Soul

I haven't read the whole thread, but for my part, the point is that we DON'T have that on the Cubs, so expecting some grand result just because we switch to Brenly is highly unrealistic. Give me the equivalent of Schill/Johnson in the rotation, and Gonzo OPSing in the stratosphere? Take your pick of managers, we're going to win, unless the rest of the roster is completely laughable.

Agreed, but that doesn't mean that it's a good idea to settle for a manager who does it too often like Brenly. Yeah, I don't get the Brenly thing either. The man had Schilling and Johnson, both in the prime of their careers, both having lights-out seasons. Dusty would have won in that situation too. So would a bunch of good managers. What's your point? I mean, I'm cool that people don't agree with me on him as a potential manager and all, I just think the "he had too much talent around him" reason is silly. That doesn't tell me a thing about him as a manager. I can't speak for anyone else, but my point is this: why center in on Brenly over the average manager on the street? You yourself say you can't tell what he's about. OK, great: let's hire some other guy then. Same difference. Most people want Brenly because he won a World Series and he's being presented to them daily on broadcast TV as a color analyst. These are extraordiarily bad reasons to want a guy as a manager, given his world championship came at a time & place where most other managers would have succeeded too.

Agreed, but that doesn't mean that it's a good idea to settle for a manager who does it too often like Brenly. Yeah, I don't get the Brenly thing either. The man had Schilling and Johnson, both in the prime of their careers, both having lights-out seasons. Dusty would have won in that situation too.

I don't know about luck, but they are definitely pretty sucky.

I wish I had confidence that July would be better.

I guess you either love him or you hate him.

I didn't realize Lou would be lowly-regarded among players. How does Torre make the top 5? Seems like he would be a pretty good manager to play for.

Goodell has shown many times he's going to bring down a heavy hammer on these guys, so I'm not surprised. I don't know what's right or not, but I do know that any player who thinks he's going to get any kind of deference from this commissioner better think twice.

fixed That acronymn was in use from the day Miles signed a contract with the Cubs.

Um, how is the Cubs talent level rising fast in the minors? I don't really see how they have been doing "just fine" in the draft. They may have plugged the dike, but they aren't exactly thriving down there. Just in starting pitchers, you have 3 from the 2008 draft that are already in AA. That's awfully fast for three different ones to be there already (and the two that have been there for a while are having success, while the other just got there). In Daytona, you have a 4th starting pitcher from last year's draft who just got moved up after having success plus two 19 year olds who are doing well for their age in that league. That's what I meant mostly about rising fast. The Cubs are starting to have real prospects start to hit the higher levels of the farm system, and they have plenty more behind them in Peoria and Boise (some would say that when you add the Koreans in that Peoria and Boise have the most talent of any of the levels, although Tennessee is really starting to make a case now). With progression of these prospects to higher levels and a couple more drafts like the last couple, the Cubs system should be top 10-15 if not better in another 2 years. That's what I mean by doing fine..the Cubs system had to be completely repopulated and they have been doing that. They don't have a lot of stars, and if they don't get more stars they'll probably never reach the top 3-4, but they are on their way to having a very deep system of good prospects. And remember, they've already traded away one of their good prospects from the last couple drafts, and he has to be included when talking about how well they've drafted as well (Donaldson). I hope you're right, and they better continue to rise. Because right now I'm starting to get a bit nervous about the intermediate future of the major league club.

I think you could turn any conversation into a US history conversation. Not necessarily, but Andy Pafko will forever be linked with the War because he was on the last Cubs pennant team in 1945. In fact, the book he wrote the foreward to is titled "The Wartime Cubs and the Pennant of 1945" You need to go on that History IQ show. Could win a few bucks.

I just find it amusing that DeRo winds up on the Cardinals. I'm sure Jim thought that he wouldn't have to endure the Cub fans giving standing ovations to DeRo anymore since the Indians left town. Now he'll be coming to town more. It's just one more thing in an ever growing list of things that are piling up in the "negative" column for the '09 Cubs.

Rogers is so bad I don't even blame him anymore. I blame whoever it is who lets that junk out the door.

That is very cool.

Except that he's won more than 14 games 3 different times. Never mind the fact that hitting Wise would have absolutely nothing to do with him not winning 14 games. What an idiotic booth the White Sox have. A whining, hillbilly moron and an arrogant, bitter know-it-all. I don't know how Sox fans can deal with them. Well, maybe I do. Once he said "has never won more than 14 games" any other analysis seems pointless. The man apparently doesn't think knowing facts are important in his line of work.

I recorded it, but haven't watched it yet. Last night was fireworks in Madison :) Only about a month until training camp starts and I can begin forgetting about the '09 Cubs. I'm starting to get excited.

Nope. Can't make a trade either. It's about a month to start of Training Camp, by the way.

He's a bit like a wind up toy. Ask him to go off on something, and he will almost always oblige.

Was I wrong to think there would be Hendry discussion in here?

I don't know. I don't think he's a terrible manager. Neither do I. Every team has a segment of fans who will just come out to the ballpark to get drunk watching a 90 loss team. The Cubs just happen to have more of them, and more watering holes in the immediate area to facilitate those kinds of fans. The media loves to get these kinds of comments every year, it gets people riled up and sells papers. Come on, Ozzie. Rip on Cub fans again for us.

The Miles move is still making me cringe. That move was Epic Fail from the very beginning.

Winning your division is a success, it's just not the ultimate success. I keep telling myself that, but somehow it doesn't help.

Exactly. "But Jim Hendry traded for Aram in 2003", pleaded the teary eyed Cubs fan...... And has a large part of the responsibility for turning this team from a perennial doormat to back-to-back division champs. There are lots of reasons why hendry is not a great GM, but he's not as terrible as you'd love to make him seem. Before that he turned them into back-to-back disastrously awful seasons. The money did more to make this team successful than Hendry did. Yes, except that I don't define success as getting to the playoffs only to suffer yet another soul-crushing defeat.

Pot --> Munchies --> Excess blubber. Now we understand everything.

Bah humbug.