One time Cubbies!!! ONE TIME!!!!

1908?

I have had to shut off usually decent talk radio shows the last few days because they continually talk about who should hit where in the Cubs lineup. Fukodome 5th or 2nd? Theriot 1st or 7th? Soriano 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? If no trade for Roberts, DeRosa 2nd or 6th? Hours upon hours upon hours of this...

How about this...who cares? You could arrange Soriano, Derosa, Lee, Ramirez, and Theriot any way you want to 1-6 and I don't think it makes much of a damn difference. Maybe to stroke egos, but in reality, what is the difference? The second hitter being able to hit behind runners? LOL. These concepts are outdated from the dead ball era, but these guys still talk about them, well, simply because they have to talk about something on the air.

/rant

(oh yea, and one time please? Just this once?)

just get XM and you can hear 24/7 baseball talk that doesn't revolve around one team

Really was hoping the merger would go through before the start of this years season.


kjsirksjfiefhua....****ing U.S. Government.

Meh. I hate Soriano in the one hole fwiw. and also think Fukodome is a natural #2 hitter.

The discussion is old and I don't really know what to anticipate at this point. My line up and some reasoning.

(1) Theriot (fastest guy on the team and hitting in the one hole will make him more diciplined. He's hitting over .380 in spring training and if he even hits .310 with a .350 OBO he will be a monster run producer this year)

(2) Soriano (a solid lead-off guy, who doesnt need to hit in the one hole to be productive. With his power and speed a lot of his 1st inning doubles could be RBI's and sitting in the 2nd spot he could be a .280/110/35/110/35 guy this year) of course with a lot of upside

(3) Fukudome (He was the #2 hitter on the Japanese team, but throwing him in the 3 spot gives the cleanup hitter and Soriano protection and forces pitchers to pitch to him. Also to be noted it would be very helpful to have a left handed batter jammed in between Soriano and Lee)

(4) Lee (Several years ago when he was a legitimit MVP canidate he was hitting clean-up and had monster numbers. Also for those inninnings where the Cubs go 3 up 3 down to start the game, wouldn't you prefer having the guy with more speed and higher OBO batting 1st and letting the guy with more raw power numbers with the RBI chances?

(5) Ramirez (Good protection for Lee is gonna lead Lee to having a monster year as well as a ton of RBI chances batting with 2 on 2 out a lot of times this year)

(6) DeRosa or Fontenet (Until Soto proves he is a monster with his bat also I suspect these guys will share the 6th spot for now)

(7) Soto (Rookie Catcher with a lot of pop and upside would move up to the 6th spot to protect Ramirez down the road, all other Cubs catchers are pretty inadequate with the bat and the figure batting in the 8th spot most of the time.

(8) Pie (Lacks power and less plate dicipline then Theriot at this point, still figures to score 50-60 runs in a limited role this year sharing time in CF)

Cubs fan since 1978, WGN in Alaska has bestowed that curse on me.

Agree except I switch Soriano and Fuko. Just because Soriano has more power and Fuko more plate discipline. Awesome that you live in Alaska and love the Cubbies so much. Come to Chicago Ill take you to a game.

Chris is gonna love that a lineup debate has broken out here now...


Also my brother got 6 tickets for the April 18th game against the Pirates yesterday....Front row section 16
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/seating.jsp

I really don't want it to go through. I have this vision that if it goes through then they can charge whatever they want since the competition will be gone.

Besides I have owned Sirius and XM at different times and there was nothing on Sirius that appealed to me.

Fukudome should be first. His OBP may be over 400 this year. Plus he has decent speed.

Soriano should bat 5th. He still has poor on base skills that you dont want near the top of your lineup, but has very good power that is important when batting fifth. He really is the ideal guy for batting 5th in a lineup and I think if people didnt get so obsessed with having someone who can steal 30+ bases at the top of the lineup they would see this.

Theriot should bat 8th just because hes the worst hitter in the lineup.

So I guess I would go with

Fukudome
Derosa
Lee
Ramirez
Soriano
Soto
Pie
Theriot

LOL, I guess I asked for it.

Since I have days off during the week now I may attend a record number of games this year, if I am not lazy.

I support this post.

As for the lineup, here's my pick:

Theriot
Fukudome
Soriano
Lee
Ramirez
DeRosa
Soto
Pie
pitcher*






*except for days that Zambrano pitches. Then he hits 7th.

Dig it

How does my seats not get any love?

I listen to Stern so Sirius was the easy decision for me. Mel Karmazon(sp) who is the CEO of sirius and will/would be the CEO of the joined companies already said the price wont go up. If anything the price will go up if the merger doesnt go through as both companies are losing a lot of money right now.

Very nice.

Hope it doesn't snow.

I agree with this. I never ever agreed with batting Soriano first, his OBP is way to low, and he has some power.
I like him in the 2 or 3.




Hey I'm from CA and have loved the cubs since I was 3 years old. I have only been to Chicago and a Cubs game once, and that was in 2002 when my wife (then GF) took me there for my b-day. I loved it, I can't wait to get back.

I typically would agree to the Fukudome in the 2nd spot, but if any combination of Soriano, DeRosa, Theriot were to bat with Fukodome in the 1st 3 spots would'nt it be better to mix your RF and LF hitters so especially late game oppoents couldn't get away with using 1 reliever to try to get a whole side out. (Assuming the reliever isn't the closer or a super stud set up man)

That has to immediately put me on Fukudome in the 3rd spot. Realistically I am routing for Brian Roberts to end up on the Cubs and putting DeRosa either out of Chicago... hopefully.

Then I would be all for:

Roberts
Soriano
Fukudome
Lee
Ramirez
Soto
Pie
Theriot
Pitcher spot

I can see the argument for:
Roberts
Fukudome
Lee
Ramirez
Soriano
the rest fall in here

Also I would love to get to Chi-town for a Cubs game. I've never been to a pro-baseball game.

Did I mention please sign Roberts? I do love Sean Marshall, but hes expendable and the Orioles do need starting pitching.. hook them up with Marshall and Gallagher and DeRosa!

AVG G AB R H TB 2B 3B HR RBI Player
----------------------------------------------------

1.000 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 J Wyatt
1.000 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 J Lansford
0.667 4 3 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 J Lieber
0.500 15 26 3 13 20 4 0 1 8 C McGehee
0.500 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 W Castillo
0.423 10 26 4 11 20 3 0 2 8 D Ward
0.413 20 46 7 19 31 4 1 2 7 M Hoffpauir
0.375 5 8 1 3 4 1 0 0 1 J Closser
0.368 9 19 4 7 11 1 0 1 2 L Figueroa
0.347 15 49 7 17 21 0 2 0 2 R Theriot
0.341 16 44 7 15 17 2 0 0 2 M Murton
0.333 13 21 3 7 9 2 0 0 4 A Blanco
0.324 16 37 2 12 16 4 0 0 9 A Cintron
0.320 9 25 3 8 13 2 0 1 8 A Ramirez
0.314 15 35 8 11 15 1 0 1 3 E Patterson
0.306 10 36 6 11 19 2 0 2 5 A Soriano
0.300 12 20 2 6 9 3 0 0 3 J Kroeger
0.286 6 14 2 4 7 1 1 0 3 J Fox
0.267 11 30 5 8 15 2 1 1 4 R Cedeno
0.256 12 39 8 10 18 2 0 2 6 F Pie
0.238 7 21 1 5 9 2 1 0 1 M DeRosa
0.225 15 40 8 9 13 1 0 1 5 K Fukudome
0.225 18 40 8 9 18 1 1 2 5 M Fontenot
0.222 12 36 2 8 10 2 0 0 3 G Soto
0.200 4 5 2 1 4 0 0 1 1 C Zambrano
0.188 6 16 1 3 6 0 0 1 1 H Blanco
0.172 18 29 5 5 7 0 1 0 2 S Fuld
0.167 5 6 1 1 5 1 0 1 2 C Fox
0.167 7 12 2 2 5 0 0 1 2 A Torres
0.163 14 43 7 7 15 3 1 1 5 D Lee

Current Up to Date Spring Training 2008 Stats for hitting.

Ryan Theriot AVG (.347) (AB 49) (R 7) (HITS 17) (2B 0) (3B 2) (HR 0) (RBI 2) (STL 4)

I can't find a source of where his BB are, however even in a small sample of nearly 50 AB's he has greatly devoloped his dicipline I think it would be extremely hard not to put him at the top of the line up somewhere.

I might just have a man crush on him, not quite sure.. I havent like a middle infielder the cubs had since Ryan Sandberg and Shawn Dunston. He's more of a Dunston type of player with his speed and lack of pop, but he also has excellent fielding much like the gold glove winning Sandberg. If he was allowed to hit lead off this year he would take his bumps and bruises along the way, but in a year or 2 he would be a top 10 lead off man in this league, as his dicipline continues in about 2 years if not sooner he will be a 50 STL .345-.360 OBO guy getting 100 runs a year.

I am really looking forward to stealing Dempster this year in my NL only keeper league action draft. I think he's gonna be a real sleeper starting pitcher and very key for the Cubs this year.

And for the record fix the damned bullpen. Three pitchers who have no business being a closer in this league are just a recipe for disaster. Please get a closer for the love of God!

I am curious to see what Wood does as a closer. I have thought he should be a closer since his first injury.

Brian Roberts speaking to the Baltimore Sun March 21, 2008

"But, no, I didn't expect this to go all the way through spring training. It's not something that I'd want to go through every year, that's for sure."

"I wouldn't say it would be a letdown if [a trade] doesn't happen. I'm going to play baseball either way. I love my teammates, the city of Baltimore. It's not like it would be the end of the world. But like I've said before, everybody wants to win and you always want to be in a situation where you feel like you have the best chance of doing that."

I looks as though Roberts is politely asking for the trade to get done publically now.

Well get it done kid, The tickets and beers are on me.




The offer extends to you too then.

Not a Cubs fan in the least, but I have to say that going to Wrigley last summer was an absolute great experience. I have now been to Wrigley, Fenway, Yankee Stadium, and the old Tiger Stadium and consider all historic in their own right. It would be an absolute shame if they ever change the name from Wrigley as talked about.

Update on roberts courtesy chicagotribune.com. Im getting sick of Mcphail, you would think hed be willing to help out his former employer.

Cubs preparing for no deal for Orioles' Roberts

By Paul Sullivan | Tribune staff reporter
10:35 PM CDT, March 22, 2008


MESA, Ariz. - While the Cubs would like to get a deal for Baltimore's Brian Roberts done by the end of spring training, the Orioles have no deadline on moving their second baseman.

"I'm not much on putting deadlines on myself or other people for that matter," Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail told the Baltimore Sun. "You always evaluate things on if you perceive them to be in your best interest or not. It's that simple. I would expect the Cubs or any other team for that matter to act in their own self interest."

Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, Micah Hoffpauir and Donald Veal are among the young Cubs whose names have been rumored in a potential deal. The Cubs are getting tired of waiting for Baltimore to make a decision and may have to go to Plan B.


"Whatever happens on the trade front is going to happen," manager Lou Piniella said. "But we're preparing here like nothing is going to happen."

If he is key for the Cubs I don't like their chances. What has Dempster done in his career besides be a likeable clubhouse guy and be touted along with Beckett, Burnett, and Penny back in the day with the Marlins?

So so true...if anyone knows baseball, then Dempster is no sleeper at all...he doesn't even have an out pitch. The Cubbies are in a little trouble if Dempster is a sleeper.

Hes the 4th or 5th starter. Not really depending on him to be a "stud' per se

lol
It actually makes a big difference on who hits where. sigh. Do you really want a big slow hitter batting 1st or 2nd?

BTW, WTF am I posting shit in here anyway?!

^^^^^This guy knows baseball.


Yeah, don't see that happening.


That would probably be the best move the sCrUBBIES could ever make.

I'm with Cubsfan44 on this one. Soriano would be better served in the 3 hole due to his power. He would have Derrek Lee protecting him, and with Fukudome's propensity to get on base it would provide better RBI chances for the team.

Whats the matter no traffic in the White sox thread?

So Marquis wins the 5th spot in the rotation. I really dont have a problem with this. Marquis has been a better than average 1st half of the season pitcher. just bring in Lieber for the 2nd half when marquis starts to fade like usual. Besides there are always injuries in any rotation. Lieber will get a decent amount of starts. Scott Eyre's injury keeps Marshall in the mix for the bullpen.

that's only if Marshall isn't packaged for Brian Roberts

Congress aproved the Sirius merger today, now hopefully they cant get baseball up and running before the season is over

does this mean that I have to buy yet another receiver?

Once, I or someone else starts one, we'll be there. Season hasn't started yet.


Besides, I like to come in here and see all the hype about the Cubs and then at the end of the year see pictures like this.

The receiver you have now will be compatable. And the price wont go up.


Pretty sure that little girl has never jumped on the field and tried to beat up the 1st base coach.

LOOOOOOOOOOOL

And we don't come up with excuses of why we didn't go to the World Series.

Almost forgot, Happy Anniversary!!

I hate you.

[ x ] dumb
[ ] funny




[ ] dumb
[x] kinda funny actually

I know when I think White Sox I think perennial winner.

Closet cubs fan imo

FUKUDOME

Sheets and Zambrano match 0's for 6+ innings then Kerry Wood and Eric Gagne match 3's for 1 inning.

Good stuff.

EDIT: lol @ Gagne getting the win.

Gagne may have the highest opening day ERA for a winning pitcher ever after that performance.

Fukudome was impressive.

Anyone else ready for the Kerry Wood era to be over? Kerry wood broke my heart, I was in love with him in 98.


Fuck You Dome was incredible in his debut. This is a good way to introduce you to cubs fans. I predict Fuck You Fever will be blazing by may.

Geez, only the 2nd game of the season:

The booing was a little silly, but Soto deserved a lot of that. Who double pumps and then makes the throw anyway? Surprising, it ended up in center field. And don't be afraid to get your body in front of the ball the very next pitch instead of trying to backhand it was batting practice.

Kid can hit but I dunno about that stuff.

I also turned the game off for the 1st time this season after that. (I always end up turning it right back on but baaah. Shit like that pisses me off)

Blah. Id much rather be off to a good start to the season