Jason,

AZ representing man......definitely.....I love your rant....it was awesome, and I wholeheartedly agree with you.

You know what I think is hilarious.....all the times the Cubs sign these so-called good character guys, that "should" have great years, they way overpay for them a la Neifi Perez, Rusch, and the list goes on. I remember the Cubs touting such signings as Steve Buechele, Danny Jackson, George Bell, etc. Anyone else remember those? They sign one or two, and fill the roster with overpriced mediocre talent, and say they did all they could to win. Are you kidding me? They don't do a damn thing. All they care about is the bottom line, because that's what the Tribune cares about.

I mean, part of our problem has ALWAYS been getting players at the very end of their careers. I think the Cubs are so afraid of another Lou Brock or Jon Garland, or Joe Carter trade, that they always want to protect their minor league system when we are the only ones touting it to begin with. Look who the Yankees have traded away from their minor leagues....

As I've mentioned in my other blogs, the Yankees trade for proven talent, giving up unproven talent, and then trading that same proven talent before they become free agents, and get prospects in return to replenish their farm system.

I swear, if all we come away with this offseason are Jacque Jones, John Mabry, Neifi Perez-type players, I am through with the Cubs until Hendry is fired and the Tribune sells. How inept can an organization be? How in the hell did Hendry keep his job? He's terrible. He says, "i'm accountable for this." Okay, you know what, in other organizations, that'll earn you a pink slip....no no no....not in Cubbie land....not in Tribune land. They reward people like that with contract extensions, because they think it's cute. They think, "well, at least we tried." Hello, 98 years since we last won a championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you're not in it every single year, doing whatever it takes to win, you deserve to be fired. I'm tired of the whole, "well, it'll take a few years to get going....Baylor, Baker, all of those guys before them said the same thing." Haven't we waited long enough?

Minimum, the Cubs need to sign Soriano and Carlos Lee, and at least Zito. If not, we're back to last place yet again. You're dilusional if you think ARAM will resign....absolutely dilusional. Like I've said before, Hendry needs to be fired along with MacPhail (who should've been fired instead of allowed to step down) for allowing his deal to let him walk in the first place. Couldn't they see that coming. I mean, who requests an opt-out clause if they're planning to stay? Exactly, so you can kiss ARAM goodbye, and I hope the Cubs have a package of guys to send to the Yankees for AROD, and a shortstop who can get on base. Is anyone else tired of hearing, "oh, we've got an excellent shortstop who can really pick it...really good glove guy." Please, most major league shortstops make about 15 errors a year, meaning that every other team is at the same level there---so that means absolutely nothing...if you can't hit, then you're no good to the team, and will be just another Rey Sanchez or Augie Ojeda. We had Gonzo, who struck out way too much, and had a terrible OBP, then had Neifi, who had a sub .300 OBP, and Cedeno, sub .300, and now Izturis with a sub .300 OBP.

I think OBP is one of the more overlooked statistics out there....people concern themselves so much with hits, homeruns, rbi's, and batting average....but if you can't find a way to get on base, even when you're struggling----remember in April and May, and even into June with the Cubs this year? We couldn't buy our way on base then----if you can't find a way to get on, then you're no good to a team. Getting on via error, taking a walk, moving runners along....I haven't seen that since 2003 with Lofton being on this team...and even then, we were too free-swinging.

Historically, you need at least 2-3 guys on a team that you can count on to hit one out of the park, at least one or two guys to run, and a lineup where everyone has above a .300 OBP if you have any hope of succeeding in any given year. I mean, if they haven't figured that out by now, they have the most inept advisors, scouts, and management of any team in the history of the game.

Guys like Theriot---who hustle, can can get on base, Murton, Lee, Barrett---those are guys you want on the team---guys that actually care. If ARAM doesn't come back, then he doesn't care about the team...and never really did care much either it seemed---never was clutch either. But you get Matthews Jr (another hustle guy), and you put him in the outfield with Murton/C Lee, and Soriano, then you have a great start....If ARAM leaves, you must get AROD, then add Theriot, and trade Izturis for an OBP guy, and you have a great infield. Am I crazy to think this is actually feasible?

If management has a Plan B with ARAM like they say they do, I sincerely hope they start with that and forget about him, because he's totally playing them like a fiddle right now...he's totally using us, and saying he wants to return just to save face with the fans----that's what agents want---they want good publicity. Did you really expect them to be honest and say he was going to be a free agent to begin with? That's just plain bad business for them to do so---it decreases the value, because now they'll use the Cubs as leverage to get the best deal from other teams. It all makes sense. I admit though...I did hold out hope they'd resign him, but I'm resigned to him leaving now and moving on, and I wish management would just stick it to him and move on too, and start being proactive and get AROD, or DeRosa, because time will run out for everyone else, and they'll get screwed like they did when they spent all their time trying to get Beltran and come up empty-handed.

Quick! Someone name a player on the Cubs with a big-name salary, besides Derrek Lee...

I am waiting...

...still waiting...

Exactly. There are none. The payroll is going to go up $20 million? Yeah right. We will be lucky if it even gets back to what it was last year at this rate, with Maddux and Wood off the books, along with Pierre and Ramirez all but gone.

I am a true blue Cubs fan, but I am also truly fed up with Hendry and the Tribsters.

I would rather we have a small market team, like Oakland and Minnesota, that manages to make the playoffs every year (it seems) with a small-market budget. I imagine the administrations of those teams don't sell their fans a box of false hope every off-season, and, instead, they focus on the making the product on the field successful.

The Cubs seem more focused with selling the fans false hope and filling the seats...and even when they do spend money, they don't have the slightest clue how to use it (Glendon Rusch, Neifi Perez, Jeremy Burnitz, Jacque Jones, etc...)

If you are going to fail to resign Aramis and Pierre, then don't feed me a line of BS that you somehow couldn't sign them. The reality is you could have...you have the money...you are CHOOSING not to spend it!!!

As much as I would not like the Tribune ownership for doing so, I would prefer the Cubs come out and say "we have resources, but without a modern (and larger) stadium, we don't feel we can spend like the Yankees or even the Dodgers...so we will always keep our payroll around the 10th-15th highest in the league, but no higher."

That would make me mad, but I could deal with that, because EXPECTATIONS HAVE BEEN SET that the Cubs won't overspend, and that they will have to be Billy Beane-esque to compete for a World Series.

What I am always infuriated at is that Hendry and MacPhail and now McDonough all claim that we have "all the resources available" to make the team better, yet we never sign a major free agent.

Guess what? YOU FINISHED LAST THIS YEAR!!! Maybe, just maybe, Carlos Beltran, Miguel Tejada, Bobby Abreu, and/or Rafael Furcal may have made a difference! Maybe Matt Clement would have helped, maybe Jeff Weaver would have helped (didn't hurt the Cardinals too much)...or how about Glavine, Pedro, Randy Johnson, Millwood, Bartolo Colon, etc...

But no...Hendry has gone out, every offseason, and stacked up on the Lenny Harrises, the Todd Hollandsworths, the Neifi Perezes, the Latroy Hawkinses, the Jacque Joneses, and the Glendon Rusches of the world.

I almost can't bear to witness the next 3 months...I want to just open the paper and see the Cubs roster for the first game in April, and then I can either be excited, or not bother getting my hopes up, yet again.

Trevor:

I think with the success that Bridgeport has had during the last two years that has put more presure on Hendry than the Cardinals. I say that because it seems like the Cardinals have been perenial contenders for the NL Central for several years, I could even go back as far as the Whitey Herzog era. Even though they last one a World Series in 1982,(that is an eternity for them). The Cardinals are always in the mix. Even in 2003 the led the division until the Cubs took 4 out of 5 at Wrigley in early September. For whatever reason, that team is always in contention.

My faith in Hendry is at an all time low. I thought Ramirez would have been signed by now. Hendry is like a big bully. He picks on small market teams to get their good players. He fleeced the Pirates into giving us Ramirez and Lofton in 2003. Because of financial situatons in Florida, he got Derek Lee for Hee Sop Choi. The only decent move he has made since then was getting Izturis for Maddux. I would add the Nomar trade to his credit also but Boston was dying to get rid of him.

Great will the tribune Co. care at all. They say that they are going to get $20 mill more to spend this offseason and we can't get an extension done for Aramis. What is JH waiting for??? To piss off Aramis and he walks just like all the rest.

Jim(tp): in complete agreement about Sheff. I really hope the Cubs don't go that route. Another thought, with the Cards winning the Series this year, (I just stopped throwing up by the way), doesn't that put EVEN MORE pressure on Hendry to get the right players into Chicago?

I kept hearing Gary Shefield's name mentioned as possibly being traded to the Cubs. I hope this doesn't happen for the following reasons:

#1 The guy is an A-1 Jerk-Off

#2 A Race baiter. He makes Jesse Jack-Ass look tame.

Hell.....could you blame him? I'd leave too if was on the Cubs, and they probably won't do a damn thing just like every other years. This goes back to the 80's! They NEVER build the franchise. It's all "hoping and waiting". Yeah, waiting for Hailey's Comet to return AGAIN and we'll still be "World Series-LESS". 2 teams we HATE, the White SUX and the Cardinals win the World Series back to back, what are we going to do...nothing, take it in the ass and "wait and hope".

I'm worried Hendry is going to spend all this time dealing with A-Ram and end up (a) not getting it done anyway, (b) not have enough time to address the other important needs, mainly PITCHING.

If something doesn't happen fast, the Cubs are going to have another very disappointing year.

Not surprised at all, hopefully Hendry will get the job done. Of course I felt the same way about Furcal, Beltran etc. I guess Shea Hillenbrand is the next best thing out there after Ramirez at 3B.

M#$%erf$%^er!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I knew it. Say hello to 50 wins.