"Check back in the middle of the season..." Theo and the Re-Re-Rebuilding 2012 Chicago Cubs!

CHICAGO -- For all the talk about the Chicago Cubs' future, Theo Epstein isn't ready to write them off for next season.

The club's new president of baseball operations said the Cubs just might surprise a few people even though there are question marks on the roster and holes in the farm system. Epstein sees each season as a "sacred opportunity to win" and insists the Cubs "have more talent than we're given credit for."

"Check back in the middle of the season," Epstein said during a question-and-answer session with fans at the Cubs Convention in Chicago. "We might just have the ability to really surprise some people, do some damage in the National League Central."

Offense

Catcher - Geovany Soto
First Base - Bryan LaHair
Second Base - Darwin Barney
Shortstop - Starlin Castro
Third Base - Ian Stewart
Left Field - Alfonso Soriano
Center Field - Marlon Byrd
Right Field - David DeJesus

Rotation

Ryan Dempster
Matt Garza
Randy Wells
Paul Maholm
Chris Volstad

http://donttrysohard.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/shake-head.gif

i was hoping with the addition of epstein they'd be making some more drastic moves but this looks a lot like last season's team

Offense

Catcher - Jody Davis
First Base - Bill Buckner
Second Base - Bump Wills
Shortstop - Ivan DeJesus
Third Base - Ken Reitz
Left Field - Steve Henderson
Center Field - Jerry Morales
Right Field - Leon Durham

Rotation

Mike Krukow
Rick Reuschel
Doug Bird
Mike Griffin
Randy Martz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVGAfA15U1I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVGAfA15U1I

Haha yes, that trailer absolutely made my day. As per fucking usual, the onset of Spring renews my belief in this fucking team and makes me regret the shit talking of last fall. I'm *sigh* back on board.

someone in the comments posted that :32 is supposed to be bartman. that commercial is excellent but it makes me kinda sad.

welcome back, kerry wood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slIHk6QytcM

Lucky for him that DeRosa believes in the @#$%%^%I#$&*#$ head-first slide into first.

They cured what ailed the Marlins.

Could they be worse than the Astros?

free bryan lahair

cubs win

cubs win

Jeff Samardzija pitching like a fiend

http://www.obstructedview.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/samardzija-shark.jpeg

'fiend'

first Cub homer in 11 days!

I've seen some crappy Cubs clubs, but this one looks pretty bad.

I don't know if it will be as bad as the 81 team I referenced above, but it won't be much better.

also that S'zija Notre Dame pic is total smash-of-shame material

'92 Richard Marx video gives Cubs the trophy:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=16597

marmol doing his best to fuck up a beautiful matt garza performance

I kind of love Tony Campana.

In her weekly Capitol briefing with reporters, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi responded to a new round of conservative attacks on President Obama for his previous ties to controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

“What was interesting to me is that this is all goign to be funded by the owner of the Chicago Cubs,” she said. “Well I hope they’re as successful with this campaign as the Cubs are on the baseball field.”

i'm not sure if she actually said "goign"

i just found out that Kerry Wood retired today:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/cowley/12624214-452/like-many-cubs-seasons-kerry-woods-career-was-a-disappointment.html

shoulda clicked on the retirees thread imo

what a fucking idiotic article

what a fucking idiotic article

― Grimy Little Pimp (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Saturday, May 19, 2012 4:20 PM (51 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this. try Glanville's piece instead: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7947806/kerry-wood-talent-inspired-awe-other-players-mlb

It is weird but I know a dude who is now playing for the cubs. Rafael. He used to be a Tennessee smokie

do u know rebel ridling?

Haha I know who he is but I do not know him personally, no. Lol at his name

Cubs lose 11th straight on bases-loaded HBP

rip cubs

this team is fucking garbage

10 runs in 6 innings

to the pirates

with garza starting

the red sox are such a fucked up franchise in their own right that i don't blame theo for leaving, but... have fun with shit, man

should have traded lahair 3 wks ago. at least samardzija and castro have decent promise. dejesus is not terrible. garza is a mystery to me most of the time but potentially amazing. i don't trust dempster to last much longer but he's been great. btw alfonso soriano is so bad, it's amazing how few runs he's on pace to score this season (39 or something?)

Ok well now I no longer know someone playing for the cubs. That was fleeting

lol soriano hit a homer and made a diving catch (albeit one that a normal outfielder might have made with ease) today

i <3 <3 <3 bryan lahair but i don't think he would have generated much of a trade return even three weeks ago. as it is i imagine they'll get a double-a reliever for him when they decide to go with rizzo

oh starlin

just forgot how many outs there were, allowing the tying run to score

dude's sort of a disaster in the field, eh?!

quade yanked him after something like this last year

Sveum: “Last straw. If he wants to play, he better get his head in the game, period.”

uuuuuh the wgn broadcast of the cubs/twins game just showed three women in the crowd holding up a sign reading "three girls one cub"

well that was the best thing to happen to me today

http://i46.tinypic.com/t89m2v.png

minnesotans amirite

Dempster -> DL
even rebuilding can't go right for this club

14-5 since june 25, best record in the mlb in that period

should be buying not selling, obv

"Batting 7th and playing 2B, he likes taking long walks on the beach commpletely naked, #15 Darwin Barney."

It does appear that Theo's Cubs have bottomed out and all of the dead weight possible is gone at this point, other than Soriano who has been a bit better, they pretty much got a young team that's playing for their jobs.

The Cubs can keep on keeping on, I hope they sweep the Cards and the Pirates.

I can't see getting rid of Dempster and Garza both, you got to have starters.

http://www.bleachernation.com/2012/07/26/its-thursday-do-you-know-where-your-ryan-dempster-is/

Words cannot express

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8pwAMnXJkXk/TK3EwfltHKI/AAAAAAAAAQM/eGH2R3Dj_aQ/s1600/angry-face.jpg

thank god that's over with