Tomorrow we find out who has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the class of 2009. There are many candidates on the ballot including: Harold Baines, Jay Bell, Bert Blyleven, David Cone, Andre Dawson, Ron Gant, Mark Grace, Rickey Henderson, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Jesse Orosco, Dave Parker, Dan Plesac, Tim Raines, Jim Rice, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Greg Vaughn, Mo Vaughn, and Matt Williams.
I would like to see Andre Dawson finally make it. He deserves it! I would also like to See Mark Grace make it, but he won’t and doesn’t really deserve it like Dawson does. Ricky Henerson should be a first ballot hall of famer and should get every vote, but I don’t think that has ever happened before. It has been 20 years since a left fielder has been inducted into the hall of fame. You can get analysis on all of these players other places so I am not going to. We will just find out tomorrow what happens!
Milton Bradley interview on Monday
On tomorrow’s sports central with David Kaplan on WGN radio he will be interviewing the Cubs new outfielder Milton Bradley at 7:15pm. It should be interesting to hear Milton Bradley. I saw a video of the press conference where they introduced him and he seemed to handle him self well. We will find out tomorrow how he does when it is not scripted. He is supposedly a nice guy and a good teammate, but just has some trouble with the media. We will hopefully find out if he has any preference on where he plays and bats in the lineup.
Kerry Collins proves not to be MVP worthy
Not only did Kerry Collins not win the MVP of the National Football League, well he didn't actually get a single vote for MVP, but he also sucks in the playoffs too. After a first round by, Collins led the titans to a listless loss to the ravens. Let's just say he didnt do much to help his team win. I will be shocked, shocked i tell you, if he is the titans starting QB next year. They will simply go back to Vince Young, regardless of how suicidal he may be, and forget this little Collins experiment ever happened.
Tim Tebow Only 99% perfect
Tim Tebow has been compared to superman for his ability to pick his team up and carry them to the promise land. He will most likely return next year, win his second heisman, and go down as the greatest college football player ever. If that wasnt enough, he's a motivational speaker to death row inmates, and travels to third world countries preaching on the wonders of christianity when the people would much rather prefer some clean water.
But getting hit in the head by 300 pound men can take it's tole, even on superman himself. Apparently Tebow got an 890 on his SAT I. Not on a single section, on the whole darn thing. That puts him in the lower 25% of the population. But considering he is absolutely perfect in every other aspect of human life, it averages out to 99% perfection. He is able to maintain a 3.7 GPA at UF, in Family and Community Services. Hotel hospitality was taken i guess
The 2008 Mariners were worse than you thought
It's hard to pick a single player that epitomizes the the burning pile of crap that was the 2008 Seattle Mariners. There are so many options from Carlos Silva to Jose Vidro From Kenji johjima to Richie Sexson it was just pitiful. But i have found the worst of the worst. Everyone meet utility man Willie Bloomquist. He managed to get a single extra base hit(xbh) all year long. Thats 165 at-bats with a single xbh. How is that even possible. There isnt a single player in the bigs, hitter or pitcher, who could pull off that feet. You give 165 at-bats to a special olympics kid and he will accidently get 3 doubles. You have to be horrible, and horribly unlucky to do what bloomquist did. His slugging was only 6 points higher than his batting average .279ba .285slg. Fucking unbelievable. I wont even do him the justice of putting up his pic
Carl Pavano has apparently suffered brain damage
Carl Pavano is one of the most infamous players in major league baseball. This guy will go down in history as one of the greatest thiefs in sports. Al Copone didn't steal money hand over fist the way Carl Pavano has. In the past 4 years, Pavano has cashed in on 40 million big ones for a total of 26 games for the yankees. Instead of being grateful to the yankes paying him the money and not locking him in old yankee stadium while it gets demolished, he's opened his mouth for the first time ever today to bash the yankees for not patting his buttom during his 4 year DL stint.
Pavano cried that he didnt get the support from the team during his rehab, that he was often down emotionally and had to pick himself up off the ground and set new goals for himself. From what we know, he spent the past 4 years crashing ferraries, screwing around with alyssa milano(very sorry alyssa, i still love you), and drinking away his tears made entirely of money. This guy needs to shut up and possibly do his job. Just a 40 million dollar idea.
Overrate stars: volume 2
Our second victim in the overrated athlete department is Chicago's own and finest Antoine Walker. This segment won't necessarily
Free agency must really suck
I have never seen an offseason in major league baseball where so many fine free agents basically have to beg for teams to sign them. I am used to 5 to 10 teams all fighting for a single free agent, driving up the price, leading to very modest 252 million dollar contracts. After the top free agents were signed early in the winter, by the yankees of course, the rest of the free agent market has been stagnant to the point that i believe many of our favorite baseball players may be out of jobs next year. To give you an idea of the last few years of signing, we have people like carlos silva, kyle lohse, gil meche, and the like signing 7 figure per year deals. And these guys range from average to extremely pathetic. Last year, we only saw one real free agent casualty as kenny lofton decided to not play as opposed to accept a minor league deal. This year, i believe we will have 10 to 20 kenny loftons.
Despite what Scott Boris may say about the recession not affecting the MLB, he's the greediest agent of all time, it certainly is. Established major league talent such Abreu, Dunn, Lowe, Garland, Glaving, Thomas, Hudson, Pudge, Kent, Griffey, and even the superhuman manny ramirez are finding it difficult to get a contract a 10 year veteran deserves. These guys will end up playing somewhere, but at a greatly reduced price. Prior years saw players such as carlos lee, soriano, vernon wells, alexis rios, chase utley, JD Drew absolutely break the bank on free agent deals. Similar talent in the form of Dunn and Bradley and Burrell are lucky to receive the type of money the immortal Gary Matthews JR is making. Going young means going cheap and that is what 29 teams in baseball are doing. When the cubs need to let go true cubs in Wood and Derosa to save a couple million dollars, you know things are not the same and wont be for a while.
It's going to be sad seeing guys like garciappara, vidro, edmonds, anderson, and even richie sexson flipping burgers next year at your local wendy's. ummm, wendy's!
Bob Stoops just crapped his pants
Last night's BCS championship game was underwhelming to say the least. It had nothing to do with the gators or tim tebow or fox. The gators played exactly the same type of game that they played all year long. Tibow has an average game passing the ball, he runs for several crucial first downs, he pumps his first, and harvin and demps break several long running plays. They have a simply offensive strategy and the best athletes allowing them to contend every year.
The disappointing part of last nights game was the fact that "big game" Bob Stoops laid an egg for the fifth straight year in a BCS bowl. Now i'm not simply drinking the haterade here, i'm a huge OU and Texas fan for that matter. But the sooners that i saw in the championship game had zero correlation to the sooners that dominated the big 12 all year long. Surprisingly it had absolutely nothing to do with the players. Sure, Bradford could have been more accurate on the long bombs, and the defense could have prevented florida's long running plays, but I put all the blame on head coach Bob Stoops.
Someone explain to me why the sooners ran the ball so freakin much last night. Firstly, they were missing their most dynamic palyer in Demarco Murray due to a dislocated knee cap. This guy is one of the most talented running backs in college. He has the size of adrian peterson and appears to just glide past defenders. His back up, Chris Brown, was the starter for the sooners prior to Murray's arrival, however, he lacks the size and strenght to be you're primary offensive weapon. 4 straight rushes from inside the 10 doesnt work with a 5'10" guy. And were was Mossis Madu? This guy broke out for 114 yards in the big 12 championship game and barely saw the field with Murray out.
The hurry up offense didnt give the sooners any advantage on any single play all game long. Most the time, they would line up within seconds of the last play, only to retreat so bradford could spend 30 seconds trying to figure out the third base coach's signal play. The only times when the sooners seemed to rush the snap was in the red zone and on late down situations. Wrong freakin time Stoops.
I personally love this coach. He is the best recruiter in the nation outside the state of florida, constantly stealing top recruits from the state of texas. He helped steve spurrier win a national championship in florida as a defensive coordinator, only to go on and lead the sooners to a championship his second year in Normal, Oklahoma. However, the past 6 years have all been disappointments, including 2 loses in championship games. Many people, including myself, thought this was the year Stoops would take back his reign as the top collegiate coach, but it was not to be. Stoops is possibly the most famous and beloved citizen of the state of oklahoma. If you think your town is borring, you obviously have never been to normal, oklahoma. However, even he will be on thin ice if this continues for the next few years.
Blackhawks 1 Avalanche 2 : 22-9-7 51 points
I actually missed out on this dual between western conference foes because of the national championship game, but i'll eventually watch it on the DVR. From the highlights, it looked like an intense match up with numerous scoring opportunities above the 2-1 score. The hawks put 44 shots on goal, while both avalanche goals were controversial, as the first appeared to be kicked into the net by ryan smyth, and the second coming on the power play which was caused by a premature puck drop on the face off. It was a highly competitive game that could have gone either way. Problem is that the red wings are up to 61 points and distancing themselves in the central division
DeRosa interview on Sports Central
Yesterday I heard a interview from Friday’s edition of Sports Central with David Kaplan on WGN 720am with Mark DeRosa. It was interesting to hear Mark’s perspective on being traded and how he found out about it. Mark was saying he was following the trade rumors of when his name was being mentioned in the Peavy trades. He never heard anything from Hendry and when the Peavy rumors ended he assumed it was over.
He was on the golf course with former Brave’s teammates Chipper Jones and Brian McCan starting hole number three when he received a call from Jim Hendry. He wasn’t sure if he should answerer the phone because he figured he was traded when he saw Hendry was calling. He said he has a good relationship with Henrdy, but they usually didn't communicate over the phone. Chipper Jones told him he has to answer it so he did. After talking to Hendry he called his wife and told her he was traded. She told him to turn off his phone and enjoy the rest of his game that there was nothing to do. When he turned his phone back on after the game he said he had over 20 messages from people. He said it was one of his worse golf games and that he was like “numb” for the rest of the day.
He sounded that he would really miss Chicago and is still devastated. Kaplan asked him if he would be open to signing as a free agent again after this season and he said that he doesn’t like to burn any bridges so he would be open. However, he sounded doubtful and that he was still hurt that the Cubs traded him. He was a nice guy and will be missed on the field and in the clubhouse.
He was on the golf course with former Brave’s teammates Chipper Jones and Brian McCan starting hole number three when he received a call from Jim Hendry. He wasn’t sure if he should answerer the phone because he figured he was traded when he saw Hendry was calling. He said he has a good relationship with Henrdy, but they usually didn't communicate over the phone. Chipper Jones told him he has to answer it so he did. After talking to Hendry he called his wife and told her he was traded. She told him to turn off his phone and enjoy the rest of his game that there was nothing to do. When he turned his phone back on after the game he said he had over 20 messages from people. He said it was one of his worse golf games and that he was like “numb” for the rest of the day.
He sounded that he would really miss Chicago and is still devastated. Kaplan asked him if he would be open to signing as a free agent again after this season and he said that he doesn’t like to burn any bridges so he would be open. However, he sounded doubtful and that he was still hurt that the Cubs traded him. He was a nice guy and will be missed on the field and in the clubhouse.
Is it me...
Is it me or are the Nationals somehow involved in every Free Agent signing this winter? They haven't made a move since the Willingham deal, BUT every FA from Mark Teixeira to Milton Bradley to now Derek Lowe and Tim Redding.
It's kind of annoying.
It's kind of annoying.
Cuban’s view on buying the Cubs
Mark Cuban was once interested in buying the Chicago Cubs. He made an initial bid, but never made it to the final rounds. Many people, especially Cub’s fans were excited that he could be the next owner of the Cubs. They liked his enthusiasm and devotion to winning by spending money and doing whatever it takes. It was believed that the current owners in major league baseball would not welcome him into their club and approve him. It never made it this far because he didn’t submit a bid in the last round. At his blog he talked about his whole process of trying to buy the Cubs. Check it out at: http://blogmaverick.com/2009/01/06/the-cubs/
Blackhawks 6 Cayotes 0 : 22-8-7 51 points
As the score indicates, this was a whooping of immense proportions. With Kane out with the high ankle sprain, Toews absolutely dominated this game with his open ice skating. He finished the game with 2 goals and an assist but that doesnt tell the whole story. Adding injury to defeat, Walker destroyed Ed Jovanowski's face with a single punch to the eye causing him to drop to the ice in a bloody mess. Unfortunately this is not in the video recap but i gotchya.
Will Cubs have an owner by opening day?
The Tribune Company is close to picking the winning bid for the Chicago Cubs. They have been reviewing three separate bids since early December. All ownership changes of any major league team is not supposed to be done during the season. There are ways around that like when the Tribune Company was sold during the season, and because it was a parent company Major league Baseball did not approve it. Major League baseball did approve the CEO in Crane Kenney, so the new ownership of the tribune company could not change that without the approval of MLB. They have three months to pick an owner and then finalize the details by opening day of the 2009 season.
It will be interesting to see who the new owner is and what changes they may make. Will they keep the payroll the same or increase it? Will they leave the same management from Crane Kenney to Jim Hendry to run things or will they bring in their own people. That will be the interesting part in the whole transaction.
It will be interesting to see who the new owner is and what changes they may make. Will they keep the payroll the same or increase it? Will they leave the same management from Crane Kenney to Jim Hendry to run things or will they bring in their own people. That will be the interesting part in the whole transaction.
Salary Cap?
In short, no.
A salary cap in baseball would not work for several reasons.
The first and foremost reason is that, despite the volume of "overpaid bums" in the league, players in the MLB are underpaid given the league's annual revenue. In 2007, the cumulative league revenue totaled somewhere around $6.075 billion. At the same time, cumulative payroll was just under $2.625 billion. 43.2% of team revenue, in other words, went towards MLB salaries. That pales in comparison to the salary cap of other sports. The NHL's salary cap is set at 54% of league revenue, while the NFL is set at 55%.
Clearly, given the revenue of the MLB, the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is not out of control.
Secondly, teams ownership already pockets as much change as it can. The Marlins, whose payroll was gutted to be under $25 M last year, are receiving federal funds to build their new stadium. Same goes for The Yankees, who are getting money from the NY taxpayer to build a new stadium that charge ticket prices that restrict 80% of the population from being able to afford the "luxury" of a live baseball game. If anything is out of control, it is ticket prices. I'm all about free market and understand that if people are willing to pay, they should be able to pay, BUT I'm not a fan of the fact that live Baseball, in recent years, has become oriented to the wealthier and business class. That's just a case of shutting out the grassroots fan base from being able to enjoy a day out and cold glass of overpriced beer. More power to league revenue, but if any cap is being placed in MLB, I say it be placed on ticket prices. Don't, however, keep teams from spending any more money then they currently are. At least the Yankees, who are charging $250 a seat at new Yankee Stadium, are trying to give the fans their money's worth.
A salary cap in baseball would not work for several reasons.
The first and foremost reason is that, despite the volume of "overpaid bums" in the league, players in the MLB are underpaid given the league's annual revenue. In 2007, the cumulative league revenue totaled somewhere around $6.075 billion. At the same time, cumulative payroll was just under $2.625 billion. 43.2% of team revenue, in other words, went towards MLB salaries. That pales in comparison to the salary cap of other sports. The NHL's salary cap is set at 54% of league revenue, while the NFL is set at 55%.
Clearly, given the revenue of the MLB, the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is not out of control.
Secondly, teams ownership already pockets as much change as it can. The Marlins, whose payroll was gutted to be under $25 M last year, are receiving federal funds to build their new stadium. Same goes for The Yankees, who are getting money from the NY taxpayer to build a new stadium that charge ticket prices that restrict 80% of the population from being able to afford the "luxury" of a live baseball game. If anything is out of control, it is ticket prices. I'm all about free market and understand that if people are willing to pay, they should be able to pay, BUT I'm not a fan of the fact that live Baseball, in recent years, has become oriented to the wealthier and business class. That's just a case of shutting out the grassroots fan base from being able to enjoy a day out and cold glass of overpriced beer. More power to league revenue, but if any cap is being placed in MLB, I say it be placed on ticket prices. Don't, however, keep teams from spending any more money then they currently are. At least the Yankees, who are charging $250 a seat at new Yankee Stadium, are trying to give the fans their money's worth.
Welcome Milton Bradley
Put the injury risk aside: when Milton Bradley is healthy, he is insanely productive. At $10 million a year, Bradley's contract is pure risk/reward. He'll surely provide more at $10 million than Marquis would in 2009 (even if he only plays 5 days a week). He's also coming off a season with an OPS of almost 1.000. Can you name anyone else who could sign a contract so "inexpensive" off such a stellar season (even if he did only play 126 games)? Like Ben Sheets, Bradley is going to sign for less than he's worth because of looming questions. Yes, those questions are legitimate (the list of Bradley's injuries is ridiculously frivolous, including "his hand hurt"), but much like Rich Harden who posted an ERA under 2 in the dozen starts he made for the Cubs, the reward ceiling potential is quite high. It's not like the Cubs resigned Mark Prior, who hasn't pitched in 3 seasons, or Chris Carpenter, whose elbow is made of bone spurrs. They got a guy who can produce in perhaps 60-70% of the teams games with above average defense skills and is a much better asset than the alternative at the same price (Jason Marquis).
Who else could one want besides Adam Dunn (who, by the way, doesn't even TRY at baseball!*)? Pat Burrell is a streaky righty and Bobby Abreu is on the decline of his career (power down, BBs down, etc.). Raul Ibanez maybe?
Let's take a look at the 37 year old Raul Ibanez's defensive range:
To him I say we already signed Jacque Jones once.
My prediction for Bradley, if he doesn't stay 100% in 2009, is 110 games, 400 AB, 20 HR, 60 walks. That's a very reasonable prediction and very much in line with his career numbers. That's also pretty fucking good production for a guy who would only play in 65% of the team's games. DeRosa did that in 149.
*Side note: I don't care how little you try when you mechanically hit 40 HRs and take 100+ BB a season.
Who else could one want besides Adam Dunn (who, by the way, doesn't even TRY at baseball!*)? Pat Burrell is a streaky righty and Bobby Abreu is on the decline of his career (power down, BBs down, etc.). Raul Ibanez maybe?
Let's take a look at the 37 year old Raul Ibanez's defensive range:
To him I say we already signed Jacque Jones once.
My prediction for Bradley, if he doesn't stay 100% in 2009, is 110 games, 400 AB, 20 HR, 60 walks. That's a very reasonable prediction and very much in line with his career numbers. That's also pretty fucking good production for a guy who would only play in 65% of the team's games. DeRosa did that in 149.
*Side note: I don't care how little you try when you mechanically hit 40 HRs and take 100+ BB a season.
Two Coaches Bears should target
Before the Bears season started there were low expectations for the Bears. This is because last season they didn’t look good and they didn’t upgrade the team. With that said this season turned out to be a disappointment because they showed flashes of being competitive, but always seemed to choke. For instance, they lost to Atlanta by a touchdown, not showing up for the last game of the Season against Houston. There supposed strength of being a strong defensive team turned out to be their Achilles heal and their offense showed flashes of being average if they had some receivers. There are two head coached recently fired that the Bears should consider adding to their staff.
The Bears will probably hire Rod Marinelli as their defensive coordinator. Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli go back when they were mentored by Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay in the mid 1990’s. The current defensive coordinator of the Bears, Bob Babich is friends with Lovie, but after this season I think a change will occur. Lovie knows a change is needed for the defense and his former colleague is now available who has a long deserved resume for a defensive coordinator. Even though being the head coach of a 0-16 team isn’t something you want on your resume. Jerry Angelo was also in the front office as scouting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during this time. Thus, they all have a history together.
The Bears should also should take a look at Mike Shanahan. Shanahan was recently fired as the head coach and director of player personal for the Denver Broncos after being with them for over 14 years. Shanahan is known for his offense experience. I don’t think Jerry Angelo or Lovie Smith will even think of Mike Shanahan because he will probably be looking for a head coaching job or for a role Angelo fills already. The Bears lack experience and the personnel in their organization to draft, sign, and run the offense because most of the organization is made up of defensive guys. So it would make sense to bring someone in who could complement the organization and provide another perspective. I don’t think Mike Shanahan is the best offensive guru out their, but the best available, and would help our offense. Sadly, egos will get in the ways so he won’t even be considered for a job like offensive coordinator.
The Bears will probably hire Rod Marinelli as their defensive coordinator. Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli go back when they were mentored by Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay in the mid 1990’s. The current defensive coordinator of the Bears, Bob Babich is friends with Lovie, but after this season I think a change will occur. Lovie knows a change is needed for the defense and his former colleague is now available who has a long deserved resume for a defensive coordinator. Even though being the head coach of a 0-16 team isn’t something you want on your resume. Jerry Angelo was also in the front office as scouting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during this time. Thus, they all have a history together.
The Bears should also should take a look at Mike Shanahan. Shanahan was recently fired as the head coach and director of player personal for the Denver Broncos after being with them for over 14 years. Shanahan is known for his offense experience. I don’t think Jerry Angelo or Lovie Smith will even think of Mike Shanahan because he will probably be looking for a head coaching job or for a role Angelo fills already. The Bears lack experience and the personnel in their organization to draft, sign, and run the offense because most of the organization is made up of defensive guys. So it would make sense to bring someone in who could complement the organization and provide another perspective. I don’t think Mike Shanahan is the best offensive guru out their, but the best available, and would help our offense. Sadly, egos will get in the ways so he won’t even be considered for a job like offensive coordinator.
Chicago Cubs Imminent moves
Jim Hendry had a busy week. The Chicago Cubs traded Mark DeRosa and signed Aaron Miles this week. They are also going to sign Paul Bako, trade Jason Marquis, and sign Milton Bradley.
The Cubs need a back up catcher for Soto. Before the 2008 season the Cubs never had a catcher who was good at calling games, throwing out base runners, and could provide some offense. With Soto, our backup catcher won’t play as much as he did in the past. Thus, we don’t need to pay for a good back up like Blanco who was a good receiver and is the second best active catcher at throwing out base runners.
The Cubs are looking to bring Paul Bako back for his second stint as a Cub. Paul Bako played for the Cubs from 2003 to 2004 and is a decent back up. Last season he played for Dusty Baker in Cincinnati and played in 99 games. He batted .217 in 299 at bats and made 5 errors and had 9 pass balls. Bako knows his days playing are limited. He has a career batting average of .231 and is 36 years old. He is supposedly going to sign a one year five hundred thousand dollar contract. This would be his lowest salary since 2001 where he made $450,000. The Cubs could go with Koyie Hill, but think Bako is a better option so they will look for him to start around 30 games next season. Hopefully he will continue to mentor Soto. This is where Blanco will be missed the most.
The Cubs have agreed in principal to trade Jason Marquis to the Colorado Rockies for Luis Vizcaino. The cubs will pay one million of Marquis’s salary and take on all of Luis Vizcaino salary for 2009 of 3.5 million and get 500 thousand dollars for his buyout. The Cubs will save around 5 million dollars from this deal. Vizcaino is paid like a top setup man, but is actuality a mediocre reliever who will give the bullpen some veteran presence with Kevin Gregg. Vizcaino is 34 and appeared in 43 games for the Rockies last season pitching 46 innings with a 5.28 era and has a career era of 4.34. Marquis who has one year of his three year contract left went 11 and 9 in 28 starts last year with a 4.53 era. His departure opens up a roster spot for Jeff Samardzia, Sean Marshall, or possibly Jake Peavy via trade. Jason Marquis is on a family vacation right now and will take his physical when he returns. This is why the trade has not occurred yet. I think they could have received more for Marquis than pretty much a salary dump. He is a good fifth starter who will eat innings for your club and stays healthy.
The Cubs will save 5 million on trading Marquis and have already saved 4 million on trading DeRosa which is 9 million they can use on other needs. They look to add a left handed hitting outfielder with this money. The Cubs have supposedly also agreed in principal with Milton Bradley. Their waiting until the Marquis trade is official and signing Bradley will probably not happen until the middle of January.
Milton Bradley will play center or right field for the Cubs depending on what Fukudome does. If Fukudome can hit Major League pitching than Bradley will start in center with Fukudome in right. If Fukudome struggles like he did last year, than Fukudome will be on the bench with Joey Gathright or Reed Johnson starting in center and Bradley playing right field. Bradley is a switch hitting outfielder with power and speed who batted 321, with 21 homers, and an on base percentage of .436 last year. Bradley could fit anywhere in the line up from the 3, 4, 5, or 5 hole very nicely. The two problems with Bradley are that he is injury prone and has some personality/temper problems. The Cubs have outfield depth so if he misses some games it shouldn’t be a huge problem. The big concern is his temper and that he played with 6 teams in nine year. He has a lengthy past of not getting along with teammates, managers, and members of the media. It could be interesting to see how Bradley handles Chicago. Bradley is the best Free agent outfielder for the Cubs, but none are ideal fits.
The Marquis Trade and Bradley signing are not official yet so let’s see if they happen! Maybe something better will come along before they do!
The Cubs need a back up catcher for Soto. Before the 2008 season the Cubs never had a catcher who was good at calling games, throwing out base runners, and could provide some offense. With Soto, our backup catcher won’t play as much as he did in the past. Thus, we don’t need to pay for a good back up like Blanco who was a good receiver and is the second best active catcher at throwing out base runners.
The Cubs are looking to bring Paul Bako back for his second stint as a Cub. Paul Bako played for the Cubs from 2003 to 2004 and is a decent back up. Last season he played for Dusty Baker in Cincinnati and played in 99 games. He batted .217 in 299 at bats and made 5 errors and had 9 pass balls. Bako knows his days playing are limited. He has a career batting average of .231 and is 36 years old. He is supposedly going to sign a one year five hundred thousand dollar contract. This would be his lowest salary since 2001 where he made $450,000. The Cubs could go with Koyie Hill, but think Bako is a better option so they will look for him to start around 30 games next season. Hopefully he will continue to mentor Soto. This is where Blanco will be missed the most.
The Cubs have agreed in principal to trade Jason Marquis to the Colorado Rockies for Luis Vizcaino. The cubs will pay one million of Marquis’s salary and take on all of Luis Vizcaino salary for 2009 of 3.5 million and get 500 thousand dollars for his buyout. The Cubs will save around 5 million dollars from this deal. Vizcaino is paid like a top setup man, but is actuality a mediocre reliever who will give the bullpen some veteran presence with Kevin Gregg. Vizcaino is 34 and appeared in 43 games for the Rockies last season pitching 46 innings with a 5.28 era and has a career era of 4.34. Marquis who has one year of his three year contract left went 11 and 9 in 28 starts last year with a 4.53 era. His departure opens up a roster spot for Jeff Samardzia, Sean Marshall, or possibly Jake Peavy via trade. Jason Marquis is on a family vacation right now and will take his physical when he returns. This is why the trade has not occurred yet. I think they could have received more for Marquis than pretty much a salary dump. He is a good fifth starter who will eat innings for your club and stays healthy.
The Cubs will save 5 million on trading Marquis and have already saved 4 million on trading DeRosa which is 9 million they can use on other needs. They look to add a left handed hitting outfielder with this money. The Cubs have supposedly also agreed in principal with Milton Bradley. Their waiting until the Marquis trade is official and signing Bradley will probably not happen until the middle of January.
Milton Bradley will play center or right field for the Cubs depending on what Fukudome does. If Fukudome can hit Major League pitching than Bradley will start in center with Fukudome in right. If Fukudome struggles like he did last year, than Fukudome will be on the bench with Joey Gathright or Reed Johnson starting in center and Bradley playing right field. Bradley is a switch hitting outfielder with power and speed who batted 321, with 21 homers, and an on base percentage of .436 last year. Bradley could fit anywhere in the line up from the 3, 4, 5, or 5 hole very nicely. The two problems with Bradley are that he is injury prone and has some personality/temper problems. The Cubs have outfield depth so if he misses some games it shouldn’t be a huge problem. The big concern is his temper and that he played with 6 teams in nine year. He has a lengthy past of not getting along with teammates, managers, and members of the media. It could be interesting to see how Bradley handles Chicago. Bradley is the best Free agent outfielder for the Cubs, but none are ideal fits.
The Marquis Trade and Bradley signing are not official yet so let’s see if they happen! Maybe something better will come along before they do!
2008: A Year In Review
Some interesting memories from the 2008 MLB season can be found here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3801716
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3801716
Long-term outlook for the Blackhawks Salary Cap
The NHL salary cap is actually a very good system. every year there is a max and min every team has to be within, and cannot exceed from it in any direction. the cap is based on the NHL's revenue and has been climbing every year. it's now at like 55mil, and should keep increasing. no player can make more than 20% of the team cap, and contracts cant be renegotiated until it expires.
The Blackhawks are actually at the salary cap, such that they actually had to send someone down recently to prevent exceeding it. There was also rumor they may go after mats sundin, who half-retired, but he went to vancouver, not that we had salary cap room for him anyway. We'll get some relief because Khabibulin's contract will expire after this year, and matrin havlat will also be done. hopefully they can keep their guys, but it's gonna be hard cause there are so many of them. we may have to let havlat go, which is a shame, and i'm not sure if they'll want to sign sharp to a long term contract. Tallon has basically done what kenny williams does. Develop home grown talent, plus trade for other team's 1st round busts, sharp, ladd, eager, and get rid of his own 1st round disappointments in ruutu, borque, and mccarthey.
If you look at the penguins, they have two of the best players in the league in crosby and malkin, who are equally good, but they will take up 40% of the team cap. so their team actually sucks. they got to the finals last year cause their goalie, fluery, who's not good got really hot(sub 2 GAA) and trading for marian hossa did the trick. i doubt they'll be back in the finals any time soon. kane and toews arn't nearly as good so they wont make 9-10 mil per year so that should free up space to lock up Keith, Seabrook, Versteeg, Bolland...Long story short. The future is good!
Blackhawks 5 Flames 2 : 21-8-7 49 points
Well the Blackhawks rebounded from back to back defeats at the hands of the Red Wings to destroy the Flames for the third time this year. Everyone got in on the action as they scored an even strength goal, power play, short handed, delayed power play, and empty netter. Quite a game. I recommend watching the game recaps just to hear the Canadian announcer and his silly Canadian accent.
Hinrich speedy return creates logjam
Kirk Hinrich has been out injured with a torn ligament in his right thumb since November 11th when he had surgery. When he got injured fellow guard Larry Hughs was out injured and they flipped spots on the active roster. Hinrich was supposed to be out until the middle of February, but he is way ahead of schedule. He is predicted to be back by the middle of January around January 13th. When he returns the Bulls will have another guard to try to find playing time for. He will join Derek Rose, Larry Hughs, Ben Gordon, and Thabo Stefolsha fighting for playing time. This will be another challenge for Vinney Del Negro to keep everyone happy.
The Bulls need to make a trade to find a big man to complement the Bulls. They need to trade one of their guards along with one of: Nocioni, Thomas, Noah, and possibly a draft pick to get a difference maker. Hinrich would seem to be the odd man out because Hughs has the big contract, Gordon is a free agent after this season, Stefolsha doesn’t have much trade value, but looks like he could be a decent role player, and Rose is obviously untouchable. Thus, Hinrich will have to get some playing time to show he is healthy in order to be traded and bring the Bulls the pieces they need.
The Bulls need to make a trade to find a big man to complement the Bulls. They need to trade one of their guards along with one of: Nocioni, Thomas, Noah, and possibly a draft pick to get a difference maker. Hinrich would seem to be the odd man out because Hughs has the big contract, Gordon is a free agent after this season, Stefolsha doesn’t have much trade value, but looks like he could be a decent role player, and Rose is obviously untouchable. Thus, Hinrich will have to get some playing time to show he is healthy in order to be traded and bring the Bulls the pieces they need.
What About The Cardinals?
With Aaron Miles out of the picture and the Cardinal's MI's on the farm too inexperienced for the everyday job, might the Cardinals sign Juan Uribe to play Second Base? If so, his contract might look like something in the 10 cheeseburgers and a side of fries per game range.
But seriously. I hate the Cards, but WTF are they doing this offseason? Their shitty bullpen isn't getting any new arms, their horrible starting rotation isn't getting any new faces and there seems to be no one in terms of new offensive production on the radar. I'm simply baffled. Maybe they're just giving up.
Same goes for the Brewers. They lost two top of the rotation starters, their closer and two other bullpensmen. What is their 2009 game plan? Hit the fuck out of the ball (Fielder, Braun, Weeks, Hardy) and then hope the other team forgets to bat? I don't think Dave Bush or Parra is an elite SP and Yovanni Gallardo, aka Ben Sheets Jr., can't stay healthy.
The Cubs are going to have an easy season.
But seriously. I hate the Cards, but WTF are they doing this offseason? Their shitty bullpen isn't getting any new arms, their horrible starting rotation isn't getting any new faces and there seems to be no one in terms of new offensive production on the radar. I'm simply baffled. Maybe they're just giving up.
Same goes for the Brewers. They lost two top of the rotation starters, their closer and two other bullpensmen. What is their 2009 game plan? Hit the fuck out of the ball (Fielder, Braun, Weeks, Hardy) and then hope the other team forgets to bat? I don't think Dave Bush or Parra is an elite SP and Yovanni Gallardo, aka Ben Sheets Jr., can't stay healthy.
The Cubs are going to have an easy season.
Overrate stars: volume 1
Our first casualty is Baron David. David came to fame as a standout freshman point guard at UCLA, unfortunately that is where his career peaked. He is the classic example of someone who puts up superstar numbers through quantity and not quality. If I told you that he is a career 17 point, 7 assist, 4 rebound NBA point guard, you would run through the streets naked to get this guy on your team...or is that just me?
However, numbers in the NBA can often be deceiving. And Davis has conned the fans and management for an entire decade. He is a career 41% shooter. That makes allen iverson look like mark price in comparison. Let me put it this way, if davis took every shot for your favorite team every game and made 41% of his shots, your favorite team would be making a top ten lottery pick every fucking year. Not to mention that he is a career 32% 3-point shooter. This is actually a respectable number, if you look past the fact that he takes over 5 3-point attempts per game. That is simply unacceptable in the NBA unless your name happens to be Lebron. Davis has made a career out of shooting too much, especially under Don Nelson's "i dont give a fuck" philosophy. Trust me, he's bad. Really really bad.
Apparently the Los Angelas Clippers don't seem to care, and their GM Elgin Baylor doesn't have the greatest track record or caring. Well, Davis has rewarded his new team and 5yr/$65 Million dollar contract with a sweet 36% field goal percentage. Who could have see this coming?
Looking at the DeRosa trade
Mark DeRosa was traded to Cleveland to join his former teammate Kerry Wood. There has been much controversy about this trade and whether it was considered positive or negative. It seems like more people were upset about this move than letting Kerry Wood leave via free agency. Kerry Wood never lived up to his potential in Chicago after his big splash with his 20 strike outs game in his rookie season. With Carlos Marmol and other bullpen options everyone knows we didn’t need to overpay for him.
In DeRosa’s short two years as Chicago Cub he became a fan favorite because of his work ethic, attitude, performance, and versatility. Mark Derosa always gave his best effort. He never dogged it like other players we have. In addition, he never complained about playing multiple positions and batting anywhere in the order. He played every position with his best effort and provided top defense everywhere around the diamond. I actually felt his best defensive position was third base followed by second and then right field. I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes regular third basemen in the future.
Mark DeRosa was a big part of the Cubs success last year and helping them winning the National League central division title. Last season DeRosa led the Cubs in runs scored with 103, was fourth on the club in doubles with 30, tied for second in triples with three (others with three were Fukudome and Lee), fourth in home runs with 21, was third in RBI’s with 87, fourth in total bases with 243, fifth in walks with 69, and has a solid average of 285 with a on base percentage of 376, and a slugging percentage of 481. He also stole 6 bases and was not caught stealing. That shows he is a smart base runner because that isn’t really a part of his game. He did all of this in 505 at bats (fourth on team) while playing 149 games (Tied with Ramirez and Theriot). No matter where DeRosa played being his 95 games at second base, 59 in the outfield, 22 at third base while filling in for Ramriez when injured or to give him a day off, or his one game at first and shortstop respectively, DeRosa never missed a beat with the glove or let it affect his bat.
Mark DeRosa was coming off a career year at 33 years old. The chances of him repeating are slim. Even if he does in 2009, he will leave as a free agent after the 2009 season when his 3 year deal will end. Hendry signed him for a reasonably priced deal, and he will demand a big pay raise because of his production and versatility if his 2009 is similar to 2008. The Cubs have the habit of keeping players or getting players way past their prime. With trading DeRosa now, they are selling high and getting the most they can for him. The Cubs didn’t get any top prospects, but DeRosa isn’t a marquee player and they seemed to get the most they would for him.
They have other options for second base and other needs to fill on the team. The Cubs signed Aaron Miles who is another career utility man, like DeRosa was before he came to the Cubs. Miles is a switch hitter who will probably share playing time with Fontenot
at second base. The Cubs still have moves to make so we will see how the team shapes up.
Now that the Cubs have some young pitching prospects and they appear ready to make another move or wait until the right opportunity occurs. They could have the barging chips needed to land Jake Peavy, Brian Roberts Jr., Chone Figgins, and other players they are targeting.
Mark DeRosa will be missed in Chicago, but if Hendry can follow up with the right move, this will make the Cubs much stronger in the long run.
In DeRosa’s short two years as Chicago Cub he became a fan favorite because of his work ethic, attitude, performance, and versatility. Mark Derosa always gave his best effort. He never dogged it like other players we have. In addition, he never complained about playing multiple positions and batting anywhere in the order. He played every position with his best effort and provided top defense everywhere around the diamond. I actually felt his best defensive position was third base followed by second and then right field. I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes regular third basemen in the future.
Mark DeRosa was a big part of the Cubs success last year and helping them winning the National League central division title. Last season DeRosa led the Cubs in runs scored with 103, was fourth on the club in doubles with 30, tied for second in triples with three (others with three were Fukudome and Lee), fourth in home runs with 21, was third in RBI’s with 87, fourth in total bases with 243, fifth in walks with 69, and has a solid average of 285 with a on base percentage of 376, and a slugging percentage of 481. He also stole 6 bases and was not caught stealing. That shows he is a smart base runner because that isn’t really a part of his game. He did all of this in 505 at bats (fourth on team) while playing 149 games (Tied with Ramirez and Theriot). No matter where DeRosa played being his 95 games at second base, 59 in the outfield, 22 at third base while filling in for Ramriez when injured or to give him a day off, or his one game at first and shortstop respectively, DeRosa never missed a beat with the glove or let it affect his bat.
Mark DeRosa was coming off a career year at 33 years old. The chances of him repeating are slim. Even if he does in 2009, he will leave as a free agent after the 2009 season when his 3 year deal will end. Hendry signed him for a reasonably priced deal, and he will demand a big pay raise because of his production and versatility if his 2009 is similar to 2008. The Cubs have the habit of keeping players or getting players way past their prime. With trading DeRosa now, they are selling high and getting the most they can for him. The Cubs didn’t get any top prospects, but DeRosa isn’t a marquee player and they seemed to get the most they would for him.
They have other options for second base and other needs to fill on the team. The Cubs signed Aaron Miles who is another career utility man, like DeRosa was before he came to the Cubs. Miles is a switch hitter who will probably share playing time with Fontenot
at second base. The Cubs still have moves to make so we will see how the team shapes up.
Now that the Cubs have some young pitching prospects and they appear ready to make another move or wait until the right opportunity occurs. They could have the barging chips needed to land Jake Peavy, Brian Roberts Jr., Chone Figgins, and other players they are targeting.
Mark DeRosa will be missed in Chicago, but if Hendry can follow up with the right move, this will make the Cubs much stronger in the long run.
