Bleed Cubbie Blue

No...

I said most likely. Think about it Drew, Wells could give up 1 run in 7 innings, and the way this teams looks, that is a lead impossible to overcome. Believe me Drew, I want them to win as badly, if not more, than the people on this site. Try as a might to not watch them and not care about the outcome, they’re like a virus.

I know that it’s possible to turn it around, but it seems to me very, very unlikely.

cubfanwill - June 30, 2009 reply

I'm not giving up

it’s not like they’re going to go 90-0 for the rest of the season. They’ll lose more games, and they’ll lose some badly. That doesn’t mean they aren’t turning it around.

The O's drafted

before the Cubs that year.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=2007&draft_round=1&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round

No they didn't

cubfanwill - June 30, 2009 reply

Don't confuse people with the facts!

:)

BrewCrew'sPrinceofDarkness - June 30, 2009 reply

There were questions and still are

whether long-term he is a catcher. He would essentially be the biggest catcher ever. If he has to move to 1st, his bat isn’t anything special. Right now, Wieters looks like a good pick but give it a few years.

rlpete - June 30, 2009 reply

Wieters' numbers so far...

In 85 PA:
247/297/388

Add to that 2 HR, 7 RBI, 21K, and only 6BB and he’s off to a sarcastically rip-roaring start (though it is still early). Geo can give us those numbers.

tdubcub - July 1, 2009 reply

Clowns?

You’re a regular barrel of laughs around here, Worf. Or maybe you’re just a Bozo.

If the season is heading down the toilet, I would think you have better things to do than be here. Right?

Here's my question then...

When do we say that’s it for this year and start selling off pieces for the future? I really would like to know when we start selling the older players for the future? Sori, Lee, Lilly, & Gameboard could all get us usable pieces back in a trade? I’m just wondering when we start to plan on the future?

gaclaudy - June 30, 2009 reply

The problem is that so many of the pieces are not tradable

either due to NTC clauses or horrible contracts. Or both.

none of those guys

can be traded.

I think they could be traded IF...

They were willing to waive their NTC, such as the chance to go to a club with a chance to make the playoffs.

gaclaudy - June 30, 2009 reply

Lee and Lilly

maybe. Lee likes Chicago, a lot.

Sori and Bradley? Those are essentially untradable contracts, unless you pick up a significant amount of them, in which case, you don’t get the benefit of the salary dump.

Waivers

What happens with players like Sori and Bradley with a NTC. Can they just be made subject to a waiver claim like Boston tried to do with Manny? If claimed, does the NTC come into play? Can the Cubs just let a claiming team become responsible for the contract?

Both players have big upsides, but getting out from under the contracts may be more positive.

Regardless of the answers to my questions above, my opinion is GM’s need to cough up the extra million a year or so to keep NTC’s off the contracts. You never know when circumstances dictate moving a player.

I don't know the answer to that.

FWIW, wouldnt’ that have made Sori’s contract over $140mill? Adding a million per year of a contract to avoid the NTC?

Possibly, but which would you rather have

$18M a year where the player controls whether or not he leaves, or $19M a year where if you, as the GM, are lucky enough to find a taker you can make a move.

Anyway, my add $$$/no NTC observation was more general and less specific to Soriano. More specific to Soriano, I don’t care for contracts that long anyway.

I don't disagree

but can you imagine the howls if Soriano had been contracted for $145mill? :D

Either way

You’d have to take an equally bad contract to get rid of him, or pay a large chunk to ship him to another team.

Yes, but options are nice to have.

NTC’s take options away.

Both Lilly and Ohlendorf

Were bailed out several times by home plate ump Wally Bell’s huge strike zone. This isn’t to excuse the horrible play on offense and defense, but before anyone starts to give the Cy Young to either pitcher, they’d be well-served to check out where some of those strike calls actually were.

Ugly, ugly game.

I always took offense to...

the Cubs being referred to as the “Lovable Losers” but that looks like a step up now. There is nothing lovable about this team. Or this season. I don’t know if tonight was rock bottom but I certainly hope so.

peyton5609 - June 30, 2009 reply

This is a very unlikeable team

It is hard to root for THIS Cub team. This is the furthest thing from something you would attach the Luvable Loser tag.

Ugh.....

I refuse to make any more comments other than that was one of the most disgusting losses I’ve seen in a while. Unfortunatly, I’ve thought that a lot lately….

Chicago White Sux - June 30, 2009 reply

sounds like it was a fast game, and no fun to watch.

I caught Soto’s baserunning blunder on the radio, but missed the rest of it.

Get ’em tomorrow, and they take the series. That would be nice.

Hey everyone:

Is there a post game show on WGN 720 tonight? I tried to tune it in via their online site, but it’s still playing the extension stream…

Hilary Lee - June 30, 2009 reply

2009 is over for the Cubs

There, I said it. This season is worse than 2004. There is no more hope left. When a team fails to cease upon fine starting pitching for the bulk of two months, then your season is destined to go down in great disappointment.

What an unmitigated disaster this has become. Jim Hendry’s successor will take several years to unwind this clusterfu*k.

Jim Hendry...

….sadly, is not going anywhere.

We’ll be lucky if he’s NOT promoted to V.P.

Ricketts will clean house

Kenney, Hendry and Piniella will all be gone with a new owner.

It will depend on the timing...

…of when the sale closes, as to when they bring their own people in.

If this thing drags on any further, they may keep everyone for one more year because they won’t have time to let their own people get ready for 2010. I hope this doesn’t happen, because the longer this organizational philosphy is in place, we will continue to see leaks spring up all over the ship.

Time to pay the piper

Jim Hendry has been allowed to try and spend his way to glory. Well, that strategy has horribly backfired. You can’t move Soriano, Kosuke or Bradley. All you can do is wait in agony for those contracts unwind.

If I'm buying this club...

…and there are no playoffs, I ain’t going to be real happy about the deadwood that I am stuck with.

My gut...

…is telling me the samething. I know on paper they are only one good spurt away from being right there, this team just doesn’t seem to have it.

I would not be surprised if the Cubs are at least 6-7 games out at the deadline and going south instead of north. It will be very difficult for Hendry to concede they are sellers, and also to be able to get much of value because of so many issues in trading their established players (no-trades, high contracts, under performing players, etc.).

The last two months look like they could be a very slow burn towards the end for this regime and probably several of the players.

Witness!

ballhawk - June 30, 2009 reply

Hey - saw your last note on that "other" topic

FWIW, I’m still not embarrassed about being angry at that person’s ravings and nor should you be. However, I’m not angry anymore . . . I honestly don’t think that person can help that person’s self . . .

Man, the Cubs suck.

You've been saying it

since April, IIRC.

I love this stupid team

I keeep coming back every damn day. I keep being frustrated by this team. The hardest part of being a fan is the powerlessness of the whole thing. That is the hard part for most of us. We play Manager, GM, shit, we even play each of the 9 positions better, in our minds, than the 25 guys who are paid to do it. It is part of being a fan. It is just sad. Horribly sad.

Agreed

That is what the hardest part for me, is the fact I can do ABSOLUTELY nothing to change whats going on

It is horrible, each and every damn day.

I drive for work so much that I have to listen to stupid sports radio that makes my day even more frustrating.

see

I totally stay away from the sports radio. Only makes me more pissed off.

Sports radio has nothing to do with sports

and everything to do with talking points designed to drive up ratings so the network can sell more ads. See: Cowherd, Colin.

+1

ESPN is a joke in general. After I cancelled my cable and put a CD player in my car, I realized how much better it is without it.

Yeah, I gave up on being able to listen to sports radio a while ago

I can only occassionally listen to WGN’s sports programming.

wow. listening to 670 makes me want to punch my brains out.

It’s the flagship station of Sox but i don’t think bashing the Cubs every opportunity is really warranted. Crap after crap after crap, i don’t know why i keep listening but damn Dan McNeil is annoying as hell.

But even in the best of times, when they're winning out the wazoo, there was ABSOLUTELY nothing you could do to change what's going on

not that you would want to, but my point is…

you as an individual have absolutely no bearing on the team’s success or lack thereof, save whatever relatively abysmally thin slice of revenue your spending on the Cubs represents to the team.

So being a fan isn’t about influencing what the team does – it’s about following that team through thick and thin, up and down, or in the case of this season, down and down… Obviously doesn’t mean you have to like it when they suck, but maybe if you accept the fact that control and influence isn’t part of the equation, then you can focus on the other aspects and perhaps deal with it better. That might shave a few points of your blood pressure…

I've said for years

that success has spoiled us to a degree and given us hope for a WS. Before 1984, in our hearts, we knew there was no hope, so we didn’t hang on every pitch or at bat. We’d anxiously wait for Spring Training and the start of a new season, but by August, we weren’t watching them as much or maybe caring as much. Now, from the first pitch of ST until the last pitch of the season, we critique, ponder, play manager/GM, bitch, bitch at each other, and lose sleep over this team.

Personally, I’m glad I can’t see every game out here because my blood pressure is high enough. Even the one or two games that are televised, I don’t watch too much. I am very competitive and get worked up to a lather when they play like they’ve been playing this year. All I do now is monitor the game thread and pop in and out when I am near a computer.

I am still a huge fan, I will still go to as many ST games as I can and when they come in to lose, I mean play the D backs. I proudly display my Cubs license plate frame and stickers on my truck and wear my Cubs hat every day and take crap from the baseball fans here. I’m just not investing the same amount of time watching them stumble through the season and getting worked up,

BigJohnAZ - July 1, 2009 reply

+1

Well said sir

JFCubFan - July 1, 2009 reply

Hunger strike

Maybe we should all go on a hunger strilke like the Chicago chiroprator to “shame” the Cubs into winning 5 games in a row.

wccubfan - July 1, 2009 reply

hey chill broski the season ain't over til it's over.

for BLou

the season is over before it begins.

hell, next season is already over for him

When is Jim Hendry

going to take responsibility for his screw-ups in 2016, that’s what I want to know!

There is still alot of baseball left and the season is not over--yet.

But I agree somewhat with the tone of your post. But the roster must be improved. If the Cubs were willing to eat one or two bad contracts then they could make room for a hitter in the OF and use pitching to gain that player(s). If the organization wants to win badly enough then they’ll do it, but otherwise I expect roster change from within and taking their chances that the OF players start hitting the crap off the ball.

The division is there for a number of teams to make bold moves to improve and to win. If the organization decides that money matters ore then it will be very disappointing. But with tens of thousands waiting to buy season tickets I wouldn’t be surprised if the $ prevails in 2009.

Guards! Guards!

Cease him!

Reply fail

I feel like Soto, now

Ordinarily I'd offer up a correction, as in it's "Seize"

but after further reflection, perhaps you really did mean “Cease”…

ballhawk - June 30, 2009 reply

Seize her!

Et tu, Brute?

It's getting close to the edge

Get to the All-Star break at or around .500 and 3-5 games out. Give everyone the mental break and hope they come back with a fresh, singular focus.

But this is getting ridiculous. And annoying to watch.

Bill Potter - June 30, 2009 reply

I stand by my request:

Fire sale time!

Get rid of as many big contracts as possible – and don’t stop trying until EVERY door has been shut in your face.

I have a feeling they won't even open the door to talk to Jim Hendry

They’ll leave the lights off and hope he goes away. Nowadays, teams rarely take these big deals even if they are being given away.

rlpete - June 30, 2009 reply

It is FIRE SALE time

I put Zambrano, Harden, Gregg, Lilly on the block. I put Lee on the block too. Nobody will take any of those outfielders, nor any of our wide ranging collection of journeyman smurf infielders.

Agreed...BUT

Trade those guys, or at least TRY at first, with the caveat that the lucky team who wants/needs them should eat an additional contract, or a large chunk of it (Fukudome, Bradley, etc.)

I really don't want.....

prospects who may or may not work out and a 80+ million dollar offseason payroll anyway, minus Z and/or Harden.

Keep hoping

Harden and Gregg could be traded.

rlpete - June 30, 2009 reply

I try to stay away from the insults

But you’re a lunatic

Pre - July 1, 2009 reply

this team has been Nerfed

ugh. I wait until the all star break to give up.. but damn this team is so…. so…. so… man I just cant stand watching them. they are totally uninspiring. I think its the total failure with RISP that makes it so painful. you just know they aren’t going to get it done. sorry I have nothing constructive to say. I dont see how to fix it. blow it up.

ballstitch - June 30, 2009 reply

This season has long been over

I said it weeks ago and people scoffed at it. Absolutely nothing has changed with this club in the past few weeks, save a few AB’s by Jake Fox that have made those consistenly taken by Soriano even more embarrassing. Until and unless they figure out that Soriano needs to sit and sit often, he’s going to continue to kill the offense. As long as they keep allowing this “begging into the lineup” routine to continue, this offense will continue to be awful.

Soriano apologists mount up because you’ve got absolutely no evidence to suggest this guy has helped the club over the past several weeks. His OF play is bad, his baserunning is bad, his hitting approach and stubborness to change is worse. Is he the only problem on this sinking ship? No. Is he a major one? Absolutely. Until he sits for an extended period, this offense is doomed.

And the “playing while hurt” excuse is irrelevent. Either perform or don’t perform….nobody cares if you’re hurting. Except his blind supporters.

krummy12 - June 30, 2009 reply

This season IS over

And I agree with you that for all intents and purposes it has been over for some time.

Agreed.

You have to be COMPLETELY delusional not to see where this is headed.

I’ve certainly seen worse Cubs teams in my lifetime, but never one with this type of payroll and supposed “talent”.

I resigned myself over the weekend to the reality that I’d been trying to avoid.

I only hope Rickett’s takes over asap and starts the massive housecleaning.

I hope you're writing all these down...

… so those “season over” people can be reminded when this team turns it around.

Go ahead

Write down my name 100 times. My opinion is based entirely on my analysis of where this team is and where it’s been in 2009. I said the same thing during the “fool’s gold” come-from-behind streak against a woeful Indians club that had some on here claiming that was a turning point. The fact of the matter is…the club isn’t very good, and quite frankly, isn’t very talented despite what some are trumpeting.

And even if the Cubs come back and win the division and advance in the postseason, I could care less that my opinion would have been “wrong”. There is nothing wrong about the conclusion that can be drawn after watching these guys stumble around for three months….other than perhaps that anyone that believes this team is going to turn it around based on a Ramirez return, a regression to the mean for a whole host of players and otherwise simple good luck, might need their head examined.

An awful lot of things have to go very, very well for this club to win this division. So many in fact that any light at the end of the tunnel is dim indeed.

Therein lies a great point

And even if the Cubs come back and win the division and advance in the postseason, I could care less that my opinion would have been "wrong". There is nothing wrong about the conclusion that can be drawn after watching these guys stumble around for three months….

Sure, I hope the Cubs win the World Series. And I realize they could rip off a 12 game winning streak starting today that would make things look a hell of a lot better.

But krummy’s right — to look at the body of work to this point and think that it’s realistic is, well, not realistic.

I’m not giving up, but they’ve shown very little to be encouraged about.

Bingo

I couldn’t have said it better myself Badger.

the point is that this team is playing so far under potential

that what we’re looking at is almost unreal. Sure, they could continue to stink it up for the rest of the year, but it’s just not likely.

Neither krummy nor I are saying that

We are saying that we reserve the right to say, “They stink”, because right now, they do.

I think

you and Krummy are saying two significantly different things.

You’re saying “they stink right now”.

Krummy is saying “they stink and they’ll always stink.”

Well, it's somewhere in the middle

They stink and they are likely to continue to stink. However, I will continue to watch in the hopes that the stink will abate.

this is where I'd put in an Oxy-Clean parody

but my sadness for Billy Mays is endless…

it started out as a Seinfeld reference...

there was one episode where Jerry was making a series of bets with Kramer (I think), and George would shout out “Witness!” each time, once even from the bathroom.

But as more and more people jump on the “it’s ovah” bandwagon, yeah – I thought it’d be interesting to keep track. If the Cubs really do crash and burn the rest of the way, then these folks will have earned the right to bitch and moan all offseason and sling “I told you so’s” from the depths of hell all winter. And I for one, will try to restrain myself from too much engagement because I was a “witness” to their inverse faith.

But if the Cubs do pull off a minor miracle and make this season respectable, if not even raise another flag or two, then I want a list of all the naysayers and gloomers. I don’t think I’ll do the “I told you so” dance, but if these folks start to their own version of “I knew it all along”, then I will probably throw out a few gentle reminders of their inverse faith.

are you actually

keeping track? :D

I think those of us who dearly hope otherwise will deserve an asterisk ;-)

Emelie - July 1, 2009 reply

for what purpose?

to say “I told you so?” The individuals on this board who have expressed doubts about this team’s prospects for the rest of the season – most anyway – are making these statements not out of some exercise in self-punishment, but because we’ve seen enough iterations of the Cubs (both good and bad) to be able to make an educated analysis.

The team has terrible chemistry. Granted, losing teams (or those performing well under expectations) rarely have great chemistry and winning cures a lot. But barring any significant transactions the flaws of this team are glaring, and while things such as situational hitting can turn around the flaws I’ve listed below (again barring any transactions) are not going to suddenly and magically disappear:

1) NO Team speed
2) NO plate discipline or ability to draw walks
3) Mediocre at best team power
4) Erratic bullpen

In this division it may not take much of a run to win it, but that will not change my opinion that this team is ill-conceived, poor in execution and to this point a complete displeasure to watch on a nightly basis. That was thing thing about last year. Sure it sucked that we laid an egg in the playoffs, but part of being a fan is enjoying watching the team play on a daily basis, and last year was a genuine pleasure. This team makes multiple physical, mental and managerial errors in nearly every game.

BeltwayCubsFan - July 1, 2009 reply

Pretty good analysis

thanks

I'm almost with you

But there is SOME team speed and SOME plate discipline. Bradley apparently has been criticized for being too disciplined.

I agree with the rest of what you said.

Exactly

I’ve pointed it out several times…I find this board to be about opinions and observations and I could absolutely care less whether mine are “right” or “wrong”. There is no silver lining of “I-told-you-so’s” waiting for any of us at the end of the year that will make the Cubs losing any sweeter.

I have major doubts about this club, I’ve pointed them out with regularity and they have yet to show they ability or talent necessary to work out of them. That is simply the reality of the situation. Do I hope they win? Absolutely. Am I holding my breath that they can turn it around? Not right now…nothing indicates that whatsoever.

Boy

it sure looks that way. Shame this division is weak, however the Cubs seem not up for the challenge. They appear to lack the belly to fight and get through this.

hows the sale even going?

jesus christos - June 30, 2009 reply

Slow as always

They’re saying it should be wrapped up by the end of the season now.

oh, great

jesus christos - June 30, 2009 reply

The season is not over

the season isn’t over till you’re mathematically eliminated. You may choose to give up. I don’t. But hey, you’re a real pip.

i agree

its not even half way through the season and everyone else in our division is as big of a joke as we are. if you people think the season is over then why the hell do you come here? do you really have nothing better to do. wow get it together people

Glacier - July 1, 2009 reply

If the season's over

Can these people stop coming here to bitch about how the season’s over?

Ignore it

If you don’t like the opinions based entirely on observation of this season, ignore it. It’s not as if you’re not capable of doing so…you’re apparently of the belief that the Cubs will come back and win this division despite ignoring what to this point has been a horrible, horrible season of bad baseball.

No, actually I don't think they will win the division

But I don’t know, and I’m not going to endlessly complain about something I don’t know. If the season is over, why come here to remind everyone else that it’s over after every single loss? Just pack it in and start thinking about the Bears.

Like Drew said, until they are mathematically out of it, I won’t call it a season despite my reservations of the team’s actual ability to win.

granted. but it is true that this team sucks.

the season CAN be over

before a team is mathematically eliminated. If the Cubs are 20 out on Aug. 1, I’d say the season is over.

I heard that

Soriano talked Lou into starting as opposed to Fuld. I’m wondering if there is any way that Piniella will actually look at the numbers and try being proactive. One question. Do we have a lefty BP pitcher? I recall when Baker was managing the team that they didn’t have one for a good part of the season until the fans and media found out and they went and got one. Our stats vs LHP are terrible, particularly our LHB. Just wondering if the team sees any in BP.

tharr - June 30, 2009 reply

Marshall

Is our lefty in the ’pen. Unless you want them to call Cotts up, again.

I was asking about a

Batting practice pitcher.

tharr - June 30, 2009 reply

Gotcha

I see it now.

where

did you hear that?

Either

Brenly or Kasper mentioned it at the beginning of the broadcast,

tharr - June 30, 2009 reply

Correct

Can’t remember who either

What about speed grass? Do we have speed grass?

Nah, smokes too quick

You mean Soto inhaled it all? Geeze!

The season isn't over. But I see little hope.

Unless they can swing a deal for a competent MI, but I don’t know who or how.

Things I’m tired of:
People claiming Hendry is powerless. He put himself in that situation.
Piniella’s shoulder shrugs.
Soriano batting leadoff.
Soriano’s defense.
Soriano.
Fukudome’s approach to hitting.
Soto’s defense on pitches in the dirt.
Hendry thinking short second basemen are gold.
Hendry thinking 12 pitchers is a good idea.
Hendry fascinated with Notre Dame.
Hendry.

We keep looking to see if the Cardinals or Brewers lose. So what? I don’t think the Brewers have good enough starting pitching to win, but they should have enough to hold off the Cubs.

Most teams get RISP with less than 2 out and you wonder how they will score. The Cubs do it and you wonder how they won’t.

This team isn’t as unlikeable as 2004, because they were a bunch of jerks. This is just a poorly constructed, poorly executing and poorly led team.

Hateable Losers?

If anybody writes a book with this title, I should get credited.

Mapmaker - June 30, 2009 reply

No. The better term is Loathable Losers (see 2004 Cubs for the definition).

That's not bad . . .

And Theriot's inability to play fundamental basebal

Like tagging runners properly

And you gave me hell in Apr/May........

when I said Sori’s defense sucked, he’s not a lead off hitter, he’s lackadaisical and on and on.

Clutche - June 30, 2009 reply

Prove it.

Nah......

We both know I right

I'm

No, your not

I know your rude, abrasive, and well, Al’s asked us not to say what else you are.

Your claims are false, which is why you can’t prove them.

That's was your style then and is now......personal attacks

That’s all you and a few others did to me weeks ago when I pointed out Lee’s and Soriano’s lack of production. I disagreed and you and others pounced….and you wonder why I was rude and abrasive? I think you knew damn well what you were doing and I reacted in kind. Your memory has failed you my friend.

Several points

1) You say you did it, I say I didn’t. The burden of proof is on you.
2) I’ve already wasted more of my time on this than it is worth; I’m done unless you have something substantive.
3) Those aren’t personal attacks. Those are observations.
4) I am most certainly not your friend.

Good day.

My response to your points

1) read your #2
2) and so have I
3) observations become attacks when directed to alleged offender
4) thank god

Good afternoon

Eh, I've got 30 seconds free.

You still don’t get it.

You make statements like, “I’m right and you know it” and you don’t expect a response in kind.

Your third point is so ridiculous, I don’t know where to start.

Finally, go read your own #2.

My point ........without being rude is..............

you did get on me, although not maliciously, when I disagreed with other regulars about Sori and Lee. It wasn’t a big deal, and the only reason I brought it up is because you seem to agree with me now. I didn’t say something like hey dude, your wrong and I told you so. I tried to keep it civil as I gave you a little ribbing. Your the one who took it to another level and posted your perceived observations of me. Lighten up, this blog isn’t that damn important in the scheme of things.

Ok, I apologize for misreading your tone

And for offending you.

I really don’t recall getting on you for that, though.

No big deal.............

I overreacted, but I took a lot of grief a couple of months ago.

Sorry….

I overreacted as well

As I said yesterday, I like to think I’m good about that, but I’m certainly not perfect.

Consider it forgotten.

same here.....thanks

OMG!

A BCB truce!

Gotta agree with you, Shanghai

I’d love to be proven otherwise but… this season’s toast.

Emelie - June 30, 2009 reply

Oh Em... not you too?

Oh well, (shrug) Can’t play favorites so I have to do it to you too…

Witness!

Rec'd

Well said Badger

JB 23 - July 1, 2009 reply

I rec'd to make it alter hue.

I agree, but reserve the right to drive the bandwagon with a 4 game win streak.

The only hope is for Bradley to produce to his career averages, Soriano to heat up, Soto to play more consistently like the 08 version, and Ramirez to not just be 80%, but actually produce to 80%.

Yeah, again, it's still possible.

It’s just not looking so good right now.

Two weeks ago I

mentioned the outfield play was the key, and I am sure there are others who felt the same way. The 3 who start for the Cubs really are the main issue with this team.
1. Hendry has invested like Bernie Kosar on those 3. I was in favor of Soriano, but he is looking like a 39 year old outfielder.
2. Dome, in all honesty is just not that good, nice glove, but his approach at the plate is horrible.
3. Bradley, who I never wanted on this team, will most likely end up with numbers he usually has, .265, 15 HR’s, 55 RS, and 60 RBI’s
All this for 200 million dollars, You can live with middle infielders that are average offensively, but to have an outfield like the Cubs have, is inexcusable.
Just can’t wait to see them in the Outfield for the 2010 season.

Fwiw...

They aren’t making 200 million dollars this season. That would be a record.

If you’re gonna use the totalality of their contracts as a barameter, it would make sense to use their entire performance during the course of that contract. Which helps Soriano since he’s been awesome for parts of it….

We’ll have to wait and see all in all…

CubsWin!Oregon - June 30, 2009 reply

please,

I think you get the point, They are untradeable, can’t move them, they are stuck here, and for that the Cubs are in a tough spot. Geez,

And why is it

everytime I make some post you and Drew rebut every comment I make, its rather funny

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-01-morrissey-jul01,0,3182890.column

That's certainly not my intention (to reply to every one of your posts).

As I could see that would be annoying. If I do reply to something, it’s usually because it’s presented well and worth discussing. I try and ignore the imbecilic stuff. But I’m definitely not trying to nay-say every one of your posts, so I’ll keep an eye open for my doing that.

I just meant that while I agree our outfield is essentially a waste of money right now, their contracts can’t really be judged untli they’ve expired. I meant it as a more tangential comment.

Your larger point I agree with. Sorry.

CubsWin!Oregon - June 30, 2009 reply

This says it all, I can't describe it better myself:

I usually don’t read the Trib, but this time he nailed it!

Let’s hope for a great month of July!!

jthack - June 30, 2009 reply

except for the part

about how Bradley is benched — he’s not — and how Lou should play RJ full time (o.0) and…

At the risk of tipping my hand

what does “o.0” mean?

they're eyes

STARING EYES!

oh, you mean like Ryan Braun!

makes perfect sense now.

well

Braun would be O.O, but yes. :P

ryan braun has huge eyes?

i never noticed (extreme sarcasm)

ok, CaliCub, I'll take over from here... So why are they different sizes?

If they’re staring eyes, wouldn’t it be more accurate to use o.o (or O.O in the case of Braun)? Seems like o.0 only makes sense if you’re talking about Forest Whitaker…

maybe

it means because one eyebrow is raised?

CyberCyclist - July 1, 2009 reply

I just use the internet meme

I don’t question it. DO NOT QUESTION THE STARING EYES!

o.0

At least our line-up has gotten more left handed.

Thanks Jim

calicubfan - June 30, 2009 reply

I moved to Philly so to watch the Cubs, I got MLB.com. I think the Cubs should refund my money. Only D. Lee is hitting about what is expected. Theriot stopped hitting to right. There’s never a bunt. Defense sucks. Relievers suck. Only the starters are doing their job. But then again I’m not telling anybody what they don’t see themselves. Pinella should have been gone once they confirmed that he’s without thought.

Rainman9856 - June 30, 2009 reply

We don't have one single superstar. Which is fine

if the payroll wasn’t over $100 million.

Mapmaker - June 30, 2009 reply

We HAVE superstars...

just not ONE player that the opposition fears.

Compare this to the Cards, Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers.

VEry, very sad.

In 2006, I had a hard time GIVING my season tickets away to anyone by July.

I pray this doesn’t happen again this year. Please…please…please…

Aramis Ramirez is that guy who is feared.

Even at 90%, he’ll help.

For a team just shut out by the Pirates...

…it’s gonna take a whole hell of a lot more than ARam to score some runs.

tdubcub - July 1, 2009 reply

It's hard to explain how a team with this payroll...

…competes for the cellar of the division. I’m not going to call the season done, but I think heads will roll in the offseason. You can pretty much kiss Jim Hendry goodbye. His failure this season eclipses everything he has done for this team.

Bring back the '77 Cubs.

It was fun while it lasted and didn’t cost $130M. 25 over at ASG, ended up 81-81.
Herman we miss you!

Employee22 - June 30, 2009 reply

Must have been a

Kingman team?

Kingman came the year after

They could’ve used him in the second half of ’77.

The year I came aboard the Cub Fan Express

Lots of tough seasons over the past 32 years, but there’s been a lot of fun too.

It would be great to

do internet shots with any of you who would be up for it.

Just one – then I’m crashing…

lol

3 - 0 Astros

5th Place? Really?

What becomes really difficult

is for a team to climb over four or five teams to get to first.

There is still plenty of time, but recent play instills (obviously) zero confidence in me.

There's plenty of time? I might be able to believe that...

if i wasn’t seeing the evidence of my own eyes; a lethargic, underachieving team that already seems to be playing out the string.

OK

I’m done…

Later everyone.

A home stand is coming.

Bears should be exciting this year, at least.

Brewers just won

So we are 4.5 out. Cards 2 back. Reds 3.5 back. Astros, if they win, will be 4 out. Pitts 6 out.

A big question on my mind

If this team is in the cellar in August, will Hendry just fire Lou Piniella to save face? I get the feeling that he doesn’t have much longer out there even though this is not all his fault.

Firing him in when we're in last place in August won't serve any purpose...

…because it’ll be too late to make any significant difference.

That's why I said it would be saving face

If he fired Piniella now and it helped the team, I wouldn’t complain. It’s obviously starting to get out of hand and if Aramis Ramirez weren’t coming back, I’d say fire the guy yesterday. It’s not all on him, but players have gotten managers fired before by not playing good baseball.

Hendry is on shaky ground...

…right now, and firing a manager who has been around a long long time (in mid-season) and has had a good degree of success, will clearly show how desperate he is to pass the buck. If he did that, and it backfired (which it probably would), he would be solidifying the fact that he has too many flaws to be a good GM.

In the back of Hendry’s mind, I’ll guarantee he has had thoughts about his next gig, and he is probably hoping it won’t be limited to being a scout.

I think that's the point

he would be trying to pass the buck, and who could blame him. As it’s been said frequently, this is not all Lou’s fault. But managers get canned when teams are bad, whether or not they could have done anything.
I think he does. And Hendry is gone the day after the sale. Even if it’s the day before opening day next year.

Who could blame him?

It would be one thing if Hendry canned a manager who didn’t have an established career like Piniella, but it’s much riskier (for Hendry’s future and reputation) to send someone packing mid-season, who has a pretty long track record of success.

This is the exact reason Baker was allowed to finish his contract. The guy did nothing but win during his managerial career before Chicago, and Hendry wasn’t going to (and he did the right thing) hang him out to dry when it wasn’t the manager’s doing.

However...

… Baker’s last team didn’t have the talent that this one does and everyone knew it. Firing him would have been pointless. No interim manager could have done anything with the 2006 team.

Maybe someone else COULD do something with THIS team, a team whose manager appears to have quit on them.

When you posted that line-up the other day

I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

I'm not sure this team is more talented than Dusty's last Cubs team, as Al says.

They’re not playing like they are, at least. To me, this is a bad team, with a lot of holes.

Fraggin Judge - July 1, 2009 reply

This team is way more talented than the '06 Cubs.

First, the offense. Soriano, Fukudome, and Bradley haven’t had good seasons, but they’re unquestionably more talented as a group, if not all individually, than Murton, Pierre, and Jacque Jones. The ‘06 Cubs were so bad they had to start Ronny Cedeno at short all year as he was posting a .610 OPS. Even the most fervent Theriot hater would rather have Ryan than Ronny. After Lee’s injury they had John Mabry and Phil Nevin at first base. Nevin wasn’t so bad, Mabry was terrible.

The pitching is where it really sticks out, though. Starters: Zambrano, the old version of Maddux, the rookie version of Marshall, Rich Hill (who actually pitched OK that year), the starter versions of Marmol and Guzman, Juan Mateo (who in 10 starts managed something like 45 innings), a few games of post-hope Prior and Wood. The rotation this year is far better. The bullpen situation wasn’t as bad as the starting situation that season… but the pitching overall in 2006 gave the team no chance.

what I'd love to do

is take a transporter pod from the Fly and meld Cedeno and Riot together, so that the resulting Rydeniot would have Cedneo’s defense and Riot’s bat.

And then, I’d cut off Rydeniot’s legs, so that he would never attempt to steal.

And stay under Hendrey's maximum hight requirements for middle infielders.

Need 1 more player

Neither has a brain. At least not for baseball.

crap x 2 = crap

Theriots sub 100 ops+ bat?

no thanks.

It's always possible another manager...

…could find that short term “lightning in a bottle”, but there is a better chance he won’t.

Again, IMO it would be simply masking the real issues this organization needs to fix, but I realize it is the immediate satisfaction a lot of people seek.

We’ll see if Hendry is willing to go down that road.

MPH73 - July 1, 2009 reply

The 09 team...

…was better (on paper) coming out of Spring training, but that is never a guarantee of better play on the field.

MPH73 - July 1, 2009 reply

yeah, i don't think the cubs should fire piniella.

he’s won division titles the last two years. now he’s had a couple bad months. his attitude is a little annoying, but i don’t think he needs to be fired.

what's even more scary

is that I just got back from Iowa Cubs game here in Texas and that offense is just as bad, if not worse, then what’s in Chicago. Hendry needs to go for what he has put together.

DC Cubbie - June 30, 2009 reply

I have to believe that if Ricketts (or whoever) has a clue...

…they completely overhaul everything including the minor league system.

Too bad Dallas Green isn’t ten years younger. He came into a similiar situation in ‘81 (a last place team with a horrendous minor league system) and had a division champ within three years. Of course he wasn’t dealing with teh bloated salaries that Hendy negotiated.

Steve Stone for GM!

I am entirely serious. Bring on the criticism, but Stoney knows more about baseball and what it takes to win than almost anyone else out there.

Stone as GM?

No way. I give Hendry a pass for simply being incompetent despite Forrest Gumping his way to back to back division titles. Stone? I just don’t like him.

Flagged for Stupidity

i do realize it is a ridiculous request

but a man can dream. i like steve stone

i do too.

Stone wouldn't last a month...

…in any formal capacity in baseball management, believe me.

Exactly.

I have written about this many times. Talking glibly about baseball on TV and being in baseball management are two very different jobs. Being qualified at the first does NOT qualify you for the second.

Just ask Hawk Harrelson.

Point. Serve. Match.

CaliCub - July 1, 2009 reply

* meant Point. Set. Match.

CaliCub - July 1, 2009 reply

Hawk Harrelson can talk glibly?

I need to re-adjust the vertical hold on my TV set. I am not seeing this.

vonde6 - July 1, 2009 reply

He doesn't want it

he didn’t want it back after the broadcasting dust-ups, he certainly doesn’t want it now.

Stone did want a front office gig...

…for a long time and was doing everything he could to get one. It wasn’t until he realized no one would hire his genious, that he finally gave up on it.

What he fails to realize, or acknowledge are the reasons no one would hire him.

Steve Stone is...

a genuine moron. Period end of story. He thinks he knows everything, but everything and everyone knows he is just a former baseball player.

Well, the bright side is

all the ledge-jumpers will be gone from this place after tonight, and the boards won’t be reading like mass suicide notes day after day. So that’s good.

Seriously????

Are you seriously telling me that you think those guys will be gone? Every night until it is over.

Well, no

but a guy can dream, can’t he?

A guy can dream about...

…a lifetime supply of beer. Dreaming about Stone as GM is a nightmare to me.

It doesn't matter because it will never happen

I jusy hope that Ricketts (assuming he’s the new owner) gets an experienced baseball man in here (like a pat Gillick or a Billy Beane).

we have an experienced baseball man

we need someone fresh

with young ideas

like evaluating and valuing players based on statistical performance instead of scrappiness and athleticism and what side they throw/bat from.

I'm not disagreeing with you

The problem is where to find a guy like that. Theo Epsteins aren’t exactly in large supply

true enough

What about recruiting someone from the Twins or Rays or Angels? Those are organizations that have a solid reputation for producing a steady stream of young talent, even if they don’t practice the Moneyball philosophy.

Hire one of Epsteins's assistants?

Fraggin Judge - July 1, 2009 reply

I have always been a "cream rises to the top" kind of guy, but...

has the league figured out Soriano? That is what it appears to be, but he has been in the league too long to fall apart completely. Unless….., well unless he was on….NOOOO. Couldnt be.

You're reading my mind

I am not a fan of those type of accusations, but the numbers he put up, during the time period he put them up....

it is pretty freakin weird. The decline is sooooo rapid.

Yes because...

…a player has never declined in his 30’s before. I can honestly say I’ve seen 50 year old men in MLB blasting 500 ft. home runs no problem because people don’t decline in their 30’s unless they’ve used steroids.

Im not arguing. Im trying to understand the situation

Decline doesnt happen in a month or two.

so you're saying what? He stopped doing steroids this May?

+1

When every player declines on schedule

People are going to start talking steroids. Gotta love the lack of logic involved in those thoughts.

On schedule???

He was a 40/40/40 guy 3 seasons ago. He cant hit the ball square anymore.

Please

30 years old vs. 33 years old. That can be a huge difference.

Agreed dude

I am in complete agreement. I am trying to say that his decline happened in a 2 month period of time.

Um...

Try having frequent injury issues since the 40-40 season. Soriano hasn’t played more than 150 games since 2006, the same year he had his 40-40 season. My guess is that his decline is coupled with those injury issues catching up with him.

very valid point

Somebody shoud've explained the whole "aging" thing to our GM

before he signed this guy to a lifetime contract.

San Diego Smooth Jazz Man - June 30, 2009 reply

My guess that Soriano never

was on anything…how could one stay so skinny? Most ‘roid users got bigger — even Bret Boone, who to me — flew under everybody’s radar, while on ’roids — got somewhat bigger. he attributed that to “better nutrition and better workouts.” That, from an old Playboy magazine article….after he went nuts at the plate with the Mariners.

Maybe.

But from what I’ve read, there are various different types of “steroid bodies” depending on your training regimen, etc. I’m not saying he was on anything but his being skinny doesn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t.

What Soriano owed his success to

It wasn’t PEDs. He has incredible bat speed and when he was younger, he was a major threat on the base paths. Now he’s 33 and he’s had problems with his legs for the last few years. He had his hand broken by a pitch last season. He also hasn’t played a full season since 2006, which tells how you much time he’s spent on the DL since coming to Chicago. Soriano does need to make adjustments and I’m not saying he doesn’t. He’s mired in a major slump and yes, he has been declining statistically if you look at OPS+. The sample sizes are small, but this season may very well prove what I’ve observed about Soriano.

His seeming unwillingness to make adjustments

is what is so infuriating.

I'm starting to wonder if it's not unwillingness

but being unable.
If it’s the first, he should be sit down and asked quite simply, why do you think what you’re doing is going to work, why not try these adjustments, and if he won’t, keep him sitting.
But if it’s the second, well, it’s going to stay ugly

Here's another statistical tracker for you all

It’s called isolated power. That statistic peaked in 2006 where he had a .283 ISO. It was .261 in 2007 and .252 last season. Guess what it is this season? A lousy .193. One example to remember is Dale Murphy, who couldn’t get his ISO above .200 after 1987. He was 31 that season and by age 33, his ISO was a meager .132. I’m not surprised because we’ve all seen these collapses before.

I read something about 2 years ago from a statistician

that wasn’t one of the BCB stats gurus, maybe from STATS, but anyway, he said that the magic number for hitters was the age of 32. That was their last good offensive year and it was a falloff every year after that. FWIW.

BigJohnAZ - July 1, 2009 reply

Good point

Keep in mind that I’m also a New Orleans Saints fan. You’ve got to be a fan to like both those teams.

i'm here everyday

60-102 or WS Champs

Me too

Hopefully WS champs, but it’s okay if they’re not because there’s always next year. Hope springs eternal.

Agreed. There Is ALWAYS next year.

Yes it sucks going through the shit, but I’m not going to litter up the boards with ignorance

why don't you simply let people speak their mind?

instead you accuse them of total ignorance as if you know every little bit of information about the the league. just let people vent. i’m sure you have been wrong at least some point in your life. hopefully for your sake there wasn’t someone right there to point out your flaws and belittle your thoughts

There's more to life than baseball

Just keep that in perspective. A lot of people are on hard times right now.

You're right about that

Unfortunately, for a lot of us, baseball is an escape from the harsher realities…but, yes, a little perspective never hurts.

I've had steady work

Not so with other members of my family. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to maintain my standard of living and while baseball is an escape, it’s not my only escape. I’d honestly like to see the Cubs do well. The LSU Tigers winning the CWS was great for me since I am a grad student here at LSU, so I did have something to pick up my mood this year.

I've been wrong tons of times

and I admit mistakes with no problem.

There is a big difference between someone sharing intelligent thoughts about their frustrations and someone who spats off mindless babble. I will and always will call someone out on that.

beg to differ

Yes

but when that very, very special group of Cubs wins the whole thing, I’d like to be young enough to enjoy it. :)

Thats a poll?

How many of us are alive when this actually happens?

I'm at the point now

where I’m fairly satisfied if the Cubs can field a competitive team from wire to wire.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem like the year for that.

At least it’s going to be an interesting off season.

this is my feeling too.

i just want to be in it wire to wire. the playoffs area crapshoot, just look at the 06 cardinals. but i hate the years when the cubs are basically out of it pre-break. sadly, this might be one of those years.

Leaving...

The hopelessly delusional or those unable to differentiate between a competitive club and a listless one even after watching games day after day for three months. I’d rather hang around the former rather than the latter, realists though they may be.

krummy12 - June 30, 2009 reply

There is a fine line between hopelessly delusional and logically optimistic

Logic tells me we are only 4.5 back, its been this bad before, you mediate towards the mean.

This place was crazy in the beginning of 2007, but things turned. We are not eliminated, and we have a lot of games with those above left as well as full season series with the Nationals and Mets (how would you like to be a Mets fan about now).

Are we in trouble, yes. But it’s not over. Not by a long shot

living in saint louis

i was witness to cardinal fans going crazier than we are now when their team struggled throughout the 2006 season. that year ended pretty well for them, so i would have to agree with you that this is not over by a long shot

exactly. I was living in Edwardsville at the time

and you are right, people hanging from trees and flagpoles. but then guess what. OOPS! Look what we did!

that cardinal team was so much like this cubs team

it is scary to think about. the injury issues they dealt with all year are also a lot like this team. they found a way to get into the playoffs in a weak division and finally had a full, healthy lineup to start the playoffs for the first time all season. this thing can happen

And they had TWO 8 game losing streaks and a 7 gamer in the last 3 weeks

sometimes you just get lucky

lets hope lightning strikes twice and another nl central team can pull it off again this year

Um, when was the last time the Cubs got "lucky"...I mean, REALLY lucky?

it's hard to be really lucky if you never have any real success, right?

Math

You’re only apparent argument is that you’re hoping that math helps this team out. Mathematically they aren’t eliminated…but neither are the Nationals and Diamondbacks despite being a collective 35 games behind their respective division leaders.

Logic really dictates that I’ve seen this team for 75 games in 2009 and they are what their record says they are. Nothing more, nothing less. Perhaps there is hope that the inclusion of Ramirez will help but there are certainly no guarantees that that is an accurate forecast of improved baseball.

Yes, it’s been this bad before, and many times it’s been far worse. But I’d like to know just what exactly you see or have seen out of this club in 2009 that would lead you to believe they can not only avoid falling farther behind before the All-Star break but then going ahead and taking this division over…other than simple math of course. I’d be very interested to see what you might see that I have missed.

no, logic dictates nothing of the sort.

Logic dictates that they’d be playing closer to career norms, and none of Soto, Sori, Bradley, Dome or Rami are doing that right now. Logic dictates that the Nationals and the Diamondbacks, while with small chances, do have chances.

What’s happening is that your emotions are dictating, not your logic.

Not Bruce Froemming - July 1, 2009 reply

That's exactly right

What’s going on with people like krummy is a lot of projection about how they feel about the team, not looking at statistics dispassionately.

Kosuke looked like a complete idiot that last at-bat...

Runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, and on an 0-1 count he tries to freaking BUNT?! What. The. F-bomb. And then of course he watches the following pitch go right down the middle for strike three. I hate singling players out when the whole team looks like shit, but man, what a completely pathetic at bat that one was.

kanderber - June 30, 2009 reply

It was a tough match up for him...

…but I have been dissappointed in him as well.

I supported that fact that I thought he would rebound this year, but I really believe now that he is not an everyday major league player by any means.

It’s too bad. I don’t know if he just mentally fries out or what, but he just can’t sustain any extended periods of good play.

not exactly

a great matchup for him. He tried to shake it up, do something different.

Dome

hitting .200 against Lefties, great matchup?

which is why I said

“not exactly a great matchup”

Read to fast

my bad.

Grockcubs - July 1, 2009 reply

there's doing something different, and then there's doing something moronic

trying to bunt was moronic

The only way I would have bunted during that AB...

… would have been a suicide squeeze attempt on the first pitch. That might have worked.

Even that would have been poor strategy

LH batter (catcher can see the runner unless it’s Geo Soto catching), down by 3 with one out in the 8th.

yes. we will never see it.

It was a terrible idea...

You simply don’t try to bunt when you’re down 2 runs late in the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs. Just dumb baseball by Kosuke there.

1 out, but your point stands

I skipped this game entirely on purpose and just returned from TRANSFORMERS 2.

No plot whatsoever, overtly Michael Bay misogynistic, but if you love GIANT ROBOTS FIGHTING, IT IS AWESOME.

I think tomorrow I’m gonna look up how many quality starts we’ve had this year that ended in losses.

you better have a degree in mathematics from MIT if you are planning on counting that high

Transformers 2 was horrible.

Dude it was awesome.

It’s a Michael Bay film about cars that turn into skyscraper-sized robots. Who expects a plot line?

Dont forget the need to show Megan Fox's boobs

i'm kinda thinking they might not live up to the hype

somethings are better left to the imagination. I.E. The 2009 Chicago Cubs. Boy did we look good on paper :)

LMAO

I dont know man

For the comparison to be equal, capt winky would need to be hiding somewhere. That is how screwed up the Cubs are in my eyes.

I dunno man, they live up to some kinda hype here in the Esquire video a few months ago.

again hot as hell

but mainly because nothing was exposed. Seeing her bucka$$ naked would be a let down. Where do you go from there?

Hardcore.

Complete with money shot.

Goodie1969 - June 30, 2009 reply

and I thought I disagreed with you on Cubs related issues

if you think seeing Megan Fox naked would be a let down…………………

umm... "up" hopefully.

Rec'd

chilango2 - July 1, 2009 reply

it was

horribly awesome. Or awseomely horrible.

But you get exactly what you think you’re going to.

Which is why I'm not going to watch it

Dear Hollywood,

Stop digging up and screwing with my childhood. Come up with your own ideas to ruin.
I know this stuff was campy and stupid when it was made, but 2 hours of s**t blowing up does not make it better.

Thanks.

you should look up the Rolling Stone review of the movie

it’s hilariously accurate

I'll save you time...just say all of them.

santoswoodenlegs - June 30, 2009 reply

Welcome back! How was the Photobucket conference??

Any new images in your collection? Let’s see ’em!

that would be a worthless exercise because "quality start" is a worthless statistic

I always thought “quality” had to something to do with being good. Very good. An ERA of 4.50 is not very good. Whereas an ERA of 3.00 is very good. At least I think it still is. So why isn’t a “quality start” considered six innings, two earned runs?

Dan, if you really want to look up something, search for the “six innings, two earned runs” starts and see how many of those we lost. Then compare that to a few other teams (StL, Mil, Cin) and/or the league average. Then open yourself up a nice bottle of and call it a day…

that should have been "...nice bottle of (insert your favorite alcoholic beverage here) and call it a day..."

Agree 1000 percent. I could NEVER understand how

giving up a run every other inning equalled “quality”. What a joke.

A sub 3.00 ERA is quality. 4.50 isn’t under any sane person’s definition.

Yes, good point, ballhawk.

I know the QS isn’t very valuable, but I’d still be willing to be we lose games with QS-like performances, even if it means a 4.50 ERA. We just don’t score enough.

dtpollitt - July 1, 2009 reply

I think they're just using a looser definition of "quality" than you.

That is, they mean a start that’s average or better. If your starter goes 6 innings and gives up 3 runs he gives the team about an even chance of winning. The average quality start, of course, is better than 6 innings/3 runs; you’d expect a team to lose sometimes when its starter throws average or better, but you’d generally expect it to have a winning record.

then it seems they should call it "average start" and track it accordingly.

I just get annoyed when Captain Morgan and his band of mindless media mavens trot out that statistic as if it’s the Gold Standard for starting pitchers when in reality, it’s just average.

The Orioles just came back from down 10 -1 in the 7th to take the lead 11 - 10.

I am from Baltimore originally, so I am looking for some fun in baseball.

awesome

hopefully for my fantasy team’s sake brian roberts had a lot to do with that come back

Mark my words.

You will all be eating crow when it comes to Milton Bradley. He will turn it around, and I expect everybody here to admit how wrong they were.

How wrong?

12HR, 45 RBI kind of wrong, or drag our asses out of the cellar wrong?

20 HR, 70 RBI, 280 Avg kind of wrong. A drastic turnaround.

Will they be like Aram's numbers in 2006, or meaningful numbers?

Meaningful numbers. This team isn't dead.

Tony Robbins

You are making me feel better. Keep going. Will my ass hole boss give me a raise?

No, your performance is pathetic.

SHIT!!!!

I had already paid for the down payment on my pool.

I agree with you. Bradley has the ability, now may be a good time to show up.

Hoping so.

me too!

here's something funny. at first glance, I completely missed the word "boss"

so all I saw was “Will my ass hole give me a raise?”

My brain slowed to a crawl trying to comprehend that one. Then I re-read it and breathed a little easier…

damn right he's gonna turn it around

Let me guess...

Milton will turn it around and actually set fire to the club house?

gaclaudy - June 30, 2009 reply

so WHEN you're wrong, will you be man enough to admit it?

of course. but don't say when like its a certainty.

ARob1 - July 1, 2009 reply

YELDARB!

I'll admit it if it happens.

I do not expect it to happen.

I'm sorry to say this but

Soriano is just plain brutal and need a day off or even two.

Agreed

He isnt seeing the ball at all. He is guessing, even more than usual.

Don't apologize to me, Frank, apologize to the baby.

hahah

I'd happily

let him have a week. Put him on the DL for 15 days.

I think he should've been put on the DL two weeks ago.

He can’t even run right now… and he’s hitting like crap. He batted .216 in May, and .204 in June. That’s exactly what you want from your leadoff guy. (sarcasm).

Jake Fox and Hoffpauir could be splitting time in LF right now. With, Fox playing 3B, when Hoff is in LF.

And BTW, Bradley should never be getting a day off… that’s just BS. We’re paying the guy $10 mil this year, to sit every 5th game? WTF.

SackMan - June 30, 2009 reply

I really don't want

that defense on the left side of the field. I want RJ back. When RJ comes back, I want Sori on the DL.

As far as Bradley sitting — is it BS for us to work around Harden’s glass arm? Harden doesn’t even PLAY every fifth game.

Players need to sit from time to time. Every 5th may be too much; I was under the impression that he wasn’t so much sitting as he was spending a lot of time working on his LH swing with Von Joshua.

You want to sit Soriano, but Bradley gets no days off

I don’t see the consistency in this. But Bradley has shown signs of life lately, whereas Soriano has not been lifelike at all.

vonde6 - July 1, 2009 reply

Why does Lou sit Bradley, but not Soriano?

They both are struggling mightily but Bradley is the one that needs help. I think they both need help.

Bradley has shown signs of life

Sori almost none.

Doggie Stalker - June 30, 2009 reply

Exactly.

I don’t know what Lou is thinking.

that implies Lou is thinking at all

jerry morales rules - July 1, 2009 reply

There

SackMan - June 30, 2009 reply

I don't get that either

It seems the rules are different for Soriano. He’s struggling mightily and no rest for him and no moving down in the order either. I don’t get it. Neither of those moves have to be permanant, but Lou keeps saying, “Look, what can I do?” Well, honestly, why doens’t he try, just try, a more traditional lineup construction.

I’m not bashing the non-traditional lineup construction. It has worked well in the past. I think it can work well again. All I’m saying is that right now it’s not working. Why not give something else a chance for a while? And this ins’t some crazy, radical idea. I dont’ get it. I really don’t get it.

And speaking of lineup construction, how on Earth can anyone possibly hit Theriot 8th? I think a legitimate argument can be made that he has been the best offensive player for the Cubs from the beginning of the season and you hit him 8th? 8th?

The rules are different

Because Soriano makes $17 million and Theriot makes $450,000.

Note that I am not justifying this…

IDEA: Pool the $136,000,000 we are spending on payroll and allow players to earn their share of the pie based on production.

Yes, i’m aware this is impossible / infeasible. But it’d be an interesting experiment to see how players reacted when their pay was based on actual production, and not forecast production.

I’ll let the more statistically orientated around here has out the details, but something like a quarter mil per RBI and pay then adjusted based on your +/- effect while fielding might inspire some more… well… inspired playing.

Not Bruce Froemming - July 1, 2009 reply

I'd love this idea

Exactly why I really enjoy the PGA Tour. If you play well, you get paid. If you don’t, you don’t.

I have said for many years, far ALL sports

no contract longer than 2 years. Period.

BigJohnAZ - July 1, 2009 reply

I have a feeling that would work about as well as it does in other sectors

That is, very poorly. Paying players per RBI would be like evaluating programmers by lines of code written. Nobody would want to play for that team — that is, no free agents would. Many young players would love the chance, but of course they’re under team control. Even using a better statistical measure (something like VORP?) would often create perverse incentives for both players and management.

And that's not to say that incentive-based pay always is a fail

I just think that people want the major part of their income to be predictable and secure. Otherwise it’s impossible for them to set budgets and stuff. The incentives that exist in contracts now sometimes create tension between players and management when the players feel management is trying to eliminate their chance of making the specified numbers. A system like this would really ratchet up the tension.

One sector where pay has been highly incentive-based is trading. When the derivatives markets went to hell and all these traders started losing money the entire system fell apart — they complained so hard that management decided to forget the contracts and pay them bonuses like they were still succeeding. We all know the perverse incentives caused by this situation.

Eh, poor example.

An RBI is worth one run, no matter what.

A line of code can have wildly different efficiency.

Granted, a sacrifice rbi is worth less than one where the batter gets on base, but the idea still works in general. Like i said, i’d rather let more stat orientated folk discuss the details.

I’m not going to defend my half-brained idea as something feasible. I’m aware that unless all teams adopted it, free agents would still play their ass off on contract years and then wildly disappoint whoever signed them based on those numbers. But my point remains… force players to earn their pay along the way, not in advance, and you’d see different results.

An interesting theory...

But I’m afraid it would all but destroy the “team” element of baseball. Players would be blindly incentivized to “get there’s” in every situation. You might argue that that’s how baseball is already (and with regard to some players, I might agree), but I like to think that most players are team oriented.

Conversely, that’s exactly why it works beautifully in the PGA.

*theirs

Couldn’t let that one go.

Lou's gotta go....

..the team can’t seem to get their act together under Lou and he is making bad decisions. Maybe a change of leadership might help. Getting rid of Perry was a step in the right direction.

ronsanto10 - June 30, 2009 reply

Am I wrong to think that Fuld could do just as well as Soriano in left

As Rachel Nichols once said, “everybody needs a chance in their lifetime.”

twss

damn right twss

yes you are wrong

Soriano is not doing well, there could be worse

you haven't seen him play so you don't know if he's better or worse than Soriano at the moment

If we are going to play baseball this poorly all season long

can we at least get erin andrews to be the cubs full-time on-the-field reporter? that would be a reason to keep going to the ballpark

I'd prefer

Danny Plesac

Gail Fischer works for me

not as easy on the eyes

but i like plesac

I missed all but the 8th inning tonight.

My wife and I were at “Booby’s” on Milwaukee Ave grabbing some food (yes, it’s really called Booby’s) and the game was on the TV above our table. I looked up to see the Bradley play where Wilson airmailed the throw over second base, and Theriot and Bradley ended up safe at third and second. I looked at my wife and said, “Oh, great. Here comes Soriano, Dome, and Lee. This will probably go strikeout, strikeout, groundout. Inning over.”

When it happened, she just looked at me and said, “Is this live?”

I said, “Yeah, it just feels like a repeat.”

Goodie1969 - June 30, 2009 reply

LOL-if I didn't laugh, I might cry!

I'm crying!!!

I agreeeeeeee.....what a saaaaaaaaad story. Unfortunately, I believe every word of it.

Can you tell me today's lotto numbers?

Two piece of info that i found interesting

Indians released Luis Vizcaino …. hmmmm….
Brewers are interested in Brandon Backe ….. he would be a great addition to their team considering the Cubs absolutely rake against him.

Indians had already DFA'd Vizcaino

Just meant no would bite. Still might find somewhere to play but the Cub still eat the salary.

Doggie Stalker - June 30, 2009 reply

samardzija looked sharp

that’s good news

brian custer - June 30, 2009 reply

I wouldn't call it that sharp.

He didn’t strike out anyone and everything was hit fairly hard. The jury is still out.

Is anyone aware of...

where Ramirez is going to start his rehab assignment? At what level? Will it be directly to AAA or is he going to start lower? If he starts Thursday with Peoria then he plays at Kane County which could be really cool

Peoria is what I have heard.

I was hoping it would be here in Des Moines, but it sounds like Peoria for a couple games.

DMCub - July 1, 2009 reply

We're having a bad night?

I just got a call from my buddy. Got pulled over with a suspended license and they found two bowls in his car. If I didn’t love him, I would kick the shit out of him for being an idiot.

I swear, officer. Those aren't mine

lol no kidding

Why would having two bowls of cereal in your car be a problem?

LMAO

CaliCub - July 1, 2009 reply

you can't eat cereal

and drive in this state, buddy!

Interesting

I hope he didn’t consent to a search because the Supreme Court significantly limited the police’s ability to search a car post-arrest in Arizona v Gant. In any case, tell him to get a lawyer.

And tell him to get counselling, too

Seriously. Driving with paraphenelia on a suspended license?

I think I'm gonna watch the Saw to clear my mind up a bit

this month has gotten me crazy.

Night everyone

State of affairs

Looked at Pirates team stats after yesterday’s win. Found it hard to believe the Pirates are a last place team. Thought they looked like a middle of the standings team. The Cubs are now 4.0 games out of 1st and 1.5 games out of last.

The best chance of salvaging this season lies with Aramis Ramirez who might be back in the lineup next week. With the kind of injury he has or had, it is hard to think he will make a big difference. Not optimistic, but still hoping for the best on that.

Kkeeping fingers crossed that the team is sold before the offseason. Whatever they can do to unload the deadwood players they should do. Call it ledge jumping. Call it whatever you want.

They have to get Hendry out of there one way or another. I don’t think the new owner is going to, nor should he, wait till he sees empty seats at Wrigley. I’m still with Lou and his coaching staff though. Those coaches have worked with players and I think they have responded by making changes, without much to work with, more than most managers and their staffs would.

AboutTheCubs - June 30, 2009 reply

He won't see empty seats.

The waiting list alone will make sure of that.

Without much to work with?

This team has a $134 million payroll!! Fire Hendry now before he screws up even worse!!

I meant

I was referring to bringing up players from the minors and working with them so they can contribute. This season – Jake Fox and Andres Blanco. Too much of the $134 million is not performing.

AboutTheCubs - July 1, 2009 reply

Al, I think this recap needs one correction:

According to BR, we had a losing month of April, going 10-11. Which would make our last losing month April 2009, not August 2007.

You're right.

I tried to block April 2009 out of my mind.

Future Cub, Heath Bell keeps Cubs in 4th

Gets save as Padres come back and beat Astros so Cubs stay in 4th another day.

Night all.

Doggie Stalker - June 30, 2009 reply

Just a side note

We now have as many wins as the mighty Pirates and their $48 million payroll!! Inexcusable! Hendry is a complete idiot for signing Soriano to such a horrid contract and for having a complete disaster of a minor league system. Just fire him now!

dude, the problem with hendry is not soriano's signing

It is just one of many factors

but the most glaring. The guy can’t play dead and we owe him 5 more years!!

no, it's the least glaring

after 2006 the cubs had very little going for them offensively. they went out and showed that they were going to be players and spend like the big market team they are.

The went out and got the best player available who happened to play a (for all intents and purposes) a vacant position.

granted this year he has sucked, the past two, he has played to expectations.

I am not a hendry fan at all but my issues come from this off season’s moves.

It was stupid

and he hasn’t performed anywhere near the level he is being paid. Everyone in baseball knew what he was and stayed away and we’re left holding the bag. He could’ve waited and gotten much better player for less money. Soriano is a joke and repeatedly gets himself out. He’ll never come through in the clutch vs. a good pitcher and is untradeable. Hendry panicked and tried to make a big splash and failed miserably. Not one Cub fan I know can stand the guy and cringes everytime a ball is hit his way.

you are way off here

he got market value for his numbers. plain and simple. last year he hit 29 home runs in 109 games. that is great production. he’s just having a bad year.

He's an automatic out vs. any good pitcher

and always has been. When teams like the Yankees scuttle a guy like this in his prime, you know there’s problems. To be worth it, he’d have to hit at least 40 HRs and he hasn’t sniffed that in Cub uni. You can have him.

you're a typical fan

most fans either overrate or underrate their team’s players.

you’re right we don’t need soriano. we should have stuck with Matt Murton.

That’s what the Cubs really needed!

For the record

I hated Matt Murton. I’d take Carlos Lee any day over Soriano. Keep your smartass comments to yourself.

soriano in 07 and 08 hit more home runs in less games than lee

and plays better defense and can actually run.

i like carlos lee but we got the slightly better player

Sorian can run?

When? His only positive is his arm. They’er probably both better suited as AL DH’s.

he runs far better than carlos lee

soriano the last 2 years has 38 stolen bases
lee 14.

played better defense than Lee?

What?!

Oh, than Carlos Lee

nm

oh and here are his "automatic out" numbers versus CC Sabathia:

.333 .442 .806 1.248

horrible

some more

dan haren: .333 .333 .905 1.238
chris carpenter: .387 .387 .613 1.000
tom glavine: .417 .500 .708 1.208
mark mulder: .407 .429 .741 1.170
jake peavey: .375 .444 .938 1.382

Yeah, he's awesome.

Pick any small sample and twist and it looks good. Soriano’s great, I’m wrong. He sucks. Keep living in denial and wishing for Mark DeRosa.

no you are the one who came up with the ridiculous

“He’s an automatic out vs. any good pitcher”

you are the one who set the sample size.

it blew up in your face, just admit it.

I'm sure i could go find 6 pitchers he hits equally bad against.

Bottom line is, he’s not getting it done and has shown no signs of getting it done. Like I said, you can have him, he’s a bum.

no. you said ANY good pitcher

i proved you 100% wrong.

just admit it.

i was wrong to say ANY good pitcher.

I should’ve said any good pitcher smart enough to not throw him a strike! My mistake.

yeah that makes a lot of sense

stick with that one

and who mentioned Mark Derosa?

you are deliusional. you are the one wishing. you are wishing the cubs didn’t have Soriano.

Who mentioned Murton?

Soriano sucks and is an anchor at the top of the lineup. That AB in the 8th tonight is all anyone needs to see.

murton is who soriano replaced

you see, the cubs were looking at a left fielder. you don’t like soriano so i asked if you would have rather had hendry sign no one and keep the guy we had.

then you say you wish we signed carlos lee, who is not better than soriano.

I said to wait

and Hendry could’ve gotten someone better for a lot less $$. I just threw out Carlos Lee because he was a FA in the same year. Lee has performed better since that time. He still had 28 and 100 in only 115 games last year and hit .314.

soriano hit 29 in 109

carlos lee makes the same money and the production before this year is very similar.

so give me some one the hendry should have signed after 2006 that would have been an improvement.

Manny

horrible

the cubs were supposed to wait 2 years to sign manny? nope.

Why not?

Waiting is underrated. The ballpark was full anyway. Who knowss who we could’ve gotten? Now, our hands are tied and we’re stuck with giant contract and zero manueverablity.

dude waiting for manny would be

one of the dumbest ideas i have ever heard here.

sorry no. the cubs needed offense and they got the biggest guy in free agency that year. and the first two years he produced at a high level this year, not so much.

high level?

No.

yes

33 then 29 home runs which led the cubs both years.

ahead, mind you, of our best player ramirez

and of course

if we had, we’d be missing Manny right now.

oh didn't he get traded for A-Rod

not exactly scuttled

Yeah for Arod's giant contract

and was dumped on Washington two years later.

but to your point wasn't scuttled by new york

was traded for the best player in baseball.

Pujols is the best player in baseball

Arod is overrated and always has been, The Yankess knew Sori had no position and was a liability and Yexas would’ve took anybody to get rid of that contract.

Texas

we can debate who is the best right now

but at the time arod was still the best.

regardless, enjoy that nit you picked there

except for

the game-winning single a few weeks ago, and the walk that got him on base for the steal that let Riot drive him in for the game-winning run the few days after that… the walk-offs last year… the 14 hrs in one month in May…

I agree that Sori is a great .230 hitter. I'm not sure he will ever be more than that.

I hope so, though.

Sori "Automatic out vs. any good pitcher"?

You should have been paying attention last year when the Cubs swept the Brewers in that 4-game series in Milwaukee. Sori had quite a day against CC, who has been called a VERY good pitcher.

vonde6 - July 1, 2009 reply

Ask Drew

He’ll tell you he’s the best LF in the NL…and he actually means it. Right after that he’ll tell you how noble he is for apparently “playing hurt”. Not “performing hurt” mind you, just “playing hurt”.

Soriano

obviously has something wrong right now. When he’s on, he’s the best in the league. He needs to sit, and rest.

He was the best defensive LF by that one measurement

I haven’t pulled the game logs, but to the nekkid eye, it appears his lags between hot streaks are increasing.

It used to seem as though the hot streaks equaled the slumps. It now appears the time slumping exceeds the hot streaks. Latter part of last year and this year.

Cubs fans

got exactly the kind of player they were screaming for in Soriano. We don’t make the playoffs two years consecutively without him.

The hind-sight around here is becoming an STD.

Depends on whose hind

That's an assumption you can't back up at all...

You’re telling me if Carlos Lee were with the Cubs rather than Soriano the last two years, they don’t win the division? That’s absurd to claim that with such certainty.

I'm not saying that at all.

We can’t play what ifs. We’ve no idea how Lee might have played. We DO know that Soriano carried the team for weeks at a time.

Facts. History. Not speculation.

Mind you, it’s all worth a wooden nickel right now. But that doesn’t take away from the achievements of last year and the year before.

I'll give you September of 2007...

And even June, to an extent. But that’s pretty much it. Sori didn’t “carry” the Cubs at all last year.

He was a big reason...

We got off to a good start last season. He was on fire in May, and I’d say he carried us with this line:

10HR – 29RBI – .345AVG – 1.058OPS

Carried us means that no other Cubs was performing...

Which isn’t true of any Soriano’s hot streaks last year.

Fine...

He was a large contributing factor then, because I see that Aramis and Soto had decent a decent May as well.

Carlos Lee...

Might have hit 50 HRs at Wrigley alone every season he was here. The guy hammers the ball at Wrigley.

I personally ALWAYS thought he was who we needed on this team, he fit better in the lineup. What what the hell do i know.

he might have

and he might have gotten injured, or slumped, or whatever.

It sure would be nice if we could get a zombie Willie Mays on our team too, but we can’t. We didn’t take Lee. What ifs are what ifs.

Willie Mays isn't dead

he's not?

well, sign him freakin’ up!

It amazes me that he gets pitches to hit at Wrigley.

It would amaze me even more if he kept getting those pitches as a Cub.

Me too....

But to me that is stubbornness by our pitching coach.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, it'd be Christmas all year long.

DMCub - July 1, 2009 reply

In all honesty,

I would think about firing Lou Pinella.

Not that I think it’s his fault, but I think a different voice needs to be heard. There are SO many problems with this team, that I don’t even know where to start.

First and foremost, the teams biggest problem is that there is no clear “superstar hitter” on this team. Sure, Aramis is when he comes back, but Aramis needs someone to compliment him in the order. Alfonso Soriano is being paid like a iconic hitter but hasn’t hit anywhere near his past numbers. His power is gone because he isn’t making good contact and he just looks overmatched at the plate. No one in their right mind would take on Soriano’s contract so we’re obviously stuck with him. We are only in year three of his contract.

Kosuke Fukudome has been awful. Outside of the first month of the season, he looks like he is completely overmatched. Even moreso than Soriano.

Geovany Soto is showing some promise, but he has a long way to go to get to the level he was at last year.

Second base is a HUGE hole.

Hell, outside of Derrek Lee and Theriot this team has been awful at the plate. Derrek Lee is a damn good player, but you would have to see if we could trade him to get even a bigger upside player in return.

Unique - July 1, 2009 reply

San Francisco would have definite interest in Derrek Lee

The Giants are solid contenders for the NL Wildcard. What they need is another bat or two, preferably at 1st base or a corner outfield spot. Lee is a Sacramento native and I have to believe would gladly waive his no-trade clause to return to California and be rid of this nightmare Cub situation.

BLou - July 1, 2009 reply

Lee

won’t go anywhere. Period.

based

on what? Have you spoken with Lee? Read an interview where he says that?

You’re speculating.

d00d

He wrote “I have to believe”

Almost everything written here is speculation.

and why

does he have to believe? Based on WHAT?

I can say “I don’t think Lee will go” based on his like of Chicago, the fact that his kid’s doctors are here, based on the fact that he’s said he likes playing here and wants to bring a WS Ring to Chicago.

Also, the NO-TRADE-FREAKIN-CLAUSE!

So, why does he have to believe that Lee would waive it and go somewhere else?

That's not what I was getting at

My point is that he’s speculating, like everybody else here. I didn’t understand why you were taking him to task for it.

because he does it all the time

and he never backs any of it up.

Even when he’s asked.

Yeah, but if someone says, "I have to believe", that is acknowledging that it's speculation

Why is he required to back it up? Plus, he provided his reasoning within the comment itself.

Lee is a Sacramento native

I’m not trying to pick on you, but you react to most posts from BLou like NBF does to you know who’s name . . . regardless of content.

I'm from New York

and I don’t want to go back. My wife is from eastern Kansas, and she DEFINITELY doesn’t want to go back.

I just want something beyond “RAWR! CUBS SUCK!”

But that's not what he wrote . . .

He gave his reasons. You may not agree, but he gave them.

I guess I just don’t see you having the same response if most others had posted the same thing, but I could be mistaken.

think is

I kinda felt like that was a restrained response. I asked him a question, to back up his assertion, is all. I’ve been trying to give BLou the benefit of the doubt, more or less, at least when he’s not being… the way we know he can be.

I was going to post something very similar

I just can’t see any reason for keeping Lou. Does anybody trust him to m ake the moves it takes to turn things around, especially in the playoffs if they ever make it? Some of the things he’s done in-game this year are baffling, let alone the leaving Soriano in the leadoff spot issue.

This team needs a shake-up.

Mapmaker - July 1, 2009 reply

If I'm right and Soriano is in the decline phase of his career

There’s no reason that Soriano should be batting leadoff if that is the case. Of course, I’m not the manager.

is there a better option than Lou?

Alan Trammell

can’t be much worse. Nor would Brenly.

Unique - July 1, 2009 reply

Tram would play the 9 who gave the greatest effort

and played the game the RIGHT way: fundamentally sound. I’d be very happy with Tram. I just hope Cubs fans would give him a fair chance to succeed.

The thing is, it's easy to say that

But most managers are going to do the same thing.

Everyone’s clamoring for Sandberg after Piniella retires/moves on, but I’m not convinced that he’ll be able to take stands like dropping Soriano in the order, benching people, etc. We’ll see.

Well, we KNOW Lou won't. So I'm for giving someone else like Tram or Ryno a chance post-Lou...

Whenever that is…

The hedge bets posters (e.g., Bruce Froemming) are just being silly

Many of the optimists on this board believe that return of Aramis Ramirez is the silver bullet solution to all this team’s woes. That, and they like to preach that Mark DeRosa was just a utility man even though it can be well argued that he was team MVP in 2007 and 2008. Plus he is north of 50 RBIs right now.

Objective analysis of this Cub team leads to pessmistic conclusion. Very pessimistic in fact.

1. The highest paid outfield in baseball is among the least productive in baseball. And not one of those stiffs in that outfield are moveable.

2. The 2nd base situation is dreadful.

3. The bullpen is a mess that will only get worse as the starters slow their exceptional pace and the dog days of summer set in.

4. And the greatest sin of all…Cubs wasted nearly 2 months of overall exceptional starting pitching. When you get starting pitching like that then you need to seize the day and play .650 style winning baseball. THAT did not happen. Not even remotely so.

5. People like me were mocked for stating that the 2008 Chicago Cubs were blessed with an inordinate amount of players having very fine seasons and remarkably good team health.

BLou - July 1, 2009 reply

Ha. Ha. Funny.....I just noticed that Felix Pie is batting .235 with 102 ABs

Sori is batting .230. Also, McGeHee is batting .325 and Fontenot .220. Pretty funny…huh?

Hindsight is 20/20

Pretty easy to say “told ya so” when you know the results.

Living in DC, I've never been a big fan of Sori....I've seen him with the Nats (even in his career year)

And I think that his signing with the Cubs was Jimbo’s “statement of record” that the Cubs were gonna start spending money to field a good team. I appreciated that “statement”. I wished it were someone else besides Sori, but whatever….gotta go with the flow…

Not nearly as funny

As Jason Marquis being the first 10-game winner in Colorado.

Ya know,

Colorado, a very difficult place for pitchers, may be the perfect place for Marquis.

He’ll pitch 200 innings a year, is a good bat and pinch runner on an NL team, and usually pitches 5 good innings a game (unfortunately, his games chart like 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 as good innings with #4 way off)

In Colorado, the increased offense and vast outfield allows for the team to offset his bad inning.

Good point.

Randy Wells has done better

For 1/10 of the cost.

Funny

When I saw the Cubs had called up Wells, I’d thought Hendry had signed Kip Wells and he was in the Cub minor league system…then I thought David Wells would have made more sense with Hendry..

Lazy uninspired play ...

translates to bad managing. I’m afraid I agree Lou needs to be moved.

Lilly was late coming home on the play at the plate. Soto’s throw wasn’t great, but it was forced because Lilly watched the play until Sanchez rounded third. To me that summed it up right there, no hustle, no enthusiam, no life, no fire, no leadership.

BatCubFan - July 1, 2009 reply

Seriously people?

People wonder why blogs get terrible names?

The Cubs have been playing without their best player for almost two months.

Good hitters are completely under performing now, and at some point I’ll be you my last dollar they turn it around to some extent.

There are almost 90 games left!

I’m not saying they look great, hell they don’t look decent. But you guys are talking as if they’re 13 games out with 15 to play. Seriously, get a grip. Move away from the emotion, step away from the fire, and realize that it takes absolutely no common sense or baseball knowledge of any kind to proclaim a season is over while reciting the same things that have been talked about over and over. They were in a lot worse shape in 2007 and made it in. I understand it doesn’t look good, but for a team to be 4.5 out with the crap that we’ve seen this year, we’re extremely lucky.

Most people here, save BLou (they would win the World Series and he’d bitch about something) will completely change their feelings if they bang out 10 out of 15 or make the playoffs. I get pissed as much as anyone. I don’t think their chances are real good right now either. But I’m actually going to show a little bit of baseball knowledge and say that with almost 90 games left, a possible move in the making, and Aramis coming back there are ingredients available for some sort of turnaround. Go ahead, yell the season is over, recite the same facts that have been typed on here since February, call people names, point fingers, but realize that when a team is 4.5 after terrible, terribe play, losing their best player, and having 90 games left you are a complete fool to say right now the season is over.

Seriously People?

If you think this team has any shot to win in the post-season much less whats left of the regular season you are nuts. They have played 3 months of the season and so far none of the Cubs have hit the way they are capable of, except for Theriot. Soriano is by far the worst lead off hitter in baseball and not much better a defensive OF. Dome is a bench OF who should come in to PH vs righties ONLY, yet he starts more times than not. Our bullpen is a shell of what it was last year. They waste good pitching performance after good pitching performance by not hitting, making terrible base running blunders and stranding runner after runner in scoring position. People keep talking about Rami coming back, but he had a serious shoulder injury that likely will require surgery at some point. He will not be 100% healthy. So to think he is going to come back and save us is tough to swallow. Yes there are 90 games to get things right, but this team is no where near as good as last year’s team and we all know what happened in the playoffs last season. I will never give up on the Cubbies, but even the most optimistic person has to admit that the Cubs have shown very little to be hopeful about.

TRock - July 1, 2009 reply

Well, I'm glad

You proved that you didn’t understand a damn thing I said. I told you it doesn’t look good, and that I’m not even that optimistic. However people are, and I stand by it, a complete fools to say that its over right now. It takes zero wisdom at all. Its easy to cash in and say its over. Most of the time you’ll probably be right. But that division is a joke, and I’m sorry, Ramirez is going to make a difference. Just watch. He’s going to push people out of the lineup that shouldn’t be there.

Agreed

Completely.

Ok this is great...The positvity all great...

Where is the energy from the players, where is the inspiration? Do they look pumped to be playing baseball? Do they look like they are enjoying it? Or are they playing without energy, without inspiration?

Its called losing.

You’re seeing losing baseball. No one looks happy to lose.

No crap...

But you will never win with no energy, not inspiration. To me that is stuff that comes from club house leaders, or managers. Right now (this season), i dont think we have either.

I am not saying it is over, but the lifeless situation we are at right now is not helping and needs to be changed quickly.

And it can all change

in the blink of an eye. That’s baseball.

and a miserable ad campaign by the Bulls

that's also cliche

And not a very convincing argument.

I’m not writing off the team. But saying WHY the Cubs could make a comeback is a lot more interesting and compelling than saying what external factors (games left, weak competition) would ALLOW them to come back.

This team reminding me much of..

2005 was it? When Lee went down?

Lee went down in '06...

2005 was Lee’s huge MVP type season.

Thats right..

I hope they don’t end up as bad as that team

July 12th

between the posts saying that we’re still in contention and the ones calling for a fire sale, I think we all need to stop for a second and consider this date.
We have 1 more have with the Pirates. 4 with the Brewers, 3 with the Braves, and 4 with the Cards. After today, it’s an 11 game homestand.
By the 12th, we could be right back towards the top of the division if this team can finally start clicking offensively. If not, we could be all but out of it.
Or we could be right where we are now, arguing about the future.
The next 2 weeks are critical, so I’m going to wait to see what happens.

I agree...

We could be anywhere from first to last after these big series coming up. If we’re 8+ out by ASB, they have to start moving some pieces.

I also agree with this.

I think Sori should sit for the next couple of weeks to get his head back on. Sit Dome also. Let’s see what happens.

Alternate sitting Soriano

Sitting him for two weeks straight doesn’t do him any good because he still needs to see live pitching. However, a three days off might be what the doctor ordered once Aramis Ramirez is back in the lineup.

What does live pitching do...

for Soriano? I think 2 weeks of slider in the dirt BP is what Soriano needs. Live pitching, the guy swings at crap all the time, him missing some live pitching might actually be good for him.

Rec'd

I like your call for reason.

jerry morales rules - July 1, 2009 reply

Review Kenny WIlliams new bar/restaurant Market

I went to Kenny Williams new place Market on Randolph this week. Completely within White Sox tradition, it is total gimicky. It looks all fancy and new, but there is no heart to the place whatsoever. The food creations are the cheeziest things I have ever seen served. The food is much, much too sweet. If you can’t cook something well, just cover it in sugar to hide the fact that you don’t know what you are doing. Market will make you feel less manly.

I do, however, recommend it highly if you don’t have any taste. This would be William Ligue’s ultimate dream come true.

Sounds like how I feel when I visit The Cell.

jerry morales rules - July 1, 2009 reply

It was the same exact vibe as the Cell

Quite scary.

hitting is down yes

yes the cubs hitting sucks right now close to the bottom of the league, but we have the most quality starts for a pitching staff that is trying to keep it together. Now when Ramirez comes back that will increase our run production it has to then these quality starts will mean something right now were without our best run producer lets see what happens after all- star break if same thing then your all right and i know nothing about a game I truly love and the cubs RAMIREZ IS OUR SPARKPLUG WE NEED HIM IN THERE TO RUN.

Off to Wrigley

Gee last November or so when I saw the schedule I was drooling over using up my meager vacation days to go back for the big 10 game homestand with Cards, Brewers & Braves. Now the Cubs are struggling and I don’t have a job but I am still looking forward to it albeit with trepidation. Well I am putting MY record of 13-5 so far this year on the line. I agree with folks that this is the BIG stretch. They don’t have to win a set number but they certainly have to win a majority and stay in the running. Off to the airport.

Doggie Stalker - July 1, 2009 reply

I'm confused with Doggie Stalker...

…I think from other posts I’ve seen of hers, she has season tickets to the Cubs. But she doesn’t live in Chicago, so has to fly in each time to watch the games, but doesn’t have a job???

the glories

of a good severance package. She doesn’t go to every game.

Also? She’s right over there. She can hear you.

where does she live?

NYC

I see....thats a die hard Cubs fan there....flying in a few times to watch them

I wish i was able to do that. I can’t even get face value tickets.

She should hook me up with some of the tickets she doesn’t use.

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2009/6/23/922513/ticket-exchanges-july-24-30
http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2009/1/31/743435/ticket-exchanges-general-2
http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2009/6/4/898849/ticket-exchanges-july-2-12

she sells them.

dunno what she might have available.

Check out the Ticket exchange links. Maybe there’s something for you there.

Thanks Drew

Hope you can bring them some luck

and hitting

new lineup

C SOTO 1B LEE 2B SORIANO 3B RAMIREZ SS THERIOT LF FOX CF JOHNSON- NOW FUKODOME RF HAUF LINEUP: THERIOT-JOHNSON, HAUF-LEE-RAMIREZ-FOX-HAUF- SOTO- FUKODOME-SORIANO. AND FOR BRADLEY WISH HE WOULD OF FEPT DRIVING HIS CAR INTO LAKE MICHIGAN.

Hauf… do you mean… Hoffpauir?

CyberCyclist - July 1, 2009 reply

You might be on to something here.

We would do much better if we had a 10 spot line-up that doesn’t include the pitcher.

I also like the idea of Hoffpauir batting third and seventh. That will usually allow him to get around to score before his turn in the order come up again. Maybe we should sign a ghost runner just in case.

LOL

rec’d

CyberCyclist - July 1, 2009 reply

Hell, I rec'd it for the fact that he took the time to read that mess

WOW my first green post!

I like to thank ktowncubby. With out his drunken ramblings I’d never have had the opportunity to share this bit of with with all of you.

Christ

with all those typos, was i drunk at work this morning?

schedule

Ramirez can come back by monday rest of schedule were good.

trade

would like to trade cubs outfied soriano fukodome bradley and even throw in marmol for trevor hoffman

brewers

brewers need help in their minor league outfield AA not looking good this year

theriot – johnson- lee- ramirez-fox-hauf- soto-fontenot 2b. throw soriano bradley fukodome and marmol to brewers for hoffman.

Dude, step away from the keyboard and put the drink down

Or write a fanpost . . . I guarantee it’ll get recommended.

Seriously, wtf

I call either LSD or schizophrenia for ramblings like this.

I just hope the 'k' isn't 'Kenosha'

hee-hee-hee

If it were all caps, I'd put a guess out there as to who it might be . . .

HOFFPAUIR

HOFF PAUIR.

How else would we be able to make these jokes?

like trade

You should...

Change ktowncubby to RAINMAN

definitly hauf

definitely. definitely. 32573 toothpicks. Definitely.

need lou and jim to hear this somehow

1-800-THE-CUBS

Good luck with that.

I'm sure Al will pass it along to DG

After the team’s play last night, Lou and Jim could use a laugher.

you should type in capitals

it’s louder.

just a big let down from last year, someone has shake it a little

the way trevor is piching you could give him their salary and split his salary with the brewers now with them 4 and that would be good business. lol

wut?

this stuff is cracking me up

Emelie - July 1, 2009 reply

this is going to be a great day!

bring it ktown

you have to give him credit for his consistency

Can't give him credit

for grammar or punctuation

Completely OT..

Does anyone have a good idea to remove dog odor from a car? I am about to start on my road trip and unfortunately my car smells like a dog

Not really, but removing the dog is a good first step.

It's a rental and this is the last car they have available

I think they applied some stuff but there is still some odor in the car. Looks like the people who rented it before had a big field day

I say, cubsnlinux old chap, my dog has no nose

lol

In all seriousness, try Febreeze.

Or hope the weather is warm and keep the windows down…

thanks, will try that.

Simple Green. The pros use it. You can get it at Ace Hardware

Emelie - July 1, 2009 reply

I would definatley let the rental company know you aren't satisfied with the car

I had issues with an Enterpirse car once and politley let them know I was not pleased with the melted sticky popsicle I found under the seat when I tried to adjust it. they gave me a discount and upgrade on my next rental.

I will give them an earful..when I get back..thx

If you eat a lot of day old burritos before you start your trip

you won’t notice the dog smell

Genius.

Solves the problem, and allows for increased burrito consumption. Win all around.

i will believe that krummy is a Cubs fan

when he participates in a winning game thread. up until now, he only has come into losing game threads to prematurely call “game over.”

that has brewers or cardinals fan written ALL over it.

joeschmitt - July 1, 2009 reply

indeed.

Not Bruce Froemming - July 1, 2009 reply

Atin't that the truth

He and BLou are true rays of sunshine.

Bye Everyone!..I am off on a vacation for the next 5 days

I am just glad to be away from cubs baseball for a while. Hopefully they will figure it out by the time I get back.

Go Cubs!

They didn't while I was gone this past week...

so I doubt they will while you are.

santoswoodenlegs - July 1, 2009 reply

I've been feeling despondant all week

It’s so clear now…my daily allotment of being TWSS’d is below the FDA recommended levels.

SWL: accept no substitute.

I was gone last week too

nothing like coming back to work from vacation in a bad mood because the Cubs lost 6 of 7 while you were gone!

Wow, I thought only I did that...

well guess we want cubs to lose because noone else has any ideas

Here's an idea!

How about we not give up on the team? I know, I know, that’s a hard one to fathom. But think about it: We’re 4.5 games out in a weak division. All we have to do is make the playoffs, and suddenly April, May, and June is entirely irrelevant. October is all about being hot, right? Everybody seems to agree that the Cubbies have been playing at their lowest potential. Common sense tells us that they will play better. There’s plenty of time, all the guys need is confidence. Negativity and knee-jerk reactions does nothing.

Common sense should have told Jim Hendry to do the opposite of what he did this offseason...

but since when does this organization listen to common sense?

santoswoodenlegs - July 1, 2009 reply

Hmm... I'm not sure! But I don't really see what that has to do with my post.

I was speaking about fans, not the organization.

none of us

are on the payroll anyway. Our ideas aren’t going to be taken into THAT much account anyway.

I know! Let’s go up to wrigley and yell through the gate on Sheffield, “LOU! PLAY SOTO IN LEFT FIELD!” That’s an idea, right? And that way, HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HEAR US.

just because your idea was insane doesn't mean that there are no other ideas

No offense Al,

it is getting tougher and tougher to check BCB out everyday. This team is like a .500 version of the 2006 team. They do things that make me want to pull my hair out.

With that being said, I’ll be there tomorrow night, spending my money, rooting them on…

Don’t think I’ve ever been to a Cubs night game where just about everyone is off work the next day, should be a good time.

slocs55 - July 1, 2009 reply

The team has been "off work" the last few night games. Does that count?

santoswoodenlegs - July 1, 2009 reply

This team is in a recession

are you suggesting

the Cubs should get a bail-out?

Sort of a put the TARP on fund.

Jessica will be happy

FULD leads off, plays LF
Riot
Lee
Bradley
Fox (3b)
Dome
Soto
Blanco
Wells

Thanks

Good to see Sori getting some time off. He needs it to get healthy – physically or mentally.

Yeah. Just saw that. Sori has at least a day to think about his future :-)

i guess Bradley feels confident after a day of rest.

Fuld … hmmm… i like a lot

lexmarklover - July 1, 2009 reply

i really meant a day of help

lexmarklover - July 1, 2009 reply

BREWERS LOSE!!!! BREWERS LOSE!!!!

lexmarklover - July 1, 2009 reply

You just beat me to it

Was going to call it in the, “Oh, Cubs, Why Can’t I Quit You?” department.

That’s all well and good, but if they don’t take care of their own excrement, it doesn’t matter.