vance_the_cubs_fan

Geovany Soto

With one out in the seventh, Sampson has thrown 59 pitches. When did this little f-wad turn into Greg Maddux circa 1997?

I'm having to listen to the Astros announcers. By the third inning they had already mentioned Bartman.

Nice job, Reed!

Ok, enough of the crap. Let's hit this sonovabitch!

2 outs in the 5th and Sampson has thrown 38 pitches. WTF?

Erstad raises the grit factor of that team by 50%.

It's quite generous to Dempster to assume he will be as good as Harden.

I also choose Harden with Greene a close second. I think our offense is good enough to overcome Theriot's shortcomings, but outside of Zambrano, I don't know that we have the dominant pitching staff that could lead us through the murky waters of the post season. Harden would give us a formidable one-two punch.

The Braves are a team that is going to need some help in the pen if they plan on contending.

defensively this is certainly true. offensively, it depends on whether felix can make adjustments to big league pitching. if he cannot, then he will not be as good as lofton offensively. I still think if you combine the two contributions, Pie would contribute more to the Cubs than the Lofton. His defense is that much better than Lofton.

Just for fun, let's suppose it's nearing the first of July. The Cubs are in the thick of it and looking to make a move. Assume the usual suspects of players are available, and the final assumption is that the Cubs have suffered no major injuries and the team is performing about how we would expect each one to perform. Which of these do you think we should target?

I also refuse to think of the possibility of the Cubs not winning the division.

I just think Pie is overhyped. He probably will become a great fielder dont get me wrong. I just think that he isnt even to the level you guys say he is so far with his reads. The thing is though before he was rated as a 5-tool player. I'm sorry, but I dont think I could ever see him ever getting any pop. He could become a decent slap hitter, like a Luis Castillo type hitter. That would be nice if he tried to do that...Ha I know ill probably get ripped for this, but thats just my take on it! Sorry! I just think you're wrong on many, many accounts. First of all, Pie is only 23 years old. Part of the reason he's been hyped so much is that he's been in the system since he was 17. Pie put 314/375/558 in the low minors at the age most kids are still playing for their high school teams. His minor league numbers indicate that he will be able to hit. I don't know what you are watching, but his defense already makes him one of the top CF in baseball. He has incredible quickness and a good arm. His reads are not always the best, but with his athletic skills, he can make up most of the difference. While he may not develop into a homerun hitter, I think he will demonstrate acceptable power from CF. He already has more power than Kenny Lofton. Pie will take some time to develop. He's going to have to take his lumps at some point this year, but when it's all said and done, Pie will bring more value offensively and defensively than the grizzled Lofton would bring. If we could bring Kenny Lofton circa 1997 here, then I'd buy your point. But, I think Pie is the better player not only for this year, but because of what he'll bring in the future as well.

I still think the Cardinals are number one, and then for me, I hate those damn Astros.

Yeah it was fun watching. One throw in particular hopped on the shortstop side of the bag. It was a thing of beauty.

So, would the package the Cubs were rumored to offer for Roberts be close enough to get us into the Harden discussions? Gallagher seems like the type of pitcher that would interest the A's. I just wonder what else we'd have to add to the package.

The Cubs beating themselves? ... They've been doing that for quite some time. PS, did your hometown paper not hold an "election" for "home team" coverage this year? They held the election, but they limited votes to mail-ins that had to use a clip out ballot from the sports section. So, the Astros won again, but barely. Had they done it any other week except my spring break week, I could have gotten all my students to vote using the free papers our school gets through NIE.

I hope we beat the mess out of the home team tomorrow.

I'm guessing there's going to be lots of waiver claims for Cueto in the next few days.

I have an irrational liking of Theriot. I know that and recognize it. I want him to do well. I want him to be an all-star. I'm also realistic enough to know that we could use an improvement at SS and that if Theriot is on the team, he should never hit higher than seventh.

I guess we found that outstanding arm of Jason today. I particularly like the double clutches and the throws that tail to the shortstop side of the bag.

We can all come back away from the ledge now.

I prefer not to relive any of 2003 that follows the win of game five in Atlanta. In my fantasy world, the season ended right there.

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!