These are the emaisl I get from a friends father. Just a group of retired life long Cub fans who go to Az every year. I get more from them than the entire Chicago media group combined.

Saturday Report

D. Lee hitting the ball noticably harder this year
than last year at this time; hitting deep shots and
home runs; his wrist should no longer be a problem.

The Japanese reporters all stick together, even when
Fukodome is not around. Mr. B stopped one of the
Japanese reporters to ask him about Fukodome's elbow.
When Mr. B started talking to him, all of the other
reporters stopped what they wre doing and listened to
him - Mr. B's quote: "You know, those people are
very polite" - and they were able to answer in English
that his elbow is fine.

Mr. B watched Fukodome in BP. He has a nice swing,
and the ball really slices away from the center
fielder - ("It would be a bad golf shot, but it's good
for a hitter in Wrigley Field - tough for a center
fielder to make a play on it".) Fukodome hit one
right back at the pitcher and it hit the protective
screen...Fukodome stepped out of the batter's box and
apologized to the pitcher....thus confirming "all the
Japanse, even athletes like Fukodome, are really very
polite people."

Afterwards, Mr. B was able to ask Fukodome himself how
his elbow was doing and he answered (in English)..."My
elbow is good".

Watching Murton in BP, Mr. B overheard Pinella say to
him "Hey Murton, your swing is different this year. I
like it. What are you doing different?" Murton said
he was lifting his left foot up and coming down hard
with it. He was pulling everything to left field and
deep. Mr. B said that's what they want him to do -
hit with more power and not necessarily to all fields.

Mr. B wathced Ceda pitch BP - "He was throwing so
hard, you could hardly see the ball." Upper 90's and
the ball moves. You could really see the hitters were
really "digging in against him", but were only able to
hit groundballs and couldn't get anything out of the
infield.

The consensus among Mr. B (and his crew of retiree
friends/Cub fan groupies in Phoenix), the Cubs have
the best group of pitchers to pick from in 25 years...

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

You call that a good report?

There is no mention of the nice weather, free buffets or other spiffs.

_________________
Arguing with a fool proves there are two.

Exactly.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Do these guys go to Tucson too?

_________________
"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

I heard Bruce Levine on MJH the other day scoffing at the Japanese media, who, according to Bruce were reporting on Fukodome's at bats. Yes, Bruce, that is what real media people do...you know...they actually go to an event and report on what happens. In the meantime, Bruce is phoning in to the local shows talking about what he reads in the papers. Bruce could probably learn something from the Japanese sports media if he wasn't so busy laughing at them.

bruce levine is a bitter, insecure pindick who never offers anything interesting. when he is scooped or caught off guard or met with an observation of value, he blows it off as though it was something he already knew since he's an 'expert'

_________________
"Then Darin Erstad fell down while flying out to center in the sixth and left because of cramps."

Plus his voice sounds like Jeff Ross.