Bruce Miles For Supreme Ruler!

[Bruce Miles]

For the princely fee of 50 cents, we’ll provide our own five-point plan. Because the Cubs’ troubles are wide, deep and — most important — systemic, we’ll call for no one’s immediate firing because the problems and solutions transcend any one person.

 

Nice, I got it for free...

 

For free? Now that ain't right!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I'll keep after 'em. I understand all the arguments against Carlos Lee. I wanted to throw a name out there.

 

Somebody wanted to know, "Why not write this after the Detroit series?" When you have an off-day in the schedule, that gives you a better opportunity to come up with a feature or an analysis or a column. With space in the paper being so tight on game days, this provided the better opportunity.

 

I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL.

[goonys evil twin]

For the princely fee of 50 cents, we’ll provide our own five-point plan. Because the Cubs’ troubles are wide, deep and — most important — systemic, we’ll call for no one’s immediate firing because the problems and solutions transcend any one person.

 

Nice, I got it for free...

 

For free? Now that ain't right!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I'll keep after 'em. I understand all the arguments against Carlos Lee. I wanted to throw a name out there.

 

Somebody wanted to know, "Why not write this after the Detroit series?" When you have an off-day in the schedule, that gives you a better opportunity to come up with a feature or an analysis or a column. With space in the paper being so tight on game days, this provided the better opportunity.

 

I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL.

 

Can I be the assistant in charge of depositing all the checks.

[Warpticon]

For the princely fee of 50 cents, we’ll provide our own five-point plan. Because the Cubs’ troubles are wide, deep and — most important — systemic, we’ll call for no one’s immediate firing because the problems and solutions transcend any one person.

 

Nice, I got it for free...

 

For free? Now that ain't right!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I'll keep after 'em. I understand all the arguments against Carlos Lee. I wanted to throw a name out there.

 

Somebody wanted to know, "Why not write this after the Detroit series?" When you have an off-day in the schedule, that gives you a better opportunity to come up with a feature or an analysis or a column. With space in the paper being so tight on game days, this provided the better opportunity.

 

I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL.

 

Can I be the assistant in charge of depositing all the checks.

 

I want to be the assistant in charge of correcting goony's punctuation.

[goonys evil twin]

For the princely fee of 50 cents, we’ll provide our own five-point plan. Because the Cubs’ troubles are wide, deep and — most important — systemic, we’ll call for no one’s immediate firing because the problems and solutions transcend any one person.

 

Nice, I got it for free...

 

For free? Now that ain't right!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I'll keep after 'em. I understand all the arguments against Carlos Lee. I wanted to throw a name out there.

 

Somebody wanted to know, "Why not write this after the Detroit series?" When you have an off-day in the schedule, that gives you a better opportunity to come up with a feature or an analysis or a column. With space in the paper being so tight on game days, this provided the better opportunity.

 

I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL.

 

Can I be the assistant in charge of depositing all the checks.

 

I want to be the assistant in charge of correcting goony's punctuation.

 

Sorry/ My bad?

[Balsa]

I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL.

Did you know in Canada there's a Bruce MacPhail Memorial Airport? :shock:

[thedaymen]

For the princely fee of 50 cents, we’ll provide our own five-point plan. Because the Cubs’ troubles are wide, deep and — most important — systemic, we’ll call for no one’s immediate firing because the problems and solutions transcend any one person.

 

Nice, I got it for free...

 

For free? Now that ain't right!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I'll keep after 'em. I understand all the arguments against Carlos Lee. I wanted to throw a name out there.

 

Somebody wanted to know, "Why not write this after the Detroit series?" When you have an off-day in the schedule, that gives you a better opportunity to come up with a feature or an analysis or a column. With space in the paper being so tight on game days, this provided the better opportunity.

 

I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL.

 

No offense Bruce...but I'm a couple hundred miles outside your circulation area. Let me know if you ever start writing for the Newark Star Ledger.

[BigbadB]

No offense Bruce...but I'm a couple hundred miles outside your circulation area. Let me know if you ever start writing for the Newark Star Ledger.

 

I'm 2000 miles from his circulation area, and I'd happily offer my assistance for free. I have no motivations outside of wanting the Cubs to be a good, competitive team.

 

I have tons of resources at my fingertips.

 

This is the same organization that once employed the "college of coaches", and now currently employs "the 3 ring circus".

 

How crazy would it really be in comparison to some of the brilliant ideas of yesteryear?

[CuseCubFan69]

No offense Bruce...but I'm a couple hundred miles outside your circulation area. Let me know if you ever start writing for the Newark Star Ledger.

 

I'm 2000 miles from his circulation area, and I'd happily offer my assistance for free. I have no motivations outside of wanting the Cubs to be a good, competitive team.

 

I have tons of resources at my fingertips.

 

This is the same organization that once employed the "college of coaches", and now currently employs "the 3 ring circus".

 

How crazy would it really be in comparison to some of the brilliant ideas of yesteryear?

 

Hmm...ideas like instead of mixing mayo and tuna feed the tuna mayonnaise.

[BigbadB]

No offense Bruce...but I'm a couple hundred miles outside your circulation area. Let me know if you ever start writing for the Newark Star Ledger.

 

I'm 2000 miles from his circulation area, and I'd happily offer my assistance for free. I have no motivations outside of wanting the Cubs to be a good, competitive team.

 

I have tons of resources at my fingertips.

 

This is the same organization that once employed the "college of coaches", and now currently employs "the 3 ring circus".

 

How crazy would it really be in comparison to some of the brilliant ideas of yesteryear?

 

Hmm...ideas like instead of mixing mayo and tuna feed the tuna mayonnaise.

 

Yeah, but if you're going to do it right, feed the tuna mayonnaise AND relish.

[SoonerCubFan]

You're neglecting one thing; you can't do the latter without the former. This is a typical case of curing symptoms rather than the disease.

 

I don't think I ever neglected the former (getting on base). I simply implied that without the latter (getting them in), the former doesn't do that much good. In another medical analogy, if the heart dies the brain will die but if the brain dies anyway the healthy heart doesn't do much good.

 

However, with the grand overall analysis provided by BigBad, it is obvious that the getting on part is about 90-95% of the total issue. And, I readily agree that having good (and smart, which may be inherent) hitters is really all it boils down to. Sorry for my over analysis.

[NorthsideAvenger]

For the princely fee of 50 cents, we’ll provide our own five-point plan. Because the Cubs’ troubles are wide, deep and — most important — systemic, we’ll call for no one’s immediate firing because the problems and solutions transcend any one person.

 

Nice, I got it for free...

 

For free? Now that ain't right!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I'll keep after 'em. I understand all the arguments against Carlos Lee. I wanted to throw a name out there.

 

Somebody wanted to know, "Why not write this after the Detroit series?" When you have an off-day in the schedule, that gives you a better opportunity to come up with a feature or an analysis or a column. With space in the paper being so tight on game days, this provided the better opportunity.

 

I WILL have to hire some of you guys as assistants when I take over the Cubs. LOL.

 

No offense Bruce...but I'm a couple hundred miles outside your circulation area. Let me know if you ever start writing for the Newark Star Ledger.

 

No offense, thedaymen, but Cubs fans need Bruce to stay in Chicago, and keep after the Cubs.

[BigbadB]

You're neglecting one thing; you can't do the latter without the former. This is a typical case of curing symptoms rather than the disease.

 

I don't think I ever neglected the former (getting on base). I simply implied that without the latter (getting them in), the former doesn't do that much good. In another medical analogy, if the heart dies the brain will die but if the brain dies anyway the healthy heart doesn't do much good.

 

However, with the grand overall analysis provided by BigBad, it is obvious that the getting on part is about 90-95% of the total issue. And, I readily agree that having good (and smart, which may be inherent) hitters is really all it boils down to. Sorry for my over analysis.

 

Actually, OBP isn't anywhere near 90-95% of the total issue unless we are only discussing scoring runs.

 

SLG, starting pitching, bullpen, bench depth, defense and sound fundamentals have to figure in there somewhere as well. I'd probably add line up card construction as one also, but if you flooded your roster with good OBP guys, it really doesn't matter a whole lot how you fill out the line up card.

 

After all these years, Dusty still doesn't know how to fill out a line up card. When filling out the card, ask yourself these important questions:

 

Should Neifi Perez bat before Derrek Lee or Aramis Ramirez? Should Neifi get more at bats than Derrek Lee or Aramis Ramirez? Is Neifi Perez good at setting the table for guys like Derrek Lee or Aramis Ramirez? Is Neifi Perez good at getting on base (using facts rather than pure instinct, of course)? If the answer is no to all of these questions, what is he doing batting 2nd on the line up card?

 

Someone pointed out earlier in this thread (or another) that Juan Pierre was the only sub .300 OBP guy batting lead off in either league. That would be because Dusty is not smart enough to recognize the problem and do something about it. When he actually took Pierre out of the lead off spot for a game or two, he put him in the #2 spot. Wow, what a revelation. GENIUS! Take a struggling hitter and slide him down one spot, as if this is going to motivate him to win his old job back. [-(

 

I have a better idea. Put him at the bottom of the order IF you have to play him at all. Put him where his bat can do the least damage. It's the principle behind where you bat anyone in the line up. You bat the most productive hitters 3rd and 4th with the hopes that your #1 and #2 guys get on base in front of them. If you're going to bat your best OBP guys 6th and 7th, then it would also make sense to bat Lee 8th and Aramis 9th to make the best use of your best OBP guys. But, how much sense would that make?

 

About as much sense as it makes to bat these sub .300 OBP guys at the top of the order where they will not only continue to be sub .300 OBP guys, but they'll gobble up most of the at bats as well.

[swordsman]

I really hate this idea of clutch, what are the origins of this as it pertains to sports?

 

I don't know the origins, but I'm guessing it comes out of the overly romanticized writings about the sport back in the day, when most fans couldn't watch the games, or even listen to them, instead they relied on a sportswriter to spin the tale. A guy who got a big hit at a big time would be considered clutch, or whatever similar word they used, while somebody who came up short was a choker. There wasn't much statistical analysis going on, instead they just wrote what sounded better. Explaining that a .300 hitter with a .400 OBP still makes an out 60% of the time, so it's not very reasonable to hate him for coming up short in a big moment wasn't nearly as interesting as saying some guy had all the skills but not the intestinal fortitude to get the hit when it mattered most.

 

Is it possible then that there is such an attribute as choke (someone who's batting average or OBP or SLG goes down in important situations) but not really something like being clutch? I could see that an important situation could get a hitter out of their rhythm more than it could get one into it.

[Warpticon]

I really hate this idea of clutch, what are the origins of this as it pertains to sports?

 

I don't know the origins, but I'm guessing it comes out of the overly romanticized writings about the sport back in the day, when most fans couldn't watch the games, or even listen to them, instead they relied on a sportswriter to spin the tale. A guy who got a big hit at a big time would be considered clutch, or whatever similar word they used, while somebody who came up short was a choker. There wasn't much statistical analysis going on, instead they just wrote what sounded better. Explaining that a .300 hitter with a .400 OBP still makes an out 60% of the time, so it's not very reasonable to hate him for coming up short in a big moment wasn't nearly as interesting as saying some guy had all the skills but not the intestinal fortitude to get the hit when it mattered most.

 

Is it possible then that there is such an attribute as choke (someone who's batting average or OBP or SLG goes down in important situations) but not really something like being clutch? I could see that an important situation could get a hitter out of their rhythm more than it could get one into it.

 

That's been discussed before--some people referred to it as "anti-clutch." I think that being "clutch" is being able to perform normally despite a so-called pressure situation. If people could just elevate their play levels at will, they'd play at that level all the time. However, it is certainly reasonable to expect that certain players will have a harder time in certain situations than others. Thinking this way really emphasizes the folly of the clutch-seeking philosophy further. An Alex Rodriguez playing below his top-5-in-baseball regular level is being so-called "unclutch," but some mediocre retread who hits better than normal for a little while is somehow better? Please.