This organization DID NOT have to blow 10 million on Pena. I don't want to hear a fucking word about them not having money to pay a top draft pick when they do stupid shit like that with their money. 1 mil for kotchman or cantu to play first and the 9 mil left would have more than signed the most expensive guy out there at pick number 9.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Paying all that money to Sharkzilla worked out great

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i just noticed ur sig, that is absolutely hilarious!!!

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A few random observations

Sharkzilla now 3-0 ...how is that working out for you?

One question what exactly has Crane Kenney done wrong? What should he have done instead of what he did?

And for anyone who has ever worked in a BIG business that has been bought out or merged you know the drill. (I have been through it twice) The NEW management (owners) usually take a year to observe and make evaluations. If you look at the front office staff (tickets,marketing and finance) the changes have already started as all have new people in charge. This is just the start. After this year more will be replaced. Year 3 in ANY BIG business is really when the NEW owners have "their" people in place. As fans we tend to want instant change but this is a REAL business and the Rickett's know how BIG business works.

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Seriously? You're going to step up to the plate in defense of Shark and Crane Kenney?

Shark is a 10 million dollar mop-up man and Crane Kenney is baseball Ted Phillips.

Hendry and Kenney would have been gone long ago in New York or Philly or Boston. But this big market team doesn't do business like that. There was nothing to observe. Ricketts himself said he had phone calls from guys throwing their hat in the ring for the GM job.....because I guess everyone but Ricketts assumed Hendry would be fired. He sure as shit should have done his homework on this "front office" before being handed the keys. BigFan has said that the only reason Hendry kept his job was his world-class ass kissing/fleecing of Ricketts.

Save your "How Big Business Is Run 101" seminar. This isn't the private sector.

as he does with the players he signs as well...Hendry isnt cut out for business...he's too nervous a guy...noone wants to work for him...it amazes me how no former players speak out against him

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According to Peoria Matt....
"Seriously? You're going to step up to the plate in defense of Shark and Crane Kenney?"
" Crane Kenney is baseball Ted Phillips."

No where in that statement am I defending Crane Kenney...

My question was and still is "Exactly what has Crane Kenney done wrong?" and "What should he have done instead of what he did?"

Matt goes on and says "Shark is a 10 million dollar mop-up man"

By definition "mop-up man" is usually the bullpen's least effective reliever who comes in after the outcome of the game is all but certain.

How does coming into multiple tie games equate to being the mop up man?
How else he win 3 games with an anemic Cubs offense if he is only used in games "after the outcome of the game is all but certain."

I will sit down and wait for my answer.......

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You're asking the wrong question. The question is 'what has Crane Kenney done to earn the position of president of a professional baseball team?' Kenney is a newspaper man who was put in the position while the Tribune Co owned the team. He has no background in baseball whatsoever. Why did Ricketts keep him on? What does he contribute to the team? If he's good at public relations or advertising or charity work then put him in one of those positions but for god's sake put someone who can actually contribute something about on the field decisions as the president of your baseball team. If nothing else it would limit Hendry's authority which has been sorely needed.

Kenney was supposed to be the evil businessman who would raise ticket prices and shake down governments while Omaha Tom would remain the cuddly man of the people who met his wife in the bleachers. Then Ricketts himself started doing all that crap anyway, so no, there's no purpose for Crane Kenney anymore, other than as a reminder of when the Cubs were controlled by faceless Kenilworth types who figured Sosa and some crap was good enough to sell seats, which we now consider The Good Old Days.

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Fucking-A-Right !!! Kenney is a lawyer with no baseball background what so ever. So he is President of the club & Hendry reports to him??? That is laughable and the results are reflected on the field. Laughable! I think it speaks to the feeling that this team has no real direction or plan. Hendry reacts, tries to plug holes & save his job....while Kenney is focused on getting new facilities built in AZ and getting the dump rehabbed in Chicago....which by the way he is a BIG 0 for 1 on.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

I fully trust that Hendry is still working on trading for Michael Young.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Hendry is not trying to save his job

Hendry is in complete power and he knows it...he has power over Ricketts

Hendry is running this team from top to bottom

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I was wondering the same thing about the Crane Kenney is the devil thoughts. I then realized that its a B & B staple. He did the stupid blessing of Wrigley and we know how Dan feels about anything religious. I have no worries about Crane staying or leaving.

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Kenny Williams fell for the banana in the tailpipe

Inquisitor....Crane Kenney should not even be employed with a major league baseball team much less the Cubs, unless he is working behind the scenes to secure a deal for a new Wrigley Field or rehabbing the old one. He brought a priest onto the field to sprinkle holy water. He doesn't need to do anything differently....HE SHOULDN'T BE DOING ANYTHING FOR THIS TEAM !!!!!

And Samardjia.....wow 3-0....HURRAY!!!!! I'll give him credit for his 1.5 to 2 good months in what, the last 5 years?

Set the bar higher.

I hope the Inquisitor saw Samardjia's appearance last night.

Would coming into a game in the bottom of the 8th in a 10-5 game be considered mop-up? I was curious how the great "Shark" would look against a top shelf team. And did you check that sweet pitching line out? The Bears could always use another receiver.

I'll hang up and wait for my answer.

Totally correct. And with all the money coming off payroll, they have no money excuses. This pick will say alot about Ricketts.

I said back in February this team was not going to contend and anyone that thought it could and is getting upset NOW was slow to draw an accurate assessment of the team. Hendry (as I said when they were going after him) was STUPID to sign Pena. that was 10 million they could have banked for someone like Fielder. This season is ....or it should be.... about evaluating young talent like Brett Jackson and developing young players like Castro, Barney and hopefully Colvin. Guys like Fukudome should be traded now, despite the fact that he has played well this year so far. We know from past seasons that he's likely to fall off and any money they can save can be used this winter for better players who will play a part in the future. The fact that Hendry was retained by ownership was a huge disappointment. Nothing I have seen so far from management since the team was purchased by the Ricketts family leads me to believe that they will bring a WS title to the teams fans. The only thing that gives me some hope, is some of the young players (Soto, Castro and Barney) that have been signed and developed in the past few years.

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Go Cubs!!!!

how does signing pena for 1 year at 10 mil affect your chances to get fielder next year?

all this anger towards ricketts is lost on me. shed the salaries that expire this year and prepare to go young next season. this wasnt hard to see coming. i think the upcoming off-season and the direction of the team next year is going to be telling. this was going to be a bad transition year no matter if they spent 10 million on pena for one year or not.

Cubs are 15th in the NL in fielding...
43 games played 33 errors and a frightening .979 fielding percentage.
By the way, that's good enough for 28th in the league and only .002 away from the dead last team Houston.

That's crazy bad.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Half of those errors have come in the last 10 days I think. They could get way worse than this I fear. I didn't realize how good of a defensive catcher Soto is until Hill has been playing every day.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Peoria Matt said:I hope the Inquisitor saw Samardjia's appearance last night.

Would coming into a game in the bottom of the 8th in a 10-5 game be considered mop-up? I was curious how the great "Shark" would look against a top shelf team. And did you check that sweet pitching line out? The Bears could always use another receiver.

Yes I did Matt and just who would you have used in that spot? Marshall, Wood, Marmol?
Seems like Quade had only 3 options at that point in the game use Russel for a 4th inning, bring in Grabow for the second day in a row or the rested Shark.

Shark was not the "MOP UP MAN" (that would have been either Maine or Russell) he was the only viable option left. That situation is far from being the MOP UP MAN

Did he have a good outing ...NO
Was he the MOP UP man NO

I am sitting down Matt fire away.

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Who's the best option to put in a 10-5 game? Marmol? Wood? No you'd want to save them for a meaningful game. Same for Marshall. Grabow....same as Shark, only throws lefty. Which leaves........the Shark!!!!! Yes....he's the only viable option left because he's the worst and least valuable of the 3 remaining.

He has had, I believe, 3 to 4 good months in a Cubs uniform. He's 3-0 with 24 walks and 18 hits given up in 25 innings this year. Celebrate.

Forgive me if the term "mop up man" offends you. How about "he sucks"?

Matt: What no comment about Crane Kenney... he may be the best fielding team president in all of MLB

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Most productive thing he's done as a Cubs employee. Maybe he had the priest sprinkle holy water in his section before the game.

It's 10 million that could have gone towards paying a guy like Fielder, who could be a part of the team long term. Rather than having a situation where the team says "we were 8-10 million apart on a deal" you have that money in the bank, because you didn't WASTE it on Pena!!

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Go Cubs!!!!

who was going to be your first baseman this year if you didnt sign someone to a short 1-year deal like pena?

Kotchman and Cantu were both available for under 1 mil. I think Kotch had to take a minor league deal and work his way back up as he has this year.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

kotchman has zero power potential and is not a viable run producer for the middle of a lineup, and cantu is another righty to throw into a lineup of righties.

pena is not a great hitter, understood. but for 1 year and 10 mil, there is little risk. spending 10 million on him this year doesnt hurt this team and its chances to get new players next year. this team can afford to sign players. if they CHOOSE not to spend the money, it isnt because of carlos penas 1-year deal. then you clearly have an executive management problem. on a team riddled with problems, penas deal isnt even on the radar.

Its 1 year and then done and I get that. The only thing that really pisses me off is that Hendry tried to justify some other moves saying he is slashing payroll and then he spent that money he just slashed on Pena. I would love for them to totally rebuild so I could care less if they have a left handed power hitter in the middle of the lineup. Hendry is just so wishy washy with this rebuilding process. He will not go all in. Just accept it and then make smart moves to build for the future.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

And just to be accurate that Pena money is spread out over 2 years so it's not technically a 1 year deal.