Notes from Cubs.com articles...

[stitchface]

He was not fully recovered from having off-season ankle surgery. The only reason why Baltimore traded him is because they had Roberts at 2nd base and they missed out on Delgado.

 

Do you think Hairston has it in him to be a good full time 2B this year?

 

what do you mean? why wouldn't he?

[A New Era]

He was not fully recovered from having off-season ankle surgery. The only reason why Baltimore traded him is because they had Roberts at 2nd base and they missed out on Delgado.

 

Do you think Hairston has it in him to be a good full time 2B this year?

 

what do you mean? why wouldn't he?

 

I never said he wouldn't. I would just like to hear people back Hairston because I actually like him as an option. But tell me why. I mean what are his year to year #'s? The last few years I don't see any that were for more than half a season. When was his last full year and what was his OBP that year?

[stitchface]

I'm not sure he has a full season. however, he has reached a make it or break it age. his numbers indicate he is not likely to be a disaster at 2b so maybe its time to see what he can do. I would like to see him get time at 2b and in the OF.

[rocket]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I swear when we first got Hairston, it was acknowledged that his defense at second base was sub-par. Now everyone is changing their tune. Or am I way off?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I swear when we first got Hairston, it was acknowledged that his defense at second base was sub-par. Now everyone is changing their tune. Or am I way off?

 

Hairston is an average defender, some seasons he's been a little above average, some a little below. That makes him a little better than Walker, who has been consistently below average.

[baseball7897]

Im not really sold on Hairston yet. I dont recall home many times he missed a sign but it was way to many. He is not a good bunter, and cannot run the bases well enough.

[Wheelimus]

Well, the bright side is, if both are in camp in a couple months, we can let them prove who should be playing in spring training :D

[wastra]

Well, if JHJ can put up numbers anywhere close to his pre-injury numbers, we'll all be thrilled with him. I would hope the ankle thing isn't a load of BS- because I'd have to believe it would greatly affect everything from hitting to baserunning to defense; giving us legit reason to expect a bigger '06 from him.

 

I was happy when we got him for Sosa (just unhappy he was the centerpiece AND we picked up Sammy's salary as well). Might make a good platoon partner for Walker.

[Magnetic Curses]

Fans unhappy with the addition of Jones should know he's working with eight-time batting champ Tony Gwynn in San Diego.

 

i don't know why this is such good news. tony gwynn is a pure hitter, one of the few guys who didn't need a high IsoD to be effective. jones does not need to become like gwynn, and, most likely, will not.

 

jones strikes out and doesn't get on base. i'd rather jones hang out with adam dunn a bit more.

[Magnetic Curses]

Hey Transmogrified Tiger, could you please not just respond in one-word posts? Clearly you want to say something, and it justs seems inane to respond to posts with 'why'. Thanks.

 

he's looking for an explanation that isn't shrouded cliche. i'm sure he'll acknowledge a decent answer to his question if that answer is offered.

 

it sounds great to talk about "speed" and "fundamentals" not being part of the game anymore, and being undervalued, but quite simply, they're undervalued by certain folks for good reason. i rate speed low on the key aspects of winning guage.

 

1. starting pitching

2. OBP

3. SLG%

4. relief pitching

 

 

 

 

way down the list. speed and "fundamentals".

[Balsa]

Hey Transmogrified Tiger, could you please not just respond in one-word posts? Clearly you want to say something, and it justs seems inane to respond to posts with 'why'. Thanks.

 

he's looking for an explanation that isn't shrouded cliche. i'm sure he'll acknowledge a decent answer to his question if that answer is offered.

 

 

Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize how cryptic this guy was. Not to mention how pointless it would actually be to post anything useful.

[goonys evil twin]

Hey Transmogrified Tiger, could you please not just respond in one-word posts? Clearly you want to say something, and it justs seems inane to respond to posts with 'why'. Thanks.

 

he's looking for an explanation that isn't shrouded cliche. i'm sure he'll acknowledge a decent answer to his question if that answer is offered.

 

 

Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize how cryptic this guy was. Not to mention how pointless it would actually be to post anything useful.

 

huh?

[BigbadB]

Hey Transmogrified Tiger, could you please not just respond in one-word posts? Clearly you want to say something, and it justs seems inane to respond to posts with 'why'. Thanks.

 

he's looking for an explanation that isn't shrouded cliche. i'm sure he'll acknowledge a decent answer to his question if that answer is offered.

 

 

Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize how cryptic this guy was. Not to mention how pointless it would actually be to post anything useful.

 

Transmogrified Tiger is formerly CPatterson20. He gives his opinion more often than most. What's with the personal attack?

[Bergy92]

Well, the bright side is, if both are in camp in a couple months, we can let them prove who should be playing in spring training :D

 

yes, they will be in camp as I think that Hendry will find no takers for Walker. Either of them are light years in front of Neifi - I would love Walker in the 2 spot or further down.

 

The one thing that I really like about JHJ is the fire - he reminds me of a kid playing out there with lots of energy. I forget when, but I remember him making a diving catch in center last year and then jumped up and pumped his fist. Stuff like that is contagious. He brings energy. Whether he starts at 2nd or not, I hope he gets lots of time to fill in - whether that is at 2nd or other positions...

[Balsa]

Personal attack? I was agreeing with Sulleymon about TT's response...

[Magnetic Curses]

Hey Transmogrified Tiger, could you please not just respond in one-word posts? Clearly you want to say something, and it justs seems inane to respond to posts with 'why'. Thanks.

 

he's looking for an explanation that isn't shrouded cliche. i'm sure he'll acknowledge a decent answer to his question if that answer is offered.

 

 

Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize how cryptic this guy was. Not to mention how pointless it would actually be to post anything useful.

 

Transmogrified Tiger is formerly CPatterson20. He gives his opinion more often than most. What's with the personal attack?

 

he wasn't talking about TT. and i don't think he was making a personal attack, just observing that the poster in question is being a bit reluctant to come forth with a solid answer to any of TT's questions.

[BigbadB]

Hmm. Maybe so. It's not the way I read it originally, however.

[CarolinaCubFan]

Hey Transmogrified Tiger, could you please not just respond in one-word posts? Clearly you want to say something, and it justs seems inane to respond to posts with 'why'. Thanks.

 

I want to know why he thinks speed is so valuable. He's said that we need a speed guy, never explained why, then said that speed is underrated. I know what I think and I want to know why he has such convictions.

 

This subject gets me fired up. I agree with the other dude, speed is undervalued now days. I've read this argument so many times on this board. Tim put up some cool stuff back when Beltran was a FA in a thread we were discussing speed, I'll see if I can't find it.

 

Everything around here gets argued to the extreme. I'm not saying that speed is how you win a World Series, but so many stat heads around here discount it as a non factor - at least that's how I feel they portray it. I've got 16 years experience on the ball diamond, and when I hear someone talk as speed being something not important, I seriously wonder if some of these folks have ever played baseball.

 

I've seen speed:

break a pitchers concentration on the mound...

it increases defensive range...

decrease hitting into double plays...

put pressure on defenses causing errors...

 

I could probably go on, there are so many variables, it's almost imposible to assign definite value to speed.

 

Here's a question, who'd you rather have on 1B if Lee hits a line drive to the gap, Barrett or Pierre? and then why?

 

I put speed in with fundamentals - hitting the cutoff man, laying down a bunt, smart baserunning, and on and on and on. These are basic fundamentals you are taught in little league. Speed is a tool, a great tool, but tools and fundamentals will never be the biggest part of the pie on win shares.

 

OBP is such a wonderful stat! OBP, pitching, defense, and power are essential. A good team can survive without speed, but not OBP. Here's the thing though, if you have a solid team built around OBP, tools and fundamentals will only make that team better. I have no idea how many wins it may play a part in, using all the different variables. Even if it were just a game or two, that could be the game or two that cost us a trip to the playoffs.

 

That's why I value speed. I wouldn't sacrifice OBP for speed, but if I can get OBP with speed, I take it. If I can get OBP, power, and speed in a player, I get excited.

 

I really enjoy reading your posts TT, they are usually pretty solid and right on. I don't know that I've read your opinion on this before though.

[goonys evil twin]

I really enjoy reading your posts TT, they are usually pretty solid and right on. I don't know that I've read your opinion on this before though.

 

So you think the Cubs need "another speed guy" to pair with Pierre as well?

 

Speed is overrated. Speed is completely worthless without other, more important aspects of the game in your repertoire. Speed is way down the list of necessary ingredients to be a good baseball player. Being an average runner is not a setback in the least. There are a ton of crappy ballplayer's whose speed has hypnotized baseball people into keeping them in the game long past their expiration dates.

 

Speed is nice to have, and all else being equal you'd have to take the faster guy. But all else usually isn't equal, and often times dramatically outweighs the difference speed will make.

[CarolinaCubFan]

I really enjoy reading your posts TT, they are usually pretty solid and right on. I don't know that I've read your opinion on this before though.

 

So you think the Cubs need "another speed guy" to pair with Pierre as well?

 

Speed is overrated. Speed is completely worthless without other, more important aspects of the game in your repertoire. Speed is way down the list of necessary ingredients to be a good baseball player. Being an average runner is not a setback in the least. There are a ton of crappy ballplayer's whose speed has hypnotized baseball people into keeping them in the game long past their expiration dates.

 

Speed is nice to have, and all else being equal you'd have to take the faster guy. But all else usually isn't equal, and often times dramatically outweighs the difference speed will make.

 

Did I say that? I also consider D. Lee a "speed guy"

[Magnetic Curses]

Hey Transmogrified Tiger, could you please not just respond in one-word posts? Clearly you want to say something, and it justs seems inane to respond to posts with 'why'. Thanks.

 

I want to know why he thinks speed is so valuable. He's said that we need a speed guy, never explained why, then said that speed is underrated. I know what I think and I want to know why he has such convictions.

 

This subject gets me fired up. I agree with the other dude, speed is undervalued now days. I've read this argument so many times on this board. Tim put up some cool stuff back when Beltran was a FA in a thread we were discussing speed, I'll see if I can't find it.

 

Everything around here gets argued to the extreme. I'm not saying that speed is how you win a World Series, but so many stat heads around here discount it as a non factor - at least that's how I feel they portray it. I've got 16 years experience on the ball diamond, and when I hear someone talk as speed being something not important, I seriously wonder if some of these folks have ever played baseball.

 

I've seen speed:

break a pitchers concentration on the mound...

it increases defensive range...

decrease hitting into double plays...

put pressure on defenses causing errors...

 

I could probably go on, there are so many variables, it's almost imposible to assign definite value to speed.

 

Here's a question, who'd you rather have on 1B if Lee hits a line drive to the gap, Barrett or Pierre? and then why?

 

I put speed in with fundamentals - hitting the cutoff man, laying down a bunt, smart baserunning, and on and on and on. These are basic fundamentals you are taught in little league. Speed is a tool, a great tool, but tools and fundamentals will never be the biggest part of the pie on win shares.

 

OBP is such a wonderful stat! OBP, pitching, defense, and power are essential. A good team can survive without speed, but not OBP. Here's the thing though, if you have a solid team built around OBP, tools and fundamentals will only make that team better. I have no idea how many wins it may play a part in, using all the different variables. Even if it were just a game or two, that could be the game or two that cost us a trip to the playoffs.

 

That's why I value speed. I wouldn't sacrifice OBP for speed, but if I can get OBP with speed, I take it. If I can get OBP, power, and speed in a player, I get excited.

 

I really enjoy reading your posts TT, they are usually pretty solid and right on. I don't know that I've read your opinion on this before though.

 

this is a good post. but no one's saying that speed doesn't have any value. it's nice to have a team that can run. however, i will take a team of derrek lees before i take a team of juan pierres. if i had to choose, it wouldn't even be a decision.

 

as far as beltran goes, beltran's not just fast, he's smart. he's a much smarter and more effective basestealer than pierre. although he slipped last year a bit, he still stole 42 bases in 45 attempts in 04 and 41 in 45 attempts in 03, that's an incredibly valuable asset. pierre is nowhere near beltran in terms of baserunning. pierre's faster, but beltran's better.

 

speed without intelligence probably hurts the team more than not.

 

i don't buy the idea that baserunners bother big league pitchers all that much. by the time they reach the majors, they've seen their share of speedy guys on the basepaths and have often developed ways of dealing with them. as far as juan pierre goes, he often makes the pitcher's job easier by taking off prematurely and getting thrown out.

 

as far as bunting goes, there's no evidence at all that it creates any more runs than a team would score anyway.

 

major league baseball is an entirely different beast than high school baseball, college baseball, and even minor league or semi-pro ball. major league baseball is played over 162 games. and to counter your questioning of whether some of us who've never played organized ball above high school really know what we're talking about, i'd argue that people too close to the game often get inundated with subjective BS to have any other kind of perspective on the game. billy beane has done a great job relying on statistical analysis and has been successful hiring folks who've never played the game before. sometimes that's what you need--someone to come around and say: "that's a funny way to do that", or "wait, there's no possible way that the earth could be the center of the universe". a lot of folks close to the game can't think any other way--it's positive to have a different perspective.

 

and only a stat can tell you that 1 hit a week is the difference between .250 and .300

[baseball7897]

CarolinaCubFan I cannot agree more. Who ever said Speed is a non factor is out of their mind, along with the fact fundamentals are not important. Are you kidding me? If you cannot field the ball, get a bunt down, hit the cut-off man, and get that runner in on 3rd base you are not goign to be succesful. I think people have been watching a poor fundamentaly sound Cubs team way too long to realize what speed and being able to master the fundamentals can get you.

[Magnetic Curses]

CarolinaCubFan I cannot agree more. Who ever said Speed is a non factor is out of their mind, along with the fact fundamentals are not important. Are you kidding me? If you cannot field the ball, get a bunt down, hit the cut-off man, and get that runner in on 3rd base you are not goign to be succesful. I think people have been watching a poor fundamentaly sound Cubs team way too long to realize what speed and being able to master the fundamentals can get you.

 

i'll take a team full of guys with no speed, poor defensive ability, who don't sacrifice, but who get on base between .375-.425 over a bunch of guys who are great "fundamentally" in every area, but can't get on base to save their lives. we'll see who scores more runs.

 

speed means nothing if you can't use it, or use it poorly.

 

the point is that speed is way down on the list when building a baseball team. you want good starting pitching first, OBP second, SLG third, and relief pitching 4th. give me a team that does all of that well and you can have your gutsy little speedy guys who always hit the cutoff man.

 

you'll get crushed.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

CarolinaCubFan I cannot agree more. Who ever said Speed is a non factor is out of their mind, along with the fact fundamentals are not important. Are you kidding me? If you cannot field the ball, get a bunt down, hit the cut-off man, and get that runner in on 3rd base you are not goign to be succesful. I think people have been watching a poor fundamentaly sound Cubs team way too long to realize what speed and being able to master the fundamentals can get you.

 

Again, no one said speed or fundamentals are "non factors". The problem is when people get too swept up in that facet of the game, and rank them more important than other more important factors(Sulley's list from earlier looked pretty good). In the same way, performance-oriented folks need to be careful not to blindly look at numbers without knowing the reason behind them, whether it's more numbers like BABIP, or tools(hence being able to distinguish Jon Connolly from Reynel Pinto). Speed is great to have, and it influences the game in the ways CarolinaCubFan mentioned, which are hard to quantify. However, putting the ability to cut off balls in the gap over the ability to hit home runs(which is an odd comparison because it only mentions one aspect of speed and one aspect of power, and from different disciplines in defense and offense) is part of what I referenced above IMO.

[A New Era]

I really enjoy reading your posts TT, they are usually pretty solid and right on. I don't know that I've read your opinion on this before though.

 

So you think the Cubs need "another speed guy" to pair with Pierre as well?

 

Speed is overrated. Speed is completely worthless without other, more important aspects of the game in your repertoire. Speed is way down the list of necessary ingredients to be a good baseball player. Being an average runner is not a setback in the least. There are a ton of crappy ballplayer's whose speed has hypnotized baseball people into keeping them in the game long past their expiration dates.

 

Speed is nice to have, and all else being equal you'd have to take the faster guy. But all else usually isn't equal, and often times dramatically outweighs the difference speed will make.

 

I think CCF put it quite nicely. Now you respond and tell me why these are not GOOD things. .

 

break a pitchers concentration on the mound...

it increases defensive range... (getting to more balls for outs instead of hits)

decrease hitting into double plays...

put pressure on defenses causing errors...