CaliforniaRaisin

15 days and 5 minutes till the first spring training game.

Still no Cubs pictures but I just saw the first pics from Arizona (the Rockies). Cubs pics should be coming real soon.

To me, that's way too risky for a pitcher like Z. It should be all about years and cash, because you never know when your arm is going to fall off. Yeah, if I was in Z's shoes, I'd want 6+ years. Not just for the injury risk, but who knows what the market is like in 3 years.

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070214/capt.flrb10802141803.yankees_spring_baseball_flrb108.jpg Pavano http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070214/capt.flrb10502141733.yankees_spring_baseball_flrb105.jpg Mariano http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070213/capt.flrb10402131814.yankees_spring_baseball_flrb104.jpg Kei Igawa http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070213/capt.flrb10602131815.yankees_spring_baseball_flrb106.jpg Miguel Cairo http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070213/capt.flcs10602132030.red_sox_spring_baseball_flcs106.jpg Daisuke

Outside of the NL Central, of course. :^o

I'm fiending...right now I'd settle for white sox pics...just want baseball Fine: http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070214/capt.flrb10602141803.yankees_spring_baseball_flrb106.jpg Mussina http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070214/capt.flcb10302141825.phillies_spring_baseball_flcb103.jpg Howard http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070214/capt.flcb10502141842.phillies_spring_baseball_flcb105.jpg Brett Myers http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070214/capt.flrb11602141834.yankees_spring_baseball_flrb116.jpg Jeter http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070213/capt.flcs10702132049.red_sox_spring_baseball_flcs107.jpg Daisuke (yesterday)

Been looking around, but so far, I've only seen Red Sox (Daisuke), Yankees (Bernie, Mariano, Pettite) and Phillies (Howard) pics.

You can even see a Murton!

For the most part, you're right. I'd like to see Mike Brown brought back but after his contract has been re-negotiated. I think D. Manning will make a step forward next season but I'd like to see one safety brought in all the same.

You should see mine then.

He definitely had a bad statistical 2 games over the weekend but he followed that up by hitting a game-winning three-run HR in the 10th yesterday. It's only been 3 games, so we'll see.

Automatic loss of the #1 draft pick... Oh?

I think I was the last one, sorry!

Well, NBA refs continue to suck.

Great finish in Chapel Hill as Virginia Tech beats UNC in overtime.

His reported potential long-term deal is worthy of suicide. Umm, wow.

Any juicy gossip on Lopez?

Hmmmm.....way fewer ABs in '06. Was he possibly nursing an injury? I don't think you are looking at his line correctly. He had 120 ABs in 05 and 199 in 06. And 199 ABs at short-season A-ball is about 2/3 of the season if not more.

I have already said I would probably not re-sign Z and would try to trade him if I could get good value. That doesn't make Z's requests and statements that bad or ridiculous - we don't know that he'll get hurt and he is asking for Zito money while being younger and better than Zito has been. He has set a deadine and tried to show he'll stick to the deadline (I doubt he will). All baseball contracts pay for past performance, and Z has been underpaid during his arby years (just like most all baseball players), I can't blame him for asking for what is probably less than he'll get on the open market.

Why is Z automatically the bad guy? Why not look at it from the perspective of Carlos Zambrano has given the Cubs 3 very good seasons, why can't the Cubs reward him with the contract that he wants? Z has been very good for the Cubs, why should he give them a reduced price? Shouldn't the Cubs do the honorable thing and pay him what the market dictates? You say Z is being greedy. Maybe the Cubs are being stingy. Z is due for a major injury sometime in the near future. His K/BB trend scares the crap out of me. Dude is not a pitcher. He's a thrower. It just happens that his stuff is so freaking good he's made it this far. Z is in for a major plummet. Z is a dink for saying he'd leave if he didn't get an extension by opening day. It's one thing to say you don't want to negotiate during the season (that's common). It's another to say you're gone if an extension isn't inked by opening day. Selfish jerk. Now we know how "Carlos Zambrano thinks." I doubt he means it though, and it appears a lot of us feel the same way. And he is due for a major injury, I agree. But Zito money is a good deal given Z is better than Zito, younger than Zito and there's also salary inflation for next offseason to think about.

Yeah, b/c hometown discounts for an org that drafted and developed you is completely out of line. Bastard Cubs organization. Worthless arrogant SOBs. It's a negotiation tactic. Hendry is in a situation where he basically has to re-sign Z, I honestly don't think Z is gone in 2008 (for better or for worse). I'm not sure why Z should be chastised for not taking a hometown discount - especially not talking about it now that negotiation time is near. Just like both Aramis situations, I think some people are overreacting a bit (granted I was in on the Aramis overreacting the last time). Z shouldn't be chastized b/c he was put in an advantageous bargaining position? Business, my hiney. How many generations of his family do the Cubs have to provide for? How about some love for the fans who've loved him from day 1? Do you love Chicago or don't you? It seems as though we only deserve first crack at giving you your massive contact. Wow, I thought we would get more than that. ARam is looking more and more like a team player. I don't want to hear another soul whine about his game ever again. Some guys play the game to win. Others play for themselves. I thought Z was in the first group. Wrong. I'll wait for the whole thing to play out before I judge - Aramis was gettling a lot of flack before he signed his most recent contract. And if Z really wants Zito money, he is letting the Cubs sign him for less than his market value.

Heh, if hometown discounts were the norm, they'd be the real market value. And then we could get new hometown discounts and repeat this cycle!

Loria and Beinfest have some great people skills.

+1 You can add me in as well. plus 3 As long as the return is nice, I wouldn't mind trading Z. I don't think this team is going to make the playoffs anyway and I am readily expecting Z to get hurt this coming season. If he doesn't, I still expect a decline after the wear and tear on his arm at such a young age. That said, Hendry is in a situation where he must re-sign Z so I don't see him trading Z away.