My New Favorite First Name for a Cub

My New Favorite First Name for a Cub

Nomar. It's a neat name.

(For the record, my old favorite first name for a Cub [based on the aesthetic value of the name and that alone] was Thad, for good old pinch hitting specialist Thad Bosley).

I think Nomar's impact on the team will be (at minimum) 93 times what Thad Bosley's ever was.

What's more, we got rid of a certain NLCS-losing, 125 strikeout-a-year, .222 hitting shortstop to make room for Nomar. By AGon.

You mean to tell me we get Nomar Garciaparra and we get to keep Matty Clement?

The fear/certainty that lies in the heart of every Cub fan right now is that whatever's a little wrong with Mark Prior right now's going to go Pop! or Twinge! (or whatever noise is most descriptive) and then will then be a lot wrong. And when it does, it'll be the last wee see of Mr. Prior until 2006.

Call me Dusty Baker, but I like an experienced pitcher like Matty Clement in the rotation down a stretch run more than a youngster. Because I'm a fearful fart about those things.

I'm sorry to see Francis Beltran go. I don't think he's necessarily a superstar in the making, but I think he's going to have a long and productive career ahead of him.

For the first time in a few weeks, I'm actually happy about the Cubs, and what they've done. I'd started to think Jim Hendry and co. were going to walk away from the trading table.

Now. Let's see if we can get us some more bullpen help during the waiver-trade month of August.....