Connor McConnor

Did I miss something? Have they been good the last couple of years? And Prior has been injured or very mediocre during this time period. What is is that we are so desperatly holding onto? a .500 team?

Thats what I thought I saw the last 2 years. Inconsistency. NOT a dominating superstar....like he is being painted as here. Im not sure that the deal is right.....but I agree with your assessment of the history of Prior. It's accurate. He might go onto to be a 20 game winner....and all that....but until he does.....he's got an awful lot to prove. Im not convinced that "injuries" are the only reason for his crappy performance in 04-05.....it could also be that the league saw him a few times and can hit him....or get him off his game. It's certainly a possibility. THe 04-05 Prior IS worth trading for Tejada. THe 03 is not. THe question is.....which is he?

What??? The Cubs wouldn't have even sniffed the playoffs (let alone made it to the LCS) with out Prior and Wood. FAILED?? Oh my God. Maybe I missed it. Did we make it the Series that year? Im glad we made it to the playoffs...and almost made the Series. That was 2003...and he's been less than dominating since. Oh my God..quit acting as if he's Superman. You're right. They haven't won a World Series for the Cubs (or even gotten to one). They should be traded. Also, Ramirez didn't get the Cubs there either. See ya! Probably should have had the same philosophy for the following: Banks, Jenkins, Santo, Sandberg, Dawson, Grace, Sosa...I mean, these guys never won (or even appeared in) a World Series, right? Bums! We are getting a player back in the trade...right? A guy who has played most of 162 games for 5 years? MVP....dominating shortstop? All the names you mentioned.....great players.....so what? We havent won a world series in 100 stinking years! THey must not have been THAT great. Except, of course, to Cub fans. Instead of celebrating past champions we are forced to celebrate players who were great individually but never brought the Cubs a championship. Again...Im not saying the deal is the right thing...but to just dismiss it because Prior is obviously the second coming is just wrong. He has huge question marks......he's PROVEN that he has huge question marks......apparently your convinced he will be the Prior of 03 in the years to come. Thats a huge leap of faith..... THe deal is certainly worth considering....and may be worth doing. It's a risk...but high reward things always are.

Yea...can you believe we are breaking up the dynasty that has been the Chicago Cubs? Cant seem to recollect our record last year for the life of me.

What??? The Cubs wouldn't have even sniffed the playoffs (let alone made it to the LCS) with out Prior and Wood. FAILED?? Oh my God. Maybe I missed it. Did we make it the Series that year? Im glad we made it to the playoffs...and almost made the Series. That was 2003...and he's been less than dominating since. Oh my God..quit acting as if he's Superman.

I would hate to miss the opportunity to watch Mark Prior tun into the next Kerry Wood. Over-hyped / oft injured pitcher who never lives up to his promise. the 03 Prior is the pitcher everyone is talking about here. We havent really seen that guy for awhile. Prior got shellacked more than once in the last few years. And had many episodes of wildness and walks. "Injuries" are the reason given mostly....maybe.....or maybe the league figured him out after a year or so? I find it hard to believe that people would "quit the Cubs" (Said in various ways)...over a guy that has been very inconsistent up to this point. He's got lots of potential...but he has NOT dominated the league consistently. For WHATEVER reason. By the tone of the posts you would think he's Nolan Ryan in his prime. Perhaps he will be someday....but he's certainly looked shakey....and has a lot to prove. By the way.....both Prior and Wood had opportunities of a lifetime handed to them in 03. That is.....lead the Cubs to a World Series with 1 victory. BOTH FAILED. Granted....they didnt get much help....but if there was ever a time for a complete game of your life.....that was it. Didnt happen. What's more likely? Prior develops some sort of arm trouble or other injuries over the next 5 years....or Tejada builds on a solid, proven career as one of the top SS in the game....and plays nearly everyday....and adds incredible punch to the lineup? Of course both could get hurt.....but whats more likely? Enough hype and promise.....I want results. I'm not certain this is the right thing to do....but to act like trading Prior is the end of the world is silly......its worth considering and may be a good idea if you can get enough in return.

You'd have to pass a referrendum against booing him. If you could do that I wouldnt be against it. I wonder how many people actually still like Corey Patterson? 10-20? Yes, I am one of those people. Play Corey in right in 2006. It seems to me like Wilson is just a righthanded version of Corey, so why not stick with Corey. Cub fans are born with short memories....otherwise the pain would just be too much. If he gets off to a decent start and has even a mediocre year.....the fans will be fine with him. If he has a good/great year.....he will be the talk of the town and everyone will pretend that they knew it all along. The other options are not markedly better....give Corey a shot.

While I have agreed with most of your posts, I completely disagree with this one. 66-96 season and we are in middle of December? C'mon man relax. Also, what has Houston done that has made them better, lose Clemens? Rest easy, the season doesn't start tomorrow and Hendry will find us a RF. Agreed. If we are 66-96.....then our pitching is terrible too.....a right fielder wont change that. So much of baseball is luck...things need to go your way. How many picked the White Sox to win the World Series last year? Or their division for that matter. You just never know.....even with Patterson/Burnitz/Jones.....any of them.....if our pitchers get on a roll (like the Sox's did last year)....we can go a long way. It's the Cubs...and it seems like things never go "our way"....but anything can happen.

Totally, thoroughly, agree. If Patterson happened to catch fire....Murton, Pierre, Patterson.....would be fun to watch. I know thats a big IF.....but it would be better than watching Jones out there. Id rather give Corey a shot.

I agree. Has there been one report about the Orioles actually wanting to trade him? Seems to me that nothing matters until we hear that for sure.

Well Bruce's report isn't the only thing talking abou it. It's on the Score, ESPN 1000, and XM Radio MLB Home Plate. Everyone is talking about it. Someone on another thread said someone who is close to Tejada said Tejada would be happy to come to the Cubs if a trade happened. Go to the Cardinals board.....4 threads about Tejada going to the Cardinals. I suspect that every message board for every team is currently chewing on why Tejada will end up with them in the near future. Dont get your hopes up. Don't get your hopes down. And another thing, I'm just responding to Lemehearya, who asked who else is reporting it. Ok....I wont get my hopes down. The Cubs have an excellent track record of pulling off big deals that help the team get to the World Series. My point was that ALL of this stuff is pure speculation. Including what "media" outlets may be saying. This stuff feeds on itself. THe most probable thing is that Tejada stays where he is. Not very exciting....but most likely.

Well Bruce's report isn't the only thing talking abou it. It's on the Score, ESPN 1000, and XM Radio MLB Home Plate. Everyone is talking about it. Someone on another thread said someone who is close to Tejada said Tejada would be happy to come to the Cubs if a trade happened. Go to the Cardinals board.....4 threads about Tejada going to the Cardinals. I suspect that every message board for every team is currently chewing on why Tejada will end up with them in the near future. Dont get your hopes up.

From Rotoworld: "Tejada basically quit on the Orioles late in the season, and now he wants out just two years into a six-year deal. Saying he doesn't like the direction is ridiculous. The Orioles are willing to spend money -- they had the high offer to Paul Konerko on the table -- it's just that no one is as eager to take it as Tejada was when he made his way to the high bidder. Plus, they now have the game's best pitching coach. Anyone who would turn on his team like Tejada has looks like a bad risk to us, even if his $72 million contract seems pretty reasonable right now. Of course, he'll probably be linked to the Red Sox right away." For someone who said "he shows up everyday." He's a crybaby who is turing his back on a team after 2 years and badmouthing them in the press. We all know how things tend to go not so well around here in Cubland...what will he be saying after a few "disappointing" seasons with the Cubs? Forget him. He's trouble. Get a good RF. Cub fans are like construction workers oogling any good looking chick in a tight skirt who happens to walk by. Might be nice to look at and think about.....but you probably dont REALLY wanna be married to her.

Agreed. I have a vision of Patterson becoming great somewhere else.

Looking at his stats...he's only had one full year? Are the others years short due to injuries? His stats look decent....but....am I the only one who see's the possbility of Corey getting it together? He's (Corey) certainly had his problems...but he's also had been great at times. Last year at this time very few wanted to dump him. I picture him in that Dodger uniform....it would be our luck to have him turn into a superstar out there.

Kind of overdoing the "cubune" thing arent ya? Sound very much like a White Sox fan. "The masses" are Cub fans mostly because they were raised that way....and we'd really like to see them win the stinking world series one of these years. Not because a media company owns the team or forces us to do anything. I get very little Cub information from the Tribune anymore. I doubt that most fans do. They (Tribune) spent enough money.....the team across town just won the World Series spending a lot less. It has nothing to do with ownership or the amount spent....they spend plenty.....its how its spent.

I've often felt this was a valid point. The constant "leadoff hitter" blabbering seems silly. He's only guaranteed to lead off one inning. The batting positions in front to of your big hitters is certainly important....but the "leadoff hitter" bit seems way overdone to me.

Yea....they will love him as a football player.....hate him as a pitcher. I can see him sweating already....he will be run out of town within 2 years. Dusty abused him? By putting him into games and expecting him to get people out? Did Cox abuse him when he put him this fall and he imloded in Houston? The guy tanks in pressure situations. The Yankees are giving him 15 mil to do what? Tackle people?

Aside from the "choking dog" comments......and the he'd be great "if" (insert almost anything)...the fact is that in important spots the guy has been terrible. Yes, he has decent stats over the course of his career....but he'd be the LAST guy I would want to see with the ball with a crucial game on the line....as witnessed byt his stellar performance this fall. The Farnsworth love is really puzzling to me.....did the football tackle really endear him that much? IF the Cubs were 6 outs form the series (ouch) and there were men on base.....would you really want to see Farnsworth in a Cubs uniform taking the bump?

Yea....I sure missed Farnsworth when I was watching him pitch for Atlanta this year down in Houston. Made me really yearn for him to be back on our team (sarcasm).

I'm surprised by my own lack of passion regarding the Sox success. I though it would bother me more. It hasnt. Im just not really interested. Similar to any other postseason that the Cubs are not involved in....which is most of them. It might as well be Toronto and San Fran playing the series. If the Cubs arent in it....I just dont care that much. I hate the Sox. But....they are gonna win the series? Ho hum.

You dont "barely win" 99 games. Sure you can. 32-18 in 1 run games this season. since I didn't see a site listing 1-run numbers, I'm not about to go look at every team's record to compare that. But does anyone want to say there was a team that won more (and a higher percentage of its) close games? Id be willing to bet that ANY team that wins 99 games in a season has won a lot of 1 run games. Just as any team that has lost a lot of games has lost a lot of 1 run games. Thats the difference between winning and losing in case you havent noticed....1 run. They found a way to win the close games. I hate the Sox....but I have to give them credit for reaching the promised land. Finding ways to take away from what they have accomplished is very much something a lot of thier fans would do if we had won 99 games. They did a good job...won a lot of games and are in the World Series. I hate it....but they did it.

You dont "barely win" 99 games. And then roll through the playoffs with 1 loss so far. They are obviously doing something right.

Bravo! Baseball is unpredictable......thats what makes it exciting. Its also why middle of the road payroll teams like the White Sox and Marlins can (and do) make it to the post season and perhaps go all the way. All the hand ringing over certain games, managers, pitches, plays.....may be inevitable due to the engrossing nature of the sport (if you are into it)....but a lot of what happens is chance. By the way.....this is what is so frsustrating about the Cubs. You would think they would have made it to the Series BY ACCIDENT by now.

All I know for sure is: I hate the White Sox. Even more now. But hey..if they go all the way...we were just given a gift from heaven! We can blame it on "the call." Sweet.