sad day/deal

the cubs trade mark derosa for 3 scrub pitchers. i didnt want to believe it when i read the story, but there is no denying. what a down note to start a new year with.

im pretty sad. derosa was one of my favorites. mildly comforting is the fact that a lot of fan reaction to this trade has been negative. most fans know that derosa wouldn't have been re-signed for 2010. his amazing 2008 play priced him out of the cubs range -- they are too busy blowing millions on players who drop balls and hit next to nothing in the post season. but we were looking forward to seeing derosa in 2009 at wrigley. hes one of the few guys on the team who showed up every day wanting to play and win.

its too early to say what this trade means for the 2009 season. i think the 3 minor league pitchers are part of a bigger plan to get jake peavy, but who knows? san diego isn't talking about making attempts to trade peavy right now. im sure the cubs won't be keeping these 3, as the pitching well seems to run pretty deep these days.

what i do know is that derosa was a reason im still recovering from the failed 2008 campaign. he played hard every day and always seems to have a great attitude on and off the field. he deserved more than playing for a team that was swept in 3 games in the NLDS by manny the dbag. i'll miss his blog posts, and how he always seemed like a nice, normal guy who never took for granted how lucky he was to play for a living.

seriously, who can resist that smile?


i guess im going to have to start watching cleveland games this season. another team for the playlist. its going to be a busy season.

then again, i may only be watching toronto and cleveland on mlb.tv and the giants and As in person. im already preparing emotionally for the fact that the 2009 cubs may be another huge letdown. gods, please let me be wrong.

no deal

jake peavy is not coming to the cubs. derosa is still on the team. whew. for now.

i cant say im unhappy. i dont think it would have been a good idea to give up derosa and vitters, the #1 prospect. peavy is good at all, but the rotation is already good, and we need hitting more than we need pitching. i like having the 5th spot open for marshall, or maybe even samardzija. or rich hill (please please please baseball gods!!!!) i would have shed no tears for marquis or pie had they departed, but not even the padres are stupid enough to give up a cy young winning pitcher for a AAA superstar who cant hit in the majors and an overpaid pitcher who is amazing one day and then fucking awful in this next 3 starts.

here's the part that baffled me. the padres need to unload peavy due to payroll concerns. as good as he is, peavy was injured last year and he ain't cheap. the cubs would be doing the padres a huge favor taking him off san diego's hands. but they were too demanding, when they really were not in a position to be. did the padres GM study the cubs' current starting rotation? zambrano, dempster, lilly, and harden? its pretty dominating. peavy would make them even better, but it's not like we were hurting for a 5th starter. we're not the yankees (burn!)

how about concentrating on raul ibanez? just a thought...

the best friends... EVER!

despite a couple of gaffes, i had NO CLUE and was duly surprised and amazed on friday night by the best friends ever.

cuz had had sent an e-mail earlier in the week, asking if we wanted to climb in the city on friday night and then have some drinks. i had no other plans, and hey you wanted to make transportation arrangements right away, so the plan was quickly formed.

it was a long stressful week at work, so by the time friday afternoon rolled around, i was seriously considering bailing and just going to bed and putting the week behind me. but hey you would have none of it. we went to her brother's house and played with her 1 year old niece, possibly one of the sweetest kids i have ever met. rejuvenated (who isn't in a good mood after hanging out a happy baby?) we headed for the bart.

after some climbing at mission cliffs with cuz, hey you, bbq, mopey boy, and larry hagman, i was surprised to hear in the locker room that cuz had managed to secure a table for 6 at blowfish sushi. its a happening place, and tables for groups more than 2 usually require advance planning (as in, not the same day). but hey, who am i to question cuz's mad reservation skillz?

upon arrival, i was surprised to see b there. what a happy coincidence! as i hugged her, i figured she and baseball buddy were simply on a date to a nice fun place to eat. we simply happened to pick the same place on the same night.

nope. so wrong. behind b were 7 other friends, 4 of whom had made the long drive up from silicon valley. apparently they had been planning and plotting for weeks to surprise me with dinner and drinks to celebrate my 2 year anniversary of living in california. it had been a done deal by the time we went to joshua tree for thanksgiving. talk about pre-planning.

i was flabbergasted. and "feelings are for babies" ma was moved to tears when they presented me with a scrapbook cuz and hey you had made of all my california escapades.

its been a great 2 years for me since i moved out here. i have done things i would have never tried and challenged myself. i've learned a lot about myself. most importantly of all, i have made some amazing friends.

i never thought i would have better friends that my u of i girls. we've known each other for going on 12 years now, and, despite the fact that we all live in different states, still act as a unit on the few occasions we get together.

my new "california friends", most of whom i've known for only 2 years have proved me wrong. i've found an awesome place to live with awesome people to hang out with. i look forward to every party, every climbing trip, even every visit to the gym.

in all, there were 16 people at dinner to celebrate this milestone with me. how cool is that? here's the group shot the hostess took.

i look like i'm starting to stick my tongue out, but i'm acually laughing.
apparently i can only smile properly in 1 picture per night.

the rest of b's pictures are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bshone/sets/72157610824231612/

i'm took some pics of the scrapbook as well, they are posted on flickr here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynkaryn/sets/72157610841871291/

i'm still in shock. my friends are great. i'm so lucky to have them.

going out on top

i wasn't expecting it, but wasnt fully surprised when news broke today that greg maddux is going to announce his retirement on monday at the winter meetings.

i'll be honest. i was never a big fan of the mad dog. in hindsight, im going attribute that stupidity to superficiality (cos he always looks awful in his roster pic) and general lack of understanding of the nuances of the game.

it was years before i realized that maddux was a true artist, that he didn't always get the strike out when a ground ball was more valuable. hitters got the hit when he let them. he rarely lost his cool (unless it was with a cooler in the marlins dugout in 2004 when the cubs were playing absolutely horrifically). and he was never a prima donna, despite the fact he's played with some grade-A douchebags. apparently if asinine behavoir was catching, maddux was immune. (are you listening chipper jones?)

this is a great espn article on all the reasons why maddux is irreplacable to the game. and no doubt will be a 1st ballot hall of famer in 5 short years. i wonder if the cubs will retire number 31 before that happens. they should. they knew before 2006 they were going to retire the number, otherwise they would have let lilly wear 31.

thanks mad dog. for everything.

i don't get it

no way no day will i cheer for edgar renteria. he's a thug. and im still pissed at him for attemping to break mike fontenot's nose in 2007. although, to be fair, some blame does go to sori-overpaid's hot dogging.

renteria isn't fit to clean omar's cleats. he plays dirty. with all the shortstops on the free agent market, why sign him? there are so many better, sometimes cheaper options -- david eckstein, rafael furcal, or even ozzie nemesis orlando cabrerra. and wasnt khalil greene available to be traded from the padres?

i don't get it.

no more bobby d

bobby howry is officially gone from the the cubbies, he signed a 1 year deal with the SF giants today. he returns to the team that gave him up in the storied white flag trade of 1997.

bobby d didnt always get it done for the cubs, but i am still sad to see him go. he stepped up and filled the closer's shoes when wood was out with his pesky blister before and after the all star break. too bad the rest of the season was downhill from there.

im glad that the baseball buddy and i will get to see him on a regular basis at at&t park next season. he's not that great of a pitcher anymore, and probably on the down side of his career, but having a former cub nearby is somewhat comforting. and im sure the giants fans won't be nearly as brutal on him as cubs fans were. and he's got to be better than now-departed tyler walker, right? just keep him away from barbeques.