Wild speculation and random thoughts...

Dear Jim Hendry,

I write this letter to you without any specific information, leads, or frankly knowledge, but for what it's worth...

Bakernot, aka the Baker/Fontenot combo is not a good enough second baseman for a team hoping to win a championship, which if I remember correctly, is on your to-do list. One name that is out there that remains a very viable option is switch hitting Orlando Hudson. You remember him - the second baseman for the Dodgers who went to the playoffs the last two years? Anyway, he would be a very good left handed option for a very right handed hitting team. Not that lefty/righty matters, and the fact that he is a switch hitter is not why you should sign him. The fact that he's better than FonteBake is why you should sign him.

You mentioned a desire to add a veteran reliever to the bullpen. You can still accomplish this by trading the now-unemployed Fontenot, and the un-utilized Jeff Samardawhosits, and perhaps several hundred other young pitchers waiting in the minors since inexplicably that seems to be the only position farm system employs.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say here. Seems like if you have only one signing left in you, make it a significant upgrade, not another piece of a puzzle that already has too many pieces.

Love,
OMC and just about everyone else.

Blackhawks Game Twitter Feed

This is just a collection of twitter updates from when I went to the Blackhawks Game on Dec 27th - A dramatic last minute win over the Predators. I've been asked about it, so I thought I'd consolidate. Hey, I'm a Hawks fan too...

Going to the #Blackhawks game tonight, courtesy of my BIL - 9 rows back from the glass. Will update frequently 2nite. Stay tuned.
11:37 AM Dec 27th, 2009 from web

@aleagueofherown I'll make sure to snap off a few twit pics for you all.
11:41 AM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitterGadget in reply to aleagueofherown

http://twitpic.com/vicgr - Ticket = awesome
5:11 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vicsy - The view from the seats.
5:13 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vid7f - Damn...that goal is small. Another view from the seat
5:15 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vif7m - It's a Madhouse....Or so they claim....It's a Madhouse.....I'm insaaaaaaaane!
5:28 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vifzl - Hawks take the field...er...ice...Still getting used to this whole hockey thing
5:33 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vih1q - #NIN at a #Blackhawks game....sweet.
5:39 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vijjj - Asked my BIL if he wanted to trade seats with me. Not surprisingly he said yes...
5:55 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

For those of you on a quest to find seats narrower than the ones at Wrigley - found 'em
5:57 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

Games on. It's.....quiet.
6:10 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

http://twitpic.com/vim4s - Hell of a show so far. Game hasn't evwn started yet. Niemi in goal.
6:11 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vimkm - Vince Vaughn drops the first puck.
6:14 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

I guess 20,000 people don't make that much noise anymore...
6:20 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

For as loud as this place is during the national anthem - and I'm all for tradition don't get me wrong- I'm sitting in a freakin library now
6:32 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

1-1 going into the first intermission. Good times
6:40 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

http://twitpic.com/viwfi - Parking is a b*tch down at the U C
7:15 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

Neither team is controlling the puck very well. Preds up 2-1
7:16 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

http://twitpic.com/viyd5 - There's my excuse to be tweeting all this - Ryno's here!
7:28 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

2nd intermission. Still down 2-1. I suspect this will only be temporary.
7:35 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

It just occurred to me that my 3 year old son will be driving by the time Duncan Keith's contract is up
7:41 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

http://twitpic.com/vj2c8 - Faceoff before the #Blackhawks start the powerplay
7:55 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

Maddon ties it in a breakaway goal! 2-2
7:56 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

#Blackhawks on the power play. 10 min remaining
8:01 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

http://twitpic.com/vj3wa - Another action shot of the #Blackhawks whiffing on the Power Play
8:05 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

Hat's in hand just waiting for Maddon's third. #Blackhawks up 3-2
8:07 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

Damn Power Play only lasted 15 seconds. #Blackhawks up 4-2
8:09 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

Predators blow goats, but still manage to score. #Blackhawks up 4-3
8:13 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

Argh. 4-4
8:13 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

Patrick Kane's 2nd goal is the game winner. 45 seconds not enough for Preds to come back
8:23 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

The hunters become the hunted #Blackhawks win 5 - 4
8:27 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

http://twitpic.com/vj7o4 - Patrick Kane is the #Blackhawks number 1 star of the game
8:29 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/vj7uk - Crowd goes apesh*t and gets a craving for Amstel on Maddon's second goal. #Blackhawks up 3-2
8:30 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitPic

Leaving the #Blackhawks game. Phew. Great game.
8:38 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from txt

Seeing the #Blackhawks win so dramatically tonight allowed me to forget how freakin' miserable I'll be come April...
10:23 PM Dec 27th, 2009 from TwitterGadget

Great game.....

The Cubs conventions is here.

Yay. Now we get to sit in on panels and lsiten to players and management explain why Marlon Byrd and Carlos Silva are the biggest moves that will happen. Yay. Of course, I won't be there. I gotta work. But heck someone will be there and someone will be listening. Most will probably be happy, brimming with optimism because the Mistake is finally gone. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the circumstances of his departure. But gall-dern this season is going to suck big donkey balloons.

I'll be meeting up with some of my tweeps tonight at Kitty O'Shea's restaurant in the Hilton. So that part won't suck......


....probably.

Say it ain't so, Mark. We'd know you were lying, but still

Mark McGuire came out yesterday and told everyone in the world that the sky is blue. No wait. He confessed the shocking revelation the cigarettes are bad for you. Actually, come to think of it, he said he used steriods - You can understand how it'd get all these common-knowledge type facts confused. But here's the worst part about the tearful confession of Mark's last night.

We listened.

Why did anyone waste the resources to put a camera in front of this head-inflated buffoon and give him yet another 15 minutes? Are we that desparate for another Jose Canseco interview? Has this offseason been so ridiculously boring with the Curtis Granderson deal being the top story that we need another 12 weeks of steroids talk? C'mon MLB network. When Marty McGuire called you and said, "I want to confess about using steroids", why was your answer anything but "Get back to us when you have something newsworthy"?

Just one final thought - Hey Albert. Don't let this guy touch you.

Hawk in the Hall and other alliterations...

Andre Dawson was annouced today as the only inductee in today's vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some notable exclusions include Roberto Alomar and Burt Blylevin. This is by the way, the only commentary you'll hear today about the HoF induction. Andre Dawson actually making it in is the afterthought. But of course, he played for the Cubs and will probably be wearing the hat of a team that no longer exists, or the pariah of the national sports media scene.

The exclamation point to this absurdidty came from the Boers and Bernstein show (hereafter referred to as "dipshit and dork") on WSOX. One caller called in with the audactiy to question the lofty D&D's derision of Dawson's induction, and was promptly screamed at, in typical D&D fashion and hung up on. Finally, Bernstein made the comment that the Hall of Fame "no longer has any meaning" to him and how "they'll let anybody in". Excuse me, but Mark McGuire and Manny Ramirez tend to disagree.

Now I apologize that no White Sox players worthy of induction retired up to 20 years ago, let alone 5, but still, please just acknowledge a great player and go on with your pointless Bears ramblings about a new offensive coordinator and the same ineffective line.

All we are saying....Is give Byrd a chance....

Ok folks. We know Marlon isn't Johnny Damon, or Jason Bay, or Mike Cameron. We get that. Marlon should never have been at the top of the off-season wish list. Even when he was signed, he was not the best FA on the market that could help this team. Having said all that however, he is now a Cub. So let's give him a chance.

As good as he won't be, he also, hopefully, won't be too bad. He's going to put up average numbers, and probably, just a touch below average defense. Come to terms with that now. Jim Hendry is a fool if he does not realize.....oh wait...skip that. We already know he's a fool.

So please. No booing. No ripping on the guy because he didn't run down that gapper or because he only hit 12 home runs in 2010. That is what you're going to get. Under normal circumstances, we could celebrate getting a decent player for decent salary. Unfortunately, the decent salary is all we had left, so there's no room for other, cough cough, Tejada, cough improvements. Buckle in Marlon - it's going to be a long summer.