pitchcs

Good thing he has Koyie Hill to pick him up. I'll be very interested to see Soriano's numbers with Pie on the roster vs. Pie not on the roster. Is that similar to the Cubs not winning because Michael Barrett was on the team?

Yeah, we really need to get off this Pagan dependence in CF. It's going to come back to bite us sooner rather than later.

They will definitely get the game in tonight.

Yeah, and it has been odd out there lately. Iowa lost 8 in a row, then won 4 in a row, then lost 3 in a row (all 1 run games) and now has won 2 in a row (blowouts).

We already started it against Wandy Rodriquez on Sunday afternoon. start, continue. Whatever. Given Wandy's career 5.25 era, beating up on Zito (yes, even though he's HORRIBLE this year) feels like a better pat on the back. I knew what you meant, just trying to remember our good games against LHP.

Murton's last 4 games: 8-18 (.444) 6 Runs 2 HR 5 RBI 2 2B 2 BB 1 K Pie's last 3 games: 6-14 (.429) 5 Runs 4 HR 5 RBI 1 2B 2 BB 4 K Matt Murton will be back with this team sooner rather than later. Pie is just a monster in Iowa.

We already started it against Wandy Rodriquez on Sunday afternoon.

Once the scalpers realize what people are willing to pay I think it will get easier. Let's remember that it's been 3 years since any meaningful games at Wrigley.

It's expensive to scalp. I will just say that you probably should have realized you couldn't get 2 tickets for $40. I traded my 2 season tickets on Saturday (Section 404) for one bleacher ticket.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) and Kaka (AC Milan) are 1-2. There's a big gap after them. After that, you could order 3-5 like this: Thierry Henry (Barcelona) Ronaldinho (Barcelona) Leo Messi (Barcelona) All three on the same team. There are big gaps in talent between a player like Ronaldinho and a player like Steven Gerrard, who might be top 10, but nowhere near the top 5. You've got great goal scorers like Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney, who probably aren't in the top 10. Ditto Robinho. You have defenders like Fabio Cannavaro and goalkeepers like Gianluigi Buffon, who are great at their position but couldn't be considered top 20. If you're only talking about field players, there isn't an American in the top 100, and I'd strain to put one in the top 200. Tim Howard is probably a top 50 keeper. Wow, I had e-mailed a friend in London asking the same question. He gave me the exact 5 that you did, in no particular order.

If someone could help me it would be great. I was talking about this at work with someone yesterday. Who are considered the 5 best soccer players in the world? I know hardly anything about soccer.

I don't know how big a deal 600 is. Over the next three years about 125 major leaguers will hit their 500th or 600th home run. Anyway, this is Ken Griffey Jr that we're talking about. And these are the Cubs. Anything that can go wrong, does. I'd give him about three innings before completely shredding his hamstring and being done for the year. ummm, what? There are 18 active players that have 325 or more home runs, so if you assume a 50 hr pace in 3 1/2 seasons, that is the line that im drawing. Of those 18, 15 are over the age of 35. of the 15 who are over the age of 35, 7 are not realistically going to get to 500, in 3 years, or ever (retirement). so of the 11 who aren't too old, or to far away the list of active home run leaders: Bonds - 751 Sosa - 602 Griffey Jr. - 586 F. Thomas - 501 A-Rod - 495 J. Thome - 487 M. Ramirez - 481 G. Sheffield - 476 C. Delgado - 421 C. Jones - 372 A. Jones - 357 and since you can take off Bonds, Sosa, and Griffey Jr. (since we're comparing him), and Thomas (since he obviously wont make it to 600), you're left with 7 players. And of those 7, only 4 are a lock to make it to 500 in the next 3 years). Only a few players (thome, a-rod, and manram) are going to get a good shot at 600 in the next 3 years. And when you factor in only 5 people have gotten to 600, the event will still be special. Umm, there was a good amount of sarcasm in his post. Didn't come off like sarcasm.

When you say "freely" do you mean a pitcher pitches better or worse when his team is leading by 5+ ? I would assume a starters ERA is much higher with a big lead since they typically just throw strikes and try to get quick outs.

Probably early next week.

I have no issue with the yell, as playing sports for many years, I have yelled to distract in baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. The slap is pretty cheap and un-defendable however. Then you are bush league too. You don't do that, period.

What a douche. A couple weeks before he's going to break the record and in his home park. Go out there and hit a couple into the water for the fans. I think sometimes people are going out of their way to knock Bonds. Who cares if he doesnt want to do the HR derby. Exactly, no one said anything about Griffey declining it. Look at what happened to Wright and Abreu after they did it, they weren't the same after. And Bonds' reasoning is understandable. He said he was drained completely after he did it in '96, and that's when it was only 2 rounds. Now it's three, and he's older. I know it's his home stadium, but that doesn't mean he HAS to do it. That's the reason people are ripping him. If the ASG was being held it any other park (with the exception of Oakland, maybe) it wouldn't matter at all which is why nobody is complaining that Griffey isn't doing it. But if the game were being held in Cincinnati and Griffey declined, people would be ripping him instead of Bonds. Maybe not as much but Griffey isn't about to break the biggest record in baseball. No they wouldnt. Most would be very understanding if Griffey didnt want to do it. If Bonds did do the HR derby he would be called a douche by many, If he doesnt he is going to get called a douche. Its just Bonds, most will criticize everything he does. Yeah right. Sosa would get lambasted if it was 1998 and he didn't participate @ Wrigley. Sosa was also not 40 something at the time. Truth is if he did it there would be people who say he is a glory hound and may be hurting his team by doing a HR derby. Its Bonds no matter what he does it is going to draw criticism. Its like some people magically think that if Bonds was eliminated from baseball all of the "cheating" will be fixed and the game would be "pure" again. I don't think there is anyone who would criticize Bonds for doing it. It's batting practice...he does that every day anyways. These people who say doing the HR Derby is "tiring" and "tough work"...get real.

Ugh....I will be at the White Sox game for a bachelor party. Kill me now.

What a douche. A couple weeks before he's going to break the record and in his home park. Go out there and hit a couple into the water for the fans. I think sometimes people are going out of their way to knock Bonds. Who cares if he doesnt want to do the HR derby. Exactly, no one said anything about Griffey declining it. Look at what happened to Wright and Abreu after they did it, they weren't the same after. And Bonds' reasoning is understandable. He said he was drained completely after he did it in '96, and that's when it was only 2 rounds. Now it's three, and he's older. I know it's his home stadium, but that doesn't mean he HAS to do it. That's the reason people are ripping him. If the ASG was being held it any other park (with the exception of Oakland, maybe) it wouldn't matter at all which is why nobody is complaining that Griffey isn't doing it. But if the game were being held in Cincinnati and Griffey declined, people would be ripping him instead of Bonds. Maybe not as much but Griffey isn't about to break the biggest record in baseball. No they wouldnt. Most would be very understanding if Griffey didnt want to do it. If Bonds did do the HR derby he would be called a douche by many, If he doesnt he is going to get called a douche. Its just Bonds, most will criticize everything he does. Yeah right. Sosa would get lambasted if it was 1998 and he didn't participate @ Wrigley.

What a douche. A couple weeks before he's going to break the record and in his home park. Go out there and hit a couple into the water for the fans.

I just don't know if they will realistically send down Pie. They have repeatedly said they won't.

If so, who goes down? Pagan? That would have to be my vote.

Wow, trippy. Is this like one of those pictures where if you stare at it for a long time, another image comes out of the background? Nobody let Sean see this. He'll be too distracted to make his start. "Wow. It's a schooner." "Ha ha ha ha. You dumb bastard. It's not a schooner... it's a Sailboat." "A schooner IS a sailboat stupid head." "You know what. There is NO Easter Bunny. Over there, that's just a guy in a suit." For those of you who enjoy the classics.

Poor game today, but 3/4 is what we needed anyways. We really shouldn't be worrying too much about what the Brewers do until August.

Actually, for once, I won't. I have to cover a Davis Little League All-Star game at 11:30. I probably won't get up for the beginning of the Cubs game, (although I might just for the hell of it) but I will be able to watch some of it before heading to the Little League game. EDIT: I had to work anyway but my editor gave me the option of covering either the baseball game or a bike race. That wasn't a hard decision. What kind of paper do you work for where anyone in their right mind would possibly care about either one of those events?

5 months... -Cubs had a good Spring Training. (Above .500) -Mark Prior is out for the season after a surgery revealing his problem. -Wade Miller made the team out of ST but it was all downhill from there. Now he's struggling to make it back to the majors as he can barely hit 80mph on his fastball. - Alfonso Soriano got off to a slow start. He's been hot lately and got the player of the month in June. - Felix Pie has his ups and downs. - Theriot and Fontenot are amazing. - Jacque Jones still sucks and has only 2 HR on the season. Is on a pace for 4. Anyone else wanna continue? Let's put it this way, I LOST ALL TRACK of baseball during those five months. Seriously, after last yr, I just stop not caring about baseball. And I am on this board again, because a co-worker of mine, (a Cub fan, no less) told me the Cubs HAD won 7 games in a row. So naturally I thought he was joking, so I paid him no mind. So, as I was finishing up some work on the computer, I figure what the heck, and I checked in on this board. And just reading some previous threads, I must say I am SHOCKED, shocked about has happen this. So, while the Cubs fan in me is smiling at the moment, I am trying to keep myself from having too much hope. I've save that for later. So I went back to my co-worker, and he filled me in on some "incidents" that has happen? He told me: Barrett and Z had a fight, am I correct? And Barrett is no longer with the Cubs? ARam hits a homerun, and the Cubs win a game in which they gave up a big lead in the ninth? Am I correct, that these eye opening incidents have happen? Cause I am trying to soak in eveyrthing that has happen, and to say I am in a state of shock, is mindboggling. So, forgive my ignorance---I've move to a cabin in the woods, to get away from cable, and I am the computer that is my livlihood---in the words of Vince Lombardi: "What the heck is going on here? Do you live in a cave?