NorthsideAvenger

For free? Now that ain't right! Thanks for all the comments. I'll keep after 'em. I understand all the arguments against Carlos Lee. I wanted to throw a name out there. Somebody wanted to know, "Why not write this after the Detroit series?" When you have an off-day in the schedule, that gives you a better opportunity to come up with a feature or an analysis or a column. With space in the paper being so tight on game days, this provided the better opportunity. I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL. No offense Bruce...but I'm a couple hundred miles outside your circulation area. Let me know if you ever start writing for the Newark Star Ledger. No offense, thedaymen, but Cubs fans need Bruce to stay in Chicago, and keep after the Cubs.

I would like to see JK Ryu pitch to Eric in the game. That would be sweet.

Actually, Marmol's future might be as a closer. Marmol also could use some more development time in the minor leagues. I'd send Marmol to AAA and let Hill come up and start for a series of 5 or 6 starts and see what happens. But didn't some people also think that Zambrano's "future" was possibly at closer? I know the Cubs toyed with the idea of making Z a reliever ( :roll: ) but atleast they went away from it. My opinion is....let Marmol prove where he belongs, if he can't cut the mustard as a starter, fine, maybe closer, but until then, I still consider Marmol a starter.

Please enlighten us as to how well Jered Weaver plays 3b. I must be totally out of the loop on that. Weaver > Ramirez. Do it yesterday Jim. Do it Hendry, and be prepard to be hanged. The Angels are NOT going to trade Jared Weaver (I'd prefer Santana, anyways), and the Cubs SHOULD NOT trade ARam. My biggest reason for not trading ARam, is a coomon concern, who would replace ARam at third? Trading ARam would create ANOTHER hole in the lineup. Now if the Cubs get a 3rd baseman back in an ARam trade (and no MacPherson is not a 3rd baseman, his future lies at 1b/DH) then the Cubs should be willing to deal ARam. But right now, I'm not a real big fan of trading the best 3rd baseman since Santo.

That's an interesting choice. Personally I don't care if the new manager is an ex-Cub or not....I just want a good manager. Agreed. I'd also look at managers who have been part of a winning tradition. That's why I've very high on Fredi Gonzalez. I hope the Braves way of doing things has rubbed off on him. Agreed. I like Freddi Gonzalez, simply because he has learn under Cox. I mean, you look at Ned Yost, and he helped turn the atmosphere around in Milwaukee with the help of ONE SERIOUSLY UNDERRATED GM in Melvin. And he learned under Cox, and I believe Freddi would bring an ere of accountability, and professionism to the Cubs, especially since Baker has run this organization like a child care center. But before then, I like the suggestion of Vance, in that promote Speier, and see what he can do. The only mandate is that any young player the Cubs bring up before the end of the yr, gets a solid amount of playing. So I figure, everybody is in a "decent mood" because of the fact that Dusty is in the last legs of his tenure in Chicago? :lol:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/cubs/cst-spt-cub23.html

(yawns) Talking about Wood/Prior and the abuse levels, again...(heavy sighs) Can't we talk about something new like: How's Corey Patterson doing in Baltimore? or How are the Cubs going to acquire Adam Dunn? or How big a dunce Jim Baker, and Dusty Hendry really are? :roll: -------------------------

Whoa.....the Yanks are rumored to be interested in Jacques Jones? My response is...why the h-e-double hockey sticks, isn't Jacques playing RF for the Yanks? I'd take Andy Phillips STRAIGHT UP for Jones.

Uh...no? :D I don't know of any "nicknames" he Samardjiza had before the Cubs drafted him, so instead of posting his last name, I saw he had Sam, and thought it would be easy enough to remember. I didn't start calling Samardjiza, because it could catch, I call him that, to help me remember he had an alphabet type last name. I like calling him Sammy, and I will continue to call him Sammy, with sometimes calling him Shark. You don't like, handle your business, but I am going to continue to call him Sammy and/or Shark.

I have a BRILLIANT idea...how about the Cubs DON'T sign any of the big FA pitchers, and let guys like Carlos Marmol, Angel Guzman, JK Ryu, Sean Marshall all battle it out for the 3-4-5 spots. Or how about signing/trading for a decent workhorse guy like a Steve Trachsel (I know, I know) if any of the young guys are struggling. I'm more interested in getting a big bat for the OF, moreso then getting a high price FA pitcher, ala AJ Burnett, or Mike Hampton.

KW Update: KW could be done for the year: http://www.suntimes.com/output/cubs/cst-spt-csep21.html I just wish the Cubs organization would have people that ACTUALLY know what they are doing.

These are some of their top prospects and you can't forget number one pick in the draft, Josh Hamilton. I had no idea Dukes had behavior issues. Here's something I found about Elijah Dukes: "Dukes was a multi-sport star in high school, and had a signed scholarship with NC State to play linebacker. However the Rays were able to persuade him to play on the diamond after taking him with the 74th overall pick in the '02 draft. Dukes actually slid quite a bit because of his football scholarship, but also because of some off-the-field issues. He has been arrested for assault, has taken anger management courses the last two years, and has had his share of ejections and arguments on the field. " http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:-S0h4LXxQK4J:raysbaseball.com/Elijah_Dukes.shtml+Elijah+Dukes&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1 On yeah, HE DOES have attitude issues. The only reason why you didn't hear much about Dukes, is because of the fact that Delmon Young considers himself the baseball god, and that everybody should kiss his butt. Dukes was able to stay in his shadow, which was good, but also bad, because Dukes has a serious jealousy of Young, and how the DRays has handle him literally like a "millon dollar baby." Put it this way....Montgomery COULDN'T WAIT for Young to live the city. Dukes wasn't exactly given a "farewell party," either. Both kids are incredibly talented, but I wouldn't trade for either, seeing as they would spend more time "discussing their problems with Selig" then actually playing the game of baseball.

BK; Appreciate the time and effort for that analysis, and whatnot...but I haven't the clue what you just said. :-k Was it in english, or should I go to college and get a PHD in some mathematical course, to understand what you just wrote. =D> on the research, and th detail report, but again....what your said could had been written in Arabic for all I know. My belief is that while studying statistics can be vital, it can be overrated, and overstated. Again baseball isn't play through statistics, or on paper, it play on a Diamond.

My 5 yr old nephew could upgrade the Cubs statistically.

Now that Clemson has been eliminated from the CWS, how long till Tyler Colvin signs? I heard this Drew Rundle kid could be a sleeper/keeper. Can anybody give a quick rundown on him? He sounds intriguing.

Furcal's OBP isn't that much better than Cedeno's. I just hate Cedeno's inability to see pitches at certain points. I think Furcal is a better player at this stage, hopefully Cedeno improves his patience. Remove your sunglasses, dude, please. Cause considering AGE, and FINANCIAL commitments, Cedeno is performing better then Furcal. Cedeno didn't start progressing as a offensive player, till like 3 yrs ago. So he still have a ways to go. Not to mention this is Cedeno's first full season in the majors. So, you expect similar numbers to what Cedeno has put up. I fully expect Cedeno to improve in those areas as he gets older. What is Furcal's "excuse" for being a below-average SS?

The MLB draft rules are really bizarre. A gentlemen's agreement exists among all of the teams. While there is no slotting system for picks in terms of salaries, there are still recommended contract amounts for each pick/round. If a team's offer goes over one of those amounts, MLB can send a sternly-worded letter to that team asking them to rescind the offer, which teams can follow or blow off altogether. Nonetheless, Selig has NO authority to stick his nose in the day to day business of any franchise in MLB. Especially if said franchise are going by written bylaws of the game. These "handshake agreements" does not---at least to me---open the door for Selig to be able to step in an act as an owner (regardless of the fact he used to be an owner, himself) and help with the negotiations. Unless the Cubs are breaking a LEGITIMATE rule, then Selig needs to bit his tongue. If the Cubs want to give Sammy $7.25 mill signing bonus that is THEIR business, not Selig. Besides HOW MANY 5th rders are going to demand that kind of bonus, anyways? Sammy is a special case, an exception to the rule.

I understand that. And a part of me, really hopes that Sammy struggles in his senior yr that drops him from the 1st rd to say...the 3rd/4th rd.

I don't believe they've ever scored more than 26. The Cubs FRANCHISE once score 36 runs in a game against Louisville back in 1897. :shock: I remember day as if it was yesterday...aw...memories... Ya know..... I vaguely recall the CUBS beating Louisville the day before Custer bought it out in South Dakota !! Ya know, I vaguely recall seeing some "unmanlike" guy claiming to be a guy name "Clint Eastwood" wearing some very gay like cowboy clothes, claiming to be from the future.

I don't believe they've ever scored more than 26. The Cubs FRANCHISE once score 36 runs in a game against Louisville back in 1897. :shock: I remember day as if it was yesterday...aw...memories... Ya know..... I vaguely recall the CUBS beating Louisville the day before Custer bought it out in South Dakota !! Fred wrong on a stat?? :shock: Not "wrong," but overlooked. And technically...it wasn't the Cubs per se, it was your fighting Chicago Colts, same franchise to. :D

Wouldn't work. Games spent on the DL don't count toward the suspension. He'd have to serve the 10 game suspension immediately after coming off the DL. That happened recently with Eric Gagne. Not to sound like a prick, my apologizes...but reread the bolded part. It was a nice thought, just to mess with Selig.

chicagosports.com First: Sammy a fifth rd pick got more in $7.25 signing bonus, then Upton the former #1 overall pick got. I wonder how Upton feels now? :shock: Second: Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the president of baseball can't personally get himself involved with a MLB franchise. I know he has done it before (ARod trade, and the Expos/Nats situation), but to me...Selig had NO RIGHT to interfered in the middle of a transaction. Once again, Selig has proven himself to be the biggest dummy in sports.

Of course:

I don't believe they've ever scored more than 26. The Cubs FRANCHISE once score 36 runs in a game against Louisville back in 1897. :shock: I remember day as if it was yesterday...aw...memories...

The Cubs actually had a discussion with Piven about this before it happened and he told them he wouldn't use the "B" word, but then did it anyway. You gotta love it. Stickin it to the man. besides Z flirting with a not hitter this been the best Cubs moment this season for me. Shades of Steve McMichael... :lol: Tag team?