Cubs Pick Up Adrian Cardenas

for the last 3 years Kboy has been telling how stupid we were to say a pathetic non competetive team sucked....suddenly he's decided it's ok. 

The last 3 years teams look like the Yankees compared to the team that looks like it will take the field next year.

Trades involving Lou Brock and Glenn Beckert certainly would have been considered relatively non-significant at the time they were made.  Likewise with the trades of Ryne Sandberg and Ferguson Jenkins.

None of these acquisitions, at the time they were made, could be viewed much differently than many of the moves Epstein and Hoyer have made.  Three of the four became hall-of-famers, the other a 4-time All-star.  Now I'm not suggesting for an instant that Ian Stewart or Anthony Rizzo or Travis Wood or anybody else is going to be a hall-of-famer, or even an All-star.  But sometimes a change of scenery, a new start, or a chance to play can be all it takes to make a star player out of an also-ran.

Considering that many of the Cubs recent acquistions are former first round draft picks or one-time highly-rated prospects, it seems to me that these guys are trying to find one or two diamonds in the rough who might flourish with a new opportunity.  Let's let them play before we judge.  Maybe there's another Sandberg or Jenkins in this bunch.   

The last 3 years teams look like the Yankees compared to the team that looks like it will take the field next year.

the Cubs were the 2nd worst team in the entire National League last year.....a team you spent every day praising.

It would be difficult to be much worse.

some info on Glenn Beckert,Kenny Hubbs and Jack Quinlan


"Following the sudden death of Cubs second baseman, Ken Hubbs in 1964, the Cubs brought Beckert to the major leagues as their second baseman for the 1965season.

Beckert played nine seasons as the Cubs' second baseman."


Above is a little history on Glenn Beckert.. First Bosox drafted him and then Cubs got him back by draft ( dont ask me to explain that),but he really got his chance as Cubs 2nd baseman after Kenny Hubbs was killed . I remember that also so well. But after all these years I had forgtotten the connection between Hubbs and Beckert. Hubbs was Cubs 2nd baseman for the future when he got killed.I remember him playing with Cubs  the season before(1963) and he was quite a standout both on defense  and offense. He was killed at age 22 in Utah during Spring Training. I dont know the details or why he was in Utah. But it was quite a shock at the time.


Just prior  that a year or 2 , Jack Quinlan the  Cubs broadcast  announcer was killed in an automobile accident in Arizona during ST,So these were two tragedies fairly close together.I remember Quinlan used to call Lake Michigan 'the drink'  'We got a cold wind coming off 'the drink'.......Its funny how certain things  stick in ones mind,while  forgetting more important things.

None of these acquisitions, at the time they were made, could be viewed much differently than many of the moves Epstein and Hoyer have made.d pr

Way to compare two trades out of probably over 100,000 trades made in the last half century to the moves made this offseason.

Slurp Slurp Slurp.

If Ian Stewart, Anthony Rizzo or Travis Wood make it to the Hall of Fame I would be happy to say you were right.

Until then, I will continue to say you have a mouthful of slurp.

Considering that many of the Cubs recent acquistions are former first round draft picks or one-time highly-rated prospects, it seems to me that these guys are trying to find one or two diamonds in the rough who might flourish with a new opportunity.

Way to not consider the fact that these guys are former first round draft picks or one-time highly-rated prospects who were bascially given away be there former teams, it seems to me that you are overflowing with slurp.

Let's let them play before we judge.

You are a freaking idiot.

We have seen Ian Stewart play for 4+ seasons.

We have seen Chris Volstad play for 4 seasons.

We have seen David DeJesus play for 8+ seasons.

We have seen Paul Maholm play for 6+ seasons.

We have seen Travis Wood play for 1.5 seasons.

Freaking NOBODY is judging the players without any track record.

SLURP SLURP SLURP

It would be difficult to be much worse.

It would be difficult to be any dumber than you are.

But somehow when the 2012 team IS worse than the last 3 seasons you will come up with yet another completely idiotic reason.

SLURP SLURP SLURP

Let's let them play before we judge.

You are a freaking idiot.

You're the freaking idiot if you bring guys like Maholm and DeJesus into what I said.

I suggested that we see how guys like Stewart, Wood, and Volstad perform in a new environment,  I think they all have upside, but I've stated no expectations.

Funny how you failed to mention Rizzo, because he does fit the profile of the examples I gave.  So does Cardenas, for that matter. 

Your lack of reading comprehension and your habit of taking things out of context to make your own points proves your own stupidity. 

I'm happy with my life, your insults can't touch me.  Maybe you'll get there someday. 

The last 3 years teams look like the Yankees compared to the team that looks like it will take the field next year.

KB, I will bet you we finish within 8 games of last years team, that is hardly the Yankees compared to previous Cub teams. We finished 26 games behind the Yankees last year alone, and they are 66 games better than the Cubs over the last 3 years. They have averaged finishing 22 games ahead of us over the last 3 years, but....

Like I have said before, exageration is your calling card.

KB... We finished 26 games behind the Yankees last year alone, and they are 66 games better than the Cubs over the last 3 years. They have averaged finishing 22 games ahead of us over the last 3 years, but....

Like I have said before, exageration is your calling card.

and KB thinks the last three years were roaring successes.......

wow, only 66 wins.....thats like a whole season for Hendry.

You're the freaking idiot if you bring guys like Maholm and DeJesus into what I said.

Sorry.

Thought we were talking about the Cubs.

My bad.

KC

But somehow when the 2012 team IS worse than the last 3 seasons you will come up with yet another completely idiotic reason.


This years team was going to be worse anyway before anything else was done.  They have gone from 97 wins to 71 wins in the past 3 seasons.  A decided downward trend.  If you average that it's about 8 wins a year.  Even last year they were 4 games worse.  So if you continue that same trend your looking at 63-67 wins if they kept the same team together.  So actually anything over that would be an improvement.  Now if they are less than 63, then they would be clearly worse, but do you really think they won't win at least 63??   Even if we use 67, do you really think they won't win 67??  

The problem this team has had the last several years is that they have been getting declining production from their key people.  Tanslation is that they got old.   The reality is that they have to rebuild the top of the rotation and the middle of the order, and that's not usually a 1 year fix.      

I haven't liked a lot of the moves(still don't see signing dejesus unless they just figure he's going to have a great rebound season and they can then trade him), like offering arbitration to dewitt then cutting him a month latter.  But let's be honest, this was at best a 75 win team even if they added fielder.  Maybe not even then(with the option hitting behind him he would have easily set the single season walk record maybe even had over 100 intentional walks).  There's a lot of work to do, and it won't be quick.

This years team was going to be worse anyway before anything else was done.

Wrong.

This team could have easily been improved last years record with a couple good moves.

They didn't make them.