One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Submitted by Cubnut on Thu, 01/01/2009 - 9:36pm
TCR reader Jacos survived the cold and wind and a close encounter with Ronnie Woo-Woo to return with some nice shots from the Blackhawks/Red Wings game (including a shocking image of Red Wing players having to pass through a cloud of poison gas on their way to the rink--an allowable "home ice advantage" under NHL rules). Enjoy.
Thanks again to jacos for the photos!
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#1 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
wow...ronnie's looking old.
the nice annoying bastard...
#2 off-topic
but anyone else noticing that the rest of the Central doesn't seem to really want to bother with 2009?
Cardinals will probably be better just with Carpenter and Wainwright potentially pitching full seasons and I think Greene was a nice upgrade, even if Ludwick falls back a bit.
Reds may have a real good starting staff, but they had a lot of ground to make up.
and then everyone else is considerably worse as of today...
weird.
#3 Re: off-topic
STL is supposedly trying to shed an OF'r in trade for a middle-rotation starter...but that was something that had a lot more steam many weeks ago.
MIL has to have money to spend. Wonder if they'll attempt to re-sign sheets...
#4 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Thanks for posting.
Some comments on pictures..
Picture 1-
There were placards on our seats which we were directed to hold up at a certain time. When fans found out it spelled Red Wings they immediatley became frisbees. I would have liked to seen it on TV but when I turned on my TIVO recording, my 5 year old daughter manually changed the channel to Disney channel 30 seconds into the recording.
Picture-2
Players coming out to the ice.They were walking right pass home plate which along with the pitcher's mound was uncovered. I was in section 215, 15 rows up from the main aisle. Great seats.
Picture-3
As we head to our seats before the game, Tony Espisito, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull were being taken to the field. I obivously startled the Golden Jet a bit.
Picture-4
Attention whore Ronnie Woo-Woo. Who's jersey now says OBAMA 08, which I'm sure the president elect is proud of such admiration.
Picture-5
Wrigley Field, 1/1/09. Very surreal and very cool.
Great time.
Here's a video of the national anthem from my seats-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JosSFS8AW58
#5 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=ol...
Buster Olney's Friday morning article "Cubs making offseason mistakes."
What...was he listening in on my conversations this week?
Next on ESPN "Bears need better WR's..pass rush.....QB least of their concerns?"
#8 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Wait to see if Carl Crawford or Brian Giles become available?
Really Buster?
If Hendry does nothing this offseason Buster would report "Cubs do nothing to fill glaring holes."
#45 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
I wonder if Olney is going to write 23 more of those columns, because outside of both New York teams, Atlanta, Cleveland, San Francisco and Washington no body else has done anything to improve themselves. The recent sheeding of payroll is meant to add Bradley and pitching help. Even absent a move for pitching help really how is a healthy Bradley and a Fontymiles platoon any worse than Derosa & Edmonds, especially when you got 3 young pitchers who given the bad shape of your farm could all be amongst your pre-season top 25 prospects for Derosa?
#6 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
There were placards on our seats
-------------
I don't remember exactly when they had a grandstand TV shot of the placards but I do recall them spelling out "Happy New Yr" in white background, at one point.
That stuff is more of a football thing but as long as they were not doing the wave I guess it's ok for a national tv audience.
Did they have the blonde bimbo puck shooting contest in the 2-3 period intermission?
#7 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
I spent the 2nd intermission with about 10,000 other guys trying to use the facilities.
Of course there was one White Sox fan pissing in the sink and when reprimanded by potty trained Cub fans blurted out "we won the world series!"
So if Cubs win this year feel free to urinate where ever you want.
#9 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Address glaring needs, sure jacos. 2B was a glaring...wait...no.
I will say this until proven wrong this season;if Milton Bradley doesn't play at least 120 games in RF, putting up numbers comparable to last season, this trade stinks.
Aaron Miles.....wow.
I agree though...Brian Giles...ugh..
#10 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Derosa will be missed, but the Cubs needed an impact left handed bat due to Fuku sucking up the place.
And with Lee's power diminishing and your best power hitter batting lead off a change had to be made.
#11 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Ok.
When Bradley is out for 50 games next season, who picks up the slack?
#13 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Make a trade for Crawford or Giles. :-)
It's a risk I agree, but IMO this team needed to be shaken up because they are snake bit from the last two playoffs.
#12 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
DeRosa 21 HR 87 RBI
Fuku-Sucko- 10HR 58 RBI
Bradley: 22 HR 77 RBI
Miles 4 HR 31 RBI
Discuss?
Because I don't think the Cubs would sign Miles to a 2 year deal at $2.25, $2.7 per to sit on the bench, would they?
#15 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
1. Fukudome is still on the team
2. The first pair had a lot more PA's and runners on base when they batted than the second pair
3. Miles is going to be the short side of a platoon at second, and occasionally spell Theriot at Short against righties.
4. Counting on 21 HR's and 87 RBI's in 2009 from DeRosa lies somewhere between unreasonable and delusional on the reality spectrum.
#41 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Only Aaron Miles could be the "short" side of a platoon with Mike Fontenot.
But honestly, Font is going to surprise some people by being decent next year. I'd put the over/under at .270 average, .350 OBP, and 12 homeruns. Anyone else have some wild speculation?
#42 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
sounds about right to me if he manages 450+abs... (.270+/.340+ avg/ob%...10-15 homers). woo...boring! i'll take it.
it seems aaron miles takes the spot that dero was supposed to fill in lou's head...the 2nd/SS/3rd+ replacement who can rest some regulars and still get a nice amounts of ABs. dero just never quit hitting consistently (except for 1 month) the whole time he was here...hard not to play him everyday when he's healthy and doing that.
i can understand if the team breaks with miles as their initial 2nd, but if he's not earning it by may+ then i hope the team adjusts.
#14 Marquis aftermath
http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/st/archives/2009/01...
the Rockies have been trying to obtain Marquis since he was a free agent after the 2006 season. Marquis is among the majors' best hitting pitchers and Rockie officials think that will give him a distinct advantage in the offensive haven that is Coors Field.
But the most interesting element for the New York readership is that the Mets really did have interest in Marquis and - all things being near equal - Cubs GM Jim Hendry was trying to direct a Staten Island kid home. However, the Mets are working methodically this offseason, addressing one shortcoming at a time before moving on to the next item. The reason they are doing this is so that they can calibrate how much money they spent and how much they have left next for the next piece.
....
The Cubs were willing to make Marquis about a $5 million proposition for the Mets by eating some of the $9.875 million he is due in 2009
#16 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
so are they better off just writing off the $4M they would have had to eat in a Mets transaction (probably a low level Met prospect would have come our way) vs the $4M salary they now are stuck with if they acquire L. Vizcaino?
Hopefully Vizcaino's Cub stay is Omar Infante like (Infante wasn't horrible, Viz is)
#29 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
I don't think so....seems you think Vizcaino is basically useless, but he's got decent enough stuff to strikeout guys a rate of one an inning. Bullpen guys are pretty volatile that he could certainly be of on the good side of a season next year.
#17 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
3. Miles is going to be the short side of a platoon at second, and occasionally spell Theriot at Short against righties.
------------
Which implies that they will unload Ronnie Cedeno at some point, no?
#18 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
I come up with a 13 man positional player list of:
Soto
Bako
Lee
Hoffpaiur
Fontenaught
Miles
Theriot
Ramirez
Sorian
Fukudome
Johnson
Bradley
Gathright
Right? So no room for Pie and Cedeno. No options left on them either so Hendry will try to send them to teams in ST who get injuries. At this point I would imagine most teams will try to wait on the waiver line on them, particuarly on Cedeno because of his service time.
I like Cedeno. I think he's going to blossom given a chance.
#22 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
"I like Cedeno. I think he's going to blossom given a chance"
I liked him, too. He was given a chance - and was given the starting SS job two years ago. He stunk. Bad base-running. 0 baseball instincts. Strikeout king. Hasn't gotten that much better, imo.
My guess is he'll always be a back-up on a good team. Maybe a starter on one of the worst teams.
Time will tell.
#23 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
I agree. I have always like Cedeno. He just seemed to be so fucking stupid, though. I'm tired of talented stupid players.
#25 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
I remember seeing him on his first call up at Wrigley - and I was so excited. I really thought "Finally!" - he is fast - good arm - range..."We finally have a shortstop!" As you say - I'm tired of talented dumbells, too.
The "pullout" at 2nd base against the Mets in 2007
had me sour on him.
No pregnancy, at least.
#19 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Ok..if DeRosa had 10 HR 72 RBI as in 2007, he's still better than Miles, platoon or no. I like Mike Fontenot, but will he produce at last year's .305/.395/.514, or more like 2007's .278/.336/.402? How is counting on him to repeat those numbers in another 300 at bats? Is that foolish?
Fukudome is still on the team. Ok..but will he play enough to produce any meaningful stats if the Cubs sign Milton Bradley? Who sits, him or Reed Johnson?
Bradley batted cleanup...should generally get lots of opportunities there with runners on? Might've had more opportunities if he played more than 126 games? Miles batted second the most of any slot in the order.
Miles at SS? Great....
#26 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
It's probably reasonable to expect the Fontenaught to hit about halfway between his '07 and '08 numbers.
"Who sits, him or Reed Johnson?" Yes, or neither of them if Bradley is hurt.
"Might've had more opportunities if he played more than 126 games?"
Yes, but I have a sneaking suspicion if Bradley is unable to play on a given day, that Piniella will go ahead and replace him in the lineup with another player. Barry Bonds once hit 45 HR's and drove in 90 runs. There's more to RBI's than meets the eye.
"Miles at SS? Great...."
He's not exactly pushing Arod or Ozzie Smith to the bench.
These moves give Lou the ability to run out a lineup consisting of 8 left handed hitters, compared to last year where he could only field 5.
No one's arguing that Miles is better than DeRosa.
#20 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
So a 12 man pitching staff looks like this?
Z
Dempster
Harden
Lilly
Marshall/(Samardzija?)
Marmol
Gregg
Shark
Gaudin
Vizcaino
Cotts
2nd Lefty - to be acquired?
Inventory:
Hart, Wuertz, Guzman, Patton, Stevens, Ascanio, Atkins, R Hill (?)
#21 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Isn't Viscaino a lefty?
Marshall's going to be in there, so if he loses the rotation spot, I would guess Guzman or Weurtz would be the 12th man. Someone is sure to hurt as well. It's impossible for a Cubs team to start the regular season with their projected 12 pitchers.
#24 Re: One More Look at Hawks/Wings
Right handed pitcher who gets crushed by left handed hitters.
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