7/08/2005 01:41:00 PM by Rob

Back Up The Truck?
Why I think NOT at this time

At a time where praise should be strictly rationed, I will give kudos to Hendry for at least doing something I found unexpected: sending down Patterson and DuBois for a couple of kids. I never saw THAT coming. I figured there would be a trade, or maybe a release of the most heralded position prospect we have had since Joe Carter.

Lot of handwringing on other sites, wondering what this is going to do to Patterson's already fragile ego. Well, it isn't going to help one iota. He isn't man enough to dig down and fight.

You've seen the last of both the new Iowans. Dubois is destined to be the next Kansas City DH, and I think the next stop for Corey is Rookie ball, followed by perhaps a stint with the JackHammers.

I don't think this move was made with Corey in mind. The Brass fell in love with the new Braves kids, and decided that we would try our own. Make no mistake about it: this is NOT the beginning of a rebuild. The Cubs haven't rebuilt in my lifetime, and they aren't gonna start now. Not with five key pieces in the primes of their careers. You don't rebuild on a team with Lee, Ramirez, Wood, Prior, and especially with Zambrano, who is due for free agency in 2007.

As pathetic as it sounds, management is hoping once again to catch lightning in a bottle, hoping that these two kids will be the spark that pushes us back into the pennant race. That is, if Dusty will play the kids.

For they ain't gonna provide no spark sitting on the bench, and pinch hitting in the 8th inning. Especially when you consider that the alternatives are Benchwarmer-For-Life Todd Hollandsworth, and Shit-For-Hire Jose Macias. Oh, and Mental-Midget-Jerry Hairston, Jr. What good did THAT do, publicizing that he doesn't know how to read signs?

Remember what I said in March, when we wondered about the lack of a left fielder? That if Holly got 400 at bats, we'd finish fourth? Yep, even after three months of Super Derrek Lee and a month each of Super Neifi!! and Super Aramis, that's where we're heading. Fourth, behind the trainwreck AssTrolls and the garage sale Brewers.

Is Dusty going to play the kids? If not, then I'd fire him immediately. Me myself, I covet Joe Girardi. To me, he is our only hope for 2005, if we could bring him in to manage, tomorrow, the sooner the better. The Cubs are NOT going to back up the truck, you are NOT going to see Walker, Remlinger, Maddux, Burnitz, and the rest traded to (other) contenders. Someone has to wake THESE guys up, make THEM play harder, smarter, more together.

But, barring that, if Dusty at least plays the kids, at least we'll know that everyone's rowing the same canoe. Hendry didn't bring them here to carry Jose Macias' baggage. No, no, Jose-a workin' for them!!

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