Soul

End of your argument you mean? Barrett wasn't down blocking the plate - AJ could have touched the plate without sliding and still avoided Barrett. Or he could have slid in easily and safely. Legal or not, it was a dumb, unneccary and cheap play. Legal or not is the whole argument. You want to argue the morality of a baseball play? I'm not going to get into that, because it's a bottomless hole. My argument stands. We'll see who gets the bigger suspension. I'll be waiting to hear your excuse why Barrett got the raw end of THAT deal as well. My final take? Barrett should get 7+ games for cold-cocking someone who made a fair, within-the-rules baseball play. I'm no AJ fan, never was. But Barrett's lost his head 2 times in the past week. It's time for the league to sit him down. I appreciate that he still cares, but he needs to get control of himself.

That's why a catcher blocks the plate, to stop a sliding runner from making it to the bag. Which, in turn, is why runners try to jar the ball loose. Look, this is an accepted part of baseball and has been forever, and it always will be. If you want to support a rule change be my guest. Fact is, what AJ did was legal. End of story.

You seem to have missed the point. What happens if that ball gets cut off and Pierzynski still runs over Barrett? I don't see how it's much different because in both situations, Barrett doesn't have the ball. Yes, Barrett overreacted after he got steamrolled. But Pierzynski has to be held accountable for instigating everything. What if it does get cut off? Players are taught to blast a catcher who is blocking the plate, in an attempt to jar the ball loose. I don't think anyone is teaching the "just slide because the ball might have been cut off" technique. AJ's an ass, but he did what any other ballplayer would have done, including Barrett. Mike's just frustrated as hell right now, and I don't blame him. I appreciate that he still cares in the face of this travesty. If it does get cut off I'm sure many people on this board would be singing a completely different tune right about now even if Barrett decks Pierzynski. People would be talking about how classless it was for Pierzynski to run over Barrett when the ball wasn't even coming to the plate. I highly doubt that "any other player" would have bowled over the catcher. Are you telling me that Juan Pierre would try and run over a catcher in his way? Absolutely not. And please spare me the "Juan Pierre never get's on base and the Cubs couldn't drive him in anyway" spiel because I've heard it already (not directed at you Soul but the board in general). no offense taken. I would expect any baserunner worth his salt to blast the catcher in that situation. Whether or not people on this board would have cried about it is of no consequence. Oh, and by the way: there are other people telling the runner whether the ball has been cut off or not. In this particular case, that would have been the 3rd base coach and Podsednick. The runner doesn't have to make guesses about where the ball is.

I could go with that. But remember----we can't make any changes. No, sir. If any changes are made, that's like admitting "the plan" isn't working.

this was never a potential trade. it was bruce saying that hendry valued hill so highly that he probably wouldn't have traded him straight up for dunn last year. It's very telling, too. Because Hill was Hendry's "prized prospect" and he's absolute junk. ....and Marshall was known only to those who follow our minor league system closely, yet he is far and away the better hurler.

You seem to have missed the point. What happens if that ball gets cut off and Pierzynski still runs over Barrett? I don't see how it's much different because in both situations, Barrett doesn't have the ball. Yes, Barrett overreacted after he got steamrolled. But Pierzynski has to be held accountable for instigating everything. What if it does get cut off? Players are taught to blast a catcher who is blocking the plate, in an attempt to jar the ball loose. I don't think anyone is teaching the "just slide because the ball might have been cut off" technique. AJ's an ass, but he did what any other ballplayer would have done, including Barrett. Mike's just frustrated as hell right now, and I don't blame him. I appreciate that he still cares in the face of this travesty.

I knew this season would be shaky from the beginning. But I thought, OK, I think we can pull off .500 assuming Wood & Prior miss some time. This though. This is worse than even I could have imagined. It doesn't suprise me we are last in nearly all rankings. Obviously speed can't save you devoid of all other offensive output. But heading into this season, I thought we were medicore----and I don't mind saying I was roundly lambasted for suggesting even that much. This whole thing needs to be blown up. I'd prefer a sale of the team---even if it's just a pipe dream.

the cubs have been building for the future for 98 years, its time to win right now I hear you. I wish it were possible, but Hendry and Baker have sent this team into such a tailspin we are now miles away from contention. There's always Murphy's. And HiTops. And the CubbieBear. Enjoy Wrigleyville, because the "L" flag will be flying often for the forseeable future.

Excellent point. When the Trib allows a Cub GM to sign someone the caliber of Beltran or Giles or Pedro or Colon or Vlad, I'll go into shock. His name is Derek Lee, but I get your point. Trib Sox, no question. I'm sick of having a faceless entity running my lifelong baseball passion. It's long past time someone own this team who matches the passion of the fans.

Stone and Brenly might not be the best choices, but they would certainly be better than what we've got right now.

Nice prespective there, Joe Morgan. Ahahahahaha. Zambo. That's an old saying, and it's true in all aspects of life. As Cub fans, we know by now that our team doesn't follow the rest of the world. In the Cubbie universe, losing happens even when it shouldn't , couldn't, and most certainly wouldn't. But in the case of this season, we just suck bones and that's why we can't win. There's no mystery to 2006. It is what it is. Bad baseball.

Indeed. The season has been over for weeks anyway. This means nothing, other than I wish I could trade for Barrett's upcoming vacation time.

Ho Hum. Barroid's "accomplishments" mean nothing.

That irked me too. He refuses to compete with the other ballclub in town. They've been competing with us and it won them a World Series. Our response is, "we don't want to play." Terrible. All I want to know is when we can clean house and be rid of these clowns.

We might not make 70 wins. This is bad bad. Like, '99 bad.

I heard even Todd Walker is getting in on the fan bashing now. This is truly incredible. No, Todd. You've lost 14 of 17. It doesn't matter if it wasn't your fault for getting doubled off. You lose like this you're going to get booed. Deal with it. My GOD. What is this team? It's like they're taking lessons from the Bush administration or something. "How to tank and pretend it hasn't happened," by Carl Rove. Seminar co-hosted by Jim Hendry. Can someone buy the Trib a clue, please? Or better yet, can someone WITH a clue buy the Cubs? Throw me a bone here.

Dusty. Clines. Sarge. Hendry. MacPhail.

So wait. They're going to protest the Tribune by going to the ballgame and giving the Tribune a whole bunch of money? :-k

I certainly agree with that last line. Sounds like the Cubs failed to do their due diligence, which is kind of like the way they completely ignore objective analysis, and have no clue about the demand for such players as Estes, Alf, Rusch and Perez. It's hard to imagine drafting a guy high without even talking to his coaches. If that's how the Cubs roll, then surely there's no wonder we are this bad.

That's not taking a "shot" at Hendry, IMO.

I remember doing that. Somehow it didn't translate to real life. But then again no simulated game does. Tell that to Wood & Prior.

I'd love to see Colangelo or Cuban take over this team. I could care less about the detractors to such an idea. Yeah, like current ownership is doing such a great job----let's keep the status quo! :roll:

Exactly.

He came out after the 4th inning. Len and Bob don't know why yet. I'm scared. We all know it's his legs again. No need to pretend or anything.

How are we with *BOTH* DLee & ARam on the DL?