Crazy Uncle Milton's Shot Blasting Sploogefest Emporium

[SKO]

Ramirez will be tough to re-sign, and that will be a tough blow. But then again, he'll be 33 during the 2011-2012 offseason.

If Vitters keeps progressing like he has been, it'll be an easy decision to let Ramirez walk away.

If Ramirez hits like Ramirez until then, I don't see it being an easy decision at all. But probably a necessary one.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Ramirez will be tough to re-sign, and that will be a tough blow. But then again, he'll be 33 during the 2011-2012 offseason.

If Vitters keeps progressing like he has been, it'll be an easy decision to let Ramirez walk away.

You could always move A Ram to first in 2011 if Vitters is ready by then.  Lee will be gone.  There is a way to get them both on the field.  Assuming Vitters gets here.

[RV]

Ramirez will be tough to re-sign, and that will be a tough blow. But then again, he'll be 33 during the 2011-2012 offseason.

If Vitters keeps progressing like he has been, it'll be an easy decision to let Ramirez walk away.

If Ramirez hits like Ramirez until then, I don't see it being an easy decision at all. But probably a necessary one.

Doom?

After taking swings, Ramirez is sure about one thing concerning the pain:

"It's going to be there for a while. It's getting better, but it's going to be there.

"When I start playing, it will still be there. It can't go away in two months; maybe [during] the off-season."

Ramirez said he had no trouble extending the left arm while taking ground balls, but the left arm to a right-handed swinger is perhaps the most important piece. It drives the ball and extends the bat.

[Andy]

I like where Lou said

"Once we get Ramirez back, it's easy for me to put [Andres] Blanco at shortstop and move Fontenot to second."

And, put Theriot and Miles in a sack and throw them into Lake Michigan.

[MAD]

I like where Lou said

"Once we get Ramirez back, it's easy for me to put [Andres] Blanco at shortstop and move Fontenot to second."

And, put Theriot and Miles in a sack and throw them into Lake Michigan.

In all seriousness, assuming Blanco could play everyday at short--and call me a skeptic, but I'm still rather suspect about it--than my long-awaited Theriot/Fontenot platoon at the keystone may be realized.

But yeah--Aaron Miles.  Go away.  Please.  And take Farny Freel with you.

[*In a Nutsack]

Maybe the Cubs should just DFA Freel and hang on to Blanco regardless.  I'm impressed with his defense.  If Andres can play SS everyday (When did we EVER think we'd be saying THAT?), then I'd prefer Theriot move to second as the primary.  Fontenot can go back to being a utility player, where he belongs.

Then again, I'd also prefer they trade for Hanley Ramirez and Chay Sutley.

[Eli]

In all seriousness, assuming Blanco could play everyday at short--and call me a skeptic, but I'm still rather suspect about it--than my long-awaited Theriot/Fontenot platoon at the keystone may be realized.

I haven't had much of a chance to watch Blanco at short, but is his defense really that good?  He's going to struggle to OPS above .600 in the majors, so he better play defense like Ozzie Smith to justify his spot in the lineup.  You also said you're a skeptic, so I'm directing this more at the board in general.

And I'm right on board with the idea of consolidating the Cajun midgets into one platoon at 2B.

[Jon]

In all seriousness, assuming Blanco could play everyday at short--and call me a skeptic, but I'm still rather suspect about it--than my long-awaited Theriot/Fontenot platoon at the keystone may be realized.

I haven't had much of a chance to watch Blanco at short, but is his defense really that good?  He's going to struggle to OPS above .600 in the majors, so he better play defense like Ozzie Smith to justify his spot in the lineup.  You also said you're a skeptic, so I'm directing this more at the board in general.

And I'm right on board with the idea of consolidating the Cajun midgets into one platoon at 2B.

One could stand on the other's shoulders and be almost as tall as an adult.

[RV]

In all seriousness, assuming Blanco could play everyday at short--and call me a skeptic, but I'm still rather suspect about it--than my long-awaited Theriot/Fontenot platoon at the keystone may be realized.

I haven't had much of a chance to watch Blanco at short, but is his defense really that good?  He's going to struggle to OPS above .600 in the majors, so he better play defense like Ozzie Smith to justify his spot in the lineup.  You also said you're a skeptic, so I'm directing this more at the board in general.

And I'm right on board with the idea of consolidating the Cajun midgets into one platoon at 2B.

What Eli said. This was one of those "enjoy a career minor leaguer's short-term success while we can" threads. Blanco's got a .633 career minor league OPS. He's a decent late inning defensive replacement/last guy on the bench type player. Unless he magically learns how to hit, which is a possibility I'm not entirely ruling out considering the pedigree of his last name.

[MAD]

In all seriousness, assuming Blanco could play everyday at short--and call me a skeptic, but I'm still rather suspect about it--than my long-awaited Theriot/Fontenot platoon at the keystone may be realized.

I haven't had much of a chance to watch Blanco at short, but is his defense really that good?  He's going to struggle to OPS above .600 in the majors, so he better play defense like Ozzie Smith to justify his spot in the lineup.  You also said you're a skeptic, so I'm directing this more at the board in general.

And I'm right on board with the idea of consolidating the Cajun midgets into one platoon at 2B.

What Eli said. This was one of those "enjoy a career minor leaguer's short-term success while we can" threads. Blanco's got a .633 career minor league OPS. He's a decent late inning defensive replacement/last guy on the bench type player. Unless he magically learns how to hit, which is a possibility I'm not entirely ruling out considering the pedigree of his last name.

Howevuh, if he does possess some sort of defensive wizadry at shortstop, they may be able to live with his Mendoza sucktitude in the lineup.  If you look around at the other 7 positions on the field--assuming Soto is, in fact, on his way back to not being sucky--it's a pretty good lineup.

[Slaky]

In all seriousness, assuming Blanco could play everyday at short--and call me a skeptic, but I'm still rather suspect about it--than my long-awaited Theriot/Fontenot platoon at the keystone may be realized.

I haven't had much of a chance to watch Blanco at short, but is his defense really that good?  He's going to struggle to OPS above .600 in the majors, so he better play defense like Ozzie Smith to justify his spot in the lineup.  You also said you're a skeptic, so I'm directing this more at the board in general.

And I'm right on board with the idea of consolidating the Cajun midgets into one platoon at 2B.

What Eli said. This was one of those "enjoy a career minor leaguer's short-term success while we can" threads. Blanco's got a .633 career minor league OPS. He's a decent late inning defensive replacement/last guy on the bench type player. Unless he magically learns how to hit, which is a possibility I'm not entirely ruling out considering the pedigree of his last name.

Howevuh, if he does possess some sort of defensive wizadry at shortstop, they may be able to live with his Mendoza sucktitude in the lineup.  If you look around at the other 7 positions on the field--assuming Soto is, in fact, on his way back to not being sucky--it's a pretty good lineup.

Yep, the factor of the greasy cajun platoonery at second might help hide Blanco's limp bat. He doesn't inspire confidence at the plate, but he has come up with a few timely hits this year.

[Internet Apex]

We're on the kid's jock in two separate threads right now. I'm a fan of great defense at any position and would like to field an all-Blanco/Zambrano/Hart 40-man roster just to watch and soberly chart pitches in my fiancee's queer Japanese rabbit notebook. So anything I do or say about anything is extremely suspect. So I'm not saying anything really. 

[*In a Nutsack]

If this means I don't ever have to see Aaron Miles on the playing surface again, I'm all for it.

[Slaky]

I don't think anyone's advocating Andy White as the SS of the future. Just the SS for now.

They don't grow on trees. Except for Ol' Leafy Jones back in the 1890's. That sumbitch fell right off a majestic Oak.

[Kermit, B.]

I hope all you anti-Milton buttchuggers have been paying attention to the last week two weeks four weeks.

Last 7 days:  .381/.458/.476
Last 14:  .378/.439/.486
Last 28:  .333/.403/.433

To quote Lou Brown, "It's startin' to come together, Pepper.  Startin' to come together."