Comments for Ivy Report http://www.ivyreport.com A Chicago Cubs Blog Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:20:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Comment on The Chicago Cubs are a Circus, and Mike Quade is Driving the Little Car by admin http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/the-chicago-cubs-are-a-circus-and-mike-quade-is-driving-the-little-car.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3626 admin Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:20:34 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1329#comment-3626 Bill, Those are all strong points. However, I have less issues with Hendry than I do with Quade and management. No GM is ever going to perfect, although...I don't know if Hendry is going to be able to dig himself out of the hole, but that won't be up to me. All I know is that Mike Quade is awful field manager. Aramis when healthy has been good. And I have no issues with signing Zambrano and Dempster when he did. I had issues with Soriano, but as you pointed out- that wasn't hendry's contract (thankfully someone else knows that so thank you!). I don't have the issues others with fukduome...sometimes you take shots...and you miss. I've stated multiple times that I respect the job HEndry has done. However, Mike Quade needs to go...period. I'd like a team president that actually knows baseball..unlike Crane Kenney. But this is NOT a good baseball team and needs to be blown up. Bill,

Those are all strong points. However, I have less issues with Hendry than I do with Quade and management.

No GM is ever going to perfect, although…I don’t know if Hendry is going to be able to dig himself out of the hole, but that won’t be up to me. All I know is that Mike Quade is awful field manager.

Aramis when healthy has been good. And I have no issues with signing Zambrano and Dempster when he did. I had issues with Soriano, but as you pointed out- that wasn’t hendry’s contract (thankfully someone else knows that so thank you!). I don’t have the issues others with fukduome…sometimes you take shots…and you miss. I’ve stated multiple times that I respect the job HEndry has done. However, Mike Quade needs to go…period. I’d like a team president that actually knows baseball..unlike Crane Kenney. But this is NOT a good baseball team and needs to be blown up.

]]> Comment on The Chicago Cubs are a Circus, and Mike Quade is Driving the Little Car by Ron Johnson http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/the-chicago-cubs-are-a-circus-and-mike-quade-is-driving-the-little-car.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3576 Ron Johnson Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:40:27 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1329#comment-3576 My dad used to tell me that if you buy cheap materials, you will build a shoddy product. The Ricketts have taken financial shortcuts ever since they bought this team. Quade is the perfect example. I am sure this clown, who you would think would be a smarter baseball man given his long tenure in the minors, was the cheap alternative to hiring a real manager. He tries so hard to be a friend to the players that he has lost control of this team. This team is going nowhere and yet he coddles Soriano and Ramirez when they don't hustle. Can't have the veterans be mad at him. The Ricketts claim they want the Cubs to succeed, but so far all I see is the Ricketts trying to figure out how to squeeze every dime out of their investment. His vote of confidence to Jim Hendry just shows how little these owners know about what is bringing down their own team. Their hiring of an unknown pitching coach is another cost-saver. A word of warning to the Ricketts...the fans have had enough of this BS. It is reflected in the diminishing attendance and if you look at the people that are there, the opposing team's fans are occupying all the good seats. You have lost the goodwill of the Cub fans and it will only get worse unless you grow a pair and start making everyone connected with this team responsible for their actions. If that means firing and releasing some people, so be it. But you better hurry before these clowns are playing in front of 10,000 fans every game. My dad used to tell me that if you buy cheap materials, you will build a shoddy product. The Ricketts have taken financial shortcuts ever since they bought this team. Quade is the perfect example. I am sure this clown, who you would think would be a smarter baseball man given his long tenure in the minors, was the cheap alternative to hiring a real manager. He tries so hard to be a friend to the players that he has lost control of this team. This team is going nowhere and yet he coddles Soriano and Ramirez when they don’t hustle. Can’t have the veterans be mad at him. The Ricketts claim they want the Cubs to succeed, but so far all I see is the Ricketts trying to figure out how to squeeze every dime out of their investment. His vote of confidence to Jim Hendry just shows how little these owners know about what is bringing down their own team. Their hiring of an unknown pitching coach is another cost-saver. A word of warning to the Ricketts…the fans have had enough of this BS. It is reflected in the diminishing attendance and if you look at the people that are there, the opposing team’s fans are occupying all the good seats. You have lost the goodwill of the Cub fans and it will only get worse unless you grow a pair and start making everyone connected with this team responsible for their actions. If that means firing and releasing some people, so be it. But you better hurry before these clowns are playing in front of 10,000 fans every game.

]]> Comment on The Chicago Cubs are a Circus, and Mike Quade is Driving the Little Car by Bill DeStefano http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/the-chicago-cubs-are-a-circus-and-mike-quade-is-driving-the-little-car.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3569 Bill DeStefano Sat, 23 Jul 2011 02:27:02 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1329#comment-3569 I understand Hendry has made some bad moves in the past. But seriously, look at the contracts he signed Ramirez, Zambrano, and Dempster to. Ramirez, is a clutch hitter, and if he wasn't traded for in 2003, I doubt we make the playoffs that season. Ramirez has been one of the Cubs steadiest clutch hitters the last eight seasons. Not to mention when his contract was up the Cubs thought and all of baseball thought that Ramirez was going to be a star. If you looked at his stats at the all-star break this season, he should have been the starting 3rd baseman in the NL. Yes he had a sub-par April, but he always does. There has been no hotter player in the NL for the last 30 games than Ramirez, 14 homers in his last 26 games. Not to bad, he is about to move into the top 10 for BA, RBI's and homers. You may be confusing Ramirez, with the Sun Flower seed spitting right fielder we used to have named Sammy Sosa. Now there was a guy that was not clutch. Ever the team player when we would need base runners there was Sammy always swinging for the fences late it games when they were down. If the Cubs failed to sign Zambrano, Ramirez, and Dempster to their current contracts, there would have been a lynch mob screaming for Hendrys head. The contracts at the time were deserved, and actually pretty good deals at the time they were signed. Soriano was not signed by Hendry to that ridiculous contract, we can thank current Blackhawks President John McDonough for that. Everyone was all for the Cubs getting the best hitting prospect from Japan in Fukudome. And we were up there with the big boys bidding on him, the Red Sox were also interested in him. So he couldn't have been that bad of a signing. The only contract left from the free agent spree in the winter of 2006 that is left is Soriano, and again that wasn't Hendrys contract. Dont forget, Hendry was also the one that traded for Derrick Lee, Matt Clement, Nomar, and at the time was heralded as a shrewd GM for being the mastermind of that 4 team trade to land him. Hendry isn't an idiot. He is a good baseball man, if he didn't make some of the moves that he did than yes we could call him an idiot. Yes the Milton Bradley move was a bad move, but at the time again it was the move everyone was saying the Cubs needed to make.He is still the only GM we have had that has built 3 division winning teams in a 6 year span on either side of town. When I start hearing the idiot on the other side of town getting blasted for some of the bad moves he has made, and they far out number Hendry's bad moves. Than I will complain about Hendry. After all at least Hendry hasn't traded for the same player twice like Kenny Williams has. I understand Hendry has made some bad moves in the past. But seriously, look at the contracts he signed Ramirez, Zambrano, and Dempster to. Ramirez, is a clutch hitter, and if he wasn’t traded for in 2003, I doubt we make the playoffs that season. Ramirez has been one of the Cubs steadiest clutch hitters the last eight seasons. Not to mention when his contract was up the Cubs thought and all of baseball thought that Ramirez was going to be a star.

If you looked at his stats at the all-star break this season, he should have been the starting 3rd baseman in the NL. Yes he had a sub-par April, but he always does. There has been no hotter player in the NL for the last 30 games than Ramirez, 14 homers in his last 26 games. Not to bad, he is about to move into the top 10 for BA, RBI’s and homers. You may be confusing Ramirez, with the Sun Flower seed spitting right fielder we used to have named Sammy Sosa. Now there was a guy that was not clutch. Ever the team player when we would need base runners there was Sammy always swinging for the fences late it games when they were down.

If the Cubs failed to sign Zambrano, Ramirez, and Dempster to their current contracts, there would have been a lynch mob screaming for Hendrys head. The contracts at the time were deserved, and actually pretty good deals at the time they were signed. Soriano was not signed by Hendry to that ridiculous contract, we can thank current Blackhawks President John McDonough for that. Everyone was all for the Cubs getting the best hitting prospect from Japan in Fukudome. And we were up there with the big boys bidding on him, the Red Sox were also interested in him. So he couldn’t have been that bad of a signing. The only contract left from the free agent spree in the winter of 2006 that is left is Soriano, and again that wasn’t Hendrys contract.

Dont forget, Hendry was also the one that traded for Derrick Lee, Matt Clement, Nomar, and at the time was heralded as a shrewd GM for being the mastermind of that 4 team trade to land him. Hendry isn’t an idiot. He is a good baseball man, if he didn’t make some of the moves that he did than yes we could call him an idiot. Yes the Milton Bradley move was a bad move, but at the time again it was the move everyone was saying the Cubs needed to make.He is still the only GM we have had that has built 3 division winning teams in a 6 year span on either side of town.

When I start hearing the idiot on the other side of town getting blasted for some of the bad moves he has made, and they far out number Hendry’s bad moves. Than I will complain about Hendry. After all at least Hendry hasn’t traded for the same player twice like Kenny Williams has.

]]> Comment on The Chicago Cubs are a Circus, and Mike Quade is Driving the Little Car by Tim Donahue http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/the-chicago-cubs-are-a-circus-and-mike-quade-is-driving-the-little-car.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3563 Tim Donahue Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:10:38 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1329#comment-3563 The above remarks by ADMIN are right on except you need to add...Ramirez and Fukadomia to the list. Ramirez has really never been a clutch hitter..putting up the majority of his numbers when it doesn't really effect the game and Fukadomia plays the first 2 months of the season and than disappears. It also appears that we don't have a hitting coach assigned to the team and I'm not sure where they came up with this Pitching coach...but they do go hand to hand with Manager Quade. My last comment would be on Hendry...A General Manager he isn't...Given the money he has had to work with...anyone could go out a sign players...A GM needs to have a keen eye for talent and beable to negotiate contract that allows the team to manueve year to year. The above remarks by ADMIN are right on except you need to add…Ramirez and Fukadomia to the list. Ramirez has really never been a clutch hitter..putting up the majority of his numbers when it doesn’t really effect the game and Fukadomia plays the first 2 months of the season and than disappears. It also appears that we don’t have a hitting coach assigned to the team and I’m not sure where they came up with this Pitching coach…but they do go hand to hand with Manager Quade. My last comment would be on Hendry…A General Manager he isn’t…Given the money he has had to work with…anyone could go out a sign players…A GM needs to have a keen eye for talent and beable to negotiate contract that allows the team to manueve year to year.

]]> Comment on The Chicago Cubs are a Circus, and Mike Quade is Driving the Little Car by dan harden http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/the-chicago-cubs-are-a-circus-and-mike-quade-is-driving-the-little-car.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3560 dan harden Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:10:26 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1329#comment-3560 yes the cubs are a train wreck.fire quade & hire sandberg,fire hendry,hire a real man to run the baseball operations,a new gm. mr. rickets please save the cubs from this mess before(almost there)before the cubs are destoryed.if you are a baseball man you should see this,if not sale them to someone that cares. yes the cubs are a train wreck.fire quade & hire sandberg,fire hendry,hire a real man to run the baseball operations,a new gm. mr. rickets please save the cubs from this mess before(almost there)before the cubs are destoryed.if you are a baseball man you should see this,if not sale them to someone that cares.

]]> Comment on Aramis Ramirez’s Tenure as a Cub Over? by admin http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/aramis-ramirez%e2%80%99s-tenure-as-a-cub-over.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3546 admin Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:27:29 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1325#comment-3546 Billy, It's about being a professional. A true professional cares about the direction of the organization, while understanding the business side. I don't disagree with anything Aramis has done for the organization since coming from Pittsburgh, and has been a big time bat in the middle. However, the organization has to come first. Aramis knows that allowing a trade, will bring back talent to help the Cubs in the long run. We're talking 2 months. TWO months of not being in Chicago. Not to mention, if he works out a buy out with the team that trades for him- he could always come back for less money. Aramis won't have his option picked up, and at this rate- won't be resigned either. How a player wouldn't welcome a chance to win a World Series for two months making millions of dollars? Is just insane to me. Derrek Lee didn't want to go anywhere. He didn't want to go all the way out to California...that's understandable. However he allowed a trade to Atlanta. Why couldn't Aramis accept a trade to New York? Or Tampa? Or Texas? Where it's still a quick plane ride? Again- this comes down to being a professional. What about an executive being transfered? And has to move his whole family across the country? He doesn't have a choice because that's his job. Aramis's job is to play baseball, and in this instance- should waive his no trade clause to better the franchise...and then come back via free agency. Billy,

It’s about being a professional. A true professional cares about the direction of the organization, while understanding the business side. I don’t disagree with anything Aramis has done for the organization since coming from Pittsburgh, and has been a big time bat in the middle. However, the organization has to come first. Aramis knows that allowing a trade, will bring back talent to help the Cubs in the long run. We’re talking 2 months. TWO months of not being in Chicago. Not to mention, if he works out a buy out with the team that trades for him- he could always come back for less money. Aramis won’t have his option picked up, and at this rate- won’t be resigned either.

How a player wouldn’t welcome a chance to win a World Series for two months making millions of dollars? Is just insane to me. Derrek Lee didn’t want to go anywhere. He didn’t want to go all the way out to California…that’s understandable. However he allowed a trade to Atlanta. Why couldn’t Aramis accept a trade to New York? Or Tampa? Or Texas? Where it’s still a quick plane ride?

Again- this comes down to being a professional. What about an executive being transfered? And has to move his whole family across the country? He doesn’t have a choice because that’s his job. Aramis’s job is to play baseball, and in this instance- should waive his no trade clause to better the franchise…and then come back via free agency.

]]> Comment on Aramis Ramirez’s Tenure as a Cub Over? by Billy Wolfe http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/aramis-ramirez%e2%80%99s-tenure-as-a-cub-over.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3538 Billy Wolfe Thu, 21 Jul 2011 06:06:56 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1325#comment-3538 I agree wholeheartedly. Ramirez has never been one to toot his own horn or talk like a superstar diva the way many other people making his kind of money do. I think he's caught a lot of unnecessary criticism over the years and will not go down as one of the well-respected players in Cubs history the way he should. The fact is, he's a little fragile and baseball is a grinding season. I don't mind him running at 70% on a ball off the wall that he only gets a double out of instead of a triple. If it keeps him healthy in the long run so be it. I always thought his defense was underrated when he was in his prime and thought he came up with plenty of big plays. Not only that, but he has come up with big hits! How many times have we seen him hit a walk-off, go ahead, or game tying home run late in a game? Ramirez is a team player too. When he signed his big contract with the Cubs, he was offered more money to play elsewhere. He turned down the deals and took less money to stay in Chicago and allow the Cubs to afford more for Alfonso Soriano. Yes, Soriano didn't work out the way we wanted but Ramirez still made a deal like that even possible. Not only that, but Ramirez made phone calls to Soriano to convince him to come this way. Ramirez said the other day that he's "earned the right to refuse a trade" and I couldn't agree more. He's doing his job, living with his family, and now he has to deal with people trying to push him out of town and tell him he's making the wrong decision. It's his right to be comfortable, to stay in Chicago and not have to move his family. I think everyone should respect Aramis Ramirez's decision, no matter what it is. It may be a necessary evil to trade him and open up space for other free agents, but that doesn't mean I can't hate to see him go. No matter what they decide to do with Ramirez, I'll understand. I'd rather see him stick around. I agree wholeheartedly. Ramirez has never been one to toot his own horn or talk like a superstar diva the way many other people making his kind of money do. I think he’s caught a lot of unnecessary criticism over the years and will not go down as one of the well-respected players in Cubs history the way he should.

The fact is, he’s a little fragile and baseball is a grinding season. I don’t mind him running at 70% on a ball off the wall that he only gets a double out of instead of a triple. If it keeps him healthy in the long run so be it. I always thought his defense was underrated when he was in his prime and thought he came up with plenty of big plays. Not only that, but he has come up with big hits! How many times have we seen him hit a walk-off, go ahead, or game tying home run late in a game?

Ramirez is a team player too. When he signed his big contract with the Cubs, he was offered more money to play elsewhere. He turned down the deals and took less money to stay in Chicago and allow the Cubs to afford more for Alfonso Soriano. Yes, Soriano didn’t work out the way we wanted but Ramirez still made a deal like that even possible. Not only that, but Ramirez made phone calls to Soriano to convince him to come this way.

Ramirez said the other day that he’s “earned the right to refuse a trade” and I couldn’t agree more. He’s doing his job, living with his family, and now he has to deal with people trying to push him out of town and tell him he’s making the wrong decision. It’s his right to be comfortable, to stay in Chicago and not have to move his family.

I think everyone should respect Aramis Ramirez’s decision, no matter what it is. It may be a necessary evil to trade him and open up space for other free agents, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hate to see him go. No matter what they decide to do with Ramirez, I’ll understand. I’d rather see him stick around.

]]> Comment on Cubs have record over .500 for the first time since 2009 by Diamond Gems: Chicago Cubs Tyler Colvin – 4/05/11 : Sports Videos http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/04/cubs-have-record-over-500-for-the-first-time-since-2009.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3529 Diamond Gems: Chicago Cubs Tyler Colvin – 4/05/11 : Sports Videos Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:57:42 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=940#comment-3529 [...] George Castle catches up with Tyler Colvin of the Chicago Cubs after his HR and 3 RBI performance on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cubs win, 6-5. [...] [...] George Castle catches up with Tyler Colvin of the Chicago Cubs after his HR and 3 RBI performance on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cubs win, 6-5. [...]

]]> Comment on Cubs Fantasy Baseball by Billy Wolfe http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/cubs-fantasy-baseball.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3499 Billy Wolfe Mon, 18 Jul 2011 02:35:04 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1316#comment-3499 I don't think that Soto's numbers are good enough to be an everyday first baseman. I do, however, believe he's a solid everyday catcher, which is hard to come by. I know Castillo is in the minors but he's still only a prospect. How many times have the Cubs brought in a highly touted prospect that fizzled when they got to the majors? You cannot overvalue your prospects, especially when you have someone that is doing a fine job at the major league level already. Just 4 years ago Josh Vitters was "untradeable," and the Cubs held on to him. Looking back, the Cubs could have pulled the trigger for some decent major league talent and unloaded Vitters in numerous trades. Now, Vitters is rarely talked about and still in the minors and an opportunity was most likely lost. I don’t think that Soto’s numbers are good enough to be an everyday first baseman. I do, however, believe he’s a solid everyday catcher, which is hard to come by. I know Castillo is in the minors but he’s still only a prospect. How many times have the Cubs brought in a highly touted prospect that fizzled when they got to the majors? You cannot overvalue your prospects, especially when you have someone that is doing a fine job at the major league level already.

Just 4 years ago Josh Vitters was “untradeable,” and the Cubs held on to him. Looking back, the Cubs could have pulled the trigger for some decent major league talent and unloaded Vitters in numerous trades. Now, Vitters is rarely talked about and still in the minors and an opportunity was most likely lost.

]]> Comment on Cubs Fantasy Baseball by Bill DeStefano http://www.ivyreport.com/2011/07/cubs-fantasy-baseball.html/comment-page-1/#comment-3470 Bill DeStefano Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:13:33 +0000 http://www.ivyreport.com/?p=1316#comment-3470 I found it hard to select 5 keepers for the Cubs, Castro is a given, as well as Garza, and Cash, I would think that Brett Jackson being our top prospect would be a given as well, however I feel that Soto is possibly another player we can trade for prospects, Wellington Castillo is in our system and ready to play. What I would like to see is Soto moved to First base now, let him play in the Mexican league this winter and learn it there, than he has all of Spring Training as well to work. His power numbers may increase by not having the added pressure of being a catcher FT. Unless the Cubs surprise us and sign Fielder. We are going to need a future First Baseman. I found it hard to select 5 keepers for the Cubs, Castro is a given, as well as Garza, and Cash, I would think that Brett Jackson being our top prospect would be a given as well, however I feel that Soto is possibly another player we can trade for prospects, Wellington Castillo is in our system and ready to play. What I would like to see is Soto moved to First base now, let him play in the Mexican league this winter and learn it there, than he has all of Spring Training as well to work. His power numbers may increase by not having the added pressure of being a catcher FT. Unless the Cubs surprise us and sign Fielder. We are going to need a future First Baseman.

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