Still sucks though, lol.

Go Royals!

But after games like today I “hear” you (through the site of course) saying “It’s only one game, they weren’t going to win 162.”

I don’t throw things as much, thanks. LOL

you probably should have used this one to describe today’s game… ;-)

Baby, you’ll come knocking on my front door
Same old line you used to use before
I said yeah well, what am I supposed to do
I didn’t know what I was getting into

So you’ve had a little trouble in town
Now you’re keeping some demon down
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my
Stop draggin’ my heart around

I’m guessing this is from Deep Goat correct?

But I do know someone in the front office, as a family friend, and I also heard something about C.C.

While I’d be leery about trading for Sabathia unless the Cubs had a real good chance to sign him to an extension—there’s no doubt that Sabathia could make a great 1-2 punch with Carlos Zambrano … for several years to come if they can sign him…

Go get him, Jim.

The Cubbies would be in a great position to sign CC, if that’s what the Cubbies desired as they certainly have the resources. But why “be leery about trading” for CC unless the Cubbies can sign him to an extension? The Cubbies have spent a fortune on this years (and last years) teams, why be conservative?

As it is right now the Cubbies have two strong starters one hurt and the other with a very strong start this season but a track record that screams get another strong starter if you can.

...but I’ve tried really really hard to ignore that bias in the last month or so and try to objectively understand what the Cubs have that would make sense in exchange for CC. And unless Marmol or Soto are part of the equation, I just don’t see it working.

So let me turn it around to the rest of you – first, please try really really hard to ignore your Cubbie bias, and then try to objectively explain what package of Cubs’ talent would make sense for Cleveland.

Gallagher, Marshall, Pie, Patterson? the Cubs have a couple of good arms in Jose Ceda and Dae Eun Rhee…I agree that its hard to imagine the Red Sox not being able to put together a better package with Jed Lowrie or the Brewers loaded system…but we can dream?

Brian Runge suspended one game. He did apologize to Manuel, who was fined $500 and Beltran was fined $400.

The Indians have screaming need for bullpen help for the future. Given the poor condition of the Cub farm system I’d have to believe that Cleveland would insist on Carlos Marmol as starters. If you’re the Cubs I don’t know how you do that. Yes Sabathia is a phenomenal pitcher, but yes also he will test the free agent waters and is in line for a HUGE payday. Plus a strong bullpen is key to success. Our bullpen is already suspect enough without dealing the best set-up man in baseball.

Carlos Marmol and Sean Gallagher for Sabathia? No thanks.

8th inning and Omar Vizquel is up for most likely the last time in Cleveland and the crowd is giving him standing ovation on every pitch. Awesome…

Isnt as over rated as Ozzie Smith is either.

If they are unable to resign him, then they will lose at least LaPorta and a couple prospects, CC, and Sheets. So hey, let them have him!

Again today we saw a mental lapse in the field. A mental lapse that if it was not comitted probably would have allowed The French Connection to get out of the 3rd inning Debacle…. assuming that he can turn the double play on the come backer to him immediately following that play.

I can handle a loss…but I can’t handle sloppy play. Especially if you remove those 5 runs and assume that the starters (Lee, ARAM, etc) stay in the game, we still have a shot to win the game. We for sure lost Tuesday’s game because of one and today’s may have been a lot closer if that would not have happened

I mean how can Mikey not know that he needs to cover the freaking bag when the Riot who he can see and would be the only other possible person who would cover the bag can’t do it because he is out taking the cut off.

We have to try to minimize the mental gaffes, errors, baserunning mistakes, etc. If we want to make a deep run in the playoffs, we have to play smarter. We can’t give extra outs or give up extra bases.

or else he pulls an Ed Wade on hiM!

How can I email you?

Burnett Is probably the cheapest from a prospect perspective….

But at this point he is nothing more than another version of Marquis with a little bit more zip on his fastball.

He surely has more potential than Marquis…but he sure is not pitching like it this year. If you can get him without having to give up Gallagher…than maybe that is worth a gamble.

CC Sabathia, Rich Harden, AJ Burnett, Tim Hudson (Atlanta is about to go into full blown rebuild mode), Miguel Batista, Jarod Washburn, Gil Meche, Greg Maddux, Kevin Millwood, Paul Byrd…..

TIM HUDSON is a name worth investigating. Maybe a pitching rich package to include Sean Gallagher and Donald Veal to go along with Felix Pie????

Let’s assume that the Tigers falter again in the next month…they maybe willing to move him.

I know that he is 43 years old and he does not like Cameramen and Paul Sullivan may have to hire a bodyguard, but he is a lefty who can dominate, fields his position, and has had success in the playoffs.

If you can get him for a cheap prospect and some cash, he might be worth it if nothing else pans out.

Consider that our main competition if things ended today for both a Pennant (Phils) and Series title (Sox) are heavily loaded in non-switching hitting left handed hitting position players.

Here are the standings. Before you make a trade proposal, check them. If a team is less than seven games out of their division, or for that matter less than seven out of the wild card, they’re probably not sellers.

here. Sheffield is back, and nobody in the league pitched worse than that staff in the first 21/2 months. Add Gallaraga and settle down that staff, and you’re looking at a challenging team after the break.

The sox pen is unreliable, crede’s back is again weakening, and Contreras is worthless right now.

Cleveland will likely deal CC, and the hope here is that Cubs can make that trade. After all that, Cleveland might just end up 1 or 2 in that division. My money is still on the sox falling to 3rd at best, and 5th in the best scenario.

Is that Chris Carpenter actually makes it back this year and pitches anything like he did before….

That is in effect like the cardinals trading for a legit #1 starter. It would then give them a solid #1 and #2.

I doubt that he will be back to his 2004/05/06 form this year…but he has to be better than the Looper/Mitchell Boggs combination.

I still think that they will fall apart…but they sure seem to be hanging on when all the odds are against them…

• If Charlie Finley had shut his yapper and quietly sold Joe Rudi, Rollie Fingers, and Vida Blue for millions back in 1976, then a precedent would have been established and the Cubs could simply send a boatload of cash in the direction of Cleveland for C.C. Sabathia. I get that Attanasio is loaded but I still bet the Cubs have more $$$ than the Brewers. And what owner doesn’t love money?

• I’m hoping the Cubs win tomorrow or Saturday so they can close the first half of 2008 with at least 50 wins. Not that it really means anything, but to be on a 100-win pace at the half would be neat.

• Does anyone know who the old lady with the short white hair is, that they always show sitting behind the Cubs dugout during the 7th inning stretch?

• My wife is watching the game with me on Tuesday night and she suddenly asks “What does ‘Eat More Katsui’ mean?” At first I thought she saw some kind of racist banner in the bleachers so I asked where she saw that. She said, “It’s on top of that one apartment building across the street.” Suddenly I started guffawing uncontrollably and said, “That says “EAMUS CATULI”!

I have never like marquis but I always thought or heard that he was at least an innings eater. he’s not even that. i will not watch another cubs game he starts for awhile. I cant stomach him. thats saying alot seeing how i watch almost every cub game.

as far as the  "rumors"  Al says he has heard. I will be the 1st to buy a "cc" jersey if he comes to the cubs buttt i wont get my hopes up anytime soon. matter of fact, hopefully i eat my words, we will not be getting a frontline starter. we have absolutely nothing a gm would want for cc,harden,burnett etc.  correct if i'm wrong but what package can hendry possibly make that would be better than that of a brewers,yankees,braves etc .

even if it came down to it-a pkg consisting of marshall,pie,hill,gallagher,ceda,cedeno,wuertz or two 1st rd picks for sabathia?? your a major league team trying to put butts in seats and win ballgames in the future-which do you take? I gotta take the 2 picks.

hopefully i’m wrong but realistically speaking I think i’m pretty close to right!

Tough Baltimore series, but thankfully I’ve missed it due to being pretty busy. I’m now in Santa Barbara preparing to get to work. I’ll post a listen link after a couple games so I won’t sound so rusty. : )

crazymountain, sorry I haven’t e-mailed you back in a while. I got pretty busy with moving out, packing, travel, etc. You’ll hear from me again soon.

Now, back to business. Let’s get those Sox!

OK, what with the apparent agreement of BCB readers, Cubs beat writers, Cubs players, and Cub management that a top grade SP is now required to be added to the rotation, and since this will likely be a main topic of conversation for the next several weeks, I would like to respectfully point out that “dominate” is a verb, and if you are looking for an adjective, please use “dominant”.

I keep seeing here that Cleveland wouldn’t be willing to wait while prospective trade partners negotiated a new contract with Sabathia. I don’t understand this. Not saying it isn’t true, but why wouldn’t they?

I’d have thought they could get a better return for him if they allowed that negotiation to take place.

What do the Indians gain by vetoing it? Is it just a matter of trying to appease their fans by appearing reluctant to make a trade (“we don’t like trading CC any more than you do. Yes we probably will trade him, but if we do we’ll drag our feet and put up obstacles first just to show how reluctant we are”).

If they allowed teams to negotiate.

throwing out the first today at cubs/sox game.

Al, nice to meet you yesterday. Since I stayed in Skokie after Wednesday night’s game, I missed a lot of sports news, so thanks for the Fukudome update. I like what I saw this morning even better, that Hendry is exploring a Sabathia deal.

As far as yesterday’s game goes, it wasn’t the worst I’ve ever seen, but it’s among them. For this year, I’ve been to 5 home games and seen them lose 3 . . . 30% for a team that is 33-10 at home. Hard to believe. I’ll try to stick to night games that Ted Lilly is starting—those were the two wins!

Fukudome will lead off and DH. DWard in RF. I don’t like it.