CuseCubFan69

Sign Fukudome for CF, trade Murton and Fox for Teahen, trade Pie and others for Bedard, and then call it an offseason. :D Could Teahen play RF everyday? If DeRosa is at second, who plays right against a lefty?

I wonder if Dusty learned that he actually has to work a little with the players instead of sitting around with a toothpick in his mouth. Maybe Walsh helped him see that. Hahahaha...I was just kidding. Thanks for the article Bruce.

Thank you. Hey, are the GM's up yet or are they still sleeping after Pacman Jones took them out last night?

You ain't kidding. The O's are smiling as each deal this off season goes for more and more cash.

I agree. If not better, just as good. But I think the same thing about Murton too. Depends on what players the Cubs give up to get him. Also, having a coach that he's familiar with may be what saves him from his personal demons.

I wonder how many places like stores and restaurants won't let you in if you're wearing that?

That's because every team uses about 6 or 7 starters, some many more. Of course you can find worse pitchers. But the only way you can be satisfied with the numbers Marquis gave you is if he was a 25 year old making his debut in the majors. You cannot seriously be satisfied getting those numbers in the first year of a three year contract of a guy with Marquis's track record. I think your expectations of a $7MM free agent starting pitcher are unrealistic. Last year, among the other pitchers others were hoping for were Padilla $9MM 5.76 ERA 1.63 WHIP, Zito ($10MM last year, big remaining contract) 4.53 ERA 1.35 WHIP and Schmidt ($15.75MM) 6.31 ERA 1.71 WHIP. Compared to those guys on the market, Marquis' deal was not that bad. For Christ's sake... Other team's mistakes (or bad luck) do not justify Hendry's. You could have gotten similarly crappy production out of a rookie pitcher for the league minimum. That is a ridiculous statement. Try actually looking up pitchers stats. If stats like Marquis' were so easy to put up by a rookie or any pitcher, every team would have a rotation filled with pitchers with those stats or better than those stats. of course a lot of gms have boners for guys who've "been there", even if they sucked while they were there. I think a lot of it may matter on how ready your young guys are. If you don't have any guys ready it isn't a bad thing to let a vet go out there and pitch every 5th day. Why bring a young player up too early and wreck his confidence when the vet can just fill in. Now, at 7 or 8 a year it is too much but I'd put in a guy that's been there to take that bullet.

Yeah, I've been reading that as well. I just don't see that happening. I can't see him leaving Iowa. I also don't know how I would feel about that. He turned around an Iowa program a couple years ago, but his teams have been down the past couple of years and he can't even beat Iowa freaking State. Decent point. Michigan is a selector when it comes to recruiting though and that may make a big difference. I don't think Fernetz has the talent at Iowa like you guys do and he does a lot with what he has. I'm sure the Iowa fans would know more about his X's and O's but I think he'd be able to recruit very well for you. Does Michigan want a 3 yards and a cloud of dust guy or are they willing to except a different philosophy? That's what I don't think anyone but the higher ups at Michigan knows. It's always been about tradition, but the run-left crap hasn't worked for them for a while now. They need a new philosophy or they're going to get left behind and end up like Notre Dame and Nebraska. That's why this hire is a huge deal. I don't think Michigan needs to hire the big name like Ferentz. They just have to think outside the box and look at guys like Petersen from Boise State or Kelly from Cincinnati, or even Martin from GVSU. What did Peterson do before Boise? I just wonder if he's not successful because of Haskins before him or was that his philosophy that made them better?

ARod...gone...Cabrera gone....who do we move on to next? I want major impact and I just don't see Fukedome as being that.

Yeah, I've been reading that as well. I just don't see that happening. I can't see him leaving Iowa. I also don't know how I would feel about that. He turned around an Iowa program a couple years ago, but his teams have been down the past couple of years and he can't even beat Iowa freaking State. Decent point. Michigan is a selector when it comes to recruiting though and that may make a big difference. I don't think Fernetz has the talent at Iowa like you guys do and he does a lot with what he has. I'm sure the Iowa fans would know more about his X's and O's but I think he'd be able to recruit very well for you. Does Michigan want a 3 yards and a cloud of dust guy or are they willing to except a different philosophy?

If by dynasty you mean making the playoffs quite a bit in a terrible division and possibly lucking into a World Series, but getting absolutely destroyed by any AL team that makes it, then yes we could be a dynasty. The Cubs are my density.

I'm pretty sure he got lost in LF last year a couple times trying to find his position at 3B. After a ball ricocheted off his head.

A new grass field is all I got.

This UM coaching search has disaster written all over it. There are also reports in various newspapers saying that Miles' agent reached out to Martin (UM's AD) on Friday because LSU offered him a contract, but Miles wanted to know if Michigan was interested. Martin couldn't be found though and didn't answer his cellphone when Miles' agent called because Martin was down in Florida on his yacht partaking in an event at the Ocean Reef club in Key Largo. If I were a guy interested in the job and after hearing that, I'd be turned off. You know that X amount of boosters are going to hate the new guy right away and not give him a chance and the only way a new coach can prove himself is to go 11-1 or 12-0 and the pressure has been raised way too high now. Imo...you HAVE to go after Miles and go after him hard before he signs that new deal. Or...think outside of the box and go after Cowher (sp old Steeler coach)

Miggy/Willis. Beckett and Lowell is a different story... ;) Whoops!

No we don't. At least I don't. I'm not sure he knows what a good deal is. I've seen enough of his crap to know he's crap. I don't care if he's being nice, I want him to be a good GM and actually make moves that make this a very good baseball team. There's no excuse for this team to be anything short of excellent, absolutely no excuse. But it's extremely far from it, and the GM doesn't seem to know why. I think you can do both, be good to your kids and be a good GM. I agree with the money the Cubs have spent they should be among the elite. Maybe I'm hoping Lou will help Hendry along....I have to!

That would have been Buster Olney who is better at stats then trade rumors. What would the Rangers give for Prior that would be worth anything? Wilkerson? Wilkerson could be had without giving anything up. He's a FA. It would be quite a deal then!

and what's florida's payroll going to be? like 8 dollars or something? this is ridiculous. no wonder they have no fans. They're gonna average like 5,000 for home games this year. It's a complete joke. It's the Expos all over again. Can a move be far behind? Two WS wins say different.

Hendry's waiting for Michigan to pick a coach first, then he'll make a move!

Because when Hendry farts during the winter meetings it sends shock waves all across the world. I think many people are parsing every little thing Hendry says into way too much a deal. Or maybe Jim Hendry is a really bad GM doing a really bad job generally managing the Cubs, and people are sick of him making the same stupid mistakes year after year, ignoring the same glaring holes year after year and saying/thinking the same stupid crap year after year. And they are sick of all the ridiculous "let's just see what he has up his sleeve for the rest of the winter, I mean spring, I mean June, I mean trading deadline, I mean waiver deadline" when we've seen all this BS before. I don't deny he is an average GM, possibly bad. But, he's talking about a kid and Sullivan, who is know for his accuracy, writes an article and God only knows what was actually said and Fuld gets ripped for it along with Hendry. Hey, I admit hoping that Hendry having money would turn this thing around and he did a ok job last off season. If he doesn't step up right now before the Cubs head into the season he should be canned. I understand why everyone is sensitive to what he says but wow....he's saying something nice about a young player and we all know if a good deal comes up he'd move Fuld if it helps the team.

They won the battle of the Meche so don't be so sure! That wasn't so much a battle as a "conflict". Of interest maybe! Ours and Jims.

Who would you all rather have....Miggy and Willis or Beckett and Lowell?

They won the battle of the Meche so don't be so sure!

Because when Hendry farts during the winter meetings it sends shock waves all across the world. I think many people are parsing every little thing Hendry says into way too much a deal.

I'm just thinking of a cheap backup 4th OF along with talking up his prospects. The Yanks do it and it's ok, the Cubs and their idiots.