Bull

I predicted a huge sophomore slump for Geo. I hope I'm wrong, but I stand by that. The reason this isn't as much of a concern as Lee is twofold. 1. Lee is being paid big bucks and slotted into the 3 slot and 2) lee is playing an offensive position. Defense can save you at catcher, but I don't care how good you are at first, you have to hit. Bottom line, if Soto doesn't hit a ton this year, "meh, he's just the catcher, hat do you expect."

Also, gameday is suck.

Nah. Cueto is good.

Among Alex Gonzalez' comparisons on Baseball Reference: Alex Gonzalez

I don't like that the only reliever with options is Marmol. You have to be able to send down a reliever. What is puzzling is the timing.

Its hard to watch such a likable guy fade into suckdom

3rd base coach?

has anyone posted that Gregg is pitching through tightness per cubs.com?

He'll never keep it up. :D

fixed

deleted

That is the most hillarious tagline I've ever seen. I embellished a little bit. It was MLB.com's Maggie Gray takes an in-depth look at Milton Bradley's injury. I like mine better.

Seriously A quick look at the 40 man shows that our options are Fox or Fuld. On another note, how are there no other infielders or catchers on the 40 man roster? Not that I want a return to the days of 12 middle infielders on the 40 man, but this is ridiculous.

MLB.com's Maggie Gray takes an in-depth look at Milton Bradley's groin

I like sham poo

dingdingdingdingding. We have a winner.

Out of the 4 that picked the Cards to win the division, 2 had them losing in the WS and 1 had them winning it all. WTF? :-k I don't know where any of that is coming from. By the way, this morning Mike and Mike gave their predictions for the season. Greenberg picked the Cardinals to win the division and had the Cubs missing the playoffs (I think . . . he might have had them getting the WC) and Golic had the Cubs winning the division. I guess anything CAN happen.

Also, the Royals. It made sense before they deleted two pages of comments still makes sense to me!....... ?

in their prime or today? I think Bonds was quicker. Sheffield's entire approach at the plate was more violent and involved more movement, but I think Bonds always had the quicker bat. Can't disagree. Bonds had the quicker bat, but I've never seen anybody with quicker wrists then Gary Sheffield. Eric Davis. Quickest hands ever.

Theo has me worried. [/irrational panic]

Also, the Royals.

Bradley's bat is obviously much better than DeRosa's, but Bradley isn't taking DeRosa's ABs. He's taking Edmonds' ABs from last year. DeRosa's ABs will be taken by Aaron Miles and whoever replaces Bradley in right when Milton gets hurt. But I do appreciate Bradley's bat - I hope he's healthy all year. Mike Fontenot says, "Hi." Fontenot will take Fontenot's at bats, and some of DeRosa's. But my bet is Miles will have more PA than Fontenot will have increased PA. That's fine...but an awful lot of Miles' at bats will be replacing Ronny Cedeno. Right on Tim. Jersey, if you do that you have to go all the way, because looking at it that way, Bradley will take some of derosa's at bats. in fact, Bradley, Fuku, Fontenot, Miles, and Gathright will take the at bats of Edmonds, Derosa, Fukudome, Fontenot, Cedeno. Bottom line is its the dispersion of the positions CF, RF, 2B. If Fukudome performs and Bradley stays healthy its a non-issue. If either do not, then it becomes an issue. Personally, all things considered I prefer the 2008 5-some over the 2009 version, but not over the projected performance of the 2008 group in 2009.

severe sophomore slump for Geovanny Soto. As in, he is bottom half of nl catchers in OPS.

No, you are absolutely not the only one. I was about the post pretty much the same thing. This is going to sound overly dramatic, but it's like my love of baseball died last October. Sure, that always happens when my teams lose like the Cubs did, and usually the excitement comes back a few months before the next season starts. Didn't happen this year. I have no interest in buying tickets. Usually by this time I have tickets lined up for several Cubs-Cards games at Busch. I haven't even looked. I attribute some of it to my mind being on hockey, but mostly I think it's that last summer was so perfect, and the way it was ruined just makes me think I'm not read for another six month investment in these guys. EDIT: But talk to me in June. Or May. Or next week. :) I am mostly on the same ship. I think most seasons you can get really excited, because each year might be the one in which everything falls into place and the team dominates all season. Well that happened last year, and it ended just as miserably as any playoff disappointment. The the symetry of the 100 year anniversary probably added to the anticipation (yeah I know this is the wrong board for sentiment like that). This year it feels more like I have to wait out a long season to see if anything positive will happen, because it's unlikely that the regular season could be anywhere near as great as last year. Having said that, I've been checking in more freqently each day we get closer to opening day. And I'm sure within a few days I'll have a seriously vested interest again. yup. that's it right there. we've seen the best Cubs team of our lifetime (last year) and the best potential team (2004). We've seen it where everything falls into place and we've seen what should have been. Nothing this year produces can compare EXCEPT playoff wins. to me, the season begins in October. Holy Crap, I sound like a Braves fan. I hate myself.

In 2003 they might have won less games, missed the playoffs, but kept Woody and Prior's arms attached to their bodies for a few more years.