soccer10k

The one NL team in the playoffs I don't hate just lost two games at home. Ugh.

I agree completely. The Cubs need an all around improvement. If they focus on fixing either the offense or the pitching but not both, they will be a 4th place team at best next year.

Agreed.

You have to consider the payroll. Locking up Zambrano before the '07 season should be a priority - you don't want to run the risk of him having another great season and then bolting in free agency because the Cubs finish in last place again. Locking him up reduces your ability to sign other free agents. I don't see Cedeno as anything more than a utility player, so I don't see the point in sending him down to AAA next year. Same with Fontenot (what else does he need to prove in AAA?). And same with Pagan. If these guys had a future as a starter, then yeah, I'd agree. But none of them do. I'd love to sign Kenny Lofton, but someone will give him a starting job. And he's not going to turn down an everyday job to be a bench player on a team that finished with the worst record in the league. But with that said, this year's team wasn't as bad as it's record indicates. I don't think that a major overhaul is needed. And I certainly don't see the point in spending millions on every bench player when you have guys in the minors who will likely give you the same, if not better, production for the league minimum. I'd love to sign a FA starter, but the funds aren't there if you want to add an impact bat (which I feel is more important) and lock Zambrano up long-term. You're both right ... uh ... and wrong. The 25 men in the initial post aren't going to win many games. And Steinbrenner himself doesn't have enough money to fix this team properly. TIme to blow it up. Trade Z, Lee, Barrett, Howry, Dempster, Eyre and Jones for what you can get. Offer ramiraz arby and hope he turns it down. Rotation: Hill Marshall Pitcher recieved in trade Pitcher received in trade Prior/Miller Line-up Theriot Cedeno Pie 1b received in trade Murton 3b received in trade Rf received in trade Soto Bench and Pen rooks and retreads Weurtz for closer Pack it in pack it up and pack it out There is no reason that a major market team with a $100M payroll should have to completely rebuild their team.

Why would the Cubs want to spend $4-5M to get Craig Wilson next year to sit on the bench when they could use that money on somebody that's actually going to play regularly (whether that means a position player or a starter)? That would mean paying him close to or more than Jacque Jones for a lot less production.

I disagree. A hitter will play in 140-160 games. A pitcher will impact about 35. You go with the hitter. As far as our rotation goes, keep in mind Mark Prior will likely be back and closer to his previous form than he was this year. Zambrano, Prior and Hill in no particular order is pretty decent. Finding 2 more starters shouldn't be that hard. Virtually anything from Prior next year would be better than what the Cubs got from him this year.

Seconded. Retaining Aramis is far more important than who our manager winds up being. So hypothetically if ARam says "I want Lou Piniella as manager" you would be in favor of the Cubs hiring Lou Piniella solely to satisfy ARam? Players matter more than the manager, so I'd do it. I'd rather have ARam with Piniella than David Bell with Larry Dierker. Again, another hypothetical. If towards the end of this year, Hendry approached ARam and said "what do I have to do to get you to stay a Cub?" and ARam said "resign Dusty" you would be in favor? If ARam demands Piniella, he can walk.

Not to brush this praise aside, but the pitching staff said the same thing about Oscar Acosta when he was canned, and the pitchers from those teams didn't suddenly forget how to throw. Interesting that Hill is quoted as a supporter. If I recall, he was one of the pitchers that was rumored to constantly ignoring Rothschild and that it wasn't until he quit listening to him that he started to perform at the ML as he did in the lower levels. I think Hill is probably playing the PC game after his AJ/Barrett comments rubbed management the wrong way. I don't doubt that Larry has done some good things, but the failures to prevent serious injuries to Wood and Prior (well, he can't stop Giles and Hawpe) are so large that we can't risk having him back. Maybe Baker just didn't listen to Larry. Bruce did say something to the effect of on this board the other day that Baker should have listened to Larry more than he actually did. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Baker frequently overruled Larry and ignored his advice.

I don't see how the NFL isn't intense. If you're capable of watching a 162 game MLB season when the best teams lose 60 times, I think you can find the intensity after a team loses a game. Homefield advantage is still important. And besides, there's only about 2 intense games per team in college, the rest are cakewalks. NFL players are playing because they are getting paid to do it. I'm sure they love the game and love to play but they are still getting paid. Just look at somebody like Ricky Williams. He played football because he was good at it and it was profitable. Go ahead and say what you want about $100 handshakes, but the college players aren't making millions every year. The NBA is WAY worse than the NFL as well.

Seconded. Retaining Aramis is far more important than who our manager winds up being. So hypothetically if ARam says "I want Lou Piniella as manager" you would be in favor of the Cubs hiring Lou Piniella solely to satisfy ARam?

Clemens played for the Yankees and Red Sox. In the national media's mind, no player from either of those teams could ever do any wrong. Look at the free pass Giambi, a confessed steroid user, and Sheffield got from the leaked grand jury testimony. Giambi got a free pass? Compared to every other roid boy. He went through a rough couple months, but has been completely forgiven as soon as he started producing again. He got absolutely hammered by the press in 2004 and was ripped for part of 2005 as well until he started to hit. I would hardly consider that to be a free pass. Sheffield I'll agree with though.

Yeah, last year. It's usually not like that. It's usually 2 1 loss teams or 1 undefeated and 1 1 loss. And again, which 1 loss team is determined by polls. Four out of the eight BCS National Championship Games have featured 2 undefeated teams and three of those four years they were the only 2 undefeated teams in the nation (2004 was different with Auburn, USC, Oklahoma all finishing the regular season undefeated).

Clemens played for the Yankees and Red Sox. In the national media's mind, no player from either of those teams could ever do any wrong. Look at the free pass Giambi, a confessed steroid user, and Sheffield got from the leaked grand jury testimony. Giambi got a free pass?

Personally, that makes it better for me because each game means something. If you lose one game, you're likely out of the National Title hunt. In the NFL you can lose a few games and still qualify for the postseason. So a loss isn't devastating. In college football, every game is important. You can't have a let down. Personally, I like that. I understand how somebody wouldn't but it works for me and entertains me. To each his own I guess. But it's not really true, because if your team has a rich history you stand a good chance of remaining high in the polls, and again, championships are determined by polls, and not games played. A rich history means nothing if that school has a loss and there are two major conference teams in front of them that don't have a loss. Last year Penn St. was 10-1 but had no shot at the National Title game because Texas and USC were undefeated. That loss to Michigan was Penn St.'s season last year.

Yesterday during the Cardinals-Padres game they were hyping up the Yankee game later on and referred to Jeter as "Captain Clutch". I almost threw up.

http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/5337.jpg 12-9, 4.32 ERA vs http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/7172.jpg 14-13, 4.12 ERA Hopefully the A's can just close the series out here. I get the feeling they won't though. GO A'S!!

Jon Miller has been over-excitable during the parts of the game I listened to. I try not to get mad or bothered by Jon Miller when he's talking solely because I know that if he is talking, Joe Morgan isn't. I downloaded the video that somebody posted of Barrett's GS against the Cards in April. You know what the second best part of the video is after the actual home run? Joe Morgan didn't say a word in that 45 second clip. ETA: But he has been getting really excited over routine plays in the playoffs so far.

Go Pads.

So much for my prediction of a Yankee sweep.

Personally, that makes it better for me because each game means something. If you lose one game, you're likely out of the National Title hunt. In the NFL you can lose a few games and still qualify for the postseason. So a loss isn't devastating. In college football, every game is important. You can't have a let down. Personally, I like that. I understand how somebody wouldn't but it works for me and entertains me. To each his own I guess.

What ESPN baseball broadcast would be complete without a wonderful conversation about Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees?

Hey, what's the first letter in ESPN stand for? That's right, entertainment. Oh and this is for Dusty being on ESPN: :pukel:

Pick one. Just don't follow the strive for mediocrity and sooner or later you'll catch lighting approach of the MacPhail era. I'd set a flexible payroll budget. Flexible in the sense that you spend AFTER developing young players when you've got a foundation and a real shot at winning the thing. The Cubs could spend $70 mil, $90 mil., and $120 mil. over the next three years and win the thing, and spend less than the $100 mil., $105 mil., $110 mil. they're likely to spend. The Marlins, Diamondbacks, Braves, Dodgers, and Mets have all bumped payrolls during contending periods and reduced payroll during rebuilding periods. CFP I wouldn't say "pick one". Infact you do BOTH!! IE you smartly use both assets. An example would be Playing Theroit at SS, Pie in CF. And get rid of jones and sign or trade for a big bopper at RF and 2B. You smartly use your money. But an increase in payroll is never a bad thing. If you use the money wisely, you'll win. I'd like a raised payroll. It can never hurt. But it's not necessarily going to improve the team at all without the money being spent in the right ways.

!#&*^%#!&*%$!&^%#!*&$ DON'T BLOW THIS OAKLAND

I want to see this series be over in 3 games.