CuseCubFan69

Players will come and go but you'll be here for ever.

Clemens is being named...wow. PersonalTrainer gave him steroids while he was with the Yanks. I wonder how ESPN is going to defend him now?

What does that matter? Prior was in his arby years and Wood had more service time. He wasn't being underpaid relative to his experience and performance. It matters only because people are acting as if Prior has been (over) paid to do nothing the last several years and Wood is Captain America because he came back "cheap" this year (which was the best deal he was offered). This isn't intended to be a slight at Wood. I love what he's done and I'm very glad he's back. I just think the double standard here is amazing. I look at each player and not group them together. I don't understand why every time Prior is mentioned Wood has to be thrown in there too. They are at different points in their careers.

Right...it went both ways and they decided to part. I feel empathy for those who really loved Prior because it is hard to see a guy go that you really enjoyed watching play for the Cubs and the wonderful potential he had. Again, I wish Mark well as long as it doesn't interfere with the Cubs being successful.

imagine how much smaller the other threads would've been if games like lsu-arkansas had almost no meaning? If that game knocked LSU out of the playoffs I think it would. Also, at the very least it would have effected the seeding. I agree that the season as it is, is wonderful as each game means something but I think they still would as long as the playoffs had a small amount of teams (8 or 4) and not 16.

I'm still waiting for that Bonds lawsuit!

Ask Truffle if Baltimore is expecting a cold winter, maybe they just need the bodies for warmth. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of these guys be included with Bedard or Roberts.

Maybe I've missed it but not once on ESPN have I heard them mention that Fukedome was signed by the Cubs. Granted, I only watch Mike & Mike but I'm sure if the Red Sox or Yanks signed him it would have been mentioned a few times to say the least.

Is there a SS out there that can be traded for that can be a quality player?

I wonder what Red Sox will be named?

Ha...I think you're just reading between the lines.

Imagine how strong this thread would have been if there was a playoff and it was going on through Jan 7th or so?

Tell them we said it was ok.

But then Hendry hired him so does that work or hurt the Cubs regarding this?

That's great! ESPN wouldn't even mention Thee Rocket if his name is on the list, they'll harp on some poor fool and omit him if possible.

It should say "Cub Your Enthusiasm". I agree with Hendry when it comes to players that don't have a good OBP like a Vlad (before injury), I'd jump on the chance to get him.

I wish Prior well but I don't understand why you want the Cubs punished for making a sound business decision. Could this move bite the Cubs in the butt, possibly if Prior did want to come back but they offered him a 2 year deal and he turned it down. None of us know what really went on between the Cubs and Prior. Maybe Prior had no interest in being a Cub, maybe the Cubs felt he was going to leave or never be the same, imo....only they know.

Didn't Hendry offer Prior a 2 year deal?

I've been telling my Michigan friends since the beginning they should hire Grobe. Yes, even over Miles. He seems very well respected. Deacon fans like him alot. If he turned down Nebraska because he needed to keep their assistants that could be a problem with Michigan. Rumors are they are being strongwilled about keeping the current assistants. No disrespect to Arkansas, Petrino is great hire for them. But if Arkansas can afford $3M for a head coach and UM's best offer to Miles was $2.5 thats pathetic. UM is self funding $250M in stadium and practice facility upgrades but cant put an offer of of say $3.5M for the head coach of that program? Fine botch up the process but don't botch up the $. That's pathetic if they only offered $2.5 million. They are loaded. On Grobe, Wake Forest has absolutely no business being good at all in football. They are one of the smallest schools in all D-I (approx. 4,000 students), yet play in a BCS league. It's an excellent academic institution with stringent standards. North Carolina isn't the most fertile football recruiting ground, either, and Wake must contend with three other in-state ACC teams (don't laugh, but Duke has about as much reason to be good as Wake). Their previous 14 coaches since 1950 had winning percentages of: .292, .448, .394, .412, .209, .182, .469, .350, .175, .313 and .460. That's abysmal. Grobe is at .536, including last year's ACC Championship. He's going to make some big-time program very, very happy. North Carolina has some pretty good HS football talent there. Unfortunately, there is a lot of competition college in state wise for that talent NC, NCS, Duke and Wake just in the ACC alone plus East Carolina USA and there may be other big schools I'm forgetting. Don't get me wrong, it's no Texas, Cal or Florida but it's solid. Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that North Carolina was devoid of talent. It just doesn't have enough to sustain multiple D-I programs, much less four BCS programs. I agree with you that Grobe is a heck of a coach. I really thought last year he would have had a lot of offers.

I'd agree,if he didnt stay back so well. Yeah, that funky Sierra high kick while staying back worked for him. He does have nice body work pivot wise and leg wise, nice lock on the front leg without opening.

How do you figure? Bedard struck out almost 40 more batters in 13 fewer innings last year, against much tougher hitters. How so? AL hitters- .270/.338/.423 NL hitters- .266/.334/.422 Do they have a stat that has the combined batting averages and the rest of the stats that a pitcher faced during the year?

That extension is what bothers me as a possible weakness though. I think that extension could come too early to lose some of the power and bat speed. He gets away with it in a highlight film but I'd like to see some of his lowlights as well.

I've been telling my Michigan friends since the beginning they should hire Grobe. Yes, even over Miles. He seems very well respected. Deacon fans like him alot. If he turned down Nebraska because he needed to keep their assistants that could be a problem with Michigan. Rumors are they are being strongwilled about keeping the current assistants. No disrespect to Arkansas, Petrino is great hire for them. But if Arkansas can afford $3M for a head coach and UM's best offer to Miles was $2.5 thats pathetic. UM is self funding $250M in stadium and practice facility upgrades but cant put an offer of of say $3.5M for the head coach of that program? Fine botch up the process but don't botch up the $. That's pathetic if they only offered $2.5 million. They are loaded. On Grobe, Wake Forest has absolutely no business being good at all in football. They are one of the smallest schools in all D-I (approx. 4,000 students), yet play in a BCS league. It's an excellent academic institution with stringent standards. North Carolina isn't the most fertile football recruiting ground, either, and Wake must contend with three other in-state ACC teams (don't laugh, but Duke has about as much reason to be good as Wake). Their previous 14 coaches since 1950 had winning percentages of: .292, .448, .394, .412, .209, .182, .469, .350, .175, .313 and .460. That's abysmal. Grobe is at .536, including last year's ACC Championship. He's going to make some big-time program very, very happy. North Carolina has some pretty good HS football talent there. Unfortunately, there is a lot of competition college in state wise for that talent NC, NCS, Duke and Wake just in the ACC alone plus East Carolina USA and there may be other big schools I'm forgetting. Don't get me wrong, it's no Texas, Cal or Florida but it's solid.

I've gone to a lot of HS softball clinics in the area and what he does, they teach. The follow through extension in the arms is a drill we do, watch his right arm. Is it long, you're probably right no but it's different than the MLB'ers in the colonies. I don't remember the clip where hit hit the ball hard deeper in the zone instead of 4-3ing it.

I felt the same way. I'm no scout, and I can't look at a guy and dissect the swing properly. But it appears long to me. Although he also seems to be able to keep his hands back. It's a little sweepy for me but it depends on his hand speed if he can get away with it. I'm very curious on how he'll handle off speed stuff...especially away. As I mentioned earlier, he's a lunge hitter and he steps in the bucket, so you'd automatically assume he could retired away, but he stays back well and I'm sure he's been tested away and prob. squares up the ball well. I imagine he's more of a gap hitter to LC rather than a power hitter, which is fine. That swing doesn't look long to me, the only that is long is that stride. It's ironic b/c Rickey said he would never sign a hitter that lunges. The long arms make me wonder though. I'd like to see how the pitchers are going to attack him this year. I agree he'd be a gap away guy. He reminds me of a softball hitter.