As you saw in the discussion part of yesterday’s Dose, my first reaction to the Hee Seop Choi for Derrek Lee trade was not favorable. But that was for two important, and very good reasons.

1) I’m going to miss the comedic value of a karaoke singing, dog eating, enormous Korean at first base.
2) I’m a dope.

On no planet can you take a rational look at trading 28-year old Derek Lee for soon to be 25 year old Hee Seop Choi and think it’s a bad deal for the Cubs.

But you need to forgive us from time to time. We’re still getting used to this thing where our team is good enough to win the pennant and doesn’t need to sink blind faith and devotion into prospects who might never be as good as we hoped they’d be.

One of the first things you’ll learn in any community college course on being a successful Major League Baseball general manager (and Jim Hendry got B’s in both of them) is that if Player A has proven he can play, and Player B has the potential to be as good as Player A some day, you trade for Player B if you get the chance.

The Cubs have propped 100 years of futility on “mights.” Hey, this guy might be as good as this guy! Hey, this six week old bratwurst might not make me vomit! Hey, that weird guy with the turtleneck and the headphones might not interfere with that foul ball!

This move is so non-Cub. They traded a cheap, potentially good young player for a proven, expensive, good young player. When have they ever done this before?

Over on baseball-primer.com they’re wringing their hands and shouting to the heavens that Jim Hendry is a dope.

Why?

This isn’t trading Choi for an old, expensive, but good player. They didn’t swing a deal for the death rattle of Jeff Bagwell’s career. They traded for a still-improving, Gold Glove first baseman.

The only thing this costs them…is money. Gasp!

If you haven’t noticed, the Cubs are one of…well…three teams in the National League who will add payroll instead of slash it.

They still don’t spend as much as we want them to, but if you look at their 2004 projected lineup, you’ll see a trend as to how they got these guys.

1B- Derrek Lee: Marlins didn’t want to pay him, Cubs traded a prospect (Choi for him).
2B- Free agent to be determined
SS- Alex Gonzalez: Blue Jays didn’t want to pay him, Cubs traded…hee hee…Felix Heredia for him.
3B- E-ramis Ramirez: Pirates didn’t want to pay him, Cubs traded prospects (Bobby Hill, Matt Brubeck…or somebody, since released by the Pirates) and Jose Hernandez for him
LF- Moises Alou: Free agent
CF- Corey Patterson: First round draft pick
RF- Sammy Sosa: White Sox crapped the bed and traded him for George Bell
C- Damian Miller: Diamondbacks didn’t want to pay him (Cubs shouldn’t want to either)

Plus, your ace pitcher is a Cub because they’d write a check that the Twins wouldn’t. What the Cubs are doing with their farm system is almost mind boggling. They are actually using it to get good players! Who knew?

Good teams get production out of their corner outfield and infield spots. On opening day last year the Cubs had Sammy Sosa, the decaying corpse of Moises Alou, Hee Seop Choi and Mark Bellhorn.

On opening day 2004 they’ll have Sammy Sosa, the decaying corpse of Moises Alou, Derrek Lee and E-ramis Ramirez. You don’t have to take a wild leap to expect that group to combine for 130 homers and 400 RBI. Yee haw.

I’m giddy about this whole thing. What I see when I look at the moves Jim Hendry has made since taking over as general manager is a guy who wants to win the whole damn thing. It’s taking some getting used to, but it sure as hell beats the alternative.

Now, if we just convince him to not sign Fernando Vina…

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I always feel uncomfortable when I agree with Phil Rogers, but on this point, we’re in complete agreement. “Coming close only whetted Hendry’s appetite.” Think about it. For once the Cubs are led by a guy who saw them come close to winning and wants to finish the job. In the past, close was good enough. It was always dumb. But at least now it seems to be gone.

Derrek Lee brings more to the field than a long pair of pants.

Scott Skiles’ enormous forehead (it’s more like a fivehead) is about to become the Bulls new coach.

Rick Morrissey says that Scott Skiles is feisty and that’s what the Bulls need. What he is, is a competent basketball coach. That’s what they need more than anything.

KC Johnson reminds us that for all of his failings as a head coach, Bill Cartwright is a good and geniuine man. And in the end, that’s a helluva lot more important.

The Pete Myers era began with a thud.

Luther Head, Aaron Spears and Richard McBride aren’t off the hook yet. What Desipio is hearing is that they didn’t actually do the burglaring, but that they were more than happy to get a hold of some of the pilfered DVDs, PS2 games and CDs.

Just think, if the Cubs had pulled this trade off before game six, they’d have been in the World Series.

Mariotti puts down the doughnut to do something only he could do. He congratulates the Cubs for getting Derrek Lee while still acting pissed off about Jim Thome. Hey, you know why Mariotti likes Thanksgiving so much? Because it’s the one day of the year when his gobbler is in style.

The Cubs still need a second baseman (just say no to Todd Walker) and some bullpen help (hey, Felix Heredia is available again!)

Bill Self is 2-0 and his toupee looks awesome this year. ESPN did a feature on him before last night’s win over Michigan State and there was one great shot of Self where you could see the rug sticking out just a little too much in the back. Hey, if you’re going to have one, get a good one. And Bill’s got a great one.

The Wizard of Roz likes the new Cubs.

Ahh, nothing better than interviewing a new coach when you still have one. Nice.

The Mets offered Luis Castillo $14 million for three years. That’s chump change.

The Cubs trade for Lee might screw the Diamondbacks. Hee hee. That that tHomm.

If you don’t do your homework I’ll shoot you and then kill myself. Really. I will!

Hey, it finally really is The Real World.

This just in, Michael Jackson is weird.

America’s finest news source says that Bill Telpher is going to find out who’s not flushing the toilet.