His career record is 99 games over .500. I'm hoping it's still over .500 when he's done in Wrigley. I'm not knocking his hiring, I've just grown weary of anything that the Cubs do. After all, Dusty Baker was the hot thing when we got him.
Lou would not be my first choice (that would be Joe Girardi), but the fact they hired Lou means they want to win NOW. With the Central as weak as it is, I suppose that is possible, especially if a couple of the myriad young pitchers we tried this year actually pan out (I am betting on Rich Hill and Sean Marshall)
I have also read that they will probably up the payroll to $115 million (up about $20 million from where it was this year). Of course, that does not mean that we will spend it wisely, but there is always hope. I mean, we did finally get rid of Neifi Perez!
Originally posted by Java I mean, we did finally get rid of Neifi Perez!
And he's in the World Series.
Will he bench Murton too?
As of 2/28/05: 101 pounds since December 7, 2004 OFFICIAL THREE-MONTH COUNT: 112 pounds on March 9, 2005 OFFICIAL SIX-MONTH COUNT: 142 pounds on June 8, 2005 OFFICIAL ONE YEAR COUNT: 187 pounds on December 7, 2005 As of 2/27/06: 202 pounds "I've lost a heavyweight" As of 7/31/06: 224 pounds
Listening to Tim Kurkjian on ESPN on the way home from work. His analysis on the hiring of Piniella - they need to get him some good players, because Lou won't do a good job managing with bad players, like he had in Tampa.
What???? Of course he'll look like a good manager with good players. What kind of crappy analysis is that?
I don't think it matters who the Cubs have as manager. They're cursed, I tells ya.
We really were cursed by a voodoo priest/priestess though.
They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
Originally posted by piemanI don't think it matters who the Cubs have as manager. They're cursed, I tells ya.
No such thing. Curses are created by lazy sportswriters to sell books.
The Curse of Mattingly is real. As for the Cubs with Sweet Lou: They'll extend the futility into the second century, but at least they'll have 3-4 bench clearing brawls during the season to provide entertainment.
Originally posted by piemanBy the way, I was only kidding about the cubs being cursed.
Making decisions like hiring an old out of touch manager like Lou Piniella is what will curse them to be losers for the foreseeable future.
Here's where being owned by a multimedia conglomerate changes the decision making process.
Rumors here in Chicago were that Hendry wanted to wait and try to go after Bruce Bochy. He was dismissed as being a not "sexy" enough candidate. The Tribune Co. and Interim GM John McDonough (the former head of marketing) know that they need to make a big splash. Since Joe Torre didn't get fired, this is the biggest name they could hire.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it just came out in the news media here that the Cubs fell behind the White Sox in local television ratings this year for the first time since Harry Caray jumped to the other side of town. Ticket sales the last month of the season were down, the park was a ghost town on some weekdays, and the secondary market (of which the Cubs are an active participant through their own ticket broker service) was moribund. Another 66-96 season could, if coupled with another playoff chase/entry for the White Sox, severely hurt the perception of Chicago being a Cubs town. Lou will likely make them respectable next year, which will be plenty to get attendance back up and the media in a more forgiving tone. He's not the right man for the long haul, but then the Tribune Co. is being slowly pecked to death by the Chandlers and Ariel Co. and will likely be exploring sale of the Cubs within the next 18 months, so they aren't really concerned with that long term.
You can have Prior, if you like torn labrums in pitching shoulders. Aramis has a player option right now on his deal, and is renegotiating, he'll either re-sign or walk. You'd probably be looking at taking Zambrano and some other guys in a package for A-Rod and Hughes. If I'm Jim Hendry, I don't make that deal unless I get a young pitcher back. Then of course, you could always get a third team in play, which would make the possibilities nearly endless.
They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
Originally posted by WhitebaconYou can have Prior, if you like torn labrums in pitching shoulders. Aramis has a player option right now on his deal, and is renegotiating, he'll either re-sign or walk. You'd probably be looking at taking Zambrano and some other guys in a package for A-Rod and Hughes. If I'm Jim Hendry, I don't make that deal unless I get a young pitcher back. Then of course, you could always get a third team in play, which would make the possibilities nearly endless.
IF the Cubs trade Zambrano, even for a potent bat like A-Rod, they'll just continue on the path that has brought such a successful century of Cubs baseball. Why did they almost win a pennant in '03? They had power arms. Good Pitching, with a consistent offense, wins. They can have A-Rod, Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Derek Lee and they'll end up competing for the N.L. Wild Card(because you really have to suck not to be in that competition in some manner) but they won't get a pennant or a World Series because Pitching, Pitching, Pitching is what wins in October.
I agree completely, which is why I don't think it'll get done unless the Yankees will take a package with Rich Hill as the pitching centerpiece (which I also don't think will get done.)
They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
I agree, I think we would need to get a 3rd team involved. Maybe Pie to the Sox for Brandon McCarthy, and then use him, Hill, Donald Veal and Murton as a package?
As far as A-Rod playing short, everything I have been reading in the past couple days says he has put on 15-20 pounds, and is not really capable of playing short at this point. Not sure if he can take off the weight to get down to where he could.
So, in the end, you would probably be replacing Ramirez with A-Rod. An upgrade for sure, but at the cost of 3-4 prospects? Don't think so...
Originally posted by JavaI agree, I think we would need to get a 3rd team involved. Maybe Pie to the Sox for Brandon McCarthy.
That is not happening in this or any other lifetime. The Sox already have three to four players penciled for the OF that they consider high-ceiling prospects (Anderson, Owens, Sweeney, possibly Fields) and are certainly not going to give up their #1 prospect to add yet another OF. Plus, the Sox are also looking for Rodriguez. The NY Daily News said a few days ago that Kenny Williams offered the Yankees Joe Crede and a choice of either Javier Vazquez/Mark Buehrle/Freddy Garcia for A-Rod and was turned down, and the Yanks counter offer was Crede and McCarthy.
Originally posted by JavaI agree, I think we would need to get a 3rd team involved. Maybe Pie to the Sox for Brandon McCarthy.
That is not happening in this or any other lifetime. The Sox already have three to four players penciled for the OF that they consider high-ceiling prospects (Anderson, Owens, Sweeney, possibly Fields) and are certainly not going to give up their #1 prospect to add yet another OF. Plus, the Sox are also looking for Rodriguez. The NY Daily News said a few days ago that Kenny Williams offered the Yankees Joe Crede and a choice of either Javier Vazquez/Mark Buehrle/Freddy Garcia for A-Rod and was turned down, and the Yanks counter offer was Crede and McCarthy.
Would Hawk Harrelson commit suicide if the White Sox traded away the greatest defensive 3rd baseman in the last 50 years? Buehrle all signs point to going to the Cardinals after next season as a free agent, and the Yankees are stilling paying part of Vazquez' salary after they ran him out of town in the Johnson trade post game 7 in '04, so taking him back would be unusual.
I was kinda hoping. Last time I did this, I forgot I was in the league, and by the time I checked(LATE in the season), I was winning. Wound up getting second. :)