NorthsideAvenger

The player that alot of Cubs fans are going to be enamored with for 2006 will be....Carlos Quentin or Conor Jackson. Now if the Cubs could EVER develop a Adam Dunn/Brad Wilkerson type ballplayer (Matt Murton ), maybe the Cubs fans would have such a drool on for certain players.

Dunn HASN'T done anything (no pun intended) to show he is a "difference maker". He hasn't improve the Reds since he's been there (granted not many players could improve that team). Granted Dunn hits a few out, and walk a few times, but in no way would I consider Dunn a "difference maker" until he proves it. What else exactly would he have to do to be a difference maker? How about becoming....I don't know....a COMPLETE player? Or...helping the Reds WIN MORE GAMES....maybe.....doing those things. No doubt Dunn is a GIFTED POWER THREAT, but having power doesn't mean he is a "difference maker." Who would you consider to be a difference maker? uh........Albert Pujols.....Alex Rodriguez....Barry Bonds? I'm sorry if I don't view Dunn as "God's golden boy of baseball," but I am not at all convince he would be the "final" piece to a puzzle, a great piece, just not the "final" piece.

I'll never forget that opening day vs the Mets. :) Now we can strike him out regularly. :lol: He OWNED Doc Gooden that day.

Dunn HASN'T done anything (no pun intended) to show he is a "difference maker". He hasn't improve the Reds since he's been there (granted not many players could improve that team). Granted Dunn hits a few out, and walk a few times, but in no way would I consider Dunn a "difference maker" until he proves it. What else exactly would he have to do to be a difference maker? How about becoming....I don't know....a COMPLETE player? Or...helping the Reds WIN MORE GAMES....maybe.....doing those things. No doubt Dunn is a GIFTED POWER THREAT, but having power doesn't mean he is a "difference maker."

That's right. There were some rumors, but let's face it, Dunn WAS NEVER available to begin with.

Since baseball is CURRENTLY out of the Olympics loop for a long time, ---and the feeling I get, it won't be returning to the olympics---why can't the WBC be an EVERY 4 yr thing, instead of a yearly thing? That way you increase the credibility of the thing, add instensity, seeing as you would have to wait. But then again...Selig is way too short-sided to see the flaws of the WBC.

Talking about players the Cubs couldn't sign....too bad they couldn't sign Matt LaPorta.

You traded Sydney for Iowa?!!!! You must *really* love this woman. :) Why not...she is ONE heck of an agent...

.235/.296/.355. No Vance did not have a "Really good year" in 1989.

All Williams did was used the OLD CUBS FORMULA or acquiring players in hopes of finding that "lightning in a bottle". That's all. Unfortunately....Williams found the ultimate "lightning in a bottle" scenerio. Nobody would have traded Lee for Podsenick. Very few would had allow Ordonez to leave. And NOBODY would had given the current Jermaine Dye a 2 yr deal. There are three deals he made, that I would give him EXTREME credit for.... 1: Signing the solid Tad Iguachi. 2: Trading a journeyman former Top Prospect Alex Escobar for Jerry Owens, who could contribute as early as there yr, and is held in high regards with alot of people in baseball. 3: picking up Bobby Jenks off the waiver wire (don't like the kid, but have to question what the Angels were thinking :? ). Prolly their MOST important move.

Luis Gonzalez Arizona Diamondbacks Outfielder Luis Gonzalez Colorado Rockies Second Baseman Luis Gonzalez Seattle Mariners Relief Pitcher Which one?

I HIGHLY doubt you see Williamson traded, unless the Cubs got a deal they couldn't refuse.

What got me back into baseball, WASN'T THE HR CHASE, and it really wasn't Cal's streak, or fantasy baseball, in fact is was a non-Cubs event. The yr was 1995, Mattingly's last yr(Sidenote: Mattingly was my favorite non-Cub player) and the first rd of the playoffs between Seattle and New York. The Yanks had put up a 2 games to 0 lead over the Mariners, but Seattle fought back to even it up at 2-2. The game was a classic. It went to the 11 inning where the Yankees look to finish up the game by scoring the lead run. The bottom half of the inning, Cora lead off with a bunt single, for a Junior single to center, with Cora going to third. E. Martinez then drove a doubled down the left field line; Cora scored, and then we see the "classic" video of seeing Griffey racing around the diamond to scoring the winning run. That GAME reminded me of how great baseball is, and can be again. I tuned back to baseball after that game. HR chase, Cal-Streak, fantasy baseball, are all good choices, but I think installing the WILD CARD was the biggest reason why people return to baseball. This allow more teams to stay in the post season hunt, in turn kept people interests in the favorite team high.

I like alternate jerseys because nothing is more boring than gray. That's why I'm such a big fan of the Cubs blue jerseys. I absolutely LOVE the alternate unis. Overall the Royals have some pretty sweet unis, just unfortunately the players they have wearing the unis, are not as good as the jersey. Yow know what was ugly....those "Turn up the clock" futuristic POC that baseball had a few yrs back. Now those jersey's really did suck. Now my goal is for the Cubs to drop those silly pinstripes on the home unis.

Hendry isn't going to say anything new, and try and hype the players he sign this offseason as being better players then the players he let go. So don't count on Hendry saying anything useful.

If anybody needs further confirmation that the WBC is already a joke, here it is... I could see Piazza playing for the Italian, or David Aardsma for the Dutch, but how does one come to the conclusion that Dan Haren is even a possibility for the Dutch? 100% Irish Father, 100% Mexican mother, so how does Haren get on the roster of the Dutch? WBC is a joke.

My offensive breakout player is Eric Patterson. I believe Eric will elevate himself into the ELITE offensive middle infield prospect status after the yr. My pitching breakout player is....Angel Guzman. I know he is a special case, but I believe he will be a tremendous help for the Cubs this yr. Thus, with very few people are expecting anything from him, I expect him to have a VERY big yr. Other candidates: Pawelek, Veal, Johnson on the mound. Gregg, Fox, and Ryan Harvey. I expect Harvey to DRAMATICALLY improve in all areas.

Stop calling me Shirley. :roll: oh great........and AIRPLANE reference.... :roll:

subscriber Link Wow. The Jays could really contend next year. They'll be good, no doubt. But not good enough to overcome Bos/Ny They'll be the best third place team in baseball. I would not be surprised to see the Blue Jays pass the Red Sox this year. Really? Based on what (serious question)? How about the fact that the Blue Jays---on paper---have a better OVERALL offense then Boston. Or how about Toronto's pitching staff can match up with Boston's. Or the fact that Toronto will have LESS holes fo 2006, then Boston. It's not a stretch to believe that Boston is significantly worse off then 2004/2005, and that the Red Sox could be bumped to third in the AL East.

I didn't know the Cubs were playing meaningful games in 2000. I still back that statement, the 2000 USA team would have beating the 2000 Cubs. No questions.,

Yeah, I don't think you are going to get a top 15 prospect for a 5th starter. Yes, but what about Williams? He's a 3 starter at worst. Williams will be a very solid back of the rotation starter for the next xxxx of yrs. You can pick up one of those kind of pitchers in the draft, FA, or a lower type trade. But to trade a back end of the rotation pitcher for an Adam Dunn type power prosepct like Wood, who may be the next Alex Rodriguez at SS, that you don't do. Jerome Williams MIGHT be able to fetch Erick Aybar or Albert Callapse (or however you spell his lat name), but to get Wood (no jokes, plz) you have to offer a BIG temptation, say Mark Prior or Carlos Zambrano.

For the full article, click here. Don Buford? Isn't that Damon Buford's father?

You guys are going to be SO LUCKY. I am leaving the country for 6 months without any computers, or anything to keep track of baseball.. :( I won't get to follow the Cubs for a WHOLE 6 months.) But then again....as Martha Stweart would say, "That would be a good thing." But oh well...... No baseball for 6 months. I guess I am going on an EXTREMELY long version of LENT.

First: The WBC is a TOTAL joke, and so is Bud Selig for believing this "World Cup" would be taken seriously. When you have guys like ARod who can't make up his mind for which country to play for, or Mike Piazza automatically gets put on the Italian team because his last name is Italian (he's from Penn), and there is other stories like that, then you know the WBC is a total scam. And then you have the hole will they be allow/not allow to play Cuba scandal, and this tourny is already a joke. And the players know it. The ONLY ones taken it serious are the Dominican. Second: Bonds is a scam, but he's a scam you rather trust, then Selig/WBC. If Bonds is pulling out because of injury, fine, don't need to see him or hear stories about him 24 hours a day, before I have to. Third: Why don't they just used amateur players anyways. One of the greatest sports moments is when Team USA defeated Team Russia in the 1980 Olympics. And Team USA was filled with players who were hungry for respect, and for the gold medal. Heck even when Team USA defeated Cubs in th 2000 games in Australia, that was magical, because you have a team hungry players who played for the name on the front, instead on the back. That team had Ben Sheets whooping Cuba's bootay for 9 innings. Great memories. Just wish, they would take professional players out of international competition and return it back to AMATEUR COMPETITION. Sorry about the mini-rant, but this topic really boils my blood.