Bleed Cubbie Blue

shades of red

anybody up for a cards/nats thread tonight? i’m off to sleep and will miss the start, but could join midway. go balester.

on the cardinals site, someone was hoping to add (are you sitting down?) matt murton to the mix. as long as thurston plays more second, i’ll be happy.

cards/nats thread here on BCB? I doubt you'd get much traffic...

…and what you do get would probably less than genteel. However, I think you’re on the right track by checking the cardinals’ site. Or even better, go and sign up on the Nats site and join in their game thread. Show them how to do a game thread up right and cheer on those pesky Nats!

So much fun

watching the Cardinals lose to Houston in the 9th last night after the Cubs had already won. The party in the NL Central is getting very crowded. It should be an entertaining, if not down right wacky next two months. Enjoy the day off and let’s smack Cincy around on Friday….

DKT - July 23, 2009 reply

Agreed

Yes, this team is flawed but I don’t understand the people that basically want to end the season now and begin football season. This is going to be a fun second half. Yes, I’ll get pissed at the Cubs and probably numerous times in August and September but it is looking like a fun pennant race.

For all you blue people out there, turn off your TV and get out your winter clothes. The rest of us will enjoy the last two months of the season.

rlpete - July 23, 2009 reply

well said...

JB 23 - July 23, 2009 reply

"blue people"???

don’t you mean “Blou people”? ;-)

I think the reason

is that people want to write them off cause they believe if last year’s team couldn’t do it, how is this year’s team going to make noise? It’s a legitimate reason, but all it takes is one hot-streak to vault any contending team into the playoffs and beyond.

propheteer - July 23, 2009 reply

Very true...

… and as a great example look at your 2006 World Series champions, the St. Louis Cardinals who ended the regular season at 83-78. Work the kinks out, stay in contention, and try to get hot in September and October.

They even dropped 7 in a row in late September

And finished the regular season dropping 10 out of the final 14.

Not a Cards fan

I just don’t come in to Cub blogs very often cause of the amount of traffic.

propheteer - July 25, 2009 reply

Totally agree.

Very well said.

The best part of last night...

Ryan Franklin got tagged! His ERA jumped from 0.76 to 1.25.

Good.

For no good reason, that guy rubs me the wrong way.

Maybe because he has been INSANELY lucky this year?

Even with a ERA of 1.25, that’s way under his career ERA. I can take that the fact that maybe he’ll be better this year, but anything under 2.50 would be a miracle. Look for him to get tagged much more.

Absolutely.

Not to mention the goatee is really douchey at this point.

Agreed,

i also find it creepy that the rest of the St. Louis team has decided to go with the “70s porn ’stache” look this season…
shudder

willie mays hayes' gloves - July 23, 2009 reply

I lived in St. Louis. That look isn't from the '70s. You see it everywhere

along with a lot of mullets.

revert to the mean

But, this season is over

at least BLou said it is.

Nice trip, regardless of the Nats. A solid homestand is needed.

tommy veryzer - July 23, 2009 reply

Yes, he said that after we lost last night.

Where is he now, when the Cubs win?

where he always is

his ~~grandma’s basement~~ secret hideout.

He said the Cardinals will win the division.

Made me wonder if he was a Cubs fan or a Cardinals fan.

BLou doesn't sleep, he waits...

…for the next Cubs loss.

Clutch16 - July 23, 2009 reply

Yes,

So he can say how bad we are, how the Cardinals will quickly run away with the division.

How the season was over before it began, etc.

No kidding

BLou basically made ZERO comments during the Nats sweep but reappears during the Phillies losses. Blou WANTS the Cubs to lose so he can post the same stuff over and over.

Doggie Stalker - July 23, 2009 reply

He said nothing in the games against Washington.

And then, we go to Philadelphia and lose a game, and he signs on and says “The season is over. Deal with it.”

It would take more than Hell freezing over for him to be positive.

In a way, I understand him

Among us, there are the eternal optimists and the eternal pessimists. And the Cubs made them that way. We chose a tough life, we did.

Just waiting for them

to lose again so he can go off on one of his rants. He thrives on the attention he gets from them.

And all of you certainly seem happy to give it to him...

…so I guess everybody wins.

bluekoolaide - July 23, 2009 reply

Not really.

I am happy with the trip

I know some look and say we lost 2 of 3 to the Phils, but they won 5 of 7. Would anyone really be any happier had we gone 3-1 against the Nats and 2-1 against the Phils? 5-2 in 7 games is 5-2 in 7 games.

Also, the sweep of the Nats on the trip was huge. With the Brewers and Cards getting this team in the next couple weeks, they both know what the Cubs did, and you don’t want to lose the division by one game and look back and see the difference being that the Cubs swept the Nats while you didn’t.

This should be a tough week ahead for the Cards. After tonight, Philly for 3 and then the Dodgers for 3 or 4. They could be in 3rd by the end of next week, but still only a game out LOL.

niuhuskie224 - July 23, 2009 reply

The schedule does favor us for the next week...

… while Houston may be getting hot, we still face some team we SHOULD beat at home while the cards get some tough teams. I’m hoping by my next game (Saturday vs the Reds) a blue and white flag will be atop the scoreboard pole.

What are the matchups next week?

Especially, the ones against Houston?

I believe it'll be...

Vs CIN:

Harang vs Wells
Cueto vs Lilly
Owings vs Hart (or possibly Dempster?)

Then vs HOU:

Wandy vs Harden (in a night game).

Not sure beyond that, and its hard to predict much of anything at this point as Dempster could be back anytime and any trade for a relief pitcher may send Marshall to a starting role and Hart back to Iowa.

Depends on Dempster, you're right

For the Houston series, right now it looks like:

Monday – Harden (vs. Wandy Rodriguez)
Tuesday – Zambrano (vs. Oswalt)
Wednesday – Wells (vs. Hampton)
Thursday – Lilly (vs. Ortiz)

The Cubs miss Brian Moehler right now, it appears.

hopefully we can get to Wandy this time

the Cubs seem to always have trouble with him….and Ortiz too.

desmoCubbie - July 23, 2009 reply

Rodriguez has won both his starts vs. the Cubs this year

but both starts have come in Houston.

For his career at Wrigley, Rodgriguez is 1-3 in 5 starts at Wrigley with an 8.25 ERA. He’s allowed 36 hits – 5 home runs – in 24.0 IP.

Yahtzee.

Hopefully it's a walk-off Yahtzee.

Nothing like dropping a 50-pointer on the last roll to win.

A four game sweep of the Nats and then the Cubs essentially play the Phillies to a draw on the road...

…(Each team getting a win by more than 5 runs and then the middle game going 12 innings as a stalemate in a pitchers’ duel)

Something to build on indeed.

Now let’s rattle off a nice long winning streak like the Phillies just did!

Go Cubs!

Zeke - July 23, 2009 reply

Essentially a draw???

We lost two of three.

one in 13 innings

cubsforever - July 23, 2009 reply

So? It's still a loss

I agree. I was just saying the intended point was that a 13-inning loss is basically a draw, which is definitely debatable

cubsforever - July 23, 2009 reply

No, it's a loss

There are no ties or “moral victories” in baseball. It’s on the record as a loss and, unfortunately, that’s all that counts.

bluekoolaide - July 23, 2009 reply

and yet

it is more encouraging to loose that way than being beaten 15-2. I think that was mostly his point…but it is a loss

No crying either.

There is crying in baseball,

It’s allowed in St. Louis.

And celebrated, apparently

Nah

you forget. The crying sound comes from Milwaukee.

And complaining comes from the direction of Houston.

That's why I said "essentially".

I know they lost 2 of 3. But for 12 innings in that game, on the road, it was a standoff. It’s a “glass half full” sort of approach…

Zeke - July 23, 2009 reply

better be careful

people don’t like it round here when you find the positive in a loss.

you've

answered your own question.

Are we SURE it's a man?

Zeke - July 23, 2009 reply

Speechless...Once again nice work SWL

WOW

That’s ….wow. That’s something where you say “yeah honey….it does sound cute….NO.”

kid's look "who-wee, this is great"

dad’s look, “another (twisted) family moment”
mom’s look “what in the….”

It looks to me like it was the dad's idea.

Of course they wear it

It was in those outfits that the kid was conceived.

FTW!

“Women may Pooh when there’s no strength in men.”
William Shakespeare

Astros sweep and other musings

The Astros sweep sent a message to the Cards that they are in the race and for real. Unless someone in this division gets hot and pulls away, they are in it for the duration.

I wish people would get off Theriot, He is what he is, a fair shortstop that is hitting .300, something I might add we really need at the top of our order. He deserves better.

Sometimes I wish we could sit back and say good pitching beat us. So far in the 7 games since the break we’ve put up runs against bad pitching and got beat by two good pitching performances. So be it. 5-2 road trip is exactly what we needed.

Catching is a big concern right now as I think Hill is exposed. Kevin Gregg has been a stud recently with a 1.53 ERA in his past 28 appearances; I especially like the 4 and 5 out multiple innings. Z has won 3 in a row and has not thrown a temper fit in that span, coincidence? Hard to believe it was the first win over Moyer yesterday. Good homestand could put us in frist place we’re that close. Let’s hope good fortune continues, our bats continue to work and our pitching is sharp.

Gregg

He caught a lot of grief early in the season and many people don’t like him because he replaced Wood at a lower salary. However, he has been solid though the past few months. He’s not a lights-out closer and he walks a few too many but the bottom-line results have been good.

rlpete - July 23, 2009 reply

1.58 ERA since May 28...

I got on Gregg because he sucked to start the year...

…not because I wish we still at Kerry. I was wrong and glad to admit it.

I gave Gregg grief for different reasons than that...

I was fine with letting Wood leave, because he was going to be way too expensive for what he provided. My problem with Gregg was that I felt we traded a decent prospect for a guy who wasn’t drastically different than Michael Wuertz. In fact, Wuertz has historically been slightly better than Gregg (slightly better WHIP, slightly better K/9, better ERA, better K/BB).

Gregg has been solid this year, and I figured he’d be at worst similar to Dempster in 2006/2007. I just didn’t think it was a wise acquisition. And based on performances this year, Wuertz has in fact been slightly better. But Gregg has been better than I expected, and I have no problem at all with his performance for us to this point.

Wuertz

Mike is a perfect pitcher in a set up role in a small market city. He cannot handle tough pressure situations in a big time environment. Each time he was given that opportunity he did not succeed.

gocubsgo22 - July 23, 2009 reply

I'm not sure he's ever really been given the chance...

I think people just extrapolated too much from small sample sizes, as is often the case with relievers.

Wuertz had terrific numbers in terms of allowing inherited runners to score when he was with the Cubs. He just happened to have Wood, Howry, and Marmol ahead of him in the role of closer/setup man.

Gregg Grief...

Charlie Brown!

Wuertz? No thanks.

He’s not the closer there so you’re comparing apples and oranges. I didn’t see anything from him in Chicago that would lead me to believe he they should sign him and I still don’t….especially at closer. That he had other pitchers in front of him should only lead to him having the pressure off and being a better pitcher not the reverse.

Would you rather have him than Heilman?

I think that a lot of people would. And that is not just hindsight, it was predictable, I think.

vonde6 - July 23, 2009 reply

Yep... Catching is a problem right now...

I’d like to see Lou give Fox a crack at catching for one game in the Cin. series. But the fact that he hasn’t given him a full game to catch (even after all these days in a row) indicate he’s not willing to go down this route.

He's going to have to

I think Soto will be on and off the DL the rest of the season. Obliques are hard to come back from.

Either get a real backup catcher or get Fox in there. My vote is for real backup catcher.

I'm afraid of how big Soto will be

after a few weeks of limited physical activity.

You know what helps relieve the pain of a hurt oblique?

Smoking weed…

Yeah...

and he’s probably shoveling down the mac and cheese comfort food

Funyuns, man...Funyuns!

Get some...

sour cream and onion chips, with some dip, man. Some beef jerkey, some peanut butter. Get some Hagen-Dagz ice-cream bars. A whole lotta of chocolate. Gotta have chocolate, man. Some popcorn, pink popcorn. GRAHAM CRACKERS!!! Graham crackers with the marshmallows. Little marshmallows with little chocolate bars and we’ll make some s’mores man. Celery, grape jelly, Captain Crunch with the little crunch berries, pizzas, we need two big pizzas, man, everything on ’em, water, a whole lotta water and…….Funyuns.

Jim Breuer fizzled too soon...

A rotten shame that is.

He's got something new coming out, I think it is on Comedy Central. Saw ads for it last weekend.

On ESPN: LeBron admits he smoked marijuana during his junior year in high school...

In “Shooting Stars,” written by James and co-author Buzz Bissinger, James said the SI cover and the media attention he and his high school teammates received was difficult to handle.

“We had become big-headed jerks, me in particular,” James said, “and we are to blame for that, but so are adults who treated us that way and then sat back and smugly watched the self-destruction.”

James also revealed he and his teammates smoked marijuana one night after getting access to a hotel room in Akron.

Linky.

Nice job Andrew...

now all the kids on BCB are going to think smoking pot is cool and they’ll buy some and try it.

No, because it would have to be in a hotel room

And now we know every one is going to have hidden cameras.

My stock portfolio is heavily leveraged in the snack sector.

I need my Little Debbie stock to take off ASAP so i can retire by 30.

Well Soto is on the DL

gaclaudy - July 23, 2009 reply

Agreed

They have to get a real backup at catcher. When Soto comes back, the backup can go back to AAA and return if Soto goes on the DL again.

rlpete - July 23, 2009 reply

I read it wasn't a pretty sight in AAA

And well, Hill isn’t nearly as good as Soto. I think the increased amount of runs teams have scored against us is proof.

I’m over his hitting, it’s what he does behind the plate that’s a little concerning.

does anyone recall

why Blanco was dispatched?

thermal54 - July 23, 2009 reply

Hendry wanted a cheaper option...

Although Blanco WAS fairly cheap…Frustrating.

I also think it had to do with age.

Hank White is getting up there in years. Also, that’s one of the reasons Koyie won the back-up job over Paul Bako.

cowsarecool220 - July 23, 2009 reply

I was wishing they had kept him...a good man to have in reserve.

He sure helped Soto last season. Although I do wonder if Blanco could handle playing at that level everyday for a long stretch like this. Along with DeRo I think it shows the flaw in putting together a team that has backups…they sure could use a backup with Koyie fading now. I don’t think Bako was ever going to be the answer. The money was prolly why they didn’t resign Blanco but I bet it seems a lot smaller now.

I think the general thought was he was going to get more money than we wanted to pay.

And then that didn’t happen…

I think part of the reason for Geo’s down year was the lack of his mentor.

And he didn't have someone to tell him not to get fat

Hopefully, next year, he will be less trouble than he’s worth

Well Kerry Wood was his workout buddy....

Rumor is Cleveland is looking to trade Wood.

There, now let the “Bring Back Kerry” contingent emerge and beat the drums for the next 8 days.

Barf.

I have no doubts that Cleveland is dumping Wood. His contract is ridiculous and I doubt they can move him.

I'm in the same boat.

I love what Wood brought in terms of clubhouse leadership and professionalism, but for that money, please, let’s not think of reacquiring him – even if another bullpen arm wouldn’t hurt.

There are rumors about Cleveland dumping everyone

VMart for Miles and Heilman. GET IT DONE JIM!

Supposedly

Boston turned down Bucholz for Martinez.

I can only imagine what some of these asking prices are right now.

I loved having Woody here, but I think they let him go at the right time.

Any questions about him being worth the high salary should have been answered with his performance at Wrigley this year. He’s just not worth that cash right now for what you’d get.

Agreed. I was a fan while he was here...

…but I didn’t shed any tears when he left. I was more upset about DeRo because I thought our team would be worse without him.

Blanco was around $1.5M

He is also on the DL right now and he is batting .218/.301/.373 for a whopping .674 and oh yeah, he is hurt too on the DL.

Koyie Hill’s line is worse but Hill is at least healthy.

And throwing out quite a few base runners.

and calls a good game with good D....

…you can afford Hill if everyone hits like they should.

JB 23 - July 23, 2009 reply

Definitely...

Hill isn’t here to put up great offensive numbers (if he did, he’d be a starter). The fact that he’s thrown out 48% of runners trying to steal on him is impressive.

San Diego Smooth Jazz Man - July 23, 2009 reply

Blanco really wasn't having a good year

behind the plate before he was injured. However, that could be due to the SD pitchers inability to hold runners.

Blanco wanted well more than what the Padres signed him for, as he was overestimating the market.

When does Blanco get off DL?

No one is certain

Also, if we were worried about Geo being a healthy, a catcher pushing 40 probably ins’t the best bet for a backup and that’s been proven true.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/01/21/padres.blanco.ap/index.html?eref=si_mlb

Wrong.

He was signed to a one year deal for $750k.

Actually it's even worse

Cot’s – Scroll Down

We had him on the hook for a $3M option for ‘09. We would have had to buy him out for $300,000 (which we did) and then signed him for $750k (at least). I’m not sure you can even do that…

I like Blanco as much as the next guy

But Hendry giving him a contract for $3m was really overpaying for a catcher of his quality. Luckily, we caught lightning in a bottle with him last year.

madcow256 - July 23, 2009 reply

Again...

…if having Blanco around made Geo an All Star catcher, then it was worth every penny to have him and for that matter, keep him around.

But for his pure numbers, I agree with you.

He could have been re-signed after being bought out...

the buyout just makes him a free agent. He can then sign with anyone.

To add to that...

the main reason Blanco was not resigned is because the Cubs wanted to get a LH backup at catcher. That’s why they signed Bako and brought Johnson to spring training.

Al when do I get my credit?

9 straight wins in a row for me.

You said I’d be blamed if they loss!

When is your next game ?

Doggie Stalker - July 23, 2009 reply

September vs. Mets

Anyone want to fly me out to Chicago for some games?

Somebody make sure this guy has playoff tickets!

Give me some playoff tickets, too!

In my lifetime, I’ve seen five Cubs games, all wins.

oh

are we making it to the playoffs now?

::uses Marv Albert voice:: Yes!

They will if I go to every game!

my last Cub game: Maddux's complete game win over the Cardinals (2006).

I am afraid to return to Wrigley when I come to Chicago. One of the few good memories from that terrible year.

LAcarl519 - July 23, 2009 reply

I agree!

I think I’m going to make a weekend trip to Chicago in August…just haven’t figured out when yet. I wouldn’t mind taking a weekend and see where they play on the road. Sight see and catch a couple games.

playoff and every game in september!

I have to give the Cubs some credit

Jamie Moyer is the very definition of the kind of pitcher the Cubs have major issues with and they were able to plate a number of runs against him.

The emergance of Kevin Gregg as Lou’s new blankie should do wonders for Marmol’s arm and his performance the rest of the season.

Agreed

these soft tossing pitchers have given us fits over the years. Gregg has gotten hot and Marmol appears to have straightened out, another coincidence?

and the cardinals

after today’s (supposed) gimmie vs the nats, plays 7 games vs the best 2 teams in the league…3 on the road @ philly and 4 @ home vs the Dodgers. I suspect the Cubs or Stros are in 1st place a week from now.

ballstitch - July 23, 2009 reply

Good!

As long as it’s the right team in first!

How nice that they are using Wainwright tonight

rather than against the real baseball teams

He has been scary good lately...

I would throw Rick Ankiel tonight.

Since Ankiel is back to hitting like a pitcher

Why not just bring him full circle

Um what?

Wainwright has looked scary lately? Scary good?

Yes. I said scary good.

Wainwright’s last 5 starts:

7 IP, 2 ER, 8 K
8 IP, 2 ER, 5 K
8.1 IP, 0 ER, 9 K
9 IP, 1 ER, 12 K
7 IP, 2 ER, 5 K

Right.

I didn’t know if you were joking, meaning scary good as a Cubs fan and he wasn’t doing well.

He’s on my fantasy team, it’s been a bitter sweet year with him.

Who were those outings against (just out of curiousity)?

D-Backs, Cubs, Brewers, Giants, Twins

Not too shabby.

Hey, Nationals can hit

This might not be as lop-sided as one might think….and I hope its not.

They Nationals have a respectable lineup

at least the top 5 or 6 guys. Morgan, Johnson, Zimmerman, dunn, willingham isn’t that bad. The other 20 guys on the roster are the problem

With all the comments from Cards fans about our sweep being meaningless against the Nats...

It will be very interesting hearing what they say about this game if it’s not the blowout they assume they will get. I think the advent of the net and the huge amount of instant comments it generates leads fans to lose perspective on the difficulty of beating opponents you should beat, especially 4 games in a row. No, it doesn’t mean you are ready for the playoffs but it sure is part of getting to that point.

Nats

They have a winning percentage that equals out to them winning 3 out of every 10 games. They are 3-7 in their last ten too so tonight is anyone’s game. 23 year old Collin Balester is pitching for them and the Cards have never seen him before.

The Cards will probably win, but it will be even worse for them if they can’t pull it off.

Then let's beat the Astros

So we’re in first place at the time!

A nice win against a good team

And hopefully the harbinger of much more of the same. The Cubs held their own in two of three games in Philadelphia, seeing as the extra inning game could have gone either way. If the pitching continues to hold up and the offense manages to score an average of couple more runs per game, then things don’t look that bad.

eths - July 23, 2009 reply

Just 1 friggin game out of 1st place!

It’s amazing. Truly amazing.

Huge win!

A 5-2 road trip is so much better than 4-3, especially if the Cubs were swept out of Philly. Theriot has limitations, and they have been well documented here, but it is so nice to see a guy that usually impacts each game by always hustling.

Need a minimum 4-3 homestand.

slocs55 - July 23, 2009 reply

Theriot was playing both SS and LF simultaneously in this series.

rover

Range Rover (minus the range)?

cubsnlinux - July 23, 2009 reply

I think he's out back peeing on a bush.

Red Rover

send scrappy right over

Worth noting that Theroit's 13-for-18 stats on the basepath put mean he's actually above the threshold where he's helping the team*

Squeaking by, but I’ll take it

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/adjusting-steals-for-win-value/

madcow256 - July 23, 2009 reply

Slightly OT: our favorite fanpost is closed for comments

link

Al, we’ve only got 88 recs . . . can it be re-opened until we get 12 more?

I was holding out - waiting to be #99

in honor of the great Turk Wendell…

I think you might still be able to recommend it, just not comment.

And Congrats to Archie for having the last post

Why that’s important, I have no idea.

Thank you very much

I’ll live in infamy now.

I see we're up to 93 recs now. so that's something.

Still, 300 comments would rock.

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.

THE ERIC HANNA POST NEEDS TO BE MADE A PERMANENT FIXTURE OF BCB’S FRONT PAGE, WHERE ALL FUTURE VISITORS CAN VIEW IT AND BE IN AWE OF ITS GLORY.

"Glory is like a circle in the water, Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself Till by broad spreading it disperse to naught". William Shakespeare

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2009/6/30/931029/cubs-need-to-make-a-trade

TURN IT GREEN

gaclaudy - July 23, 2009 reply

it's back

welcome =)

Flawed? Yes. In contention? Definitely.

Been saying this for weeks. :)

It was a good win. We almost took two from those guys.

OK... just throwing this out there...

The Pirates appear to be in full clean house mode: GM Neal Huntington tells MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez that none of his players are untouchable.

So, how can the Cubs put together a package for Freddy Sanchez, that makes sense financially for both the Cubs and Pirates? I would’ve loved to have Nyjer Morgan in CF, but our current glut of overpayed OFers rendered that impossible.

I don't understand the desire for Freddy Sanchez

He can’t hit for power, run the bases, or play above average defense. He hits a pretty empty .300 for $8 million a year.

The desire is based on a need to stabilize the position for two years.

We’ve used 5 different players at 2B already this year.

I thought we had somebody at 2nd?

They’re just playing SS now

chitownhawkeye - July 23, 2009 reply

Well... then there's that whole issue also.

But, unless you want Orlando Cabrera, there’s not much available at SS.

But why stabilize it with not that good

LF is stabilized for the next 6 years, but that makes some here want to leap off a cliff. Same with the whole OF really.

Agreed on the need...

…I just don’t think Sanchez is the answer. If he’s better than what we have, it’s not by much. And whatever that delta is, it’s probably less than what it would take to obtain him.

If we’re going to cash in what little chips we have left, go out and get a clear upgrade at 2B (or SS and move Riot over).

Any ideas then, on who would be attainable, while also considering our finances?

I'd vote for not getting a 2B at the deadline

But I know whom I’d target in the offseason: Orlando Hudson. He’s on a 1-year deal with the Dodgers this season.

You want a guy who can hit and play defense – he’s your guy. You’ll have to pay some money to get him, but I think he’s worth it.

Yes... would be nice.

Would’ve been nicer if we signed him instead of Miles. Hudson got a 1 year $3.38 million base salary , loaded with incentives.

Agreed.

Miles was coming off a career year, while Hudson was coming off injury, so I’m sure that played into it. But still, it would have been nice.

This could be rectified in the offseason, and I hope it will be.

not too much seems to be available now

so my approach would be to man up with what we got unless Hendry wants to do some dumpster diving at the deadline or after waivers. As long as it doesn’t cost us more than the pro-rated minimum, it’s probably worth trying to get lucky.

For this year – any chip-cashing probably ought to focus on the bullpen. Solve the 2B/SS issue in the off-season. More time for Hendry to get creative and/or more time for the new ownership to shake out. And if that means bye-bye Hendry, then the 2B/SS issue would be the new guy’s first challenge. Chances are, money would not be that great of an issue because Ricketts would not want his own guy to fail right out of the blocks.

An alternative to Sanchez per Fox Sports:

Marco Scutaro, Toronto, $1.1 million — He’s been worth every penny to the Blue Jays this year, making him the anti-Vernon Wells. Scutaro is set to become a free agent, meaning J.P. Ricciardi could flip him for prospects irrespective of Halladay’s status. There’s a lot to like about Scutaro — the low cost, the postseason experience, the ability to bat leadoff and the defensive versatility (shortstop, second, third).

That doesn't seem like too far-fetched an acquisition.

I think that's who I would target...

A leadoff man that can play those 3 positions? He’d be a great insurance policy for Ramirez. With that contract, Hendry could possibly add some pen help as well.

Go get 'em Jim!

CubsBullsBears - July 23, 2009 reply

I don't know that he's much of an upgrade...

He’s been great to this point this year, but I fear that he’s a “sell-high” candidate.

For his career Scutaro is below average. He’s not really a leadoff man: his career high in OBP is .350 for a full season. He’s never had an OPS+ of 100, and only once has he topped 90. His career line: .264/.334/.385.

He does provide the ability to play all the infield spots, but that’s about the only really exciting thing he brings in my opinion. That, and his salary is low.

If he doesn’t cost much, he’s an okay insurance policy for 2B/SS. But I’d prefer Fox’s bat as the insurance policy for Ramirez.

Scutaro's numbers are slighlty better than Sanchez's

but it’s his versatility and low cost that set him apart. I’d be happy with that deal.

Scutaro: .286/.384/.815
Sanchez: .306/.345/.803

Scutaro has had a career year so far, which concerns me...

for his career, he’s below-average. His first half is way better than anything he’s ever done before, which makes me nervous that he’ll fade back to his career norms the rest of the way (which wouldn’t be much value to us).

If he keeps hitting at this .800+ OPS clip, he’d be a great add at 2B. But I fear he’ll go back to his sub-.700 OPS ways in the second half.

I don't think you would have to give up much...

for 2 months of Scutaro. He’d be nice to have THIS year. They can let him walk if they want next year. Having the playoff experience is pretty nice too. I think it’s an upgrade to the black hole that has been 2nd base this year.

My concern is for THIS year...

2B has been a huge problem. But that was largely because we had to play Blanco/Miles/Scales at 2B for so much time. We now have a platoon of Baker and Fontenot.

I’m not convinced that Scutaro will keep hitting at an .800+ OPS, and I’m not convinced that a platoon of Fontenot and Baker won’t be able to put up a .700+ OPS. In other words, I’m not sure that Scutaro will actually be an upgrade over what we have moving forward THIS year.

My concern is for this year too.

And still think 2nd base is a problem position and will be for the rest of the year.

Whether Scutaro fills that or not is debatable. Someone asked for a different option than Sanchez so I threw that realistic option out there.

I realize that...

I was simply providing my opinion on that option.

Yes, he’s a realistic option. I’m just of the belief that we’ll get a .700-.725 OPS (maybe better) from 2B the rest of the way now that we aren’t playing Blanco and Miles. And Scutaro has been a .700-.725 OPS guy throughout his career. I fear that the .800+ OPS he has right now is fool’s gold.

If you think that 2B will continue to be a black hole (sub-.650 OPS) with Fontenot/Baker instead of Blanco/Miles, then Scutaro is still an upgrade. I just have higher expectations for our 2B platoon moving forward.

And his playoff experience is as follows:

Oops... here goes

One season (2006): 7 G, 27 AB, .185/.185/.333 (.519 OPS).

Scutaro has one more playoff hit than Fontenot and Baker combined, in 15 more AB.

Thanks for the info...

Not a considerable amount but being a vet could still help.

That would be the concern, definitely.

Is he a good enough fielder at those 3 positions to offset a slumping bat?

what is this "empty" .300 hitter stuff?

for both his career and this season, Sanchez is hitting over .300 with runners on base, RISP and RISP w/2 out. These are stats where the Cubs have been just awful. His numbers are .20 to .30 pts over .300 in most of these categories. I think the guy earns his paycheck.

His defense and range seem as good or better than everyone we have at 2B except Blanco, but Blanco will never give us the day to day offense like this. It is time we get a clutch hitter in this line up as I am tired of these innings where we get two men on to start an inning and get a doughnut on the board. That will not cut it down the stretch or (hopefully) the play-offs.

Home runs are fun during the regular season, but small ball is going to get you to the promised land.

LAcarl519 - July 23, 2009 reply

I'd sure take him at 2nd base right now.

I’m not sure given Scutaro’s availability who they should sign…who is available and how much the Cubs are willing to pay…but an upgrade would surely help. Hoping Fonty can suddenly hit against righties and lefties at a high level is NOT a winning strategy at all to me. I don’t care anymore what the best strategy was at the beginning of the season, now is where we are…and the Cubs need some help at 2nd base.

If we're picking clean the bones of the Pirates

I’d also inquire about John Grabow. A second decent lefty in the pen should make life easier, and he’s cheap (whatever’s left of $2.3 million this year, then a free agent). 3.07 ERA this year, 2.84 last year. Worth a look.

Inkin - July 23, 2009 reply

I heard Bruce Levin on ESPN radio this morning say...

…the Cubs may target Grabow or even Gorzellany. Take it for what it’s worth.

Gorzellany has been solid since coming to Indianapolis.

He’s dominating Triple-A right now, but I don’t know how it will translate to being back in the Major Leagues. He reminds me a lot of Sean Marshall in terms of stuff, overall.

Plus, he’s a Chicago native and admitted fan of the southside franchise when growing up – I’d rather get Grabow (or try and pluck Snell for a bag of baseballs, though I have questions about him, too).

I don't know that Snell wants to play major league baseball

He sounded so happy when he got sent down. I think as long as his contract is there and the Pirates don’t make him go up to the bigs, he is perfectly content to dominate AAA.

Well, it's been interesting to hear what he's had to say

He did an interview here in Indianapolis where he said he’s suffered from depression, to the point where the negativity around the Pirates made him think about some extreme measures.

Now, if he can’t handle the negativity in Pittsburgh, I don’t know how he’d fare in Chicago. But if his head got screwed on straight during his stint in Indianapolis, he could be a steal for someone.

watching joe beimel youtube videos makes me want to the Cubs to trade for Joe Beimel

Do this often, do you?

do what? watch youtube videos?

wink wink

nudge nudge, KNOW WHAT I MEAN, GOV’NOR?

careful... you almost slipped into Hanna speak there...

Ben, Ben , Ben, you forgot to use your caps lock...

The correct usage is: HANNA SPEAK!

SORRY

LOL, i meant like funny videos ....

FUNNY!

right. Funny videos. Oh, so funny. :D

what it do vanilla face, me and my homie Azamat parked our slab outside

Great win yesterday.

I’m really pleased with Gregg’s performance. I don’t cringe when he comes into the game like I use to.

Go get the Reds!

minor leagues question?

how do jackson and cashner rate versus the divisional starters that may be ready by early 2011 or maybe sooner?

from what i’ve heard, the brewers pitchers are a solid 2 years away.
astros, not so much.
pirates, planning for 2011 or 2012.
reds/cards not sure.

Good question for minor league thread.

This day reminds me of $HITS AND GIGGLES!

if Jim ever grows real hair, he would start by

being creative with his moves. sure you have big contracts, but you have to feel the warm air, not let the fire inside you create a burning dragon!

Can somebody tell me why Randall Simon was such a good hitter?

Serious question, and Jim, I liked that trade!

Last post before somebody else posts

from Mlbtraderumors: “Rockies Will Trade For Bullpen Help Today”
Jim Hendry, the Rockies are calling for you… Heilman for Hawpe … jk but seriously get rid of $hits and Giggles boy Aaron Heilman, his time should be up

uh, if they send us something

they can have david patton back

buehrle is perfect through 5 innings

how will the cubs be able to top that

By not caring?

Precisely.

He’s through 6 innings now.

OR BY MAKING A TRADE FOR LIND 2DAY!!!BE A GOOD TRADE.

couldn’t help myself with al the E-Hanna references.

id prefer PV

Excuse me, did you say "NO HITTER"???

i did not

7 innings now

I hope he gets it, because hawk will drop an F-bomb

hell drop an f bomb if he gets it and hell drop one if he doesnt

See

We all get to win in this situation.

Well, if he gets it, they are in 1st

David Aardsma just saved #24 as Seattle beat the Tigers.

onto the 9th in Chicago...

MLB.com is offering a free live look-in, as well.

I know that's the bigger story, but --

David Aardsma?

Indeed.

Did not see David Aardsma becoming a competent reliever.

Neither did Jim or Lou

not Kenny Williams, for that matter.

or Theo Epstein.

thanks for the tip

got there just in time to see a great over-the-wall catch by Wise.

Yeah, impressive stuff.

Good for Buerhle.

Now through 8

I'm following along on South Side Sox, just for kicks

Linky

It’s actually pretty hilarious! Not watching the game on TV but evidently Hawk is directly or indirectly referencing said no-hitter cause they are giving him shit big-time in the thread.

Wise just made an amazing catch.

indeed

like that catch in straight away center in sanchez’s no no

http://deadspin.com/5321454/

That catch was unbelievable

especially to save a perfect game.

mistersite - July 23, 2009 reply

Video of the catch here...

Eeeewwww, gross!

I feel so dirty after clicking that.

If there's one thing I hate more than ridiculous superstition...

it’s ridiculous superstition, mis-applied. The “real” superstition about not mentioning a no-hitter in progress regards the players in the dugout. Maybe some fans have their own fun with it, but the announcer isn’t supposed to be a fan, he’s supposed to be announcing the events on the field. Yeah, I realize the irony of this statement with Hawk, but putting that aside, one of the pitchers having a perfect game going on is a big event on the field that deserves to be announced.

aldimond - July 23, 2009 reply

it's not a perfect game

till it’s over, tho. I don’t like Hawk, but I don’t begrudge him not saying the words.

no f bomb from hawk

hmmm

well Hawk just had

an aneurysm.

Congrats to Buehrle

false cognate - July 23, 2009 reply

NEVER!

I’ll never hear the end of it from people around town, the media, the voices inside my head…

I'll bet Jessica won't congratulate him

He accused Maddux at least once of doctoring the baseball.

He also accused at least one opponent of stealing signs when he got lit up. Not a big Buerhle fan myself, but that’s quite a game.

Perfect games are rare...

Wow.

They are indeed.

Can any game that is broadcast with Hawk at the microphone really be a "perfect" game?

Hopefully they'll just play Farmer's call of the events

if that makes it better…

If you have it on mute.

mistersite - July 23, 2009 reply

Good point...

Probably not :)

It can be perfectly excruciating.

If that’s what you’re into.

if you have it muted

yes

And the mascot runs on the field??? Crack me up... ;-)

well im going to hear about this for

5 years

Much more than 5 years.

For the rest of your life.

oahu420 - July 24, 2009 reply

good for him

i guess

Paging Dr. Crawdad.....

Good for him

Listening to Hawk at the end of that game will provide me with entertainment for a very long time. No F-bomb, I think had that ball gone out he would have dropped it

he said yeah like 10 times though. That was pretty funny

The last time I heard, "Yessss" that many times was in a porno.

Whats saying that 5 second clip doesnt make it into a porno

Hilarious...

Best Hawk call of the year

I haven’t laughed like that in a while.

VillanuevaExperience - July 23, 2009 reply

Congrats to Buehrle

Shows you that you don’t need a 95 mph fb to dominate

so i was reading the yahoo recap on the perfect game

and about 3 comments on the first page reference the cubs

are they really that pathetic?

Well, at least they aren't driving around Wrigley Field, tooting their car horns...

…like some Sox fans did within 30 minutes after last out was made for WS win in 2005.

That's only because you can drive around Wriglyville at night while honking without fear of being carjacked or shot at.

you dont need to be honking around the cell

to get shot or carjacked

You don't even really need a car.

that's not a very classy comment to make man!

doorpeep - July 23, 2009 reply

AMEN!

Racist smears, nice.

Not sure what was said about race there...

Oh god...

… is it only racist if they drop the “n” word? If you honestly think those comments are not racially tinged then you’re delusional, stupid or both.

No, the racist one would be you, in that you are choosing to interpret SWL's comment that way.

I, personally, feel as though somebody can bring up the crime rate of a particular area and not be implying anything about race. You assume the two must somehow be related.

And there is no racist innuendo here either...

Since he's not big enough to post it here for all to see, here is an email i just recieved (and will not be replying to) from DrCrawdad...

That’s only because you can drive around Wriglyville at night while honking without fear of being carjacked or shot at. – by santoswoodenlegs

you dont need to be honking around the cell…to get shot or carjacked – by jesus christos

You don’t even really need a car. – by Blue W

You don’t even really need a car to be rear-ended in Wrigleyville.

Why would he not have the balls to post that here?

Oh yeah….he likes to shout “racism” whenever it seems convenient and wouldn’t want someone to shout “homophobia” when he actually says something homophobic.

You're comment was posted on a public discussion group...

… it was racist in tone and you should be offended. Interestingly, not one Cubbie fan took offense or chided you and others for your idiotic, racist tinged smears.

CORRECTION: Your comment was posted on a public discussion group...

… it was racist in tone and you should be EMBARRASSED. Interestingly, not one Cubbie fan took offense or chided you and others for your idiotic, racist tinged smears.

Its. Not. Racist.

YOU are making it so.

Posting emails without permission.

And of course missing the whole point. They’re both offensive. One is racist.

I guess you should go ahead and flag my comment then.

Since everything is so black and white in your world…oooops.

santoswoodenlegs - July 24, 2009 reply

Wear it!

Your comments and the others were smears with a racist edge to them. Wear your racism with pride!

so high crime rate equals black?

That’s your assertion right? Otherwise, it’s not racist. If I’m not mistaken, the two hillbillies who charged the field and attacked the Royals base coach a few years ago were white weren’t they?

You seem to be the only one who wants to turn this into a discussion about race

WanderingWanderer - July 24, 2009 reply

Because that's the only retort he can think of

That won’t get him banned (for example, his e-mail to AJS).

I don't particularly care to ask permission.

You are being an insufferable jerk, who, instead of celebrating a quite amazing accomplishment by a member of the team you are a fan of, is instead logging on to a rival teams site, picking fights over innocuous comments, and then taking it off the site and emailing people (unsolicited an unwelcomed) offensive text and photos. If you don’t want to be exposed for doing that, don’t do it. Talk to me on here… stop emailing me.

Go get a beer with your Sox friends man. Celebrate the great thing that took place yesterday. Stop thinking so hard about the team to the north, and certainly stop cheapening that accomplishment by your team by coming here (where, in general we have celebrated the perfect game for you, and i myself have posted videos to wise’s amazing catch) and acting like we have anything to do with it.

FYI

This isn’t meant as a criticism, because I respect your style.

But to let you know because you’re still relatively new here — that’s what Doc does. It’s his “thing”.

Well thanks.

You are cool too, for a Badger. :-)

Hey, it's all Big1T1en

My thing...

… is condemning racist tinged smears.

According to “AndrewJStone”

racist tinged jokes, acceptable
gay tinged jokes, unacceptable

Both are wrong. That was the point of my email.

Looks like someone needs etiquette lessons

Linky

23. Do not use email to discuss confidential information.

Sending an email is like sending a postcard. If you don’t want your email to be displayed on a bulletin board, don’t send it. Moreover, never make any libelous, sexist or racially discriminating comments in emails, even if they are meant to be a joke.

28. Don’t send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks.

By sending or even just forwarding one libelous, or offensive remark in an email, you and your company can face court cases resulting in multi-million dollar penalties.

Oh, and maybe a vocabulary lesson

Definitions of sanctimonious on the Web:

holier-than-thou: excessively or hypocritically pious; “a sickening sanctimonious smile”
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Making a show of being morally better than others; hypocritically pious; Holy, devout
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sanctimonious

sanctimoniously – in a sanctimonious manner; “she was sanctimoniously criticizing everybody”
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

sanctimony – A hypocritical form of excessive piety, considered to be an affectation merely for public show
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sanctimony

2CD (Single, 20 May 2002)
www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Halo-(UK-band)

sanctimony – The Lieutenant
www.speedylook.com/Eric_Roberts.html

And in spite of me ignoring him, now he's just emailing me and calling me an asshole.

Real cool. Keep it classy, man.

he's done that to me too

he can’t celebrate the PERFECT GAME his pitcher just threw, he has to come here and complain to Cubs fans…

drewishdrewid - July 24, 2009 reply

The thing i don't get is this...

… i didn’t even make the comment he views as offensive. I just stated my opinion that the comment didn’t explicitly or (in my opinion) implicitly mention anything about race. Why pick me out of the crowd to harass with Penn and Teller photos and BIG BOLD FONTS via email?

Because he subscribes to:

It's a Crawdad attack.

When one of those lunges at your big toe, you don’t question why, you just stomp on it. He’s only here to stir up trouble. I actually had to mark his email as spam, he wouldn’t shut up.

drewishdrewid - July 24, 2009 reply

Interesting soloution actually.

Probably going to head that direction if i hear from him again.

Nailed it.

I send you an email regarding this discussion that was best, IMO, discussed via email because it would only incite more hate here. You posted the contents of the email here.

I stand by my assessment of you.

Tattle tale

Al, the big mean Sox fan sent me an email.

I stand by my comment about you.

So, SWL and AJS are responsible for that t-shirt, then?

I love how this shirt is bad

But the version of this sold outside the Cell about Wrigley being a gay bar isn’t offensive.

nji232 - July 24, 2009 reply

Nice strawman

dammit

I knew someone said his name three times.

drewishdrewid - July 24, 2009 reply

Looks like I was wrong...

At least one White Sox fan just did a drive-by. Errr.. make that fly-by.

Five helicopters just flew over Wrigley Field. I’m guessing Obama was on one of them as he’s in town for some fund-raiser and landed at OHare earlier today. I didn’t hear any horns though. Which begs the question…

Do helicopters (and airplanes for that matter) have horns? Turn-signals? Rearview mirrors (and the proverbial fuzzy dice)?

The space shuttle has a rear view mirror.

Airplanes have internal horns

Stall warnings. Even if they were audible outside, it wouldn’t be a good idea to make them sound close to the ground.

i would just like to point out that...

…the comments section of yahoo sports is not really an accurate place to extract fan stereotypes.

doorpeep - July 23, 2009 reply

A valid point

However, Dr. Crawdad’s postings in this thread here are supporting those stereotypes.