Thank You, I'll Be Here All Week
I haven't thrown in the towel yet, but I've started doing towel drills.
[RIMSHOT!]
Or, maybe you'd like this quote from the legendary New York writer Jimmy Breslin, writing about the horrendous 1962 Mets:
Seriously. The 2006 Cubs aren't that bad, but they do come up with new and imaginative ways to lose every day. Today: ten walks, two runs scored on wild pitches, another on a tough error given to Aramis Ramirez that could have been a DP ball, and yet more on a three-run homer into the teeth of a northeast wind.
You know the facts. The Cubs lost 9-0 to the Padres today. That's the first sweep by San Diego in Wrigley Field in 14 years. They got swept out of the season series with the Padres. It's 12 losses in 13 games, 14 of 16.
They lost to a pitcher who threw his first major league complete game and shutout. A pitcher who had issued seventeen walks in his last 27.1 innings -- and today, he walked one. And it was Neifi Perez. And he had to do that intentionally.
Meanwhile, Cub pitchers were issuing ten walks to go along with the nine Padre hits, the guy who reached on Aramis' error, and one hit batsman by Jae-Kuk Ryu, making his ML debut. I told Mike, after Ryu struck out two in his inning of work, that I hoped he'd strike out the side.
That'd make him ... the new Todd Wellemeyer.
Thank you! I'll be here all week!
And after that, he didn't wind up doing it, anyway.
Brian Giles tied a major league record by walking five times in a nine-inning game. Meanwhile, Hensley struck out all five times he batted. We are investigating whether or not that's ever happened in the same game, much less by players on the same team, before.
Watching Rich Hill closely, you can see why he has trouble at this level, and why I will continue to call him a Quadruple-A player. He nibbles around the plate with that curveball. Triple-A hitters will get fooled by that and swing and whiff at it many times; this accounts for Hill's huge K numbers at Iowa this year. Major league hitters -- excellent example, Giles, a patient hitter -- will lay off that sort of thing, and thus, Hill walks too many people, thus leading to far too many runs.
Hill actually kept the Cubs in the game till he was lifted for Scott Williamson with the score still a manageable 2-0. Williamson promptly walked the first hitter he faced, then wild-pitched in one of Hill's runners as well as one of his own, after Josh Barfield singled.
Had enough of this? Yeah, I have too. The sun came out today -- we thought that might be a good omen, but all it did was make it comfortable in the 52-degree weather, until the 8th inning when clouds and fog began to roll in off the lake.
So, with Mark in tow today, Jeff & Krista decided to amuse me by telling me he didn't need a haircut, even though he's now sporting bangs that cover his eyes and some Star Trek-looking sideburns.
Take a look at the photo below:
And then vote in the poll I've posted on this topic, on the right sidebar.
At this point, we need just about anything to distract us from this disaster of a team. I didn't want to believe it till today, but they really do look like they've quit. Cub pitchers threw 174 pitches today; Hensley threw 92. You'd think that after a while, especially with a pitcher with the history of wildness that Hensley has, that the Cubs would be more patient and try to get on base.
Nope. It looks like Juan Pierre's been well-scouted by most teams -- yesterday, he had three flyouts to left, today, two groundouts to first. His stats in the leadoff spot are approaching 2005 Patterson territory. No one else hit at all today; the only two hits (doubles by Todd Walker and Michael Barrett) were ground balls that were both just fair, one inside each foul line.
What to do? Look, we all love this team and love the game, or we wouldn't be here. It's terrible to think that after thirty-seven games, the season may be lost. Wholesale firings at this point aren't going to change a thing. Jim Hendry must be held accountable, yes, but it is the roster for which he is accountable, and he hasn't given the proper tools for winning -- and that's even taking into consideration that the best hitter on the ballclub is injured and out for an extended period (and the Cubs are now 6-17 without Derrek Lee).
If there is anything to salvage from this season -- even just playing competitive baseball -- Hendry has to make some moves and NOW, and having a day off tomorrow, with no game till Tuesday night, might be just the time to do so. And someone has to step up. Getting a "disciplinarian" manager isn't the answer -- this is the time when one of the players has to call a closed-door meeting, and hash out exactly what's wrong.
Got to see something else that's rarely seen -- a runner called out for leaving too early on an apparent sacrifice fly, nullifying a San Diego run in the fourth inning and instead, resulting in an inning-ending double play.
Yes, that's what we're reduced to. Someone sitting in the section to my left, during Ryu's horrid inning, yelled out, "Bring in Assenmacher." Well, heck, Paul Assenmacher, ex-Cub reliever from the late 80's and early 90's, is only 45 years old. And lefthanded. Why not?
Enough. Everyone needs the day off tomorrow -- players, fans, everyone. Jim Hendry, DO SOMETHING TOMORROW. Please.
Oh, and
THE PA SPEAKERS ARE STILL TOO LOUD! PLEASE, PLEASE TURN THEM DOWN!
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Comments
Off Day
What to do? To me, it's easy. I would fire Dusty. He has been at the helm since 2003 and over we've seen this team get collectively worse over that time. I cannot see this happening, however here is what else I'd do, TOMORROW!
- Fire Gene Clines and Gary Matthews. These two have been in charge of a miserable offense over the past four years. The team's approach to hitting has been horrid. Why Matthews as well? Because Clines should not be the lone fall guy when Matthews also has been a hitting coach and simply got refolded into the Cubs staff. Replace them with whoever. I'd love to see Sandberg the new first base coach for this team.
- Fire Larry Rothschild. I've long been a supporter of him, however lets look at the record. Pitchers who have fared well under his watch: Dempster, Marshall (perhaps), Zambrano. Pitchers who have failed/seen their career head south/gone on to success elsewhere: Farnsworth, Cruz, Koronka, Mitre, Wellemeyer, Hawkins, Clement, Remlinger, Estes, Alfonseca. Its time to cut him loose and make a change. That change is NOT Dick Pole.
- Move Hairston, Bynum, Novoa and Rusch. Bynum and Rusch are useless. Novoa needs to go to AAA. Hairston is not getting it done playing twice a week.
by dmlichte on May 14, 2006 5:09 PM CDT 0 recs
I'm in total agreement with you...
by Al on
May 14, 2006 5:11 PM CDT
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Rothschild
Not that Rothschild is not culpable in part for the mess, but let's be fair.
by WGNstatic on
May 14, 2006 8:10 PM CDT
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The Management is to Blame--The TOP GUYS!!!
The team's managment believes in dominant pitching, and then turns the young talent over to a boob who doesn't understand pitching except that he thinks the pitchers should tell him when they need to come out of the game...urggghhh!!!
The Team Management, i.e., McPhail, Hendry and Baker have decided to hang their hats on the Wood and Prior saga. Guess what guys? Just like the odds favor the house in Vegas, the odds are stacked heavily against those 2 returning to 2003 dominance. So I blame these three Cubs boobs for living in the past!
It's no one's fault that lee is injured and out, but it sure is hendry and Baker's fault for building a team that has consistently ignored the improtance of getting on base and how it helps one score runs consistently. The offense will be better with a healthy Lee, but seriously it's a mediocre offense at best when Lee is healthy. Barrett, Walker, and Cedeno played fantastic in April but they seriously played over their heads, too. Now they are returning to their levels (regressing to their means) and we still haven't seen jack from Pierre and Aaramis. These 2 players deserve a whole lot of criticism, they have performed woefully and it has nothing to do with Lee being out. Jones sucks in my opinion, but I give him credit for totally smoking righties and really turning it on during the road trip to the west coast. Had Aaramis and Pierre hit as well as Jones di d on that road trip then we'd be seeing much better offesne but still horrific starting pitching every 4th and 5th day.
In two more years it will be 100 years of fricking losing! IU hate it! I say fire the entire organization and blow up the fricking shrine to losers and start over completely.
The Cubs have no plan, they deserve to be obliterated!
by DudeVf1 on
May 14, 2006 8:48 PM CDT
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why preserve dusty?
or have we just succumbed to the intoxication of celebrity here?
by gaius marius on
May 15, 2006 8:45 AM CDT
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because
by brianp88 on
May 15, 2006 8:49 AM CDT
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i hadn't considered
but remember that, in order to become spreadable, he'll have to be properly canned. :)
by gaius marius on
May 15, 2006 9:20 AM CDT
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LOL
"We're terribly disappointed in our season. It was unexpected. We have to hire the right manager and make improvements personnel-wise." - Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry.
Is the preceding Jim Hendry quote in today's paper? Nope. It's from 2002. Here's our starters on Opening Day, 2002:
Roosevelt Brown
Delino DeShields
Alex Gonzalez
Todd Hundley
Jon Lieber
Fred McGriff
Corey Patterson
Sammy Sosa
Chris Stynes
A year later, the Cubs were five outs from going to the World Series. That tells you that this thing can be turned around in a years time.
What can be done to fix this? I know you're calling for Dusty's head, but if Hendry fires Baker, he's all but admitting he made a mistake and that puts his head on the chopping block too. Is Hendry ready to do that? I doubt it. It might be the right thing to do, but is it really going to happen? I don't know. I don't think it will. Even IF Hendry decides he has to fire Baker, is he realistically going to hire Piniella or someone of his stature? Would he Piniella even come here? If the Cubs can't get/don't want him, who else is out there? Bruce Kimm?
It's easy to say fire Baker, but that isn't going to solve all of our problems. Dusty isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, the problem is he's in a gun fight with a knife. He's got rookie pitchers, an under performing centerfielder, an under performing third baseman a horrible signing for a right fielder. His best pitchers and his best overall player is on the DL. Casey Stengel couldn't win with this lot. We'll have to trade Pierre for prospects, find a way to get rid of Jones (easier said than done) and get some bench depth for next year. Baker isn't the world's greatest manager, but I'm not blaming him for this dismal season. Firing Baker isn't he first order of business. Improving the roster is.
by brianp88 on
May 15, 2006 10:03 AM CDT
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I don't
I will say this, however. I do not blame this season's failings on Baker. Hendry put a lousy team together. Baker, of course, has gotten the bare minimum out of them, but while in seasons past I could honestly say that I felt Baker was costing games w/ strategic moves as well as with the way he handled the clubhouse, I think he's been okay this year...not great, but okay. I'd fire him because I still think hes a bad manager and not the guy I want leading this club. His errors of he past are reason enough to me.
DmL
by dmlichte on
May 15, 2006 9:39 AM CDT
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Lifeless
by mrcubsfan on May 14, 2006 5:10 PM CDT 0 recs
Lifeless
FIRE Hendry, Dusty, Larry, Dick, and Gene. You can keep Speier and Sarge (as long as he stays coaching 1st!)
DFA Novoa, Bynum and Rusch.
release Williamson and recall Aardsma and Wuertz, he was sent down very quickly, while Novoa continues too stink up the joint.
Keep Mabry till Lee gets back, after that keep him only if he performs, he's a Card, probably a mole too. :)
by CubFaninNY on
May 14, 2006 5:23 PM CDT
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Release WIlliamson!?!
by WGNstatic on
May 14, 2006 8:12 PM CDT
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what has he done?
by CubFaninNY on
May 15, 2006 10:14 AM CDT
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Last year, the Astros were
Yes, I know we aren't the Astros. But I like dreaming about it.
by sanantonecub on May 14, 2006 5:17 PM CDT 0 recs
Whatever gets you through the night
by cubbiejulie on
May 14, 2006 5:18 PM CDT
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keep on dreaming
by CubFaninNY on
May 14, 2006 5:41 PM CDT
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Don't ever change, dude...
Wood's line the other night in the minoirs was not that good. In fact, he sort of struggled against AAA players. But hey, he should fit right in because we have players on our bench, Bynum and Perez, etc...who would struggle in AAA...
Can the Cubs turn around like the Astors last year? I was choking on my own rage so much that I find this question to be very interesting, a Heimlich maneuver to my emotions right now....
Hmmmm....The Cubs have a bullpen, an excellent bullpen...If we can get the game to that pen tied or with a 1 run lead, then we can start winning lots of games. But every 4th and 5th day we have Bozo and Bronco the Clowns pitching for us...The Cubs are tied to the fortunes of Wood and Prior, unfortunately...If they had a better ofense I could see the possibility of turning it around...If they did turn it around like the Stros did then Aramis and Pierre have to start hitting huge and now...
by DudeVf1 on
May 14, 2006 11:48 PM CDT
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Define quit
2.Putting Perez in the starting lineup.
3.Talking about bad breaks as if that were the reason for losing.
4.Blaming the lack of veteran leadership for the lack of focus and execution.
5.Calling fans quitters for failing to accept the poor performance.
6.Expecting a GM to magically reenergize a pathetic team by bringing in a washed up veteran.
I'm sure there are many other examples but I quit looking for them. But I ask one question. What one act would send a signal that things better change or else? It has to be the firing of Baker. Anything else is lip service. Yet we still hear that Hendry is waiting for the opportunity to extend his contract. That would be the ultimate slap in the face to all Cub fans who have supported the team year after year. Anything less negates the PR spin control that rules the organization's response to ineptitude.
by tharr on May 14, 2006 5:18 PM CDT 0 recs
Agreed
Don't these guys watch film? How hard is it to say to yourself "I'm not swinging at the first pitch, no matter what? I'm not swinging at the second pitch unless I absolutely, positively, can't lay off."
Worked for Wade Boggs.
by cubbiejulie on
May 14, 2006 5:20 PM CDT
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Amen
That's the truth!
by ccd on
May 14, 2006 8:08 PM CDT
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unfortunately
most of the players would take pitches if they were commanded to under threat of benching. but who's gonna do that on this club?
by gaius marius on
May 15, 2006 8:50 AM CDT
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Take Pitches or be benched?
by Frustrated Fan on
May 15, 2006 10:09 AM CDT
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Dude
But it's pretty obvious now, this is Dusty's last season.
by CliffX on
May 14, 2006 6:23 PM CDT
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Don't count on Dusty leaving...
Or maybe he is waiting for the game when guys get all the signs right, don't get doubled off on easy fly balls, don't call the announcer booth to complain during the games, don't complain that fans boo them too much, take a few walks during a game and don't issue any...
If the Cubs get slaughtered by the Sox and play like .350 ball in May, then I'd say Dusty still has a 50/50 chance of reasonable contract extension. To me this is the underlying problem with Hendry and why the Cubs should have cleaned house totally, axed McPhail, Hendry and Baker, is that he puts these ridiculous loyalties over winning. A huge conflict of interest from a fan's perspective as everyone gets rich, the team makes gobs of cash and nowhere do we have any kind of plan for playing winning baseball.
The old school scout types are a very prejudice bunch and they'll cut off their nose to just prove that no one can tel them how to do anything, especially people who have never played the game...The Cubs have embraced this closed minded approach for building a team and it leaves them with zero flexibility when the wheels start falling off....
Anyway, the only way I see Dusty not coming back is if he is contacted by another club and has a lock on another job in media market with far less scrutiny...It will be Dusty's choice as I think Hendry is already committed to making him an offer.
by DudeVf1 on
May 15, 2006 3:06 PM CDT
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I was unfortunately at the game...
Cubs fans, it's not looking good. I give it another week of this kind of play and Dusty will be gone. It's not going to help the team, and I'm actually advocating firing him just because it's actually doing something. One more week of this and the season is lost....then it can actually be fun to watch the Cubs just implode....we can actually see how bad they can really be.
by Imtrejo on
May 14, 2006 6:30 PM CDT
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Mark needs a haircut.
I have to agree with everyone else that says it looks like this team has cashed it in. I mean, I knew we had a few impatient hitters in our lineup, but nothing like I've seen the last two weeks, and especially today. Anyone who's taken Intro to Hitting should know not to flail at anything that looks like it could end up in the strike zone, and that's what these guys are doing.
I know they can't possibly "enjoy" losing, but that doesn't mean they're all giving 110% all the time.
But on that note, I've gotta give credit to A-Ram for that diving stop he made in the 7th. Nice work, Aramis.
by elscorcho0682 on May 14, 2006 5:21 PM CDT 0 recs
Who's good with Photoshop ?
by slide on
May 14, 2006 5:55 PM CDT
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I'll get right on that.
by Tom on
May 14, 2006 8:22 PM CDT
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Mark Murton
I e-mailed it to you - don't know any other way to get it posted.
by Tom on
May 14, 2006 9:02 PM CDT
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You
I don't think "morph" is the right word, but whatever. Alliteration station.
by elscorcho0682 on
May 14, 2006 9:26 PM CDT
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not photoshop
My favourite is Rick Reuschel holding a beer ...
This is from the wonderful (although not updated nearly enough -- hope you're reading Diana) Chicago Cubs Photos blog.
by kjk on
May 14, 2006 8:28 PM CDT
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Maybe a trim on those sideburns
I stopped watching the game after Williamson's display of control.
by Whitebacon on May 14, 2006 5:23 PM CDT 0 recs
I agree...
by sparkles721 on
May 14, 2006 10:46 PM CDT
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About Rich Hill...
Can Rothschild - clearly he doesn't understand the value of a walk to the other team.
by shawndgoldman on May 14, 2006 5:24 PM CDT 0 recs
and even Z...
by shawndgoldman on
May 14, 2006 5:25 PM CDT
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I agree with...
But seriously -- why is it that Hill can throw strikeouts at AAA, and then come to the majors with presumably the same repertoire, and walk five in five innings?
That can't be Rothschild. It has to be the way hitters approach him at the different levels.
by Al on
May 14, 2006 5:30 PM CDT
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or
he's fine when he challenges hitters. he just can't bring himself to do it. same with guzman. they may not be roger clemens, but they're servicable pitchers if they throw strikes.
i don't know if rothschild tells them to nibble. but he pretty clearly isn't telling them not to, and hasn't been for years. and dusty hasn't been holding him accountable for it for years.
toss the whole shooting match into the river. none of them has done anything to merit saving them.
by gaius marius on
May 15, 2006 8:54 AM CDT
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Guzman
by CubFaninNY on
May 14, 2006 5:40 PM CDT
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Relief pitcher
by CliffX on
May 14, 2006 6:25 PM CDT
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The reason why Rich Hill
I've seen enough of Hill to agree with Al that he never will be any good in this league. He just doesn't seem to get it. I'm sure somewhere along the way, a Pitching Coach has worked with him to get the ball down, cuz you just can't be successful in this league consistently working up in the zone, with every pitch.
by escapegoat on
May 15, 2006 3:29 PM CDT
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How about this lineup?
LF - Murton
SS - Cedeno
2B - Walker
3B - Ramirez
C - Barrett
RF - Jones
2B - Theriot
CF - Pierre
then if Pierre continues to suck, bring up Pie, bat him 7th, Theriot drop to 8th.
by John916 on May 14, 2006 5:30 PM CDT 0 recs
"I don't imagine management"
You got that right. Dusty's excuse would be that Pierre is faster than Opie.
But if Pierre can't get on base, his speed means NOTHING...
by elscorcho0682 on
May 14, 2006 5:32 PM CDT
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EXACTLY!
I don't understand why Baker doesn't get this. The weirdest part of the "aggressive" stuff that he and Matthews and Clines put out is this:
Look at the playing records of those three. Clines wasn't, really, but both Matthews and Baker were patient hitters, drawing a fair number of walks -- in fact, Matthews drew 103 walks for the 1984 Cubs, the first Cub to draw over 100 in a very long time.
Why they were like this as players but not as coaches/managers is a mystery.
by Al on
May 14, 2006 5:37 PM CDT
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Even if he does...
I am still pissed about that...
by WGNstatic on
May 14, 2006 8:19 PM CDT
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In regard to that...
Look at this play-by-play from that game:
bunt (pitcher to first) [Patterson to third]; Sosa lined to shortstop; McGriff walked; Alou struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Reds 0, Cubs 0.
Think about that again. Your leadoff hitter doubles, and you bunt? With nobody out in the first inning of a scoreless game? (The Cubs eventually lost, FWIW.)
It was as if Baylor was daring MacPhail (then the GM) to fire him. He obliged.
by Al on
May 15, 2006 4:28 AM CDT
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Actually.....
LaRussa has done this for years. It seems like it has worked out well for him.
by timeforachange on
May 15, 2006 7:51 AM CDT
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not in the first
by gaius marius on
May 15, 2006 8:56 AM CDT
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Disagree....
I will never criticize the manager for making a move like this. LaRussa has done this his whole career. I'll take his record...
by timeforachange on
May 15, 2006 9:04 AM CDT
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Don't forget the Giants game
by jc60625 on
May 15, 2006 8:56 AM CDT
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Hopefully they would
by elscorcho0682 on
May 14, 2006 5:43 PM CDT
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I gotta tell ya,
That said, I have got to put my two-cents worth into this abysmal season.
A big shakeup is necessary. Even if it is just the fates that are causing things to be out of whack, the only way to change things is to, by God, change things.
Baker and the entire coaching staff must be let go. They'll all land on their feet somewhere else and maybe even go on to great successes.
Our heretofore untouchables, Ramirez, Wood, Prior, and yes, even Lee have got to be put on the block. It is, I'm afraid, time to start over.
Does Jim Hendry need to go. Perhaps, but having just been given a contract extention I'm afraid he'll be around for a while longer.
Al, it's time to cash-in. This team will need a miracle of parting of the Red Sea magnitude in order to make something respectable out of this season. It's time to watch the kids develop (or not develop--whatever the case may be) and try to enjoy the team for the love of baseball.
I'll be with them to the bitter end, but I've got to accept the reality that our boys have presented to us. Even though hope springs eternal, sometimes ya just gotta get over it!
by Luigi on May 14, 2006 5:33 PM CDT 0 recs
Pessimists proven right
The man is, if nothing else, a realist - and he wasn't the only one who saw the handwriting on the wall before the regular season ever got under way I might add.
The upside to this miserable season is that Baker and his lackey coaching staff can and probably will be fired before the season is through - too bad Hendry already received his extension, because a complete shake-up of management is warranted.
by peorianorthsidereport on
May 14, 2006 6:00 PM CDT
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Re Gaius...
you know the rest
by jazzman56 on
May 14, 2006 6:06 PM CDT
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Give me break
by cubbiejulie on
May 14, 2006 6:11 PM CDT
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Give *me* a break
I never said anything about luck. If you are out there spouting off your opinions all day every day, you are bound to be right once in awhile.
by jazzman56 on
May 14, 2006 6:21 PM CDT
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OK, then, Jazzman ...
Look, BCB is derided as a "Pollyanna" site by more hard-nosed Cubs blogs where the Gaiuses of Cubs Nation are the norm and not the exception. I've always thought that that was unfair, because the opinions here really do run the spectrum from bright-eyed optimism to gloom-and-doom. But Gaius has always been one contributor who backs up his statements with well-reasoned and informed arguments -- and yet for all that he still gets bashed a lot by the BCB optimists, unfairly in my opinion.
No, he isn't right all of the time. But that "blind squirrel" crack of yours was off-base.
by Gregory on
May 15, 2006 4:53 AM CDT
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no
Keep the hair Mark, chicks dig long hair. For a while.
by mike bornemann on
May 14, 2006 7:46 PM CDT
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Haircut
by jimhickman on May 14, 2006 5:53 PM CDT 0 recs
So THAT'S why the Cubs are losing!
by elscorcho0682 on
May 14, 2006 5:58 PM CDT
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At least
by Johnny Callison was a Cub on May 14, 2006 6:14 PM CDT 0 recs
Send Hill back?
by CubFaninNY on
May 14, 2006 6:39 PM CDT
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exactly
by gaius marius on May 15, 2006 9:00 AM CDT



