NorthsideAvenger

So if Baker is brought back, I think we all in agreement, the Century Mark will come and go without the Cubs sniffing the playoffs, much less the World Series. But hey the drive to be competing with the Royals, is alive and kicking.

That's some of the most nonsensical gibberish I've read. Goony, I have to agree with the statement that Todd Walker is the softest .280 2B in the game. Currently, he is hitting .278/.352/.388. That's right, that is a .388 SLUGGING. Walker is imply not supplying any power this yr, and hence "the softest .280 2b in the game" title, at least this year.

He seems to be favoring his groin. His own or Dusty's? Well, he is a SWITCH-HITTER. Maybe he can do both.

So you're saying it's ok to compare Matsuzaka to Clemens--- without knowing what he can do in the US---but not ok compare him to Nomo and Shingo? Look, I know this kid can pitch, but 90% of the Japanese pitchers that has come to the US, has to a certain degree been overmatched, plain and simple. Mats is a big game pitcher in JAPAN, but doesn't mean he would be a big game pitcher in say......New York. I mean Jose Contreras was considered a "Big Game Pitcher" in Cuba, but flaked out in New York. So the people annoited him a "big game pitcher" is based ONLY of what he has done in Japan, and not in the MLB. And no the WBC is to SMALL SAMPLE SIZE. And while it does give promise the kid can pitch, it does not, in fact, guarantees he will continue to pitch well at the ML level. For goodness sake...Chan Ho Park dominated the WBC as a reliever.... I'm not saying to pass on Mats, because of the past failures of Japan's OTHER top pitchers, but all I am saying is...I wouldn't pay the money that it will require to get him posted, and THEN signed him. He has too many questioned marks, and not enough answers to warrant the contract he is going to get. I prefer going after Schmidt or Zito, who we know can pitch in the major leagues. I never made the comparasion, that was on you. I wouldn't make a comparasion of Mats until I saw enough of him at the ML level to justify to make a comparasion. But if I had to make a comparasion, I would compare him closer to Jose Contreras---in terms of talent, and hype---then to Roger Clemens. Simply put, I would pass on Mats, simply because I don't think he will be "all that" in his tenure in the US.

We STILL don't know how Matsuzaka will fair in the ML. I remember Contreras being hot stuff when he was pitching for Cuba, and while he has been a good find for the White Sox, he hasn't been as advertise. In fact....Contreras has been a minor disappointment, considering his abilitites. So, UNTIL, Mats dominates the major leagues, YOU CAN'T COMPARE him to the Roger Clemens, or the John Smoltz of the the league. And I am not comparing the pitchers, because of abilities, but comparing them because they had ??? about their ability to pitch in the United States.

But my point is his affiliation with the Mets has nothing to do with it. It's MLB wide, not to mention, all of pro sports. But it is more IN YOUR FACE news in New York, then any other city in America.

1) no way only Prior nets Tejada 2) Not very likely you'll have enough money for that. Not to mention we need a huge bopper in either LF or RF. 1: Tejada would not be WORTH more then Prior by himself. Anybody with Prior would be overpayment for Tejada. Miguel is good, but not THAT good. The only way they get multiple players for Tejada, is if they settle for prospects. 2: I'm not convince at this Matsuzaka. I know he has the talent, but with Mac Suzuki (not ex-Sea closer), Hedeki Irabu, Hideo Nomo, Shingo, Ishii etc, etc Japan hasn't exactly set the world on fired with exported pitching talent. And with this Mats commanding front-line money, I would just rather go after Schdmit, since we know what he can do in MLB, something we don't know with Mats.

Edmonds have made his feeling perfectly clear, and I want the Cubs to stay away from this pri-madonna at ALL cost. I rather stick Todd Hundley in CF, then to sign Jim Edmonds.

Make that 9.5 That font size is really annoying. Agreed. Dieser kleine Schriftkegel, ist durchaus das Kopfschmerzenbilden. Ich werde den übersteigen, indem ich eine andere Sprache spreche. Take that, you guys who uses the small font. :lol:

Man, that was a super-duper day. I remember taking a vow of celbracy of beer, if the Cubs could win the Series that yr. Obviously, I'm still a drunk, and the Cubs are still in the same boat.....but great day, nonetheless.

Freudian? :D Anyway, I went to law school with a girl who said she had a thing going with a former Sox reliever whose name I shant mention here. She said he went so far as to introduce her to his wife and his kids at the park one night. He told her that this is a very normal thing for ballplayers and that most wives get it. I stood there in utter disbelief. Yeah, I know a girl who had a thing with a pretty famous ballplayer as well, although I don't think she was friendly with the rest of the family. A highly publicized divorce came about around the same time. I doubt this is anywhere close to Mets-centric. When you think about guys like Benson who married a stripper he met as a player, and how many of these guys actually end up with women who were basically sports groupies, it can hardly be a surprise if some of them go astray with the fresh meat. Like I said, goony, I'm not surprise. This isn't a bazaar story, in the Mets way. In fact, it's just, 'nother day in Shea...(hehehe Rhyming rocks).

:shock: Don't worry Roast, Dusty is going to beat that patient out of his team, in NO TIME.

How long does Dubois have to wait before he becomes a Red? Cause at one time, Dubois/Holly was platoon mates in Chicago AND Cleveland. So I figure Cincy must be targeting Dubois, also......right? :?

Considering the history of the Mets from the early 1980s on, this is not as surprising as some of the stories I've read about. And....I wonder who was coaching this girl....Ryno's EX?

? It's a combination of fulfilling and forfeiting. By using that word, Northside's prediction will be accurate regardless of whether they flop or are successful. Shrewd posting, Northside. :lol: Sorry, I can't spell, worth a Cubs nickel. HMMM whats it worth! Do you have to ask?

That's the funny thing about baseball, anything can happen. With that said....even before the Cubs could realisitically start talking Wild Card, they'd have to catch the Brewers, then the next team, then the following team. So for me to have rooting interests in the Cubs they would have to do the following before September: 1: The Cubs have 21 games left in August. So far the Cubs are 5-2 in August. Meaning they have a total of 28 games this month. They would have to go somewhere along the lines of 20-8 for the month (15-6 from NOW) anything worse, then forget it. 2: If the Cubs managed to pull off said HOT month, and finish the month at 20-8, they'd still have to jump at least 4 teams (Milwaukee/Houston and TWO NL west teams). In other words, by the start of September, the Cubs would have to be in no worse then 3rd place in the NL Central, and within atleast 5 games of both the NL Central and the Wild Card. And for that to happen, what breaks they DIDN'T get earlier this yr, this must get now. The Cubs would have to be the hottest team in baseball, and a few teams in the Wild Card would have to go "cold turkey" for the Cubs to have a chance. Again with that said, I don't see that happening, cause the Cubs are not mentally tough for that assignment, especially with Lee out.

I think he is trying to squash the rumors now, cause it is VERY distracting for the manager, and the players. My guess, would be this situation is far from being over. Besides would it be THAT hard to buy another house in Chicago? And not to get to womany (is that even a word) but home is where the heart is, and Chicago is still his home, and his heart. So....I' m not saying Girardi isn't ready to leave Florida, but when the Cubs job opens up, watch out for another set of Girardi to Chicago rumors.

Time to get on the Trib payroll and make this a recurring gig! I hear the Sun Times has an opening... :lol: What you want to work for the same Newspaper that has Mariotti? Didn't you use to have standards?

? It's a combination of fulfilling and forfeiting. By using that word, Northside's prediction will be accurate regardless of whether they flop or are successful. Shrewd posting, Northside. :lol: Sorry, I can't spell, worth a Cubs nickel.

Say what you want about Randall Simon, but I will always have fond memories of the guy for his contributions in '03 -- including the 2-run homer that helped give the Cubs a 4-3 lead in the 8th inning of Game 3 of the NLCS. Randall Simon......now that's a Dusty Baker player if there ever was one. But boy his enthusiasm (sp?) for the game was unmatch.

Who has the most potential of the three: Marshall/Marmol/Hill? I don't look at it as their "future potential", but as to where they will be when they reaching their promise. I see Marmol reaching his promise as a late-inning middle reliever/closer. Now Marhsall and Hill as having similar type potential. I see either both eventually being a #3 and 4 or 5. I don't see none of the three being "Impact" talent, but I believe all three will be "very good" talent. Is that better for the Enlgish teachers in the hizzle? 8)

I thought Vance was in the "Hire Davey Johnson" bandwagon (I refused to shorten it, :wink: ), so if this is the "Real Vance" then he has had some flipping of the mind.

Why? I really like this team and think it would be awesome to have them in the World Series, considering their recent horrible stretch and the fact that their fans seem to be pretty on the level compared to other AL franchises. I really like the Tigers, too. And it's almost....heck it is unfair. Think about a postential pitching staff that includes Bonderman/Maroth/Verlander and Miller, with Rodney and Zumaya at the back end of the bullpen. Omigod....unreal.

Don't forget the immortal David Kelton. RYAN GRIPP, BABY!!!!! He's the final piece to the puzzle.