The good news of course is that despite this epic collapse, the Cubs return a studly, young pitching rotation for next year. They get Corey Patterson back. More young hurlers are on the horizon. Kenny Lofton seems open to the idea of being a fourth outfielder (and wouldn’t you be if a Moises Alou treadmill injury meant you could play the whole season?) and really, an 88 win team has no business being in the World Series in the first place.
But, these are the Cubs. Something they reminded us about in stereo on Tuesday and Wednesday. They never string together good seasons. We’re looking at a plus .500 record in 2006. Maybe.
Ahh, screw that.
Think back to the 1984 Cubs. They were old. They were built to win now, and while Dallas Green built up the farm system, the Tribune was busy firing him.
In 1989 it was a good, young team with very little pitching. Rick Sutcliffe was at the end of the road, Mitch Williams was a mirage, and Greg Maddux was the stud. He proved to be a Hall of Famer…for Atlanta.
The 1998 Cubs were a team that none of us thought would really be that good in 1999. We were right.
But these Cubs…they’re different. They’re young. They can pitch. They’ll actually get better.
A lot of tough questions will have to be answered by Jim Hendry this offseason. At one point, the most crucial decision of the winter seemed like it was going to be who to replace Wavin’ Wendell Kim with. But helicopter man is safe. He didn’t cost the Cubs a game since the first week of September. Who knew?
So we are left to ponder the future. As always.
So, since there’s nothing left to rehash from last night that wasn’t hashed to death (for my money the game, the series, the season was lost when Dusty let Dave Veres and his soon-to-be-surgically-repaired-shoulder pitch to Evil Alex Gonzalez with two on and two out and Josh Beckett on deck. Beckett was going to bat no matter what and Gonzalez’s double made it 9-5. Good night Cubs. Drive home safely) so let’s ponder the changes that need to be made.
Going from 67 wins to 88 was impressive. Let’s not diminish how much improvement there was. These Cubs led us to believe for almost seven months that they’d turned the corner. They came close, but they clipped the guard rail at the end.
First base: Randall Simon’s cute. He’s fat, he’s got that weird birthmark, he got some big hits. He needs to go away now. I can’t live with a full year of him swinging at everything. Plus, there’s a bona fide, younger, better first baseman on the roster. If Eric Karros wants to come back next year and share first with Hee Seop Choi, that’s fine by me. But it’s Hee Seop’s time right now. That means no Randall Simon.
Second base: Mark Grudzielanek had a good year. He faded a little bit in the NLCS, but his RBI single in the seventh inning of game six should have been the hit that sealed the pennant. He played good defense, the Cubs missed him when he broke his hand in August and all that being said, he should be on the bus with Randall, too.
Here’s the thing, getting Kenny Lofton in July proved that the Cubs offense needed a real lead off man. With Patterson coming back in center, and too good to let go, the Cubs need either their shortstop or second baseman to be the leadoff man. Gruddy’s not that guy. If they find a shortstop who can lead off, great, bring Mark back. Otherwise, thanks for the memories.
Shortstop: Mr. Clutch, Alex Gonzalez, will always be remembered for muffing that grounder in the fateful eighth inning. But the fact remains he’s about as good a defensive shortstop as there is. He just has no clue at the plate. If you could really believe that his new approach at the dish that he took during the playoffs would stick, you’d want him back. If he’d keep that swing and that gameplan at the plate he’d hit .270 with 20 homers and be a godsend. I just don’t think he can.
Third base: Finally, that gaping hole seems to be filled. Why the Pirates felt the need to trade a 24 year old third baseman with power is beyond me. I’m just glad they did. E-ramis should be a fixture in the lineup for years to come. He and Hee Seop will make a nice set of bookends some day, even as soon as 2004.
Left field: Watching Moises Alou play in the playoffs kind of pissed me off. He made plays in the field, he came through at the plate. He is, truly, a big game player. Why can’t he show that effort all of the time, though? Given his age and his injury history, keeping Kenny Lofton on the roster is key. If Moises goes down for any length of time, Lofton could fill in here (his arm would less of a liability in left anyway) and assuming Hendry finds a real leadoff man at second or short, you’d have two speedy guys at the top of the order. Where have we seen that before?
Center field: I think we all kind of forgot just how good Corey Patterson was this year. We forget that defensively his only NL peer is Andruw Jones. We forget that he didn’t show any signs of slumping, he used the whole field at the plate and he delivered a lot of big hits. He was leading the team in batting average, stolen bases and RBI when he got hurt. He’s 24, too. He’s really good.
Right field: I think it’s probably even money that Sammy Sosa returns for 2004. He wants a bigger contract, the Cubs don’t want to give him one. He’s still owed $34 million over two years if he comes back, how’s he going to top that? It won’t be a warm, fuzzy offseason between the Cubs and Sammy. Both sides will say nasty things, and if the Yankees decide to fill their gaping hole in right field with Sammy…they’ll get him.
Catcher: Hendry and Dusty say they’re happy with Damian Miller and Paul Bako. I don’t see how that’s possible. Neither one can hit, at all. Besides, Bako apparently forgot how to actually catch pitches in the playoffs. Both have to go.
Staring pitchers:
Mark Prior: Despite that ill-fated eighth inning in game six, he’s the best young pitcher in the game.
Kerry Wood: His melt down in game seven obscures the fact that he was 4-0 with a 1.84 ERA in September and won both of his starts in the NLDS. He also pitched well in the third game of the NLCS. He ran out of gas last night. He never ran out of guts.
Carlos Zambrano: How quickly we forget that so little was expected of Carlos before this year. He’s big, he’s tough, he’s 23, he’s perfectly designed to win at Wrigley Field.
Matt Clement: We’re never going to quite trust him. Great stuff, inconsistent, and his toughness is of question. But for a fourth starter? He’s probably the best in the league.
Shawn Estes: So long.
Juan Cruz: He gets first crack at the fifth starter’s job. But unless he learns to throw with his left arm, any battle with studly prospect Angel Guzman goes to Angel. Guzman was so good last year (at 20!) in Spring Training that he almost made the rotation then.
Bullpen:
El Pulpo: The Cubs put him on waivers on July 31 and thought somebody would take him. Dusty seldom used him in a tough spot in the second half. Pulpo’s Cubs career is over.
Mark Guthrie: For most of the season he was better than Mike Remlinger. But the wheels fell off of him in August and never got put back on. He should be back, and he should be better.
Dave Veres: On one hand you hand it to a guy who gutted through a bad shoulder and pitched most of the season. On the other, he wears that stupid DK 57 patch on his glove. He’s got to go.
The Farns: He had some shaky moments in the playoffs, but most relievers do. His 2003 season totally redeemed himself from 2002. If you don’t like him, prepared to be mad, he’s going to be around for a long time. He might even be the closer in 2004.
Mike Remlinger: He was spotty all year. He had some huge games and some tragic ones. But given the previous state of the Cubs lefty relief corps, he was still a welcome addition and we’ll be glad we have him next year, too.
Regular Joe Borowski: What can you say about him? They made him the closer and he barrelled through the season full steam ahead. Whether he’s the closer again next year is up for debate, but regardless, he’s going to be in the bullpen and he’s going to be getting people out.
Todd Wellemeyer: This kid’s a keeper. Given a full year in the bullpen and he should excel. Could be the closer some day.
Francis Beltran: Another great arm. He’s very Zambrano like. Dominating in AAA, he never really got a shot this year, but it’s coming.
Felix Sanchez: Last seen giving up a grand slam in the Cardinals series, he could be the fifth starter next year, but only if he can beat out Angel Guzman. Don’t bet on that. He’s a lefty though, so you’ll see plenty of him at Wrigley next year, maybe in the bullpen, though.
If you take an objective look at the National League Central and the Cubs, you know the other teams are crapping their pants that the Cubs got this good this fast. With an absolute arsenal of good, young pitchers, and a general manager who will do anything to make his team better, the rest of the division can’t be happy. Reportedly, the Tribune Company has told Andy MacPhail and Jim Hendry that based on the 2.9 million fans in 2003 and the six playoff home dates, the payroll can increase by as much as $10 million over its current level. That can’t make St. Louis or Houston that happy, either.
Objectively, the Cubs are set up for a nice, long run, and one would imagine a few more fall tussles with the Florida Marlins.
Fate and history says something terrible will happen and derail it all.
Until Tuesday night, the Cubs had gotten pretty good at telling fate to go screw off.
Let’s hope they get back to that.
—
I guess I do want to say one thing about this playoff run by the Cubs. It was fun, it was unexpected and it ended the way, deep down, we all feared it would. It’ll take a few days, maybe a few weeks and then we’ll look back and start to remember just how much fun we had along the way. This was supposed to happen in 2004 or 2005. But these Cubs proved to be anything but patient.
Dusty Baker did some dumb assed stuff in the playoffs, but I stand by my previous assertation that he was the only man on the planet who would have steered the Cubs to the playoffs in the first place. If the Cubs, as we hope, continue to field championship caliber teams for the next five or six years, Dusty will be a huge reason why. Even if means we hyperventilate our way through future playoff runs because of him.
I also want to take a moment to acknowledge all of you who spent so much of the spring, summer and fall right here with us. Those of you who know me in real life know that I’m just about the last person you’d expect to be Mr. Positive. But that’s where I found myself this year. It had little to do with any personality shift on my part. It all goes back to the Cubs Convention and three days with Dusty Baker. I knew then, and know now that good things will happen to this franchise. Just don’t expect them to be able to kick the habit of tearing our hearts out a few times along the way.
—
I’m not linking to any of the stuff from game seven. You can find it on your own.
What we need to figure out now is what we focus on. Sure, we’ve kept one eye on the Bears and we know the Bulls are getting ready to strap it on for the season. We’ve got some catching up to do.
So, let’s do it.
The Kordell Stewart era lasted how long? Four games? Why is Chris Chandler playing? You know he won’t last three series on Sunday before they have to get a big spatula and scrape him off the field. I think it’s time to throw Sexy Rexy Grossman to the wolves. I just have a hunch that the kid wouldn’t mind. I think we’re all going to like Rex very much some day. Might as well start now.
Sure, now that the A-Train is a legit fantasy running back again, he hurts himself. Great.
Tim Floyd says he never lost confidence as a coach. Well, that’s nice. You know, Tim, I never lost confidence in you as a coach. Then again, I never had any to lose.
Isiah Thomas says his work ethic is “beyond reproach.” He then admitted that he has no idea what the word “reproach” means. But he thinks he once saw a “reproach clip.”
Charles Oakley says of Tim Floyd, “The man is not an NBA coach.” For once, Charles is right about something.
Bernie Bickerstaff is going to coach the Charlotte Bobcats next year. What, Kevin Loughery wasn’t available? How about Bob Weiss? Bernie Bickerstaff? Oh, puh-lease.
The NBA is going to realign for next year with three divisions per Conference. They’re toying with the idea of naming the divisions after famous former NBA stars. The Bulls would likely be with the Bucks, Cavs, Pistons and Hawks in the Chuck Nevitt Division. Nice. Oh, and the WNBA is going to take a break during the Olympics so that their lesbians…er, I mean players, can compete for a gold medal instead of for whatever they play for in the WNBA.
College basketball coaches met in Rosemont yesterday to establish a code of conduct. They have a three pronged system to clean up college hoops. 1) Gene Keady’s combover has been outlawed. 2) John Calipari has been outlawed. 3) Bruce Weber has to bring sandwiches to the next meeting. OK, so maybe they didn’t really accomplish much.
Jake Plummer broke his foot while watching TV. Apparently, he’s a Cubs fan. Or maybe he “tripped on Bryan Robinson’s dog” wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Marty Burns’ mullet says that if the Cubs can get to the World Series, the Bulls can do anything. Oops.
Big Pussy is coming back to The Sopranos. Well, for one episode anyway.
Oh, so that’s where Hee Seop Choi was.
George Clooney, Matt Drudge and some other people nobody really cares about.
Heidi Klum broke her bra. What’s the bad news?
More than half of the people in Great Britain have worse breath than their dogs do. Yeah, but that many have worse teeth than their dogs, too.
Ben Affleck compares Gubernator Schwarzenegger’s election to “the fall of the Roman empire.” They don’t have any history books in Boston? That’s too bad.
Yahoo! News claims that Saddam Hussein took a job scrubbing toilets in an American office to keep his “cover.” Check out where this story came from. Yup, the World’s Greatest Newspaper.
Ted Casablanca on Matt Damon’s breakup and Ethan Hawke’s.
America’s finest news source with the tragic tale of a dumped guy’s fear that his ex-girlfriend is playing Virtua Fighter Four at some other guy’s house, now.
Thom Brennaman give good head.
Thom Brennaman give good head.
Well done, Andy. I’ve been keeping my "Keep/Trade/Gone List" for several weeks now and we agree on virtually everything. However, I see Farns being moved in a deal. I think he has worn out his welcome in Wrigley. There are several young arms in the Cubs’ system who could take his place without the emotional baggage.
Randall Simon will also be dealt, and I see no reason to even consider re-signing Karros or Mark G. Guthrie is a free-agent and I don’t know if they’ll re-sign him.
There’s a lot of money available in the budget (even more if Sammy walks) and a lot of talent in the farm system. I’m in a better mood today thatn I thought I’d be because of that fact. Plus, the horrible offensive approach this team took this year made it hard to really like these guys. Feel good in knowing that Jim Hendry will be re-tooling this team. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and I don’t think it’s the train that hit us this week.
Ugh…Where to start.
I don’t think the better team won. I had the same feeling when we beat Atlanta. I thought they were better. Sometimes the better team doesn’t win. But, this is a great step in the right direction. Playoff experience gained for the players will only serve to make the Cubs that much better in 04. I’m predicting a shutout of the Marlins next year. They’re not going to take 1 game from us during the season. This season was disappointing, but not a disappointment (if that makes any sense). Now Hendry has to learn from what happened in the playoffs and rectify that. Here’s what I’d like to see.
C- Hello Pudge. Remember how you hit here? We do. Now do it again for the next 3 years. Bako and Miller? Never heard of ’em.
First- Keep Simon. Platoon him and Choi. More time to Choi.
Second- Thanks Gruddy. Now don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out. Castillo would look great in a Cub uni. A slick fielding 2nd baseman w/ speed who can leadoff.
SS- Keep Gonzo around. Sweet glove. If they go after Tejada (ha) move to 2nd.
3B- E-Ram. Nice to have finally found a piece to the puzzle. Don’t go anywhere.
LF- Alou’s final year. Let him play it out. Still has some left in the tank.
CF- Welcome back Corey. Corey meet Kenny, Keeny meet Corey. You’re going to be roommates in CF.
RF- Sammy still has it. 40 HR’s after missing 24 games. Easily would’ve hit 50. If he opts to leave, head right for Vlad and throw money and your virgin daughters at his feet.
In my world we have a few lineup possibilities, all of which immensly improve this team.
1)Castillo——–Patterson—Castillo
2)Patterson—–I-Rod——–Patterson
3)Sosa———-Sosa———I-Rod
4)Alou———-Tejada——–Vlad
5)I-Rod———Alou———-Alou
6)Rameriez—Rameriez—-Rameriez
7)Choi———Choi——–Choi
8)A-Gon——A-Gon——-A-Gon
Of course the Steinbrenner lineup would be Castillo, Patterson, I-Rod, Vlad, Tejada, Alou, Rameriez, Choi. But that ain’t going to happen.
The rotation is set w/ Estes out the door and Guzman coming in. Pulpo is gone. Another lefty would be nice as Remmy is better against rightys. I’d really like to see Foulke here too.
Here are some key FA’s in 2004 and 2005.
2004 Free Agents:
Pitchers:
Kevin Milwood, Atl., RHP, 29*
Sidney Ponson, Bal., RHP, 27*
Bartolo Colon, Mon., RHP, 29*
Livan Hernandez, S.F., RHP, 29*
Kirk Rueter, S.F., LHP, 33*
Andy Pettitte, NYY, LHP, 32*
Pedro Astacio, NYM, RHP, 34*
Randy Johnson, Ari., LHP, 41*
Danny Graves, Cin., RHP, 31*
Keith Foulke, CWS, RHP, 31*
Kelvim Escobar, Tor., RHP, 28*
Scott Sullivan, Cin., RHP, 33*
Armando Benitez, NYM, RHP, 31*
Eddie Guardado, Min., LHP, 34*
Mike Williams, Pit., RHP, 34*
Infield:
Javy Lopez, Atl., C, 33*
Luis Castillo, Fla., 2B, 29*
Fernando Vina, St. L., 2B, 35*
Roberto Alomar, NYM, 2B, 38*
Craig Biggio, Hou., 2B, 38*
Miguel Tejada, Oak., SS, 28*
Rich Aurilia, S.F., SS, 33*
Outfield:
Jose Cruz, Tor., 0F, 30*
Vladimir Guerrero, Mon., OF, 28*
Shannon Stewart, Tor., OF, 30*
Mike Cameron, Sea., 0F, 31*
* Opening day age 2004
2005 Free Agents:
Pitchers:
Kerry Wood, ChC, RHP, 28*
Matt Clement, ChC, RHP, 31*
Ryan Dempster, Cin., RHP, 28*
Odalis Perez, L.A., LHP, 27*
Javier Vazquez, Mon., RHP, 29*
Pedro Martinez, Bos., RHP, 34*
Derek Lowe, Bos., RHP, 31*
Curt Schilling, Ari., RHP, 38*
Matt Morris, St. L., RHP, 31*
Kris Benson, Pit., RHP, 30*
Russ Ortiz, S.F., RHP, 31*
Eric Milton, Min., LHP, 30*
Brad Radke, Min., RHP, 32*
Freddy Garcia, Sea., RHP, 29*
Scott Williamson, Cin., RHP, 29*
Bobby Howry, Bos., RHP, 32*
Jose Jimenez, Col., RHP, 32*
Braden Looper, Fla., RHP, 30*
Felix Rodriguez, S.F., RHP, 31*
Troy Percival, Ana., RHP, 36*
Robb Nen, S.F., RHP, 35*
Mariano Rivera, NYY, RHP, 35*
Infield:
Jason Varitek, Bos., C, 33*
Paul Konerko, ChW, 1B, 29*
Derrek Lee, Fla., 1B, 30*
Richie Sexson, Mil., 1B, 30*
Carlos Delgado, Tor., 1B-DH, 32*
Jose Vidro, Mon., 2B, 31*
Mike Lowell, Fla., 3B, 31*
Corey Koskie, Min., 3B, 32*
Eric Chavez, Oak., 3B, 27*
Adrian Beltre, L.A., 3B, 26*
Aaron Boone, Cin., 3B, 32*
Troy Glaus, Ana., 3B, 28*
Cristian Guzman, Min., SS, 27*
Orlando Cabrera, Mon., SS, 30*
Nomar Garciaparra, Bos., SS, 32*
Outfield:
Trot Nixon, Bos., OF, 31*
Carlos Beltran, K.C., OF, 28*
J.D. Drew, St. L., OF, 29*
Magglio Ordonez, ChW, OF, 31*
Garret Anderson, Ana., OF, 33*
Geoff Jenkins, Mil., OF, 31*
*Opening day age 2005
Although I share your optimism Andy, I would temper it some. The one clear glaring tactical inclination that Dusty showed this year was his propensity to depend on "veteran Presence". All your talk about our youn uns having potential assumes that we have a manager who will make it blossom. Assuming that he leaves the development of the pitching staff to Rothschild and maybe Dick Pole; I have very little confidence in Dusty having confidence in Hee Seop and Corey.
With the increase in payroll that is coming, Dusty will demand that Hendry get him over the hill mediocrities to take up roster spots. I am hoping that the next year we will not see an more Troy O’Leary’s Tom Goodwin’s and Lenny Harris’. But I am not confident that Hendry can hold off Dusty, what with Dusty being considered godlike now. Even more than his bizzare use of his pitching staff, I don’t think Dusty understands the importance of Roster spots. How can you have both Glanville and Goodwin? They are the same person!
I would like to see two moves:
Bring in Castillo to play second and lead off.
Trade Angel Guzman and Damian Miller to Minnesota for AJ Pierzinski. You may have to throw in another prospect but the point here is that Minnesota’s got Joe Mauer coming up through the pipeline, and AJ will have to go SOMEWHERE. Why not here? I’m tired of the lousy catchers we’ve had to suffer through since Jody Davis (real quick–Miller/Bako/Hundley/Girardi/Santiago/Servais/Wilkins/Wrona/Berryhill–god please make it STOP!).
This would be the lineup
Castillo
Patterson
Sosa
Ramirez
Alou
Choi
Pierzinski
Gonzalez
Andy, great work, man. Thanks for the best forum on the Internet. Go Bulls.
I liked Jody Davis too but I would not exclude him from the list of lousy catchers. The best Cub catchers since Harnett all had one thing in common, good field/no hit. Davis was a below avg hitter but good defensively.
I think Castillo should be the priority for the Cubs. He fills 2 holes (leadoff & 2nd base) and he won’t have to make the adjustment of playing with a shortstop who has a different name. If Gruds will take backup money & a backup role (and this is wishful thinking on my part) he can stick around, as he can play 2nd, short & 3rd if necessary, finally ridding us of the need to carry Augie on the 40 man roster. I-Rod is the best of the catching bunch, but he might be out of our price range (unless Sosa leaves). Javy Lopez is not an option, unless we want our pitchers to lead the league in 4 strikeout innings (plus we got to see his playoff dissappearing act up close). I like Randall Simon too, but you just can’t keep the guy. He’d be a good pinch hit specialist, but we need to find out about Choi this year. This team needs some left handed power, which it sorely lacked after Choi & Patterson were injured. I know Corey is off crutches already, but will he be the same next year? They always say the ACL is a 2 year injury, and while baseball is different, he’ll still have to cover an awful lot of ground in the outfield between Sosa & Alou.
Randy Johnson a free agent? Hmmmm…I know he’s old and we really don’t need him, but how cool would a Prior, Wood, Johnson, Zambrano rotation be?
Actually, Davis was known more for his offense with the Cubs. He wasn’t great, but he hit around between .250 & .270, had a few 20 HR seasons & drove in a lot of runs.
I really like the Pierzinski idea. Are the Twins planning on bringing in Mauer next year? I figured still another year away.
Maybe that’s why we didn’t win in 84! He had 1 solid 20-HR season (24 in 83) and 1 just barely (21 in 86). He just missed 2 other times w/ 19 (84 & 87). 83 was his best year by far. He could slug a decent bit at .400 but a .250 avg w/ a .300 OBP is horrible. Even when he hit .271 in 83 the league, on average hit .269. Average at best.
Yes, I’m a baseball stat nerd.
Sorry, Kenny, but i’m going to be the 4th OF next year. If i have to hit .750 in spring training to impress Dusty, i’ll do it. Just don’t ask me to play third if E-Ramis goes down.
Ya, Andy, just wanted to say thanks for everything this year. Even when the Cubs had a down day, I always looked forward to checking out the site to see what you had to say. Laughter’s the best medicine, or something… errr… damn, I’m pissed! 3 games to one, and — !!! okay, I’m stopping now… deep breaths… out with the bad air, in with the good…
see you all at the convention. no baseball until then.
how many days until camp?
If Sammy leaves…he’s fairly easy to replace…sign Vlad to the same money. Sammy would be doing us a favor.
After reading Moneyball, I don’t like Tejada as much as I used to. Let the White Sox sign him and watch him be an albatross in a couple of years. He’ll be way overpriced.
I love the idea of signing Castillo. 2B and leadoff…perfect.
Losing Pulpo, Karros, and Grudzy saves something around 16 mil from the payroll. Even the raises due to Woody, Clement, and E-Ram, that still elaves a boatload of money to sign free agents.
Here’s another one…Kaz Matsui.
He’s a SS in Japan who may be coming over to the States this year. I wish I had his stats handy, but he’s a SS who steals bases and hits about 30 HRs a year over there. We’ll have to fight the Dodgers and Mariners for him, but it’s about time the Cubs stopped acting like a second-rate team. If Gomzo becomes a 5 million dollar back-up, so be it. If the Cubs have to eat half his salary and trade him to the Brewers or some such team, fine.
My dream lineup for 2004…
Castillo
Patterson
Vlad (or Sammy)
Alou
Choi
E-Ramis
Matsui
Catcher (Pierzinski is fine…but not I-Rod or Lopez or some other old, overpriced, about-to-break-down catcher)…
The money balances out…the team is better.
Ahhh…I feel better already…
I totally forgot about him! He is an excellent choice.
http://www.japanesebaseball.com/players/player.jsp?PlayerID=18
I’m not here to talk about the Cubs being the fourth team in the history of baseball to choke away a 3-1 lead (after being the first to choke away a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series back in 1984). I’m not here to remind you that this was inflicted by one of your own (“and the dorkiest among them shall lead themâ€). I agree that the Cubs were the better team in this series and will probably do better than my Sox next year.
I am here to reveal the true reason for the Cubs’ ultimate failure: instant karma’s gonna get ya. Here’s what our boy Andy Dolan has had to say about the Sox lately:
But if you’ve come here for Sox analysis you need to hit Google and find another place. I have some suggestions.
http://www.trailerparkhotties.com
http://www.banjomusic.com/soxfans
http://www.thecubssuckandwehatethembecausetheysuck.com
http://www.shortbus.com/chisox
You’re welcome.
The Sox are only two games out of the division lead. How cute. And, they had 47,000 people at the Trailer Park last night. Or was it Mullet Fest?
But I did turn on ESPN and saw that Bob Ley’s "Outside the Lines" show was going to devote the entire half-hour to baseball in Chicago. Hey, this should be fun, I thought. A chance to listen to them mock the White Sox for being the choking dogs that they have been this September. Then, Bob introduced his "panel". It was Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune, a fine choice. And…Chip Caray. Oh, shoot me. Just put the gun to my temple and end it all.
Guh.
He wasn’t horrible. But he did think it "would be a great thing," if the Sox got in the playoffs. Screw that. I’ve enjoyed a September of the Sox self-mutilations.
This has to be a killer time for Sox fans. They can now clearly see that the likelihood of them making the playoffs is shrinking every day. Basically, all they can hope for is strong play from Houston and one of the other wild card teams to keep the Cubs out of the playoffs. Ahh, envy. It’s such an attractive feature.
The Sox season is officially over. I’m enjoying the hell out of this.
Left to drool in their malt liquor were entire trailer parks full of White Sox fans.
So how do we turn this around? Here’s the three-point plan to guaranteed Cubs world domination:
1) Find a second baseman, shortstop and catcher.
2) Use the jedi mind trick to convince Sosa to opt out of his deal, then run to Vlad Guerrero with his money.
3) A kinder, gentler Andy Dolan gives equal time to the Sox on his great website.
Ok, maybe it’s really a two-point plan.
Oh, yeah. This should be a dream: Yankees-Marlins. I think we might get a 25 share in NY, a 10 share in Miami, and the Trading Spaces Marathon on TLC will ace us out just about everywhere else.
I want Geraldo to behead Steve Bartman on national TV.
We would have had a 99 share for the World Series if not for him
Rupert will turn this into his advantage. Bartman will star in " Who wants to marry a scapegoat?" and Murdoch will make millions as we watch women dump their prison boyfriends for a chance at fame and undisclosed addresses.
Steve, Maurer was minor league player of the year last year, so he’s probably going to get a chance to win the catching job in camp. Unfortunately, from what I’ve heard, they may try to move Pierzinski over to 1st and put Dougie M on the block.
The Twins have plenty of 1b prospects and certainly won’t move Mauer there. He is still probably a year away, but if the Twins go in the tank early next year, they may trade A.J. and bring Mauer up. Bottom line is I can’t see A.J. starting 2004 anywhere but Minnesota.
Okay, now that the Cubs are done, let’s talk about the Bears. With A-Train out and the O-line(I love hyphens) bad, this looks like a good week for anyone who has Chris Chandler in their Dead Pool.
Is it just me, or am I the only one that likes the idea of signing Pettitte and putting him in the third or fourth spot in the rotation and moving Clement and/or Zambrano to the fifth and/or fourth spots?
I-Rod should be a good sign for the Cubs, if it’s for three years AT MOST.
Sammy is coming back. He knows he won’t get the cash anywhere else.
Sammy may get the money from the Yanks if they don’t win the Series. Even more likely if they lose to Boston. He’s going to try to get the Cubs to add more money to his contract. Hopefully they refuse. Either way (complaining for more money or opting for free agency)will be bad pub for him.
Hey, if you want equal time for the Sox this winter, next year, whatever, all you have to do is send in columns about them. We take submissions. I don’t like the Sox and therefore I won’t pretend (like Julie Sweica does with the Cubs) to pretend to.
What all fans (not to mention GMs) in situations like this need to be aware of in the context of offseaosn changes is to make it a priority to retain the ‘magic’ that these guys had together this year.
Any discussion about re-tooling the roster needs to be tempered with an appreciation of the unique circumstances and personalities that had this side ‘gell’ in the 2nd half of the year.
Don’t kill this intangible but real capability by ‘on-paper’ decisions to make your team ‘better’.
Andy,
Thanks for he great blog this year, and always giving a little humor on your sitte day in and day out. And the gamecasts were a lot of fun. An unexpected year, with somewhat of an expected finish…
It should be an interesting offseason, with us losing some big contracts, and getting some extra $$ to play with, I think w can rectify thee glaring holes we’ve had all year.
see ya Grudz, Karros, Simon, Alf, Arlo, Goodwin, and, with luck, Gonzo and our catchers. Get some prime talent, and fill the end of the bench with the AAAA players that always seem to be freely available (and come cheap) in the offseason.
Looking forward to the next five years or so….
Vladi, Tejada, or Pudge… If we get one of those three… we will be doing playoff gamecasts again next year, but they will be a series longer. Go Cubs!!
Hey, what’s all this talk about Simon, Karros, Choi, Frank Chance, Boog Powell, Larry Biitner’s missing hemorrhoid……I’m available baby! Sign me up, #17 coming your way, yee-haw!!
Anyone have Cyndi Sandberg’s address?
"Trading Spaces Marathon on TLC will ace us out just about everywhere else"
A fucking "Golden Girls" marathon would trump a Marlins/NYY World Series. I’m gonna go eat my own eyes now, thank you.
We missed our chance with Pudge. Should have been signed for THIS year. One year? Jeez, even if he flopped, at 10 mil it would have been worth the gamble. As it was, it was the best 10 mil that those jackasses in Miami ever spent.
Now, it’s too late. Especially because he will most certainly get a multi-year deal. Lopez–forget about him, too. He’s even riskier. At least Pudge’s year this year was par for him, after battling injuries. Lopez? He played well above his norm. Can you say "contract year"? Besides, do you really want to go back to the Hundley/Girardi tandem of guys stealing bases at will. Look what Lofton did vs. Lopez in 2 fewer games and many fewer hits and walks compared to Pudge (3 SB’s to 1). Jesus, even Sam Me stole a base on Lopez. No thanks.
Yes, I don’t believe that Mauer is ready. That’s why you give them Miller. As bad as he was this year, and he pretty muched just sucked major ass, he HAD been a pretty productive catcher for Arizona, and could be a one-year stopgap for Minny until Mauer arrives. THAT’S why you dangle Guzman. I hate to start selling of propsects, but Pierzinski’s young, he can hit, and he’s a total asshole that the Cardinals and their genetically misshapen fans will absolutely DETEST. Go get him.
I can’t believe you left me off the list of great Cubs catchers.
I can’t believe you left me off the list of great Cubs catchers.
Finally, after two long years of frustration and disappointment they Yankess make it back to their rightful stage. I can sympathize with the wait you’re enduring fellas…
Uh, I guess Grady Little did not watch game 6 of the NLCS.
What a fun season!! a disappointing end but I’m pumped about next season. Kudos to Andy for his optimism and humor. He propped me up every time my pessimism dragged me down.
Leadoff/ 2B. Castillo is a good choice, or maybe Hendry can engineer a deal with Montreal for J.Vidro. I don’t think we’ll see Grudz back. IIRC there’s a limit how much a team can reduce a veteran’s salary (20% reduction limit?). Someone else can sign him at a reduced rate but the Cubs can’t. So long Mark, thanks for the memories.
I hope CP comes back strong but it seems smart to give him plenty of days off next year; I’d sign Lofton and give him 2-3 starts a week spelling Alou and CP. I might even keep Goodwin around. His pinch-hitting stats were pretty good.
At SS, we’re stuck with Gonzo another year. NObody is going to take that contract without unloading something even worse on us. Tejada isn’t the answer unless Sammy walks. Don’t be surprised to see Dusty lobby for Rich Aurelia. But really, Ramon did a good job relieving Grudz and Gonzo.
Catcher. I like AJ Perzienski (sp?) but I sure wouldn’t give up Guzman to get him. Dangle Farnsworth and AJ is probably wearing Cubbie blue. The Twins are going to lose Hawkins to free agency (and he’s a guy I might think about signing for the pen) and I think Guardado is a free agent too(?). Miller is my backup and Bako is history.
Pitching:I wouldn’t worry much about adding another starting pitcher (someone suggested Pettite). Prior, Wood, Zambrano, Clement and a lefty-to-be-named can get us to the playoffs. Having Sean Estes in the rotation proves you don’t need 5 good starters. We need an innings-eater kinda guy in the #5 slot. What the Cubs REALLY need is a stronger bullpen so Dusty feels comfortable pulling his starters before they give up a lead. We can’t let the innings pile up for our starters again next year.
I’d give Guthrie another short-term deal. I’d try to sign LaTroy Hawkins and maybe even Keith Foulke depending on his price tag. Cruz and Wellemeyer get a shot too.
1B: Give Choi a legitimate shot and sign a righty to platoon with him. It won’t be Karros because of the same reduction-limit issues re: Grudz. Dave Kelton, maybe. Give Simon his walking papers.
I’m not confident that Dusty will give Choi and Kelton a shot unless he gets plenty of offense from catcher, 2B and SS.
But I’m confident Jim Hendry will make smart moves. It appears he’d rather start the season with a "capable" roster and make adjustments mid-season. He sure did a nice job of that this year!! Jim Hendry for NL Exec of the Year!! Hey Mr. McPhail? Give this man a rich long-term deal or he’ll end up in LA.
Thanks guys, it’s been fun.
I don’t think the big-name free agents will help us much. The
I agree Sammy won’t walk. If the Yankees go after a big name FA for RF, they’ll sign Vlad. I expect Sammy to come back in great shape and hungry for a ring.
The Cubs have plenty of bad experiences with free agents. Hendry seems to be able to find guys via trades that are hungry and a good influence in the clubhouse.
so fuck Pettite. Fuck Dave Wells. Fuck Javy Lopez. Fuck Pudge. Fuck Greg Maddux. Fuck Miguel Tejada. Fuck Vlad.
I agree that the Cubs have had some bad luck with free agents, but Moises Alou definitely paid dividends (despite the little chocolate donuts) this year. I think Hendry is a smart enough guy to stay away from the Todd Hundley types. The Cubs definitely need an injection of speed at the top of the lineup, and I think Castillo is the best guy for that. Also, on the subject of that other Chicago baseball team, check out this article. That Wally Backman sure is a team guy.
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dssports/pro/162sd3.htm
I would love to wear Cubs’ blue. The price is Choi and Wellemeyer.
Well, I guess this is what I get for hiring a guy named Grady.
If the cubs get Sweeney, you’ll think I was durable.
A Choi/Kelton/Simon platoon would work nicely. Choi getting the bulk of the time, Kelton getting the LHP and Simon getting the odd start. That way Choi and Kelton get to play and you have a guy who hits well coming off the bench. Kelton could also spell Alou in LF and play the occasional game at 3 in a pinch. Plus, if Choi and Kelton can’t hack it, you can package them for a guy like Beltran who will be in a walk year. If KC thinks they can’t sign him they’ll deal him to get something.
For the short term for a catcher what about Benito Santiago, may not get resigned by the Giants, played with Dusty last year. Has really matured, is probably a bit grumpy about a lack of a deal, will want to prove something to someone, a bit like Lofton, may get a year or two out of him
Not a bad choice. He did express remorse over how poorly he played here his first stay. Pretty stand up for a ballplayer.
Why don’t we just sign Barry Foote? Can’t be any older than Finito Santiago.
Fool me once….
Benito Santiago?!? What the hell is that? Hey, why don’t we sign Tom Seaver too!
Barry Foote, I want you dude, I kick your ass baby!
I think Castillo and Pierzinski would be outstanding pickups! But I just don’t see Castillo happening, so we may be stuck with Grudz for another year. I think a Pierzinski deal is doable. I also like the idea of Lofton as a 4th outfielder, perhaps for help grooming a young Corey Patterson as a leadoff hitter. Smart Money has Sosa coming back. Sammy said he wanted the front office to prove they wanted to win, well, a division title , an NLCS appearance and 5 outs from a World series berth later, there’s your proof Sammy. Now I know some of you don’t like Sammy and he can be a defensive liability at times, But his offensive production is undeniable and
almost totally unreplacable. He’s one of the feared hitters in the game. You just can’t let him walk away.
Here’s a theory…
We’ve seen what four good starters can do… Now, you have got 1,458 innings at the least to get through for the season. My personal opinion is if we get a veteran like Pettitte, then we have five guys who at least will get 160 innings done next season. If Dusty keeps all the starters under 200 innings, but over 160, that means we get 800 to 1,000 innings covered for next season, and it saves the arms much more than he did this year (Where ALL the starters pitched at least 200 innings). Leaving around 650 to around 500 innings to a bullpen is what you want to do in this hypothetical situation. We have three guys (J. Borowski, Remlinger, and Farnsworth) who averaged 70 innings this season. If they even do just 65 innings next season, that moves the number to around 450 to around 300 innings left to cover. I will assume for the sake of this argument that Todd Wellemeyer can get at least 40 innings next year (Which, by the way, Dave Veres did this season). So that’s the fourth guy. I’d have Sergio Mitre or Felix Sanchez as the long relief guy, who’d probably be around 40 innings as well. That cuts down the number of innings needed to cover to 380 and 220 respectively. It is personally my opinion that a "big name" reliever, a veteran starter, and two offensive additions are needed. I personally think the salary space will be there for these additions. If the "big name" reliever can get 70 innings next season, that cuts it down to 310 and 150 respectively. That isn’t a lot of innings to find, particularly figuring in the blowout games that will occur next season. In my opinion, the Cubs by doing those things I mentioned earlier would improve the offense considerable, along with cutting down the number of innings needing to be "covered" to around 100, in my opinion. To have that low a number would be a great thing, in my opinion.
And that’s why I think we should go get Andy Pettitte. He’s an inning-eater. He’s a proven postseason performer. He’s a lefty. And he’s used to the big-market demands. But Chicago is no New York, and I think he’d thrive even more in Chicago than New York.
For the big-name reliever, that is the big question mark. Wagner is available, but that means two great prospects going to a division rival. I think finding the fourth big-time reliever is another key. And maybe Dusty was "asking" Jim Hendry to find bullpen help by putting Veres in in that game seven of the NLCS (OK, I’m grasping for the immortal straw there).
OK, that’s all I’ve got.
Is it honest for me to go and sit there on communion day and drink the wine and eat the bread while feeling it all to be mummery? by texas hold’em