Bull

so what is it? The 8 balks?

what is? the trade or page 300?

Because he has no position with the Cubs.

wuertz?? back-up SS?

Moss?

Does he realize he lives in Chicago? Also, the Cubs are going to have only 79 home games that season because of the 2 @ US Cellular. The who concept sucks. Lets hope it never happens. Where do you get the idea that the Cubs are only getting 79 home games because of the 2 @ US Cellular Field? All teams have 81 home games or is there something I am missing here?? I wasn' thinking clearly, we'd actually get 3 less home games because we play 6 games vs. the White Sox each year, and they'd all me at US Cellular. While we'd play as the home team, it would be like losing 3 home games, IMO. How are those 3 games as the home team at the Cell any different than the other 78? It's not like it's in a different city or something where you're more likely to see more fans of the other team. WHile I'm not going to go as far as to agree with him, I think his point is pretty clear. (in spite of the "gibberish") The White sox would be in their home park for these three games were the Cubs are the "Home team". They will be as comfortable or moreso than the Cubs in the cell. Although putting them in the visitors clubhouse at their own park would be kinda cool...especially if the Cubs could sweep them. "Get out my house!"

Put him behind the dish with that arm...he can't be worse at the plate that Hank.

nonews is badnews

so its basically cintron, blanco, k. Hill, McGehee, Hoffpauir, and Kroeger plus most of the 40 man?

He's exactly like Die Hard and should follow his example and take his game to Japan where he'd make more money and fare a lot better. I don't think its a valid comparison. While never really highly rated, Hoff had been on the prospect radar for some time. I don't think McClain ever was. McClain bounced from system to system by age 28. Hoffpauir has put up more consistent minor league numbers than Hoff. I still think Hoff has a chance to be a serviceable major league backup especially if he can play multiple positions as asserted above.

Someone please describe the catch. What player made it? spring for gameday audio

This game is on me guys. Should've never posted this after the 1st. Never, ever, EVER acknowledge a jinx. It increases its effectiveness exponentially.

Clubhouse cancer...eh...uh...sumthin'

Petrick is on the 40 man roster, so for him to be sent back to the minor leagues he has to use up one of his options. The rest are non-roster invitees, so they can just get assigned back to the minor league camp. OK, but why does he have to actually go to Iowa right now? Why can't he use an option and just go to minor league camp in sunny, warm AZ??? he doesn't go to Iowa, he stays in AZ at the MiL camp did we change trp AAA affiliates? I thought it was Pittsburg? That joke was SWEET in 2003. LOL Prior throws towels! Krispy Kreme Hendry! yea... harsh.

it's an "unearned" trip to first base It's as much earned as a hit by pitch. You've obviously never been hit by a pitch.

Beauty

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. nothing changes here. He would have been gone at the first opportunity anyway. The only thing that would change that is if the Brewers manage to get a WS win and a free spending owner by then. Neither will happen.

Just out of curiosity, why do you say that? my guess is that they aren't doing well enough financially to throw that kind of cash around Gotta spend money to make money.

http://www.gritsfest.com/system/Instant_Grits%20Blue%20Logo%20copy.jpg

Then Soriano won't "feel" like he's hitting 1st. It'll throw off his mojo. It'll also drop his OPS. Ok, now I'm just being bad.

It's a pretty useful feature. Thank to Tim, et al for enabling this... I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this board over the past few days having employed this wonderful function. I've never "ignored" anyone before, but it did shrink the pagination of this thread by about 105 pages.

Hallelujah! Baseball is here again!

Seriously, are you joking? Grasping for straws? How am I grasping for straws? Almost everyone else disagrees with you. Are facts "grasping for straws"? That sounds ridiculous to me. Fighting unfairly? Are you joking? You blatantly lie repeatedly, I call it out, and that means I'm "fighting unfairly"? Where do you come up with this stuff? And the "I have kids and work for a living" stuff is nonsense as well. What does that have to do with anything? Does that make it okay to lie? Does that make it okay to repeatedly say things and then fail to back it up? You guarantee it? Okay, then what sort of compensation are you going to offer me if that doesn't come true? If you can't somehow compensate me, then you're making a prediction and not a guarantee. I seriously think you need to listen to that interview again, because Lou never said that. If he did, why don't you listen again and type word for word what he said, so we can judge it ourselves? Oh, because "you have kids and work for a living", so you don't have time. Right. I'd say there's about a 50/50 chance Soriano would be moved down if they ended up getting Roberts, and I think the odds are only that good because of Soriano's leg problems. If I had to bet, I'd still say that Roberts would bat second and Soriano leadoff. However, I'm reasonable enough to know that I can't make some sort of ridiculous guarantee as if I know for sure, because none of us know that. I also know that I won't lie about what Lou said just to make my point seem more valid. How did I speak for a moderator? All I did was remind you to what HE said. As for disagreeing with that I've said, then fine. The thing is, you never make counter arguments. You act like you can't hear anything and then jump to other statements instead of carrying on a discussion, all the while claiming it's because you "don't have time", which we all know is just an excuse, since you clearly have enough time to post repeatedly. These are a few of the reasons why most of this board doesn't take you seriously and either a)make fun of you, or b)ignore you. As for me, I think it's time for letter B. As others have said in the past week, congratulations for being the first person that has ever made me feel inclinced to use the ignore feature. I'm sure I won't be the last. Have a nice life. I have to admit your responses are a bit hostile. Back it up a notch and just have a healthy discussion. No reason to get upset about it. That's the whole point. It's impossible to have a healthy discussion with him because he doesn't listen to or acknowledge other people's statements. Why waste your time then?

so that whole DeRosa having surgery thing kinda effects my views on Roberts, maybe. I think that's relevant to this thread.

Please stop lying. I've listened to the Piniella interview and he never said that. All hew said is that if they made a trade, he'd CONSIDER moving Soriano down. Also, the part about Gallagher was a lie, since he's obviously pitched past AA, and pitched well. Oh, and Roberts also doesnt get on base 40 points higher than Soriano. Roberts OBP: .377 Soriano: .337 I'm aware of where their numbers were last season. He didn't say "Roberts got on base 40 points higher than Soriano last season", he said "Roberts gets on base 40 points higher than Soriano". Look at the career numbers. OK, come on now . . . I'm enjoying this all as much as anyone - but he's got you here. You called him out, and now it's been proven that he was actually right. Just give him a "touche" and move on . . . Do you really think I wasn't aware of the OBP stats of those 2 guys last season? Please. With how much this has been debated this offseason, the stats of Roberts/Soriano/Derosa are etched into my mind for eternity. What he said was not an accurate statement. He doesn't "get on base 40 points higher than Soriano". He did last season. What about the season before? Kahlil Greene outhomered Aramis last season. So would it be an accurate statement to say that "Greene hits for more power than Ramirez"? I certainly don't think so. I really don't know what you know . . . but I think I'll go with O_O's line that "either interpretation is reasonable." W23'S claim of fact was backed up with, um . . . FACTS! Please don't feed it. It might grow.