I am still amazed how low his baseball IQ seems and how he’s never ever called out on it.

Well, I seem to recall someone writing a paragraph to that effect and the author being told he didn't appreciate Theriot's real value.

(cough.....cough)

Now this is written good-naturedly so if the current team status has folks looking for a fight they will come up empty.

I'm not saying he doesn't have value - and I doubt you're saying that either. I know at least I've been hammering at his baserunning for years now, and I'm sure everyone here at least will acknowledge his lack of range and subpar arm. The Chicago press and majority of fans are enamored of him, for whatever reason (well, I know the reasons, but lets not get into that now). Len and Bob know better, and for whatever reason don't ever, or rarely in case I'm forgetting something, point out when he makes his mistakes. Lou appears to think he does no wrong, and I just don't like him hitting leadoff. He's ok as an everyday player on a good team as long as there aren't any other holes (like how this Cubs team *should* be), but probably would be best served as a top utility guy.

I guess my beef comes down to this: for a supposedly scrappy, hustling type, he does a lot of things wrong that he shouldn't be getting away with.

Moses:

Agreed on all points. Surprisingly his defense grades out well by various metrics but that has to be some kind of staff makeup component. Because I see that guy play 40 odd times a year and he's regularly challenged by anything beyond the routine.

It's the baserunning blunders that just kill his value on offense since he's already burdened by lack of power. In all seriousness THeriot likely costs the Cubs 5-8 runs a year running into outs. He's the white Felix Jose.......

I’m not sure who the best option really would be, but Samardzija appears to be one of the worst possible options right now; BPJ doesn’t look like he even belongs on the big league roster.

No way. He's a Golden Domer. He'll come through miraculously in the clutch, precisely when his team needs it most. He's been crappy up to this point only because he hasn't been used in crucial enough situations to warrant the intervention of the Almighty.

Games Aaron Miles has appeared in: 21-29

All others: 37-22

The very existance of Aaron Miles drives me crazy.

Awesome. I had been missing that stat. Miles has a legit argument for NL LVP.

Now the AM stat probably isn't fair -- presumably at least a few of those appearances were subbing into blowouts or others where the Cubs were already behind when he came into the game. Unless I miscounted, they're 14-15 when he starts.

Not that I don't hate him too, but I just hate him because he sucks not his faux magical powers to make the team lose.

Theriot doing no wrong is just a variation on the Nichols Law of Catchers. Similarly, Podsednik could get caught stealing twice and misplay two flyballs and still get praised for the energy he brings to the team.

Not much to say, Moses covered it and nothing there I disagree with. A tough trip with two teams just as good as the Cubs. Hopefully we'll take the split in Colorado tonight.

And Harvey, NOW it's the Cardinals' division to lose. With our rotation banged up and Aramis having an ouchie, we've got no advantage over anyone really. I'm not predicting it but I wouldn't be surprised by a traditional Cubs Aug/Sept swoon that leaves us behind the Brewers and Astros (and probably Lou and maybe Hendry out the door when new ownership arrives).

The two Aarons drive me insane, neither looks or acts like a major league player.

Walt:

We will see.

Regarding the Cubs should that come to pass I will have aced all the major questions this year:

--Sale delayed, yup. Still cannot believe JACK thought that was a done deal months ago. He's a finance guy.

--DeRosa will be missed. And how

--Offense would take a step back. It's like "Where's Waldo?"

And NO I AM NOT GLOATING.

If I am coming across as someone picking over the bones then I apologize for even mentioning it.

I think this season has called out one of Hendry's weaknesses as a GM. I'm not a Hendry hater, but it just seems that if we're not taking advantage of another team's problems with payroll, we don't have much of a hope solving in-season problems with a trade.

With more aversion to adding salary this year, it seems like Hendry was handcuffed. That said, I'm a little upset falling behind the Cards again after the team played so well to catch up, so maybe I'm just feeling critical.

I'm not a Hendry hater, but it just seems that if we're not taking advantage of another team's problems with payroll, we don't have much of a hope solving in-season problems with a trade.

'03 was the only year we were the beneficiaries of an in-season salary dump.

SSR:

And how!!

'03 was the only year we were the beneficiaries of an in-season salary dump.

You wouldn't include taking Harden from the A's? His salary was reasonable, but Oakland surely wanted a return and wouldn't have wanted to count on draft picks from an oft-injured pitcher who might have accepted arbitration.

I was thinking of Garciaparra and even Lee, but I remember that Nomar was from a big-market team (who still could have been dumping salary) and Lee was off-season. Well, in-season or not, Hendry's best trades are when the Cubs flex their big-market money. Lacking that money, he's effectively hampered.

'03 was the only year we were the beneficiaries of an in-season salary dump.

Harden's a bit of a gray area, but I'm not sure I don't include him here.

I don't know how you can consider Harden a salary dump when Oakland went out and spent money this offseason. Maybe a dump in the sense that Beane figured Harden would go down to injury and not be worth the money. Seems unfair to write that one off as due to financial advantage.

One of my favorite Hendry trades was one where he dumped salary, getting Aardsma and Jerome Williams for Hawkins. Of course, neither Aardsma or Williams worked out for us, but that was some high end talent for a guy that absolutely had to go.

Oh and Freddie Bynum for Kevin Hart was hilarious.

Aardsma is yet another pitcher who would have taken closer duties from Gregg if the Cubs hadn't let him go for jack squat.

EDIT: LaTroy Hawkins is yet another pitcher who would have taken closer duties from Gregg if the Cubs hadn't let him go for jack squat.

LaTroy Hawkins is yet another pitcher who would have taken closer duties from Gregg if the Cubs hadn't let him go for jack squat.

You've got a point on Aardsma, except that what we got (Cotts) was actually worse than jack squat. But he's on his 3rd team since the Cubs, so I'm not too critical of Hendry for that one.

Now, as for LaTroy, let's just pretend 2004 didn't happen and us racists didn't run him out of town...He's also on his 4th team since the Cubs and has been a FA a couple of times. Odds are he wouldn't have be resigned once, much less twice since his original deal with the Cubs was up. And I blame Dusty for that one, not Hendry.

When Hendry goes down, I have a feeling its going to be the OF contracts that'll do him in (plus perhaps the Dempster deal). We spend a lot of time complaining about his roster management and the fringes where he makes his mistakes (####### Aaron ####### Miles ######), but he's probably right (Sisco) as often as he's wrong (Wuertz) on those (not to mention his apparent deferral to the manager's whims and mood). He's had a very successful tenure, no matter how we look at it, and has been better than a number of other GMs with good reputations. Some very obvoius weaknesses (I'm looking at you again, ####### Miles ######), but some real strengths as well.

Hendry has developed one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. And for the most part a fine defensive ballclub.

Moses is correct. It's the "obvious" positions that will bring him down.

Hendry has developed one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. And for the most part a fine defensive ballclub.

Considering the last four games, you picked the absolute worst time of the season to make this (mostly correct) statement.

As good a place to post this as any -- from today's Doonesbury, discussing the birther movement:


Aide: Birthers are bitter, disappointed and in complete denial.

President: Hunh. They sound like Cubs fans.

Aide: Similar dynamic, yes.