NL Central Is Going to Be Awesome

Not much going on in Cubsland, but the Reds are done putting the finishing touches on their 2009 World Series team. Today, they added Cubs scraps Jacque Jones and Daryle Ward on minor league deals. They'll join Arthur Rhodes's neck, Willy Taveras at the top of the lineup (snicker) and Ramon Hernandez. This was the plan to overcome a 280 run difference and 23 games.

As for the Brewers, Ben Sheets is going to have surgery on a partially torn flexor tendon that will keep him out 4-6 months. Why don't we just just go ahead and count out 2009 in its entirety? The Brewers were counting on two draft picks from a team signing Sheets and already got screwed on a first round pick when the Yankees signed Mark Teixeira, which forced the Brewers to take the Yanks second round pick for signing Sabathia.  I'm not sure of the rules on free agent compensation if Sheets doesn't sign until mid-season or possibly next offseason (but I'm sure Arizona Phil does). They also recently announced they were done for the offseason and perfectly content with a rotation of Yovani Gallardo, Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan and whomever else they can pull out of line from a brewery tour.

The Astros big moves were to add Jason Michaels, Aaron Boone and Mike Hampton and cut ties with one of their better hitters from last year - Ty Wigginton. Ed Wade, you're a sly one.

The Pirates added...fuck, who cares....

The Cardinals added some relievers and Khalil Greene. Troy Glaus is likely to miss some part of the beginning of the season after shoulder surgery in January. If Chris Carpenter is healthy and back to form, well they could be interesting. They were a pretty good offense last year, added Greene to it and tried to address some bullpen woes. Carpenter would only make them better, but his health is one helluva of an if. 

So while many lament about the Cubs taking a few steps back this offseason or just treading water; (I'm in the treading water camp and when you won 97 games, that's perfectly acceptable. Also, after all these years of online chatting, I often find myself wanting to invoke parenthesis in the middle of an actual conversation with a live human being. But I fear they don't share my same addiction to chatting with anonymous online people...plus drawing parenthesis with my hands in the air looks weird) the rest of the NL Central seems to have accepted the Cubs as their dark overlords.

Also, our twitter page that I mentioned yesterday should now get automatically updated with the title of the post and a link back to the story. I also moved and added some things to the menu bar up top, should hopefully make things a little easier to find. TCR Junk Drawer is gone and has been replaced by Wiklifield and Arizona Phil's Corner. If anyone has a better name than "TCR Social" for links to our RSS info, facebook and twitter pages, I'm all ears. Finally, with the addition of an RSS feed to comments, you can now read comments from our mobile site. I'm hoping for a more functional mobile site by the end of the year, but at least it's something.

Tags: 
Site news
NL Central
Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 5:22pm
Return to Homepage

Comments

Submitted by kmokeefe
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 7:19pm

I vote we sign Sheets in July
Very entertaining piece Rob

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 7:24pm

Give Sheets the Wade Miller injured pitcher of tenure currently held by Chad Fox.

Cubs stay healthy, clinch by Labor Day.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 7:29pm

Adding Sheets will be like making a mid-season trade?

I wonder if after the draft it will be safe to sign him without losing picks.

I am salivating at the thought of the Cubs RH hitters getting to smack balls at Tejada and Lee again. They should sign Branyan and have the worst left side defense in history.

Submitted by CPH2133
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 8:14pm

"The Pirates added...fuck, who cares.... "

Rob, you're just loving the move from MVN and using it to the fullest aren't you?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 8:56pm

probably a little too much...

funny story, my twins were born a little over 3 and a half years ago and I use to be pretty good about not cussing and I still don't cuss around them much. But for some reason since they were born, my wife and I use of profanity has grown exponentially, it's a nice break to feel like an adult again after having our brains melted by Dora the Explorer.

Submitted by CPH2133
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:32pm

"after having our brains melted by Dora the Explorer"

You just need some grown up time, and by that I mean cussing every possible second.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:38pm

Heading to Bahamas for week end cruise.

Finally going to see weather over 70 degrees since October.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:30pm

Funny named site showing Harden working on a "gyro" ball-

http://www.bosscocked.com/

Submitted by Andy
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:32pm

is this the new Rickroll?

Submitted by Andy
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:31pm

Somebody convince me to start using RSS feeds...I've never felt the need.

Looking forward to Sat. Feb 28th and my first likely chance to get on parachat. I have a government job now and I think my days of workday chatting are history.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:38pm

It's sort of like junk mail and spam mail, only quicker. It's really great.

Submitted by Andy
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:38pm

Awesome, sign me up. Can I have a side order of telemarketer messages straight to voice mail?

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sat, 02/07/2009 - 1:16am

Act now and we'll throw in two 22 year old Mormons at your door for no additional charge.

Submitted by Wes
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:41pm

So you're trying to tell me you do actual work AFTER LUNCH in your government job? Forgive me for passing my own judgement, but that's unpossible.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 9:45pm

"your access to this site has been blocked"

Submitted by Andy
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:19pm

Some of us need killer recommendations so when our government-sponsored fellowships expire at the end of August, we can get jobs despite the Job Market from Hell.

job market :: employment
peanut butter :: Salmonella-free snack

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:22pm

yeah...great times.

i'm working an internship right now for no pay solely because 1- the university is on a total hiring/pay freeze 2- someone has to do the research.

good thing i have my "real job," but there's some grad students hurting and freaking out right now.

Submitted by gobuckeyes
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 10:17am

I'm one of those grad students. "OHHHHHH SHIIIIIIIIIT"

Seriously. It's February and most of the people I know are still looking for jobs, and this is out of a top 35 law school. You'd think borderline top 10% people from a school like that would have offers galore. But my buddy can't even get interviews, or hell even rejection letters, he just never hears anything most times.

(full disclosure: I work at an internship for Ohio Department of Transportation, they're looking to hire me full time after, and I consider myself hella lucky)

Submitted by navigator
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 10:23am

THE PLAN: Kill the private sector, then we all get jobs with the government.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 12:50pm

this isn't rush limbaugh talk radio distraction b/s...this is the real world.

it's not a sport with sides you root for and capitalism is alive and safe.

we're not looking jobs to fill potholes on public work projects here.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sat, 02/07/2009 - 1:19am

Maybe you should be.

Submitted by crunch
on Sat, 02/07/2009 - 2:30am

I'll stick to my $30-$34 an hour contracting work. Thanks for the dumbass suggestion, though.

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 10:30am

We are a top 10 political science program and out of 12-15 people on the market so far only 4 have jobs and one a post-doc. And everyone is experiencing the same thing you are talking about - nothing, not even rejections for the most part. If they do get one it's been the "sorry, economy sucks, there is a hiring freeze, job is no longer open" type letter.

Submitted by CPH2133
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 11:36am

School districts in the Southwest/South/Southeast are always looking for people. You don't even need an education degree at most of the schools, they're just taking bodies. That being said, the schools are lacking teachers because they aren't schools anyone wants to teach at. So its you're call.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 12:52pm

i'm in the south...NCSU...full hiring freeze and a budget freakout. state-wide issues with money and people are still unclear what the next year brings as far as available money.

i have friends in chapell hill and durham (at a private school) seeing the same issues.

tight money is one thing, but this is an all-out freakout around here.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sat, 02/07/2009 - 1:23am

Apparently if you apply of a job with Mcklenburg County Schools online you can see how many other applicants have applied for the job. I haven't had to do it myself, but I am hearing things like 'Lunch lady' 500 applications. 'Adminstrative assistant' 1200 applications.

However, there are still restarauts and movie theaters and the aforementioned contsruction companies hiring.

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 10:22am

I'm a grad student going on the market in the fall and I am freaking out. Luckily my girlfriend has a real job...

Submitted by Wes
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:23pm

Real strong SAT analogy.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:13pm

Andy must not work at the DMV?

I had the unfortunate task of undertaking that little adventure last week. Not a real helpful bunch.

2 girls behind the counter. One playing solitare on the CPU and one talking to a girlfriend on the phone while eating doritos. Can't wait to renew that badboy in 5 years !!!

Submitted by Andy
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:22pm

Oh don't worry, they'll have been laid off. Everyone will be required to print their own licenses at home, or even better, maybe your driver's license will just be an app on your smartphone.

Submitted by Hawkeye
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 12:06am

True Story: I wrote a check for my car registration. I had to re-write it because the DMV did not like the way I wrote the check. My sin? I wrote "seventy-three cents" instead of "73/100." I had to re-write the check. I was also amazed.

This is not as bad as the time I paid my car registration in cash (exact change mind you) and had to speak to the head of the DMV office. My crime? Not writing a check. I had to explain to her that the money she would not take was actually legal tender for all debts, public and private. It actually says so on the bill! I then explained that if the government would not take the money it issued (the nuances of Federalism would be beyond her) then we are all in trouble.

She took the money.

Submitted by Indiana JJ
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 8:25am

What's a check? I can honestly say I haven't written one of those in like 5 years. I think my wife still pays some of our bills that way.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:17pm

Double post

Submitted by Bigz
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:28pm

so in looking at the schedule for the upcoming sale I noticed two things.

A) Sept. could be a cake walk
B) Our home series vs. the step-child team is during the week? Two 1pm games? WTF?

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:29pm

cubs take big selling games for granted and tend to book them for the day.

part of me don't blame them because they have so few night games...part of me still doesn't like it.

Submitted by Bigz
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:36pm

but why do the Sox get a weekend and we get Wed @ 1pm. Hardly seems like a fair split by MLB. Lately its always been back to back weekends. Why the change?

Submitted by John Beasley
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:53pm

Actually, the last couple of years, the weekends have been spread out by a month.

It makes sense to me. Might as well take your three highest-demand games other than Opening Day and put them in the middle of the week. Not like it's gonna hurt turnout.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 10:51pm

It seems to me like the Astros and Cardinals have the best chance to hang with us. Brewers and Reds need everything to break right.

Another interesting factor is the high-priced guys on noncontenders. I was reading somewhere that due to the economy, poor-performing teams should be more likely than ever to want to dump players if they know they're not in it this year. That could mean Cub-compatible names like Roy Halladay, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts or others. I hear there's some guy in San Diego, too.

Submitted by Wes
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 11:12pm

I don't think either of those teams (Astros or Cardinals) have the pitching. I think they have the best chance, but we're still SIGNIFICANTLY ahead of all those teams on paper.

Houston will obviously run Oswalt out on Opening Day, but then they'll follow that with the likes of career 4.79 Wandy Rodriguez (who is admittedly coming off of a nice year), Brandon Backe, and they hope Mike Hampton. They're going to struggle getting to Valverde again, and may be worse, since they've added LaTroy into the mix with Geary and Brocail.

The Cards have Wainwright, then Lohse, Wellemeyer, and Piniero, which just isn't any good. Carpenter maybe, but it doesn't sound particularly optimistic. They've also got a 23 year old kid whose in his second year in the show closing games.

I like our situation considerably more than anyone else in this division. It's just not any good.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 11:50pm

Well yeah, but this team is also outspending everyone. I just don't think the Cubs will run away with it like the 2008 Angels did, even if it looks that way on paper. I can even picture a scenario where this team is fifth in the Central in runs scored (not a probable one, of course). Yes, our pitching looks better, but I'd be surprised if we clinched before Game 155.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sat, 02/07/2009 - 1:30am

Alright, I'll bite.

Describe to me the scenario where the Cubs score 100 runs less, the Cardinals get the same production out of Ludwick and Ankiel, and the Brewers score 6 runs more, the Pirates score 21 runs more, and the Assholes score 44 runs more. I am going to rule the possiblilty of the Dunn less, but Jackie Jones added Reds making up 152 runs (approximately 1 per game) on the Cubs in 2009.

Submitted by billybucks
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 7:43am

Complacency has clearly set in at TCR and in the media -- hope the players haven't taken the same approach.

Submitted by navigator
on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 10:34am

Shortest write-up ever on Yahoo's Fantasy "Hotstove Helper"

The Pirates for 2009

http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_arcade/p...

Submitted by Mike Vail
on Sat, 02/07/2009 - 1:32pm

The season hasn't even started yet. Don't start writing checks you might not be able to cash later. The Reds may be better than you think. Let's just see how Dusty continues to handle the young 'ins. Curses or not, we gotta watch our backs.

X
You may login with either your assigned username or your e-mail address.
The password field is case sensitive.
Loading