Random Positive thoughts on Cubs

[rjchapma]

Aight whatever you guys clearly don't understand my point how about we trade for some unrealistically good RF and then we can say that we have a productive RF. We have Barrett, Lee, and Rameriez who are all All-stars already, jauque jones was cheap and is pretty good. He was the best available on the market and theres nothing else we could have done to improve it unless we made some unrealistic trade. So unless you can prove that wrong I don't understand why you guys say it was that bad of a pick up.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

Look at these numbers:

 

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/J/jacque-jones.shtml

 

 

Pathetic.

[Lefty]

We needed pitching and we didn't get pitching. If we didn't rely on Prior and Wood again and picked up another starter yes are team would be better. Were improved, but still not gonna do anything against the Cardinals and will compete against the Stros and Brew Crew.

.

 

I thought this was the random positive thoughts thread...

 

I wasn't necessarily inviting others' positive thoughts.

[goonys evil twin]

Aight whatever you guys clearly don't understand my point how about we trade for some unrealistically good RF and then we can say that we have a productive RF.

 

How is above average unrealistically good? How is above the bottom of the barrell unrealistic. I don't think you understand the point. Burnitz wasn't an average RF. He was bad. The Cubs didn't improve. There is a problem there.

[Soul]

1) Definite improvements in the bullpen.

 

2) A full year of Dempster @ closer instead of messing around with Hawkins.

 

3) Giving some young guns a shot.

 

4) A team that will surely have a higher team OBP than last year, and better speed on the bases.

 

 

Those are some positives I can think of. I don't think it balances out the negatives, but there are some positives.

[badger1679666666]

Who should the Cubs have gotten for Right Field?

 

And If someone says Brian Giles I'm gonna go on a murderous rampage ala postal worker style.

 

So OTHER than Giles, who should we have gotten for RF?

[Blueheart05]

We needed pitching and we didn't get pitching. If we didn't rely on Prior and Wood again and picked up another starter yes are team would be better. Were improved, but still not gonna do anything against the Cardinals and will compete against the Stros and Brew Crew.

.

 

I thought this was the random positive thoughts thread...

 

I wasn't necessarily inviting others' positive thoughts.

 

No? Than I take back all the good things I said. :lol:

[Danny82]

One thing I think the Cubs will likely improve on is...now hear me out here...luck.

 

I found these interesting numbers the other day:

 

Last year, the A's as a team had an OBP of .330.

 

The Cubs had a team OBP of .324. (obviously a DH is responsible for some of the difference here).

 

Additionally, the A's had a team OPS of .737.

 

The Cubs had one of .764.

 

Who had more runs? The A's by 69.

 

I find it hard to believe that a team with an OPS of almost 30 less than another was really nearly 70 runs better. Now, were the Cubs that unlucky or were the A's overly lucky? Or a little of both?

 

Interesting numbers nonetheless. And maybe an indication that if the Cubs really did improve their team OBP, even by 5 points or so, they will be in for a lot more runs.

[goonys evil twin]

Who should the Cubs have gotten for Right Field?

 

And If someone says Brian Giles I'm gonna go on a murderous rampage ala postal worker style.

 

So OTHER than Giles, who should we have gotten for RF?

 

Brian Giles would have been a nice place to start.

 

Also, corner OF wasn't a hole that just popped up this offseason. They should have been in a position where Jones wasn't even a possibility.

[Scott G. F.]

I like Jacque Jones and I believe his play this year will open your guy's eyes. I hope you will be pleasently suprised by Jacque and will happily eat your negative comments and words in time.

 

Arguing on whom we should have gotten for RF is a practise in futility. We're Cubs fans we have enough of that already.

[goonys evil twin]

I like Jacque Jones and I believe his play this year will open your guy's eyes. I hope you will be pleasently suprised by Jacque and will happily eat your negative comments and words in time.

 

Arguing on whom we should have gotten for RF is a practise in futility. We're Cubs fans we have enough of that already.

 

There's nothing like the motivation of spite.

[Lefty]

 

Brian Giles would have been a nice place to start.

 

Also, corner OF wasn't a hole that just popped up this offseason. They should have been in a position where Jones wasn't even a possibility.

 

Agreed. We tend to judge GMs each individual off-season. But Hendry should lose mega-points for putting himself in this position. And committing himself to Jones for three years will compound this mistake. And yet, I think the Cubs will win the division. Ain't baseball grand?

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

Who should the Cubs have gotten for Right Field?

 

And If someone says Brian Giles I'm gonna go on a murderous rampage ala postal worker style.

 

So OTHER than Giles, who should we have gotten for RF?

 

Brian Giles.

 

 

...or that dude Philly didn't want playing every day.

[cubbieinexile]

yeah must suck to have 2 WS trophies in my lifetime.

So why are you not a Marlins fan?

[rjchapma]

thats all i was trying to say he was the best available hes not great but hes an average RF and he was the best available besides Giles who we werent going to get.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

thats all i was trying to say he was the best available hes not great but hes an average RF and he was the best available besides Giles who we werent going to get.

 

I would rather have Burnitz and his 1 year deal.

[A New Era]

When Jones proves you all wrong I hope you all come back and eat your words.

 

You guys are not taking the whole team into account. .

 

We have above average Catcher, 1b, 3b, and probably LF (i'm expecting much from murton. .)

 

average 2b and cf.

 

And below average ss and rf. You guys are bashing jones as the worst RF ever, but your not taking into account we have alot of ABOVE average guys at their position offensivly. It's OK to have a couple below average guys. ESPECIALLY if they have very good defense.

 

Not only that, you are not allowing the chance that Jones MIGHT turn it around this year, with the Cubs. Jones is more of a good thing than it is a bad thing.

[UK1679666180]

Who should the Cubs have gotten for Right Field?

 

And If someone says Brian Giles I'm gonna go on a murderous rampage ala postal worker style.

 

So OTHER than Giles, who should we have gotten for RF?

 

I wanted a platoon of Mark Sweeney and Eli Marrero.

[CubsWin]

Who should the Cubs have gotten for Right Field?

 

And If someone says Brian Giles I'm gonna go on a murderous rampage ala postal worker style.

 

So OTHER than Giles, who should we have gotten for RF?

 

I wanted a platoon of Mark Sweeney and Eli Marrero.

I respect UK for coming out with a possible different path that Hendry could have taken in RF. It will be fun tracking the production of Sweeney and Marrero this season and comparing it to that of the Cubs RFers.

[CubsWin]

 

Brian Giles would have been a nice place to start.

 

Also, corner OF wasn't a hole that just popped up this offseason. They should have been in a position where Jones wasn't even a possibility.

 

Agreed. We tend to judge GMs each individual off-season. But Hendry should lose mega-points for putting himself in this position. And committing himself to Jones for three years will compound this mistake. And yet, I think the Cubs will win the division. Ain't baseball grand?

I'm not sure what you are saying lefty. Are you saying that Hendry has had two off seasons and one full season to replace Sosa with someone better than Burnitz/Jones and hasn't done it?

 

If so, I agree. The proof is in the pudding, obviously. But that right there isn't saying much unless it can be shown that he could have acquired someone clearly better for the right price but chose not to because he thought Burnitz/Jones would be better.

 

Also, how did Hendry "put himself in this position"? I'm just trying to understand what point you are making.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

When Jones proves you all wrong I hope you all come back and eat your words.

 

You guys are not taking the whole team into account. .

 

We have above average Catcher, 1b, 3b, and probably LF (i'm expecting much from murton. .)

 

average 2b and cf.

 

And below average ss and rf. You guys are bashing jones as the worst RF ever, but your not taking into account we have alot of ABOVE average guys at their position offensivly. It's OK to have a couple below average guys. ESPECIALLY if they have very good defense.

 

Not only that, you are not allowing the chance that Jones MIGHT turn it around this year, with the Cubs. Jones is more of a good thing than it is a bad thing.

 

If Jones OPSes .900+, I'll eat my own underwear.

 

I don't mind having Jones's production for one year, but not 3. Horrible deal. Burnitz was available for similar $ and 2 years less.

 

I'm sorry, but RF is one of the positions we can actually improve on. When you have the potential (barring injuries) to make the playoffs, you do what is necessary to put yourself over the top. Jones wasn't it.

[UK1679666180]

Who should the Cubs have gotten for Right Field?

 

And If someone says Brian Giles I'm gonna go on a murderous rampage ala postal worker style.

 

So OTHER than Giles, who should we have gotten for RF?

 

I wanted a platoon of Mark Sweeney and Eli Marrero.

I respect UK for coming out with a possible different path that Hendry could have taken in RF. It will be fun tracking the production of Sweeney and Marrero this season and comparing it to that of the Cubs RFers.

 

I think a platoon of Sweeney vs. RH'ers and Marrero vs. LH'ers will outproduce Jones.

 

Of course, not only does it make RF stronger, it makes the bench stronger. Marerro would be the best bat off the bench against a LH'er and Sweeney would be the best bat off the bench against a RH'er.

[Lefty]

 

Brian Giles would have been a nice place to start.

 

Also, corner OF wasn't a hole that just popped up this offseason. They should have been in a position where Jones wasn't even a possibility.

 

Agreed. We tend to judge GMs each individual off-season. But Hendry should lose mega-points for putting himself in this position. And committing himself to Jones for three years will compound this mistake. And yet, I think the Cubs will win the division. Ain't baseball grand?

I'm not sure what you are saying lefty. Are you saying that Hendry has had two off seasons and one full season to replace Sosa with someone better than Burnitz/Jones and hasn't done it?

 

If so, I agree. The proof is in the pudding, obviously. But that right there isn't saying much unless it can be shown that he could have acquired someone clearly better for the right price but chose not to because he thought Burnitz/Jones would be better.

 

Also, how did Hendry "put himself in this position"? I'm just trying to understand what point you are making.

 

I am saying that Hendry should never have put himself in a position where he had to settle for a year of Burnitz and three of Jones. The optimal, I'm not saying necessarily realistic, would have been a trade of Sosa after 2003 for something of value and signing Vlad Guerrero. So I am saying he ought to have been able to do something less than optimal but better than he did.

[rjchapma]

When Jones proves you all wrong I hope you all come back and eat your words.

 

You guys are not taking the whole team into account. .

 

We have above average Catcher, 1b, 3b, and probably LF (i'm expecting much from murton. .)

 

average 2b and cf.

 

And below average ss and rf. You guys are bashing jones as the worst RF ever, but your not taking into account we have alot of ABOVE average guys at their position offensivly. It's OK to have a couple below average guys. ESPECIALLY if they have very good defense.

 

 

I agree with you I don't think that it can be that bad.

Not only that, you are not allowing the chance that Jones MIGHT turn it around this year, with the Cubs. Jones is more of a good thing than it is a bad thing.