‘O’ Here We Go Again

When it comes to Felix Pie’s potential and what he can on the major league level, fans are split with how much he could ever do for the ballclub.  What if I told you Pie could be the guy that gives the Cubs an end of the 2009 season stat line that looks like this?

 

W 10 L 11 ERA 2.85 IP 173.2 H 146 HR 17 BB 59 SO 166

Would you be happy?  I mean sure the 17 HR’s would still be less than preferred, but 173.2 innings pitched?  Come on, for anyone never mind a center fielder, that’s impressive!  Of course that’s ridiculous and it wouldn’t be Pie giving us those stats.  How can  Pie deliver these stats for the Cubs this year?  As a key part of a three-team trade between the Padres, O’s and Cubs which in the end, lands the Cubs starting pitcher: Jake Peavy.

Familiar trade rumor partners surfaced today with the Orioles mentioned as the potential third team involved, necessary to complete a trade of Jake Peavy from the San Diego Padres.  Sweet Lou mentioned recently that fans shouldn’t expect any more deals to go down for starting pitching as we’re good to go there compared to other areas of the team.  Zambrano, Harden, Lilly, Dempster and Marquis/Marshall have everyone feeling rather comfortable, including Piniella.  This of course was before our old trade rumor partners of Winter Meetings ’07, the Orioles came calling with Garrett Olson up for grabs and all they want in return…Felix Pie.

Wow.  Now, I have been a huge fan of Pie since he came up and I truly STILL believe he has a huge upside.  However, the platoon of outfielders we have right now can more than handle center field for ’09 and if Pie can get us Jake Peavy?  A guy who averages 12 wins a year, loves pitching in the national league and in 2007, put up a 19 spot in the win column and averages over 180 strike outs per season?  That just may be more than I could possibly ever expect from him in the long run, especially considering pitching wins nowadays.  

We send Pie to Baltimore.  Baltimore send Olson to us.  We send Olson to San Diego.  San Diego sends us Peavy.  It’s no DeRosa for Roberts.  It’s better.  We keep DeRosa (last year’s Cub MVP if you ask me, co-MVP anyway with Dempster) and get a rotation of Zambrano, Peavy, Lilly, Dempster, Harden.  Sign another strong left handed hitter and throw him in the middle of the lineup and dare I say, I’d be even more excited about this team’s chances than I was last year’s.  And I thought last year was THE year.  I know Cubs fans say that all the time and I’m guilty of hoping that certain previous seasons were…2008 however, I truly thought was.  Give me this rotation in 2009 and I have no words prepared as of now to describe my excitement.

It’s all still rumors of course, nothing official.  Given the fact that Piniella said we’re done with Peavy talks, I’m skeptical to say the least.  And given my new approach to being a fan (no expectations) I’m not getting my hopes up.  Worst case, we keep a player I think has a lot to offer in the near future.  Best case, we get Jake Peavy.  Enough said.  Can’t wait to see how this thing plays itself out!  Go Cubs Go!

The Past Few Weeks

Ok, so this didn’t exactly come ‘tomorrow’.  But let’s just say the fan has been hit HARD lately as things have been absolutely crazy and this was the best I could do.  I’m in between productions right now, yet still putting in crazy hours negotiating the next project, plus doing stand up gigs, auditioning for television, film and commercial projects and following the Cubs CRAZY off-season.  Not to mention only enjoying one day off a week and enjoying the rare down time watching Entourage and The Hills, which is on in the background right now.  That’s right, I said it, The Hills…one of my few guilty MTV pleasures.  I can’t believe Audrina thinks Lauren hooked up with Justin-Bobby and if it actually happened, I can’t believe LC would hook up with Justin-Bobby!  Crazy.  While I’ve watched the show since it’s been on, the cool thing about it now is that my girlfriend is now working with Lauren on designing her upcoming teen-lit book covers.  As a fan of the show, it’s cool to have a girlfriend who knows LC.  Good times.  Good times indeed.  And Scorsese bailing out Vince’s career and the boys moving the storyline to the UWS of Manhattan?  My neighborhood?  Very cool.

OK, enough venting…NOW…some Cubs baseball.

Where to begin?!

Lou Piniella won NL Manager of the Year and Heidi and Spencer just announced they got married…wait, my bad…let’s try that again…Piniella takes the NL Central and the manager of the year award.  And why not?  With all the decisions that he had to make between setup men, closers, rotations, replacements for injuries, sitting high-paid all-star outfielders, introducing new talent from trades and free agents signings…to take all of that and win the division for the second year in a row is an amazing feat.  Definitely one deserving of the award when you consider it was during the pressure filled 100th anniversary of the Cubs last world series title.  Piniella has been the difference maker when it comes to the brain trust of the Cubs without a doubt.  Hendry provides the pieces but its up to Piniella to use them correctly and make the right decisions.  So far so good…just need to figure out that postseason.  Congratulations Lou, here’s to another next year.

Soto take the ROY award.  And WHY NOT?  Rookie catcher nearly ties Cubs records, becomes the first starting rookie catcher in the all-star game in forever and takes a promising rotation and gets the most out of them all the way through the season.  Managing a pitching staff and 162 games is no easy job, even for a veteran.  To come in as a rookie and lead the way Soto did this year…I think that’s what made the difference in the voting and I look forward to enjoying years of watching him as the Cubs catcher.  Way to go Soto.

Cubs decide to let Wood go.  Wow.  Let’s face it.  He was supposed to be the face of the franchise and in a way he was.  Lots of promise followed by years of let down.  Injuries, injuries, injuries.  We’ll always remember the 20 strikeout game and the run through 2003.  However, we’ll also always remember the injuries and how we never really knew when that string that Wood’s health seemed to always be hanging by was going to snap.  I’m appreciative what he accomplished while with the team, I’m happy to see him go and I’m looking forward to seeing how he does in the future.  I’m also disappointed that if the Cubs do win it next year, or any year in the near future, that Wood won’t be a part of it.  Definitely one of the guys who deserved to experience bringing a title to Wrigley after all these years.  I don’t believe the Cubs will look to sign F-Rod so if that is in fact the case, it’s your turn Marmol.  (Yes, I would rather see Marmol as the closer than Cub newbie, Kevin Gregg).  Enough of the set up, time to step up.

The Cubs re-signed Dempster.  My cell phone is set up to receive Cub updates and when the news came in that the Cubs re-signed Dempster…it’s not too often in one’s life when you give a genuine “PHEW” sound, one usually reserved for over-acting or cartoons.  When the text came in, I genuinely let out a “PHEW”.  Dempster was great once he found himself in a starting rotation again and he’s going to be key to the Cubs future success.  I would’ve been greatly let down if the Cubs hadn’t re-signed him, so again…glad they did.  And “PHEW”!

Cuban getting shut out as owner of the team???  Really???  Let’s hope this report is false.  I can’t think of any potential owner with the same mindset and temperament, definitely no one with a more approach to owning a sports franchise as Cuban would be to the Cubs.  The way he handles owning the Mavs in Dallas…that’s a big reason why the baseball bigs are against his owning the Cubs.  It should be a big reason why they’d want him to.  (Forget the legal accusations that have come up of late.  No one needs a criminal owning their team, but something tells me the Cuban, Hendry, Piniella trio could result in a LOT of fun years at Wrigley).

The Cubs signed Manny Ramirez! Ok, this last one didn’t happen.  But it sure would be cool if it had.  If I don’t talk to you beforehand, have a great Thanksgiving!  GO CUBS GO!

Lots To Discuss

Tomorrow.

For today, just one word: VOTE!