CWSGuy406

One more day, fellas. One more friggin' day...

One of my friends was joking around about that: Headlining the Daily Southtown, as HF meets Oak Forest in the Regionals: "The Ultimate Matchup - Cygan vs. Wright"

Di - friggin - tto. Ruutu is awesome.

Julian Wright - as in the Julian Wright from HF? f*** - we played them last year in Regionals (Coach almost let me dress on varsity), and he was awesome... Unless I'm thinking of someone else...?

It was either Olivo and Reed or Olivo and Reed - well, at least from what I've heard...

Damn, I'd love to be able to go to either of these games, but I have school. That would be a pretty sweet game to attend, I'd love to see the Marlins. I'll have to see if my parents can get me out of school...

I dunno about you guys, but I'd definitely make the drive out to the Cell and see this game. I'd love to be there, especially to see how these teams do in Coors Field JR. It would be really cool to see a game there, IMHO...

And I'll throw in my props for Timo Perez. He's been great. He knows how to play the game - be it being one of our most clutch hitters, being able to lay down a bunt (best bunter on the team, hands f***ing down - he better work with Harris in the offseason), be it his cannon from the outfield, or distracting the pitchers (the one I think of his he distracting Zambrano on the Crede homer ). Cotts, Buehrle, Shingo, and Uribe also get some love.

How so? If he becomes a starter, he'll need to pitch more innings - most likely, there will be a huge adjustment period - meaning, that first year, I doubt he's going to react very well. Less MPH on the fastball (though I don't believe the radar gun is everything). He's fine where he's at right now. Let him pitch a little more important role next year - along with Cotts - and see how they handle it. Let Baj/Grilli/Diaz mop-up.

I can see how it can piss you off - but maturity usually comes with age. I just don't want to go into next season, yet again, with a question mark at the five spot. 10-10, 5.00 ERA in the four spot? Meh - mediocre. 10-10, 5.00 ERA from the five spot? Solid.

But Garland has given us a whole season of good pitching (for a number five, at least). We don't know that Grilli or Diaz can do that. We thought Danny Wright was ready for the past couple of years (this year discluded - I blame Danny ZERO for his pitching this year, he was pitching injured), yet he wasn't. I guess I'm just saying - while I'm not totally opposed to trading Jon - I'd rather go into the season, with one FA pitcher, Contreras as our number four, and Garland as our number five. Diaz could be a spot starter/long reliever - I wouldn't mind him playing a Glendon Rusch sort of role for us next year.

I'm sorry, Zero, but I'm going to have to disagree with you here. Unless we are able to get a player that seriously helps out this team (and I mean a lot - it would have to blow my socks off), I'd rather keep Garland. Even though Diaz and Grilli are pitching well now, so what? What pressure is there for either of these two guys? If we have to rely on yet another unproven fifth starter - the spot that has, essentially, cost us the division the past few years - then I'm going to be pretty pissed. We know the worst of Jon Garland. The worst is a sub-500 pitcher who will post, at MOST, a 5.10 ERA - probably even less. However - have we seen his best? We know how good he can be - I'd love to stick him in the five hole, not a lot of pressure. He's 24... I'll keep preaching that, because most pitchers are inconsistent at this age. Anyways - ideally, I'd like to have no question marks in our rotation - and if we're relying on Diaz/Grilli to get the job done in the five spot - I just think that's a question mark. P.S. I also don't think Grilli will have a future with this team as a starter. IMHO, he doesn't have good command. I'm all for him proving me wrong, but I think his future is in the bullpen. Diaz is a different story - he has potential to be a damn good starter - a #3, #4, IMHO...

I respect Hawk - but how could Adkins be suited to be a closer, and suited to be a starter, but not be suited to pitch out of the bullpen? Closer, followed by being a starter, have much more pressure than being a middle relief guy. Next year, I want to see Adkins in a 6th-7th inning role. We're going to need he and Cotts, to get us to Marte-Politte-Mota ( ), and then to Shingo. Solidifying this bullpen to one of the best in the league will be a lot more important, IMHO, than finding a fifth starter (then again, that's a much different story if this team goes out and gets Pedro...).

What a day - Houston wins, San Fran wins, San Diego wins, Florida wins, Cubs lose, Sox win. Awesome - just awesome day.

Thought it would be of interest - mods - I didn't know where to put this, didn't see it anywhere else, so I figured I'd put it here. Link Best of luck to Jeremy. I think he's going to turn out to be quite a fine ballplayer in Seattle!

And the Cubs can wave good bye to first place in the Wild-Card, at least for now. Oh yeah - for those who haven't noticed - the Marlins and the 'Stros are f***in' hot!

The one former Cub/BoSock that I'd love to have in a super-utility, Tony Graffanino type role is Mark Bellhorn. I'd also like to have another (wasn't he a former Cub too?) BoSock, Bill Mueller. Now there's a guy that knows how to play the game, and knows how to play it right...

Rex - don't know if this is of any help - but what my doctor told me, when my hernia was first noticed - is that it can be put off till a later date - but eventually a surgery is going to be needed. It basically feels like playing with a slight, but constant (at least when you're moving) 'pull' in your lower abdoman (upper pelvis). It doesn't hurt, but - you feel something there, when normally, you really don't feel anything there. Sorry if that was confusing - do you understand what I'm saying? With me, though, it got to the point where I couldn't run (I need to run to play basketball) without feeling pain. I guess that's when I knew that surgery for me was imminent. Sorry that was so long, hopefully it will be of some help...

I'll also say that we're catching Texas at the right time, and, for us, Minny is catching Baltimore at the right time. Texas hasn't been very good lately (knock on wood), and Baltimore has won seven out of eight (IIRC, that's what they said on SC). Plus, Baltimore can flat out rake. Maybe they can send Johan Santana into a tailspin...

Ehh - I don't even remember seeing McCardel play much - even from his old team (Jacksonville, wasn't it?). Anyone seen this guy play? He'd be an upgrade over anyone in our receiving core, but he's not as good as Marty Booker, IMHO. But maybe I'm wrong on that.

If I'm Kenny (which I'm not ), my top three targets, in order, are Pedro, Radke, and Perez. Pedro would bring a true number one to this team - damn, that would be friggin awesome, Garcia as our number three! Radke is an all around solid pitcher - and finally, Perez would give us two solid lefties in the rotation. BTW - maybe this is totally false, but for some reason, I remember seeing on this board, or just hearing somewhere, that Kenny is going to go after Randy Johnson via trade with Arizona in the offseason. Does anyone else remember seeing/hearing this?

Maybe I'm being picky, but why flash the 'f*** the cubs' sign in every one of your posts, even when your post has absolutely nothing to do with the Cubs?

I've had a couple of hernia surgeries (two, actually). I had to sit out a month after the surgery - and then get in shape again. It shouldn't affect anything long term, though - so that's good news.

Actually, I'm not even going... I usually have tickets to four games a year, but this year - the people who we split season tix with wanted a few more games. I'm going to the games vs. Houston and vs. Green Bay - and I usually don't tailgate, unless someone invites me to theirs.

I thought someone put out a stat that even though Crawford has 30+ SBs, he's been caught stealing 15 times or so. Is that true? And if it is, his value of stealing the thirty bases isn't worth the amount of times he gets caught. Add in the fact that his OBP isn't very high (Harris has a higher one than he does) - and he's not that great of a leadoff hitter...