Transmogrified Tiger

Yahoo's calling it a double.

We only got one run off Lincecum on two hits. This is why we have numbers. At least we beat him/his start.

We do really well against hard throwing, right handed starters. In the last month off the top of my head we've gotten to Sheets, Oswalt, Lincecum, Cain, and probably another that I'm forgetting.

The decision to give Rami the day off had already been made prior to yesterday's game. It's not like there's some rule that says you have to stick by such decisions. You have to adapt to what else is going on. I agree 100%. Screw the future health of our all star third baseman. Todays game will decide the penant. Or you could wait 1-2 days so Floyd gets back and we're no longer facing one of the best starters in the NL.

For a forfeit lineup, that's not too terrible. Should be enough to win against the Bonds-less Giants anyway. Considering we're facing the Giants best starter, I'm not quite sure that's good enough.

Cmon losers, let's get going on this so I can beat all of you guys again this year.

let me see if I have this right, you don't want to try improving because they're winning even though that improvement might help them win more? just because Ronny and Felix had rough spells doesn't mean they are not better suited for those positions NOW. we're getting no production from SS or CF right NOW, so what's the harm in plugging in a couple of guys who don't have much left to prove at AAA and let them work through their big league struggles? if they fail, we're in the same spot we are in right now (except with much better OF defense) Isn't he simply saying that the Cubs want to win now and don't have time to babysit players that can't perform currently? I have no problem with Lou doing exactly what he said he would do to start the year ---- "play the players who produce". Playing the hot hand is okay when there's not a signifcant difference in ability between the players(see Theriot/Fontenot/Izturis). When one is clearly more talented(Pie) and/or has past performance and future worth on his side(Murton), you need to let the superior option play through their struggles(aka removing a player for a poor couple weeks is a terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible decision).

Different person, that was cubbette I believe.

That's kinda the point with him, right? 4 seam fastball and a very good change, with constantly changing velocities(like someone alluded to earlier). Or am I confusing his repertoire with someone else?

The Cubs aren't on a winning streak. The Cubs are winning. Please, explain to us why now would be a good time to make Murton, Pie, and Cedeno starters. Because they are have the potential to be better than the people they will replace. Doesn't this go against the "win now" mentality? I don't think Hendry/Piniella can justify giving at bats to Cedeno or Murton right now because they MIGHT be better. We saw them earlier in the year and they were worse than the alternatives. The point is there's very little to lose. Theriot/Izturis, Pagan, and Floyd have all been varying degrees of mediocre to bad. I see your point but Murton, Cedeno and Pie were worse than those you mentioned above. Why do they deserve to be called back up when the other guys have outproduced them? They don't...not right now. (That point you made about having little to lose was the thought process used behind getting Jason Kendall although that trade was slammed throughout this board). Murton put up an .800 OPS in the major leagues last year over nearly a full season, and actually had a month that was worse than the bad month that led him to being demoted this year. Pie lost his job for a 2 week slump, and has been beating the life out of the ball in AAA all year. Pagan went through a nearly identical slump when he was forced to play against RH and LH shorthly thereafter. Like Pie, Cedeno hardly got a chance this year, and is torching AAA. He deserves a shot to see if he's worked out his problems from last year. Comparing it to the Kendall trade, there are several differences. Namely, that acquiring Kendall costs resources, blocks future upgrades at the position, and has significantly less upside than the comparison of promoting Murton/Pie/Cedeno.

Field conditions? He was a Pirate for like 30 years, he's played over 50 games at Wrigley.

The Cubs aren't on a winning streak. The Cubs are winning. Please, explain to us why now would be a good time to make Murton, Pie, and Cedeno starters. Ryan Braun Yeah - that's an appropriate comparison. Very much so. The Brewers were winning with Counsellino as their 3rd baseman, why bother risk bringing up Braun?

The Cubs aren't on a winning streak. The Cubs are winning. Please, explain to us why now would be a good time to make Murton, Pie, and Cedeno starters. Because they are have the potential to be better than the people they will replace. Doesn't this go against the "win now" mentality? I don't think Hendry/Piniella can justify giving at bats to Cedeno or Murton right now because they MIGHT be better. We saw them earlier in the year and they were worse than the alternatives. The point is there's very little to lose. Theriot/Izturis, Pagan, and Floyd have all been varying degrees of mediocre to bad.

The Cubs aren't on a winning streak. The Cubs are winning. Please, explain to us why now would be a good time to make Murton, Pie, and Cedeno starters. Ryan Braun

People liked Bruce Miles' writing long before he posted here, and people hated Paul Sullivan's writing even longer before that.

Smart thinking here. Maybe we'll get lucky and the trade will fall through.

Check the "still room to deal" thread below. There's a couple pages of discussion about Greinke.

Just curious you knew that these emails are screened by someone in the interactive department and he doesn't see even half of them. Ladies and Gentlemen, Paul Sullivan himself has shown his face on NSBB Could be. It's a tribune IP address. Is there free WiFi in the Tribune building? I never noticed an unemployed carpenter's union next to it before.

It's going to come down to Kendall, isn't it.

I haven't been following the game thread until now, but if people are laying that on Kendall, they're being simply ridiculous. short hop on a throw from Soriano. It's not a difficult hop at all if Kendall is actually in position.

Tried to field an in-between hop from 3 feet behind the plate.

Soto would've tagged him. Get in front of the plate you goofball.

I expect that to go up as the season goes on, but Kendall calls a good game. He'll make a Cy Young out of Z. Man, the Kendall deal really shorted out a circuit for you, didn't it?

D-Backs get 2 to start the game with Milwaukee coming to the plate in the 1st.

Not enough to spell his name correctly?