Soul

If we could just do something with the runner on 1st instead of auto-DPing every damn time.

35 games in 34 days is going to be tough for them. But then again they are the luckiest team in the history of baseball. Let's just take care of business and try not to worry about them. Luckiest? Do I sense some animosity or jealousy? Let's call a spade a spade, shall we. I thought he was being a little generous. He should have said the luckiest team in pro sporting history. Any team as craptastic as last year's Cardinal team that wins the championship can't be considered anything other than lucky as hell. Absolutely. Who else could count on 2 vastly superior ballclubs laying down for them in playoffs? Only the Cards.

Brewers radio hosts called this series the "series of the year" for the Crew.

Just because his fingerprints are on the team, doesn't mean he deserves to stay. Saying all a new GM would need to do is fill the bench also doesn't factor in. Besides, I think it's untrue. Seriously, that's a terrible reason to keep a GM around. Who cares if his fingerprints are on the team. That's the point. His fingerprints are all over the team and the team isn't good. That's exactly why you get rid of a GM. +1 So explain to what a new GM could do? Sit as a mostly lame duck? What? A lame duck is a guy who everybody knows is going to be leaving the position in the near future. A new GM would clean up the mess that Hendry created. They would have to fine tune a roster that's ridiculously expensive for the quality of product on the field. There's plenty to do for a new guy. This isn't some rock solid roster that doesn't need changes. +1 8-) OK, I'll stop now.

Just because his fingerprints are on the team, doesn't mean he deserves to stay. Saying all a new GM would need to do is fill the bench also doesn't factor in. Besides, I think it's untrue. Seriously, that's a terrible reason to keep a GM around. Who cares if his fingerprints are on the team. That's the point. His fingerprints are all over the team and the team isn't good. That's exactly why you get rid of a GM. +1

Soriano can't save this team. We will need Lee & ARam to start hitting better or we're not going to make the playoffs.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the whole idea of "America's Team." God, it's so insulting.

I think goony's point was the timing of the sale might somewhat force the new owner to keep Hendry around for one more year. Personally, if Hendry doesn't come through this year, I'd be willing to hire a GM late for '08, or even go with a temp GM and just use '08 as a clean house year. Don't keep failure in your organization just because of timings or silly things like that. Make it clear from the beginning that failure and poor performance will not be tolerated. This is the primary thing an owner can do, IMHO, other than provide the payroll funds -- set the tone of the organization, and set it from the beginning.

Yeah but he threw more innings than that last year. As a starter, with a set schedule and 4 days rest in between. It's not just innings, it's innings as a reliever. He's already got 40 AAA innings as a starter this year as well. He's thrown with 0 or 1 days rest 33 times this year. If he keeps up this pace and the Cubs make the playoffs, his total innings pitched this year will reach 115+. I would doubt there's another reliever on a playoff team that comes anywhere close to that number. It's alarming, I agree.

If they have an owner that wants to win, he'll go. Yeah, I'd think any new owner would fire him if he missed the playoffs. Afterall he wouldn't be their guy. Depends on when the sale is finalized. If it goes in early 2008, I could see the new owner taking spring training as well and April/May to decide whether he wants to fire him or extend him. If it happens earlier, hopefully they can him, playoffs or not. But if it's the Canning group, which is reportedly friendly with McDonough, then I could even see a situation where they miss the playoffs, finalize the sale in October/November, and still keep the front office intact. Hendry may not make good baseball teams, but he's managed to satisfy more than one executive. Given all the Cubs fans who still want to blame luck, and not bad management decisions on the Cubs failures under Hendry, it wouldn't be suprising if the new owner felt the same way. I find that very unsettling. If the Cubs miss the playoffs this year I expect Hendry to be let go.

Yeah but he threw more innings than that last year. Primarily as a starter. It's asking a lot for a guy to throw that many innings split into 3 or 4 different outings a week. I'm definitely concerned. I just don't know how else we can stay in this race, especially since Woody has yet to shut people down. If we can't shut teams down in the 7th & 8th, with our offense I'm afraid we're going to have little chance.

This was posted in the game thread and backs up my assertion that it was the right call. Kendall is more likely to take ball four or hit the ball on the ground in that situation than he is to swing and miss. With most players I wouldn't make that move, but I would with Kendall. It eliminates the more likely outcome of grounding into a double play and also increases the chances of him getting a hit (even slightly) because the middle infielders are on the move. As was also mentioned, Theriot and Jacque aren't your ideal guys to hit a sac fly either. Good decision by Lou, poor execution by Kendall. I just wish Jason could have gotten the damn bunt down so we wouldn't be arguing about this and we might even be 2 1/2 games up right now.

Hahahahha, Cincy finishing above the Cubs and Brewers? Wow thats a real pipe dream. I know. I mean, I realize that they've won 6 in a row but come on. It's the Reds. Yea, and we are the Cubs, so whats your point? That they have a bad team this year and the Cubs don't. Our pitching is heads and shoulders above theirs, their offense is heads and shoulders above ours. We are an average team who had 1 big hot streak. Who knows this could be the time for the Reds, and their average team, to have their 1 hot streak. Team OPS: Cubs: .738, 9th in NL Reds: .771, 6th in NL Team ERA: Cubs: 4.00, 3rd in NL Reds: 4.98, 16th in NL Team RS: Cubs: 596, 8th in NL Reds: 637, 4th in NL Team RA: Cubs: 546, 2nd fewest in NL Reds: 695, most in NL The Reds pitching staff is downright bad (re: worst in the National League) and, while the Cubs offense is worse than the Reds, it isn't by a significant margin. Like I said, the Cubs, as a whole, have a better team than the Reds do. Will you kindly inform the team of this so they can stop stinking to high heaven? Thx.

In the name of all that is holy can we please kill this thread?

Actually, I was hoping Jason wouldn't fail to bunt the runners over which would have kept us out of the situation entirely. I was also expecting that he wouldn't swing at an obvious ball 4. The pitch wasn't close, which is why he missed it.

Why? Even if it works, I'm complaining. Yeah right. Yeah so, I'm the first to call out decisions that are bad even if they work We hadn't scored since what? The 3rd inning? Sorry, but that was not a bad decision, it was bad execution. Kendall couldn't execute the bunt, and then he couldn't execute with the runners moving. It's that simple. Why would you send the tying run with 0 outs in the 9th when he's already in scoring position. It makes no sense. so you don't need a hit to tie it up? But I hated the call. Valverde is a strikeout pitcher. Fontenot isn't fast. Too much risk. Sucks it didn't work out. I don't see how anyone can defend that call. 0 outs, runner already in scoring position, top of the order coming up. I was fine with bunting, but why take that big of a risk? It's not that big of a risk: Kendall grounds into a double play with runners on base a greater percentage of the time than he strikes out with runners on base. You add in the fact that there's a small possibility that Fontenot can beat the throw to 3rd base even if Kendall does strike out (and the small benefit of the runners moving if Kendall gets a hit), and the odds easily favor the runners moving in that situation. It's not something you do with many hitters-but Kendall strikes out so infrequently and grounds into enough double plays for it to be a good move. No it isnt if he swings and misses its a more sure double play than if he hits the ball. Plus, If there is a double play the way we did it keeps the lone runner on 2nd. The other way odds are we have a runner at 3rd. Again, the risk of a Kendall strikeout is much smaller than a Kendall ground ball DP. If Lou managed by counting on a DP ball to have a runner @ 3rd with 2 outs instead of trying to get runners @ 2nd & 3rd with 1 out, I'd be calling for his head right now. That would be asinine. Look, Jason blew the bunt attempt, then he swung at ball 4 when he knew he had runners moving. Jason let the team down today.

Well, I disagree wholeheartedly but I'm not going to get into an argument tonight, I'm feeling like shooting a bunch of small animals or something.

Why? Even if it works, I'm complaining. Yeah right. Yeah so, I'm the first to call out decisions that are bad even if they work We hadn't scored since what? The 3rd inning? Sorry, but that was not a bad decision, it was bad execution. Kendall couldn't execute the bunt, and then he couldn't execute with the runners moving. It's that simple. Why would you send the tying run with 0 outs in the 9th when he's already in scoring position. It makes no sense. Because your hitter just failed to move the runners over and you want Pie to force a throw to only first base on a ground ball. That can only happen if you start the runners. It didn't work, but the end result of the Kendall AB needed to be runners on 2nd & 3rd with 1 out. That's why he had Jason bunting in the first place.

Why? Even if it works, I'm complaining. Yeah right. Yeah so, I'm the first to call out decisions that are bad even if they work We hadn't scored since what? The 3rd inning? Sorry, but that was not a bad decision, it was bad execution. Kendall couldn't execute the bunt, and then he couldn't execute with the runners moving. It's that simple.

he's set up for the k now.

It's amazing how many baserunners this guy is giving up and still in a position to nail down a 1 run save.

Unbelievable. I feel like a balloon that has been popped.

That was a good call, sir.

Yeah Lou becomes a teddy bear and veterans forget their little league training. Gotta love it.

Great job Jason! Christ do I have to sell my soul to get a baseball club that can do simple things?