My Dad's awesome Phil Cavarretta 1st baseman's mitt

See this glove?
It was my dad's.
I just called him - he told me he wasn't much into little league, but you know, look at that thing.
That's alot of sandlot ball. 
He was a kid in the '40s, and Phil Cavarretta was his favorite player so he got the Cavarretta signature (Hutch brand) glove.


I have a book called "The Complete Chicago Cubs" written by Derek Gentile with "statistical information provided by STATS inc." It's got every player who ever played for the Cubs (up to whenever I bought the book) and their stats and stuff.
And once in awhile there's a little photo and a couple paragraphs about the really memorable ones.

Right between Cassidy, John P. (played EVERY position for the Cubs between 1876 and 1885), and Cey, Ronald Charles (you may remember came from the Dodgers and played 3rd from '83 to '86) is Philip (Phil) Joseph "Philabuck" Cavarretta.

I'll paraphrase from the book: he was born in Chicago in 1916, dropped out of highschool a couple weeks before he was to graduate and signed with the Cubs. Within a year he was the starting first baseman at18 years old (what you think about that, Starlin Castro?). He was a line drive hitter, and didn't hit alot of homers but when he did "they always seemed to make a difference". 
So... a clutch hitter. 
And a "darling" of the fans because he always gave 110%.
Exempted from The War because of an inner ear problem, he was an All-Star from '44 to '47, and in 1945 "his .355 average led the league and he was named the National League MVP as he let the cubs to their last World Series" where he hit .423. 
It also casually mentions that he had a "shaky 1935 World Series" but "shone in the 1938 Fall Classic".

It's so WEIRD to think about a Cub who played in THREE WORLD SERIES!!!

Anyway, the story wraps up with "Cavaretta is 5th all-time with the Cubs in triples (99), 6th in games played (1,953), 9th in both hits (1,927) and at-bats (6,592), 10th in runs scored (968) and RBIs (896) and 11th in doubles (341).

And in today's Trib you'll find that he passed away at the age of 94.

 

What a life he had.
And you never know - maybe 70 some years from now, somebody will write a similar story about Starlin Castro or Tyler Colvin.

Man I love baseball.

 

Submitted by CubbyBlue on Sun, 12/19/2010 - 11:20am

Comments

Submitted by Cubster
on Sun, 12/19/2010 - 11:28am

Original Cowhide Glove!

In those days they left the glove on the field behind their position rather than take them back to the dugout.

also look at the 3B field level railing and LF wall at Wrigley as well as the buildings behind the wall, circa 1935 in the Tribune pic of Cavaretta.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Sun, 12/19/2010 - 1:26pm

Neat stuff, CubbyBlue.

I remember my first glove, it was a Mickey Rivers model. Hahaha. I remember the day I got it, I was playing baseball in the back yard with friends when my mom came home from her Saturday grocery shopping trip. She pulled out this glove, it was the greatest gift I had ever gotten.

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Sun, 12/19/2010 - 5:02pm

I always thought Mark Grace was probably a good comparable to Cavarretta. Grace had a 119 career OPS+, Cavarretta had a 118 OPS+. Grace was .303/.383/.442 with 173 HR, Cavarretta was .293/.372/.416 with 95 HR. From what I understand, a solid, hard-nosed baseball player who played in 20 seasons for the Cubs. If there had been more like him on our team over the years, we wouldn't have such a long pennant drought.

Submitted by Newport
on Sun, 12/19/2010 - 6:08pm

It's not easy to field with an oven mitt!

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 11:26am

best christmas i ever had was a sled, a basketball and a ron santo 'ballhawk' model wilson mitt [there's a story about how i eventually got it signed decades later in STUBS]...i'm w/ you 'cubby blue...'

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 1:29pm

This fellow says the Cubs and Rangers are more likley to land Webb than the Nationals. He also calls it a "sweepstakes"... not sure I feel the same way.

http://twitter.com/washingnats/statuses/16927...

Via the MLBTraderumors site. (citing my site you might say)

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 2:14pm

"sweepstakes"

Whoever signs him will be swept alot.

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 2:32pm

Pat Hughes signs 5 year extension

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/12/...

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 3:10pm

The Pat Hughes Statue and Gold commemorative restrooms will be at the top of next years plan for the Ricketts.

Submitted by Seamhead
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 3:17pm

The gold bathroom fixtures will replace the wooden ones originally donated in the 1920's and 1930's by the Birch John Society...

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 3:22pm

donate? you a commie or something?

how about wrigley field gets off it's ass and gets a job so we don't have to support it's drinking habit and 35,000 kids?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:00pm

From Rosenthal...
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/New-York-Y...

"The Yankees simply were not comfortable with Greinke pitching in New York."

one paragraph later...

The Yankees had targeted Greinke in the past, inquiring about him several times and making a strong push for him last July, according to one source. But at that time, Greinke could block deals to 20 clubs, including the Yankees, and did not want to leave the Royals.

way to contradict yourself in your own article

Submitted by Sweet Lou
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:09pm

They were uncomfortable with Greinke pitching in New York once the Royals traded him to Milwaukee...

Here's an interesting perspective on the trade from a guy who lives in KC and is a Royals season ticket holder:

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/12/19/the-gre...

The bottomline for me is, the Cubs should have been all over Greinke. He's one of the top pitchers in the game and would have finally given the Cubs the ace they have needed for the past several years. And I agree with Posnanski. Prospects are nothing until they perform at the MLB level or you can use them to trade for someone who will perform at the MLB level. Who has the best farm system is irrelevant if that doesn't translate into wins at the MLB level.

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:15pm

Could be worse-

@MLBRumorCentral The Indians are looking to bring back former ace Bartolo Colon.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:06pm

Bill Hall to Astros for 1/3M and a 2012 mutual option

Submitted by Seamhead
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:29pm

Levine adds Carmona to Garza in Cubs pursuit of rotation starters.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:29pm

carmona...f'n yawn.

better than what we got, i guess.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:29pm

3/44 on that one. From Saturday. Go Bears!

Submitted by jacos
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:38pm

Ditka!

Favre going to try and play tonite.

Warm up the body bag.

Submitted by Seamhead
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:40pm

According to Cot's, Carmona's contract calls for $6.1 million in 2011, followed by three years of club options: $7 mil (2012), $9 mil (2013) and $12 mil (2014).

Submitted by The E-Man
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 4:42pm

Nice heavy snow -

webcam from Univ. of Minn.:

http://cse.umn.edu/dashboard/webcam/

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 5:44pm

carlos pena thanks TB fans...

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/content/pe...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 5:51pm

both of them

~rimshot~

Thanks for cheering for me when I performed well, but most importantly thanks for patting me on the back and encouraging me when it was difficult.

remember that feeling, you'll never experience it in Chicago.

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 3:56am

Kind of sad....

'Course, maybe it helped that he put up a 172 OPS+ with 46 HRs in his first year there as a cheap, $800K free agent pick up. He established a lot of good will to draw on during his struggles later. Kind of like people weren't going to boo Andre Dawson after the great first season he had with the Cubs.

Submitted by Cubster
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 6:52pm

Any news on the 40 man roster since the addition of #34?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 7:32pm

I'm sure someone already posted this, but I don't recall seeing it as it was around Winter Meetings time.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php...

4-Star
1. B. Jackson

The Bad: Jackson is more of a player without weaknesses than one with impact potential. He has power, but it's not plus, and he's fast but not a burner. There's a significant amount of swing-and-miss in his game, so he'll likely always have a high strikeout rate.

2. T. McNutt
3. C. Archer
3-Star
4. Vitters, 3B
5. Lee, SS
6. Carpenter, RHP
7. Simpson, RHP
8. Golden, OF
9. J. Jackson, RHP
10. R. Lopez, RHP
11. B. Guyer, OF

summary echoes my sentiments of the Cubs system
Summary: While the Cubs' system is a deep one that will produce plenty of big-league talents, the team still needs to look outside the organization for the kind of impact talent to turn their fortunes around.

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 7:41pm

too many people are luke-warm about jay jackson, imo.

not like i expect him to roll into CHI mid-season 2011 and own the place, but i like the kid's chances a lot.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 8:13pm

The Bad: Jackson began the year in the bullpen because of a big-league need, and his stuff played up significantly in shorter stints. While his stuff is solid, no one pitch is a day-after-day dependable swing-and-miss offering. He's a fly-ball pitcher who lives in the upper half of the strike zone and gave up 20 home runs in 2010.

Goldstein suggests he's a #3/4 starter or a reliever, but not a closer

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 8:27pm

yeah, i'd call him a 3-4 starter, myself.

i just think he'll be a pretty dependable one. he's still finding/figuring the change and/or curve, but he's got a low 90s fastball and a really nice mid-80s slider. i'd also call his slider one heck of an out pitch when he's locating his other stuff...and though his walks were a bit higher than desired last year he's not too wild, imo.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:37pm

Submitted by crunch on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 8:27pm.
yeah, i'd call him a 3-4 starter, myself.

i just think he'll be a pretty dependable one. he's still finding/figuring the change and/or curve, but he's got a low 90s fastball and a really nice mid-80s slider. i'd also call his slider one heck of an out pitch when he's locating his other stuff...and though his walks were a bit higher than desired last year he's not too wild, imo.

================================================================

CRUNCH: I give Jay Jackson extra-credit points because he is such a good hitter. So I would say his value diminishes if he is not used as a starting pitcher, even if he had the stuff to be a set-up guy or closer. His value is highest if he is a starting pitcher in a league without a DH.

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:18pm

he doesn't even look like a pitcher, imo, until he actually hits the mound and throws the ball. he pops the mitt like he throws 99mph, not 91-93mph...

he's not as muscle-bound as marlon byrd, but he's probably in the best physical shape of anyone in the system.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:39pm

Would Jason Marquis be a good comp?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:59pm

Submitted by Dr. aaron b on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:39pm.
Would Jason Marquis be a good comp?

====================================

DR AARON B: Marquis throws about 60-25-15% sinker-slider-change-up, while Carmona (circa 2010) was 75-20-5% sinker-slider-change-up. Also, Marquis doesn't throw his two-seamer quite as hard as Carmona does (88-91 MPH range for Marquis versus 91-94 for Carmona). But (when healthy) both are work-horses ("innings-eaters") and their peripheral numbers (ERA, WHIP, BB/K per IP, HR-per-IP, etc) are certainly very similar.

But one other thing about Carmona (and this is true for Cliff Lee, Greinke and Marcum, too) is that he should have better overall numbers (like ERA, WHIP, and HR/IP) if he pitches in the N. L. than he did pitching in the A. L.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 3:30pm

I was referring to Jay Jackson.

Is his prospect status a comp to Jason Marquis when he was a prospect?

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 3:33pm

jay jackson is a physical beast (even though he's only 6'-6'2"). just seeing him walk around you'd swear he's about to put a bat in his hand, not going to the mound.

he looks like a hitter until he throws a ball. even though he throws 91-93mph his delivery is absolutely explosive out of his arm slot.

people don't give him enough props for his slider, imo. sure, he's having trouble with his change/curve and his fastball doesn't float all over the zone giving it high movement, but if he can at least put in the hitter's head there might be a curve or changeup coming his game should really improve.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 10:21pm

When Jackson squares up on the ball, he hits it as hard as anyone in the Cubs organization (Soriano and Ramirez included)... doing it, and doing it with some loft aren't things that he's mastered yet, but he can hit the ball a long way.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 10:34pm

Cubs sign LHP Polin Trinidad. Minor League deal I assume.

http://twitter.com/eddymk/status/170333068224...

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 10:50pm

FREE POLIN TRINIDAD!

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 9:17am

Any relation to Hector?

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 10:25am

Who's Polin Hector?

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 11:19am

Hector from the Iliad. :)

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 9:25am

Any relation to Swede N. Tobago?

Submitted by Seamhead
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 10:46am

MLBTR has conflicting reports on whether Webb is close to signing with the Rangers, with the Cubs and maybe the Nats still in the mix.

According to this morning's "Mully and Handley" WSCR program, the asking price by Webb's agent is $7.5 million, which seems a bit pricey for a guy who hasn't thrown an MLB pitch for a couple of years.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 11:17am

Apparently Mark Prior has set the market for shoulder rehab pitchers this offseason?

Submitted by John Beasley
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 11:08am

Lots of Cubs 2010 mentinos in today's Jayson Stark column:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?c...

But certainly the most clever:
"But the Cubs could be just as inventive on the field. In an Aug. 7 game against the Reds, they had a stretch in which they sent eight hitters to the plate -- and not one of them put a ball in play. Here's what they did do: walk, strikeout, walk, walk, hit batter, strikeout, walk, strikeout. And here's the amazing part: It was impossible for them to face Carlos Marmol."

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 11:55am

minor league deal with Blue Jays

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:12pm

Speaking of passive aggressive nicknames, how come no one calls Dempster "Dumpster" anymore?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:13pm

I still do when he has a bad game

Submitted by Tito
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:27pm

Crunch has the copyright.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:01pm

then it would be "dumpster".

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:08pm

life is too short for caps lock or shift keys.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 5:15am

I enjoy the acknowledgment on your part.

Submitted by navigator
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:51pm

Actually, Dumpster picked up that nickname from Cincinnati "fans" when he pitched for the Reds.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:16pm

From Bruce Levine's chat:

Paul (Longmont, CO)
If they don't sign Webb, what are the chances they trade for Matt Garza?

Bruce Levine (1:02 PM)
It's not an either-or. They're not trying to sign Webb first. He's a fall-back. Garza is the guy they're after.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chicago/chat/...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:20pm

He contradicted himself much more quickly than Rosenthal did the other day. It only took him three sentences.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:27pm

chat made it sound like Hendry is now suddenly realizing team could use another top starting pitcher to match Brewers moves...brilliant reactionary strategy.

Said Chirinos and Lee would be part of a Garza trade and some others (probably not Vitters or Ninja)

Says Indians want teams top 2 prospects for Carmona.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:02pm

I think I like Carmona better, but isn't he making quite a bit over the next 2?

Speaking of, how much is Garza getting paid?

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:09pm

Carmona better than Garza? The only teams that should trade their top two prospects for that guy would be the Astros and the Brewers.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:21pm

Submitted by The Real Neal on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:09pm.
Carmona better than Garza? The only teams that should trade their top two prospects for that guy would be the Astros and the Brewers

========================================================

REAL NEAL: Greinke>Garza>Carmona>Wells.

The Indians have a number of holes. They may be the worst team in MLB baseball. So unlike Tampa Bay or KC, the Tribe might be open to accepting a "care package" (five good but not great prospects), rather than two top prospects (like B. Jackson and Archer or McNutt), for their best SP trading chip (Carmona).

EXAMPLE: Chris Carpenter (local kid from Kent State), Casey Coleman, James Russell, Darwin Barney, and either Welington Castillo or Robinson Chirinos.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:24pm

Damn, that sounds like a lot, and yes, I was thinking Carmona might be a little cheaper prospect-wise.

And TRN, I haven't looked at the numbers, but thought Carmona had a very good year a couple years ago... Change of scenery guy?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:43pm

4th in Cy Young in 2007 at age 23, 19-8 with 3.06 ERA and 215 IP

arm issues the next 2 years

solid albeit unspectacular year last year, 13-14 with a 3.77 ERA in 210.1 IP (more innings and better ERA than Garza fwiw).

that being said, extreme groundball pitcher (very heavy sinker), low K rates, lots and lots of walks. Career-wise, 100 OPS better against righties than lefties

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:58pm

Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:43pm.
4th in Cy Young in 2007 at age 23, 19-8 with 3.06 ERA and 215 IP

arm issues the next 2 years

solid albeit unspectacular year last year, 13-14 with a 3.77 ERA in 210.1 IP (more innings and better ERA than Garza fwiw).

that being said, extreme groundball pitcher (very heavy sinker), low K rates, lots and lots of walks. Career-wise, 100 OPS better against righties than lefties

============================

ROB G: Carmona had a year from Hell in 2009 (perhaps he sold his soul to the devil?), with a 6.32 ERA and 1.76 WHIP, allowing 16 HR and 70 BB and 79 K in just 125 MLB IP before getting a mid-season demotion to AAA.

Then he bounced-back nicely last year to put up a 3.77 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, allowing 17 HR and 72 BB and 124 K in 210 MLB IP.

The big difference from 2009 to 2010 was that Carmona threw his slider about 20% of the time in 2010 (he threw his slider only about 5% of the time in 2009), and put his change-up out to pasture, throwing it just five or six times per start. So he became more of a two-seam fastball/slider pitcher (like Carlos Zambrano) rather than a four-seamer/change-up guy (like Rich Harden for example).

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:05pm

think he's always been a 2-seam/sinkerballer, that was his claim to fame.

guess it was a hip injury in 2008, not arm issues, wonder how much that screwed up his delivery? Ducheserer(sp?) still can't get back on the mound with his..

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:36pm

Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:05pm.
think he's always been a 2-seam/sinkerballer, that was his claim to fame.

==============================

ROB G: Right. You are correct.

Carmona used to be a sinker/change-up guy, but now he's a sinker/slider guy. His fastball velo is consistently 91-94 with sink and the slider clocks 84-87 (which is pretty high for a breaking ball). Since he no longer throws anything slow or up in the strike zone, it's probably not too surprising that he was able to cut his HR-per-IP rate almost in half from 2009 to 2010.

Garza throws a 92-95 MPH fastball with sink and a mid-80's sliider, but he also has a decent slow curve, too, so he gets more strikeouts than Carmona does, although Garza also allowed about 50% more HR per IP than Carmona did last year.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:54pm

He's no longer an extreme grounball guy, unless I am mis-reading fangraphs, and he was a bit lucky last year (and unlucky the previous).

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 3:26pm

7th in the majors in GB% among qualified starters last year, but yes, off his 2007 percentage when he was 2nd and north of 60%.

2nd in the league in getting Double plays last year, benefits of walking people all the time. :)

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 3:52pm

I was looking at his xFIP and not ERA, and since the blindspot in xFIP is it over penalizes groundball pitchers for walks, maybe he's a little closer to that ERA he had last year than I originally figured.

I'd still call him a "good" grounbaall pitcher, rather than an extreme one at this point, maybe because of the pitch selection changes others have mentioned. Due to cost and talent, I'd still prefer Garza, and wouldn't trade Jackson and McNutt for him (Carmona).

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 3:56pm

I like Garza more as well...

some 3-pack of 3-Star prospects is all I'd be willing to give for Carmona myself and preferably not Hak-Ju Lee

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:12pm

I'd prefer Garza more also. The AL East is much tougher to pitch in than the AL Central.

I'm actually falling into the don't do anything mindset though. Save the prospect bullets and money and actually spend some money in the Draft and latin America this summer.

I could care less about the difference between 75 and 80 wins. The offense isn't going to be good enough.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:13pm

if only we had Adam Dunn

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:18pm

Yup, the difference between Dunn and Pena will be about 12 wins.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:24pm

Over under on Cubs wins next years please.....?????

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:36pm

with Carlos Pena: 79-80
with Adam Dunn: 80-81

with Z. Greinke: 85

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:45pm

If we're going to make a big deal with them, we should grab LaPorta while we're at it.

I didn't realize how team friendly that contract he has is - it's actually a reverse Hendry contract, so he probably wouldn't recongize the value.

Submitted by George Altman
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 6:30pm

Not to sound like a broken record, but what exactly is the plan? I'm not opposed to prospects for Garza or Carmona, but that gets the Cubs to what - 82, 83 wins?

Is the plan (1) catch lighting in a bottle for 2011; (2) hope Pena does great, loves Chicago and re-signs; (3) core of new guys develops and with Pena, Garza/Carmona and building for 2012-13. I mean what exactly is the plan?

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 7:21pm

I mean what exactly is the plan?
----

here's the Hendry plan, the plan...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX-pVhTZg0U

Submitted by Seamhead
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 7:27pm

The plan is to be competent enough at the ML level to keep selling tickets, while simultaneously building up the farm system. Once the bad contracts (all but Soriano)are done after 2012, then act like a legit contender.

This plan is inherently flawed due to the lack of payrioll flexibility needed to add free agents and keep the ML team competitive.

So, they'll wing it.

Submitted by George Altman
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 8:10pm

That's pretty much what I thought but thanks to you and Cubster for clearing things up. For a moment, I thought I was taking crazy pills expecting............well, more.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:19pm

Garza is arb-eligible, made $3.35M last year in his first year as a Super2

$5M easily this year and isn't FA eligible until after 2013

Carmona is signed for $6.1M next year with $7M club option in 2012, $9M club option in 2013, $12M club option in 2014

2012 option goes up by $1M if he finishes in Top 5 of Cy Young in 2011

2013 + 2014 go up by $2M for Top 5 finish in previous two years

Submitted by Tony S.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:25pm

Thanks Rob, trying to get homework done and have to go to work, jumping on here quick periodically

Submitted by jacos
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:03pm

"Said Chirinos and Lee would be part of a Garza trade and some others (probably not Vitters or Ninja)"

Are you saying they would not want Ninja or Cubs don't want to trade him. He has NTC, no?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:05pm

Levine was speculating that no one wants Ninja right now...

hard to believe, I know.

Submitted by jacos
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:37pm

Levine was speculating that no one wants Ninja right now...

That's what I thought.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:20pm

Submitted by jacos on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:03pm.

Are you saying they would not want Ninja or Cubs don't want to trade him. He has NTC, no?

==================================================

JACOS: Jeff Samardzija has a NTC, meaning he cannot be traded or even placed on Outright Assignment Waivers without giving his permission in advance. So unless he waives his NTC, the only way the Cubs can remove him from the 40-man roster in 2011 is by Outright Release, and then they would be on the hook for his 2011 $2.8M salary (minus the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary if he signs an MLB contract with another club).

The Cubs can decline their 2012 club option on Samardzija post-2011, however, and if they do that (and unless he really turns the corner in 2011, it's very likely they will), Samardzija immediately becomes an auto-renewal player for 2012 (he won't have enough MLB Service Time to be eligible for salary arbitration post-2011, although the Cubs also would not be able to cut his salary more than 20%, either).

But if they decline the 2012 club option, the Cubs also could outright Samardzija to the minors after the 2011 season (where he would make about $12,000), and if that happens, he would not be eligible to be a Rule 55 minor league FA until after the 2013 season. So knowing that could happen, Samardzija might opt to waive his NTC sometime in 2011 if the Cubs come to him with a specific trade proposal. The problem is that his 2011 salary ($2.8M) makes his trade value minimal at this time.

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:27pm

even though ninja has disappointed...i gotta give it up to him for putting the work in, not bitching about wanting to be handed something he hasn't earned, and generally just doing his job to the best of his ability even though his ability isn't really good enough.

when he showed up on WGN with his "crew of bros" after he signed he was pushing a warning-sign image, but upon retrospect it seems like he knows how to separate fun-with-bros from work-time at this point in his career.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:46pm

I think "Fun-With-Bros" was a DVD Cindy Sandberg picked up.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:18pm

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/blogs?...

list of possible Santo replacements...Grace unlikely.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 12:25pm

Where do I vote? Moreland or Plesac, from that list of guys, please. The rest are just blah. I just hope they stay away from Joe "Lunesta" Carter and Mitch "he just needs to throw until he can't lift his arm any more" Williams.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:11pm

The Tribune is conducting an unofficial poll:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-cubs...

Submitted by QuietMan
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 9:37pm

Bruce Levine adds a few names to the list for Santo replacements:

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i...

Sutcliffe, Monday, Hundley, Otto, Moreland...

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:56am

dear god, please not otto...hundley sounds like molasses pouring...this is going to be a tough transition - i could come up w/ a long list of guys i DON'T want but if i got to name the hire i'm not sure who it would be...

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 9:22am

Moreland would be my choice.

Sutcliffe if only he goes the Harry Caray route with a drink every inning.

"George Clooney...did you hear about that?"

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 12:13pm

Ricketts won't hire anyone. He's going to realize that he could save money and just play an occasional clip of Santo moaning, grumbling, or yelling.

At the very least that would be better than Otto, Plesac, or most of the other boobs on that list.

Moreland is probably the only one of that bunch I could tolerate, although if you listen closely his voice sounds VERY MUCH like Tim McCarver.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 12:22pm

WGN would do the hiring.

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 1:58pm

will they let hughes have input?

Submitted by Tony S.
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 9:45am

No idea, but one would hope (which means probably not)

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:15pm

WGN and Cubs jointly doing the hiring:

"The search is still in the preliminary phase, Eanet said, and would be a joint effort between the radio station that will employ him and the Cubs."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball...

It also says Hughes will be a part of the process.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 9:45am

Well, good, and nevermind then....

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 12:29pm

They should hire Fred Norris from Howard Stern show to do "santo drops" during the games.

McCarver's voice doesn't bother me, it's what he says that makes me want to punch a bunny.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:15pm

"Cards don't have any other left-handed hitting in their lineup."

From today's chat, talking about Rasmus.

Not a big deal, but he knows they signed Berkman, right?

Submitted by Tony S.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:18pm

Another interesting tidbit.

"I don't believe in protecting pitchers. The only way to maintain a strong arm is to throw often and consistently. Mechanics are the key to a guy staying healthy, not overuse."

While I tend to agree (I believe in a 4-man rotation), Mark Prior called and would like Dusty to give him his career back.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:39pm

Prepare for Crunch's defense of Dusty...

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 3:56pm

*hands you a tissue*

i'm a little upset you got pee all over the sandbox, but you still get juice and cookies.

yes, mark prior's arm fell off because he threw 10 pitches too much after throwing 3-5 pitches too much over too short of a period of time. baseball has only existed since the late-1980s so i have nothing to compare this gross mismanagement of talent to.

tommy lasorda is very disappointed in all of this.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 5:44am

Yay, juice and cookies....

But while I'm thinking about it, oh yeah, it was a fucking joke.

Dusty's mismanagement cost the team the NLCS in '03, not Prior's career.

Submitted by Craig A.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:14pm

Let's remember the bull pen that Dusty was reluctant to use. Dusty and of us all wanted the Cubs to go to the World Series, and Prior and Wood almost made it.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 10:30am

You err...

Dusty chose the bullpen when he should have chosen a starter to close the door on the Marlins ala Jack McKeen.

That was the crucial decision. Going to Dave Veres instead of Matt Clement or __________ . to try to get a few more outs.

Submitted by Craig A.
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:04am

I was thinking more of the overuse of Prior in August and September. You're right about the NLCS.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:20pm

only if Hendry whispered it to him in bed

Submitted by Tony S.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:26pm

"You may feel a slight pressure"

"Moooooon riverrr! Hey, didja have to use the whole fist, doc?"

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 2:49pm

"Ever do any time?"

Submitted by Newport
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 11:25pm

It's all ball bearings these days.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 1:27pm

Tigers blog pines for Gorz

http://motorcitybengals.com/2010/12/18/im-int...

Submitted by jacos
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:29pm

http://gawker.com/5715801/net-neutrality-pass...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:36pm

I'm having the hardest time figuring what they actually passed.

it seems to suggest they have not allowed ISP's to block or slowdown content or at least without telling you they are (in small type on this obscure flyer we dropped in the sewer)

but it also seems that wireless providers can do whatever the fuck they want. So if you get us on your iphone, sorry.

honestly, I can't tell what the implications are quite yet.

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:55pm

the implications are mostly for ISPs. they made a deal where wireless (cell phone/satelitte/etc.) content isn't regulated much, but the home/plug-in ISPs can no longer "shape" their traffic in ways that limit how much bandwidth you can use on a site or the type of content a person can access that one would normally expect to access on an open network.

however, they also didn't kill the methods (loopholes, woo) that would keep home/plug-in ISPs from letting other sites broker/bid/outright-be-charged for how much of a preference their site gets. netflics, for instance, will most assuredly be paying a lot of ISPs for preferential treatment of the packets of information they send through their systems.

a lot of people are also pissed the wireless delivery systems barely got touched and it's still a free-for-all that the industry is going to shape for us.

Submitted by jacos
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:52pm

I just want to know will I be able to still call crunch a dickhead?

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:54pm

absolutely.

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Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:54pm

$0.10 toll now for each use

Submitted by Tony S.
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 5:47am

Boo...

...Dickhead. (sue me)

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:39pm

as someone who doesn't give a flying fuuuuuuu about wireless data plans i'm happy with it.

if people don't even care how much a text message costs vs. how much it actually costs in overhead to provide the service i don't expect them to give too much of a damn about data over wireless.

it was a give-away to the industry, though....even with the plug-in protection and regulation.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:39pm

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/h...

Submitted by jacos
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:42pm

That was the loudest cheer of the night at the bar I was at last night.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 2:51pm

Simply beautiful.

I actually grudgingly admired him during his heyday with the Packers.

Not now. Greedy. Egomaniac. Old. The Vikings signed a deal with the devil and they got theirs real good.

On top of this, they pretty much erroneously said the dude was not gonna play, then list him as "questionable", then he starts. Pricks. Fuck the Vikings. AND Jim Hendry.

I am thrilled.

I hope they are stuck with Joe Webb at QB as well.

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 3:16pm

"Fuck the Vikings. AND Jim Hendry."

Well, that came out of left field.

/not disagreeing

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 4:48pm

"Fuck the Vikings. AND Jim Hendry."

Well, that came out of left field.
---
Odd...on The Vikings Reporter someone said it came out of the end zone.

Submitted by SheffieldCornelia
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 10:40pm

Same here. Was at Murphy's Bleachers--bizarre to see the Harry Caray statue by the bleacher gate--and exchanged more high-fives when Favre got knocked out than almost any other point in the game.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 4:41pm

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5...

Cubs trail the pack now behind Rangers and Nats, mystery NL Central team in the mix as well now.

Submitted by thedirtbag
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 11:55pm

Brandon Webb WAS a superb pitcher. I would be on board with throwing him an incentive ladden deal, but I would say "Dave's not here", if you think that I would be supportive of $8 million to a guy who has not pitched in 2 years. I guess the question is, do you over pay for a reclemation project or give up 3-4 prospects for a Garza or Carmona? Either way I still think the Cubs cannot contend offensively. I think they will struggle again to hit with runners in scoring position.

Submitted by Charlie
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 12:31pm

3rd option: Go with Z, Dempster, Wells, Gorzo, Silva, Cashner, Jackson, etc., etc.

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 7:16pm

per O's beat writer from the Baltimore Sun, Jeff Zrebiec...

While the Orioles haven't abandoned hope of signing free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche, their inability to get a deal done has prompted them to renew talks with Derrek Lee, according to multiple sources.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/oriole...

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 7:45pm

here is the web link for those of you who want to put the Cubs 2011 schedule (spring training included) on their iPhones, Macs, Outlook, Google and Yahoo calendars

http://mlb.mlb.com/schedule/downloadable.jsp?...

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 7:52pm

http://dailylolz.net/images/1275836825_127582...

Submitted by John Beasley
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 7:51am

Rather curious story out of Bucco-land:

According to this:
http://bucsbits.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/12/...
the Pirates' contracts with Scott Olsen and Kevin Correia prohibit the team from offering arbitration to either if they finish their contracts as Type A free agents.

1. I've never heard of anything like this before; has anyone else?
2. Perhaps this is now something agents will negotiate for, especially with small-market, poor-record teams like Pittsburgh, but this seems to me to be a major setback to clubs like Pittsburgh to need to stockpile draft picks to be competitive.

Off the top of my head, I wonder if it would be in the best interest of MLB parity if this type of clause was banned. Free agents certainly should have the right to ask for this if they can because I can see how it clearly affects their future earning power, especially with non-star players like these two. But for the overall health of the game, my first instinct is that it's bad. If bargained for systematically, it'll strongly disincentivize small-market teams further from participating in the free agent market.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 7:53am

I don't see how it's any worse than a NTC. The odds of these two reaching Type A status, is negligible anyway.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:16am

We're not talking about Halladay and Sabathia, but if one of these guys has a breakout/fluke season, the Pirates are left empty-handed.

Granted, it's the other side of the NTC coin, but for small market teams, I see it as a much more dangerous side and one that has the potential to ruin the draft pick compensation system. If every agent were to demand this clause, small market teams' ability to compete on both ends of the player spectrum (signing and drafting) is further inhibited.

If small-market, piss-poor teams like the Pirates cannot find ways to stockpile draft picks, there's probably no hope that they'll ever improve.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 9:37am

You've got to remember these are free-agents, not 6 year arb guys that were developed in the Pirate's system. The point of the draft pick compensation is to replace the players that you lose when you loose a 6 year free agent, like Barry Bonds, Drabek and Bonilla leaving the Piratess. This whole "cut a guy because we don't want to pay arbitration" thing wasn't really envisioned when the MLBPA and the owners signed the orignal CBA that put it in place. By allowing them to sign, and then compensating the team with draft picks, as well as excellent production (required to get type A compensation), it's really too good a deal for the Pirates.

One thing they do need to do, though, is make sure setup guys are never type A players. No one wants to give up a first round draft pick for a setup guy.

Submitted by QuietMan
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 8:21am

It's a Juan Cruz Clause.

I think we started seeing this a couple of years ago when Juan Cruz was a free agent. Teams didn't want to give up a top pick to sign him. So he was screwed.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 12:08pm

There have been several players with this clause in their contract in the last couple of years. Orlando Hudson was another.

Submitted by Jackstraw
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 7:28pm

Since signing Juan Cruz under those conditions would have been crazy, does that make it a Sanity Claus?

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 1:08pm

Submitted by John Beasley on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 7:51am.
Rather curious story out of Bucco-land:

According to this:
http://bucsbits.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/12/...
the Pirates' contracts with Scott Olsen and Kevin Correia prohibit the team from offering arbitration to either if they finish their contracts as Type A free agents.

1. I've never heard of anything like this before; has anyone else?
2. Perhaps this is now something agents will negotiate for, especially with small-market, poor-record teams like Pittsburgh, but this seems to me to be a major setback to clubs like Pittsburgh to need to stockpile draft picks to be competitive.

Off the top of my head, I wonder if it would be in the best interest of MLB parity if this type of clause was banned. Free agents certainly should have the right to ask for this if they can because I can see how it clearly affects their future earning power, especially with non-star players like these two. But for the overall health of the game, my first instinct is that it's bad. If bargained for systematically, it'll strongly disincentivize small-market teams further from participating in the free agent market.

==================================================

JOHN B: There is an easy answer to this, and it could be incorporated into the next CBA.

Instead of receiving a draft pick from the club that signed their Type "A" FA, clubs losing a Type "A" FA would receive a pick in the middle of the 1st round, starting with pick #16, until all Type "A" FA losses are compensated. Clubs losing a Type "A" FA would also get a compensation "sandwich" pick between the 1st and 2n round, just as they do now.

The point of this would be to compensate the club losing the Type "A" FA with a 1st round pick without punishing the club that signed the Type "A" FA.

As it is now, clubs losing a Type "A" FA might get a 2nd round pick if the club signing the player finished in the bottom half in winning percentage the previous season (these clubs have their 1st round pick "protected"), and a club losing a Type "A" FA to a club that finished in the bottom half in winning percentage the previous season might even have to settle for a 3rd round pick if the signing team signed more than one Type "A" FA.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 2:45pm

http://deadspin.com/5716038/

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 2:48pm

That was funny.

Here's a classic from Micky Mantle.

NSFW-words

http://snopes.best.vwh.net/photos/mantle.pdf

Submitted by Tony S.
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 9:56am

That was absolutely classic. I love that it's signed general counsel, as in, this is what our lawyer says (not just, like, an intern or something)

Beautiful

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 11:57am

lol

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 6:34pm

selfish, self-centered asshole who killed nick adenhart + 2 others gets 51 years.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BL4KR2...

Submitted by Tony S.
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 5:59pm

Let's see.... Dusty Dusty Dusty, BABIP, slash lines are the only true measure of a hitter's ability, Bill James sucks.

Oh, and the number of Wins a pitcher gets should automatically determine the Cy Young Award in each league, there should only be a vote if there's a tie.

There now, that oughta get somebody on here hot and bothered....

Oh, and ADAM DUNN SUCKS

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 6:03pm

now that's what i'm talking about.

also, you are wrong about everything to such an extreme level that my personal rage is bleeding over to real life. i'm breaking dishes and kicking my dog all at once. merry xmas.

Submitted by Tony S.
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 6:26pm

LOL Yay Holiday Rage!!

Congratulations, we're all statistics...!

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:05pm

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates?

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:47pm

we traded theriot and now he's a cardinal...who cares what he hates...

Submitted by The Joe
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 7:54pm

555.

Submitted by rokfish
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 8:12pm

Mike Quade on WGN radio with Dave Kaplin

Submitted by rokfish
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 8:13pm

Soriano is not a fit for lead off no way.

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 8:19pm

thank gawd...i figure fukudome will see vs. righties...and vs. lefties i figured either baker/dewitt or soriano.

i guess with soriano's power decline it's not as bad using him in the #1 slot vs. lefties, but still...meh...his legs aren't what they used to be, either.

Submitted by rokfish
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 8:29pm

He thinks Castro could be good in the future in that spot but is leaning
towards Baker/Dewitt combo,says Colvin and Castro are entering sophmore
years wants to be careful with them.

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 8:38pm

i hope it's not a straight platoon giving baker/dewitt straight play out of the 1 slot.

fukudome is overpaid, but having baker/dewitt + castro eating up all those ABs is kinda "meh" to me.

dewitt isn't horrible, but i'd rather see him in the 8 slot...it's not like he's speedy. fukudome isn't speedy or a gift to hitting, himself, but he's pretty decent when he doesn't have lefties throwing inside/low pitching to him.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 9:26pm

Uncle Mike seemed to be quite aware of situational matchups during his apprenticeship. I guess he'll mix and match a lot of things when he doesn't have a natural fit in a certain type of situation. Hopefully that means the bullpen as well as the lineup.

But I'm definitely on the Fuku/Baker leadoff platoon bandwagon until we see something else.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 10:02pm

Go see True Grit.

Great film.

Merry Christmas!

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 12:54am

Go sell Grit.

Great newspaper.

Happy Kwanzaa!

http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcover...

Submitted by Tony S.
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 2:14am

Hmm. Well played.

Submitted by ddp33
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 10:44pm

Was someone removed from the 40-man when Kerry Wood was signed? Az Phil? Anyone?

Merry Christmas!

Submitted by QuietMan
on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 11:21pm

Nothing has been announced about that. I think Phil said something should have been done by this past Tuesday. Maybe the Cubs were able to delay sending in the Wood contract??

edit -

From the last thread:

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 12/17/2010 - 6:17pm.
Submitted by QuietMan on Fri, 12/17/2010 - 4:05pm.
Any news on who got bumped from the 40 man roster?

Is there a bigger window to do such things this time of year? (AZ Phil?)

=======================================================

QUIET MAN: The Cubs don't have to make a roster move until they file Wood's contract with the MLB office. But it's also possible that the Cubs have already Designated a Player for Assignment and it just hasn't been reported yet, because the MLB office might have closed early for the weekend. (It takes two business days to get a player through waivers, meaning whoever the Cubs drop from the 40-man roster won't clear waivers until next Tuesday at the earliest, and that's presuming the player was placed on Outright Waivers this afternoon).

Submitted by Tony S.
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 2:28am

I've had Scott Moore confused with somebody else for damn near a week.

Just figured out it was Scott McClain.

I feel better now.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 9:24am

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope you receive many presents from Santa, or Hanukkah Guy, or the Voodoo Man.. and that the coming year is as good as, or better than, or nothing like the last year.

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 10:01am

Merry Christmas to all of you! And if it's not your holiday, Merry Christmas anyway! Cuz it's never a bad thing to wish a good day on someone.

Congrats to Rob for creating such a great site. And the comments are amazing. I've never seen so much baseball knowledge in one place.

So thanks to all of you, even Real Neal! LOL.

Submitted by jacos
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 10:12am

And Happy Festivus for the rest of us-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChmhQz5wsOI&fe...

Submitted by SheffieldCornelia
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 1:12pm

Also, Mer-py Chris-mukkah for those who celebrate both, or one or the other, or possibly even neither.

Submitted by navigator
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 2:06pm

Hannukah was over two weeks ago.

MERRY CHRISTMAS is on the table.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 3:55pm

Happy belated Hannukah, then. And Labor Day.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 1:29pm

happy feast of alvis to all the true believers.

ham, guns, and revenge for all.

"Vengeance is mine quoth Alvis. And then he shot the guy right in the friggin face!"

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