KevHead0881

QUOTE(greg775 @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 09:52 PM) Oz needs to go back to being last year's Oz. Playing hunches (leave in Vas one more batter) instead of managing by the matchup book. Umm...Oz has gone by the matchup book since he got here. Its the one thing about his managing that I consistantly disagree with.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 09:49 PM) Where the f*** is Matt Thornton, anyway? In the bullpen...as of right now.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 09:42 PM) If you really need it, I have 10 witnesses saying Thornton should have been in well before the first pitch of the AB To tell you the truth, we don't have a single guy in our bullpen, with the possible exception of Jenks, that I feel remotely comfortable putting in there against Hafner. I guess I'd slightly prefer Thornton over Cotts, but that doesn't say much.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 09:36 PM) I think he means tonight's game Bingo.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 09:30 PM) We have already lost 2 of 3 in the series since CC is pitching tomorrow. Do you always concede games this easily?

If there is anything that I've learned about Travis Hafner, its that he loves softball pitches right down the heart of the plate. Then again, I think that goes for just about everybody. Nice work Neal.

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 7, 2006 -> 05:05 PM) "See that chick over my shoulder? I did 'er."

Somewhere Jabroni is crying. So, what was your favorite moment of the Jeff Nelson era? His stay here is almost as memorable as the immortal Jose Paniagua's stint a few years back.

His intensity translates really well when he's throwing tantrums on the field, yelling at opposing players and flipping out at his own teammates...all of which have happened on numerous occasions. Yes, he is a damn good pitcher. But whoever said he is a bonafide nutcase is also correct. As good as he generally is, his "intensity" has kept him from being better. I can point to at least a couple games earlier this year that his lack of composure cost him wins. Would I take him? Yes. But only because he's a good pitcher. I'd prefer he left the theatrics on the north side.

ESPN's Page 2 did a peice on this a couple years ago. Kinda funny...

QUOTE(CardsJimEdmonds15 @ Jun 2, 2006 -> 09:41 PM) Timo has already paid off.. PH.. Let his head get hit on what was literally a heads up play.. scores the tying run.. As we all know around here, Timo always gets the big hits. Way to use your head Timo!

QUOTE(CardsJimEdmonds15 @ Jun 2, 2006 -> 07:05 PM) Timo Perez has been called up for the Cards.. woo boy, lol Don't look now, but he's up right now....and he just got hit in the head with a curveball. "Come on Timo!"

Meh. The Cubs could do a lot worse, but Nevin just seems to be the equivalent of a band aid for a gun shot wound.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ May 31, 2006 -> 11:36 AM) The pen was fine last night, people want to get rid of Anderson because there has already been talk of him going down for a few days now, which does not appear to be true and he is currently being platooned in centerfield. He had another bad offensive night yesterday and the team lost so everyone freaks out. I doubt many people will deny that the bullpen is weak right now, Thornton was god like last night but the rest of the bullpen is nowhere near where he is right now. Losses certainly magnify things. A couple of two out hits last night and this thread doesn't even exist. And yes, the bullpen certainly is our most glaring weakness. Although, I'm groing increasingly more confident in McCarthy, Cotts, Thornton and Jenks. I'm not sold on them yet, but I've seen improvements in the past couple weeks. Politte, on the other hand, needs to grow a pair of balls. Those two hits he gave up last night were incredibly predictable. Any team with a decent scouting report will hit the s*** out of Politte right now.

Gotchya. My sarcasm meter is a little off today. QUOTE(RockRaines @ May 31, 2006 -> 11:22 AM) What are these problems you speak of? Does everyone understand that we are going to lose over 60 games this year most likely? Hey, I'm with you man. Count me among those who aren't that concerned right now. Hell, I'm still sticking by Anderson and think a platoon at CF is probably the best option right now. But with that said, being the nitpickers that some of us are, there are some cracks in the armor that should be addressed. Overall though, I don't think there is much to worry about, at least compared to other teams. I wouldn't trade our roster for any team in the bigs.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ May 31, 2006 -> 11:16 AM) BRING BACK ROWAND!! Our problems have nothing to do with the absense of Aaron Rowand.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 31, 2006 -> 09:49 AM) Like you said, I think every team in baseball will listen to a trade offer from KW. KW is definitely not afraid to offer some of his top talent in a trade. I would hope he wouldn't have to give up one of our top 5 guys for someone like him though. Kenny will take a call or make a call with anybody. That much is true. But for the life of me, I can't remember the last time two division rivals made a trade in the thick of a pennant race. If you know of one in recent memory, I'd like to know.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 31, 2006 -> 09:17 AM) How about Lew Ford? He's struggled a bit this year, but we all know he's a tough out and a very good defensive player. The Twins don't have much need for him now, as they're playing Kubel in the outfield, and Stewart will be off the DL soon. I highly doubt that the Twins would be willing to help us out...at least not without us paying a heavy price.

QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ May 29, 2006 -> 05:25 PM) AL HR Rankings 1. Jim Thome 20 2. Paul Konerko 15 3. Troy Glaus 15 4. Nick Swisher 14 5. Jonny Gomes 14 6. Travis Hafner 14 7. David Ortiz 14 8. Jermaine Dye 13 9. Álex Rodríguez 13 10. Miguel Tejada 13 10. Vladimir Guerrero 13 The guy is just a monster. Definitely impressive. But what is more impressive than Jimmy's 20 bombs is that our 3, 4 and 5 hitter make up 3 of the top 8 on that list. That is what they call "mashing"!

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ May 29, 2006 -> 03:04 PM) Thats what I was thinking. For the most part, Javy has been pretty solid.

Sounds like the whole thing just bombed. Even the fans that attended the game weren't very receptive.

Good ol Phil Rogers sums it up quite well for me... Barrett's rationale for punch just silly Barrett's rationale for punch just silly It's clear the catcher's thinking is unclear, writes Phil Rogers Phil Rogers On Baseball May 27, 2006 Those poor Cubs. Everybody keeps picking on them, especially on that nice Michael Barrett. Why won't they just leave him alone? In 2004 it was Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt, who drilled Barrett while engaged in a brushback battle with Kerry Wood, and then had the nerve to come to bat a week later at Wrigley Field. Barrett had no choice but to start screaming at him when he walked into the batter's box, starting a bench-clearing incident the Astros later credited for awakening them from their slumber. On May 12, it was Dirty Dave Roberts, who had the nerve to steal third base with two outs in the fifth inning and the Padres leading 5-2. Of course Barrett had to give him a lecture about etiquette when he crossed the plate. He was only doing his duty as a citizen. And then there was his encounter with a Mack truck named A.J. Pierzynski last Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field. Never mind that it was a clean play. Honor is honor, and a 10-game suspension is a small price to pay for protecting your manhood, right? Right? Wrong. The reality is that a 10-game hit to the team's second-leading RBI man is the last thing the Cubs needed right now. And though Dusty Baker complained the ruling from Bob Watson was harsh, another reality is that it's about right. Barrett assaulted Pierzynski after that collision at home plate, and he should be thankful the suspension isn't longer. He should also be thankful he didn't do real damage with that quick right to Pierzynski's jaw. See the sad tale of Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjanovich. While Barrett is appealing the suspension, the best hope is that he gets one or two games knocked off it, and I wouldn't count on that. The best Cubs fans can hope for is that Barrett will use his time wisely while forced off the field. I would recommend: A) Therapy, B) Neurological exams, or C) A retreat to a quiet Caribbean island. It is clear the Cubs' starting catcher isn't thinking clearly, which won't help them get their season turned around. Since popping his cork at home plate, Barrett has tried to rationalize his behavior with explanations that have made him seem increasingly deluded. He initially said it appeared Pierzynski was walking at him, even though Pierzynski's explanation about wanting to retrieve his batting helmet seems totally plausible. Pierzynski wasn't just happy after foiling Barrett's attempt to block the plate. He was delighted. He wasn't looking for trouble. But the more Barrett talked, the sillier his explanations sounded. "Like I said, I don't like hitting another grown man, but something had to be done there in my opinion," Barrett said, adding that he probably should have just pushed Pierzynski away. Yes, that would have been better. But Barrett's brain apparently isn't wired that way. "The way I look at it is, if I'm out walking down the street and somebody knocks me down and I get back up and he's standing over me or coming back at me again, what are you going to do?" Barrett said two days after the collision. Uh, Michael. This logic might work if Pierzynski had crashed into you as you got out of your car in the players' parking lot. But you weren't on the street or in a parking lot. You were playing catcher, a position so dangerous it is the only one in baseball that comes with pads. If anyone had a right to be upset about the decisions Watson handed down—suspensions of Barrett and the White Sox's Brian Anderson and Joey Cora—it was probably Pierzynski, who was fined a reported $2,000. The guy might be a serial peace-disturber, but he did nothing to instigate this situation. It would have been better if he hadn't played to the crowd afterward, waving his arms like one of his friends in professional wrestling, so maybe that's reason to go into his wallet. But this was really all about Barrett. Baker, unfortunately, could pay the biggest price of anyone. With the Cubs in free-fall since Derrek Lee broke his wrist, it will be even harder to score runs without Barrett. Backup catcher Henry Blanco—another reason to strongly consider importing Triple-A Iowa hitting coach Von Joshua sooner rather than later—is 2-for-39 at the plate. Geovany Soto, who probably will be promoted from Iowa when Barrett starts serving his suspension, never has had a big-league hit. On the other hand, at least the Cubs will have somebody other than Barrett doing the thinking for them behind the plate. That's probably a good idea. [email protected] Copyright © 2006, The Chicago Tribune

There was some talk around the watercooler at my work today. I swear I heard the watercooler say "f*** Greg Maddux!"

Nothing of any importance, but I always like hearing what opposing players have to say about our team...at least when they are praising us. "That's why they're the best team in baseball, hands down." - Oakland outfielder Jay Payton. "They're a very tough team. You know the starters are going to go deep in the game, they have a tough bullpen, they have some guys who can run and their lineup is solid from top to bottom. One through nine, all of them can drive the ball." - A's starter Dan Haren "Their bullpen is excellent. If you don't have a lead after seven, you're in for some trouble against these guys." - Manager Ken Macha Obviously, Macha hasn't seen alot of our bullpen this year.

Did anybody else catch the hotties that got Hawk and DJ's attention last night? There was a nice little moment the first time they showed them (think Rock Raines' avatar).