XZero771679666304

Yeah plus I'd be a lot more comfortable with The Rajah, Oswalt, and Pettite as far from the playoffs as possible. Call me paranoid, but that's not a three man rotation I'd relish facing in a 5 or 7 game series. Nah, those guys are scrubs. No one here ever said they were scrubs, Jimy. You can quit with the act. All I ever said was that Roger and Roy were playing to their ability, and Pettitte was way over his head over the past month+, and I think most non-Houston fans would agree with me. Since June 1, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Oswalt are a combined 24-7 with a collective 1.75 ERA in 38 starts. And exactly how would that contradict what I said? Thank you. If anything, I was being kind. Again Clemens, Oswalt = Pitching up to their ability. Pettitte = Way over his head over the past month+. I don't know what you think is so wrong with that.

Your use of hyperbole is staggering. You KNEW Nomar was going down FOR THE SEASON, because he always goes down and he's made of glass? Wow. Are you sure about that? From '97-2000 he never played fewer than 135 games. In '01 he missed almost the entire season. He played 156 games in '02 and 156 games in '03. Last year he played exactly half a season (81 games). So in his 9 career seasons coming into '05 there were only 2 seasons where he played less than 135 games. But you're right he's made of glass and always goes down. :roll: Again, Hendry had a solid closer in Spring Training in Dempster. Many here were comfortable with Hawkins starting the season as closer because he had always been an effective reliever in the past. Like I said as far as middle relief, I'm glad he didn't spend the big bucks. Relievers are incredibly inconsistent and for every Dustin Hermanson you name I can name 10 who have flopped after getting a big contract. Why not dump Remlinger until now? Maybe because he wanted to see if he could still pitch. Early on he was effective when used properly. I already adressed your bogus claim that Nomar is made of glass and has never stayed healthy. Again name me one backup SS who was available and better than Neifi. That's all I'm asking. Don't use that "Cubbie Kool-Aid" condescending tone with me. That's the last thing I'm doing and the last thing I've done all season. You beat me to it on the Nomar issue. As for the Dempster issue, he didn't have to be in the starting rotation in April, because Rusch wasn't. Dempster should have been the closer from day one, as Hendry wanted. Had that been the case, you'd have had Rusch in the rotation (remember how pitched as a starter early in the season?), Dempster as the closer, with Hawkins and Fox (blame Dusty for that one too) setting him up. Having that scenario over the one that actually happened would have seen the Cubs win at least 6-7 more games in April/May, IMO. The resulting bullpen fallout from Fox being lost for the season, Hawkins being ruined be a repeat failure as closer, etc. has almost certainly cost us more games since then. IMO, the following other Dustbrained moves have also cost the Cubs games: Batting his two worst OBP guys 1-2 for a month when Derrek was at his hottest. Walker was back, and should have been the lead off man, without a doubt. Sticking with Hollandsworth for over a month when he was slumping horribly. Dubois, while not what many thought, could have done better. Keeping Perez in the everyday lineup in June/July when his production was below acceptable for even a 25th man. Cedeno could not have possibly done any worse. Although it is impossibly to quantify, I would estimate the above moves cost the Cubs between 5 and 6 games, combined. I agree that Hendry could have improved the bullpen in the offseason, but if the pressure to get rid of Sosa was coming from the top, he really did the best he could with the OF, as sad as that is. People gripe about the leadoff man, but Walker would have been above average in that capacity. And as crazy as it seems now, most people were quite pleased when Baker was signed. So Hendry hasn't done his best, but Dusty has really compounded any problems. The bottom line, IMO, is that the 2005 team as it was constructed with injuries figured in, run as Hendry thought it should be, would have won 12-15 more games to this point, conservatively. The story of the 2005 season has been one of moderate personnel problems, and severe mismanagement issues.

Yeah plus I'd be a lot more comfortable with The Rajah, Oswalt, and Pettite as far from the playoffs as possible. Call me paranoid, but that's not a three man rotation I'd relish facing in a 5 or 7 game series. Nah, those guys are scrubs. No one here ever said they were scrubs, Jimy. You can quit with the act. All I ever said was that Roger and Roy were playing to their ability, and Pettitte was way over his head over the past month+, and I think most non-Houston fans would agree with me.

I'm sitting here listening to XM not doing a lick of work because I'm staring at my radio going WTF are you talking about! Pat and Ron were discussing the MUnsters and the Addams family on the air yesterday, and Ron was totally confused as to which was which. And there was some sort of monster under the Munster's stairs.

I can.

It's mostly coudy, but it doesn't look like there will be any problems (at least weather related).

Something I'm sure you know: Kung fu is a general term for chinese martial arts. There are many different forms/styles. I took wing chun with a friend, and it was cool. I honestly can't say I know much about it, though. I do know that a friend of mine was very good at it and ended up going to a Martial arts academy in Boston in lieu of college. It was called YMAA (Yang's Martial Arts Academy), and it was very good, according to him. After stduying in it for a while, he went to the some world championship tournament but got disqualified for continually punching his opponent in the face. He and I don't talk much anymore. I was aware of that, and I was curious if anyone here a student of any of the Kung-Fu disciplines. They just seem to be far less commmon that the others that have been discussed in this thread, at least in the United States.

I thought it was Illinoisans? And you forgot the bad driver part. Believe me, people from Illinois are not that bad of drivers. Go to New Jersey or Ohio for a little while and you'll realize that. Or New Mexico. You wouldn't believe how much car insurance costs down here.

On previous form, even if/when the game starts.... No. They'll play. What they play remains to be seen.

That's what I'm talking about. :lol:

i THINK LASSORDA IS PLAYING DOWN TO THE CUBS THEY WANNA RUB IT IN You mean LaRussa?

Where's that Dusty's Dugout Dice pic when you need it?

Apparently not.

Except I think Dusty believes it.

I love Todd Walker. That man really tells it how it is.

Lawton is benched for something that has gone unpunished all year. Macias and Perez are at the top of the lineup. The team is in a tailspin and Dusty plays some of his worst players, and in the opener of series that the delusional (including Baker) may see as the biggest of the year. Why is Walker on the bench when he has lit up lefties all season? It just defies logic, and this is why the season is over, and why Dusty needs to go.

No need to delay the inevitable. i don't want to skip the game just that lineup! Why? Let Dusty's idiocy be displayed for all to see. hasn't it already? walker's being interviewed and he is pissed... Apparently the extent of Dusty's stupidity hasn't set in for the people who employ him.

No need to delay the inevitable. i don't want to skip the game just that lineup! Why? Let Dusty's idiocy be displayed for all to see.

JD, can you believe that a professional or college manager or coach calling a player by a nickname like G-Unit? It is like the parent who wants to be a friend to their child. Welcome to Dusty's world, where massaging egos is job one. Winning ball games is a distant second.

No need to delay the inevitable.

Draw your own conclusions why start disciplining now? how come no one sat when the couldn't cover first or barrett on his bonehead little league play? hell alouu and sammy did this for 3 years! not to mention all the baserunning crap... Dusty is just making the pretense of trying to do his job at this point. I've seen crap like what Lawton did 100 times this season go unpunished.

Draw your own conclusions And how many times have we seen Holla do the same thing?

And that they don't move runners over, drive in RISP with less than 2 outs, runners from third with less than 2 outs, bunt well, run well, etc.

Rainy and warm, with a forecast of extreme stupidity. What, again? A high pressure idiot front has settled over the greater Chicagoland area. The forecast is extended.

Rainy and warm, with a forecast of extreme stupidity.