Not a problem, just post 'em when you can.

Little bit ... but to be expected.

Been a good game but they allowed Smoltz to settle in, could have been more than two runs.

Yes I did. And to be honest, I have been wanting to all season.

That's probably game...What is Lou
thinking? Gregg will be overmatched against the probable MVP.

I do not understand why Gregg is still pitching. Granted he did a good job tonight but I do not see how he could be in their plans for the next season ... or beyond. I would rather see Berg or Stevens, see what they've got.

Good win, and good night.

Dream 2010! May Hendry be divine!

here's my thoughts on everything Suzy...(I also posted this in the community blog under waldo's post):

Cubs lost on every single trade/signing but the Gorzelanny/Grabow trade, where even that might be a toss-up, providing the Pirates use Ascanio as a starter, which is a role he seems to excel at. Hart has been roughed up, but so has Gorzelanny with us. In my mind, the 30 year old Grabow is less valuable than Ascanio, so again, we most likely will lose this one.
We traded our top pitching prospect at the time, Jose Ceda for that loser Gregg, who was coming off leading the league with 9 blown saves AND coming off knee surgery...go figure....oh, and the Marlins were set to non-tender him because they didn't want to pay him closer money with Lindstrom in the wings. Granted, Ceda has been injured all season, but he was just 21 years old, and could hit 100 mph, and at one time had something like 21 straight hitless innings...HITLESS!!!!!!! That's insane.

So, if you were to look at moves chronologically, here's what you'd have:

1)DFA'd Casey McGehee with several roster spots open AND no clear option at the minor league level for 3B depth
*lost...and BIG, with McGehee likely winning the ROY
2)Gregg trade
*lost
3)DeRosa trade
*lost
4)Signed Miles
*lost
5)Signed Gathright
*lost...why?!? Pie was 1/2 the cost and better upside
6)Signed Gaudin, Cotts, and Johnson to tender offers. Only saving grace was Johnson, even though he was injured this year, but Gaudin with his escapades at the end of the year, and Cotts' ineffectiveness made those 2 transactions head scratchers indeed
*lost 2 of 3...net result...=lost
7)traded for Patton in Rule 5
*lost
8)Signed Chad Fox
*lost
9)Traded Marquis
*lost...badly
10)Signed Bradley
*lost...even worse
11)Signed So Taguchi
*lost
12)Traded Pie for Williamson and Olson
*lost
13)Traded Cedeno and Olson for Heilman
*lost
14)Signed Bako
*lost
15)Traded Rich Hill for PTBNL
*lost, because he'd lost all value by the time Hendry finally pulled the trigger
16)Traded Wuertz for Sellers and Robnett (both of whom were subsequently released within 2 months of this trade)
*lost badly
17)Signed Koskie...who was coming off multiple concussions and time off
*lost
18)Signed Mike Stanton
*lost
19)trade Gathright for Freel
*lost...because we never should've signed Gathright to trade Pie to begin with
20)traded Albuquerque for Jeff Baker
*won
21)traded Hart and Ascanio for Grabow and Gorzelanny
*neither won nor lost

That's the chronological order for you, and it's ugly. I have never seen a GM essentially go 1-for-21 in transactions in a calendar year and still keep his job. I know if I'm an owner and I see this transpire, I couldn't live with the guy, and yet Hendry has been given a vote of confidence apparently from Ricketts, so we go from one clueless owner (Tribune and Zell) to another...What's the difference?!?

I loved DeRosa for this year...and I could understand the reasoning for trading him if you're doing the "sell high" approach. But when you're doing that, you HAVE to get top prospects, and the idiot that is Hendry didn't even get a Top 30 prospect of the Indians in that deal. There's no denying that DeRosa is a physical specimen. Dude is in peak physical condition, but he's also going to turn 35 next year, and while I love the guy....I loved him more for this year than future years, and I even said as much before. Even despite his wrist injury, the dude has put up a very respectable line of .255 avg, .326 OBP, 21 doubles, 21 hr, 70 RBI in just 126 games...so in missing about 20 games, and roughly 80-100 AB's, he's put up that line, and you'd have to figure that with his current RBI and HR per AB, he'd be at 26 hr, 85 RBI, with about 16 games left. But he'll likely command a multi-year deal, and I cannot see the Cubs going older and signing him. You'd have to think that Jeff Baker can be a similar player to DeRosa, only he can't play the OF. Baker will be 29 next year, and he's put up a respectable line of 146 AB's, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 3 hr, 15 RBI with a .322 avg and .383 OBP. Translated over a full season, those numbers would equate to:
37 doubles, 4 triples, 11 hr, 56 RBI

While those aren't exactly DeRosa-esque, they're still very respectable numbers for a versatile player that can play 1B, 2B, and 3B in a pinch.

I think we need to put an end to the days where we go after veteran "stopgap" players, and just throw in rookies to see what they can do, and/or make trades for guys that are 24-28 years old that are either blocked at the MLB level, or need a change of scenery. I waffled on this earlier in the season when I wanted Freddy Sanchez and others, but I think we need to stay away from those type of players. As I said last night, the list of guys I'd pursue in the offseason includes:

Chris Davis and Mitchell Moreland, Josh Fields, Blalock, Ankiel, Dunn, Wily Mo Pena (NOT as starter, but a 4th OF), Felipe Lopez, Crawford, Crosby, Holliday (extremely unlikely), Jason Bay (also unlikely), Lackey, Brett Myers, and Rafael Soriano

While I understand Ankiel, Holliday, Bay, Lackey, and Soriano will be 30 or 31 next season, I'd still consider them.

But even though these changes are abundantly clear and obvious to all of us, don't think for a moment that the Cubs, under the direction of Hendry will be proactive this offseason. Has he ever been proactive?!? Exactly...so, what do you think will change under his 9th full season at the helm. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING will change. Here are more Cub-like moves I think we'll see this offseason:

1)Cubs give Grabow 3 yr, $10 million deal
2)Cubs decline arbitration on Harden (bank on it...it'd be a so Cub-like move to neglect trading him to the Twins in favor of draft picks, only to NOT do the prudent thing and offer arbitration)
3)Cubs sign Gregg Zaun
4)Cubs sign Eric Hinske
5)Cubs sign one of Jamey Carroll/Counsell/Loretta
6)Cubs sign one of Marlon Byrd/Mike Cameron/Podsednik
7)Cubs sign JJ Putz to incentive-laden deal
8)Cubs sign Octavio Dotel

Those are EXACTLY the type of Hendry moves that we've seen, haven't we?!? We haven't seen the Boston Red Sox type of proactive moves...even the Yankees type of moves. Hendry just doesn't think ahead like that, because he's incapable of any type of rational thought it seems...overvaluing our prospects to the point where he either can't get anything out of them due to Rule 5, or constant optioning up and down until they lose all options and/or trade value from ineffectiveness...Or, he doesn't bring them up at the right time (ie.-Jake Fox this year). He also doles out contracts to multiple guys coming off career years, and the results have been disastrous. In fact, the ONLY 2 signings that were "sure things" that he's made were ARAM and Zambrano...and while I understand most on here think Zambrano should go, he really is the mark of consistency as a starter in terms of ERA and IP over the course of his career...problem is, he's paid like an ace, and is nowhere near ace material.

In order to win next year, we'll have to jettison nearly every 30+year old player that we have. I say that, because nearly every single one of them will be worse next year than they were this year. Lee, Theriot, Soriano, Fukudome, and Bradley, head the list of players that have to go. While I love Theriot's hustle, his main value is at shortstop, and he simply lacks the range to be playing there next year, costing the team several games this year with his poor defense/range. If you move him to 2B in favor of more offensive oriented guys like Baker, or even (gulp...) Fontenot, then you're actually making 2B weaker. When there are other options out there to be signed/traded for at 2B like Felipe Lopez, Dan Uggla, etc., then you can see why it's important to maximize whatever value Theriot has right now as a shortstop, because it's far greater than his value as a second baseman. As for Soriano, Fukudome, and Bradley are concerned, we'll pretty much be able to select from the following guys, and probably receive better production overall (and defense in some cases):

Fox, Fuld, Hoffpauir (option #1)
Snyder, Adduci, Colvin (option #2)
Jackson, Campana, Burke (option #3)

*and these are just internal options...If you start thinking about very feasible outfields like:
Fox, Ankiel, Abreu...or Fox, Ankiel, Hoffpauir, or Fox, Ankiel, Colvin, then you begin to see that realistically, Fox could hit 25+hr, 85+RBI, which would basically negate the need for Soriano, who would only (possibly) best Fox's home run total if anything. Then, you move to CF, and in Ankiel's worst season (this year) thus far, he's been injured a lot, and still has 11 hr, 37 RBI in just 347 AB's. Fukudome? 11 hr, 52 RBI in 453 AB's. So, if Ankiel stays healthy next season, it's reasonable to assume that he'll get you more than 11 hr, 58 RBI (which happens to equal Fukudome's highest output in both categories). Then, you move to RF, and Bradley has just 12 hr, 40 RBI in 393 AB's, and has NEVER had more than 22 hr, 77 RBI in any season. (just FYI, in only 120 games last season, Ankiel had 25 hr, 71 RBI). But, internally, pretty much anyone we throw out there could best his stats from this year. If you really wanted to blow his production out of the water though, you'd sign the older Abreu in spite of the fact he'll be 36 next year. This year, he has 27 doubles, 13 hr, 96 RBI, 29 SB, and 89 walks vs 96 K's. So, while his power is less than his usual 20 hr, Abreu was NEVER a very powerful player, (which translates well as a player ages), but he was more of a line drive, OBP and average oriented player that drove in a lot of runs. He might hit 13-15 hr next year, but he'll get around 100 RBI and still hit .300+ with close to a .400+OBP.

I think if you were to completely turn over our OF with guys like that, we'd INSTANTLY be better offensively.

I just get the distinct feeling that Hendry is delusional, and will NOT make changes to this decrepit offense.