In any event, O’Neal also reports that Kerry Wood is throwing from 45 to 50 feet in Arizona and that Jacque Jones is strengthening his labrum three to five days a week with Prior’s trainer in San Diego, but the Cubs will handle it “conservatively” without surgery. I’m skeptical of a lot more Pollyannaism here.

It's hard for us to evaluate what impact Rothschild and O'Neal had on the demise of Wood and Prior, but they presided over a disaster. There is no way that Rothschild should be back, and bringing back O'Neal is simply absurd.

Andy MacPhail himself was one to frequently say that starting pitching is the hardest, most expensive thing to come by . . . and the fact that the Cubs may be in the market for 2-3 new starters is itself a huge indictment of the MacPhail/Hendry regime.

And what are they going to do, acquire ALL of the available talent? Even the Yankees fail to do that despite infinitely deep pockets.

Just as we suspected, the Sox overtook the Cubs in viewership this year.

I don't live in Chicago any longer, but this surprised me when I saw it, even given last year's World Series.

Unless the White Sox roar out of the gate next year and the Cubs start slowly, I think this is a one-year deal.

And what are they going to do, acquire ALL of the available talent? Even the Yankees fail to do that despite infinitely deep pockets.

I just think that it's pretty sad that MacPhail emphasizes that they focus on drafting pitchers because it's so difficult/expensive to acquire them through trade or free agency . . . yet that's exactly what we'll be doing this offseason.

gyroball-specialist Daisuke Matsuzaka

Matsuzaka doesn't throw a gyroball.

I’ve read good things about Matsuzaka, as well as things that portray him as overrated.

What have you read that portrays him as overrated? I don't know if it can really be disputed that Matsuzaka is one of the best pitchers, if not the best, in the Pacific League.

Matsuzaka doesn't throw a gyroball.

Well, he's reputed to throw one -- whether it actually *is* one is another story.

I certainly agree that he's reputed to be among the best pitchers in the Pacific League and perhaps I was inaccurate when I said that I read reports of him as "overrated"; what I really meant was that some of the reports I read were absolutely glowing and others basically thought he would be ok in MLB, but not dominating. I don't recall anything specifically; I was just going off a hazy memory.

That isn't to say that I'm not interested, btw. To the contrary, I am quite interested; it's just that I wouldn't necessarily think he's going to be heading the Cubs staff. If he is, that's gravy, but I wouldn't expect him to be.

Well, he's reputed to throw one -- whether it actually *is* one is another story.

Matsuzaka's phantom gyroball has long been one of the many minor curses of my existence out there, and I blame Will Carroll for his grievously misinformed "reporting".

I'll state it equivocably. Matsuzaka doesn't throw a gyroball. He throws a sider that due to his release as some aspects of the gyroball delivery. But it still acts more like a slider than anything else, and it's not his out pitch.

[i[I certainly agree that he's reputed to be among the best pitchers in the Pacific League and perhaps I was inaccurate when I said that I read reports of him as "overrated"; what I really meant was that some of the reports I read were absolutely glowing and others basically thought he would be ok in MLB, but not dominating. I don't recall anything specifically; I was just going off a hazy memory.

Well, that certainly sounds right. He could be awesome, or simply just good. If the umps give him the outside corner, he'll be scary. I expect him to be a little homer prone, though.

To the contrary, I am quite interested; it's just that I wouldn't necessarily think he's going to be heading the Cubs staff. If he is, that's gravy, but I wouldn't expect him to be.

I agree 100%.