Alfonso Soriano of
8 years/$136M (2007-14)

    * signed as a free agent 11/06
    * $8M signing bonus
    * 07:$9M, 08:$13M, 09:$16M, 10-14:$18M annually
    * full no-trade clause
    * award bonuses:
          o $0.25M for top vote-getter in All-Star balloting
o $0.35M for World Series MVP
          o $0.25M for LCS MVP
          o $0.3M for MVP
          o $75,000 for Gold Glove
    * perks:
          o suite on road trips
          o 6 premium tickets for each home game (spring training – post-season) and All Star Game (if Soriano is selected)
    * Soriano to donate $25,000 annually to both United Way & Cubs Care
    * 1 year/$10M (2006), re-signed 2/06, lost arbitration (12M-$10M)
    * 1 year/$7.5M (2005), avoided arbitration 1/05
    * 1 year/$5.4M (2004), avoided arbitration 1/04
    * 1 year/$0.8M (2003) 3/03
    * 5 years/$3.15M (1998-2002)
          o signed as a free agent 3/98
          o “retired” 3/98 after 2 years with Hiroshima in order to play in U.S.
    * agent: Diego Bentz, SFX (formerly Don Nomura)
    * ML service: 7.079

*At least we know we’ll never have to pay those items in bold.

Oh and I doubt Dempster would want to re-sign for this craptastic cluster@($*#&$

These guys showed little to no fire, desire, or emotion in this series or last year’s. I wag my finger at Soriano, who not one time stopped pressing at the plate, and looked like a black hole of gloom on the bench. The Cubs can make the postseason without him . . . I will be among the first to say he MUST be traded, even if the club has to eat massive amounts of his contract. The lack of postseason success for him alone has set up this team for offensive futility in October each of the past two years.

I just wish SOMEBODY, ANYBODY on this team would forget about the curse crap and the pressure and just perform like a professional in the postseason!

I will always be a Cubs fan, and they had a superb season that I will remember fondly for many years. . . but it will also be remembered with a bitter taste and a stain on all of the efforts that came before because of this deplorable lack of professionalism and performance, mostly on offense.

Someone has to realize just getting there will NEVER be good enough again, right?

Aramis Ramirez 3b
5 years/$75M (2007-11), plus 2012 club option

    * re-signed as a free agent 11/06
    * $5M signing bonus
    * 07:$8M, 08:$14M, 09:$15.65M, 10:$15.75M, 11:$14.6M player option, 12:$16M club option ($2M buyout)
    * full no-trade clause 2007-10, $1M assignment bonus if traded
    * Ramirez has right to void contract after 2010 & become a free agent
    * award bonuses: $75,000 each for Gold Glove or All Star selection, $0.25M for LCS MVP, $0.3M for MVP,$0.35M for WS MVP
    * Ramirez may void 2012 option, but doing so forfeits $2M buyout
    * 2012 option becomes guaranteed if Ramirez:
          o wins one MVP in 2007-11, or
          o places 2nd or 3rd in MVP vote twice in 2007-11, or
          o wins LCS MVP once in 2007-11, or
          o is an All Star 3 times in 2007-11, or
          o is traded & Ramirez exercises 2011 option
    * 4 years/$42M (2005-08), plus $11M 2009 mutual option
          o exercised right to void final 2 years & become free agent 10/06
          o $1M signing bonus
          o 05:$8M, 06:$10.5M, 07:$11M, 08:$11.5M, 09:$11M mutual option (option is guaranteed with 270 games 2007-08)
          o Ramirez has right to void contract after 2006 & become a free agent
          o extension signed 4/05, replacing 1 year/$8.95M deal (05) signed 1/05 (avoided arbitration, $10.25M-$8M)
    * 3 years/$9.5M (2002-04)
          o 02:$0.5M, 03:$3M, 04:$6M
    * agent: Paul Kinzer
    * ML service: 8.111

Bold is for more things we’ll never have to pay

Have you ever seen a bunch of men try to shit watermelons?

I have to admit, I’m not completely surprised. They’ve been leaving far too many men on base for much of the season. As awful and disappointed as I am right now, I do have to admit that this was one hell of a season. We’ll start over again in 6 months, and do it right this time.

I followed this team, like so many of you, day in and day out since Valentine’s Day. For this? They just find new and creative ways to break my heart.

I’ll start the blame game tomorrow. For now, I just want to cry.

1. Soriano hitting leadoff is not a good idea in the post season. It’s ok during the season because he can hammer mediocre pitchers that can’t locate but against elite pitchers he simply does not know how to work them, go the other way or walk. Giving him the most at bats in a critical series is a mistake and sets a bad tone.

2. This post season and last post season the Cubs had a poor approach at the plate. You can’t swing for the fences against top pitchers. Instead of concentrating on getting on base and putting the ball in play they took big, anxious swings and showed little patience.

3. Despite Dempster’s fine year, starting a pitcher in game one of a short series that had never started a playoff game is probably not a good idea. because you really have no clue how he’s going to respond. If he blows it, it starts things off poorly.

4. The Cub’s regulars had not been swinging the bats well in September. I think the last 2 games against the Brewers should have been treated as playoff games to get into a groove. Especially the one against CC. Instead, the offensive approach against CC this time was poor, allowing him to pitch a complete game with around 120 pitches.
I was vey concerned at that point .

5. The above is how I felt before the first pitch was even thrown.

Figure out some changes. No point doing the same thing all over .

At least we’re not Mets fans. Missing the postseason 2 years in a row like they have is slightly more embarassing than our failure in the postseason the past two seasons.

EDDIE!