was in Minnesota, yet the guy did quite a bit of charity work out there and kept it to himself. It's one thing if you don't think he was valuable to the Cubs any more because of his potential ineffectiveness and injuries. It's another thing when you attack the guy because of the way you perceive his personality. That's just foolish. I'm sad to see the guy go. I really hope the Cubs know what they're doing in letting him go.

Nothing's been said yet. I'd like to find out about this one way or another at some point...

You think so? Lee's second half suggests to me that he should be fine in the power category. Fukudome seems more likely to be a 10-15 HR type of guy.

It seems like it. He might be leadoff material, but, with his OBP and modest power, the #2 spot would work nicely.

As a warning, you have to be really careful with Hill's career minor league numbers. In his first few seasons in the minors, Hill was Wild Thing incarnate. His curveball was almost completely out of control any time he threw it. There were a few anecdotes out there that he'd throw a curveball that would cause a right handed hitter to dive out of the way, yet would end up hitting the backstop behind the left handed batters' box. He had no control whatsoever of that pitch up until around the time when he arrived at Daytona in 2004. His 2005 and 2006 numbers were really freaking good, no doubt about it, but before then...*shudder*

I wouldn't mind having both Hill and Bedard on this team. :D However, it'll cost more than just Hill to trade for Bedard. Even if Bedard is a notch better than Hill, that difference in talent does not justify trading a package like Hill, Pie, and E-Patt for Bedard. I'd rather keep Hill and use the other two either as trade bait elsewhere or as additions to the offense.

That would make my milenium.

Endy Chavez is too steep of a price for Marquis? Seriously?

Holy crap, I'd love to see those numbers.

was comparable to my reaction.

Few are Ichiro good. Much more accurate than Sosa's. Whew, good to know we won't have to worry about more throws from RF to the backstop. I still wake up in cold sweats from nightmares produced by Alou and Sosa in the OF...

SLG tends to take a hit when a player comes over from Japan. IsoD and OBP, on the other hand, tend to translate fairly effectively.

We wouldn't be Cubs fans without this awesome annual tradition.

You are happy with the starting pitching? I'm a bit eh on the starting pitching overall, but I think someone like Khalil Greene would do the Cubs more good than attempting to trade for Bedard.

Can you hide it?

If Navin hadn't locked the other thread, we'd be able to quote previous replies showing he has a great arm. Some of us can still quote it. You're basically doing this right now: http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9889/houserunag0zm8.gif

Upgrade SS and we can call it an offseason.

If Navin hadn't locked the other thread, we'd be able to quote previous replies showing he has a great arm.

Welcome to the Fukudome. Two men enter. One man leaves.

WGN News also had their teaser involving Fukudome.