ToupeeOnFire

So, Taguchi, why haven't we been able to get you out?

Lee's absence has affected team clutchiness. :cry:

I wonder how that would be ruled? Would be like at Wrigley when the ball goes into the ivy?

Alright Mabry, bite the hand that once fed you (to quote Harry).

Ron Santo (reiterating the advice of Sarge and Cliens): "[Murton] is taking too many pitches...." Just because a guy plays baseball doesn't mean he knows the best way to play - or what works best for a different type of player. Hawk Harrelson is exhibit A. Usually Santo is always advocating more patience. I suspect he is being deferential to Clines/Mathews.

Ron Santo (reiterating the advice of Sarge and Cliens): "[Murton] is taking too many pitches...."

Encouraging first inning for Gendon. Now if Walker would just stop thinking he is Willie Mays Hayes. Base hit for Jock.

Pierre is seeing more pitches per plate appearance than any Cub except DLee. I was surprised. Cedeno is seeing fewer pitches than even Neifi. That surprises me as well, but it probably says just as much about the rest of the Cub line-up as it does Pierre. What frustrates me with Pierre is how often he falls behind in the count 0-2 and 1-2. Usually, a missed or faked bunt is involved. I'd guess the reason he is seeing more pitches than the others is that he makes good contact and is able to foul away pitches on 2 strike counts. I know this is what we were supposed to expect with Pierre. It's just frustrating to watch.

Ron Santo: "I'd like to see Pierre be a little more patient..." You and me both, Ron.

why would he lie about that? My bad, I skimmed the first part of your post without comprehending it. I didn't think he was inferring that he was getting angry e-mails. You're right. It sounds like very petty behavior by the Cubs if true. And considering their reaction to the initial reports that hit the media, it doesn't sound out of character. It seems the team has a kind of bunker mentality when it comes pitchers' injuries, why that is and what that gains them I do not know. It's dissapointing.

Trying to hide the problem rather than fix it certainly sounds like the Cubs to me - and this obviously fits in with the 4th place part. If there are team officials actually sending him angry e-mails about his columns, then I've become even more disappointed with the entire structure of this team's management. Carroll was the first to report Prior's injury - and so they're angry? A little ridiculous, if you ask me. Of course it's the Cubs, and since Carroll is a Cub fan, he's not saying anything that hundreds of other Cub fans haven't already expressed. I doubt team officials are sending him angry e-mails.

Speaking of potential Lee replacements (I'm not sure if his name was mentioned earlier), how about Erubiel Durazo?

This sucks and it is certainly a huge blow, but let's not go into hysterical dramatics. I don't like the idea of moving Walker to first because then you are stuck with Walker/Neifi-Hairston right side of the infield and you have effectively weakened yourself at two positions. Right now, for the short term, I think a Mabry/Restovich platoon is in order, although I wouldn't mind seeing Sing get a chance (but with his early struggles in AAA. it's not going to happen). Ultimately though, I agree that Hendry needs to start looking outside the organization.

A few ideas... 1 - I would contract both the White Sox and Cardinals. 2 - I would move the Florida Marlins to Roswell, NM. and build the world's first underground major league stadium. 3 - I would spearhead numerous intiatives and adopt many resolutions. 4 - To keep out unruly fans from interupting play on the field, I'd require every major league stadium to build a moat surrounding the field, filled with either the flesh-consuming aquatic carnivore of the team's choice or sulfuric acid 5 - Four words: ten cent beer nights. 6 - Four more words: Joe Morgan, you're fired! Seriously though... I'd balance the schedules and get rid of interleague play. Institute some kind of instant replay. Ban the DH. Major league all-star game...this time it doesn't count! It'd be back to being just a meaningless exhibition game for the fans. The team with the best record gets home field advantage in the WS. Get rid of the minor league farm system. I would set up a soccer-like divisional structure (like the Premier league, etc.). There would be no "minor leagues" per se, but any city that wanted a team playing competitive baseball (and could support it) would have it. No more big market/small market fuss and no more teams holding cities and locales hostage. ...and I'd fire Joe Morgan (or make ESPN fire him, under threat of losing its television contract).

I would argue that there are only three major professional sports. Edit: Nevermind, I see somebody already made my point. :)

Neifi was barely on the team that year. I know, but SS was a huge black hole for the team that year (hence the Nomar trade). When Nomar was out for a period (9/12-9/21) during a stretch of crucial games, Neifi came in and played well and got some clutch hits. The Cubs finished 8-3 in that stretch. It wasn't until Nomar came back (around the time of the Mets series), that the Cubs collapsed. That obviously wasn't Nomar's fault. But if the Cubs managed to make the playoffs that year, Neifi's contribution would have been seen as vitally important.

I obviously meant 2004. Sorry for the confusion.

There is no doubt that the Cardinals have a built-in advantage by having KC as their rival. On the other hand, if this were the 80s, the opposite would have been true. That said, if I were named commisioner tomorrow, one of my first actions would be to eliminate interleague play and reinstitute balanced schedules.

Nobody hates Neifi. Sure there are jokes made at his expense, but as others have mentioned, that has more to do with the way he was used by Dusty last year. Make no mistake, Neifi is a not a good offensive player, but to mollify some of you out there I'll say a few kind things about him. 1 ) He's genuinely a fine fielding middle infielder. 2 ) By all accounts, he appears to be a popular teammate. 3 ) He's taken Ronny Cedeno under his wing. I don't see this as a bad thing. 4 ) If the Cubs had made the playoffs in 2004, Neifi would have gone down in lore as a Cub hero. It was Neifi's outstanding play that more than made up for the loss of Nomar. 5 ) He filled in admirably for the first couple months of the season when Nomar went down (hmm, I'm sensing a pattern). 6 ) He's a better player than Jose Macias. 7 ) He's a better hitter than Rey Ordonez. 8 ) He's a better fielder than Todd Walker. 9 ) He's got a more reliable arm than Ronny Cedeno. 10 ) He's got a great name: Neifi Neftali Perez. 11 ) I'll never forget that grand slam he hit against St. Louis.

http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=69832 That ought to make the news of Lee's injury look better by comparison... White Sox Interactive (where the term Flubs is the height of wit)...this goes directly into the BS file.

While it is no consolation for the Lee/Eyre injury, what a game to win! It's 1:35 AM here, good night all. Cross your fingers.

With Lee and Eyre most likely out for the Cardinal series, this game becomes huge. C'mon Demp!

Who's up for some extra inning baseball?

Top of the order due up for the Dodgers.

The Pierre of this game was the Pierre we hoped we were getting.