CuseCubFan69

You can't feel that way because Mr. Cub has too much energy to let you feel old! The heck with just one birthday...let's have two! Well said, 'Cuse !! I just wish I still had Ernie's energy ! Me too! Did you ever see the movie "Brother From Another Planet"? I loved the scene when the two Indiana guys get lost in NYC and go into a bar and get drunk. The way they say...."Mr. Cuuuub" makes me smile every time.

Well...todays the day! I'm hoping for a little last second magic.

I think about some of the big time Free Agents the Cubs have went after it seems that a few times somebody comes up with some redicules money to beat the Cubs out. Look at Hampton and the money the Rockies paid. 13 a year for Furcal is crazy. I still think the trade route would be the best way to make this team better.

I think it would help Walkers career to be able to play 3rd, 1st and LF. I don't see him starting in those spots but he would be a more than capable sub and a decent injury replacement for ARam at third.

You can't feel that way because Mr. Cub has too much energy to let you feel old! The heck with just one birthday...let's have two!

Link As Tampa edges ever closer to dealing Huff. To who? I think it'd make more sense for them to trade him in July. The Astros once they collect insurance on Bagwell. IMO they are still going to sign Roger in May and since he has said his body can't take a whole year anymore this makes a lot of sense to me. I think that if the Astros do collect insurance on Bagwell they are going to aquire a big time impact bat and he is going to be better than Huff.

Maybe, but that is often where people let impressions take over reality. People who watch Jeter everyday claim he's one of the greatest with the glove. But nearly every other source puts him in the middle of the pack at best, and quite often in the bottom half. I'd like to see somebody break down video from every ball put in play. Take all the plays that went between the 2B and 3B, time every ball from the time it leaves the bat to the time it hits the OF grass (or is fielded), measure the distance from where the SS was. There has to be a way to translate that into seeing who really were the better fielders and which guys that may look flashy actually don't get to as many balls as they should. That'd take a lot of time though, and I'm not sure if it would work. this isnt really fair though. the shortstop might be able to see what pitch the pitcher is going to throw, or have a good handle on the batter's scouting report and adjust accordingly. i think bill james wrote about this is one of his old abstracts. i think he referred to it as "invisible range." Don't all shortstops have the opportunity to do that though? yeah, but i think it's safe to assume that some shortstops are better at it than others. therefore, measuring only how far the player had to go to get the ball would overrate a player with great visible range but poor invisible range, and underrate a player with great invisible range but poor visible range I agree and since we know that Perez likes to peek at the catchers signs when he hits I'd assume he is pretty good at it when he's playing SS. Ripken was suppose to be very good at postioning himself by seeing the sign and knowing the batter.

Well Derrek Lee is much the same type of player, and if i recall the only time he hasn't played is when he had little injuries and the end of blowouts (we've never really had a true backup 1B in that time though). And that bugged me too. I think Lee is a wonderful player that can play almost every game but IMO he needs a couple of days off.

It's now obvious to me that you really do live in Calvins world.

I'd have no problem with a Walker/Hairston platoon at 2B, I feel that would likely be the best bet. And give Hairston some bats from the CF spot too unless Grissom is on the team. Baker will find a way for Marquis to get some AB's. I don't see Pierre getting a day off unless he's injured. So he is going to play 162 games? He has the past 3 years in a row. He prides himself in playing every day. I can't imagine Baker playing him all 162 even though he can.

I'd have no problem with a Walker/Hairston platoon at 2B, I feel that would likely be the best bet. And give Hairston some bats from the CF spot too unless Grissom is on the team. Baker will find a way for Marquis to get some AB's. I don't see Pierre getting a day off unless he's injured. So he is going to play 162 games?

I'd have no problem with a Walker/Hairston platoon at 2B, I feel that would likely be the best bet. And give Hairston some bats from the CF spot too unless Grissom is on the team. Baker will find a way for Marquis to get some AB's.

Doesn't Indiana play UConn in Hoosier land this week?

Do you really think that this is going to happen? I remember Hendry saying the same things about Dubois last year and look who Baker played.

Boston players are immune to cancer, so it doesn't matter. Super Human strength kind of thing, eh? I didnt realize that AGonzs numbers were so much better than Neifi's. I suppose he wouldn't kill the Sox batting 9th like Perez will the Cubs when Baker bats him second.

I don't know. I was just wondering because if he gets a 140 game bonus for another 1M than the Perez deal is better IMO. But AGonz is better than Neifi. In what ways? In every way. AGonzII OPS+ the past three years, 100, 79, 85, career, 78. Neifi 65, 71, 77, career 65. Alex is considerably younger and much more likely to outproduce Neifi this year. And his team only gave him a 1 year deal, as opposed to the Cubs who foolishly committed to Neifi for 2 years. I didn't see AGonz2 save Florida though and what kind of clubhouse presence does he bring?

I went to the Detroit one, and this is what I found interesting: - The new Infiniti Coupe and its styling. Looks to be the next generation of the G Coupe. - People looking at the new Nissan Sentra (Nissan's only major rollout this year) versus people looking the new Honda Civic - The number of concept vehicles Toyota had - The new Lexus LS460 ---> the 7-Series and S-Class killer - The new Vette (just lovely) - Chevy Camaro concept - Chrysler Imperial, and how it makes the current Chrysler 300C look like a kids car - Porsche Cayman, a throwback to a rough-and-tough back-to-the-basics sports car for Porsche Cool and thanks! We usually don't gt all the bells and whistles that Detroit gets but it is always a very good one. Did you see the Nissan Versa? I always get sticker shock when I go to these things. I really need to find out if the F150 Crew can hold my family as my Super Cab is getting a little tight.

I don't know. I was just wondering because if he gets a 140 game bonus for another 1M than the Perez deal is better IMO. But AGonz is better than Neifi. In what ways?

Sure, he sucks with the bat. But I would love him to come in for a late inning defensive replacement of Todd Walker or Ronny Cedeno if we need to hold a lead. His glove really is outstanding. But I'll agree he is paid too much.. I wouldn't. I think just as often as the better glove helps you, you end up losing the lead some other and need the better bat later on. I've seen too many games where the better hitters were on the bench after being double switched for defense late and the team needed to score. Most runs are scored in some way other than a middle infielder not getting to a ball. And most times an average fielder doesn't get to a ball that a great fielder would have, that guy doesn't even score anyway. Oh Lord I forgot about Bakers famous double switches....thanks for bringing that up. :x

He's in Florida when they traded Burkett and Lowell to Boston. I keep seeing Burkett. Did Beckett legally change his name? It's the Boston way of saying it.

I don't know. I was just wondering because if he gets a 140 game bonus for another 1M than the Perez deal is better IMO.

If Johnny B can keep Perez in the 25th man role the Cubs may get a chance to compete.

Replacing Neifi with Lugo is what improves the team, because the Cubs seem set on either getting rid of Walker, or letting Neifi take a lot of his playing time. They value the defense far more than the offense this offseason, so Walker is being scapegoated as the reason the pitchers weren't that good last year. I think the cost of players for Lugo and if the Cubs extend his contract may make that a wash though. If Tampa robs the Cubs of what little they have left I don't see that as being better than Perez for another year. Let's hope Walker and Hairston put on a good show for Johnny B and Perez hit 100 in the Spring.

He's in Florida when they traded Burkett and Lowell to Boston.

As far as we know, it's a flat $2.5x2 guaranteed, with no incentives of any kind. Thanks. Do you know if AGonzs2 a straight 3 or are there bonuses in that contract?