Top ten reasons why Jim Hendry sucked (base)balls this offseaon

The top 5 involve Mark DeRosa.
10. Signed Paul Bako to a 1 year deal worth $750,000 as backup catcher, only to realize later that a guy who cut off his hand catches throws and bats better. Meanwhile, the mentor of your now slumping primo catcher signed for the same price to the Padres.
9. Failed to close the door on Jake Peavy while the Padres were in a position of weakness. Now they're winning, and we suck. Good for you for not taking the ridiculous 5 for 1 deal, but you shoulda whittled it down to a 3 for 1 or something similar.
8. Signed the hot headed, but who really gives a crap about that, and more importantly INJURY PRONE Milton Bradley who right now is a 30-million dollar bench player.
7. Failed to resign Kerry Wood for a 1 year deal. Even at 10 million, which I honestly don't beleive it would've taken, he effectively turned a huge strength last year into a huge weakness this year. The loss of a dominant power pitcher at the end of the bullpen cannot be unerestimated.
6. Focused far too much on which side of the plate someone stands on without paying attention to other minor points, like i don't know, the ability to play.

And now...the D-Ro 5....

5. Traded Mark DeRosa, eliminating a clubhouse leader, a versatile player, a clutch hitter, and a fan favorite - not a good days work.
4. Attempted to repalce him with Aaron Miles, who is a switch hitter, but only plays middle infield positions. This would be the same Aaron Miles who the Cardinals did not want. This would be the same Cardinals who are now using a left fielder to play second base - Miles' position. If that's not a warning sign, I don't know what is.
3. Effectively eliminated a reasonable backup for Aramis Ramirez, who by the way, had to leave yesterday's game iwth a calf strain and seems headed for the DL.
2. Only received 3 prospects in the trade. Yes, I said prospects, not one of which is even close to ML ready. This move did not ultimately culminate in a Peavy trade making it a complete and total failure.
1. With two players not playing - Milt and Ramy - the missing D-Ro is magnified because he played both of those positions remarkably well.

So, in summary, while I have been a Hendry fan in the past, this past winter we completely dropped his kibble and obsessed with left-handed hitting, when just hitting would've sufficed.

The Return of Dusty...

Here's a story by Gordo Today - We're gonna break this one down a bit...

Three years later, all Dusty Baker has to do is walk on the field to make a pitching change with his new team, and the boos rain down from the stands at Wrigley Field -- the chorus every time he emerged from the Cincinnati dugout Tuesday night.

Cubs veterans who played for him in Chicago day he doesn't deserve it.

Um, yeah, he kinda does...MAYBE 3 years is a little extreme, but, yeah....he kinda does..

''I don't really understand it. I don't know what he did to still be getting booed here,'' said first baseman Derrek Lee, whose Florida Marlins ended Baker's first-year October run with the Cubs in 2003 before he played the next three seasons under Baker.

Well Derrek - he kinda sucked - a lot and failed to keep the team from sucking and made LaTroy a closer, and played Neifi all the time, and killed Wood and Prior's arms, and you get the idea....

''It's a little disappointing,'' he added.

So was 2006...

''It wasn't his fault,'' said third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who played all four seasons with Baker in Chicago. ''I mean, nobody could manage that team we had in [2006]. We had guys coming from AA. [Carlos] Marmol was a starter. We had Juan Mateo -- you guys don't even remember him, probably. We just had a bad team, and it's not his fault.

I know A-Ram...you're so right. I mean that'd be a improbable as, oh I don't know, managing an 83 win team into a World Series title...

''If you give Dusty a good team, I guarantee, he'll be in the playoffs, too.'

If you give ME a good team, I'll get you in the playoffs...

And Lou, I might actually win a game....

Reflections on St. Louis

April can be a "Playoff Atmosphere"
Daddy got Chris Duncan his job.
The Cardinals aren't as bas as we expected this year - but they still suck.
Ryan Ludwick is going to be a PITA this year.
Alfonso Soriano can lead off just as long as he wants - and shut up about it.
Ramirez remain the best clutch hitter on the Cubs and maybe in baseball.
Gregg can, in fact, pitch more than 1 inning.
Cleveland Indians - HOLY CRAP!! - not from our series, but noteworthy enough to mention.
The Cardinals are and always will be securely bent over at the waist right in front of us with their pants around their ankles.

Reflections on Milwaukee...

Our closer can't do more than 3 outs.
Our offense has a good chance of digging us out of any holes our bullpen digs
Milton - told ya so...
Fonzie and Aramis are both cadillacin' it on routine grounders.
Fonzie is a game changer - offensively in a good way, defensively in a bad way.
No doubles doesn't always mean no doubles.
Maybe Fuku won't suck as bad as we all thought....but he still might.
Prince won't offer at the inside breaking ball.

I'm spoiled into being a bad Cubs fan...

Not a Cubs fan who is lacking, but a fan of a lacking Cubs team. Two years ago, the Cubs lose this game in any number of ways. Last year, 50-50. This year, I was lured by how bad they'd been in the past. THat post was not edited in any way. I was literally typing that as Rammy hit his double.

Un freakin' beleive able. Woody gets out of a Second-Third no out jam? KERRY Wood??? Nahh...not Kerry....wow. Geo Soto has officially become the OMC MVP and ROY. That's a lot of initials.

Dang. I need to sit...you know...for a minute...

Hate to tell ya folks

Looks like the Cubbies won't be clinching at home... Even if they dio, you won't be here to celebrate.. Too many night games for the Boo-Hoo Crew. It'd take an unusual set of circumstances to clinch at home, after THEIR game. It's possible I suppose, but with the Boo-hooers playing the Reds, I don't see it.

Of course, as I write this, with two outs, Ramirez doubles, Edmonds singles, DeRosa singles, and Soto - MVP Soto - ties the game on a 3 run homer.

Just goes to show, I don't know shizzle about shizzle...

Stay tuned, this game seems to have another minute or two left...

D.P. Lee needs a nap.

I'm starting to think maybe Lee should get tucked in for a couple of games and get some sleepy time. Now some would argue that the reason Lee's hitting into so many double plays is because people keep getting on base in front of him. That may be. So try putting the ball in the air in those situations. Of course this is coming the day after he tried that strategy and ended the game, so maybe I don't have a leg to stand on. 1 out, bottom of the 8th and bases loaded - you gotta do something there bud. Just go ahead and curl up with your Teddy bear. We'll wake you when we get to Cincy.

Day two of "The Hoff's" benching. Seriously Daryle Ward?? Have you not been paying attention this season? Last year Soto made the post season roster based solely on the fact that he demonstrated he could play in September. It's the Hoff's turn. Maybe the Hoff gets a crack at first tomorrow? We'll see.

Meantime, D.P. Lee's hitting everything in sight - to the opponents' shortstops. And Ramirez forgot how to catch after the 8th tonight. I hate when that happens. Meanwhile Bomb Howry's been pretty much doing what we expect Howry to do at this point..4 runs without retiring a man...And Z better get his poop together cuz this is just getting silly.

That probably should've been a minute, but it's been ruled an error on Ramirez...

Gotta change my shorts...

So I'm down...Dangit...Hamels is dealin'. We're done tonight. I started organizing books. That's right...ORGANIZING BOOKS with the game on in the background. Fontenot blasts one, so goody we're only down by two. Then A-Ram. Or should I say A-Slam. Man..you wanna talk about DeRosa, Soto, whoever. A-Ram is C-L-U-T-C-H clutch. I mean, I'm happy with a Sac fly. That's probably what he was trying to do. But dang. Dempster didn't have it tonight, but he's off the hook. Woody comes in, and gets a weak popper to A-Ram. Done. Sold. Start Packing. We're outta here.

It's just amazing. The Cubs are NEVER out of the game. Ever. down by 10, up by 1. It's never done.

So Kaplan's on the air saying go all in. Oh I am. All in, including my watch and car title. Have been all season. The cards are on the table and I'm reaching forward for the chips. The first couple games, I'll admit, I was skeptical. But since then, and really every year since 2000, I have been all in. All Cubs, All the time.

Now that's a lot of minutes.

World Series thoughts...Part Chetire

Cubs vs. White Sox and why I like our chances.

The White Sox live and die with the home run. They have the slowest lineup in baseball, which includes amateur and geriatric leagues. And they're to say the least, inconsistent. when I last heard, the Sox are 6-36 in games where they do not hit a home run. Their outfield defense is questionable, while their infield is pretty tight. They're getting bitten by the injury bug left and right, which is probably the result of decaying body parts by some of the mummies they're propping up at home plate. Crede and Konerko are a sneeze and an 0-fer away from being benched the rest of the season.

Their dangerous hitters are Thome, Quentin and Dye. The Cubs dangerous hitters are Soraino, Theriot, Lee, Ramirez, Soto...well, you get the point.

The Cubs pitching staff is composed of strikeout pitchers - you can't hit home runs if you can't hit the ball. Only Lilly and Marquis would be considered "fly ball" pitchers. Plus, in October, the wind blows in. Base hits and doubles will win the game and with the Sox outfield, that's a LOT of doubles. The Cubs in the second half have proven they can hit on the road. If it comes to it, and neither team is a lock by any stretch, I say Cubs in 5.

Sorry David Kaplan - the Sox are hands down the most beatable team of the AL contenders right now, with the Twins being a close second. David disagreed with the caller on that point.

A minute you asked for and a minute you shall have.

And Rickie Weeks still sucks...:D

Dagnabbit...

Well last night, other than the fact I was at an outside festival listening to the game on the radio, sucked.

Bats got quiet again - stuff happens - but with the tying run on third Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez couldn't get the job done. Same with Fontenot in the ninth, only the tying run was merely in scoring position. Eh well.

Was an interesting lineup Lou threw out there to backup Marshall, who had a pretty good start. Can't complain too much I guess. Let's just get them today.

Another minute....

Make it official...

I have never said it in print, but aloud many many times, so let's make it official -

Soriano is the only choice for leadoff.

Soriano is a leadoff hitter and here's why - he sucks donkey a-holes anywhere else in the lineup. I dont have, nor do I know where to get, his splits for batting elsewhere in the lineup, but it's been reported time and again, his numbers really really suck when he bats elsewhere. I'll see if i can find those numbers somewhere... Is he a baby? Maybe. Is he being coddled? Maybe. But here's the thing. Everyone in the world says he needs to be moved down in the order to maximize his run production. Ok, fine. Let's examine that argument. So if Soriano bats, say 5th in the order, his production will go up. Really? It was recently reported, the #8 spot in the batting order has an OBP of over .350 or so. The #7 slot has been taken up recently by Fukudome, whose OBP is above .350 as well. The Cubs also have two of the better hitting pitchers in baseball in Zambrano (batting .350) and Marquis.

Whereas Derrek Lee is leading the NL in GIDP, and Ramirez is currently the RBI leader for the Cubs. So if Lee is grounding into more double plays than the entire Marlins Roster (this is not true 0- just an over-dramatization) and Ramirez is driving in all these runs, who's going to be3 left for Soriano to drive in? What was that? Nobody? ok. This is assuming that Soriano keeps his leadoff numbers when he goes to the 5 hole, which history has dictated won't happen.

There's more to be said about this, but I'm over my minute....It'll have to be a roll-over minute...

Good things happening

Don't get me wrong. I'm not going bi-polar on you all, but the Cubs actually managed some big hits last night and so far tonight. A-Ram is coming through tonight. Can't be blamed for Lee being thrown out. I did not see the play due to the cable box being otherwise occupied, but hey. Marmol as the closer? We'll see how that goes. Don't unpack.

Going to the game tomorrow. Should be pretty sweet. Main reason I got these particular tickets at the beginning on the season (and remind me to talk about that some time) was it's build-a-bear day at Wrigley for kids 13 and under. My 21 month old qualifies. I had finished my purchases for the day, and figured how bout one more game? Hey build-a-bear! Sweet!

Oh lord...Styx is singing Take me out to the ballgame... Gotta appreciate a band with no vowels in their name...I'll talk more aobut the 7th inning stretch some time too...

More All Star Game minutes...

So Fukudome sucked. Not a really big surprise of late. Soto aquitted himself well - the two stolen bases were off Sheets, not Soto. Zambrano was dealing. The pickoff throw in the fourth was freakin' gold - best I've seen this year. Ramirez walked, so not much bang for the buck there, but you can't complain. Dempster was awesome in the bottom of the 9th. Wish he could've done that more last year...:)

Marmol, well, Marmol did well. Can't complain about a scoreless inning...that IS what we're paying him for. I didn't get a chance to really see his stuff because I was pacing back and forth and missed many of his pitches. To be honest, I don't remember much about his specific outing. One of the problems with a late ending game and a full day of activity following. I heard/saw a few swings and misses, so that's a good thing.

As I said before, the Cubs put their best foot forward, and it was NOT because of them that Game 1 will not be at Wrigley. More on that later.

Another minute in the books, another BS exhibition game determines the most important advantage in the most important Series in baseball.

Selig - you screwed up. Change it back and move on.

Cubs-Cards Game 2.

You know, driving home from work after the game, I was listening to the post game on 'GN and some schmuck actually called and asked why Pinella didn't leave Marmol in for the ninth?

Ok, first- Wood had converted his last 12 consecutive save opps. Second, have you been WATCHING Marmol lately?? For crap's sake...

I took the positives away from the game. Ramirez broke his 0-28 slump with his homer and Marmol pitched a perfect 8th.

Save or no save, you walk the first to batters in the ninth, and you have issues. Woody just didn't have it. Stuff happens. No worries. As it turns out, we won the series, so all is ok in the end.

Woody's a lights out closer. He won't convert every time, and it will SUCK when he doesn't, but please. Can we NOT get these phone calls every time he doesn't? Please?

Ok, that's my minute.