As long as Dierker is in charge, the Astros will never go anywhere.

Ummm...because HE HAD IT BEFORE?


You're conveniantly frgetting that Woods returned early from Tommy John surgery. He didn't complete his rehab. I'm betting the off-season puts him back where he was. Are you using generalities to say he won't get there? Give me something solid...

 

First... for the most part, I like your posting. But you are the ultimate Chicago homer. Remember before this year? The Rockets were going to be worse than the Bulls. Elton Brand was the beginning of A New Dynasty. Didn't happen. I never hear you criticize your own team. That's good in a way, but perhaps you should be more objective.

And your conveniently forgetting that some people never fully recover from tommy john surgery. And you're forgetting that such surgery wouldn't necessarily effect control. Sometimes pitchers just go wild a bit. It happens.

And when exactly have I said the Cubs were screwed? When Kerry Woods had his injury, I thought that if he was out for long, they were dead. Well, he's coming back. Sosa has generated a substantial % of your offense. Lieber has been by far your best pitcher. How is that inaccurate? Houston has a # of pitchers that are almost a wash in terms of season performance. They have a # of hitters that can smack the ball, and Daryl Ward, a replacement who can fill in for most of them admirably. Would you care to point out anything incorrect, there?

I'm not being insulting. You try to use w/l record as a rubric for pitching success, argue that the Cubs have an equal roster when even objective observers think they're overachieving, then act like it's a given that all of your players will achieve the success that they might if certain conditions are right. Sorry, but that doesn't make sense.

 

Not quite, but if I was---whats wrong with that? I was born and have lived all my life in Chicago. But I don't follow hockey, and I absolutely loathe the White Sox. I wish they had moved to Florida several years back.

I criticize my teams...on this board I said that Baylor deserves Manager of the Year because he's got a team with third place talent in first place. And when the season ended, I said the Bulls needed a lot more talent than they could hope to get in FA or with the fourth pick this year. Thats criticism. I won't rip them...if thats what you want to hear. They had a rebuilding plan (look out--more criticism), it failed, and they started over and very well at that.

Except Wood snever had control problems before the surgery, and he's gained back everything he lost before the surgery (he had speed problems when he first came back) so it's logical to think, given his gains, that that will come to him too.

I never said the rosters were equal. I said that I see no reason to think, given the way they've played, that the Cubs will suddenly, this late in the game, give up the ghost, roll over and die. They've had ample time and even excuses if they wanted them. Hasn't happened. They've kicked, fought and scratched and they still hold the flag. I expect them to continue holding the flag.

 

Farnsworth
Van Poppel
Fassero
Even Jon Lieber is having a much better year
Kevin Tapani
Julian Tavarez
Jason Bere

And thats just from the pitching staff.

 

Cincinnati Red syndrome. And, like the Reds, the Cubs will finish in second, maybe third.

Lieber is having a much better year than expected.

 

The first three are converted starters---and Farnsworth is our closer of the future. This is not an aberation for him---it's the start of something big.

The rest were always good to above average pitchers---their problem was consistancy. Now their consistantly pitching up to the ability they always had.


If Felix Heredia started suddenly blowing people away then you might have something---but these guys? It's just the consistancy-----and again, thats coaching.