Hey Jim--If you could pick up one of these at the Winter Meetings, it would really help me out.
In case you missed it last night, Chase Utley hit his FOURTH and FIFTH HRs of the 2009 World Series, tying Reggie Jackson for most HRs in a World Series. By the way, Chase's line for this postseason is .314/.435/.686/.1.122. Chase scoffs at all the Yankee fans trying to declare ARod "Mr. October."
With the World Series finally winding down (or winding UP, if you watched last night's game), there's actually some Cubs news floating around out there.
Kinda.
First up, the Tribune tells us that the stage "is set" for the Cubs' Organizational Meetings. What a yawner. That's like telling us Soldier Field is "ready" for U2 to roll into town.
However, there were some interesting tidbits tossed in at the end:
"The Cubs' organizational meetings run Tuesday through Friday in Mesa, Ariz., and Hendry should know by the end of the week how much he'll have to improve the club. Hendry will huddle with his key advisers, including assistant general manager Randy Bush, to map out a strategy for 2010."
(snip)
"One player of interest is second baseman Akinori Iwamura, a left-handed hitter who served as the Rays' leadoff man in 2007 and '08 before playing only 69 games because of injuries in '09. The Rays have to make a decision on Iwamura's $4.85 million option one day after the end of the World Series.
If the Rays re-sign Iwamura, it will be only to trade him. If they packaged Iwamura with Pat Burrell in a deal for Bradley, the Cubs might wind up paying only $3 million to $4 million to offset the differences in their contracts. They could then try to spin Burrell off to another team this winter."
Wouldn't it cost us a lot less just to get Milty into counseling? Maybe send him and some selected fans to a corporate retreat with trust falls and all that? And plus, we wouldn't be stuck with Pat Burrell when it's all over?
Think about it, Jim.
Bruce Miles once again plays the role of the voice of reason, this time with regard to the Milton-Bradley-for-Vernon-Wells rumor:
There's a report out of Toronto talking about a possible Cubs trade of Milton Bradley to the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells:
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bob_elliott/2009/10/31/11588...
There's even a quote in the story from a "Cubs official": "It's early on, but we think this one has legs. But they aren't the only team we're talking with."
Let's stop and think here a minute, shall we? First off, the highest-ranking of Cubs officials who make these kinds of decisions don't talk about them and not in those terms. Certainly Jim Hendry and Randy Bush don't. And today, a Cubs person reacted with incredulity to the report, asking if anybody really thinks the Cubs would take on the kind of money Wells has coming as part of a ridiculous seven-year, $126 million contract that runs through 2014. (The Cubs already have an outfielder of their own with a ridiculous contract.)
So the bottom line is that there are no "legs" or any other body parts to this rumor. It is not happening.
I am praying that Bruce is right on this. Hendry seems to have a 2005 stat book when it comes to his man-crushes on certain players. I am shocked SHOCKED that the Brian Roberts rumor has yet to rear its ugly head.
Itching for a big signing? The best I can do this morning is to inform you that the Cubs are negotiating with John Grabow for a two-year deal in the $7.5 range. Really? We can't find something other than a medicore middle reliever to throw $6.5 million at? Wendell Kim? A third base coach? Again, I can't help but think of Milty's psychotherapy. . .
ESPN can't resist kicking us when we're down, pointing out that Joe Girardi, passed over by the Cubs for Lou Piniella, has the Yankees on the brink of (another) World Series title, while Lou is presumably watching reruns of Matlock with a cocktail in his hand at Del Boca Vista, Phase II:
Girardi is managing a $200 million ballclub in the World Series and, as I'm writing this, is one win shy of the team's first title since 2000, when Girardi left the team for, coincidentally, a second go-round with the Cubs.
The Cubs, as usual in early November, are a month into waiting 'til next year.
When the Cubs job opened after the 2006 season, I was firmly in the Girardi camp. In his lone season with Florida, he proved to be a quick study, managing a young, talented and low-spending team to contention in the NL East. But Girardi is no one's patsy. He didn't get along with owner Jeffrey Loria and was fired shortly before winning the NL Manager of the Year award.
The Cubs had a chance to hire a manager for the present and the future, but they went a different way, hiring the more seasoned Lou Piniella to skipper a team that was being hastily, and expensively, built for a World Series run. If you've been paying attention, you know how that worked out. Did general manager Jim Hendry & Co. make a mistake?
Finally, baby Cubs like Starlin Castro, Josh Vitters, and Andrew Cashner will play in the AFL "Rising Stars" game on Saturday. Catch it on MLBN.
86 Comments
gravedigger said:
Uh, one big problem with that sign-and-trade scenario: can't happen. At least, in the last bargaining agreement, it can't. I'm not sure if it is still the case, but it used to was.
flyball said:
I thought it could with the players ok
gravedigger said:
It also doesn't make sense because, if you were the player, why not just use the leverage you clearly have with the other team to get a better contract. Baseball doesn't have the exclusivity periods or franchise tagging or whatever that other sports do, so sign-and-trade doesnt make sense in baseball.
carlheartscubs said:
I just figured it out... it's not a sign-and-trade, it's and exercise and option year-and-trade
gravedigger said:
Ohhhhhh I see
Doc Blume said:
One thing about sending Bradley to therapy...
It isn't going to work unless he understands the need for him to go to therapy. I don't think that is likely.
Doc Blume said:
I've said Jim Hendry needs to go before...
But if John Grabow get's a two year deal for anything more that 2 million a season, then Hendry needs to be demoted to a job at a cash register at a concession stand. You would have thought he would learn his lesson on giving middle relief pitchers big two year contracts after the last 4 seasons. You might get one good season out of the two. But never two good seasons. It either should be a one year deal for $3 to $4 million, or a two year deal for $4 million.
There is a reason these guys are middle relievers! They aren't consistently good! Geez!
gravedigger said:
Jim Hendry has been pretty good during his tenure.
gravedigger said:
Utley has been very impressive. But:
1. His hair is seriously ugly
2. Chase is the stupidest name in the world aside from Todd.
carlheartscubs said:
I posit that Bucky is worse.
gravedigger said:
Maybe I should have said common names.
thisyearcub said:
This is a fun game ... I have my popcorn, eagerly awaiting the continuation, when someone mentions a name of somebody's kid (those who are parents) on here. Who will dare to go next?
Mine is Oliver.
thisyearcub said:
Also Chloe. That name bugs me too.
flyball said:
I know, someone is going to get offended
gravedigger said:
Colin.
cubbiejulie said:
That is a horrible name.
Colin quote of the day: "My only homework assignment is to sniff the cat's butt."
gravedigger said:
His teachers need to be investigated.
AndCounting said:
And my Colin quote of the day, in response to the "What do you want for breakfast" question:
"Ummmm . . . yogurt or candy."
cubbiejulie said:
Colins are awesome.
cubbiejulie said:
i almost said a very common name, but didn't want to offend anyone.
flyball said:
offend away
thisyearcub said:
You should say it ... if people here haven't grown a thick skin now, they should just leave.
gravedigger said:
Seriously, this isn't a place for the super sensitive.
cubbiejulie said:
No way. The last thing I need is another blogful of people who hate me.
gravedigger said:
Aww. We all already hate you.
You were gonna say Dave, weren't you?
thisyearcub said:
Do like Jay-Z said, and love all your haters.
cubbiejulie said:
I'm going to be like Ochocinco and love the vegetables.
MN Pat said:
Also worse: Milton
cubbiejulie said:
Especially when your last name turns you into a corporation.
cubbiejulie said:
Worse names:
Ubaldo
Yorvit
gravedigger said:
You're all missing my point. I'm talking about lame white yuppie parents who name their kids things like Todd and Chase and Kyle.
flyball said:
Todd and Kyle are not solely used by yuppie parents
gravedigger said:
I think they originated there.
Look, everyone. I get to pick fights and be argumentative with you guys. This doesn't work the other way around.
flyball said:
you're talking about kids now, but I know people my age with those names (well not Chase, I don't know anyone named Chase) with those names, and in some cases I also know their parents, and they defy your logic
gravedigger said:
Look, the reasoning doesn't matter. These names are terrible.
flyball said:
false
cubbiejulie said:
Chase Utley sounds like the evil headmaster at a boys' boarding school. For that reason alone, I like it.
flyball said:
I think Tea Par-tay
thisyearcub said:
Yuppie parents are the best though ... they're always trying to one-up each other with the name thing. Not even thinking about how it might affect the kid getting the crap beaten out of him in school for having some uppity snooty name.
I met a guy the other day, and his name was Forth. I mean, seriously.
cubbiejulie said:
I know someone who named their rich kid "Ford."
Seriously.
MillsChC said:
Hey that's my middle name!... it was my Grandpa's name, that's how I got it.
flyball said:
not Fourth? like there was a First Second Third before him?
cubbiejulie said:
I love it when people call their "the III" kid "Trey." So stupid.
gravedigger said:
Is THAT why they do that? No way. Oh my god sometimes I wish I could stab people through the internet.
FrankS said:
I know someone that did that. That father just happens to be 6'8" and about 300 pounds.
MillsChC said:
Heh, I have a coworker that did that, except they call their kid "Tres"
thisyearcub said:
Nope. Like his name is Forth. No kids were sired before him.
Truly idiotic, and is now ingrained in my head on reason No. 1,453 to never become a yuppie parent.
gravedigger said:
Time for some George Carlin:
And im getting really sick of guys named Todd. You know, yeah, its just a goofy fuckin name okay.
"Hi whats your name" - "Tooooodd, im Tooooodd, and this is Blake and Blair and Blain and Brent!"
Where are all of these goffy fuckin' boys names comming from? Taylor... Tyler... Jordan... Flinn... THESE ARE NOT REAL NAME!
Wanna hear a real name "EDDDDY", Eddy is a real name what ever happened to Eddy... here was here a minute ago... Joey, Jacky and Jonny and Phill... Bobby and Tommy and Danny and Bill? ...
Now we have TOOOOOOD... and Codey and Dillan and Cameron... and TUUUCKER! "Hi Tucker, im Tod" , "Hi Tod, im Tucker"... FUCK TUCKER TUCKER SUCKS!... And FUCK TUCKER'S friend Kyle... you know, yeah, there is another soft name for a boy... Kyyyyle... SOFT NAMES make SOFT PEOPLE!
I'll bet you anything that 10 times out of 10... Nicky, Vinny, and Tonny, will BEAT THE SHIT out of Todd, Kyle, and Tucker!
cubbiejulie said:
Eh. He was just bitter that his name was "George."
thisyearcub said:
Awesome. One of the best comedians ever. RIP Carlin.
cubbiejulie said:
I think it's a toss up between Carlin and Richard Pryor. I love Carlin more than words can express, but on that topic, I think he needs to get over himself.
thisyearcub said:
Um, I just said one of the best. Trying to decipher the best comedian ever is way too hard. Carlin? Chappelle? Steven Wright? Mitch Hedberg? Chris Rock? Robin Williams? Pryor? Lenny Bruce? Eddie Murphy?
Wayyyy too hard. I'm sure I left out some. All I know is the worst comedian ever, and that would be Carlos Mencia.
gravedigger said:
OMG, on the last thing you said there, I've never agreed with anything more.
cubbiejulie said:
I still quote Raw and Delirious all the time. Funniest stuff EVER.
You forgot Bill Cosby. And Jerry Seinfeld!
gravedigger said:
I like Seinfeld, but on that list he does not belong says I.
cubbiejulie said:
Can't there be hispanic yuppie parents who name their kids "Ubaldo?" and "Yorvit?" For all you know, "Yorvit" is the "Chase" of central america.
AndCounting said:
If you're a yuppie, your kid should have a yuppie name. Trust me, it's much worse here in Indiana when people try to propel their kid through the status levels in the hopes that they'll grow into the yuppieness inherent in their names.
Alexis. Angelina. Aurora. Kennedy. Ashley. Zoe. Come on, people, face it: your kid's a Billy Sue, Molly Rae, or Rose-of-Sharon. Own it.
cubbiejulie said:
Agreed.
I had to abandon several names for Colin because there were too many kids running around with those names that had rat tails and NASCAR jackets.
AndCounting said:
Like Hoyt and Bertrand.
berselius said:
You can't forget about alternate spellings. Repeat vowels (Ashlee, e.g.) or extraneous y's are a big plus in Yuppie names. Think of all the time their children will have to spell their names for people.
gravedigger said:
Ugh, seriously. There's a bunch of my interns with names like that.
Maim said:
I just always say "It's with an IE. My mom was creative."
Love,
Hollie
cubbiejulie said:
Ha. I'm so aggravated by people who spell Aidan "Aiden." Aidan is not made up, it's an actual Celtic name and my child spells it traditionally. Don't punish my kid just because a bunch of jerks don't know how to spell it correctly.
gravedigger said:
Or you could give your kid an American name.
thisyearcub said:
The Bradley saga continues ... just when you think the Rangers aren't interested, along comes a story that they might be. Every day it's a different opinion, stay tuned! Also an interesting tidbit in the link about Gerald Perry interviewing for the Rangers' hitting coach job.
http://trsullivan.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/11/monday_morning_managermilton_b.html
Dmband said:
I keep hearing Milty is going to wind up in Texas?
Doc Blume said:
Baltimore. Trust me.
Rock Mamola said:
I'm curious to know why Cubs fans are so trigger happy with successful people.
Check out my blog on ChicagoNow.com in the Rock Report.
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/rock-report/2009/11/jim-hendry-isnt-going-anywhereperiod.html
Love you Julie!
-RoCK
cubbiejulie said:
Pfft.
I can't get past the fact that Hendry managed to sign Aaron Miles, Aaron Heilman, Kevin Gregg AND the ticking time bomb that we all knew Milton Bradley was in the same season.
That level of suckitude takes effort.
Dmband said:
Right on Julie.
As the saying goes (I think), "One 'you suck' takes the place of 1,000 atta boy's"...or something like that
Problem is, he had several "you sucks" this year...and I dont care where you work, if you end up eating a good portion of 21 million dollars, trust me the owner of that business wont soon forget that.
cubbiejulie said:
Or, to quote Miss Jackson if you're nasty: "What have you done for me lately?"
Dmband said:
Also, a little word of advice to Rock-
When you are an admitted Sox fan, please, please dont TELL Cubs fans how they should feel.
Because I can usually resort to the "you just dont get it" defense.
cubbiejulie said:
That's probably why he can write about the Cubs. He has emotional distance. Unlike me, who is always like "I don't know why I hate Alfonso Soriano, I JUST DO!!!!"
gravedigger said:
Video of the month: http://www.theonion.com/content/video/victim_in_fatal_car_accident
Dmband said:
Hey by the way, I caught your Simpson's reference the other day, and I cant think of the actual line..
Its "And I for one welcome our new ______ overlords"...
When Brockman thinks that Ants have taken over!!!! Whats the line? Its been driving me nuts...
I laugh about that EVERY single time I think of it...
Ed Nickow said:
"I for one welcome our new insect overlords."
http://www.hulu.com/watch/17611/the-simpsons-giant-space-ants
Dmband said:
HAHAHAHAHAHA Thanks Ed....thats awesome.
cubbiejulie said:
"Hail Ants."
;)
Dmband said:
"Awwww...they were gonna show closeup's of the Rod!"
cubbiejulie said:
Prediction:
This 'V' won't be anywhere near as good as the first one.
Doc Blume said:
And you were correct.
cubbiejulie said:
That chick isn't nearly as scary as Diana was. She scared the hell out of me when I was a kid.
Meh--it was okay.
berselius said:
Morena Baccarin gets huge points from me for being in Firefly. Probably still won't watch V though
canopygrl said:
But at least (for me) this season of CSI is already a zillion times better than the last. Even if Morpheus is the new lead.
MillsChC said:
I had vague memories of seeing the original when I was kid.... but after watching a couple of reruns on Sci-Fi channel the past few days, it's utterly amazing how much garbage got put on TV back in the 80s... bad acting, bad dialogue, bad production effects, just bad, bad, bad all around.
canopygrl said:
"Who wants gingersnaps?"
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