Bull

working the count swinging at strikes. basically aggressiveness in the zone.

ESPN Radio just had their "sportscenter" and made no mention of it being televised by them. The Baker firing was on ESPN2 and I was made aware of teh broadcast through ESPN Radio.

Choi Salary dump. Florida was going to non tender Lee after the Baltimore deal fell through. Hendry swooped in and made a decent deal, but Choi's value wasn't near Hill's at the moment. How about Francis Beltran, Justin Jones, and Brendan Harris? Yeah, Nomar was injured, but Jim still sold pretty high and got Nomar and Murton out of it. Without Murton, that's not that great of a deal. We got 35 games out of Nomar in 2004, and 60 or so in 2005. Not that we gave up a lot, but we didn't exactly get what we were expecting from Nomar. We're not talking about 1,2,or 5 years results, we're talking about selling high and in both cases Hendry did. Actually we're talking about Lou and A-rod, so I'll shut up and let the thread return to the topic. Sorry for the mini derail.

Choi

Not so much that Girardi = rebuilding as Piniella does not = rebuilding. He wouldn't come to a team that had not promised to win NOW.

Is there a move to transactions coming?

Cub fans call it Harry Caray

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I've heard opposite personality, but I've seen nothing to indicated opposite in the other things. Maybe you're just not listening as hard as I am then. Possibly, but then again, maybe I'm just not hearing things that aren't really there. Yeah, you obviously hear everything, so I must have imagined it. Never said I did hear everything. I've just yet to hear anything to suggest Lou is the opposite of Baker, other than his fire and brimstone approach. I think it's pretty obvious as to what you were insinuating. Yeah, I was insinuating that either I haven't heard the evidence to support your claim, or there is no evidence to support the claim. Someone did suggest in another "Piniella hired" thread that Lou has been talking up OBP.

Da Luca's take

Rogers favors Piniella. I don't think they look at all alike.

Not a joke. Just heard on wnbc that the owner of the plane that crashed into the building in New York this afternoon was Corey Lidle.

Except for the little fact that the owner essentially said he wouldn't be back. I would think that reduces the idea from CRAZY to crazy or maybe even crazy.

You're still counting on Prior or Miller to be healthy April 1st and exceeding the payroll. Did you lock Zambrano up? Probably the best line-up yet, but your rotation ends up schmidt and Z and pray for D.

HI-larious

*Insert Rusch and eating joke here*

Drew spends a lot of time on the DL. We should be trying to avoid that kind of player, if the last two years has taught us anything. So have a good backup for the 30 games he'll miss. The 125 games he's in the lineup, he'd be a force. He's been pretty healthy this year. I like the idea. If he gets injured (which is likely for about 30 games or so) you could just platoon Pie and Restovich during that time. Drew has himself a lucious OBP and now I'm really liking this scenario. Someone get Hendry on the phone. He's making 11M a year through '09. You don't pay that much money for a guy who's a good bet to spend significant time on the DL. Every acquisition we make needs to take into account durability. There's better ways to spend 11M a season, or roughly 10% of our payroll. You have a very good point, but the fact that Drew usually plays at least 100 games every season makes it less of a gamble. If he played 130 games I think he'd be worth it, mostly because I think a Pie/Restovich platoon would give us some pretty good production if he did get hurt. I know the Cubs have really been burnt by injuries, but eventually we have to get lucky.....right? Of course. In a 100 year span you could accidently win a world series, even if you aren't trying, right? Right?!?

You have to consider the payroll. Locking up Zambrano before the '07 season should be a priority - you don't want to run the risk of him having another great season and then bolting in free agency because the Cubs finish in last place again. Locking him up reduces your ability to sign other free agents. I don't see Cedeno as anything more than a utility player, so I don't see the point in sending him down to AAA next year. Same with Fontenot (what else does he need to prove in AAA?). And same with Pagan. If these guys had a future as a starter, then yeah, I'd agree. But none of them do. I'd love to sign Kenny Lofton, but someone will give him a starting job. And he's not going to turn down an everyday job to be a bench player on a team that finished with the worst record in the league. But with that said, this year's team wasn't as bad as it's record indicates. I don't think that a major overhaul is needed. And I certainly don't see the point in spending millions on every bench player when you have guys in the minors who will likely give you the same, if not better, production for the league minimum. I'd love to sign a FA starter, but the funds aren't there if you want to add an impact bat (which I feel is more important) and lock Zambrano up long-term. You're both right ... uh ... and wrong. The 25 men in the initial post aren't going to win many games. And Steinbrenner himself doesn't have enough money to fix this team properly. TIme to blow it up. Trade Z, Lee, Barrett, Howry, Dempster, Eyre and Jones for what you can get. Offer ramiraz arby and hope he turns it down. Rotation: Hill Marshall Pitcher recieved in trade Pitcher received in trade Prior/Miller Line-up Theriot Cedeno Pie 1b received in trade Murton 3b received in trade Rf received in trade Soto Bench and Pen rooks and retreads Weurtz for closer Pack it in pack it up and pack it out

can we get a ban mods?

Cubbette = a former slump buster?

that was dead on, we look pathetic, and I mean all the central How bad do you have to be to be in last place in the worst division in baseball? bad enough to be the only sixth place team in baseball.

Does Zambrano not have 100 abs?

that a runner can steal on a foul tip. I'm positive as a catcher in high school that runners were not allowed to advance on foul tips.

Ichiro = Left coast or New York. Don't expect him to come to the midwest.

I just watched the replay of Saturday's 5th inning. It was a foul tip right in the cajones. You could see him swearing afterword. Not pretty.