Clemens to Houston, Check or Check Mate?

Wow Clemens in Houston. We all kinda saw it coming for weeks but now its official and out in the open. Some other bloggers are calling for the Cubs to make their own deal to get us some players we need. And i cant agree more.

Derek Lee and Todd Walker are nice, but they arent enough to cure our inconsistent offense. Houston a team held back only by drastic starting rotation injuries last year finished only 1 game back and comes in this off season and adds a 21 game winner and a 17 game winner? This forms a very good 1-4 of Oswalt, Miller, Pettite and Clemens. Throw out Jeriome Robertson, and Ron Villone, shove Tim Redding to the #5 slot and you got probably the best staff in the NL.

Dont send your hate mail, just sit back and look. While Pettite and Clemens are old crusty veterans, they can still pitch and they pitch well enough to win ball games. While alot of us will hope and pray they both suck so Houston cant contend, i wont. I never think in terms of, well they are old, the chances of them getting injured are greater, and i will pin my hopes on that so my team can compete. If you think that way, you have already lost.

Because if you think that way, and do nothing to improve your team to counter that, and they dont suck, your screwed. Your screwed big time. I am not willing to bet against Pettite or Clemens, i am not that foolish. While i understand that Clemens cant do it forever, their is no better pitcher on the planet i would trust to win my team 15 games a year (ok well maybe Prior is the other one, lol).

Every bit of offense we can add to this team ups our chances of being better. The more runs you put behind Zamb, Prior, and Wood the better your team is gonna be. Which is why i dont understand the lack luster approach to the offense for the 2nd year in a row.

We kinda need a leadoff man - Check, Hendry gets Lee? huh? Cant really make fun of Lee he is a good player.
We need a new 2nd baseman - Check, we bring back Grudz for $3 million. Ohhh wait we got Todd Walker for $1.75 million, why did we sign a worse hitter for double the price again?
We need a new Catcher - Check, out with the sucky Damian Miller, in with the sucky Michael Barrett. Oh shut up about Michael Barrett its an upgrade. He is younger. Sureeeeeeeeee whatever makes you sleep better at night sweetheart.
We need a new SS - Check, sent Agonz back to little league to figure out the strike zone for 2004.
Need a 5th starter - Check, smartly looking inside the organization. Though i heard Kevin Appier or Aaron Sele can be had for the "right" price. -nudges Hendry to pull the trigger-
Need a Lenny Harris replacement - Check, traded. OMG WE TRADED. I still cant believe that. Traded for Jose Macias.

More can be done to fix our poor offense than what is being done. Pudge is a step in the right direction and should be a no brainer for the GM of the Chicago Cubs. If you let Pudge slip away for the 2nd straight year, you really need to quit and find another job. Houston has us in Check, are we just going to let them get Check Mate?