PackLandVA

With 46 games remaining last year, the Astros were 4 games under .500 . They ended up going 36-10 and jumped over 5 teams to win the Wild Card. How many games under .500 are the Cubs? And how many do they have left? A sweep is not necessary. Winning the series would be really good. They still have 7 left with Houston after this series. And the other WC teams from the East will be beating each other up until October! The Cubs need to pick up a game each week the rest of the year heading into the final weekend.

I don't know what JoBo's velocity right now is. And he wasn't much this season with the Cubs. But he's tearing it up in Tampa. Here's his numbers so far: 15.1 innings, 6 hits, 4 BB, 7 K, 0 runs allowed, Opp BA .120 Had he pitched even remotely close to this with the Cubs, he'd still be on the roster. Hindsight is 20/20.

You can't really blame Macias for Hendry giving him a roster spot or Dusty mis-using him. He been a good 25th player for the Cubs this year.

Yep, sure can. But not when he's coaching the team with the highest payroll in the league (including Sosa's money). And you're kidding yourself if you think this is the 1 bad year. Last Sept was absolutely dispicable. Dusty clearly lost control of his team. The Cubs have been in the top 3 in payroll in the NL for all his 3 years, and they got 1 playoff berth, with a mediocre 88 wins. Regardless of the wins/losses, Dusty has lost complete control. The team was fighting with their own broadcasters, leaving early, quit on him. This year, the team has had several spans of horrible baseball. Point is, he hasn't done what he was brought in here to do. He wasn't a good fit then, he's not a good fit now. Using this line of thinking, I suppose Joe Torre should have been fired already. A payroll far and above every other team in baseball, a roster full of All-Stars, the ability to land just about any player in the offseason and during the regular season, the "Choke of All Ages" last year against their chief rival and amazingly inconsistent play for the better part of this season. Joe Torre has a handful of World Series rings. He gets a mulligan. Right...2001. What about 2002, 2003 and 2004?

Yep, sure can. But not when he's coaching the team with the highest payroll in the league (including Sosa's money). And you're kidding yourself if you think this is the 1 bad year. Last Sept was absolutely dispicable. Dusty clearly lost control of his team. The Cubs have been in the top 3 in payroll in the NL for all his 3 years, and they got 1 playoff berth, with a mediocre 88 wins. Regardless of the wins/losses, Dusty has lost complete control. The team was fighting with their own broadcasters, leaving early, quit on him. This year, the team has had several spans of horrible baseball. Point is, he hasn't done what he was brought in here to do. He wasn't a good fit then, he's not a good fit now. Using this line of thinking, I suppose Joe Torre should have been fired already. A payroll far and above every other team in baseball, a roster full of All-Stars, the ability to land just about any player in the offseason and during the regular season, the "Choke of All Ages" last year against their chief rival and amazingly inconsistent play for the better part of this season.

He's got decent career numbers at Wrigley, Busch and MMP; also has decent career numbers against Houston and St. Louis. Could be a worthy number 5 starter (next year) if he doesn't cost much (salary). Probably best to take a pass on him, though.

He's been pretty consistent in landing himself on the DL.

Not necessarily. I'm not a doctor (nor play one on tv), but there are some injuries that require surgery that don't neccesarily worsen from use (unless it's overuse). Now it makes sense that a damaged shoulder would worsen from use. But if it is a pitch count thing, maybe it doesn't become inflamed until a higher count. And as long as he's not being 'over-used', then he's okay to go. I'll give the professional doctors the benefit of the doubt. What I would like to know, though, is how delaying surgery a month or two will affect his recovery. Obviously it pushes it back a month or two. But does anyone know the projected recovery for the surgery Wood is expecting. I mean, should we already start the thread about KW missing Spring starts "while he's still recovering from offseason....." If that's the case, DL him now, get the surgery over with and start the recovery ASAP so he's ready for Spring!!

Anybody think Maddux would actually hang 'em up after tthis season, even if he reached the option for next year. I mean, he's gotta recognize he's not nearly the pitcher he's been even a few years ago. And he seems destined to have his 15+ wins streak end this season. He seems like a classy guy. Does he want to stay around and pitch well under his career abilities? I wouldn't be shocked if he retired. Not saying he will....just that it wouldn't surprise me. If not, I'll take him with the big salary. The Cubs offered it in order to get him. He accepted. So pay him, and hopefully he can continue to help the younger pitchers (assuming he currently is).

Torre was a pretty poor manager (with 2 teams) until he inherited a World Series Team, and continued managing that team with highest payroll in baseball year in and year out (by a lot). It could be debated that he has actually not been that great of a manger for the Yankees, considering what they haven't accomplished the past 4 years.

Lawton............LF/RF Walker............2B Lee.................1B Ramirez..........3B Burnitz............RF/CF Garciaparra.....SS Barrett.............C Hairston/Murton..CF/LF Pitcher's Spot I'd still give Murton some starts in LF. And when that happens, I'd move Lawton to RF and Burnitz to CF. Also, I'd flip Murton and Barrett in the batting order. By having JHJ dropped down, there's a decent OBP player to try and turn the order over to the top.

When Hairston plays: Lawton......LF Hairston....CF Burnitz......RF When Murton plays: Murton......LF Burnitz......CF Lawton......RF

Regardless of how much Dusty loves Perez, doesn't he only come back if Hendry decides to offer him a contract? It is Hendry, after all, that puts together the roster. It's up to Dusty to use (or misuse) the players he's given.

Sorry...didn't know I was only allowed to respond to posts directed to me. I thought since you chimed in on a posts between two other posters, I was free to as well. My bad. :roll: As far as attitude, if you read that in my post, that's your problem. I reread the posts that are quoted and didn't understand the connection between what "reggierules" and "jon" were discussing and you mentioning Cardinal players. Especially since the game being discussed didn't even involve the Cards. Didn't realize "What is that supposed to mean?" had attitude written all over it. I agree, not doubting that. First of all, I did see the game. And my opinion is that it easily could've been called a strike. I watched the game from the bottom of the 6th inning on, so I can't comment on the ump's inconsistent strike zone. But that pitch wasn't three or four inches outside. That pitch was close enough to be a strike. And Holly kept the bat on his shoulder with two strikes. And your Cardinal comment is comical. Because I disagree with you and "99.9% of the people who saw the game" that it was a ball, I must be a Cardinal fan? Please. Grow up. :roll: That's a stupid insinuation, it really is. I'm as much of a Cubs fan as anyone on this board. They're entitled to their opinions. I thought I was too. Do you call them "Cardinal fans" when they disagree with you, too?? And most baseball people will tell you that with two strikes, you've gotta protect the plate. And that means sometimes swinging at borderline pitches. And if the ump was as inconsistent as you and others say, Holly should've recognized this and altered his plate approach. By the way, Holly has struck out in 7 of his last 8 ABs. That should tell people how well he's seeing the ball.

When you're hitting .206 in a month and your team is down by a run in the 9th, you need to take what the pitcher gives you. It was a slow pitch that missed the zone by about two inches and both the batter and the umpire had a clear look at it. Dowdy was just terribly inconsistent (and terrible) behind the plate for both teams today. I agree, I do think the he was inconsistent today. But this looked like a really good pitch that Hollandsworth was not expecting to get on a 3-2 count. That said you cant watch a pitch anywhere near as close to that wiht 2 strikes. Especially if you know the ump has been inconsistent all day. answer honestly... is that called strike three on Jim Edmonds? for that matter, is that called strike three on John Mabry? for that matter, has that been called a strike on any Cardinal in your memory? What is that supposed to mean? :head scratch: By the way, for those who want to argue whether or not it was a strike......anyone noticed Hollandsworth didn't take the bat off his shoulder once during the AB. Maybe that gives a little insight on his approach to the AB, and whether or not he was fooled by the pitch.

The pitch to Holly looked good to me on the overhead replay. Looked like it caught the corner. Way to good to take.

:lol: :lol:

Then why watch if you're sick of doing so?

Anyone know what type of pitcher Gosling is? I know he's a lefty, and his numbers indicate he doesn't have the greatest control. But what types of ptches does he throw? I used to salivate when a lefty was scheduled to start against the Cubs. But not anymore. They seem to get schooled by lefties, especially soft-tossers. Or pitchers nobody has ever heard of. Anyone have the Cubs record against lefty starters?

How was Nevin traded?!?!?!? He had a "no-trade" clause like Kerry Wood. :roll:

This quote should be in every signature on NSBB in extra-large type until people get the point. No. It shouldn't. The whole "No Trade Clause" thing is more than obnoxious enough already. Everybody has been made well aware of the clause by now numerous times. And still there are more than enough people who are all too eager to point it out yet again anytime anyone intimates that it might, just might not be completely and utterly impossible, barring an act of God himself, to get Hendry, another GM and Wood himself to agree upon a deal. (Because in this particular case nobody has yet been, and nobody's gonna be, challenged for presuming to know what's going on inside the minds of a player and his wife at any given time. Nor will the presumption that Kerry's [already only assumed to be known] position on accepting a trade will, or ever could, change. It's common knowledge. Kerry will never, ever accept a trade under any circumstances and that's all there is to it. Right? Isn't that the prevailing wisdom?) Believe me, there is absolutely no chance the clause won't be mentioned (more than once) each and every time it's even remotely relevant. There's actually less chance of that than there is of Wood accepting a trade. Automating the process would only be taking the fun out of taking an indignant stance re: any and all trade scenarios involving Wood. That is a very good post. Thank you. I, too, get tired of the "no-trade" clause being brought up every time his name is mentioned here with regard to a trade. I wish the "no trade clause" would be renamed so we can say that Kerry has a "Must Get Kerry's Permission/Approval for a Trade First" clause. Because that's what it really is. And plenty of players with "no trade clauses HAVE been traded in the past.

So we really don't know why he's not pinch hitting then.

I disagree. There a couple of good teams playing for the WC. Astros right about now areplaying probably the best baseball in the majors. Things have changed since 2003. Except coming out of the ASB, they played a really good team and got swept. Since then, they've beaten up on Pittsburgh (awful), Washington (reeling) and Philly (average). So they've had a decent stretch of games against average teams. That doesn't project how they'll fair the last two months. ALL the teams battling for the WC are average.

awww..the hits will come. He just needs to work on his swing and timing!

Perez and Holly and JHJ would be the first bats off the bench in best case scenarios. But all three are starting. Perez due to injury, JHJ because of poor production from CPatt and Holly....because Baker has decided to use him mostly as a starter. So Macias shouldn't be the 1st bat off the bench, and probably wasn't slated for that role in the Spring. Also, I don't mind seeing Macias bat in the 6th-8th innings as a PH. Saves another bat for the 8th or 9th.