Clap clap.

...was catchable if he knew it was coming. He either got crossed up or he missed a sign because of runners on base. By then however, this game was lost anyway.

Think you can get Jim to send Murton to Texas for Kenny Lofton?

The way it looks to me Barrett was just as responsible for the fight as Zambrano....plus Barrett is clearly NOT GOOD behind the plate....so dump him too...I can't believe what has happened to Zambo but I know I would HATE seeing him pitch for the Mets because you know he would turn into a Cy Young candidate....I think he was hurt by not getting a deal done with the donut muncher before the start of the season and his mind has gone...Barrett is just not that good...would rather see him go....actually I would love for the Iowa Cubs to be called up en-masse and embarass all these millionaires by sitting them....uggghhh...I cannot believe this season just got worse than last year!

And before today's game, in spite of his generally poor performance this year, I thought the Cubs still needed to keep Zambrano.  No longer.  When his mechanics are not 100%, every mistake is magnified, and it's plainly obvious that his emotions adversely influence his pitching ability and his clubhouse behavior.

But trading Z by itself will not right this ship.  We need a new catcher.  Sure, maybe Michael just had a bad week, but these are mistakes a catcher at this level should not be making, and he had made similar mistakes time and time again.

And as good as it was to see Jones finally get a dinger, he's superfluous in an overcrowded outfield made even moreso by the far superior defensively (and, hitting .400 in AAA, it would appear offesively, as well) Felix Pie.  Jones: a ball thrown to the cut-off man should not bounce twice.

And Murton is not a right-fielder.  Another little-league mistake today by him on a popup.  Trade him somewhere that needs a left-fielder.

And can we release Eyre?  Every single appearance he hemorrhages base-runners.  Five singles and one run in two innings, and believe it or not, his ERA went down a fair amount!  Putting him in again and again is not going to work, as it has been made clear.  He must go.

and we're done for years. i can't wait for the twenties.

Pelfrey would be a good option..but I would love to get someone like Boston's Lester, but it is very highly unlikely. Z quit on this team and I doubt he wants to stay. Greg Maddux type situation right here if you ask me..

this is a totally different situation..

I'm not sure Z would do that well in New York.  If little things like contract extensions, etc. make him that crazy, how would he handle the pressure of New York City, namely the media.

you all turn on a guy who has given the Cubs alot over the last few years....Zambo may have quit on the team today but the team quit on him a long time ago too....maybe he is just sick of playing in this freaking clown house and all the losses...yes he is too emotional, yes he has sucked it up this year...but he at least has some fire unlike the bumbling zombies out at almost every other position....oh well, I understand that he will now become goat # 1 for all of you but there is plenty of hate-a-rade to be sent around to lots of people on this team....

straight up, I'd do it..

I agree 100%. Words cannot describe how disgusted I am with Z and Barrett right now. They should both be suspended if they are not traded.

What was a merely frustrating slump is rapidly turning into a dreadful season, and now the Cubs implode in front of a national television audience.

Al, at root, we are Cubs fans because we love the game of baseball and the City of Chicago, but what we really want is to see the teams that we root for to demonstrate the characteristics that we strive for in our personal and professional lives.

One of those characteristics, obviously, is success -- in this case, a team that wins championships.

Absent championship-level success, however, there are many other important factors that I want to see that have been noticeably absent from the 2007 Cubs and, I would say, have been missing from this franchise for some time -- honesty (at least from management which has consistently lied about and obscured the truth about the health and development of players), pride in their job, mastering the basics and doing little things right, paying attention to detail, and having some fun along the way.

As a team, the 2007 Cubs have consistently failed to evince the skill level or the "heart," for lack of a better word, of a championship-level team.  Now they cannot even act like professionals.

Yes, this is a bit of an emotional response, but, rooting for this team is turning into an embarrassment.

hate to see Z go but he hasn't been the player we've seen in the past.

Watching and rewatching the scenes from the dugout when a guy in a red shirt comes out to get the trainer Lee runs down the steps to the clubhouse. He and Michael are good friends so I'm sure he wanted to see how Barrett was. Also Henry is the one who drove Michael away.

that after today, Z wants to stay? That he will resign at the end of the year? I don't think so. That means a trade has to happen

I am really starting to be disappointed with the leadership shown by Lou...he kind of just seems to sit there in stunned silence like a doddering old man who is lost in thought (maybe dreaming of the good old days)....we go for "Anything Goes" Dusty to "Where Are My Slippers?" Pinella....how do you think we would have done with Girardi by now????? This whole mess is just in need of so much clean up and I don't see it coming until after the sale of the club....so I guess we sit back and enjoy the perverse beauty of a team imploding and destroying itself OR go with youth...I don't know...I couldn't believe hearing about the slap fight or the 20 hits for the Braves...it has got to be scripted, this cannot be real...

that so many were posting it's a month, it's time for the Cubs to start playing better.  Oh well.    

this team gets you hyped up because it has soo much potential and you look forward to the upcoming season. Then all help breaks lose and your hopes of winning is shattered...

Zambrano and Barrett will be suspended for some indeterminate time.

Barrett will no longer catch for Zambrano.

Until Blanco returns, Hill will remain on the roster.

Teammates will take sides, hopefully not along racial lines, but it could happen that way.

Team chemistry will get worse and additional losses will pile up.

There will be no decisive management action on any player and Zambrano nor Barrett will be traded, at least prior to the season trade deadline.

And Piniella will continue to muddle along, apparently without the strong clubhouse leadership he was known for before arriving at Clark & Addison.

makes sense if the Cubs REALLY are that fed up and never intended to resign him.  ChiSox are also struggling in starting pitching, and have surplus of good young arms available.  

Phone call to Kenny W. makes sense too, and Z might enjoy playing for Ozzie!  Would ChiSox be interested in resigning Z at year's end?  Probably shakey at best; but they could offer longterm now, contingent on 2007 performance criteria...

New players would be in place ASAP.  Too bad Z dislikes Barrett; otherwise could make a package deal, and get Josh Paul back.  What a circus that would be to have Z, Barrett, and AJ in the same battery...brings a real ringing sound to the word "Battery"!

..can they trade Z for?  Looking at the standings, both LA teams would be interested and always seem to be chock-full of young talent.  Perhaps the Cubs can pull a young arm and catcher (+ bullpen help that may be tradable later on) for Z?

It would be irresponsible for Hendry to deal excusively with the Mets; veteran pitching is always in demand for any team serious about a playoff push.  I worry that Hendry will try to get "win now" talent to save his job, only to have another one of his trades not work out and the Cubs be stuck in a deeper hole.

real trade for the rest of the year.  BlueMike is right. Hendry is a lame duck GM.  There is no way the Cubs are going to add more payroll...its maxed out until the team is officially sold.  The most we can expect is various callups from AAA.

Besides the team just has too many holes to fill to be competitive, even in the weak NL Central.  Jones, Z, DeRosa, Barrett, Murton, Eyre, and Ohman all need to go...and that's just not going to happen.

I hate to say it, but what REALLY needs to be done is trade Derrek Lee and Aramis to different teams, each for a ton of prospects. There will only be a small drop in attendance...people are going to come to Wrigley regardless of the product on the field.  This way expenses are minimized to make the sale more appealing, and the minors would finally be infused with an abundance of young talent.  Its the best way to a brighter future.  

(Note I would say trade Soriano too, but no one would want that ridiculous contract he has)

then the buyer has to take some garbage with him:

Jones
Murton
Floyd
DeRosa
Ward
Eyre
Howry
Izuseless

Any one of them... or even two of them need to be included.

In return, I feel the Cubs MUST recieve the top rated SS prospect in the league, ready to make the leap to the majors NOW, and whatever else is necessary to complete the deal.

Last nite, I wrote that I thought Z would be on the Cubs for the rest of the season.  After today's fiasco, I agree that he has to go.  Now.

This situation is exactly where management shows its true colors.  If Z stays, it says his behavior is acceptable, and it's the rare organization that can tolerate his inexcusable immaturity, especially since it happens over and over, and be successful.  Talent's nice, but the whole Big Z show has run its course and needs to come to an end.

This isn't to say that Barrett is without fault.  It is to say that in the short term, the Cubs need Barrett more than they need a selfish hothead like Zambrano for the simple reason there's no one else to catch, especially now that Blanco's out for awhile.

If I'm the GM, I fine and suspend both Zambrano and Barrett, get what I can for Z in a bidding war, and start cutting away the deadwood like JJones and Eyre.  The team can't be remade overnite, but a strong, bold move that speaks to behavior and limits needs to be made right away.

Unfortunately, Jim Hendry is the GM, so what I expect to happen is that Z remains on the team and continues to act like an ass, the team divides over to who to blame for all the poor playing, and the season slowly spirals down in a death spin that makes last year look reasonable.

"I only have so many players that I can play... and it's about time some of them start playing like major leaguers. Or get somebody else in here who can catch the damn ball or run the bases properly! All right! That's all I can say!"

- Lou P 06/01/07

>>>>>Fire Hendry?

Normally, I'm not a proponent of anyone losing their job, but this is unacceptable.

This isn't Lou Pinella's fault, it's not Larry Rothschild (at least I don't think it is), and it's surely not Dusty Baker's fault. This is not 1 yr. worth of bad ball clubs being assembled. Yes, chemistry is a tricky thing and putting together a ballclub isn't easy, but there's gotta be something better than what Cub fans have had to endure.

Al, trade Z, laughs...Trade Barrett, JJones, Cliff Floyd, the list is endless.

Barrett must be moved (impending FA) and will cost too much to keep, but also his defense (and I haven't looked at the numbers) might be on the verge of challenging the worst in NL history. This also isn't the first time he's blown up, it's too bad his temper doesn't translate into good defense or he'd be an all-star.

Zambrano should be moved because he'd potentially bring a lot, and well maybe a shakeup might help the club long-term, if not this year. Forget Omar in NY, he won't overpay for Z like people think, and we won't get Wright or Reyes back so to me it just isn't worth moving him to the Mets. Instead, there are plenty of other teams in need of a pitcher with Z's credentials. Go seek them out and see who the highest bidder is.

The Z/Barrett fight is clearly THE biggest baseball story of the day.

So what does ESPN lead their shows with tonight? The fight? Or yet another (yawn) Yankee/Red Sox game?

You make the call.

After today's amusing/embarassing fight, I began to wonder if Hendry is going to immediately trade Z and/or Barrett with others to the Mets.

It's no secret that Omar Manaya covets Carlos Zambrano, and he'd be front and center if there are any future talks with clubs about the Cubs dealing zambrano.

My review of the Mets' roster leaves me wondering who(m) the Cubs ask for in any potential deal:

Roster
 No STARTERS AGE B T HT WT DOB 2007 SALARY
47 Glavine, Tom 41 $7,500,000
26 Hernandez, Orlando 37 $5,000,000
33 Maine, John 26 $391,000
45 Martinez, Pedro (DL) $14,002,234
46 Perez, Oliver 25 $2,325,000
30 Sele, Aaron 36 $1,000,000
29 Sosa, Jorge 30 Not available
32 Williams, Dave (DL) $1,250,000
No BULLPEN AGE B T HT WT DOB 2007 SALARY
25 Feliciano, Pedro 30 $602,000
48 Heilman, Aaron 28 $453,000
59 Mota, Guillermo 33 $1,800,000
28 Padilla, Juan (DL) 30  $384,000
50 Sanchez, Duaner (DL) 27 $850,000
60 Schoeneweis, Scott 33 $3,600,000
35 Smith, Joe 23 $380,000
13 Wagner, Billy 35 $10,500,000
No CATCHERS AGE B T HT WT DOB 2007 SALARY
11 Castro, Ramon A. 31 $850,000
16 Lo Duca, Paul 35 $6,250,000
No INFIELDERS AGE B T HT WT DOB 2007 SALARY
21 Delgado, Carlos 34 $14,500,000
3 Easley, Damion 37 $850,000
23 Franco, Julio 48 $1,150,000
6 Gotay, Ruben 24 Not available
7 Reyes, Jose B. 23  $2,875,000
22 Valentin, Jose (DL) 37 $3,800,000
5 Wright, David 24 $1,250,000
No OUTFIELDERS AGE B T HT WT DOB 2007 SALARY
18 Alou, Moises (DL) 40  $7,500,000
15 Beltran, Carlos 30  $13,571,429
10 Chavez, Endy 29 L  $1,725,000
27 Gomez, Carlos 21 R  Not available
20 Green, Shawn (DL) 34  $9,500,000
4 Johnson, Ben J. 25  Not available
17 Newhan, David 33  $575,000
No DESIGNATED HITTERS AGE B T HT WT DOB 2007 SALARY

AAA Affiliate: New Orleans Zephyrs (Roster)
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ros&cid=588&stn=true&sid=t58 8

Disclaimer * Admittedley, I am no expert in putting together "perfect trades" for any MLB team, so please have patience and save the "You'd have to be nuts" responses for some other time.  What is everyone's "good deal," should the Cubs be forced to make a move with Z to the Mets?  Thanks for responding.

Here's mine

Cubs get:
Jorge Sosa or John Maine
Aaron Heilman
Paul Lo Duca

Mets get:
Zambrano
Barrett

Zambrano and Jones

for

Maine
Hielman
Chavez

...to have 90 SB and Chavez is projected to have 7.

 You're obviously confused. Not sure how you're not familiar with Reyes. He's an MVP candidate.

has been lit up like x-mas tree almost every time he's pitched thus far. yeah we want him. yeah just we need is milledge a juvenile delinquent that has carried it over into adulthood and would be sure to handle the pressure of wrigley. trade jones eyre howry and the rest of the cubs that have underperformed and were sure to get superstars in place of them that will lead us to the promise land. gimme a break. hendry get on the phone propose all these ridiculous trades and poof it will get done just like that as if everyone in america dont know our glaring probs  and the salaries we pay the talent to do so. ok ok enough of that lets be a realist for a moment. lets just say barrett who is a above avg offensive C and a below avg defensive C needs to be traded. he's overpaid for his position and is a FA at the end of the year. who will want him----ummm no one. lets say big z needs to be traded. starters have value regardless of anything else especially one of his caliber(yes i realize he has underperformed this year). ive saw the trade ideas and for the most part i do not see them happening as of right now. something i can see happening is a linebrink and a prospect for big z. that will fill a big hole. setup man and part time closer if needed. do we need a descent starter in return--yes but lets get real what playoff contender is gonna trade a descent starter that can help them win this year for another--none!!! especially one that they have locked up for the forseeable future for a small price. san diego has an abundance of good bullpen guys and might do a trade like this. a few more of my ideas are keeping a starting lineup everyday. pull soriano outta the leadoff spot and make the lineup out like this--theriot,pagan,lee,ramirez,soriano,murton,derosa,   and barrett. these murton sucks type posts are crazy. yeah he's horrible he hit 300 last year and has had to play once or twice a week and try to stay fresh this year. we dont need anymore homerun hitters we need avg guys and if given a chance he will be just fine. i agree very much with the dfa eyre post. we gonna have to eat that salary might as well pay him not to blow ballgames with his 100 lb overweight lard ass.

the thing i feel bad about the most is derek lee. what a class act. carries his self constantly like a professional. plays every part of the game the right way and is a prize to watch. but instead of talking about him he's overshadowed by bullshit like this.

...the trade market for Zambrano is going to be small.  Everyone knows he's injured.  He's lost 4-5 mph and has no control.  Dave Kaplan said he's spoken with two different ML scouts at Wrigley who have commented that there's something wrong with Zambrano.  They both said he's consistently 4-5 mph below where he was last year.  Furthermore, I hate to say it, but the guy's a douchebag.  He does nothing but show up his teammates and the other team.  Don't let the door hit you in your injured ass Carlos.

......we are talking Hendry here...the same guy who drafted Ben Christiansen....Geeze, Hendry is a tough old baseball guy and the last thing that he does is make moves even when he should if it will give even the slightest hint that he is somehow giving in to the media/fans/or other people who he views as outsiders to his special club....If there is anything that I feel strongly about Hendry is that he's a stubborn old baseball guy and he's not going to make a big deal of the fight to begin with.  Secondly, he won't make a trade even if he should because it will give the appearance that he's giving in to the outsiders.

If losing game after game doesn't get Jim to do something to get a lousy setup man, then why should this little scuffle suddenly cause him to leap into action?

First of all get your review right.  Murton called off Derosa, not the other way around.  (I still like Murton though, go to hell bluemike).  Secondly, Z threw the first blow not barrett (although it was a pussy fade away bitch slap).

Why on earth would you want to trade away who was arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball two months ago to solve the problem and prove a point, and keep around, as I said two days ago, a very mediocre catcher that can't control his emotions.  Catchers are suppose to be leaders, not instigators.

FU Barrett and Z, and for that matter FU Al, FU Bluemike, FU me and everyone else on this blog for caring about these lunatics.

 is wow. what a shitty day all around. Everyone wants to get rid of our (used to be ) best pitcher.This franchise is in the crapper.

From the Tribune website (free subscription required).  (Preceded by cheesy cheesecake beer ad.)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070601piniella-ipix,1,84076.ipixpicture?coll=chi-news-h ed

The last 30 seconds is where Lou rips the team: "I only have so many players that I can play.  And it's about time some of them start playing like major leaguers. Or get somebody else in here that can catch a damn ball, or run the bases properly."

how did the brewers all of a sudden get a fan base? Their stadium is completely packed. One word: BANDWAGONERS