Thank you very much JimK. I was there once, but didn't not get to do a whole lot. Thanks again for all of the info!!

Nick....I go to the Indians games a couple of times a year, and the relatively new ball park is a wonderful place to see a game. From 1st to 3rd, the seats have a great view of the Indy skyline with the center of town maybe 10 blocks away.

Max Shumacher, who has been involved in AAA baseball for over 50 years and is the principal owner of the team is one great gentleman. I have enjoyed a couple of games in his suite with one of my best friends--a gin rummy playing partner of Max's--and our wives. It is because of his contributions to the game and sterling reputation that major league baseball's winter meetings (held recently in Las Vegas) will be in Indy next winter.

Within a half dozen blocks are the new Lucas Oil (Colts) Stadium, the NCAA headquarters with a nice museum of college sports memorabelia, Circle Center Mall (an indoor shopping and restaurant complex), the very interesting Eiteljorg Museum of Indian History and Western Art, and a number of other venues. Across the stree (N) of Victory Field is a Mariott Courtyard which houses a lively Friday's. That might be a good place to stay if most construction on a major addition is completed by then. The Hyatt, Westin and Embassy Suites are a couple blocks closer to Circle Center, and places like the The Indianapolis Repetory Theatre--but they charge for parking.

Check the Indy Events calendar for things to do and things to avoid. For example hotels charge more and some require 3 night stays for the Indy 500.

I think a visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would be a hit. It's auto museum has dozens of cars (racers and classics), and the bus lap around the 2.5 mile oval is pretty impressive. If you want, give me a call. Kneisley is a listed number.

LOL...that's hilarious JimK, and I like it...

Starting Pitchers: Hart, Guzman, Rich Hill (b/c he really didn't get a fair shake with us), Marshall (b/c he's also not getting a fair shake in the rotation being shuttled back and forth from the pen), and Randy Wells

Pen:

Stevens-closer

Ascanio-set-up

*the rest, I have no clue

OF:

Fuld-LF

Pie-CF

Hoffpauir-RF

back-up-Kroeger and DuBois

IF:

C-Fox

1B-Matt Craig (what? yeah, it's a reach...LOL)

2B-Scales

SS-Nate Spears

3B-Casey McGehee

That would be my "all-screwed" team...Perhaps we find some gems in there. I'd think Fuld, Pie, Hoffpauir, Kroeger, Scales, Spears, and McGehee---of the position players---would/would've done pretty well at the MLB level if they'd just been given a full shot. As it is, either they're blocked at the MLB level, or they've done very well at the MiLB level, but never given a full shot with the Cubs.

All of the pitchers I mentioned should have decent careers with the Cubs or elsewhere.

Here's how I view the Cubs team, guys....(this might resonate with Bears fans)

"position players coming up in our system go to the Cubs to die"

...just as...

"receivers go to the Bears to die"

No matter what, they're never given a fair shake.

Murton and Theriot do fairly well in their first full seasons, and yet, the talk the following offseason is all about replacing them. Corey Patterson did fairly well for being injured in 2003, then did some damage in 2004, had an off 2005, and was shuttled away in 2006. Do you guys realize he only got 2 full seasons to prove his worth? That's laughable...especially when we had some bad teams in between---he should've been given a longer leash to figure things out. Pie....don't even get me started---200 MLB AB's, and he's somehow a failure?!?!? Hell, all Fontenot did was mash last year, and they essentially get rid of his only competition in DeRosa, seemingly to clear the way for an everyday job, only to sign Miles....Fontenot needs to bash like 40 home runs just to secure a job next year...and I'm only half-kidding.

Geovanny Soto...you are on notice. Wellington Castillo is nipping at your heels...as is Matt Cerda.

You guys remember Julio Zuleta? Guy could flat out mash in the minors, and is brought up, only to be sat on the bench, and still mashes, then is brought back the following year and relegated to a pinch hitting role, which he wasn't accustomed to, and he struggled mightily. Oh, I'm sorry...I guess 33 year old Matt Stairs or 98 year old Fred McGriff must've been in the team's long-term plans...LOL

Oh the mistakes of Cubs' management...or should I say, "mismanagement" have been mind-bottling (sorry, had to throw a Will Ferrell quote in there) over the years.

I say we stop signing these damn stop-gap players like Miles and Gathright, and start giving our own guys like Pie, Spears, Fontenot, Kroeger, Scales, etc. a shot....I mean, really, could they do any worse than Miles and Gathright...I think that's the ultimate question that needs to be asked of someone within the Cubs' braintrust. They complain of money now, only to swap a cheaper and higher upside prospect for a lower risk, lower reward veteran at twice or even 3 times the cost of a rookie. How the hell does that make any sense whatsoever?!?!?

When the Yankees were winning all their championships, they were geniuses at signing veterans for starting jobs, and bringing along their low cost prospects, and developing them for years to come...the Jeter's, Posada's, Rivera's, etc.

I think it's OK that I let it out that the A.L. is adding two teams to match up with the N.L., and that one of them will be operated by JimK, Aaron and Neil with JimK and Gramps as the owners, Aaron as the GM and Neil as the Manager. Agustin is providing the facilities and team name. Other CCO Faithful, who will work for the team maximum of $80 K per year, will be hired as player procurement directors, hitting instructors, pitching instructors or coaches. The team will play in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and be called the Ponce Snow Snakes. (They are rare and deadly creatures that kill neither by poison nor squeezing the life out of their victims. Approximately the size of a foot long little finger, they crawl up your butt and freeze you to death.)

And now the main organizational purpose of the team. It is to have a competitive roster of players who clearly deserve their big break to play at the major league level. Those would be players who have exhibited solid skills, perserveance and character--but have not had sufficient opportunities to show them in the bigs.

A few of them have been mentioned (above and previously on CCO) so we'll start there. It's time for all in the Ponce Snow Snakes organization to add to the big break candidates below. We need a 30 man roster of deserving Big Breakers.

Infielders: Hoffpauir, Scales, Cintron.

Outfielders: Seth Smith (Rockies), Sam Fuld, Nelson Cruz (Rangers)

Catchers and/or Designated Hitters: Jake Fox, Bobby Wilson (Angels)

RH Pitchers: Hart

LH Pitchers:

I'll keep track of the additions, and Neil and Aaron will decide the final 25. With the intractible argument that very will might result, Gramps and I will be the arbiters. It's time to name your (still active) favorites who never got the chance they deserve.

Good stuff as always JimK. Question for you, the wife and I are planning to go to Indy for a weekend this summe, have you been any games at Victory Field? Is it a good place to watch a game.

Make a splash Neil and Aaron. Go out and get Manny to teach those youngins about hitting.

And go out and get 'Nomah' to teach em how to be a leader.

All kidding aside. I think we should do this all season long. Keep a team full of players that currently do not have a job.

If one gets picked up, we can treat it like a released player or somethin! XD

Neil...

"report from Aaron...I told you so"...LOL, j/k

But seriously...it was bound to happen, just as a Kerry Wood or Mark Prior trip to the DL was bound to happen back in the day. He will last no more than 80 games in the OF, if that...dude only played a handful of games in the field last year to begin with. Proof, yet again that Hendry doesn't have a clue what he's doing.

Here's what I really want to say:

"Hey Jim and Randy (Bush)...I really want to play for the Cubs too...I am a pitcher with a bum shoulder, but I really want to play for the Cubs, and when healthy, I can be lights out. I will keep calling you, and I will attend your postseason games in an attempt to gain your interest. I will leave messages for you persistently until you call me back...so, it's your choice. Do you want to be annoyed, or will you give me $10 million/year?"

Seriously, how dumb can Cubs management be? The Cubs and Yankees are arguably the two most storied franchises in MLB history, much less ALL of professional sports. Who wouldn't want to play for them? I just don't understand the logic of paying a guy that has averaged about 90 games played/year over his entire career---10 freaking million dollars!!!!!

okay...now that I'm done with that rant...

Nice to see Guzman and Hart throwing well. Not nice to see our first 4 pitchers--Marshall, Gaudin, Marmol, and Stanton all give up runs.

I think I have a good idea of who we should have on our roster...obviously, only back-up catcher, back-up outfielder, back-up infielder, and the pen, and the 5th starter are up for grabs.

Right now, we have:

Z

Dempster

Lilly

Harden

?-(only competition really is Marshall and Samardzija---don't kid yourself--Heilman won't get a real shot, as he's done well in relief)---I favor Samardzija myself, but only because I know Marshall is effective in the swingman role, so...

the pen would be:

Heilman

Marshall

Gaudin

?

?

Gregg

Marmol

*I think the two open spots might be filled by Guzman and possibly Cotts.

However, I think Cotts, Vizcaino, and even Gaudin, might be trade bait

for the bench, we have:

c-? between Bako, K. Hill, and Fox

IF/OF-Hoffpauir and Miles can do both

OF-Johnson, Gathright

Now, if it were me, and we desperately needed flexibility on our roster, I would have to go with Jake Fox as the 5th bench guy, because he can be a back-up catcher and play corner infield and outfield spots. I don't really think some of you realize how valuable that is. Consider this...what if ARAM was taking the day off, and Fox was on 3rd, and Theriot and Fontenot were still in the game, and we'd already used Miles. If Soto gets on base in a close game in the 9th or extra innings, and you have to pinch run for him with, say, Johnson or Gathright (which I wish it were Scales instead), then you still have an option with Fox moving to catcher, and ARAM coming into the game. Does that make sense? I know it's not a great example, but it's almost like a Brooks Kieschnik sort of move.

If it were K Hill or Bako, you're sacrificing a HUGE amount of offense. Hill might call a good game, but so does Soto, and I'm sorry, but these "defensive-minded" catchers are way over-rated. If you look across the league, back-up catchers usually play 40-50 games and get about 120 AB's. In those games, they probably actually start just 20-25 games, and the other times, they're coming in as a late inning replacement, usually when a team will pinch run for the catcher. So, really, you're giving up about 80 AB's during the course of a season to that defensive-minded catcher.

Do you guys remember the likes of Rick Wrona, Sandy Martinez (made famous on Wood's 20 k day), Bako, Bowen (when we had him for a short time), Blanco (usually...especially his first year here), Girardi, Mahoney, DiFelice, Jose Molina (yes, that Molina...and we actually had him), Todd Pratt, Mike Hubbard.....etc.

Those were all defensive-minded catchers...teams are starting to get away from that now though, and they're smart for doing so. Okay, Blanco has a rapport with pitchers (maybe...), but he might only catch 180 innings/year. An entire staff pitches well over 1,000 innings/year, so he's catching

A season consists of 1,458 innings. Even if the back-up guy catches 200 innings, it's still just over 13% of the entire innings. So, why the hell would you get a defensive-minded catcher? That makes absolutely NO sense, and yet we always hear banter like that thrown around in baseball....same for "defensive-minded" infielders and outfielders. (I'll spare you all my rant I had the other day of Gathright vs Scales).

I'm sorry, but I'd rather have a plus offense guy who has some worth as a pinch hitter, and can sub for my everyday guys to give them breathers without missing a beat in the lineup, rather than take a Bako or Gathright, or in the past, a Mahoney or Neifi.

Why not take a Fox and a Scales, and instead of 50-60 games each, they both get 90-100 games, and keep everybody fresh the entire year, so we don't have a downer in the postseason again. Doesn't that make a heck of a lot more sense?

Wouldn't you rather have double-switches involving versatile players like Fox and Scales than Bako and Gathright?

...just my humble opinion

Don't you think, Aaron, that by having Kosuke and Reed to rotate with MB that Lou won't have to play him as often.

Therefore, your production drops off only marginally and you keep Milton healthy.

Right?

We need a guy like Tyler Houston.

Maybe Fox is that gut.

Just checked in. Looks like the Cubs are unbeatable. I too like Indy's Jake Fox who has been grippin and rippin for a long time. Unless he starts catching in S.T. and does O.K., he may be more tradeable than keepable.

And from what I see here today, Matt could be the guy who said, "God made very few perfect heads. The rest he covered with hair."

Haha, Jim!

My dad says that all the time! He's losing his as well.

Funny thing is, I started using it too! All that time and you go and say it! That just made my day! ^^

Report from park on Bradley, mild tightness in left quad

The staff really like throwing to koyie hill if i am not mistaken, or it was fox. Either way if they liked throwing to them a lot why not let them play? They are younger and have more energy and still hit about the same as bako(doesn't prove anything however since 1/2 the pitchers could do better)

Hey Iowa whaddaya say, the I-Cubbies are gonna win today.

Pfft.

I think we should take them both...fox could be the backup catcher hoffpauir the outfielder

You're saying Fox over Bako?

I'm not opposed, but they want a defensive minded catcher, right?

well Soto is not really a bad catcher. Jake Fox hits well, he can play third also which they need. I think carrying them would be a great idea even though Fox is not a fantastic catcher.

hey all hey all....I've been checking the site daily, but haven't posted anything...mainly because you guys do such a good job of talking cubbie baseball. Once again, thanks for all your hard work Neil.

Anyhoo, I see that the Cubs are playing the Indians in a little while. Would you put DeRo and Wood out there if you were the Indians coach? I sure as hell would...

Mario, welcome back and thank you.

The real battle of this spring is on!

Jake Fox three run homer.

Fox or the Hoff?

I'd rather have the younger, more versatile Fox personally.

Personally I like em both.....despite some defensive short comings behind the plate....I'd prefer him as the back up catcher over both Hill and Bako.....

He's not gonna be the best glove at the new positions they put him at either...so why not catcher where we can have his stick when Geo rests??

Weird...

Bradley walks and leaves?

Just one AB?

I reckon with the longer spring training schedule there's no need to rush MB, eh?

Nice throw Hoff from the sounds of it.

Bad start by the Marshall.

And....the Baltimore SUn is reporting that Rich Hill looks very good on the mound....he makes his spring debut on Sunday.....

I think Rich Hill is bound to have a great season this year....I hated seeing them give up on him.

Doesn't everyone 'look good' in spring training though?

How do you explain last season and winter ball?

Especially from a career minor leaguer that didn't put it together for one season until 27 years old.

I hope he does put it together, and I'll hate it wasn't with us but I have ZERO faith that he will.

Well....being a lefthander...and the fact his trade value was shot anyway....I would have preferred keeping him in our camp and seeing how he did in spring games......it's not like we got anything special for him by trading him before spring.....

And yes....everyone does look good in the spring.....well except for maybe my ex-wife....

Not all has heated up for spring training.

That was just COOOOLLLDDDD!! Haha.

But I agree with you. Imagine this rotation if Hill had been able to keep his head on right. Peavy would be an afterthought.

Well...too early to really tell anything...BUT...I just read in todays issue of Sporting News Online that Kerry Wood is having some back tightness and has yet to throw off of a mound. Manager Eric Wedge plans to shut him down for a few days and see if that helps......

Looks like vacation is over

Baron...good to hear from you. Yes, vacation is over.

I have been lurking and enjoying, and decided it was time to join in.

Still basking in the glory that baseball is back

ThunderTom...hello and Welcome to the CCO!

Why not have a DH for all spring training games?

Is it just because Lou and Macha are that old school?

I don't think 2 ST at bats are gonna help out Sean's pitiful bat at all. Same for Yo Gallardo.

WooHoo!!!

Cubs baseball! Gwahaha

Talkin' Cubs Live. Hotdogs. Coke. Open windows and Pat/Ron!

Go Cubs!

Matt..glad you made it. I posted the lineup in Twitted