Hey Bturk.......

[JSE]

Looks like my Astros are firming up there pitching with Pettitte. Maybe they will take the Cubs next year? We did let Wagner go though.

JSE

[bturk667]

Looks like my Astros are firming up there pitching with Pettitte. Maybe they will take the Cubs next year? We did let Wagner go though.

JSE

Honestly, I would have to say that your Astros are in the cat bird seat. They are a better offensive team, and know their pitching staff is at the very least just as good as my beloved Cubbies. Lets not forget Minute Maid (for homer) park. Hey, we both the wild card to fall back on if worse comes to worse!

What about St. Louis? Do you think they have a chance?

[JSE]

Not sure if the cards will do anything next year. I think it's up for graps between the Cubs and Astros. Should be an awesome season. I hear ya on Minute Maid Park Though. Hopefully, Pettitte won't get shelled. Did you here what Clemmon's is up to? He's thinking about coming back with the Astros next season. A big maybe. Roger said that he would feel bad playing again after the Yanks gave him a Hummer as retirement present. A local radio staion DJ and a local Hummer dealer took a brand new Hummer out to his house and told him it was his if he signed with the Stros. That way he could give his back to the Yanks. He apparently is thinking about it. He stated that he had been talking with the team. He and his family live hear. If that happens, who knows. The radio station made a big deal about it and it's playing everywhere down here.

Regardless, next season should be fun.

[_Luke1_]

We did let Wagner go though.

JSE

And we Phillies fans thank you.

[bturk667]

Regardless, next season should be fun.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it should.
P.S. I wouldn't hold my breath about Roger. Also, when are athletes going to honor their retirement?

[JSE]

True, I doubt he will make a comeback. But I can hope. Actually, I hope he does not turn into another Jordan. Either retire or don't. Now Sanders, he's a man of his word, although I think he definitely left way too early. He and E. Smith were really fun to watch. It would have been cool to see who broke the record first and who would finish with the most yards. I think they fed off each other in some ways.

Oh,

Philly fan, bite me!

JSE

[jbangelfish]

Can't rule the Cards out as a contender, great manager and good young talent always seems to show up. Ala Pujols.
Stros seem to be contenders forever but killer B's are getting older.
Cubs might be talking with Pudge, that might work out but he wants a lot of money for an aging catcher.
They need to figure out who their first baseman is, sausage beater or Karros. Seems dumb to have the second highest paid player sitting on the bench, trade him or play him. Hopefully, getting rid of Choi doesn't bite them in the butt.
Dusty also needs to learn when a pitcher is getting tired. Prior and Wood both ran out of gas and recognizing it sooner may have taken them further. Dusty said it was in God's hands, If so, maybe God doesn't like the Cubs. I think Dusty needs to own up to a couple of bad decisions.
Roger coming back? Who knows? Hope I get a hummer when I retire, that would be nice.
Bill

[JSE]

jbangelfish,

Yes, we seem to always be contenders and then we choke. I for one have a less popular opinion on Bagwell and Biggio. I never thought the Stros should have given them the new big contracts in the first place a couple of seasons ago. I think Bagwell is making something like $15mil a year, give or take a mil. He is way over paid. Biggio is also over paid. I think we would have been alot better without them. We could have used that money to get some producing players. Bagwell and Biggio have always done pretty well in the regular season but suck it up big time in the post-season. Every year, guaranteed.

JSE

[jbangelfish]

Some other big guys have always stunk up the post season too, Maddox and Bonds to name a couple. I'll take a hungry bunch of young guys with a couple of good leaders any day. Cubbies absolutely had the potential to go all the way and bad leadership kept them out of it. Look what McKean did with a bunch of youngsters and mostly no names except for Pudge. Good decisions and some really good young talent.
Woody seems to have become the team leader for the Cub's but even he didn't have the sense to say I'm out of gas. Dusty burned him and Pryor out and didn't seem to realize until it was too late. Kind of like Riggleman a couple years back using Woody so much that he needed surgery to repair a phenomenal young arm. He'll never reach his potential because of a stupid manager. That's a shame, he could have been the next Nolan Ryan or very nearly so.
And these guys make how much? Amazing. Fun to be a fan huh? Kind of like watching the Bears stumble around with 15 different QB's. They could have been alot better this year without Jauron and Shoop the stoop. Signing Stewart was a huge mistake and I could not believe when they did. I'll manage any of these teams for half price. Actually I'd hire Steve Stone to manage the Cubs and go for Singletary and McMahon with the Bears. Smart people. I hope I don't die of old age saying wait til next year.
Bill

[bturk667]

Turned it down. If, and I mean If, he does decide to play for your Astros, I think his decission will come maybe sometime in Feb. I didn't understand why he wanted to retire anyway, he is still a very effective pitcher.

[JSE]

bturk,

The local DJ's that pulled the stunt had Roger on air yesterday and pressed him on the subject. Roger said "I am retired right now". He went on to say that he had looked forward to flying to the east coast this year to play golf with Pettitte. Now that he is in Houston, it's making him reconsider his retirement. He did say that he would not make any decisions until early next year.

I'm thinking he might do it. He said it would be a lot of fun pitching here.

Oh well, the spring will tell. Your right, he did turn down the Hummer though.

JSE