vance_the_cubs_fan

I found this article in my afternoon net surfing... Link. Freel could be a RH part of Pie insurance. He's also versatile enough to fill in at third and second base. Depending on what the Reds would ask for in a trade, Freel might be a suitable jack of all trades for the bench. He's not good, but he doesn't completely suck.

Yep. You just can't make this stuff up. Link.

From an email I received this morning from Jamie Newberg...

If they don't think Pie is ready, screw Crisp. Sign Kenny Lofton.

I hear Bill Romanowski for LBer is a possibility for Dallas. A Falcons fan is making these jokes...cough, cough Michael Vick...cough, cough.

Julius Jones has supposedly signed with the Seahawks.

Sources say the Cowboys are considering Pacman. Link.

If the Orioles are holding out for a better offer than Gallagher, Cedeno, Veal, and another player, then Jim should just walk away. I'm concerned that the above offer is too much. No way I'd give more.

I'd be willing to take a flyer on Rocco.

Not at the price he's going for. Hall wants a Samuels type deal to go along with the first rounder Atlanta wants. He's not worth that.

Considering there's no guarantee that he'll be reinstated, I think the price for Pac-Man may be more like a 5th or 6th rounder.

As much as I love OBP, I think a guy who will finish the year with 162 HRs would be a bit more valuable.

shouldn't that be from bad to worse... :-k

This is awesome. I can't wait until he starts Hatteberg over Votto for this reason. And then after Dunn looks at too many third strikes, he'll replace him with Patterson, because while Patterson might strike out, he won't go down looking.

1. Alex Rodriguez 2. Albert Pujols 3. Hanley Ramirez 4. Jose Reyes 5. Ryan Braun 6. David Wright 7. Chase Utley 8. Jimmy Rollins 9. Miguel Cabrera 10. Johan Santana 11. Matt Holliday 12. Ryan Howard 13. Grady Sizemore 14. Prince Fielder 15. Jake Peavy 16. Troy Tulowitzki 17. Victor Martinez 18. Carl Crawford 19. Alfonso Soriano 20. David Ortiz 21. Carlos Beltran 22. Brandon Webb 23. Vlad Guerrero 24. Ichiro 25. Derrek Lee 26. Russell Martin 27. Joe Mauer 28. Brandon Phillips 29. Brian Roberts 30. BJ Upton 31. Derek Jeter 32. Corey Hart 33. Josh Beckett 34. Manny Ramirez 35. Dan Haren 36. Robinson Cano 37. Justin Verlander 38. Erik Bedard 39. Aramis Ramirez 40. Cole Hamels 41. Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones 42. Adam Dunn 43. Mark Teixeira 44. CC Sabathia 45. Carlos Lee 46. Lance Berkman 47. Roy Halladay 48. Carlos Zambrano 49. Scott Kazmir 50. Francisco Liriano 51. John Smoltz 52. John Lackey 53. Chris Young (the outfielder) 54. Curtis Granderson 55. Brian McCann 56. Ian Kinsler 57. Magglio Ordonez 58. Jorge Posada 59. Khalil Greene 60. Carlos Guillen 61. Garrett Atkins 62. Felix Hernandez 63. Aaron Rowand 64. Geovany Soto 65. Chris Young (the weirdly proportioned pitcher) 66. Roy Oswalt 67. Aaron Harang 68. Ryan Zimmerman 69. Carlos Pena 70. Joe Nathan 71. Matt Kemp 72. Francisco Rodriguez 73. Dan Uggla 74. Gary Sheffield 75. Jonathan Paplebon 76. Daisuke Matsuzaka 77. Hunter Pence 78. Tim Lincecum 79. Rich Hill 80. Nick Markakis 81. Rickie Weeks 82. Kosuke Fukudome 83. Kenji Johjima 84.Fausto Carmona 85. JJ Putz 86. Takashi Saito 87. Jose Valverde 88. Todd Helton 89. Javier Vazquez 90. Nick Swisher 91. James Shields 92. Miguel Tejada 93. Brad Hawpe 94. Hideki Matsui 95. Travis Hafner 96. Edgar Renteria 97. Alex Rios 98. JJ Hardy 99. Chone Figgins 100. Billy Wagner 101. Joba Chamberlain 102. A.J. Burnett- picking for IMB 103. Bobby Abreu 104. Shane Victorino 105. Mariano Rivera 106. Placido Polanco 107. Kevin Kouzmanoff 108. Jason Bay 109. Josh Hamilton 110. Brad Penny 111. Michael Young 112. Torii Hunter 113. Adrian Gonzalez 114. Matt Cain 115. Eric Byrnes (IMB) 116. Huston Street 117. Adrian Beltre 118.Howie Kendrick 119. Brett Myers 120. Andruw Jones 121. Justin Morneau 122. Bobby Jenks 123. Ben Sheets

Thanks. Picked up a few bleacher seats for the May 12th game. If anyone wants to join me that night, let me know.

Clearly Thames wouldn't be an option as a platoon partner in CF, but it seems like the Cubs are intent on trading Murton. I guess what I am trying to decide is Murton or Thames a better option as the right handed bench corner outfielder. Until Murton is traded, I'd have no interest in Thames. He's not any better than Murton.

I think I've heard all along they wouldn't keep both of them on the roster.

I'm not sure Thames is a legitimate option in CF. If that's the case, we already have one decent back-up corner outfielder in Murton. Convince me that Thames is adequate being the right-handed platoon for Pie in CF, and then a Wuertz for Thames deal may make some sense. If he's merely a corner outfielder, I'll just let Murton be that righthanded bench OF and keep Wuertz.

1. Alex Rodriguez 2. Albert Pujols 3. Hanley Ramirez 4. Jose Reyes 5. Ryan Braun 6. David Wright 7. Chase Utley 8. Jimmy Rollins 9. Miguel Cabrera 10. Johan Santana 11. Matt Holliday 12. Ryan Howard 13. Grady Sizemore 14. Prince Fielder 15. Jake Peavy 16. Troy Tulowitzki 17. Victor Martinez 18. Carl Crawford 19. Alfonso Soriano 20. David Ortiz 21. Carlos Beltran 22. Brandon Webb 23. Vlad Guerrero 24. Ichiro 25. Derrek Lee 26. Russell Martin 27. Joe Mauer 28. Brandon Phillips 29. Brian Roberts 30. BJ Upton 31. Derek Jeter 32. Corey Hart 33. Josh Beckett 34. Manny Ramirez 35. Dan Haren 36. Robinson Cano 37. Justin Verlander 38. Erik Bedard 39. Aramis Ramirez 40. Cole Hamels 41. Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones 42. Adam Dunn 43. Mark Teixeira 44. CC Sabathia 45. Carlos Lee 46. Lance Berkman 47. Roy Halladay 48. Carlos Zambrano 49. Scott Kazmir 50. Francisco Liriano 51. John Smoltz 52. John Lackey 53. Chris Young (the outfielder) 54. Curtis Granderson 55. Brian McCann 56. Ian Kinsler 57. Magglio Ordonez 58. Jorge Posada 59. Khalil Greene 60. Carlos Guillen 61. Garrett Atkins 62. Felix Hernandez 63. Aaron Rowand 64. Geovany Soto 65. Chris Young (the weirdly proportioned pitcher) 66. Roy Oswalt 67. Aaron Harang 68. Ryan Zimmerman 69. Carlos Pena 70. Joe Nathan 71. Matt Kemp 72. Francisco Rodriguez 73. Dan Uggla 74. Gary Sheffield 75. Jonathan Paplebon 76. Daisuke Matsuzaka 77. Hunter Pence 78. Tim Lincecum 79. Rich Hill 80. Nick Markakis 81. Rickie Weeks 82. Kosuke Fukudome 83. Kenji Johjima 84.Fausto Carmona 85. JJ Putz 86. Takashi Saito 87. Jose Valverde 88. Todd Helton 89. Javier Vazquez 90. Nick Swisher 91. James Shields 92. Miguel Tejada 93. Brad Hawpe 94. Hideki Matsui 95. Travis Hafner 96. Edgar Renteria 97. Alex Rios 98. JJ Hardy 99. Chone Figgins 100. Billy Wagner 101. Joba Chamberlain 102. A.J. Burnett- picking for IMB 103. Bobby Abreu 104. Shane Victorino 105. Mariano Rivera 106. Placido Polanco 107. Kevin Kouzmanoff 108. Jason Bay 109. Josh Hamilton 110. Brad Penny 111. Michael Young 112. Torii Hunter 113. Adrian Gonzalez 114. Matt Cain 115. Eric Byrnes (IMB) 116. Huston Street 117. Adrian Beltre 118.Howie Kendrick

i have a severe dislike for every team in the central except for the pirates i don't like the pirates, i just find it hard to dislike them anyway ranked order of annoying central teams 1. Cardinals 2. Reds 3. Brewers 4. Astros 5. Pirates I'd say those rankings are just about right. The Astros rank right behind the Cardinals for me, but they just may be because they happen to be the "home team."

I don't hate the Brewers like I hate the Cardinals or the Astros.

Stone the best announcer the Cubs have had.... :shock: :rotfl:

I think Prince wanted a bigger raise, something like what Howard got last year. Yeah but it is an automated system and the Brewers are competitive with league average. Howard got a little extra from being rookie of the year and from winning an MVP. I mean if the team actually breaks its own system for him then they are just going to piss off every other young player on the team who they don't break the system for. I fully understand the Brewers system, but apparently Prince saw what Howard got under similar circumstances and wanted a little of that for himself. He felt he was deserving of being paid above what the "system" said. The Brewers had every right to do what they did, but that doesn't mean that it could cost them in the long run. Sometimes giving a player more than what is normal might help foster goodwill when the player hits the open market. Sometimes it doesn't. But I'm guessing when Fielder's arby years are up, he's going to the highest bidder and there won't be a hometown discount for the Brewers. With Boras as his agent, that might have ended up being the case anyhow. Now I'm certain it will be.

Has anyone figured out the password for the half price bleacher seats for college students? I'll be at Wrigley for two of those games, and while I have seats in the UD, I might upgrade if I could the bleachers for 1/2 off.