My Wife is Pissed

In not-really-that-shocking news, your Chicago Cubs have traded dreamboat Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians for three minor leaguers. Talking with Martin earlier, we came to the conclusion that this is probably the precursor to a Peavy dead (or at least that's what we are hoping). If that is the case, I can live with this trade as long as the Bradley deal is as done as they are saying. Otherwise, it seems downright idiotic to get rid of a guy who can play at least 4 positions and is one of the club's most consistent hitters. Let's hope Hendry knows what he is doing.

Personally, I am gonna miss DeRo. He was, as the hacks at the Trib would say, "old school." He did the little things, played hard and never bitched (even when he was all but gone last year in the Roberts trade). And by God was he gorgeous. Er...I mean his swing, his swing was gorgeous. I wish him well in Cleveland.

Now excuse me while I try to coax Ms. J Dot off the ledge.

Go Cubs.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my three readers!

It's gonna be in the 60's today in Mesa. Spring training can't come fast enough.

Go Cubs.

A State of Bliss

Before you ask, it has absolutely nothing to do with the f#%@in' Joey Gathright signing. Don't even get me started.

Actually, I have achieved complete happiness for a reason completely unrelated to the Cubs (via The Observation Bubble) :





Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Go Bliss!

All I Want For Christmas.

Since the Cubs were outbid for the services of the ancient Raul Ibanez and they were unwilling to trade all of their players to get Peavy, all attention now shifts to one of my favorite players...

Milton Obelle Bradley.

I have always been a fan of his and not just because he's always one heckle away from going postal. The Cubs are in desperate need of an OF who can do the "little things" like hit, field and run. MOB can do all three pretty well.

And while he has a short fuse and enjoys throwing projectiles into the stands, I think he could actually be a good addition to the Cubs clubhouse. We have too many good guys on this team. Guys like Lee and DeRo are great about saying the right thing to the media. They smile and laugh. They talk about how "lucky they are to play a game for a living." The one thing they aren't good at is getting angry. Forget players only meetings and all that BS. The Cubs need a guy who has no problem sulking after a bad loss. They need a guy who curses at the media once in awhile. They need a guy who is just loopy enough to whip a bat at someones head if he feels he let the team down. That guy is Milton Bradley.

Not sold yet? Let me break it down then.

The Good:

In 123 games in 2008, MOB put up some nice numbers.

78 R, 22 HR, 77 RBI, 80 BB, .321 AVG, .436 OBP, .563 SLG and .999 OPS.

2008 Rankings:
1st in AL in OBP
1st in AL in OPS
4th in AL in SLG
3rd in AL in BA
10th in AL in BB.

Imagine those numbers in the Cubs already potent lineup. Did I mention he's a switch-hitter who can play all three outfield spots?

The Bad:

He’s what some baseball experts refer to as "a tad injury-prone."

19-Sep-08 Missed 2 games (left wrist injury).
12-Sep-08 Missed 2 games (wrist injury).
18-Aug-08 Missed 2 games (illness).
10-Aug-08 Missed 5 games (strained left quadriceps).
04-Aug-08 Missed 5 games (quadricep injury).
12-Jul-08 Missed 1 game (left knee injury).
24-Jun-08 Missed 1 game (strained left quadriceps).
20-Jun-08 Missed 2 games (quadricep injury).
31-May-08 Missed 1 game (dizziness).
16-May-08 Missed 2 games (right shoulder injury).
02-May-08 Missed 1 game (hamstring).
21-Sep-07 Missed 12 games (right oblique muscle strain).
08-Aug-07 Missed 4 games (hamstring).
07-Jul-07 Missed 8 games (oblique injury).
20-Jun-07 Missed 16 games (calf injury).
30-May-07 Missed 14 games (hamstring).
19-May-07 Missed 4 games (hamstring).
11-May-07 Missed 15 games (hamstring).
01-Sep-06 Missed 1 game (ankle injury).
14-Jul-06 Missed 20 games (shoulder injury).
06-Jun-06 Missed 36 games (right knee injury).
02-Oct-05 Missed 38 games (Torn left Patella Tendon).
23-Jul-05 Missed 47 games (finger injury).
13-Aug-04 Missed 1 game (hamstring).
01-Jun-04 Missed 2 games (ankle injury).
04-May-04 Missed 3 games (ankle injury).
29-Aug-03 Missed 46 games (back injury).
08-May-03 Missed 12 games (strained right hamstring).
30-Aug-02 Missed 16 games (appendicitis).
04-Jun-02 Missed 29 games (eye Contusion).
17-Apr-02 Missed 4 games (right quadricep).

That's only 348 games missed in 7 seasons. Soriano's on pace to shatter that record, so MOB should fit right in.

The Crazy:

MOB can come slightly unglued at times.

24-Sep-07 Torn ACL, sidelined through end of season.

Bradley tore his ACL when manager Bud Black tackled him to keep him killing an ump.

To be fair, he WAS safe.

29-Sep-04 Suspended by the Dodgers for the remainder of the season.

A fan threw a plastic bottle at Bradley. Bradley threw the bottle back.

MOB is not now or never will be a fan of littering.

30-Jun-04 Missed 4 games (suspension).

Bradley threw a bag of balls onto the field following an ejection.

Again, in the interest of full disclosure, the pitch WAS a ball.

I have always been a fan of adding a little crazy to the mix, so signing MOB seems like a no-brainer to me. I know it's been mentioned before, but ask yourself this simple question:

What happened when the Bulls signed Rodman?

Obviously, MOB is not even in the Worm's league when it comes nut-job behavior and Karl Malone (to my knowledge) doesn't play baseball, so it's not a perfect analogy, but you know what I mean. Adding a couple sprinkles of loony tunes to the mix can take a team from simply above average to championship-caliber.

If nothing else, MOB will make them fun to watch again.

Go Cubs.

Unrelated Post: Harry Sells Hockey From the Grave

Check out NBC's TV ad for the Winter Classic.



Go Cubs.