B4Icroak

Not a problem ... just off to a shaky start. Lou has all it takes to inspire and guide this team to at least 50 or 60 wins this season. Are they ever going to do anything for that goiter in his stomach? It's getting huge ...

The unfortunate reality is from Aug 7th - thru Aug 22nd - the Cubs had 10 games against real baseball teams and won 1 of them. They also managed to drop 2 of 3 to a team 20 games under .500 This team sucks and sucks bad. Hendry and Piniella have to go along with whatever the new ownership/mgmt can realistically jettison of the contracted slugs we obtained over the last 3 years. Sickening state of affairs again, yet, still, for my team. Hope is on the horizon with private ownership but this season is toast.

97 can get you a K if the batter's not looking for it. If he is looking for it - so will the outfielder be as he watches it fly over his head. The opposition doesn't get a lot of scratch hits off Gregg. He's a one trick pony that can fool some of the batters some of the time. Heilman has comparable k/ip numbers, perhaps you'd prefer he gets the ball to close? Glad you're comfortable with his contributions. 2) Gregg vs Heilman? Really? Let's see...the k/9ip is 9.24 vs 7.69 - a pretty significant difference in "stuff". Second, the k/bb rate is 2.43 for gregg vs 1.43 for Heilman. Do you want to try again? Significant in "your" opinion? Look dude - if you want to dance a jig because you have Kevin Gregg as your closer - have at it. He doesn't have the talent to get enough outs in the last inning. But you keep hoping ... and it will happen. Try again? To argue the value of Kevin Gregg? Thats time well spent. You're funny.

97 can get you a K if the batter's not looking for it. If he is looking for it - so will the outfielder be as he watches it fly over his head. The opposition doesn't get a lot of scratch hits off Gregg. He's a one trick pony that can fool some of the batters some of the time. Heilman has comparable k/ip numbers, perhaps you'd prefer he gets the ball to close? Glad you're comfortable with his contributions.

Gregg has been termed a "contact closer" meaning he doesn't have good out pitches other than his 96/97 fastball that doesn't move a mm. Therefore, he has to rely on the ball going into play to get many of his outs. Our unfortunate reality is that all to often we can't make a play on the ball where the opposition hits it and we lose ball games because of it. He's horrible, he sucks, and I hate him pitching for us. I'd love to hang Hendry for this but Wood's numbers are not a load better and he wanted the big payday so Hendry went with the .... wait I have to hurl .... BEST AVAILABLE option. Same game plan by which we got Soriano and Milton the mental patient. We need another strategy going forward because this one doesn't work.

Dusty had his own fetish for crappy relievers - The good Dr. Veres was one of many. Just clarifying that Lou is still notches up over the village imbecile aka Dusty Baker in my book.

That's another $64 question and one I don't have an answer to. The net result of both habits is the same - pain.

Heilman makes Dempster look like a CYA winner when he threw from the pen. He can't throw any out pitches for strikes consistently - so he either issues the walk or serves it up for a walloping. He is a grade A bum and needs to go away.

I've thought about it a lot .... but I still can't piece together the set of circumstances that would have to evolve that warrant Bobby Howrey's inclusion in a game the Cubs wanted to win. The only thing I can think of was Hendry wanted to provide a proper sendoff for Howrey's last pitches thrown in the majors. Kinda like when Baker put in the great Dr. Dave Veres in game 7 of 03. If that is the reasoning, I'm against it because, as I'm sure you all remember, Veres schwansed up yet again for his final pitches in 03 and Howery is 100% certain to do thusly. Please tell me I just dreamed that he's taking a baseball players place on the post season roster and that it will all be different when I wake up.

Thank you. He was indeed. As for the mope Trachsel - we hopefully saw an end to his storied and staggered career in Cub blue yesterday. More likely his last pitches in baseball. But don't worry Steve - your legacy will live on for the ages. We will win many a world series before another Cub pitcher chalks up 18 L's in a season. Farewell you puss armed malcontent.

LOL - I'd even buy my lunch there for a month straight just to support his new endevor.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read those headlines off sportspyder yesterday. I guess he can still ride the crest of his slightly better than .500 W/L as a manager - but anyone who would hire that legal imbecile to manage anything more taxing than a Dairy Queen deserves what they get.

Thanks Greg for everything positive you brought to this club - you're always a Cub in my eyes and it's a sad day to see you leaving. Good for you - you're closer to your family and you're now away from that toothpick sucking imbecile. I pray for your sake that if you hang out in LA next year he doesn't end up in some capacity with the Dodgers after we finally give him the gate. Nah, won't happen, Cub management seems to be to delusional to make him go away. He'll probably be here long after you retire. Todd - I'm sure you're shaking your head wondering what you had to do to be looked at as a major contributor here. I know I am. Thanks for all the hustle, professionalism, and base hits. Good luck to you both.

Aside from everything else thats wrong with Baker as a manager, his inability to grasp this concept is sad. Through Saturday, the difference (in rough numbers) between the 2nd to last place in MLB Cubs OBP (.316) and that of the leading Red Sox (.367) is roughly an additional 150 base runners to date. Given that we've lost 14 games by one run and 7 games by 2 runs.........

I agree. There is enough talent on this team to go to the post season. The manager can not stand in the batters box for his players, but he can damn sure promote the attitude, atmosphere, and enviornment that gets the most out of an offense. He can also insure splinters for those that refuse to do whatever's necessary to get on base. And it's absolutely the managers job to get in the face of those who are dogging it or are simply complacent using the "we're injured, what do you expect" rap. Dusty Baker provides nothing more than a live body to fill out the line-up card - abominate that chore on most occasions - and is the worst baseball tactician currently managing a major league team. If he had an ounce of dignity he would quit but he's too stupid to know how bad he is. Other than that - he's probably a real nice guy to go fishing with and should be given that opportunity - daily.