I can deal with that garbage early in the spring. Later in the spring is another issue. Still there seems to be quite a bit they need to figure out between now.

We haven't even gotten to Opening Day yet and the Cubs are imploding! lol

Go 'stros! Cubs and Cards can lick my balls.

Oh hooray! Another obsessed Astros fan. Checking in early this year.

I grew up in Houston and probably hate the Astros more than any other sports team, including the whorns

Why? It can't be because of our success!

Success? you've been riding that horse a little long have you? Not sure if you've followed your team the last couple of seasons.

Either way, we've been posting on this thread or it's father for, what, six years? Every generation there's a new one of you. You will be forgotten by the time the astros have fallen out of contention...early May?

Houston Astros: Home of the 3rd - 8th inning fan!

You hate Cub fans because of your lack of communication skills. You come on our thread, say the Cubs can lick your balls and follow up with sarcasm and expect us to come to your conclusion. Come on old man, at least get some interweb sense and put a winky face on so it looks like you're at least trying to play instead of calling us butthurt.

It gets annoying to have to read flamer, drive-by posts from newbie astro fans at the beginning of every baseball season. So don't think you're the first one and we're just hypersensitive.

[This message has been edited by bluestainedivy (edited 3/3/2011 10:15p).]

What a complete and utter moron. I'll let you languish in your ignorance, because--as they say--it is bliss.

Chalk it up to an interweb misunderstanding and get on with things. No need to step on a soap box.

I read that Quade is actually "okay" with the fight. He thinks, and I probably agree, that a little fire in their bellies is a good thing.

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Cubs and Cards can lick my balls.

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No ****, Sherlock! That's exactly what I was saying. I wasn't being facetious. We've sucked donkey balls the last couple of years. Jesus! I try to make nice after poking fun at you ****ers and you all just get butthurt. That's why I dislike Cubs fans.

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What a complete and utter moron

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Yes, clearly I'm ignorant and you're a very friendly respectful TexAgs poster.

Just vote down his posts and hopefully Staff will remove them.

Z and Woody have been looking very good so far.

Cubs on WGN at 2pm today.

#Cubs (SS) lineup vs. #Dodgers (3/6): Fukudome RF, Johnson LF, Byrd CF, Ramirez 3B, Bryan LaHair 1B, Soto C, Baker 2B, Barney SS, Dempster P

I guess the telecast is only in standard def?

Vitters in. First time for me to see him

a random thought, but how awesome would it be if Budweiser brought back the original Cub Fan/Bud Man commercials for a season on WGN instead of the same mediocre Bud Light commercials every couple of innings...

Were those the ones with Harry Caray..."I'm a Bud man..."

I had forgotten about he annoying olive Garden commercials. Get used to that evey half inning

Cub Fan/Bud Man short version...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4jw_fDOgXM

and as a bonus they can bring back the horrible aflac commercial where the dude goes to the hospital trying to stretch a standup double into a sliding triple...

"i can't believe it happened at the company picnic!!"

Wow, that clip takes me back a loooong time.

This is not going to end well.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0307-cubs-chicago--20110306,0,1991275.story

Yeah, I was wondering about that one. 15 career steals. I don't know, maybe if he does it once in a blue moon it'll work. He says pitchers pay no mind to him on the bases.

Well these are the hats that the Cubs were going to wear today on Ron Santo Day.

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Cubs players have been given special No. 10 caps this morning in honor of Ron Santo Day at HoHoKam Park.

The No. 10 emblem that will be worn on the sleeve of Cubs' uniforms this year has been painted on the field behind home plate, and ceremonies honoring Santo will take place before the game against Cleveland.

(UPDATE: The Cubs won't be able to wear the hats during the game because they don't have an MLB logo on them.)

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Cubs-Reds on WGN at 3pm today.

Man I hate Spring Training. I'll check back with you guys April 1st.

Cubs-Dodgers on WGN now.

I don't recall, but has Z been this sharp in past Spring Trainings?

What is Shark's contract status. Will we lose him if he starts the season off in AAA? He has not looked good this spring.

I don't recall Z being this sharp in the past. I could be wrong, though. My memory isn't what it used to be.

Not sure what is left on Shark's contract, but does it really matter? I think he still has options left. If he doesn't, would anyone want to pick up his contract if he had to go through waivers?

i seem to remember him being out of options

Really? **** it then. Let him go through waivers.

Analysis from BCB on position battles:

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* Utility infielder: looks like Darwin Barney has this one nailed down. He's played well in the field, as expected, and is hitting .308 with only one strikeout in 26 at-bats. Plus, he looks like he put on quite a bit of muscle at "Camp Colvin". It's even possible that Barney may get some starts at 2B.
* Fifth outfielder: neither Fernando Perez (.222) nor Reed Johnson (.154) has hit much. Perez is supposed to be the better fielder, but he hasn't shown much there, either. If this keeps up, watch for the Cubs to keep Johnson because Perez has options left; if Johnson fails during the season, Perez could be recalled.
* Backup catcher: we've argued this to death here, but I don't think it's going to change anyone's mind, even with Koyie Hill not playing well in the field and hitting only .048.
* Fifth starter: so far, the best-looking outings have come from Andrew Cashner and Braden Looper. Looper's a great story and I find myself rooting for him to succeed and help the team. Cashner might be better served starting at Iowa; he may not be stretched out enough to start every fifth day in the major leagues. Looper could serve the long-relief role that Jon Lieber was supposed to in 2008, but never did because Lou Piniella, apparently, never got the message that a relief pitcher could go more than two innings. Casey Coleman should get some consideration. Carlos Silva still has to be favored, I suppose, because what else are the Cubs going to do with that contract?
* Bullpen: again, Looper might wind up here. Jeff Samardzija just isn't throwing well, but again, what do you do with his contract? Todd Wellemeyer hasn't done well enough, most likely, to rate a spot; he may wind up starting at Iowa. Guys like James Russell, Scott Maine, Justin Berg and Thomas Diamond -- there's still some competition going for a spot or two, but none of those guys has really shown much at all. They'll all have to step it up over the last 16 games. Only Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood and Sean Marshall, so far, are guaranteed spots.

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Our pitchers should be pretty solid, but I just don't trust our offense. I think good baserunning and small ball could get us over the hump, but it will be hard.

From losing record to the post-season?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/tom_verducci/03/15/playoff.surprises/index.html?xid=cnnbin&hpt=Sbin

I wonder how many players last years Giants would've had on said top 100 list. Pardon my limited optimism, but I can see some similarities between their team and ours. I'm not saying the Cubs are going to win it all, but if everyone does their part, you don't need the elites (I do realize that there is no Lincecum on the team, but I'm still confident in the pitching staff).

My prioritized keys to success:
1) Aramis needs to be a BIG presence in the lineup
2) Pena gives adequaute production at 1B (not hitting sub .200)
3) Production from RF - Colvin/***u need to STEP UP
4) Big Z shows his second half 2010 season form
5) Middle relief improves from last year
6) Starlin develops into a star - both with the bat AND on the field