Interesting signing. Ankiel, Pods, Guillen, DeJesus. Intriguing outfield. The years and money, if comparable to Nady and Dye, would be really nice. Gomes should be half of that. Ankiel will play the superior defense among them, by a long shot, but he had a down year last year with the stick. I am not surprised by the years or dollars, but the team is intriguing. I would have thought that a contender would have taken a shot at him. Nice LH stick off the bench. I guess in this case he will get to start, which is probably what he wanted. I was never really certain why the Cubs were even interested. Whoever the Cubs sign will need to be that RH role player against lefties when Fuke doesn't play. Or at least I thought that was the idea. All the clamor for Fuld also doesn't make sense, for the exact same reason. 

LINK

Money is tight, so multi-faceted players are a plus. Amezaga can play all of the outfield positions, but primarily CF. He plays SS and 3B. He is a switch hitter, with above average speed. 

If Fukudome needs a rest, an ideal option would be to move Byrd over to RF, and play Amezaga in CF. He could give Soriano a day off. From the looks of his scouting report, he could give Ramirez and Theriot a day off too and the transition wouldn't be as brutal as Fontenot or Fox at 3B. Not that Fox played all that bad at 3B. 

He has no power, but I feel his versatility would outweigh that weakness in his game. This option seems far better than trading one of our LH pitchers and someone else to Colorado for Spilborghs. Those LH pitchers are far greater assets at the trading deadline than in January. I have thought of Jonny Gomes, but his defense in RF would make a grown man cry. 

This is just an idea. Something to think about. I do not think that he would price us out of other markets (Sheets, a back-up 3B/1B) and he could be a valuable asset for a team that was injury prone last season. 

Stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/amezaal01.shtml?redir

I am a firm believer that you play hot hands, but at the end of the year, the numbers for most players will be there. What I mean by most players, is proven players. We can bash Lee, Bradley, and Soriano, but at the end of the year they will have the same type numbers they have always had. Maybe a little higher or a little lower, but they will be there. Theriot has been an everyday player now for only 3 seasons, so what he puts out on the field has really nothing to be compared to. He has his ups and downs like anyone else, but his recent power surge (only at home mind you) and his ability to get extra base hits is not what we are used to, but it may actually be the type of player he is.

Fontenot, on the other hand, has proven nothing other than he could spot start, get 350 - 400 AB's and surprise a few people along the way. I am not going to go the route of many others by finding out what we can give back to Cleveland for DeRosa, even though it would be a buzz in that locker room that might light a fire under some butts. I am actually talking about Koyie Hill. 

I saw him play third in college, he did it with ease and had pretty good range. He has hit all year: spring training and each start he has gotten. You cannot take the bat out of Soto's hands, he needs to get going on his own, plus his relationship with the pitching staff is too good. Hill playing third, Fontenot back at 2B, might be somthing to look at. A bat in that line up that has so far hit, might not be a bad option to the plethora of .200 hitters we have out there every night. 

Hill has been taking ground balls at third as an emergency infielder, and if I am not mistaken, played 3rd for an inning earlier this year. Hitters who have been hitting, sitting on the bench is not a great idea. If Soto goes down, which I hope to God he doesnt, than Hill moves to C, and Fontenot is right back at the hot corner where he doesnt belong. 

Our options in house are limited. MLB pitching is starting to figure out Scales, Miles has been a big bust, and Jake Fox cannot play in the field. It is May, the only options are in-house, and when things head towards rock bottom, changes need to be made, no matter how out of LF they may seem to be. 

Koyie has my vote for at least an attempt at 3rd, and maybe few good games and a few knocks here or there will help get the rest of this team going a little bit. 

Carpenter seems to have pulled a muscle in his rib cage and will most likely miss his start this weekend at Wrigley. Unlike most Cubs fans, I like beating the best, more than I like picking on the weak. Personally I think that the Cardinals are run by some of the smartest people in baseball. I don't like any of them, but they know what they are doing down there on the mighty Mississippi. 

I have the MLB package, and based on my girlfriend's mood, I watch as much as I can. I pay attention to the Brewers and the Cardinals more than others, but definitely try and catch anything that Vin Scully does. The Cardinals are smoke and mirrors. They know how and when to pitch to what batters. They do not make decisions based on anger or emotion (LOU!), and they are well coached and do the little things perfect or they do not play. I am completely certain that whoever takes Carpenter's spot will pitch out of his mind; Dave Duncan will make sure of it. This team is going to more with less talent this year than any other team in baseball, only because it is demanded of them and nothing less is accepted. I give to you Exhibit A. As I write this little Fanpost, Yadier Molina stole second (yes, stole second), was advanced to third on a properly hit ball by Skip Schumaker, and driven in by some schmuck I have never head of. Like robots. 

It would take something huge for me to go off topic, four days before opening day, but the Bear have a franchise QB. Sid Luckman move over. This is huge. Good bye neck beards, good bye running off the bus. Hello passing game. Now we need to find someone for him to throw it to. GO BEARS

BEARS BEARS BEARS  BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS

I am not going to pretend to know any trade scenarios my math and logic just isnt that good. Do we want expiring contracts or quality players? Who the hell knows?

I do know one thing. Derrick Rose, Drew Gooden, Kirk Heinrich, Tyrus Thomas, and Luol Deng are all I want on this team. The Bulls are 3 - 11 without Drew Gooden. He rebounds, sets ACTUAL screens, AND HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO BE WHEN THE BALL IS NOT IS HIS HANDS. Kirk Heinrich is a fundamentally sound basketball player. He plays the point. He can be the swingman we need, and he is leader on the court. He plays defense....I had more to say but that is enough. TT has so much talent that it is frightning. He is playing in his third season of NBA ball, and if I am not mistaken, his 5th or 6th year of actual organized ball. His skills are shaky at best, but his talent is unparalleled. Rose, well Rose is the best thing to happen to this team in 11 years. Deng is a sidekick. He can put up 15 and 10 a night and every team needs that, too bad it cost us 71 million, but so be it.

The rest of this team is hot garbage. Gordon and Larry Hughes could possibly be the most selfish players I have ever witnessed. They are chuckers and they are cancers to a team. Joakhim Noah is a freak show and a luxury player. What I mean by that is, teams that already have a steady level of talent and order can have Side Show Bob's who put up 8 and 8 a night, collect some fouls, and cash a check. This team cannot afford that. Aaron Gray is a waste of space. He is slow, cannot jump, and eats up minutes from TT that he could be learning more. I good give two craps about Nocioni. His BB savy is slowly wearing away, and that was the only reason to keep him to begin with. The foul on Ginobli wtih 1.5 to go, and grabbing the ball before it went out of bounds versus Minnesota, when it was off Minn, were deal breakers.

My list of 5 players is all I want and all I need. Paxson has lost his mind if he feels that anything more than these 5 are worth keeping.

Based on my name, this is great thing. Keep those child support checks coming, but in all seriousness this is great. Lou has brough something to this franchise, along with Jim Hendry, that the Cubs have not seen in.....well forever. Winning is fun, and Lou has brought the fun and "swagger" to Chicago Cubs baseball that all of us have wanted for so long.

Congrats Lou. Well played Jim; he deserved it.

I looked all through the fanposts for this topic and it wasnt here. So if the blog police want to squawk about repetitiveness, I apologize ahead of time.

I am not a sap for mushy commercials, especially those that tend to mock patriotism for a buck, but from the moment I saw this commercial I was in complete awe. I remember as a child when Marvin Gaye pulled this off at the 1983 NBA All Star game, and did not thinking all that much of it. Nike nailed this one, as they usually do. This one is a little cooler than normal. I hope anyone interested enjoys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbZTmcIfdBQ

I was really hoping not to have to do this tonight, but here we sit. Once again, we live in the future not the past. Coulda, shoulda, wouldas never got anyone anywhere. This team we love so much wants to win just as badly,(I am guessing more) than we do. They are struggling, but our time will come. Hope it starts tomorrow, but definitely on Monday, or god help us.

On to tonights Brewers vs. Astros game. It is Backe, who has pitched pretty well this year, and Dave Bush, who has had his ups and downs. We shall see. Brewers have a different line-up in there yesterday, with Durham at 2B and Cousell at SS.

Go Astros.

Today was a disappointment. Instead of living in the past, let's push forward and give Harden some runs tomorrow. He may only need a couple. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Howry sucks, we can't score runs. Keep movin on I say.

No matter how much we only want to worry about our team and our team only, we can root for the Astros tonight together. Might be a little fun. Go Stros! Light em up!

I am aware that I have posted here before about the dire need for pitching help, but I just cannot seem to get over this. I have watched so called title teams base their years on run production, and hope mediocre pitching will get them through. Well this team is based on mediocre pitching and above average offense.

Please do not yell at me about what I characterizing as mediocre pitching; personally I feel that the trio of Z, Lilly and Hill are the third or fourth best "top three" in baseball (behind AZ, NYM, and Boston), but the drop off after that is a complete joke. And due to Lilly and HIll being southpaws, we have to split them up.

So I am stealing from MLBTR a list of names that, most of which,  would be better fit in the 3 slot than Lieber, Dempster, and Marquis.

Freddy Garcia (32) - Type B
Kyle Lohse (29)
Rodrigo Lopez (32)
Eric Milton (32)
John Thomson (34)
Jeff Weaver (31)
David Wells (45)

I took out Clemens, he is done. Russ Ortiz, no comment needed.  The remaining pitchers are, in my very humble opinion,  worth a look. Personally, Rodrigo Lopez is a valuable commodity. He pitched in the AL east during 2005 and 2006, put up quality numbers, and probably could be had for a minor-league deal at this point.

I am aware that this team is good enough to get the through the NL-Central, but when you get to play the Pirates, Reds, and Astros 16+ times a season, that is not something to be to over zealous about. We, as fans, deserve more than the "Catastrophe among the Cacti" in October. Pitching wins; that is a fact. We can ask the Yankees how they have enjoyed all of those big bats these last 8 years.

I am a regular on here. I mainly comment on things,  but rarely do I start my own diary (fear of taking on the wrath of BCB regulars).

We have talked all winter about the pitching that we have. We know Z, Lilly and Hill are staples. That is great, but now that Lou has named Hill as our #4, I became very intrigued about the level of pitching that we do possess, and what a top tier pitching staff really is.

I understand what Lou is tryint to do. He wants Righty, Lefty, Righty, Lefty, Righty. That is complately understandable. So now we know that Marshall will not be starting this season. He will not go back to back with Hill at the end of the rotation and Lilly is the other Lefty. So that leaves: Gallagher, Lieber, Dempster, and Hart. Hart will probably be the longman, and Lieber was basically guaranteed a spot in the rotation, so we are down to Marquis and Dempster.

By my account the rotation is Z, Lilly, ??, Hill, and Lieber. Do any of you consider Marquis or Dempster to be a #3? Me either. You cannot put Lieber at #3, he isnt reliable enough and is injury prone. So please tell me who it will be, and based on everyone's vast baseball knowledge, how does that rotation stack up? Personally, I feel that it is above average, and that really is all it takes in the NL.

So let us recap. I want to know if you agree with why assessment of the rotation. Who will be the #3 man come opening day? How does our rotation compare, not only in the NL but MLB?

Thanks ladies and gents.

I found a site talking about the Top 24 catchers in baseball. (Fantasy speaking)

http://www.rotoauthority.com/2008/01/top-24-catchers.html

Soto comes up at #8. Did we really go from Kendall, who isn't listed, to the #8 best catcher in baseball? If this is the case, this team is better than even I thought. If we are no longer giving at bats away after the 7 hitter, this year may be better than imagained.

Is this good news? I am not sure. He may catch on somewhere and become the second coming (he is only 26 after all) but the Cubs made the right move here.  We all remember 2003, but that was then and this is now, and the Cubs are headed in a different direction. I did hear today that the Padres took a look at his health records and suddenly are not as interested. I have to say that I am not suprised.

Good luck old friend, unless of course you end up across town, in San Diego, NY, Milwaukee, Cincinatti , or ....never mind. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. We would probably have to pay for the surgery that followed.

Kenny Williams cannot catch a break. Loses out to Fukudome, cannot land Cabrera, now he will have to listen to those Pale-hose fans who still wish Rowand had never left.

Interesting signing. If they are serious about Matsui, they may compete. Lincecum needs to stay, Alex Rios is not worth giving up that arm for, and if they do get Matsui it will cost them Cain or Lowry.

Rowand may have been the only man available who could patrol that massive center field.

Appears as if the Dodgers have bought themselves another CF with depreciating skills. That Juan Pierre signing looks even more dumb, and I didnt think that was possible.

This has to sting our south-side friends. This was probably their Plan D.

1. Hunter - Angels
   
2. Cabrera - Tigers
   
3. Rowand -(My guess is they sign him for too much)
   
4. Andruw - Dodgers

I heard Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 talking about trade rumors regarding the Cubs. Silvy threw this idea out there and I was shocked at how amazingly bad it sounded, but after a second thought it seems very nice for both ends. Wanted to know what you guys thought out there.

Minnesota gives up Johan Santana

Cubs give up - Hill, Marmol, Pie, Prior (we pay Prior's salary)

I have read all of the rumors involving Matsui, Fukudome, Crawford, but I cannot understand why we are not focused more on starting pitching. With our line-up we should not be fighting to score runs. I agree that speed in the outfield and smarter baseball players are needed, but I would rather average 5 runs a game and give up only 3. With Lilly, who I really feel is going to be found out by National League pitching soon, Zambrano, who is a #1 most of the time, and then there is the rest. Hill, Marquis, Dempster, Marshall. Four #5s. With Howry, Marmol, and Wood to finish up, we need need 5 horses to get us to the 6th or 7th.
Our focus should be utility players in the field (Church, Cameron, etc.) and move our primary focus to the pitching mound (Santana, Gorzellany, etc.).