Comments on: Okay, Let It All Out

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:22:34 +0000

BK, I was a big Barrett fan too, but even I’ve slipped off the bandwagon lately. Check this fun fact from Yahoo Sports-Cubs manager Lou Piniella told the Chicago Sun-Times that he is considering letting Henry Blanco take on the duties of Carlos Zambrano’s personal catcher.
Advice: This could be a boon for Zambrano, who is 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA in four games with fellow Venezuelan Blanco behind the plate. In six starts with everyday catcher Michael Barrett as his battery-mate, Zambrano is 3-3 with a 6.54 ERA.

Boy, that says a lot, doesn’t it? Granted, El Toro Loco has been more loco than usual this year, but I think blanco can push the big man around a little more than Barrett can. Not to mention the superior defensive skills neccessary to handle the sinker when it’s really cooking. I think a trade would do wonders for Barrett, maybe to an american league team. He’d be a helluva DH. As far as catchers go, we have a few guys in the minors, Fox and Soto, who could possibly play the position without being complete offensive black holes. More than ARod next year, maybe the Cubs should focus on getting someone like Posada or Pudge. They’re both a little long in the tooth, but they both call great games. I think having a superior catcher would dial our pitching up a notch. Look at Boston and Jason Veritek. The pitchers trust him to know what pitches they need to throw. I’m sure that wouldn’t completely fix our pitching issues, but I think it’d make it easier to weed the bad pitchers from the good.

By: bocaj

bocaj — Thu, 31 May 2007 02:44:53 +0000

the worst thing is the feeling that all the moves look painfully obvious, i mean i know there’s more work behind it then just typing it but god damn…

By: Section 242

Section 242 — Wed, 30 May 2007 23:04:15 +0000

Talk all you want about a trade but what we are likely to get is Hairston for Nevin type stuff from this bunch of assclowns.

By: Flem

Flem — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:53:06 +0000

August? Sure thing. Spending 3 hours a day reading about baseball on the web will definitely get me fired by then. I’ll have plenty of free time–

By: Bad Kermit

Bad Kermit — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:46:13 +0000

Phlegm, I agree with you. The stands were pretty barren at the end of last year, but that doesn’t hurt them if most of the tickets were sold months in advance. I’m sure concession sales suffered some, but how much did that really hit them? Sadly, if the die-hard fans try to boycott and DON’T buy tickets, the corporate clients are more than happy to buy them up so they can woo their easily-distracted clients. It sucks that the average fan trying to make a statement by not going to a game really does nothing, but that does seem to be the case.

That said, are we still on for that game in early August?

By: Flem

Flem — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:40:24 +0000

Also– Kermit, you touched on this above– the attendance at Wrigley is almost a curse in disguise. From a pure business standpoint, you’d be stupid to do anything because the status quo is already filling up the stadium. If the Cubs are in last place in August– if they fail to achieve– then screw it, because the seats were already sold out 6 months ago. You’d have to start replacing the ushers with flesh-eating zombies in order to get people NOT to buy tickets. Aside from maybe scalping their own tickets, the Cubs wouldn’t benefit financially from an improved team.

By: Bad Kermit

Bad Kermit — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:28:49 +0000

My priorities if I’m Hendry are (1) bullpen, (2) shortstop so Theriot slides over to 2nd and DeRosa to the bench, where he is most useful, (3) call up Pie and ship whichever outfielder (other than Sori) is most valuable (probably Murton) out of town, (4) upgrade at catcher defensively (I like Barrett’s bat, and I used to be one of the first to defend him, but it’s clear now that he’s retarded).

By: Bad Kermit

Bad Kermit — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:19:09 +0000

Also, I’m hoping Hendry has at least a couple more shit-for-Aramis, Choi-for-Lee deals up his sleeve. I have ZERO confidence that he actually does, but I have to hope for SOMETHING, right?

By: Bad Kermit

Bad Kermit — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:17:38 +0000

BH, to be fair, Hendry didn’t trade for Cesar. Maddux traded for Cesar.

By: Slaky

Slaky — Wed, 30 May 2007 17:54:09 +0000

Our players that we all want to get rid of have no value, unless Hendry can trade with himself.

Face it, we’re stuck watching this team. Don’t underachieving teams generally go through some kind of shakeup? I guess that means we’re not underachieving at all.