Anybody see Gammons on ESPN News last night?

[Hacking Out Machine]

During a Q&A session with one of the studio hacks, Gammons was asked about the Cubs and their struggles. I'm paraphrasing, but he said something like, "I don't know when the Cubs are ever going to figure it out. For the last several years, they've ignored on base percentage completely. They've been last in the league in OBP, or close to last the past several years, and this year they're last in on base, slugging, walks, RBI, etc." It was in a dismissive tone, which is rare for Gammons. He later softened and said they have a chance to get better when Lee comes back, but as constructed, have no chance of contending.

 

No kidding. But hey, we hit a lot of aggressive singles!!!! And we are hard to strike out!!! And we're good at sacrifice bunting!!!! And Juan Pierre almost beats out a lot of routine grounders!!! And we have good clubhouse chemistry!!! Let the runs and wins commence!!! Oh, wait....

[goonys evil twin]

Andy MacPhail still refuses to acknowlege the problem with OBP, claiming they just aren't getting the timely hits to drive runners in. This management group is clueless. And I'm pretty sure they are ignoring OBP and walks now out of spite. They used to ignore all non macho unaggressive stuff. But they have to have heard about it now, and they're just putting their fingers in their ears and pretending not to hear. They can't be this dumb.

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=192097

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I didn't catch Pete, but I just started with Bruce's article (goony's link). "It boils down to knocking them in," MacPhail said.

 

Hey, Andy, how 'bout getting them on first? Then we can worry about knocking them in.

[wade]

I didn't catch Pete, but I just started with Bruce's article (goony's link). "It boils down to knocking them in," MacPhail said.

 

Hey, Andy, how 'bout getting them on first? Then we can worry about knocking them in.

 

That reminds me off a golf quote for putts that are short of the hole-

 

"Never up, never in." That's like the Cub offense.

[CubinNY]

My frustration with this organization is at an all time high.

 

Not only do they have deep systemic problems with long term ramifications, but either

 

they know about these problems and refuse to do anything

 

or

 

the don't have a clue

 

I don't know which is worse. I suppose they're equally bad. It really gets me down.

Edited May 23, 2006 by CubinNY

[RynoRules]

Sounds like Andy is missing the connection between getting on base and "knocking em' in". These concepts aren't mutually exclusive, Andy.

[rynefan]

I'd settle for scoring more than one run on a regular basis. They are just beyond hope. D Lee can't save this. I wish people would quit going back to that poing. I think D is gonna break is other wrist soon so he doesn't have to come back. I would.

[Chocolate Milk]

I didn't catch Pete, but I just started with Bruce's article (goony's link). "It boils down to knocking them in," MacPhail said.

 

Hey, Andy, how 'bout getting them on first? Then we can worry about knocking them in.

 

Agreed. My first thought was: Knock who in?

[hardcorecubfan]

If you caught Gammons at the end of the comment before they wwent to commercial..he was off screen ( I had close caption on)

 

"He said they are too undermanned and too under-talented"

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

[goonys evil twin]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

[Banedon]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Michael Jordan was a fantastic athelete, amazing physical specimen, and couldn't play baseball worth a lick. I'm amazed he wasn't in the Cubs system.

[hardcorecubfan]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Michael Jordan was a fantastic athelete, amazing physical specimen, and couldn't play baseball worth a lick. I'm amazed he wasn't in the Cubs system.

 

Unfortunately we all know who Jordan got his first and only major league hit off of

[minnesotacubsfan]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Michael Jordan was a fantastic athelete, amazing physical specimen, and couldn't play baseball worth a lick. I'm amazed he wasn't in the Cubs system.

 

Unfortunately we all know who Jordan got his first and only major league hit off of

 

no we dont, who was it?

[UMFan83]

Jordan never got a major league AB, much less a major league hit. You might be talking about that Cubs/Sox exhibition, if so obviously he got a double off the Cubs. Don't remember which pitcher though.

[Laura]

I sent Gammons an email thanking him for pointing out the obvious.

 

Perhaps it will be a comfort if he's on the receiving end of a profanity-laced tirade from the Cubs front office.

[hardcorecubfan]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Michael Jordan was a fantastic athelete, amazing physical specimen, and couldn't play baseball worth a lick. I'm amazed he wasn't in the Cubs system.

 

Unfortunately we all know who Jordan got his first and only major league hit off of

 

no we dont, who was it?

It was the Cubs in the final exhibition game of the ST

[hardcorecubfan]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

I think that is all of our assessments, and it didn't take someone on ESPN to tell us that.

 

The upside is that I can show my 8 year old that even big leaguers strike out with men on base.

[hardcorecubfan]

Jordan never got a major league AB, much less a major league hit. You might be talking about that Cubs/Sox exhibition, if so obviously he got a double off the Cubs. Don't remember which pitcher though.

 

Now we are splitting hairs here, for Jordan it was a major league hit.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

The pitcher was Chuck Crim.

[halplm]

You know, the more I think about it, the more this whole OBP ignorance and the fact that they REALLY want to extend Baker makes sense.

 

It must be hard to find a respected manager that agrees OBP is meaningless. Dusty is respected (at least withing baseball), and thinks walks are not only not good, but BAD... couldn't care less how much a guy gets on, and only likes to see hits...

 

I can't see how it could be spite... because then this team is being run by children... but I can see that they (MacPhail, Hendry, etc...) must be really pissed off at the number crunchers in Baseball, and are doing everything they can to prove a team can win without OBP...

 

This team will be ruined for a decade... left with no farm system, and no Baseball Talent period... just a bunch of overpaid fast guys, and a management team that thinks only luck matters in baseball...

[erik316wttn]

As I've said before, any change in the organization is going to have to come from high up on the Tribune.

 

MacPhail won't do anything to Hendry. Hendry won't do anything to Baker. Baker won't do anything to the players. The change is going to have to come from over MacPhail's head.

[3Dog]

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Agreed. I've even invented a phrase for it - "neck-down baseball".

[CubinNY]

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Agreed. I've even invented a phrase for it - "neck-down baseball".

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think that is what goony means.

 

I don't think the players on the Cubs are any more dumb then the average baseball player.

 

Hendry drafts and covets players who look good in a uniform and have physical talent, while shortchanging or neglecting to look at other, more important things like the ability to get on base or the ability to throw strikes.

[Jehrico]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Michael Jordan was a fantastic athelete, amazing physical specimen, and couldn't play baseball worth a lick. I'm amazed he wasn't in the Cubs system.

 

In all fairness, he hadn't seriously played baseball in over a decade when he had his little stint. ARod wouldn't hit very well if he put down the bat for that long. Of course, that doesn't mean he would have been very good if he had played competitively every year from high school on.

[Banedon]

 

I have to disagree all these guys have talent, many aren't living up to that potential or they only have talent enough to be stars at the triple A level.

 

They have a lot of physical talent, and athletic talent, but not nearly enough baseball talent.

 

Michael Jordan was a fantastic athelete, amazing physical specimen, and couldn't play baseball worth a lick. I'm amazed he wasn't in the Cubs system.

 

In all fairness, he hadn't seriously played baseball in over a decade when he had his little stint. ARod wouldn't hit very well if he put down the bat for that long. Of course, that doesn't mean he would have been very good if he had played competitively every year from high school on.

 

My point was that being athletic doesn't mean you can play baseball.