The jockey has the Cubs projected lineup in the Trib today, with Miles leading off and Gathright in the 2 hole, doesn't sound good to me.

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Fuck Edwards and Zobrist

yikes

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I am ok with giving Miles a shot at leading off and playing 2B.

I just dont see Gathright being the starter. If they sign Bradley and he plays RF, I think you will see Fukudome and Reed Johnson platoon in CF with Gathright being a late inning replacement and sub for all the OF spots.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Ridiculous to project a lineup on January 1st. Trades/signings will still alter the lineup between now and opening day. Gathwright will NOT be a starter. Miles may well be a back-up. I still hold out hope that some of the pitchers aquired in the DeRosa deal, will be used along with Fontenot, in a deal for Roberts, who would leadoff. In any case, this current roster will not be the roster that starts the 2009 Chamionship season. There will most definitely be more changes and to project a lineup now is silly.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Its just as ridiculous to predict a lineup today as it is to say that "Gathwright will NOT be a starter".

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current roster as it is, it isnt a stretch that he could possibly start. as is, fukudome is still the right fielder with soriano in left and gathwright/pie/johnson the other 3 outfielders. against righties, gathwright likely would start, unless pie went crazy all of a sudden.

if they get bradley or another decent hitting right fielder, no way gathwright starts. (barring injury).

Bradley is a done deal. He's the right fielder. Fukadome and Reed Johnson splitting center and Soriano in left. Gathwright is a late inning defensive replacement, a pinch runner and OCCASIONAL starter-just to give guys a day off once a week or so. You will see, in the next 2 weeks Bradley will be signed. I'm not super happy about it. He probably has the most upside and reasonable salary of the free agents available. But he's a ticking bomb, so I'm less than over the top about the choice. But he will be signed in the next 2 weeks.

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Go Cubs!!!!

He's your left fielder when Soriano hits the DL.

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Silly like winning 182 games in two years but no playoff games?

Who play right when Bradley is on the DL?

Mark Dero... oh wait:?


I'm expecting Fuk to have a bit of a better year this year. Somewhere around 280avg and with the amount of walks he'll hopefully continue to draw that's more than servicable down in the 7/8spot on the lineup

fukudome, clearly. that is an easy scenario. he is the best right fielder they have, even with bradley. bradley goes down, fuk plays right, soriano plays left, and gathraight/johnson platoon in center. the trouble is when soriano goes down along WITH bradley. then you got issues. that is one reason why i think i prefer dunn over bradley. yes i know he is a lousy outfielder, but he is dependable, he doesnt get hurt, and he is a massive power stick in the middle of the lineup. if your right fielder is going to be either bradley or dunn, defensively it is a lose-lose situation! neither is a good fielder (bradley career .967 in right, dunn career .963). why not take the guy who doesnt get hurt and produces power consistently at the plate?

Adam Dunn and his 163 strike outs last year makes me not want him. He's too feast or famine and the feasts he produces do not outweight the famine ala Ryan Howard.

Neither Bradley or Dunn give me a happy feeling, but I think the potential upside with Bradley is far greater than Dunns.

bradleys potential? he has been in the league 9 years. i think potential is a word that is in his rear-view mirror. he has never - NEVER - stayed healthy for a full year. he has only 1 season with 500 AB's, and 1 other with 400. you cant count on him to play every day.

dunn struck out 164 times in 527 AB's. bradley struck out 112 times himself in 113 fewer ABs. yeah, its a better, but he strikes out his fair share. you dont bring dunn in to hit singles and slap balls around. you bat him 4th, break up the righties, let him be patient, get his pitch, and kill it. if he walks, the cubs lineup is strong enough to really make the opposition pay.

Thats not silly, thats tragic and at the very least unfortunate.

I love how so many people predict all these injuries to Soriano and Bradley.t's probably a reasonable prediction, given their stints on the DL the past couple years. Did you know that prior to signing with the Cubs, that Soriano had NEVER been on the DL?? So it's also reasonable to think he might have a year free of injuries too. Bradley is another story. He always seems to have at least a month off with some kind of injury. But he also produces pretty well when he is healthy ( mind and body). Having Reed Johnson and Joey Gathwright as back-ups, gives them adequate protection.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Tragic? Are you fucking kidding me?

2003 was tragic. '07 and '08 were annoying.

Well, it was certainly dissapointing, and maybe that's how he was using the word, but when I think tragic, the outcomes of sporting events never comes to mind...

Yep. Zack's right.

Any chance we could wait until Spring Training starts before we launch into a lineup debate?

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Seriously?

what the hell kind of fan are you?!

And after reading enough of your posts, the outcome of sporting events won't come to my mind either.

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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

ok...

Yep. 2003 hurt. But silly me figured that They would win Game 7 with Kerry Wood pitching......

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Yes, Steve. It was so tragic that mere hours after the Cubs season ended, you started a thread boasting about what a great year it was on the Northside.

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I still feel very strongly that was the case. It WAS a tremendous season, with a tragic post-season. There is no contradiction here. I thoroughly enjoyed 2008 and will remember it as one of the better seasons to date. It just concluded in a very bitterly disappointing conclusion in the playoffs.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I don't really buy into the idea you need a different kind of hitter in the post-season than in the regular season to win, but if I did, Adam Dunn would be a fine example of someone better suited for regular season wins. Bradley is at least a career .318 hitter in the playoffs with 42 AB's. Sure, if he's hurt it won't matter, but at least it's something.

yes

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.