XZero771679666304

I would approve of Theriot if he were a good defender and an astute baserunner. However, neither is the case.

Theriot's OBP was a nice surprise, but his 2008 season was also a prime example of how to minimize the benefits of being on base a lot (even taking into account DLee's maddening GIDP orgy). IMO, this is because: A. No power. He didn't make is past first base nearly as much as someone with his OBP should have. B. Piss poor SB%. Pretty self explanatory. C. He was an awful baserunner in general. Attempting ill-advised steals of third, trying to take bases on grounders with the play in front of him, etc. And for every time he got caught for his tomfoolery, there was a time he got lucky and didn't.

I don't know. I think Alfonso does a lot of damage on mistake pitches. I think if pitchers really bore down in every regular season game and did nothing but pitch off the lower outside corner, Sori would in trouble.

Huh? So one error (albeit a key one) means he was horrible? .333/.333/.750 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 4 of the 6 RBIs That's horrible? He wasn't horrible, but his error was disastrous (though compounded by Theriot's error preceding it), his first pitch swinging at a pitcher's pitch last night was a boneheaded move in a spot that could have made a difference, and one of his doubles and half of his RBI came in the bottom of the ninth in a 10-1 game.

I don't think you could make that a worse deal for Florida if you tried. Unlike most of the Cubs leadership team, Larry Beinfest and his associates are not stupid. The Mets aren't trading Beltran to the Cubs in a deal where Marmol is not going to New York. I don't think that Beltran is going anywhere, but if we're talking proposals between those 3 teams: Cubs get: Beltran Mets get: Marmol, Gregg, Hermida, W. Castillo Marlins get: Marshall, Ceda, Pie And that probably doesn't work because the Mets would want Soto as well, unless they're desperate to dump Beltran.

The Cubs got as far as they did in 2003 because the starters were hot down the stretch and into the playoffs, and Dusty rode them like horses. The overall talent level on that team was nowhere near what it was this year. They just had it going at the right time, but they ran out of juice. I have little doubt (and had little doubt at the time) that the Yankees would have mauled us. Wood and Prior were completely gassed.

I am always confused when this happens. If you could actually just give it up, you obviously don't care enough for it to bother you that much, so why the angst? Most people who say this stuff don't mean it, so they should drop the pretense. Those who do mean it should go away.

The 2009 Cubs: The third time's a charm.

You directed those at me (you must have, I was the only other one posting at that point), in spite of the fact I had made statements to the contrary. It may just be me, but that tone seems pretty condescending. Plus it was just flat out irritating. When you put words in someone's mouth, you can expect them to get chippy.

Yeah, that's not what I said. The Cubs choked. I said that, but you must have missed it. I know, reading is tough. But irregardless of that, the playoffs are pretty much a crapshoot. The 2005 Astros, 2006 Cards and 2007 Rockies can tell you. No one said the Cubs aren't flawed. But to say they are bottom feeders who were exposed isn't accurate. They were pretty clearly the best team in the NL all year. They are in need of tweaking, but to act as if they are incapable of winning without overhaul is absurd. Or spare me the "reading is tough" nonsense already. Thank you for your internet posturing, I'm rightly impressed. God forbid you disagree with someone without some sort of stupid dig. Here's a note for you: anyone who uses "irregardless" is a fool. There. Am I the tough guy now? Now aside from the posturing, I disagree because you continue to act like it's mostly chance, fate, whimsy, and the Cubs are just helplessly swept away by it, that this doesn't prove this bunch isn't going to get it done, and are probably not going to be improved one year older. That such a Cub explanation. "It's a crapshoot where we're always getting the crap, oh well." Okay, I'll say it again (for the third time in this thread): The Cubs choked. They sucked. They were flat out bad. That fact and the idea that the playoffs are a crapshoot can be (and are as far as my point goes) mutually exclusive. One did not have to do with the other this time, but it does not disprove the notion. Not once did I say the Cubs sweep was caused by fate or whimsy. Not once. Yet you continue to act as if I did. And yes, irregardless is irregular, but I didn't miss an entire statement. If you try to condescend to me while ignoring what I actually said, then we have a problem. The Cubs were the best team in the NL during the regular season (beating many good teams, not just the Pirates, mind you), but failed to show up for the NLDS in any capacity.

Yeah, that's not what I said. The Cubs choked. I said that, but you must have missed it. I know, reading is tough. But irregardless of that, the playoffs are pretty much a crapshoot. The 2005 Astros, 2006 Cards and 2007 Rockies can tell you. No one said the Cubs aren't flawed. But to say they are bottom feeders who were exposed isn't accurate. They were pretty clearly the best team in the NL all year. They are in need of tweaking, but to act as if they are incapable of winning without overhaul is absurd.

Right, because the best teams always make it to the series....oh, wait. Maybe we should just scrap the whole thing, huh?

The Cubs choked on this one for sure, but the playoffs are a crapshoot. To insinuate that the Cubs got into the playoffs by bottom feeding is patently ludicrous. This year's squad was quantifiably better than last year's in multiple regards. What happened is that the Cubs totally abandoned what made them successful all season, and played the worst defense I have ever seen for a few innings. The Dodgers hardly obliterated the Cubs. The Cubs did a fine job of that themselves. I'll put money down that come the end of 2009, the Cubs are Central Division champs again, with as good a shot as they had this year. What happens after that is anybody's guess.

The players who had down years will get worse, and those who were hurt will be struck dead. Things are not looking up.

Oh yeah, that's going to turn out so much better.

I'm not even sure it takes a month. I'm letting the frustration out tonight, and tomorrow life goes on. To be honest, I am already recovering. Which is difficult to believe considering how livid/distraught I was Thursday night. It was like a car accident: I saw the impact coming Thursday, and tonight I was braced for it.

Odds I'm still a Cubs fan at that point: 100% 100% for me. This applies to the rest of my natural life. Personally, I don't have time for even a hint of fairweather.

I think we'll see a deal for another SP. I think Marquis is gone, and maybe Marshall. Isn't Howry's contract up? He will be replaced. I am sure there will be some moves no one sees coming (for better or worse). But realistically speaking, I think the Cards grossly overachieved this year and I can't see the Brewers not taking a step back.

Howry, at least he got us off to the start we needed in the playoffs with the HR. Obviously the boot on the ground ball was equally big, but come on. Sorry, I don't give him a pass for one good at bat all series. The time was for him to put up or shut up. The rest of the series he was terrible. He had opportunity after opportunity to come through and he Howry the bed. I don't want to hear anymore talk from the Cubs, just get it done. DeRosa drove in 4 runs in 12 AB's this series. The rest of the team drove in 2 runs in 104 AB's. And tonight when he had an easy chance to drive in a run, he blew it. Why are you defending a guy that played like Howry this series? The only reason I single him out, is because he is the one that is always running his mouth on his blog. Stop blogging and start producing. Granted it is not his fault entirely, but next year he should do a little less talking and a little more producing. Are you serious? First of all, he drove in 80% of our runs in this series. But yes blame him for our futile offense because he failed tonight. Secondly, how is he "running his mouth" on his blog? And for all of your tough guy, stop blogging and start producing talk, do you really believe that his blog affected his performance. Get a clue I think the truth is somewhere in between here. Yes, he drove in 4 runs. But ultimately, his booting of that DP ball was the most impact thing he did all series. And his hacking at this first pitch (a pitcher's pitch, no less) in a key AB tonight screamed of pressing. The homer in game 1 was big because the game was scoreless at the time, but his double in the 9th of game 2 was really superfluous. To be honest, I like DeRo, but he has struck me fora long time as a guy who tries to do too much in big spots. But I am sure no one his harder on him than he is on himself. But there is plenty of blame to go around.

Football is nice, but in no way does it take my mind off baseball. I'll be counting the days until the winter meetings, then the days until pitchers and catchers report.

Marshall can't go anywhere, especially with Dempster's pending FA status and Rich Hill's head still a mystery. Nevertheless, Marshall does not hold the trade value to bring us anyone of significance to put us over the top. We're better off hanging on to him. Dempster will be re-signed. Marshall has plenty of value as part of a package.

I don't buy that at all. We'll have even less competition in the Central next season (IMO). And as is becoming clearer and clearer, this playoff business is a crapshoot. That's what we say EVERY YEAR No we don't. I sure didn't say it last year.

I beg to differ. I think it is entirely probable we win game 2 if not for the errors in the second inning. If Ryan gloves that ball in the 2nd and gets it to second (a very reasonable thing for even an average SS to do), we may not be having this discussion right now. I said before the season ended that one of my biggest fears was Theriot's defense causing a problem at a key moment. He isn't the only reason we failed, not by a longshot. But he is one that can be remedied, unlike Soriano.

I don't buy that at all. We'll have even less competition in the Central next season (IMO). And as is becoming clearer and clearer, this playoff business is a crapshoot.

You're not alone. Theriot and Soriano are co-goats for me. But I'm not mad or sad. I'm disgusted. I was far, far more upset Thursday.