XZero771679666304

If the Cubs are locked up in some 16 inning regular season game and the relievers have all been used up, I'd rather put a position player in there and let it go rather than run Garza or someone out there for 50+ pitches. Unless you have an extra off day or two, or it's an absolutely do or die game, I'm not running s starter out there. Especially not your best starter, which is what Harang was. Dusty just can't make prudent decisions like this. He lives in the moment with no regard for the future, and he repeatedly demonstrates this.

I'm just hoping he makes it through ST at this point. Taking it a step at a time.

I figured suicide when I first heard he was dead. Not a real good run for him in recent years.

Poor shooting all around. So many missed opportunities, mostly inside. If we shot at even a mediocre level, we win by 10. Defense was good, though.

Yeah, it could have. The Bears could have gone 0-16 and been blown out by GB both times. They could have been blown out in the Championship game, with Rogers doing his fruity title belt shtick left and right. The could have blown a big lead. There are a myriad of ways it could have been worse. And we get the benefit of calls at home. All B10 teams do.

Are you serious? i don't understand the question. We have one of the biggest home court advantages in the country, and have regularly benefited from it.

Yeah, because the Bears making it to the NFC championship when they weren't expected to make the playoffs was a big disappointment. The Bulls are an elite team, and the Hawks won the cup last year. Give it a rest. But yeah, the Illini season is turning out be a real [expletive]. This season has gone the opposite of how I expected (to start out slow and gel as the year progressed). All of the strengths have turned to weaknesses, and the team looks a mess. Totally beat ourselves tonight with our comical inability to finish. the bears season turned out to be a worst case scenario. don't get me wrong, i enjoyed it and prefer it to not making the playoffs, but if you think that it wasn't extremely painful at the end, you aren't a bears fan. the hawks are bad, the cubs were bad and will be bad, and like i said, i'm waiting for an inevitable bulls disaster. The end for the Bears sucked hard, but to categorize the whole season as disastrous because of it is just being a drama queen.

Are you serious?

Yeah, because the Bears making it to the NFC championship when they weren't expected to make the playoffs was a big disappointment. The Bulls are an elite team, and the Hawks won the cup last year. Give it a rest. But yeah, the Illini season is turning out be a real shitstorm. This season has gone the opposite of how I expected (to start out slow and gel as the year progressed). All of the strengths have turned to weaknesses, and the team looks a mess. Totally beat ourselves tonight with our comical inability to finish.

What an ugly game. So, so many missed layups/chippies. And Leonard need to be conditioned to throw it down whenever he gets the ball right around the basket. He's too athletic and powerful to try and be so cute in the paint. Someone needs to remind him he's not Mike Tisdale.

We'll have to see how this season goes. At this point, I'm not totally sold on Colvin, and would choose Kosuke over Tyler if I had to choose to go with one or the other right now. RF will either be Colvin or Jackson next season. I can't see the Cubs keeping Fukudome under any circumstances. Unfortunately I think you're right. I think Kosuke could still be useful spot starting around the OF.

Hilariously enough, there's a pic of Aramis bunting in the cage today on the Herald site. Someone should forward it to Kaplan.

We need a gritty clubhouse leader to straighten these brown people out. /@thekapman

We'll have to see how this season goes. At this point, I'm not totally sold on Colvin, and would choose Kosuke over Tyler if I had to choose to go with one or the other right now.

huh? why wouldn't they build around him? they aren't going to spend mega bucks on one player and call it a night. Of course they would build around him. The point was that we can fill a number of positions with low cost guys like Castro, Colvin, Brett Jackson, Soto, Cashner, etc., which would allow for Pujols salary, as well has a few other high salary players. We don't need to develop an Edmonds or Holliday in a scenario where we sign Pujols, we just need to produce a few players who can contribute enough to complement a few expensive players well. I think we can get a few of those out of our current crop.

I think it's becoming clear these two are going to be attached at the hip. http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd358/Cloudstrife219/WoodandCash.jpg http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd358/Cloudstrife219/Penaatfirst.jpg http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd358/Cloudstrife219/Penathebatbat.jpg http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd358/Cloudstrife219/Penaandsmallfan.jpg http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd358/Cloudstrife219/Silva.jpg

http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd358/Cloudstrife219/Hendry.jpg

I was just reading that Kosuke wants to stay in MLB past this year, and preferably with the Cubs (he did just buy a house in Chicago). If I'm the Cubs, I'd offer him a Marlon Byrd type contract, maybe even 3/12, with the understanding he may well end up strictly a platoon player/spot starter. At 4-5MM per, he'd be a terrific value, IMO.

The Cubs, obviously. They clearly don't have the same financial constraints as the Cardinals, which would preclude form your scenario in the first place. Not to mention we have at least some talent on the way, potentially. The Cards' system is pretty barren, so they won't be filling positions from within anytime soon. And in a few years, we ditch the Soriano contract as well. We're in very different financial situations down the road.

Mark Mulder? Used to be a decent pitcher, yeah, but doesn't really fit in the group that you're describing. It's not the singular quality of particular players (though Edmonds and Rolen were really good with them), but the fact there has always been a pretty decent core of proven MLB guys on that team. To hear some tell it, it's been Pujols and a bunch of scraps sprinkled in pixie dust. Up to this point, they've never had their resources strained by having to pay a superstar a real superstar salary. I question their ability to maintain a good core group given that fact. We saw some of it last year.

Ignoramuses, plural. Not directed at anyone in particular. And sure they could afford him, but what indication is there that they would? Half of their presser yesterday was telling everyone how they weren't a big market team and couldn't spend like one. It sounded like damage control with a hint of resignation. It was not what I expected. Some opinion is that the money is there. There has been some angst over the payroll being stagnant after the new stadium being built. I figured they would bust out some of that money this spring, and that Albert re-signing was just a formality. But after that press conference and that offer, I don't think the money is coming, and I'm not alone in that opinion. They could be using the old "let's lowball with the first offer so we really have jack it up later in a bidding war when a decent initial offer would have gotten the job done" strategy, but somehow I doubt it.

The Cardinals have succeeded over the past decade by surrounding Pujols with good players like Edmonds, Rolen, Holliday, Larry Walker, Renteria, Matt Morris, Mark Mulder, Glaus, etc., etc. Much is made by ignoramuses about the Bo Harts and John Rodriguez-es, but the fact of the matter is that the Cards' front office has done a great job of keeping a core of good, solid MLB players. A big part of that is having their HOF centerpiece at bargain rates. They've been spoiled, but not by dumb luck or pixie dust. This notion that they have gotten by with cobbling [expletive] together is just not true. We've started to see the Cards become more top heavy, particularly last year, and nearly doubling Pujols' salary isn't going to help any.

What have you been reading? Of course they can afford him. Sure they can. But they can't afford to keep him and the team around him for long. You know that. carpenter will turn 37 next year and his contract is up either this offseason or next one ($15M option for next year). lohse's terrible contract goes away after next year. wainwright is reasonably priced through 2013 (well he's slated to get $12M in 2013, but for a pitcher as good as he is, that's a bargain). the real question to me is, do they raise their payroll up above $100m (which frankly is where it probably should be, given their popularity and attendance) or stay around $90m? it'll be awfully tough to have holliday and pujols taking up half their payroll, and if they plan to keep wainwright, that's something like $60-65m on three guys. just not doable with a $90m payroll. and yeah, they're going to have to rely on bargain bin acquisitions throughout their pitching staff and lineup. And their farm is in bad shape, so stocking from within isn't happening soon, either. And if Carpenter goes, who do you replace him with? Either someone as expensive or not nearly as good. What about when Waino comes up for FA? He'll be after 20MM+ per year. And if Garcia and Rasmus keep performing, they will start making money in arby as well. If they don't perform, there are more holes that need to be filled. It's not a good situation, and I'm not convinced they aren't better off letting Albert walk and reallocating that money.

What have you been reading? Of course they can afford him. Sure they can. But they can't afford to keep him and the team around him for long. You know that.

I think what it boils down to is that Pujols wasn't going to sign unless the Cards offered him something ridiculous. Knowing that, there wasn't much of a reason for the Cards to offer him something absurd. They can do that next winter when they actually know what the market is going to be for him. I don't doubt that. But their offer is still telling, because it wasn't even serious, let alone ridiculous. 27M isn't ridiculous, it's about what they should expect to pay him. And they are taking a big gamble that someone else won't offer him a huge deal, which is a grievous mistake. Someone will (FTR, I hope it isn't us, at least not for that many years) give him a contract worth at least 30MM in AAV, you can book it. My money is on the Angels. They've struck out badly the past few offseasons, and I can totally see Arte Moreno backing up the truck for Albert. The Cubs will make a serious offer as well. You could see offers that aren't 10 years, but more in the vicinity of 6-7 years 30-34MM per. In the face of offers like that, accepting a contract with an annual value of less than 27-28MM per just won't be an option for him. If I'm DeWitt and Mo, I make my best offer now. Unless you're prepared to let him go, betting you won't end up in a bidding war with clubs who have far more resources is just foolishness. Bottom line is this: if he makes to free agency, Cards fans can likely kiss him goodbye. And listen, as a Cubs fan, my fondest hope is that the Cards tie up 30MM+ a season in Pujols. It would severely impede your ability to field a championship caliber club for a long time. Your team is top heavy as it is, what do you think would happen if Albert is tying up a quarter of the payroll? DeWitt and Mozeliak aren't idiots, and almost surely are formulating contingencies for life after Albert.