I can't believe the Cubs re-signed Kerry Wood.  Why would the do this?
963837
I can't believe it either!  Wood's mechanics are terrible and always have been.  The guy never learned how to pitch correctly.  Prior has the same problem.  They will never pitch an entire season without breaking down.  The Cubs will never do anything until they address this issue.  The other problem is hiring Sweet Lou!  This guy is a bomb ready to go off.  With a sub par team and a short fuse all the Cubs fans will get is Lou's side show and another 90 plus loss season.  It's too bad because the Cubs fans deserve much more.  And why isn't Ron Santo in the hall of fame????
603931
ME ME ME ME ME\n\nI LOVE THE CUBS\n\ntoo bad lee, wade miller, mark prior, kerry wood are ALL injured
460065
I'm sure Met suits weren't happy but what do you expect?  Zambrano stinks and the sooner they admit they made a colossal blunder trading Scott Kazmir for this guy the better.  Gary Cohen is one of the best play by play guys in MLB and hopefully he won't be punished too severely.
95986
I didnt see why they left go of Casey. Pitching is where the Reds need help! They better keep Adam Dunn and hopefully Griffey Jr. will stay healthy! I wouldnt count on the World Series this year.
1015765
As a Chicago Cubs fan I can't say that I have much sympathy. All kidding aside, I think part of the issue is having players that have passed their peak. Examples being Edmonds, Marquis, Suppan, Isringhausen and Rolen. Tony is loyal to a fault, and this often leads him to sticking with guys who just aren't producing. And good luck trying to move these guys due to major salaries. Rolen's contract is $12.4 million, Edmonds $11.9 million, and Isringhausen $8.7 million.\n\nWith that being said, I don't think it's time to panic in St. Louis. The Cardinals are still the class of the NL Central. There is a lot of talent on that roster still. Carpenter is pitching very well and Pujols is healthy once again. With those 2 anchoring the team making the playoffs shouldn't be a concern.
188760
I'm shocked he hasn't been fired yet.  If he's brought back next year, it'll become obvious that the Cubs don't want to win.
1117613
well i cant help you there becuz the fact of the matter is, there is NO team more unlucky than the cubs.\n\n     But this year, evn luck has to take a back seat to the lack of talent this team has, to put in another way, this teams suckiness has finally caught up to its unluckiness and combined to form some type of UBER-DISASTROUS-SUCKY-UNLUCKY team.\n\nso sorry pal. \n\nbut be sure to give me holler when you want the reasons they suck. ive got billions.
1135645
Dusty Baker does not play the games for the Cubs!! The players do. Once again the Cubs fans are looking for a scapegoat for their incompetent team's play. How sad. They can change managers, but that Will not make a difference in their play!!\n\nI have to call them as I see them.
610104
Historically poor management, coupled with a psychology of failure derived from years of losing. That is why Baker is a great manager for the Cubs. He is always positive and reenforcing. He is not the most technically skilled manager, but he is what the franchise needs as a manager.\n\nTake away Pujols, Carpenter and Mulder, or Konerko, Buerhle and Garcia, and see how good a manager LaRussa or Guillen would be.\n\nIf anyone is to blame currently, it is the GM Hendry who supplied the roster of mainly under-achieving players. Furthermore, in case no one noticed, this is the first year in many that the CUbs have tried switching to a speed, defense and pitching team. It was working, too, even without Prior and Wood, until Lee went down. Let's see what happens when he gets healthy. They probably won't win it this year, but they will give other teams a very hard time.
515193
The Cubs have a habit of going for personality over the team. Sosa is a perfect example. He was never a good player, just a showy player and he did more to kill the Cubs one year than he did to help them into the race. \n\nThink about this years lineup.  Pierre is a good hitter. I havn't seen him play so I cannot comment about his defense and I'm too lazy too look up relitive chances compared to other center fielders right now :) He is also young. So he seems like a good aquisistion. \n\nTodd Walker is a great filler player. Perfect for a contender with a hole at 2nd. He's a good hitter for a second baseman and has sure hands but limited range. Never going to be a great hitter. He's in his prime. Though for the Cubs he really didn't make sense as they are not really contenders and could have gone with an inexpensive prospect who might turn into a great player for far less. \n\nDerrek Lee has steriod baby written all over him. He was a stupid signing. He'd struggled his entire career and is far too old to be a prospect. That he suddenly developed power and learned how to hit just screams steroids. That he'll continue his 05 success is very unlikely. Being lucky enough to get such returns off such a dismal prospect the Cubs should have dealt him to the first idiot who'd give them real talent for him. \n\nJones was a solid outfielder. A great filler player for a contender or somebody to occupy space for a celler dweller. It's been two years since he had a decent year much less a good one. Jones is probably done, if he isn't he likely doesn't have many good years left. A really poor risk for the Cubs. The ABs are wasted on Jones. They should be used finding future outfielders. \n\nBarrett hits well for a catcher but struggles with defense and handling of pitchers. He's still young enough to learn but the Expos tried him at various posisitions for a reason. It turns out that he doesn't hit better with the tools of ignorance off. So he is a catcher who needs a great deal of work. \n\nAramis Ramirez is a good third baseman. Good bat, weak glove but overall an excellent pickup and the kind of player the Cubs need to look for. He's still young and has his best years ahead of him. Quiet, does his job. \n\nRonny Cedeno has a promising bat and good fielding percentages. This is the kind of player the Cubs should be giving a chance to play. Not the Jones. \n\nMatt Murton another good promising youngster. Again the Cubs should be playing people like Murton. \n\nPitching is old or ineffective and that is the Cub's greatest weakeness. Maddux is not the Cy Young winning Maddux. This is the career stat building inning filler that the Cubs have. Hardly an ace.  Carlos Zambrano shows the potential to be one and is at worst a good #2 kind of pitcher. For the Cubs to compete they need a healthy Wood and Prior. Both of which have had such consistnat injury problems that it will probably never happen. If you have good reserves you can afford to carry a starter like that. Carrying two and both of those being your best starters. Thats a problem. \n\nDempster makes an unlikely closer but seems to be doing a good job at it. \n\nSo this year no, they have little chance at doing much. Next year? Not without a major makeover. The Cubs are too relient on washed up vets right now. As long as they are they'll get medicore results. While removing those vets could cause them to lose lots of game it could also win lots of games. Playing it safe assures a nice run at .500 with little hope for more. The Cubs need to dump Lee and Jones. Pick up a #1 starter if possible or develop good young talent. If Woods and or Prior ever pitch well and can beat injury problems thats awesome but the Cubs have to assume they never will again and hope to be pleasently surprised. \n\nIf the Cubs do what they've done over the last several years they will play it safe thus making sure are safe from going to the World
1083860
Georgie Porgie has said it all. I am a Red Sox fan, and that they are starting him tonight scares the hell out of me, especially since they are going for their 13th win in a row and his career ERA is close to 5!! Maybe they got a bargain, but I don't think so!! Look at the teams who had a chance to get him before the Red Sox took him off waivers. That also tells a story.\n\nRed Sox fans unite and pray!!
1118564
The Marlins have said over and over that they're not going to trade Dontrelle Willis.\n\nAnd if they were, they'd want more than just Lastings Milledge.  It would probably take 2 or 3 top prospects (Milledge, Bannister, Humber, etc.) to get Dontrelle Willis.\n\nIt's not worth it.  Especially for a guy who's been struggling with his control this year.
1081329
Several things must happen.\n\n1) Dusty Baker must be fired.  He is the worse manager in MLB.  He abuses his pitchers by having them pitch too many pitches in games.\n\n2)  They need to draft much better.  This year they took a guy in the first round that no other team would have taken until round 3.  Then in round 5 they drafted a football player who is going back to play football for Notre Dame.  Do I hear blown-out knee?\n\n3)  They need to stop spending money on players like Scott Eyre.  No offense to Eyre, he is a pretty good set-up man, but they paid way too much for him.  Players like Eyre are easily replaced.\n\n4)  They need to get that Prior and Wood will probably never help them win.  Develop alternatives to them.  And if by some miracle they come through, even better.\n\nBTW, Ronny Cedeno isn't the problem in Chicago.  Neifi, Tony Womack, Jacque Jones, Juan Pierre are far bigger problems.
69451
I was just going to ask how many cub fans out there think the cubs will have a good year in 2006, and saw your post so....... As far as Dusty goes, I somewhat agree with what you say......he just does not seem to have whatever spark they seem to need to succeed. The bottom line is, though, that success\non the field is the real indicator of how good or bad a manager he is. Based on last year......the jury is out. I feel if the team is not better this year, Dusty will be somewhere else in the future.
666084
Actually not a bad idea, you get young talent and someone who is definetely going to blossom into a better player. But the main reason they don't trade him is because they want to make a run at the title this year and don't want to wait two more years waiting for Willis to reach full potential. If the mets suddenly lose it and fall out of contention I could see that deal happening. But the Marlins, who would rather lose than pay anyone on their team any actual money, would not be a good fit for Beltran who's salary (13,571,429)  is equal to the salary of 4 1/4 Willis's (4,350,000). Beltran is the second highest paid player on the mets. The marlins second highest paid player is Brian Moehler at about $1,000,000. Cliff Floyd of the mets is paid $2,200,000 more than Willis and is the 8th highest paid player on the mets. the 8th highest paid player on the marlins is Alfredo Almenzaga who's paid ($350,000). That is the reason that this trade is very unlikely. (the marlins are also not looking for a player like Beltran who has reached his peak and is too old for the club
245167
Don't blame ya if ur a reds fan. That was a very stupid trade. Casey is one of the best 1st basemen around and they traded him.
1169900
no because he is a head case\nand Kerry Wood sucks and so does Mark Prior,,,,go Greg Maddox\n\n                                              die hard cub fan