chicago cub baseball

[Aged Salt]

FSHM, even I find all that difficult to swallow with all their injuries. Sure, I'd take it but this team needs a spark & I don't smell any fire Bob. BTW, Glen, meant to ask you if you made a chewing-gum card? Bob

[Fourseahorsemen]

The way this club played after the first few games and before everyone got injured, I thought they were going to make it look easy. That team will be back, plus the guys from the bench that are getting all the playing time will be sharp when they go back into the role of bench players.
BTW Cards just beat the Astros tonight.

[Aged Salt]

And the Cubs lose more ground in the double-dubbing to the Pirates Bob

[indycop2038]

i see remlinger is due back today.....that should help in the middle innings. prior should be back really soon, but he has missed alot of baseball. it will take a couple of games to get everything back. i am not sold on patterson being the center fielder for the cubs. they need to make a move there. i tought he would produce with a little more offense. the cubs have to start playing now, if they go into double digits in games behind the leader of the division, there season is done. that division is the tuffest in baseball. andy p. being back on the d.l. that will help with houston. the reds cannot continue on the pace there on. the cards are the problem. i think the cubs will make a move as soon as mark g. comes back. the question will be who will stay, and who will go. they do need a closer, but who is available. the teams the cubs cannot make a deal with is the reds, astros, cardinals. i think when maddux gets the 300th game behind him, he will settle down a bit. this could be the first season in 16 years he does not get 15 wins. the other thing you got to look at, is who do the cubs have in the minors that they could bring up or trade. the cubs need to look at making the right move for the right people for the right reasons. bob, i was on a triple a contract, you have to be on a mlb contract at the being of a season to have a baseball card printed, or at least you had to in 1989. i came up with the las vegas stars (san diego padres farm club), which was a rookie league team in 1983. then i went to the chattanoga lookouts in 1984 (cincinnati reds farm club). then i went to bowie baysoxs in 1986 (baltimore o's farm club double a), in 1987 i moved up to the rochester redwings triple a team for the o's. in 1989 i got called up with the o's for 12 games after september when the roaster expands form 25 players. two tommy john surgeries to the left elbow, a detactched hamstring to the right let, the mincus repair in my left knee ended my career. in 1990 my rights where traded to the cleveland indians. i could not pass the team physical. nor did i have the 40 speed or arm strenght to make the indians club. it was a very depressing time in my life, but you move on and the grace of god gets you by. you may loose the game physically, but you will never loose it mentally. i have coached high school baseball for 3 years. i have an eight year old son that devote all my baseball life too. my goal in life is to get him in the show, if that is what he wants.

[Aged Salt]

Glen, with your son, let it come naturally. Don't burn him out. Remember champions are born not made. Bob

[indycop2038]

thanks for your concern, my son knows more about baseball than 60 percent of the adult population. nolan is a baseball nut, i dont think i will burn him out. i think he will burn me out before that happens. he is a catcher, he mentally can manage the field at the age of eight, every once in a while he will throw to a wrong bag, or call the wrong number of outs, or the wrong play for the players. he does not make many mistakes when he controlls the game, and the pace of the game. he will controll the pitcher, and no one pitches until his fielders are set, because i have taught him not to get in the catchers squat, and not to give the target to the pitcher until he is ready. i was not born champion, i have a father that hates baseball. i was made a champion by my uncle alan denny. he tought me the game mentally, before i could physically perform to the standards. knowing the game mentally, and knowing why players do what the do gives a child a huge advantage. the point is that you are always playing at a high talent of the kids your own age. nolan could play mentally with kids 12 and 13, but physically he is not there. he need more time for his arm to develope. we work on digouts keeping the ball in front of us at all times, foulballs, bunts from the catchers position, and throwing runs out at first and third. we work foot work, hands in the hitting position. if he is like me, he will have a better stick than a glove.

[Aged Salt]

Glen, you're Uncle helped & practice helps but if that is all it takes then I'd be in the HOF Mom & Dad make you the champion, with your athletic genes,Bob

[justgettinstarted]

I will let you know from personal experience.... if you push too hard and its pretty easy for the kid to get burnt out... Just let him take some breaks if he wants...

I played basketball since i was in 4th grade.... I was one of the stars of the team bieng one of the tallest kids yet still coordinated... i played on the southern california all star team (got to go out on the field at halftime during the holliday bowl) played durring season and summer... and then it hit... no breaks and i just burnt out... i would rather sleep than play basketball

I used to play with Luke Walton ( i was a year older and we played the same position) so i used to beat up on him on the court. Stopped playing my senior year o high school... but ended up going to UC Davis... we went to the division 2 championships and won(at this point i was 6'10" and 235lbs)... but i was over basketball by then...

The moral of the story is... if he wants to explore other things... let him!

Garrett

[indycop2038]

how did this turn in to an advise session for my eight year old son. i think i have it covered. i glad to see there is concern about it, for all of you that are concerned, baseball is not his only sport that he likes. his true love of his is football. nolan drives me crazy to practice and play. that is the same way i was as a child. i used to make my grandfather pitch to me everyday, when we could not find baseballs, we used my grandmothers waxed fruit, golfballs and any kind of soup bean or pea we could find. this will train the eye and hand cordination. i am the one that needs a break after all the years of playing competitive baseball. you can take a kid with zero talent and make him something in sports, if the drive is there, along with the forty speed. as far as nolan goes. he doesnt play for me, he plays for the love of the game, no matter what sport. it helps to put a baseball in the crib at birth. you also need to be around the right people, i.e. coaches, scouts, developed player, playing with older age groups, baseball camps in flordia, or arizonia. those thing will build talent, and help a person rise above. your only as good as the people you play against or surrond yourself with. the great thing about baseball is you do not have to be 6-10 to make it to the show.

[indycop2038]

being burned out is the lack of mental focus, and wanting it bad enough to taste it. if he burns out, he never wanted it bad enough. alot of it comes down to what is in your heart and soul, whether you can stay focused and keep the drive. if you want something bad enough, you will do what ever it takes, and you will not fall to mental break down. in my line of work the is no time for the mentally week, you have to stay focused or you will loose your life. there is no quiting, breaks are needed to stay fresh, but then your right back at it. if you lose it, you might as well retire. thoughs to live by.

[Fourseahorsemen]

Speaking of the Mental aspect of the game....that has been the cubs problem recently. They got psyced out by all the injuries. Well, today they turn a corner. Prior starting will give them a boost they need, they may not go on a huge winning streak but they will start to play better. And before we know it Sammy, Grudz, Wood....will be back and then the cubs will regain first.

[indycop2038]

i hope your right.....prior is scheduled to throw 68 pitchs, no more or no less. we will see if dusty sticks to the pitch count. cubbies need something to spark them. we will see if they can handle pittsburg this weekend. hey, who do you trade, grudz or walker. that will be a tuff choice when grudz is healthy again. i do see them making a trade soon. i would trade patterson, but i dont even think we could get a pair of pink crotchless panties for susan sosa in the deal.

[Aged Salt]

Say it ain't so,Glen--Pitt 2-Cubs 1, Borwoski blew a 1-0 lead in the 9th Bob

[Fourseahorsemen]

Not to worry Bob, like I said they might have a few more losses but to see (actually hear) Prior pitch like that is great for the 3/4 of season left to play. Glen, I agree a trade is comming, but not till after allstar. I am off the Joe B. bandwagon, stuck with him as long as I could. I think Hawkins will get a chance, just look at the stats, its a no brainer. Heard the funniest thing on the score today after the loss..."with the way Dust has been managing he should be wearing a mask...and when he picks up his check he should be carrying a revolver." He is thinking too much about the hard spot he is in and needs to focus on making smart moves. He is cool enough to get through this, just needs to stop suffeling the lineup and get the guys to have some fun.

[indycop2038]

the problem i have with dusty is that he over works the pitching staff. prior was only to throw 68 pitchs, dusty let me throw over 86. if dusty had his way the pitchers that would take the mound would be prior and wood. i agree with you that the trade will happen after all star break, or during the break. the cubs see the angles here real soon. i would like that to be the world series. that will be an interesting series. mlb should do away with the disabled list, and rename it the dusty baker list. bob, you are an m.d., you know the arms are not going to last, with that kinda wear and tear, day in and day out. the cubs are 4.5 back, they have to pull it together now. if they go 10 back there done, they will not catch up. the reds are playing great baseball, how long will it last. check hollenworths numbers, there right there with susan sosa, if you factor games played by the numbers. hollenworth needs to play even when susan comes back in her sunday school pretty pink dress. he needs to play somewhere. i wonder if he can play centerfield.

take care boys

[justgettinstarted]

if an arm is not going to last then why in the old days could would pitchers regularly throw the entire game? Are the players just a lot wussier now? Yea probably! Pitch count is over rated... you should pitch until you start doing crappy... weather that be 20 pitches or 120... Players today have enormous manginas... look at Trevor Hoffman... He is a closer who throws what? like 20 or 30 pitches? give me a break... its so stupid... Randy Johnson seems to throw more pitches than most and you dont hear him complaning or bieng hurt! BLAH! BLAH!
JMO

[Aged Salt]

Garrett, it's call" the slider". There's much more strain throwing it than a fastball or curve.In today's game, a pitcher generally needs 3 pitches that he can control. Glen, give Dusty & the pitching coach some credit for knowing their pitchers. Prior been ready for two wks. now. And yes, the Reds are playing exciting baseball--reminds one of the Cubs last year.Bob

[indycop2038]

i will never give dusty any credit, his pitchers have had arm injuries where ever he has been. we are not talking pitchers that have had inflamation in the elbow, or a sore shoulder on pitch counts, we are talking about avoiding reconstructive elbow surgery. i have had two of these surgeries. the arm is never 100 percent. i had full recovery the first time, i still lost minor flexabilty, which takes away from you arm strenght, and the range of motion to throw hard breaking pitches. a mlb pitcher has command of a ball game for pitches they can throw for a strike at anytime. pitch location is very import as well. everyone in mlb can hit a curve, and time a fastball. pitch selection, and location is everything in mlb. as you say bob, does it really matter at this point, has the season really started. i think it started the first of april. pitching two games in the minors is a little different than pitching in the mlb. we will see how you feel about dusty at the end of the year. dusty sure does have a few pitchers on the d.l. funny how the pitchers never had injury problem until dusty became the manager. look at the pitchers he burnt up in san fran. hollonsworth having big game after big game. pays to be a winner, and cubs are fadding fast. i am a big cub fan, but i can be objective with there issues as well.

[indycop2038]

well, where are you guys at today to tell me about prior's game yesterday afternoon. i have been around this game all my life, i know what i am talking about. the other thing i want to address is that you never throw at someones head. that is a no-no. dereck lee should have sent matt morris end to next week head first. when you throw at a guys head, that is saying i want your career to be over. the i am sorry form matt morris should never fly. prior is behind schedule, he will be as ready for the next three starts is if he was walking into spring training. if dusty keeps throwing prior for more pitches than the doctor, and trainer recommend, he will, and i will bet, be back on the d.l. i truley think that if the cubs are not in contintion for the playoff race, they will dump some payroll. jim rome stated today that he would not be suprised, if the yankees do not try to get into the cubs pitching if brownie goes belly up on the d.l., and the cubs are out of the race. which makes me think, how long does maddux have on his contract.....didnt the yankees want maddux earlier this year. just something for you to think about bob, i know you think it will never happen, because you lose perspective on reallity when it comes to the cubs. then there is garrett, that still thinks that where still in the sixtys, there are only 26 team in the mlb, and that pitching is a the top of the positions for talent. the more teams in the mlb, the lower the talent level will drop to fill the team. the goat is laughing at the cubbies. harry's spinning in the grave like a pig in the barbique pit. note to bob, the season has started, and the cubs have to make a move or start playing baseball. i know you find that hard to beleive.

[indycop2038]

hey bob, dusty is putting another pitcher on the d.l. joey borowski is in the sunny state of california to have several test on his right shoulder. joey wll be on the d.l. by the first of next week. the owner of the cubs admits on the website that there is an injury to joey, and that why the fastball is in the low 80's. way to go dusty, one more pitcher down. lets give the cubs pitching staff credit for junking another arm. burn em up dusty. farnsworth and hawkins will be next. by the end of the year i will be willing to bet every cub pitcher will do tiime on the d.l. susan sosa tennessee for three days to play. they must have sell on pink panties and mini skirts in tennessee. todd hollonsworth might not hit the jacks susan does, but he has been playing better than sammy this year. he has not taken any balls in head while in right.

[Aged Salt]

Glen, I really hate it when you beat-around-the-bush about the Cubs Could you be a little more direct? BTW, Prior IS ready,Bob

[gwrulzmylife]

bumped to the top, LOL!

[Fourseahorsemen]

Glen, how does a manager put a relief pitcher on the DL? they only pitch one or two innings, a few times a week?! If he can't keep his starters in and can't use his bullpen then maybe he should use wendle kim or gary mathews! Cubs only 2 1/2 back...

[matt the fiddler]

agreed on prior.. time to pitch up a storm



what was that cub comment at the meeting? i sure hope that didn't come from a cards fan. sigh i will have to make sure i bleach any all red corals i might have before trading them to that person

[indycop2038]

i had the inside scoop on joey b., he is on the d.l. i have been out of baseball for over ten years, but i still stay in contact with the guys i have played with that are still playing. prior is not ready. his second start looked worse than his first. we will see how he looks tonight againt the astros, and my man roger the rockett clemmons. i watched farnsworth pitch on sunday, that was ugly. hollonsworth looks really good, he has batted 349 in the last 27 games. i hope the cubs can stay only 2.5 back until the all star game. if i would have been clemments on sunday, farnsworth would have been paying for mine and the rest of the pitchers dinner for blowing the win. dont think that does not happen, unless the mlb has changed in 10 years. i was hoping to see one cub make the starting line up on the all-star team. i hope prior does well tonight, but dont hold your breath. you can be physically health and ready to go, but you have to over come the fear of re-injuring the body part, and that does not come back a few weeks after an injury. prior has to be mentally 100 percent, before he will be physically 100 percent. i have been injured, and i know players that have been injured. it will not come back mentally overnight.

go cubs, and hold on as long as you can.....