Cub fans are never afraid to speak of their optimism. It's what keeps us going. Every year I think it is going to be THE year. Hopefully someday soon I will be right.

blue--It looks like they're supposed to start talking tomorrow. They had briefly met at the winter meetings. Lee's agent said he expects to get something done by opening day. Lee said over the weekend he wants to stay in Chicago as long as the contract is fair for both sides. I think he said something along the lines of "There isn't a whole lot of difference to me between $10M and $12M" (very liberally paraphrasing).

Edit--here is one of his quotes...
"But I look at it as, if there's a deal that makes me happy now, why not sign it?" he said. "I don't think $2 to $3 million a year more is going to change my life.

[This message has been edited by brian32178 (edited 3/2/2006 4:11p).]

I can't believe that MLB is including spring training as part of their season package for their streaming audio. You would think they'd give us spring training games for free to get us hooked then charge us for the regular season.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Check out "Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order"
at tamu-and-baseball.com

Glad I wasn't listening to Oakland's top of the 5th.

Ryan, I was thinking the same exact thing. I was looking forward to listening to the game and am a little disappointed. Wuertz got the win but I haven't seen much else. I guess that may be a point for him. We'll have to be sure to tune in on Sunday to see what happens.

...as for the eternal optimism it's double for the Ags on this board.

I'm glad to hear that Lee wants something fair for both parties. He is a good man. We have to keep him on our team.

Baseball season is going to stink when it starts and I only get the lunch hour to get on TexAgs.

just ran across this....THE Glenallen Hill HR....you guys know what I'm talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O64EgRJTx4


while I'm on the topic of media....does anyone know where I can find a d/lable version of the Ron Santo audio clip following the Brant Brown dropped ball in '98? That clip is priceless.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Check out "Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order"
at tamu-and-baseball.com

You are right, that was THE homerun. I remember watching that game live. Two or three weeks later, he hit one down the street that runs perpendicular to Waveland.

Ryan--

http://www.northtonorth.com/pages/soundclips/santoohno.mp3

[This message has been edited by brian32178 (edited 3/2/2006 8:17p).]

Thanks for the memories guys. I love Santo. He is one of the few people that gets more upset over Cubs losses than I do. And that Hill HR was unbelievable. Looking back on things knowing what we know about the players now, who would guess that GA was on the juice? Wouldn't surprise me if he was.

thanks brian

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Check out "Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order"
at tamu-and-baseball.com

Here's the infamous Lee Elia tirade from 1983. Classic. There's absolutely no profanity in it at all.

http://www.kenn.com/sounds/elia.wav

There's another video on that site where a guy slides through the pee trough at Wrigley. Disgusting...and funny. Anyone desire the link, or is the mental picture enough?

Anyone have a copy of the audio where Harry tries to spell Grudzielanek backwards? It was late in a game against the Expos, he was probably on his fifth beer.

I always loved hearing Harry try to pronounce Caminiti.

Lance- A friend sent that to me a few weeks ago. You can't really appreciate just how masty that really is unless you've been in those bathrooms. Simply disgusting. I do my best not to go while at the game.

Gotta love Big Z. Looks like he's in great shape already. He is completely nuts, though. I love how he thinks he is a real hitter.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060302cubs,1,515246.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

quote:

---

Zambrano's ready to carry Venezuela
3 shutout innings before going to WBC
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter

March 2, 2006, 10:58 PM CST

MESA, Ariz. -- Carlos Zambrano slammed several batting practice home runs Thursday morning before pitching three shutout innings against Oakland in the Cubs' Cactus League opener.

Not only is Zambrano hoping to pitch his country to the World Baseball Classic championship, he wouldn't mind being Venezuela's designated hitter as well.

"I'm a hitter," Zambrano said. "Why not?"

The Cubs may not be crazy about Zambrano taking any extra risks in the upcoming tournament, knowing one false move could sideline their ace and quiet their postseason aspirations before the season begins.

But Zambrano said he isn't concerned about the possibility of injury, even if several players have pulled out of the WBC for just that reason.

"That's something I can't prevent," he said. "I will pitch the same way I pitch with the Cubs, with less intensity."

On a picture-perfect afternoon in front of 7,717 at HoHoKam Park, Zambrano showed he's already ahead of the pack.

He struck out leadoff hitter Mark Ellis on three pitches, breezed through the first inning with two strikeouts and dominated in the Cubs' 8-7 victory.

After he left the game with a 5-0 lead, Zambrano confidently pronounced, "This is the season for the Cubs."

While he was speaking, Cubs reliever Bryan Corey gave up seven runs without retiring a batter, turning a five-run lead into a 7-5 deficit.

Is this really the season for the Cubs?

"We have the team," first baseman Derrek Lee said. "We're balanced. We're athletic. Our bench is great and our bullpen depth is better. We just need to take it one step at a time."

Zambrano's first step was a big one. Catcher Michael Barrett said Zambrano is far ahead of where he usually is starting out and praised his maturity.

"We've all seen the erratic behavior," Barrett said. "I did, when I came over [in 2004]. He's a lot better."

The next time Barrett sees Zambrano may be in the WBC, if the United States plays Venezuela in the second or third round.

"It's weird, because here is this guy who's pitching so well, and he's already in mid-season form," Barrett said. "There's a good chance we're probably going to face him, so I'm trying to take some notes.

"It'll be interesting. It's going to take everything he has not to hit me."

Zambrano will pitch in relief of Johan Santana in Venezuela's WBC opener Tuesday against the Dominican Republic, but he will startif his team advances.

He already has said his goal this year is to match Santana as a Cy Young Award winner. Manager Dusty Baker said Zambrano could achieve that goal if he keeps his mind right.

"He's not the best pitcher yet, but he has some of the best stuff," Baker said. "There's a difference. He's still on the way. When I first got here, I said he could be one of the best. I haven't changed my mind. I told him he has 20-[win] stuff.

"Last year he could have won 17 or 18, but there were three or four games early where we tried to let him get the victory, and sometimes he gets overly creative out there.

"Sometimes it looks like he gets bored. Well, not bored, but when you're young, you're going to try stuff that might not be necessary."

Baker gave a pep talk to his players before the Cactus League opener, noting Lee, Barrett, Zambrano and Henry Blanco would be leaving for the WBC after the game.

"Our final word was for our guys to just pull for them and give 'em some love," Baker said. "I asked the guys who they're rooting for. Everybody is rooting for their own country."

But is everyone's country going to be rooting hard for its own team?

The apparent apathy in the United States toward the WBC is in sharp contrast to the growing fervor in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.

"There's a lot of pride involved in this," Barrett said. "I was listening to Ron Santo and Pat Hughes broadcasting the game, and one of the things they made mention of was how big these guys are in their home countries. There's a lot of truth in that.

"It's a big deal for them, and I'm hoping for us that once we put on the USA uniforms and everyone sees us on the big screens, they'll change their hearts and focus on us."

---

quote:

---

Zambrano confidently pronounced, "This is the season for the Cubs."

---

Hell yeah!

Zambrano *can* hit, so he can talk all he wants. He's come up with quite a few big HR's the last few years, particularly against the Astros (see 2003 againt Wade Miller).

I think that the Cubs now have the best hitting staff in baseball.

Being a good hitting pitcher and being a good hitter are two different things, which is what Carlos doesn't realize. I like his mindset, though. Like to see the confidence. And that HR was classic.

quote:

---

"This is the season for the Cubs."

---

I like that as our new battle cry.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Check out "Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order"
at tamu-and-baseball.com

Isn't that always the battle cry.

Usually confidence like that would make nervous but no one's really expecting us to do anything. I'm starting to get more and more hopeful myself. It's good to see that Z already seems to be doing better theis year.



30 days.

Here's the box score from yesterday's game. It looks like your boy Jerry had a good game there Old Style.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=260302116

ESPNews reported that Prior threw 50 pitches off the bullpen mound yesterday. Next step is to face live batters.

Of course nothing is wrong according to Baker.

Pie & Aramis each had 2 RBI's.

And the only pitcher to give up anything was Corey and he didn't really have any chance to make the team anyway. Big Z and Dempster looked especially good, according to the reports.

By the way, Aggie Cliff Pennington was 0-2 with a walk and a run scored for the A's. Also, had 2 errors.

Crap....

Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will have minor arthroscopic surgery on his right knee next week, general manager Jim Hendry said Friday.

Dude, you need to word your thread titles better. You about gave me a heart attack.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060303cubswood,1,5595063,print.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

quote:

---

Wood to have knee surgery
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter

March 3, 2006, 2:18 PM CST

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Kerry Wood will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday to repair damage to a torn medial meniscus, the Cubs announced Friday.

General manager Jim Hendry called it a "minor" setback for the injury-plagued right-hander who currently is rehabbing his right shoulder after arthroscopic surgery last August. Though no timetable was given for his return, Wood was expected to be back from the shoulder problem in late April.

"I'm not expecting to miss more than a couple weeks," Wood said.

Wood came to the Cubs about three days ago and told trainer Mark O'Neal he was feeling discomfort in the knee. Wood said an MRI revealed the tear, and he will travel to Los Angeles to have surgery by Dr. Lewis Yocum. Wood was still able to throw a bullpen session on Friday and will have another bullpen session on Monday, the day before the surgery.

"It doesn't bother him at all to pitch," Hendry said. "In all honesty, he did not want to have the procedure. He felt like as long as it didn't hurt to pitch, he wanted to continue because his arm is feeling so well. After I talked to the doctors, we felt it was best to do it now. We'd hate to see him in the middle of the summer going along well, from normal activity running the bases, trip over the bag, field bunts, that it might get to the point where it would be a problem.

"I don't want that to happen, where he changes his delivery."

Wood was optimistic that the surgery won't be a major setback.

"They're not fixing anything, they're taking a piece out," Wood said. "We're not in danger here."

---

Cubs.com is saying Woody's only supposed to miss a week. It might just be propaganda though. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise though. I've been starting to get excited about having Wood back. Maybe this will serve to temper my expectations.

Even though it's spring training, it's good to see the Cubs offense rolling early. Wellemeyer's pitching is a different story...

CUBS 15, MARINERS 8

The Cubs erupted in a five-run third inning, with back-to-back solo homers by Aramis Ramirez and Brandon Sing starting things off. Todd Walker added two of his three RBIs for the game with a double and Dennis Anderson singled in a run. Sing added another homer, a two-run shot off Dave Burba, in the fourth. Jacque Jones was 3-for-3.

5 ER on 8 hits in only two innings (with one walk). That's definitely not going to help him make the bullpen out of spring training. I didn't see Wuertz's numbers but I know he got the W against Oakland.

Cubs vs. Giants on WGN, just started.