Warren Brusstar

Your inability to recognize that Murton can't hit righties and throws like an average high school outfielder is somewhat creepy. Dusty Baker is an idiot that has countless strikes against them. Not playing Murton more isn't even among the top 30 stupid things he's done as a Cub.

While I agree with your overall assessment that Dusty has repeatedly shown he doesn't have a clue, I don't think benching Cedeno or Murton due to their struggles against lefties and righties respectively is beneficial to the Cubs. The lineups you show above would be near the ones I would like to see if the Cubs were still in contention. But since this season is basically done, the organization should focus on developing talent for the 2007 team. Cedeno and Murton need the experience of facing MLB pitchers instead of watching them from the bench (as mentioned in other threads). If the Cubs are planning on Matt Murton being anything more than a lefty-bashing platoon partner on the 2007 team, they're making a big mistake. He can't righties. He just can't. Indeed, I could make a case that the best use of Murton the rest of the way would be to play him exclusively against lefties in order to artificially boost his overall numbers (and increase his trade value to the league's idiot GMs). As to Cedeno, I agree. He's not going to get any better against LHP if he nevers plays against them.

I'm all for calling up kids that have a chance of succeeding at the major league level - Hill and Guzman, for example. Calling up non-prospect organizational fodder (Theriot, for example) just for the sake of doing it is a pointless exercise.

Nope. Murton will get sent down. LOCK. And that's pathetic.

I'll put money on the Cubs offseason comprising: (1) Overpaying Mark Mulder (2) Trading Mark Prior for Alex Rios, who will be coming off a career year that he won't match ever again.

LaTroy Hawkins' ERA as a Cub - 2.76. That statement is so wrong it's not even funny. 69% Save Percentage disagrees. A good percentage of those came as a set-up man, where he only had opportunities to lose the lead and never an opportunity to get a save. Every set-up man in the majors has a dreadful save percentage, because every time they blow a lead, it's a blow save, but when they do their job, it's a hold and not a save. In any event, the notion that a guy that gave up less than 3 runs per 9 innings (substantially better than league average) is somehow the "worst" Cub pitcher over any period of time is insane. In fact, it's so insane that I can't even believe you're taking that position.

We don't need their payroll, we need good players and a coaching staff that has a clue. How do you think they got good players and coaching staff? Its all about the Benjamins. Which is why the Yankees have won the last 6 World Series. Oh, wait a minute!

if anybody could put that to a test - it is this team that will probably still be here next '07 This team, healthy isn't bad. Almost every player is having a crap season if their not hurt. I don't believe that any player on the roster is out playing his numbers. Or even playing up to there numbers. So you get Marshall and Marmol experiance, get Murton on a hot streak and get him active everyday. Make him slam the door on Dusty and the platooning garbage. Keep Cedano going. Make some positive moves, not desperate moves. I just hope Hendry doesn't cave in to the clammering Cubs fan base and over pay for a garbage player. JP was enough. I think Jones is outplaying his numbers, Cedeno is giving more than anyone probably expected, and Barrett is also outperforming - that's more than a third of your regular starters. Walker is not underperforming so really you have Pierre and Aramis as the only two who are not living up to their potential and you have an injury to Lee. Murton hasn't been great but his OBP is still decent so he is not a total disappoint. The problem is Hendry put together a team that relied on pitchers that haven't been able to pitch on a consistent basis for the last couple of years and a horrible bench, meaning that once the injuries started there was no backup plan in place. Back up plan was Glendon Rusch what's the problem? I keed, I keed!! Okay my point about all players stinking was not the strongest arguement. So if everybody is pulling their weight and JP and Am Ram start hitting then the Cubs starting winning then right? Quality starts from the Starters and timely hitting about somes it up right? Santo was right "this game isn't that hard!!" Nope. This team is bad. If Pierre and ARam start tearing the cover off the ball, this still isn't a good team.

LaTroy Hawkins' ERA as a Cub - 2.76. That statement is so wrong it's not even funny.

With Baker managing, I don't think he would have gotten to play half a month. I think he would have gotten the same chance that Theriot got which really amounted to none! Theriot has clearly earned a shot at in the majors. Teams routinely promote guys with a sub .700 OPS at Triple A. Theriot hasn;t had a chance because he's done nothing to deserve one.

Without reasonable provocation, Barrett punched an opposing player in the face. The Cubs are lucky it wasn't a lomger suspension.

if anybody could put that to a test - it is this team that will probably still be here next '07 This team, healthy isn't bad. Almost every player is having a crap season if their not hurt. I don't believe that any player on the roster is out playing his numbers. Or even playing up to there numbers. So you get Marshall and Marmol experiance, get Murton on a hot streak and get him active everyday. Make him slam the door on Dusty and the platooning garbage. Keep Cedano going. Make some positive moves, not desperate moves. I just hope Hendry doesn't cave in to the clammering Cubs fan base and over pay for a garbage player. JP was enough. I could not possibly disagree more. Barrett - best numbers of his career Jones - having his best year since 2002 Cedeno - performing as well as expected Murton - performing about as well as expected Maddux - performing as well as expected Zambrano - best numbers of his career Eyre - having a career year Howry - performing as well as expected Marshall - much better than expected ARam and Pierre have been huge disappointments and Walker has been slightly worse than expected. But that's pretty much it. This team isn't underachieving. This team is just bad. If you thought any of these players (other than Pierre or Ramirez) would be significantly better, the problem is that your expectations are unreasonable.

I believe Bruce was the last to comment on it. He was very adamant that Wood's NTC would not be waived. Bruce probably knows more about it than you or me. Well, since neither you, me, nor anyone else on this board knows for certain whether Wood would agree to waive his no-tade clause in the right situation, can we agree that it's pretty naive(and juvenile) to patronize every single poster that has the audacity to suggest a potential Wood trade?

I'm pretty sure (in fact, I'm 100% sure) that players with no-trade clauses routinely accept trades. Indeed, if some team was willing to pick up Wood's $13 million option as a condition to a trade, I'd be shocked if he didn't accept it. Acting like there is absolutely no chance that Wood will be traded is more naive than ignoring his NTC. It's been widely reported that Wood's NTC is exactly that, and he would not waive it. By whom? People on this board? I get so sick of the patronizing "Wood has a NTC" crap anytime a poster has the audacity to suggest that Wood could possibly be traded. Are you contending that Wood's NTC is a *special magic* NTC that is somehow unwaivable (and thus varies from every other NTC that has ever been granted)? That basic principles of contract law don't apply to Wood's contract?

I'm pretty sure (in fact, I'm 100% sure) that players with no-trade clauses routinely accept trades. Indeed, if some team was willing to pick up Wood's $13 million option as a condition to a trade, I'd be shocked if he didn't accept it. Acting like there is absolutely no chance that Wood will be traded is more naive than ignoring his NTC.

I agree with the general sentiment here that playing Freddie Bynum against right handed pitchers is absolutely inexcusable. He has absolutely zero chance of ever being even a replacement level corner outfielder. That said, characterizing Murton as one of our "better players" is ludicrous. His OPS against RHP is under .600. That's laughably bad. Now, because this team isn't going anywhere, the Cubs should be using the rest of this season to confirm that Murton can't hit RHP. And if posts a sub-.600 OPS over the course of 500 PA against RHP, the Cubs would be perfectly justified in deciding that they need to go in another direction in LF for 2007.

Dude, I can't believe all the bad luck we've had, dude

Huh? His ERA was 5.14 in 28 innings after the trade. That's an ERA+ of 86. And you think the Cubs wouldn't have made the playoffs without him? To the contrary, it's more likely that they would have won the wild card without need for a one game playoff.

Actually, my concern is that this pushes Walker to 2B and pushes Womack to LF, to platoon with Murton.

Leaves us a bit thin in the pitching department, no? Also, which one of Aramis, Cedeno, or Walker would you bench/trade to make room for Rodriguez in the lineup? Counter proposal: Wood + Aramis for Arod + cash. (Mostly to reduce Arod's cost toward the end of his deal.) I'd try Wood + Cedeno + Harvey for Arod + cash, but your deal would be my plan B. Get him healthy and then make a deal. A couple thoughts, I would make deals for only the stud OF and catching prospects only. This ARod trade would be the exception. The Yanks are desperate for younger pitching and depending if Clemens signs with the Red Sox, they would be forced to make a move. Wood, Rameriz, Jones and Rich Hill for ARod and OF/C prospect. Or Wood to D-Backs for 2 of their top OF prospects and Stephen Drew. The Cubs would pick up the majority of Wood's money this year. Stick Drew at SS and move Cedeno to 2nd. Why not ask them for a billion dollars too? (If we're going to propose pie-in-the-sky trades with absolutely no chance of ever occurring, let's really make them fun)

yes. Why? murton's development I thought Murton was killing the team, no?

yes. Why?

no

No

On the "drunken female fan" incident, I think the fairly obvious explanation was that the girl was underage and the Cubs did not want to take the heat for serving an underage girl.