jiml60

You have a best player on a tee-ball team? How old was he, 10? All the kids I see playing at the T-ball level are 5 and 6, usually the best kid is the one not picking his nose in the field while the other kids are running around chasing a butterfly or watching planes fly over head.

A possibility, yes...realistic, not yet. There's still 2 weeks of baseball to play.

I've been a fan for close to 40 years, witnessed the heartbreaks of 1969, 1984 & 2003 and that team from the south side win it all, so there's not much more that can disappoint me. I will be extremely disappointed though if this team makes the playoffs and the new owners validate Hendry by extending his contract (though I think only the Canning group would possibly do this). Hendry failed to build on 2003, though MacPhail and DFB deserve a healthy dose of blame - they ruined Wood and Prior, (yes I am blaming management for that) failed to sign any difference makers for the offense and continually signed the same type of horse bleep player. I want to see the Cubs, for once, become a perennial contender. This team is built to catch lightening in a bottle not become a dominant force in the NL. For that Hendry deserves to be shown the door at the end of the season even if the season ends in late October.

I don't think we can speculate what the Cubs are going to do until new ownership sets up shop. Forecasting the future of Hendry, Piniella or any of the players is kind of pointless at this time.

It was nice to hear Brick's HR call again. Funny seeing the jackets on Banks Boulevard, let's see anyone try to do that nowadays.

What a bad idea. An 18 year old kid who just signed and clearly hasn't been prepped for dealing with the media. That was absolutely hard to listen to. Bad move Cubs. Good luck to Josh in the future... Yeah, that was brutal.

Len just announced the signing. Vitters is going to be in the booth with Len & Bob to answer some questions.

The draftees have to pass the physical and sign before the deadline - which is probably the hold up.

Same here. With the best seats I'll ever have in my life. I'm actually really hoping for a rain out in the next 5 or 6 days, because I have the best seats of my life for the series opener in San Fran a week from tonight, and I don't want Marquis to be the one pitching for it. I believe a rainout would bump the rotation to Lilly starting that night instead. It's more important for Lilly to pitch against the Deadbirds on Monday then getting moved up just so you can avoid seeing Marquis. Stop being selfish!

Why would the potential new owners cut payroll just because the Tribune stock is dropping?

at least they're resting for the Monday game then.

I'm not sure what you mean. I was posing a perspective: that we're in a good position at this point in the year. The fact that this situation is uncommon for us cubs fans, I understand, won't be shared by all. But why not live in the moment? I think you try and look at the big, pessimistic picture too often (I'm thinking of the JJ comments in the other thread). Right now things are okay and we would enjoy the season if we embraced that Okay-ness, IMO. How are we set up to be letdown? If anything, a more negative view is setting you up to never enjoy the season, if you think they're not good now, and aren't likely to make the playoffs. Again, embrace the positive -- not only is it more logical, but I think it's more fun :) I was enjoying the last two months but then mediocrity caught up to this team and we are now sinking to the expected level this team was built for. I was excited in 2003 when we were 5 outs away from finally making the WS. If Hendry and DFB were doing their jobs, the bullpen would not have been woefully undermanned and might not have crapped in their collective pants in that 8th inning. I've been a fan since 1968, so I think I know when a Cubs team is setting us up for a late season letdown. I'm tired of this organization putting a team together that they hope will catch lightning in a bottle. For once I would like to see a Cubs team built for sustained success but there is a silver lining to the dreck we've seen the last 3 days; if it continues Hendry will be out on his butt once the sale is complete and he can take his place along with the likes of Salty Saltwell, Bob Kennedy, John Holland and Larry Himes.

I can't agree with this stance either. All it's doing is setting us up for a big letdown in September or October. This team is not constructed well enough to get past the Mets, Phillies or the Padres if they should meet in the playoffs.

If someone from the Cubs sees that video, I think a restraining order will be put out on ol' Vance.

As much as I hate what the Tribune hacks have done to Harry's tradition, I have to give a vote to Elinore. An 80 year old Cub fan, hell she might not make it through the song, which would be a fitting end to this sham. Plus Vance is enlisting help from some of the Ozark's finest: http://gatewayredbirds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20940, if Vance wins, the terrorists truly have won.

Hopefully the sale of the team will result in, and I fully expect, the philosophy of the organization changing, which would make getting Santana a top priority.

...and somebody already did the Sudoku and crossword puzzles

Not likely. If Cubs offered him a good contract, he'd probably stay. They'd probably be scared to offer him arb unless they wanted him to stay, or unless he finished pretty strong. If he finished the year at .235, with creaky knees and age climbing, I think teams wouldn't offer him what an arbitrator would. That being the case, Cubs would either sign him under their own negotiated terms, or let him walk without taking the arb-and-lose risk, or the risk that they acquire an expensive replacement only to have Dye accept arb and stick them $10 million overbudget with a guy they have no use for. And in any such case, the risk/reward factors whether he's an A or a B. Dye is hitting .235, so I doubt he'll make a Class A free agent after the season. An A gets you a top-40 pick plus another high pick, possibly even a top-30 pick. A B gets you a single pick in the 40-60 range. Not sure management would see that as valuable enough to justify offering arb. Unless they changed the rules in the new CBA but don't they classify Type A and B FAs by their last 2 seasons?

Izturis would also be batting 2nd. Mark DeRosa would spend too much time on the bench. Give up lineups on get-away-day. Zambrano going deep into 9-0 games. Sacrifice bunts. Double switches at every opportunity, even if they don't make sense. Second basemen bat second, dude.

we always struggle with the Reds. That series worries me. Hopefully we can sweep the Cards so even if we lose 2/3 to the Reds we'll be 4-2 on the road in these two series. Also the Brewers struggle on the road so we can make up some serious ground. Maybe even tie the lead in the Central. This week has the same feel as the week before the break when the Cubs and Brewers faced the Nationals and Pirates. Cubs gained ground while facing the Nats then gave it back against the Buccos.

A nice shout-out by Len to Andy Dolan and the Desipiots on their 10th anniversary.

I recall Andre Dawson getting the "We're not worthy" treatment when he was in RF.

I wouldn't mind if Dunn took his VORP to the Brewers for the remainder of the season, at least the Cubs would only have to face him in 3 games instead of 12

More HRs against the Cubs than any other team - shocking!

Stop being a killjoy and enjoy the winning that Pie has brought to the Cubs.