Fox Sports grades Cub off-season a D / SI gives them B

[CubfaninCA]

The decline in the quality of our starting pitching is the biggest reason for the falloff from 03 to 04 to 05. All you need do is go back to 03 and look at the numbers for Prior, Wood, Zambrano and Clement. Makes all the difference in the world.

 

As for the offense, the 03 team stank pretty much, this year's bunch is better balanced and no worse than that year. And the bullpen is certainly deeper.

 

The decline of the team is due mostly to the pitching, but what is important to remember is that the team wasn't that good back then anyway. And the recent they weren't that good was because hitting held them back. Even with a top pitching staff each year they only accumulated the 4th and 6th highest win totals in the league. All of their success was due to pitching, even as limited as the success was. As unimpressive as that 2003 lineup was, it holds up against the current group. The 2003 OF was much much better than what the OF is right now. And they finished 9th in runs scored, just like the 2005 version, and probably close to what the 2006 version will be.

So basically we're counting on a return to glory for the pitching staff, and even then the team is at the mercy of the competence of the competition, because 88/89 wins is no guarantee for anything.

 

So being 1 game away from the World Series = not that good?

Can you ever give this organization any credit?? That club was real good after the additions of Lofton & Ramirez.

 

88 win regular seasons aren't really good. If you want to settle for 88 win seasons, feel free, but don't push that crap off to me and call it really good.

 

When this organization does what it should I will give them credit, thus far they have not.

 

Classic.

 

Figured people would disregard how well the team performed after the additions of Lofton & Ramirez. It was a .500 prior to them.

 

Anything to keep from giving Hendry credit, I guess....

 

Man, you really got it out for me don't you.

 

Big picture my friend. I don't care about their record over 50 games 3 years ago. Hendry has done a poor job overall.

 

I got it out for erroneous analysis. The bottom line is that the Cubs were really good in September & October when it really mattered. That club wins 95 games minimum, if Lofton & ARam are with them all year in 03. Can you admit that Hendry did a great job in 03??

[CubfaninCA]

I give the offseason a C. Howry, Eyre & Pierre are nice additions, but Hendry has not pulled off a deal for a much needed impact player...

[EricG]

I would grade the offseason C- to D+ range. Furcal would have been nice but the cost was too much, rather save the money for Z and Prior. Jones signing is going to end up biting is in the rear end. The three year contract is going to prevent us from signing someone better 2 years from now. Jones might be decent for CF, can he play CF in 2007 when Pierre tanks. I would have been happier with a Murton, Greenberg, Pie outfield. I say let the kids play.

[RynoRules]

I'd give it a C: good pick ups in Eyre, Howry, and Pierre.

 

Bad job with Jones, failure to build quality depth in rotation, and giving Neifi 100 billion dollars!!!! :devil:

[TrueBlueCubFan]

I give the offseason a C. Howry, Eyre & Pierre are nice additions, but Hendry has not pulled off a deal for a much needed impact player...

& who was that impact player that you knew for ceratin was avaliable?

[treebird]

I give the offseason a C. Howry, Eyre & Pierre are nice additions, but Hendry has not pulled off a deal for a much needed impact player...

& who was that impact player that you knew for ceratin was avaliable?

 

keep making excuses, i like having a crappy team every year too.

[Soul]

I'd give it a C: good pick ups in Eyre, Howry, and Pierre.

 

Bad job with Jones, failure to build quality depth in rotation, and giving Neifi 100 billion dollars!!!! :devil:

 

I'll go with a C too. Mostly because I don't know what to think at this point. I can't even tell you what direction this ballclub is heading anymore. The "plan"----if there ever was one----seems completely obscured.

 

Hendry is just so hit & miss now. He's soooooo grasping at straws.

[CubfaninCA]

I give the offseason a C. Howry, Eyre & Pierre are nice additions, but Hendry has not pulled off a deal for a much needed impact player...

& who was that impact player that you knew for ceratin was avaliable?

 

The options are quite thin, no doubt, but Zito & Tejada have been rumored to be on the block, and Soriano was traded. I can't fault Hendry for Furcal or Giles, but I think he should be bold and put Pie on the market and try to get a big time player.

 

There's still a possibility that this can turn into a A- offseason... A grade of D is too critical considering the options.

[Brian]

I would have been happier with a Murton, Greenberg, Pie outfield. I say let the kids play.

 

2006 murton, pierre, jones >>>> 2006 murton, pie, greenberg

[Tanner_20]

I give the offseason a C. Howry, Eyre & Pierre are nice additions, but Hendry has not pulled off a deal for a much needed impact player...

 

I am not a Jim Hendry fan. However, he always seems to stick his own hide on the line when it comes time for a move to be made. 2003 he brought in an aging Lofton, a poor defensive 3B, and a platoon-style 1B. That combination nearly put the team over the top and into the World Series.

 

In 2004 he brought in Nomar which should have been a huge leap towards a phenomenal post-season. Things just didn't turn out the way that they should have according to logic.

 

I have faith that there is one more large move in the making before spring training. I assume that either Lugo or Huff will be brought in from Tampa, preferrably Huff. However, Lugo would be good in the two spot.

 

My only thought that has any teeth is that the offseason/GM season isn't over yet. Give the guy some time, he'll put out a product that everyone can be at relative ease with, even those of us that hate Mabry.

[CarolinaCubFan]

the Cardinals were the only team in the NL last season to be top 5 in pitching and top 5 in OBP.

 

wait, you mean to tell me they didn't win by playing "fundamental" baseball?

 

i don't believe it. they won because they executed more squeeze plays than anyone else!

 

You and your fundamentals Sulley. Learning the strike zone is a basic fundamental of the game. Without that basic fundamental, you never get your OBP.

[Magnetic Curses]

the Cardinals were the only team in the NL last season to be top 5 in pitching and top 5 in OBP.

 

wait, you mean to tell me they didn't win by playing "fundamental" baseball?

 

i don't believe it. they won because they executed more squeeze plays than anyone else!

 

You and your fundamentals Sulley. Learning the strike zone is a basic fundamental of the game. Without that basic fundamental, you never get your OBP.

 

fundamentals is such a subjective term. i would say that plate discipline is a foundation for success, whereas speed is not.

 

speed is simply a nice thing for a good player to have and enhances his ability as a ballplayer. there are plenty of great players that aren't fast and plenty of fast players that aren't good.

[ThePenguin11]

I would have been happier with a Murton, Greenberg, Pie outfield. I say let the kids play.

 

2006 murton, pierre, jones >>>> 2006 murton, pie, greenberg

 

There will always be a better option than Greenberg to start. He's potential fourth outfielder material in my book.