Cub Fan Nation

Kurt — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Kurt — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:14:00 +0000

Say hello to Captain Hunter Pence:

Kurt — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:59:00 +0000

Later on today, the Chicago Cubs will be playing the Houston Astros. I imagine it won't be easy to get tickets to a game in Wrigley this year, even when it's as cold as it has been. I think that, above all others, Cubs fans are fanatical about watching their team play - it seems like every big series has a playoff atmosphere, with all the pressure that comes with it.

The problem is, that pressure isn't constant. It escalates into a rising level of panic should the Cubs actually make the NLDS. That said, even if it is a big boiling pot of stress, I wouldn't miss a playoff game in the world - and I'm pretty confident in saying that the Cubs will make the playoffs this year.

Additionally, I've always been a fan of following the team around the country. I've seen the Cubs play in every city even remotely close to me - Montreal, Pittsburgh, New York, Toronto - and I'm dying to see them play in Philly, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. No matter where they are, no matter who they play, the Cubs are always worth getting tickets to go see.

Kurt — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:37:00 +0000

Cubs lose, Cubs fans suck

Jesus, you lose two games in spectacular and depressing fashion, and next thing you know, everybody's ready to commit Harry Caray. I can understand feeling frustrated and skeered, but if you are already proclaiming that this season cannot be saved, then you are not a Cubs fan. (Not talking about you, Rob, I don't think you're nearly that far gone.)

Over on GROTA, we've been doing some exciting things. Kevin has added a bunch of promotional things. You can now EMail GROTA stories to your friends (or enemies), you can promote our beloved website on sphere, stumble, blog hype, and facebook!

Hey, we'll take it. Anything to get the word out.

Me, I'll have more content later today, if I fail to fall asleep early like last night.

Kurt — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:23:00 +0000

Goat Riders Stuff

I need to blog here more often, so I think I'm going to turn this particular website into a behind-the-scenes Goat Riders site, where I discuss GROTA activity, behind-the-scenes GROTA news, and I will also be posting upcoming GROTA photoshops here first. Like this one:

In terms of what's upcoming for me, I will shortly be doing the first podcast of the season in which I bury a former GROTA writer for his incredibly unprofessional behavior. Additionally, Jason will be appearing on NPR in the near future, and he will be covering an Ernie Banks wine tasting event that also is upcoming.

It's a pretty good time at Goat Riders. Things are looking up.

Kurt — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:44:00 +0000

More photoshop fun:

Another oldie and a goodie from Goat Riders...

Kurt — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:32:00 +0000

Lineup Roulette:

With the season starting, the Cubs lineup - like usual - remains uncertain. Ideally, I think I would go with a lineup that looks a lot like this...

1. Ryan Theriot. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm crazy. But if Theriot can even get his batting average up to a measly .275-.280, then he'd have an OBP within the acceptable range for a leadoff guy, and he steals a lot of bases. Maybe it's beyond Theriot's ability to do this, but he's in the prime of his career, and if he'll ever be able to do it, it'll be in 2008.

2. Kosuke Fukudome. He's a perfect #2 guy. He walks a lot. He - theoretically - has the capability to hit a lot of doubles and even homeruns. He has speed and may be able to steal 15-20 bases. He makes a lot of contact and, theoretically, should get a lot of hits. Fukudome is an ideal #2 kind of hitter.

3. Derrek Lee. He'll probably never be 2005 MVLee again. That said, he just might still be capable of batting over .300 while hitting 40 or more doubles and knocking out 30 or more homeruns. With two good hitters in front of him, Lee could knock in a lot of runs in 2008.

4. Aramis Ramirez. He's the best pure power hitter on the team. He doesn't walk a lot, but he doesn't strike out a lot, either. Again, this lineup is so loaded that Ramirez could put up MVP caliber numbers.

5. Alfonso Soriano. To be honest, I'd like to see him higher up in the lineup. Hell, bat him cleanup and Ramirez 5th maybe. I dunno. But if he can accept a latter spot in the lineup, and if he can flourish there, then the Cubs might be scary-dangerous. Even if he trades spots with the little Fukker, the lineup will be strong.

6. Mark DeRosa. Not a bad #6 hitter. He could also bat #2 depending on the scenario. DeRosa puts up adequate numbers, and that isn't to be ignored.

7. Geo Soto. If he's not a bust, then Soto will be a solid addition to the lineup. A successful first full season could spell disaster for central division pitchers whenever they face the Cubs. But even if he falls a little flat, the Cubs will still be pretty strong offensively.

8. Felix Pie. Another guy who, if he isn't a bust, could make the Cubs scary good. Will that prove to be the case? Meh, probably not. But like Soto, if Pie can put up respectable numbers, then the Cubs will be truly dangerous and - dare I say it - murderous from top to bottom.

There are other ways to cut it, but this is an ideal lineup in my mind. Will Lou agree? I doubt it, and I won't hold it against him if he doesn't.

Kurt — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:54:00 +0000

I hope everybody is having a happy Easter.

Not too much to note, but to point out a few numbers you may not be aware of...

1. Ryan Theriot has an awesome .362 batting average so far in Spring Training. Who thinks he'll carry it into the bitter cold of Chicago?

2. Derrek Lee - batting .173.

3. Pie is batting .300 ... Fukudome is struggling along at .224, and Soriano is at .277. Methinks that these numbers might look a little different come September.

4. Sam Fuld is trying to start the year in Iowa, although his .341 OBP compared with his .176 batting average makes him almost Ricky Henderson-like.

5. Rich Hill is trying really hard to be the odd man out of the rotation. Will he succeed?

6. Jason Marquis - 2.95 ERA in 5 Spring Training starts. Wake-up call received.

7. Go Cubs.

Kurt — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:22:00 +0000

To have Wood, or not To Have Wood?

The baseball cynic in me is nervous about Kerry Wood. I can't help but remember the long, painful, torturous years of waiting for the next Kerry Wood injury. Seriously, I've gone to bed knowing that Wood was on the mound, and as a result I've slept shakily. I've suffered bizarre night terrors which involved the Cubs losing games by huge deficits. I've woken up at 2 in the morning with the compulsion to check the ticker in order to determine if Wood got hurt, or blasted, by the opposition.

Hell, I eventually came to feel the same way about that douchetart Mark Prior, but that's a different story.

Point is, Kerry Wood is a good guy. He's got great talent. But, unfortunately, when God built Kerry Wood, he substituted carbon with glass. Wood is about as fragile as a teenage girl's ego.

Now, how does that effect Wood's pursuit of the closer role? Well, to answer that, we need to consider several factors.

Factor the first: Does Wood, or does Wood not carry with him the deadliest mix of experience and stuff? (The answer is that he does. Marmol has better stuff but less experience. Howry has more experience, but worse stuff.)

Factor the second: If Wood is given this role, will Marmol and Howry not still both be on the team? After having been assigned as middle relievers and set-up men, will either or both suddenly lose the ability to close? If Wood gets hurt or proves unable to pitch, doesn't Piniella have the ability to turn to his other two closers-in-waiting? (The answer is that he can.)

Therefore, I think Wood should close. I don't know how it will turn out. There's always something wrong with the guy. But, is it the end of the world that he just suffered sex-stopping back spasms? Fuck no. He'll be back.

He always comes back.

Kurt — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:32:00 +0000

As a baseball fan who follows a team with a tremendous base, I know just how hard it can be to get tickets to games. I also live pretty damned far away from Chicago, like a lot of Cub fans. It used to be that, back in the day, if you wanted to go to a game, you'd have one of two choices - call in to the box office repeatedly until you got through and were able to buy your tickets on the day of sale, or press your luck and try to get them on the day of the game. With the team as popular as it is, it's almost impossible now to do either. That is where the brokers step in. If you don't want to deal with unreliable scalpers on game-day, Ticket Solutions is an ideal choice for you.

They offer MLB baseball tickets not just to the Cubs, but to every other team in the game. Not to mention World Series tickets - obviously it's a little early to worry too much about it, but you should know that when October rolls around, Ticket Solutions has your back covered. For a Cubs fan like me, Ticket Solutions is an excellent choice to buy Cubs tickets even to sold-out games, and should the Cubs reach the NLCS, I'll go through them to buy my NLCS tickets as well. Lastly and most importantly, when Derrek, Alfonso, Aramis, Carlos, and Fukudome make the All Star Game, we will be able to buy All Star Game tickets from Ticket Solutions as well.

More Cubs coverage to come later today.

Kurt — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:16:00 +0000

Do me in the #2 hole

I'm not sure if we have mentioned this in the past, but Lou Piniella is not Dusty Baker. Sure, they're both old, ex-ballplayers with a track record of managerial success in west coast ventures, sure, they've both managed super star Hall of Fame players, sure, they've both managed in the World Series, but unlike his idiotic colleague, Lou Piniella actually makes sensible adjustments to his team.

Take Kosuke Fukudome. We really have no idea how he'll perform in the States, although his probably a safe assumption that he'll put up some good numbers. But, will he hit 20 homers? It's unknown. Will he bat .300 and smack around a bunch of doubles and triples? That's more likely. For that reason alone, it probably makes not a whole ton of sense to insert the 'lil 'dome into the #3 spot of the lineup - a spot that is probably best filled by Derrek Lee.

Fukudome in the #2 hole makes a ton of sense. He's got some power. He's got some speed. He has tremendous plate discipline. Ryan Theriot, Lou's original choice, probably will never have a full-season OBP of .350. In fact, he's more likely to get on base only 33% of the time. For that reason alone, it doesn't make sense that Theriot should be the leadoff guy, and it apparently only took Lou Piniella about two weeks to figure that out. Well played, Lou. Well played.

At this stage, the only problem with the Cubs lineup is that there is no suitable #5 hitter to protect the best offensive third baseman in my lifetime as a Cubs fan, Aramis Ramirez. DeRosa is probably the best bet, right up until Geo Soto steps up and becomes a major league catcher. And if Soto never delivers, then look to Hendry to gather whatever talent he thinks he has in order to swing a trade for a big bat who plays in the middle of the infield.

Kurt — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:41:00 +0000

I really think that some journalists hate us bloggers.

I will admit that many have been very cool to us over at Goat Riders, from the always-kind Bruce Miles to the shockingly nice Paul Sullivan. (Shocking because we used to ridicule him unfairly.)

Here's the thing. Bloggers are harmless and fun. We occasionally break big stories. Mostly we just take the editorial page of the newspaper and expand it wide and far across the internet, catapulting opinions as if they were comprised of flaming rock and scatter shot ... they're hot, they're wide-spread, but they are rarely accurate.

Oddly enough, in other parts of the world, bloggers have already achieved a strong level of success. My friend Kevin assures me that it's because those countries are cheap; I just think they happen to be a little more open-minded.

I just think that people feel threatened for stupid reasons, and American journalists act cocky but, at the same time, feel incredibly insecure. They feel that their jobs are in danger, their industry is at risk, and somehow, some way, we are responsible - or, at least, we are a symptom of the problem.

In the same breath, most of us would like to be able to eek - er, eke - a living out of what we do. We'd love to sell advertising, to be read by thousands of people a day, to have some access to our favorite players and organizations, and to be recognized in general. I don't think any of us want to take the jobs of those who get paid to do it full time, and to be honest, I don't think I'd appreciate the confines of "journalism."

I've heard from some journalists that we can't do what they do because we don't have journalism degrees. Thing is, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that all you need to know is how to write a sentence, how to structure a story, and the proper style - all of which you can get without having to sit in stuffy classrooms to learn. We've seen plenty of famous journalists who couldn't write their way out of an acid trip (as opposed to the late, great Hunter S.), and there are plenty of bloggers out there with writing degrees. Hell, at least three of us at GROTA have bachelor's degrees in one field or another, and one of our writers is getting a doctorate. Could we do it professionally? Probably. Do we want to? Nuh uh. We want to blog professionally, and blogging is different.

So why can't we do that, get the slice of credibility we want, and let it go at that?

Kurt — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:34:00 +0000

As a Cubs fan, I'm not sure what's more offensive - Sam Zell selling the naming rights to Wrigley Field in order to pocket a quick buck, or Jim Hendry being considered a good general manager who might have his contract renewed before the end of the year.

Look, I'm just a regular guy who, despite all his protestations, knows as little about baseball as everybody else. But I'll tell you this ... if a major league baseball team gave me $120 million to work with, I could build a winning franchise. And I'm a schmuck! Seriously!

Hendry can't draft, he can't develop, and he can't even trade anymore. All he can do is toss good money after bad.

As for Sam Zell ... fuck 'em. It's one thing to sell naming rights and invest it back in the team, but Zell just wants to pocket more cash before he sells the team for even more cash.

Kurt — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:25:00 +0000

Mark DeRosa has been released ... from the hospital

I guess you can't really blame Mark DeRosa. I mean, if I played for a roller-coaster of a team like the Cubs, I might have heart problems, too. Christ knows that I've had enough panic attacks while just being a fan.

It's already looking to be a normal year for the Cubs, which is a weird year for any and everybody else. Their red-headed ex closer predicted a World Series win. Their starting second baseman did his best Chris Farley impersonation and beat off a grabber. (Heh. I said "beat off.") A young reliever of theirs has been apparently mugged, although I am more inclined to believe that he got into a fight and is now trying to cover his immature ass.

One has to ask ... what's next? Will Kerry Wood's rotator cuff detach from his shoulder? Will Derrek Lee lose six inches of height? Perhaps Aramis Ramirez will get into a cock fight with his teammates, only to realize that he left the roosters back home in the Dominican?

It's a rare year when things aren't circus-like on the north side. Let's keep our fingers crossed that these are the end of the incidents, not the beginning.

Kurt — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:42:00 +0000

Photochoppin' Fun

Over the course of my career as a blogger, I've made a lot of photoshops. From time to time, I will be reposting them all here, pretty much in the order of their creation.

Enjoy:

Kurt — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:36:00 +0000

Sam Fuld? Really?

When he's not busy spending his time perched on a window sill while buddying up to walking, talking puppets who want to someday become a real boy, Sam Fuld is apparently in strong competition to win the center field spot for the Cubs.

Personally, I think that Lou Piniella just wants him on the team so our team's manager will have a head he can rest his beer on top of while seated in the dugout. Don't get me wrong, I like Fuld. I like his hustle, I like his heart, I like his grit, but what I don't like is his total lack of major league talent.

Okay, maybe I'm being harsh. Maybe Sam Fuld can and will be able to hit major league hitting. Maybe he'll take the growth and sprout up to a full 5'6", but probably not. While he may hit for a higher batting average than the young and erratic Felix Pie, Sam Fuld just doesn't seem to have the physical ability necessary to be a productive offensive hitter at the major league level, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that his best possible offensive line is probably .275 AVG, 25 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, 50 RBI, and a .330 OBP.

On an offensively solid team, that's fine. The Cubs could get away with letting Fuld start. But the potential of Felix Pie is bigger, and, let's be honest, if the Cubs can get away with letting Fuld start in center, then they can also get away with letting Pie flounder out there.

Kurt — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Mark Prior can eat a bag full of dicks for all I care.

Maybe I'm reacting selfishly, but I always feel a little bit of fury when I think back on Prior's career with the Cubs. I will grant that he was absolutely abused on the mound by Dusty Baker and his crappy cronies. I will acknowledge that he was disrespected in the media by the team, journos, and fans, who slowly began to believe that Prior was a headcase. I will acknowledge that he has reason to want out of Chicago ... but I can't get over his refusal to play in a city that would have paid him more, and I can't forgive that he didn't seem to feel he owed Chicago anything for the millions of dollars spent on his free ride these past few seasons.

Meanwhile, as Prior chomps on his cock-bag, Kerry Wood has stepped up and said, flat out, "I'm in Chicago because I love it here and I owe it to the fans."

Folks, that's why Kerry Wood will be remembered fondly forever, while Prior's career will be an abortion in our memories. Prior is a douche and a failure.

I'll be honest with you ... I fully support him having a comeback year. I truly hope that he is a Cy Young Candidate. And I'm looking forward to watching him suck yet again in the playoffs.

Fuck Mark Prior.

Kurt — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:54:00 +0000

Will this blog ever be a regular again?

Meh, probably not.

However, while I love posting at GROTA, I think that this blog will be an excellent venue for venting from time to time ... particularly when I want to fuckin' curse up a goddamn storm, bitches.

With Spring Training having begun, I will likely start doing some photoshops/posting Spring Training photos. I may even be inspired to make a few R-Rated rants that are too dirty for Goat Riders.

So, enjoy the blog, go nuts, and go Cubs.

Kurt — Wed, 09 May 2007 19:15:00 +0000

The Cubs played a bummer of a game against the Pirates yesterday in which they lost after 15 innings of less-than-stellar play.

A big criticism of past Cubs teams is that they have the tendency to play erratically. Sometimes the offense is good, other times - most times, really - it was as cold as ice. This year, the offense has the potential to be much, much better, so it is inexcusable when they can't win close games.

Furthermore, we know at this point that Uncle Lou is playing to win in inning 8, not inning 11, and the longer these extra-inning affairs go, the less likely it is the Cubs will have enough ammunition to win.

Regardless, the good news was that Scott Eyre went three scoreless innings in relief, so maybe he's on the brink of turning the corner. If he can come around, then the bullpen is going to be incredible. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Kurt — Fri, 04 May 2007 21:27:00 +0000

The Cubs played an incredible game today, coming from behind in order to beat the Nationals. Carlos Zambrano had a first inning worthy of a Devil Ray before buckling down and going six solid innings.

Meanwhile, Derrek Lee continues to be the hottest hitter living, having escalated his batting average into the .420 range.

DLee's production scares me a bit, because we know that sooner or later he's going to return to earth. When that happens, how long will he be slumping? Things to consider.

The Cubs go for the series win tomorrow, throwing Ted Lilly at the Nationals. This team could be good.

Kurt — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:10:00 +0000

Convention photoshops

Something we've been planning for the Cubs Convention for some time now is that we are going to take some of the more popular GROTA photoshops - which I will create more of, I promise - and distribute them for free to the people at the Con.

The problem with this plan is that the images are all way, waaaay too small (except, perhaps, for Che Zambrano, which was designed large for a t-shirt.) You probably don't know this - nor do you likely care - but to create a photo-worthy image, one must make it pretty darn big, which is why I'm in the process of doing "recreations." The first recreation I did was Scarlos, and this is what the Convention version will look like:

And even that image was cut in half to fit on the webpage. My current hopes are to get that image in the hands of Carlos Zambrano, if only because he might be really, really amused.

Other images currently planned for recreation include Brokearm Mountain, the Crippled Walking Bear, Ernie Bartman, perhaps Che Zambrano, maybe the Freddie Bynum homerun shot, and I don't know what else. (Here are the images in question:)

The other problem with most of our other photoshops is that they are too negative. Not that I think it's our fault. The Cubs gave us little to feel positive about last year, and that was reflected in the images we created. Therefore, I'm opening this thread to suggestions - but make 'em quick, we need to have 10 photoshops ready to go by tomorrow night.

Feel free to suggest here what the photoshops should be. Of the images listed above, should some of them not make the cut? Are there any players attending the Convention who you would like to see immortalized? Let us know!

Kurt — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 14:26:00 +0000

I'M BACK!

As some of you might know, I recently went on vacation to Europe and missed some of the worst Cubs play in my young life in the process. I also got to watch the early rounds of the World Cup Action in the heart of Europe, and in a lot of ways, baseball can't compare to it, although I'm sure that if the Cubs ever made the World Series, there would be city-wide cheering after every scored run, like there was in Paris whenever the French team scored a goal. You could literally hear them from your hotel room.

As far as the Cubs go, well, let's just say I'm vying for what we comic book fans would call a "reboot." Someone in the Trib Tower has to have the gonads to press the reset button, forcing schmucks like Andy McPhail, Jim Hendry, Dusty Baker, Gene Clines, Gary Matthews, and Larry Rothschild to seek jobs elsewhere, because they've done absolutely nothing for the city of Chicago except lose.

Anyway, now that I'm back, and although I'm blogging at Goat Riders probably 6 out of every 7 days, I will try to get back to blogging here three or four days a week. Look at it this way: I'm going to use my best jokes at Goat Riders, but I'll be using my worst vulgarity here. So, if you want to read me cursing out the Cubs, then check back here later today when they get swept by the White Sox ... and still don't fire Dusty Baker.

Kurt — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:11:00 +0000

A FEW ODDS AND ENDS

I'm a lame Cubs fan. How lame, you ask? So lame that, for years, I've wanted to design my own Cubs jersey, which - theoretically - I would have created just for me, and worn to games and such. Well, my photoshop skills are pretty decent these days. Here's what my Cubs jersey would look like:

Having had a good look at it, I'm thinking it might be better off with blue stripes rather than red, and perhaps a red logo rather than a blue.

While I was seeking the proper logo for my fantasy jersey, I stopped by the Iowa Cubs website. Did you know that for just $10, you can watch every Iowa game this year online? That's actually a pretty sweet deal, especially compared to the $80 or so that it costs to watch a Cubs game. Not to mention that the Iowa Cubs should be a pretty exciting team to watch.

I might move my most recent Goat Riders photoshop over to this site, as it might be deemed too vulgar for my sister-site. Apparently having a "Dusty Baker" lineup card with penis, boobs, and dry ball-shaving jokes might be just a little too much for Goat Riders. Oh well.

Cheers.

Kurt — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 19:04:00 +0000

THE BEST ROUTE

With all due respect to James, I am still advocating a Felix Pie promotion. Especially now, in the face of a long-term loss of Derrek Lee.

Here's why: as the situation stands currently, the Cubs lineup looks like this, on most days:

Juan Pierre
Jerry Hairston Jr./Ronny Cedeno
Todd Walker
Aramis Ramirez
Jacque Jones
Matt Murton
Michael Barrett
Ronny Cedeno/Jerry Hairston Jr.
Pitcher

To be honest, as long as Walker is hitting, that's not a terrible lineup. Especially if Aramis turns up his production. I mentioned it at Goat Riders ... at the time Derrek Lee went down with his injury, Aramis Ramirez was batting .196 with 2 homers and 6 RBI. The Cubs still managed to go 9-5 at that point. I reckon that, if Walker stays productive, and Aramis starts hitting, then there won't be a notable decline in offensive production. Which isn't to say that offensive production will be as good as it could be, because obviously it would be better with Derrek in the lineup, but it should be adequate.

The problem is Jerry Hairston. He might put up tolerable numbers in the #2 spot, but he might not. He's not a great player, or even a good one. He's adequate at best, and realistically, he's mediocre as a starter. He's still a better choice than Neifi, who should continue to see increased play in the middle infield now that Walker has been taken from the second base equation, but I don't think he'll cut it on an every-day basis at second base. Meanwhile, John Mabry is going to see more time at first base, which is bad news. The guy shouldn't even be on a major league roster. He's done.

So, here's my proposal. According to some stories I've read, Jacque Jones played some first base in high school and college. I think he could handle first for the Cubs as well as Walker, anyway. That makes room for Felix Pie to be promoted to right field, where, even if he's not exactly ready for the Majors, I suspect he'd still put up better numbers than Jerry Hairston or Neifi Perez. Todd Walker can move back to second base, and the lineup is suddenly a bit better.

The thing about Felix is that he appears to be an immensely talented outfielder, and also he appears to be intensely smart. He's also produced at every level and he's a competitor. If he does well, he could be another Juan Pierre with more pop at the top of the order. If he doesn't do well ... well, he'll still be better than Jerry or Neifi. I really believe that.

Here's what my theoretical lineup might look like:

Pierre
Pie
Walker
Aramis
Murton (I said theoretical, didn't I?)
Barrett
Jones
Cedeno
Pitcher

To me, at least, this looks a little better. I think it's worth consideration, but I suspect that won't happen for a few weeks at least, and only if Hairston and Neifi tank at second. Let's wait it out and see.

Kurt — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:19:00 +0000

IS IT TOO EARLY FOR A PIECE OF PIE?

Over at Goat Riders, I recently speculated that Felix Pie has earned his chance to play at Wrigley. This caused Jason (Goat Rider Famine) to suggest that the Cubs shouldn't make another Pattersonesque mistake, and that Pie would benefit from a full year at Triple A.

Ok, yeah, maybe. I can see that. But there are a few striking differences between Corey Patterson and Felix Pie.

One was heralded as a great talent from the moment he was drafted. The other earned a name for himself by playing with great talent in the minor leagues. Felix wasn't a huge prospect when the Cubs signed him, but he's certainly earned his accolades by performing well at every level he's played on.

Corey has no mentality for the game. He doesn't know how to think when he's in the batter's box. He swings from his heels and he's unwilling to correct his mistakes.

Felix is a smart player who actually plays to in-game situations. Pie loves playing the game of baseball, and he loves winning. Even though his power numbers have increased in recent years, I get the feeling that Felix isn't going to start swinging from his heels no matter how much more money he could make by hitting 30 homeruns a year.

And, this might be the biggest difference between Felix and Corey, and the best reason Felix should get promoted: Pie is more talented than Jacque Jones.

It's just food for thought. I don't see how it could hurt to leave Felix at Triple A for another month or more, but if he keeps playing incredibly solid baseball, Dusty will have to make room somewhere.