Something brewing....?

So it seems Mark DeRosa and Jason Marquis have left the building...I'd be remiss if I didn't express my opinion here. Aaron Miles is a bargain basement Mark DeRosa. Sadly asd in most things, you tend to get what you paid for. WEill Miles be a switch hitting DeRosa? No. He won't be bad, but he won't be DeRosa.

De-Ro is coming off a career year, and actually his numbers have only gotten better since getting here. But he is also in the lkast year of his contract, and Hendry would not be resigning him for more than he already signed for, so DeRosa was gone at the end of the year anyway. May as well get something for him now. Milers offers less field flexibility for more plate flexibility, which is where the Cubs failed 3 months ago.

Marquis was a good 5th starter. In many rotations he's a decent 3rd starter. So's Sean Marshall. We can totally live without him.

All of this though, just reeks of something bigger. Some maneuvering that will send 5 players to San Diego. Something like a Cendeno, Pie, two of the 3 prospects we just picked up and maybe a Rich Hill.

It's possbile. And it's also the only thing that will make this DeRosa crap not suck.

Following former team members in the offseason...

A scoop! Take THAT ESPN, Yahoo sports, Marty the stinking know-it-all who hangs out by the vending machines talking sports....I got it...you don't.

The complete text of Greg Maddux's retirement speech to be given tomorrow. That's right tomorrow. Don't ask how I got it. It involved bribes, a solid "second story man" and a drunken panda, but I done did got it.

And I'm gonna share it with you.

You ready? Here it is. Every eloquent word that will flow from the master's mouth in just a touch over 24 hours. I'm sure you can imagine how Grego will convey this monumental decision of his. Well, now you don't have to. Here it is.

"I've decided to retire. Thanks."

Boo-yah baby! You tell 'em Greg!

"Spin" of the day

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081206&content_id=3704406&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc&partnerId=rss_chc

Headline: Cubs freeze 33 percent of ticket prices

Umm, that means they're raising 67 percent of ticket prices. Oh and adding a new "price tier". So let's recap the price tiers:

Economy - We recognize that everyone in baseball has cheap prices every now and again, so we'll give you 3-5 games - but only when the temperature is below 50 degrees and it's so cold, your only possibility of relief is drinking yourself warm and numb.

Regular - This is our normal price structure. Yes, these games only happen before June and after August, but it's "Normal"

Premium - June - August, otherwise known as the only really great time to coem out and watch a game. There are more premium games, than normal games. Wouldn't that make this "normal" then?

New Tier - Also known as the "Second Mortgage Tier" - You didn't actually want to come see one of these games did you? No problem, just skip a car payment or two, and come on out to the old ballpark.

All White Sox games will be in this last tier BTW. Try and hide your surprise. For a minute at least...

History

So, I'm voting, lord knows why, for TYIB awards - it's actually more just an excuse to watch more Cubs highlight reels - and I come across Z's no hitter once more. And I'm watching it, and thinking about watching it live back then. And then I'm thinking about Kruk's comments about how Lou Piniella put a player before the team and let a player who was already hurt go out there repeatedly and let that player gets an accomplishment rather than putting the team first.

You know what? That no-hitter wasn't about Lou, and wasn't about the Cubs, and it wasn't about Zambrano. That no hitter, and every no hitter is about baseball. It's about the magic that happens just every so often and when it happens you have to respect it. You have to respect the game and it's moments. And then, you get to sit back and just say "Wow." THAT'S why we all watch the game. That's why it's so special. Every once in a while, we get to see history, and recognize it for what it is at that moment. Not a year later, not a decade later, but right here, right now, THIS is history. And that deserves respect.
.
.
.
.
Screw John Kruk!