2 Things

First, I don't really follow the NBA that much but hearing about the Chris Paul trade getting vetoed is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. David Stern needs to be fired immediately. He has totally lost it and needs to be replaced with someone who won't lie to the public and his owners as well. From my understanding Dell Demps was given sole responsibility of running that club and making roster decisions. I also looked at the trade details and it looks like it was really a great trade for the Hornets. Its things like that that make the NBA no fun.
Second, I couldn't be happier that Pujols signed with the Angels. Now I don't have to see him crush the Cubs 19 times a year. Plus we didn't sign him to another albatross contract like Soriano which is good for them because we are still looking at sucking pretty bad for at least 2 more years. Its going to be a brutal year to be a Cubs fan because other than Sterling Castro everyone on that team is mediocre or outright horrible. The only good thing is we don't have to pretend like we have hope and any success will be an added bonus :)

Ryan Dempster gets $14 million next year

Jim Hendry in his infinite wisdom gave Ryan Dempster a player option for $14 million. Who in there right mind gives out a player option that big to a middling starting pitcher like Dempster. Just another reason the Cubs have not won the Series for 103 years. Oh yeah now I have to listen to Cardinals fans talk about being world champs for the next year that's gonna be brutal. I hate the Cards, how come they never suck?

Lets get right into it. The Cubs need to dump Jim Hendry

As a long time supporter of the Cubs I am not the first and won't be the last to express this sentiment. Now I don't think Jim Hendry is a bad GM. I just think that the Cubs need a change in direction. To truly contend you have to have a truly excellent aspect to your team. Every team that has ever contended for a championship has that. Right now the Cubs are strictly mediocre in almost all aspects of the game. I would hope after a hundred years of futility mediocre is not what the team is trying to give to the fans. I don't blame most of the players, who I think are really trying to give it there all I just think this is a poorly constructed team. I will say that Soriano is the epitome of what is wrong with the Cubs and as long as he is getting almost $20 million a year we have no chance of being competitive. I will admit not all of his failings are his fault and I would not boo him as constantly as he is getting booed at Wrigley but he could try to do something about his horrible pitch recognition at times. My friends and I call him Captain Whiff after his propensity to swing at every pitch thrown in his general direction. I haven't see. anyone beside Vlad Guerrero swing at some of the junk he tries to hit and Soriano is no Vlad Guerrero. Well anyways my point is if you look at the team as constructed who are the real talented players on the team you can build around.

Starlin Castro

Carlos Marmol

Sean Marshall

That's 2 guys in the bullpen and our star shortstop who is only 21 years old. There are also some good players who are past their prime who could help a contender. I believe they should all be traded for the best deal we can get or dumped to give our younger players a chance.

Aramis Ramirez

Carlos Zambrano

Ryan Dempster

Reed Johnson

Kerry Wood

Alfonso Soriano

Carlos Pena

Kosuke Fukodome (on the right team)

All players that are legit major leaguers but are on the downside of their careers. We also have some younger players who show promise and can hopefully become good players

Andrew Cashner

Randy Wells

Jeff Samardzija

Darwin Barney

Geovany Soto

Tyler Colvin

I think with with how young our good and promising players are we need to purge the roster of our useful older players for as many quality prospects and draft picks as we can get and suck for a couple seasons. It would get us some good draft selections and give the team a chance to evaluate the other guys on the team and other potential prospects to see who is going to be worth hanging on to. Sometime you need to clean house and refill the pantry so to speak. This is just my opinion and it will probably not happen but I had an idea and this new blog is a good place to put that out there.

K Out!