2012 Chicago Cubs

[pdga#7648]

cause this is way more fun David. I'm a Cardinal fan, I know they will be in it at the end. May, June, July are not months to worry about the Cardinals, just September and October!

The Cubs put all their eggs into the basket of beating the Cards. if they put half that effort against all the remaining NL teams, we wouldn't be talking about 104 years between WS Ttitles!  
And I am just simply reminding Brett he will be sweating it out, trying to get those 65 wins. We did make a bet.
Believe me, I know the Cardinals are 27-22, just .5 games behind the Reds, it's just alot funner watching the Cubs lose than it is to see the Cardinals win at this point.

[pdga#7648]

AP who?
I bet a Cubs fan that Beltran has 1 offensive stat higher than Pujols at seasons end. This dude said AP would have higher #'s at EVERY offensive stat than Beltran. noway he has a higher average or on base %! probably not even more HR's!

Pujols showed me already the Cards made the correct decision!  His numbers SUCK, all around!!!  he wont win a MVP in the AL!

[CEValkyrie]

You are insane Doug. Your AP hate for leaving has your blinders on. Beltran got off to a super HOT start. He's batting .285, 15 HR. and 41 RBI's. AP had his worst start in his career. A week of getting hot and he's batting .232, 7 HR's, & 26 RBI's. It's a matter of time before Beltran goes on the DL. I wouldn't be surprised to see AP surpass Beltran in HR's and RBI's before the end of the season.

[Tom McManus]

There is no doubt the Cubs are bad to awful. Everyone knew that coming into the season. They've already lost 11 one run games.

On a side note how do you like AP Doug? He's heating up. Before you know it Beltran will be on the DL while Pujols is raking.

I am not sure 11 one run loss games confirms they are awful, just the opposite.  It means that they are in a lot of games.

[Tom McManus]

There is no doubt the Cubs are bad to awful. Everyone knew that coming into the season. They've already lost 11 one run games.

On a side note how do you like AP Doug? He's heating up. Before you know it Beltran will be on the DL while Pujols is raking.

I am not sure 11 one run loss games confirms they are awful, just the opposite.  It means that they are in a lot of games.

But maybe that is what you were saying, and I misread it.

[pdga#7648]

the way you are talking about the DL, AP could just as easily end up there.
look at the slugging and OPS, all time lows for AP which has declined the last 3 years I think??  Beltran has no pressure in St. Louis. AP has the weight of the world on his shoulders, trying to prove he was worth that money, which he was not!

[pdga#7648]

but that bet was every category...  avg, hits, doubles, triples, HR's, ob%, slug%, rbi, OPS, BB's, etc...
Beltran will win 1 of those if not 3-5!

[Dan Michler]

I understand why Sveum is pissed off at Castro about the mental lapse yesterday, and perhaps there should be repurcussions behind closed doors, but cmon, lets not overreact to this by publicly bashing him and comparing him to high school players.  There are 29 other teams that would take him, and we only have a couple guys you can say that about.  We're 18-36, I don't know how anybody is paying full attention to these games at this point.  I've always thought the long-term solution to Castro's defensive issues is either 2B or the OF.  The guy can flat-out hit, and the best is most likely yet to come.  I don't understand the thought process behind making comments that turn the fan base against the 21 year old.

Speaking of Cubs with mental problems, how about the season Big Z is having in Miami?  11 starts, 2.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP?  I guess he had a little more life left in his arm than we thought.  I always liked Zambrano, so I'm glad to see him doing well.  Its not like we'd be a contender if he was still on the Cubs anyway.

[pdga#7648]

Dan, do you watch Cubs games? Don't get me wrong, I agree with mostly everything you just stated about the kid, any team would take his bat in the lineup, no doubt....  but watch him play defense. This is the Major Leagues, not pony league or high school. I know he plays on a bad team, but again, he is a professional! It's time he acts and plays like one. Dude is never in the ready position as his pitcher is set, and ready to deliver the pitch. He acts like it is a chore to be out on the field playing defense. It's his job, and he doesn't act like he wants to be there. Maybe the manager is tired of seeing what he sees day in and day out, and the sports writers in Chicago as well. He does need to mature and do it at a fast pace. He is one of the few that could play 22-24 years, but he has to get his mind right. Ive seen him diggin in his back pocket for seeds, as the pitch is being made. Holliday reaches for seeds all the time, but thats in between pitches.

[CEValkyrie]

After last nights loss that is 15 one run games lost already.

[CEValkyrie]

Rizzo may or may not work out but at least he looks like a ball player. He's got good size and he drove the ball the opposite way with power.

Although the Cubs are terrible at least there is a plan and some leadership. Soriano looks like a different ball player this year. His defense has been great and they changed his bat. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

I'm looking foward to the trade deadline. Keep loading up with young talent.

[CEValkyrie]

All right, there is some hope back in my bet Doug. Cubs have won 31 in the first half of the season. Need 34 more the 2nd half. Rizzo nearly had 2 jacks. All the sudden this lineup looks half respectable with Castro, Rizzo, LeHair, & Soriano.

[pdga#7648]

good luck to ya. you will need a miracle, cause this team is still very piss poor! LaHair and Castro are 2 good ball players though. Rizzo, I haven't seen enough of yet to really judge him. All I really know is that you poor Cubs fans will be wanting football season to start for at least the next 5 years, cause Theo has no hope of winning anything with what he has now, or even in the minors.

And as usual, us Cardinal fans are right there in the thick of things, with another Comeback Player of the year(Berkman last year)  Beltran! Always great to be a Redbird fan! 

[Dan Michler]

Braun .304  24 HR in the 1st half.  Tom, your prediction of a fall-off didn't come to fruition.  Do you think he's simply still cheating?  Or maybe it just didn't make that much of a difference because he's really that good?  I don't really know, but I had a feeling he would put up another monster year to spite everybody.  Whether or not he's used PED's this season or his entire career, he's still an extremely talented player.  I think its naive to think otherwise.  Most of the players getting busted are marginal big leaguers (Marlon Byrd) or minor leaguers.  PED's enhance certainly, but they don't make the player.

[CEValkyrie]

I need 25 wins out of the next 66 games.

[airspuds]

For sale , everyone !

[CEValkyrie]

For sale , everyone !

It's absolutely awesome too! Thank god we are finally being run like a baseball operation. Hendry let this team really get old and stale. I'm looking forward to the future.

How excited are you about the Sox future? Konerko 36. Pierzynski 35. Youkilis 33.  Dunn 32. Rios 31.

[pdga#7648]

But, not all your prospects are going to turn out like Castro and Rizzo! you can hope, but what is really the chance of that?  Wait a few years??  Haven't Chicago fans heard that long enough? They couldn't win with a stacked lineup and stud pitchers(Prior & Wood) why will they be so good with young unproven kids?

[CEValkyrie]

But, not all your prospects are going to turn out like Castro and Rizzo! you can hope, but what is really the chance of that?  Wait a few years??  Haven't Chicago fans heard that long enough? They couldn't win with a stacked lineup and stud pitchers(Prior & Wood) why will they be so good with young unproven kids?

Ah yes Doug. Enjoy it while it lasts buddy. Along with the farm system being stocked there is big money opened up. I can wait longer. The Cardinals aren't they Yankess. Before long the Cubs will dominate this pathetic division. The Yankees would have never let Pujols get away.

[Dan Michler]

I like Dempster, but don't understand why he didn't accept the Atlanta trade that was significantly more favorable than the lousy deal the Cubs eventually settled for with the Rangers.  They got more for Maholm/Reed Johnson than they did for Dempster.  The pitcher they got there from Atlanta has some potential.

Epstein/Hoyer are certainly trying.  So far, most of their deals look pretty good.  They did their best to get more for Dempster, not much they could do about him making demands about where he wanted to finish out this season.

The Cashner for Rizzo trade looks great right now.  Rizzo looks like the beast he was billed to be.  Cashner has been good in San Diego, but still has alot of injury problems.

The Sean Marshall for Travis Wood trade looks good as well.  Travis Wood has showed some flashes this season, he's still just 25.

The Colvin for Stewart trade was a disaster.  Stewart is the same disaster he was in Colorado.  Colvin has rediscovered his swing and has been a very solid player for the Rockies.

We picked up another arm in the Maholm deal.  Hopefully some of the draft picks they make in this first year or two end up contributing within the next 3 or 4 years.  Like Brett pointed out, the Cubs have a ton of money freed up now if they choose to spend it on payroll.  If they can go get an OF, 3B, a starter, and a closer, they can get back to being competitive alot quicker than people may expect.  Look at the Pirates.  They certainly didn't look like much coming into 2012, but they've gotten some unexpected pitching and an MVP season from McCutchen and suddenly they are contending for a playoff spot into August (I'm sure they'll blow it eventually).