ToupeeOnFire

Lower back stiffness for Z. At least it is not the arm.

what forum had the fecal league standings and commentary? couldnt find it earlier. Fecal league standings going into today: KC 51-87; .370; -- PIT 54-83; .394; 3 1/2 GB TB 55-82; .401; 4 1/2 GB CHC 55-81; .404; 5 GB

Glendon will make sure that doesn't happen.

The Riot! Fecal league action doesn't get any better than this.

Bases clogged for JP.

ESPN has now broken into regular programming. Expect the no-hitter to be gone with the first hitter. Edit: That was quick.

If you're a man and you don't think Baker is the cause of the Cubs' woes, then you have had your manhood questioned. If you're a woman with similar thoughts, you haven't had your womanhood questioned, and I can't tell you why that is. Nice strawman Morrissey has constructed here. I've noticed a similar sleight of hand from other Dusty defenders (admittedly, a rare breed) I've come across: the implication that the anti-Dusty position is that Dusty is sole reason for the Cubs' woes this season. Makes it easy for a guy like Morrissey. I say Jim Leyland couldn't have made a winner out of this clump of mediocrity. Um Morrissey, a critique of Dusty does not equal a defense of the front office. It's actually very unfortunate that Dusty is such an awful manager and has become such a lightning rod. It takes the heat off of Jim Hendry and the front office. Still it amuses me that the only defense of Dusty that a guy like Morrissey can muster is that the team sucks therefore Dusty isn't to blame and should be retained.

Random depressing observation following yet another Cubs loss: The Cubs are more likely to end up with Pedro Feliz over the winter than they are Jason Schmidt.

LET'S LET THEM WIN THERE LEAGUE INSTEAD OF PUNISHING HTEM WITH PLAYING FOR THIS MANAGER. Good point. Keep these guys away from Dusty and his coaching staff.

Cubs are set to gain ground in the fecal league. Both KC and TB won their games. This upcoming series with the Pirates is huge.

It was a wild pitch that didn't get very far. Cedeno should have stayed put. He was out easily.

I bet we score 2 in the bottom of the 9th.

Dumpster!

a cramp Cramps only seem to happen to Cub pitchers. Seriously, can we get these guys liquids in between innings.

Cub baserunning strikes again! Bob Brenly with an exasperated "urghh."

Felipe Alou thinks he is Tony Larussa.

That pitch was a foot outside, Cedeno had no business even offering at that.

Bleh, this team looks lifeless. Time for the Rally Slug! http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/Graphics/daylily/slug.jpg

So much for that. Stupid Cobs.

No matter what happens here, if they can chase Schmidt out of the game, this inning will have been a success.

If by funny you mean sad and pathetic, I would agree with you. Though the story of the guy spilling cheese and nachos over everyone trying to catch a foul ball does sound hysterical. I would have loved to have seen that.

Rehauling the Cubs for next year begins with re-signing Aramis. There are certain things you have a reasonable amount of control over and Aram's situation is one of them, as opposed to a volatile free agent market where you have no idea about where any particular player wants to play and what it will take to get them. I think the worst mistake anyone can make is to assume that the Cubs will use the money freed up by Aramis to get players of comparable or greater value. Even if they were to get such a player (like Carlos Lee), it would mean filling third base with a player of lesser value (like David Bell) and a Lee/Bell LF/3B combo compared to Murton/Aram is not really any improvement at all - I'd call it a downgrade. Plus, trusting Jim Hendry to make the most of his available resources is complete folly. Paul Sullivan mentions Mike Lowell as a potential stop-gap, but really, what's the point? He's set to make $9 million next year and the Cubs will have to give up something to get him. In the end, you're not really saving much over the $11 million Aram would get next year or whatever it would take for him to agree to an extension. What he is suggesting is throwing Aram aside for a one year stopgap of Mike Lowell, $2 million in cash saved, and a future of Scott Moore. I like Scott Moore, but we all know how these "3rd baseman of the future!" projects turn out. Unless the ultimate goal is to blow the whole thing up and start over, I'll keep Aram thank you very much. Finally, can we please stop with the "Aramis didn't deliver in April and May when they needed him" argument. Two months does not make a season and one player does not make a team. Aramis has now given the Cubs three consecutive outstanding seasons. If you are too blind to see that, then you deserve the type of crud-infested, slap-happy, swing-at-everything Aramisless offense Jim Hendry is likely to deliver next year. And for all the complaints of his nebulous “lack of hustle”, I’m reminded of a guy the Cubs gave a three year contract to who plays right field, makes boneheaded play after boneheaded play, frequently makes stupid outs on the basepaths, and when he is not throwing the ball into the ground, is throwing the ball to wherever his intended target isn’t. Hitting aside, I’ll take the occasional non-hustle guy who is pretty steady in all other aspects of the game and doesn’t make stupid mistakes over the guy who plays baseball like a chicken with his head cut off. If you are looking to free up money in order to sign some players that is the place to start.

Neifi is currently saving the Tigers in ways that go beyond the box score. Even though the Tigers are only 4-6 since the trade, they probably would have been 2-8 or 3-7 without him. Trust me, proven baseball people like Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland know. (PS: Part of me wants to register to the Tigers messageboard and make obnoxious posts in defense of Neifi. But that would be trolling, wouldn't it?)

Dusty is lame duck. A new manager would be an interim. And teams hire interim managers all the time. What doesn't make sense is waiting to cut the cord. If you are going to do it, do it today. Hendry, like he has most of the season with Dusty and the coaching staff, will be twiddling his thumbs. I predict that it will be Dusty that initiates the cutting of the cord. Before, Dusty was trying to save his job and waiting on his horses, now I think he wants the hell out of Dodge. Hendry will accomodate him.

I mentioned this at the end of the game thread, but I just don't think Dusty will want to finish out the string as lame-duck manager. My prediction is that Dusty and Hendry will come out of a meeting in which it is announced in a carefully worded statement that the Cubs and Baker have mutually agreed to part ways. I just don't think Baker can take much more of this and will demand some sort of resolution from Hendry, knowing of course Hendry can in no way give him an extension or even positively endorse his status while the Cubs are mired in such crappy play. In other words, this will be Baker's round-about way of asking Hendry to accept his resignation. Hendry, seeing this as a perfect "out" (as well as a sop to the fans) will jump at the chance. This parting of the ways will be framed in careful, ambiguous language to suggest that it was mutually agreed to, amicable, and was thought "the best for both parties". I can almost picture the press conference. Even though Hendry gave Dusty his endorsement (we know that doesn't mean much in baseball) and said that he would finish out the season, that was predicated on the expectation that Dusty would finally have his "horses" and the Cubs would play marginally .500 ball. But even Hendry has limits, and there is no way the "injuries" excuse can explain away how awful this team has been of late. In the end, of course, it doesn't make much difference if it is Dusty or some guy who's stuck with the interim label that guides this team to a last-place finish, but I get the feeling it will be the interim-labeled guy.