Jim & Jason :

Thanks for the spirited discussion. We all tend to get overly optimistic at times about our beloved Cubbies, but I can also personally appreciate the frustration of supporting a non-winner for 60 years (I was born in 1946).

Hopefully, the good news is that this will be the low point of the season and things will get better from this point on. I'm realistic about the ongoing health of Wood, Prior, Miller, but the odds are at least one of the three will contribute some good innings the last four months of the season.

Much discussion is always focused on the pitching, but I continue to have a problem with the hitting, not just the last 9-10 days, but the periodic hitting droughts we've had during the last 3+ seasons. Lack of patience, poor pitch selection when ahead in the count, uppercut swings. I know these guys are professionals who have had intense training, but I just can't imagine what the hitters are thinking (or maybe not thinking) at times. I have to lay the blame on the hitting coaches.

Jason:

I'm not competing with you or anyone else for the biggest cub fan award. I think it is pretty cool when the Cubs are away and "Cub Nation" is all over the place on the road. I have a friend who lives in Arizona and he swears that there are more Cub Fans than there are D-Back fans.

Also, on everything that you say whether it's positive or a pipe dream. I WANT YOU TO BE RIGHT!!!

I WANT TO BE WRONG!!! For the time being, I will continue to address the obvious.

Well...you were slightly more positive than usual in that post...I guess that is a start.

I was too busy doting over my wife and newborn son the night he was born, but in the interests of proving that I am a bigger Cubs fan, I will rename my son "Sutcliffe" and buy a dog and name it "Dick Ruthven".

Maddux will win again tonight, and Aramis will continue hitting. The Cubs will probably score around 7 runs.

Jason:

I have watched on Television, listen on radio,

internet tracking or at Wrigley (about 15 games a year), I have missed only 1 game in 5 years. When my son was born on 6/3/03 I brought a radio in the room. Thankfully the Cubs beat Tampa Bay that night 3-2. That was the night Sosa got caught with corking

the bat. Please don't question my passion about the Cubs.

Am I wrong for stating the obvious?

The Cubs ARE in 5th place.

They ARE playing lousy.

Never said Wood Sucks. Actually when healthy the guy

is dominant. He'd just brittle. Same as Prior.

Other posters on this site have also stated the same thing. Oh, and Santo is a horrible announcer.

But, LIKE I SAID, "I LOVE HIS PASSION FOR THE CUBS"

A lot of times I have spoke highly about:

Cedeno: He should be a mainstay at ss for several years.

Murton: Will be solid in LF for several years. I agree with a fellow poster who said he will be a right handed Mark Grace.

Marshall: How composed and poised he looks.

Pieere: I still think he will turn it around. I am glad that Hendry got him.

I wasn't the one who made a song about Rusch, I scratch my head about Jacque Jones, or believe that Jerome Williams was the answer. You are right about

the 2003 squad, we had this discussion before thanks

for proving me right although I guess your not an Attorney. Fact: the 2003 squad is better than this 2006 slop. When 2003 began, I was thrilled. Hendry dumped Hundley ( I bet you were upset, you probably thought he would hit 41 HR"S Again-did you even know that?) For Karros and Grudzielanek. I liked Baker, I thought he was a winner (Still do) Wood was healthy, Prior was entering his Second season along with Zambrano, and Matt Clement showed how solid he was also. The only question in the rotation was Estes ( I bet you cried when he left)

As for this being just a game? YOUR WRONG!!!!

This is life, it is in my blood, my DNA. thats is why on the night of 6/3/03 I named my son Ryne.

After mine and my wife's favorite Cub.

Jim,

You are singlehandedly bringing the level of fun and interest to this website down, with your constant negativity and gloom and doom predictions.

It is easy, simple, and effortless to constantly whine and complain without ever offering a solution or an original thought or statement.

This is easy, simple, and predictable posting:

"wood sucks"

"prior is a wuss!"

"5th place if we're lucky!"

"Santo sucks"

Jim...I am guessing you live your life & work in a dark unhappy place, and I feel bad for you.

Here is reality: The Cubs were a .500 team at the all-star break in 2003. They had such awesome position players as Bobby Hill, Hee Sop Choi, Erik Karros, Alex Gonzalez, and Mark Bellhorn. They had two pitchers in their first full seasons (Zambrano and Prior), they had a closer emerge out of nowhere (Borowski), and the biggest impact players (Aramis and Lofton) didn't show up until July.

We have Prior and Wood (the backbone of the staff in 2003) finally almost ready to pitch this year. Derrek Lee is on the mend, and Aramis Ramirez won't hit .215 all year.

Can't find anything positive about this year yet? I guess you haven't watched a single game when Maddux or Marshall pitched? You probably also haven't seen Dempster and the bullpen do well? Maybe you didn't notice that Murton and Cedeno are doing well in their first full pro seasons?

The positives are there...you just choose not to look at them.

I imagine in June 2003 you were declaring the season a complete waste, and spewing negativity to all that would listen to you. Your ranting and raving probably started in late April 2003, and reached a feverish cresendo by late June that year...the veins in your neck were all too apparent, from all the yelling and screaming and jumping up and down that you were undoubtedly doing. That was sort of pointless back then, wasn't it?

You were wrong then, and you are wrong now.

Most importantly, this is just a game...you know that, right?

Neil:

I watched the first 6 innings.

My point was, after 3 years of injuries, what makes you think Wood or Prior will remain healthy.

Wood is brittle, Prior is a sissy and Larry Rotschild has to be the worst pitching coach since that Hippie looking dude that Riggleman had. (I think his name was Mcdermit) We were all fooled again! Side note! Pat Hughes has the toughest job in sports. Ron Santo though I love his passion, he has to be thw worst announcer in the game.

I'm encouraged by the start even if it was against the Lugnuts. I say this bc Wood is supposedly pitching from a different arm slot (angle) which causes less stress on the arm. In theory this will help him avoid MORE injuries.

With that being said, I am not as positive as you Neil when reviewing our current standing. We are in 5th place, ahead of only the lowly Pirates. We waste countless scoring opportunities. We make mental too many mental mistakes. The Cubs strike out way too often and conversely don't walk enough. They simple do not play good baseball, which can be exemplified by their inability to drop a bunt on no less than 3 occassions Saturday.

I'm not saying we can't start winning some games, but the reality is, we are NOT a good team. I do believe there is a SMALL chance we can turn it around though.

As far as I'm concerned, May 17th can't get here fast enough !!!!

Jim I know it was just A ball, but it is a start. With as bad as they have played they are still on 6 games back with 132 left to play.

Did you see the game today?

Wow! That is great!!!!

Then on his third start after he throws 95 pitches by the fifth inning he will have some other arm issue. The season is over. 5th place if we are lucky.