How did it come to this?

[wastra]

I was struck by a thought as I sat unmoving in morning traffic behind yet ANOTHER wreck on the expressway caused, according to the radio, by a woman trying to apply makeup in a minivan while driving :evil: who rear-ended a stopped SUV and caused a four car mess.

 

How did it get so bad? I honestly believe that half the people who post on this board, if given an accounting/legal advisor to handle some of the contractual issues, would have put together a far better team than the one we are stuck with, and wouldn't have spent more money to do it.

 

I mean, I am the first to criticize Jim Hendry's decisions on many occassions, but he can't be so totally clueless can he? Is there another team with a $100 million payroll as horrendously BAD as we are? Has there EVER been one? I understand that he wasn't just handed $100m and given a list of players to fill out an empty roster and contracts were added over tiem to fill holes, etc, that stick around to haunt us- this roster evolved over 3-5 years. But the more I think about it, the more I believe this team was a display of collossal baseball ineptitude the likes of which baseball might never have seen- at least not in my lifetime.

[JeffH]

I am no Jim Hendry supporter, but I think that, if Derrek Lee had not gotten hurt, the team would have been merely below average, as opposed to worthy-of-historical-note bad.

 

Hendry was also put in a bad spot with respect to Prior and Wood. Wood has been using up >10% of the payroll and not producing anything. One can criticize signing him to that deal in the first place, but the fact of the matter is that that was not a completely indefensible move. Prior is Prior.

 

Other than bad luck, spreading money around on mediocre and bad players instead of investing in top talent is what hurt Hendry the most.

 

If you have Juan Pierre, Todd Walker, Jerry Hairston, Jacque Jones, and Neifi Perez instead of Carlos Beltran, of course you're going to be in a particularly bad way when your superstar first baseman gets hurt.

[cl smooth]

I mean, I am the first to criticize Jim Hendry's decisions on many occassions, but he can't be so totally clueless can he? Is there another team with a $100 million payroll as horrendously BAD as we are? Has there EVER been one?

 

the 1993 mets had a $40 million payroll, which 3th or 4th highest in the NL at the time. they lost 59 games are were the laughingstock of baseball. remember the "hardball is back!" title they gave to themselves? yeah. here's a snippet from a wikipedia article to break it down for you:

 

With all of the personal problems swirling around the Mets after the 1986 championship, the Mets tried to rebuild using experienced superstars. They picked up the aging eventual Hall of Famer Eddie Murray for over $3 million, the younger but troubled Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Bobby Bonilla for over $6 million, one-time World Series hero Bret Saberhagen for $3 million and veteran pitcher Frank Tanana for $1.5 million. The rebuilding was supported by the slogan, "Hardball Is Back."[5]

 

The experiment of building a team via free agency quickly flopped as Saberhagen and Coleman were soon injured and spent more time on the disabled list than on the field, and Bonilla exhibited unprofessional behavior towards members of the press, once threatening a reporter by saying, "I'll show you The Bronx" [3]. At the beginning of the 1991 season, Coleman, Gooden and outfielder Daryl Boston were named in an alleged sexual abuse incident against a woman near the Mets' spring training facility; charges were later dropped. Meanwhile, popular pitcher David Cone was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays during the 1992 season for Ryan Thompson and Jeff Kent. While the move was widely criticized by fans of both teams, the Jays went on to win the 1992 World Series.

 

The lowest point of the experiment was the 1993 season when the Mets lost 103 games. In April of that year, Gooden was injured when Coleman accidentally hit Gooden's shoulder with a golf club while practicing his swing. In July, Saberhagen threw a firecracker under a table near reporters. Their young pitching prospect Anthony Young started the '93 season at 0-13 and his overall streak of 27 straight losses over two years set a new record. After Young's record-setting loss, Coleman threw a firecracker out of the team bus window and injured three people resulting in felony charges that effectively ended his Mets career. Only a few days later, Saberhagen was in trouble again, this time for spraying bleach at three reporters. The meltdown season resulted in the worst record for a Mets team since 1965. Their descent was chronicled by the book The Worst Team Money Could Buy: The Collapse Of The New York Mets (ISBN 0-8032-7822-5) by Mets beat writers Bob Klapisch and John Harper.

 

not quite the '06 cubs, but poor planning with a decent payroll has happened before.

[gflore34]

I honestly believe that half the people who post on this board, if given an accounting/legal advisor to handle some of the contractual issues, would have put together a far better team than the one we are stuck with, and wouldn't have spent more money to do it.

 

I'm completely convinced that some of the people here as the Cubs GM, with the same resources as Hendry, would have had the Cubs in the playoffs.

[Scott G. F.]

I believe what you're looking for is a graph for how much the Cubs got per win. I saw this on another blog. Bronx Banter about 2 weeks ago.

The Cubs roughly paid 2.1 mil for each win this year where as the Marlins had the best ratio per win. Which goes without saying.

 

The Cubs are not that bad people. 2006 is over.

[CubColtPacer]

I believe what you're looking for is a graph for how much the Cubs got per win. I saw this on another blog. Bronx Banter about 2 weeks ago.

The Cubs roughly paid 2.1 mil for each win this year where as the Marlins had the best ratio per win. Which goes without saying.

 

The Cubs are not that bad people. 2006 is over.

 

It was simply a combination of factors for 2006. One was that a significant amount of our money did not give us much this year.

Wood-12 mil

Lee-9.5 mil

Maddux-9 mil

Prior-3.65 mil

 

That's over 34 million right there that didn't produce past April (and some of them didn't produce at all). Wood, Lee, and Prior were due to injuries-and Maddux's contract was seen as the overpaying to get us over the top which did not happen.

 

There was about 10 million in contracts given out to non-producing players as well-so add that in there.

 

The key to the Cubs was this year simply was their depth. They did not build enough depth into their starting pitching or the middle of their order-and those are the two places that got hit by the injury bug. That's what destroyed them more than really anything.

[CubinNY]

 

The Cubs are not that bad people.

 

Yes they are. You are what your record says you are.

 

They will be bad again if Hendry doesn't get better playrs.

[Pinktermite]

Hendry made his mistakes, just like we all have. His are obviously more glaring because he's in such a prominent position. He's also had his share of success.

 

The team hasn't shown that. They are in a new direction. And this isn't the first...nor the last team in baseball...to have years like this. Before this year, the mets paid a helluva lot of money for a team that was mediocre.

 

The Red Sox and White Sox didn't make the playoffs...and they spent lots of money, too.

[Laura]

Downy rips the Cubs in his aptly-named column:

"Optimism is just Plain Delusional."

 

He lists 5 misconceptions:

 

1. The Cubs have a lot of talent.

2. The Tribune is willing to spend.

3. Fans love this team, no matter what.

4. They're in a weak division.

5. Piniella will light a fire under them.

 

#2 has been a concern of mine. All this talk about turning the team around is great, but given the weakened farm system and dearth of draft picks the past couple of years, the Trib is going to have to throw money at the team if a turnaround is to be expected. Trading is great, but the Cubs don't have a whole lot to trade these days.

 

We've all lived through endless "not rebuilding but not competing, either" cycles. It gets old. Hiring Piniella is supposed to mean that the wallet is going to be opened. It'll be interesting to see who they end up with.

[goonys evil twin]

The Red Sox and White Sox didn't make the playoffs...and they spent lots of money, too.

 

So what. They at least got close, and were coming off playoff years. If Henry put up a team nearly as good as the WS or RS recent winners were, then it would be easy to forgive an off year. This isnt' an off year, this is par for the course.

[Pinktermite]

They sucked, fine, they sucked this year. Say something positive, Goony...say three positive things about the Cubs...

 

Can you do it?

[CubinNY]

They sucked, fine, they sucked this year. Say something positive, Goony...say three positive things about the Cubs...

 

Can you do it?

 

Why should anyone have to say anything positive about a team that lost damn near 100 games with damn near $100 million dollar payroll?

 

There isn't anytihing positive to say except Dusty was fired. He should have been fired before the all-star break.

[johnnyba99]

#2 has been a concern of mine. All this talk about turning the team around is great, but given the weakened farm system and dearth of draft picks the past couple of years, the Trib is going to have to throw money at the team if a turnaround is to be expected. Trading is great, but the Cubs don't have a whole lot to trade these days.

 

 

I think there has been plenty of money to spend in the past few seasons, the problem lies with how it was spent.

[Laura]

#2 has been a concern of mine. All this talk about turning the team around is great, but given the weakened farm system and dearth of draft picks the past couple of years, the Trib is going to have to throw money at the team if a turnaround is to be expected. Trading is great, but the Cubs don't have a whole lot to trade these days.

 

 

I think there has been plenty of money to spend in the past few seasons, the problem lies with how it was spent.

 

I agree, that's how the hole was dug. Hendry is still here and there's still problems to be addressed.

[Pinktermite]

The reason positive things should be said is that the team has good players on it...

 

Those are positives. The past is the past. All the complaining doesn't do anyone any good. Hendry is here...he's staying. It does nobody any good to continue to malign the people that are trying to make it better.

 

Again, I guess I'm the Lone Ranger on this subject

[goonys evil twin]

They sucked, fine, they sucked this year. Say something positive, Goony...say three positive things about the Cubs...

 

Can you do it?

 

Why? Why do you care if I say something positive? What does it matter if I say something positive. They sucked this year. They sucked last year. Jim Hendry sucks as GM. They've sucked for most of my life.

 

Why does the truth bother you so much?

 

What is the point of randomly spouting off three positive things about the Cubs? The big picture is what matters. You want me to tell you Matt Murton is a very good candidate to have a breakout year in 2007? Does that make you happy? Do you want me to tell you Carlos Zambrano is really good? Is that good? Does me recognizing that there are some positive aspects to this moribund franchise really matter that much to you?

 

I'm not interested in relishing the few bright spots on a dark surface, not when it would be very easy for somebody to make the whole thing shine.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I also think a lack of foward thinking has been the problem as well.

 

There were FA that were passed on because the Cubs had a short-term player already in the position.

 

Not pursuing Tejada because of Alex Gonzalez's contract.

 

Not finding a way to pursue Vlad because of Sosa and Alou.

 

Not making more of a pursuit of Beltran.

 

Those are just a few of the problems.

 

2003 was an exciting year for us, but I think it was also the beginning of the problems. Stop-gap solutions began because after 2003, Hendry believed this team was closer to a championship caliber team than they really were.

[goonys evil twin]

The reason positive things should be said is that the team has good players on it...

 

Those are positives. The past is the past. All the complaining doesn't do anyone any good. Hendry is here...he's staying. It does nobody any good to continue to malign the people that are trying to make it better.

 

Again, I guess I'm the Lone Ranger on this subject

 

The past is the past, and it's still the present. Until the present does not look like the past, there is very little positive to say about this team. Being little miss sunshine isn't going to change the fact that the team sucks. My complaining doesn't hurt the team. It doesn't help them either, but at least it's the truth. I wouldn't support what the president does just because he's the president, I don't see why I should just sit back and enjoy the Jim Hendry era just because he's here. Accepting failure is the best way to guarantee future failure.

[Pinktermite]

I care...well, I don't really care what you say...I'm interested in the opinions on here, that's all.

 

I think they had an extraordinarily pissy year but continuing to malign everyone in the organization who are trying to make it better just perpetuates the problem the Cubs have.

 

What's wrong with saying things like "Jim Hendry, you sucked this year and last...but you gave us Aramis and DLee for next to nothing...now see if you can do it again."

 

I just tire of all the negativity...I'm not a negative person. I'll shut up about it if nobody else feels the same way.

[Pinktermite]

and I'm not Mr. Sunshine. I know they suck...I've been victimized by these guys all my life, too.

[goonys evil twin]

I think they had an extraordinarily pissy year but continuing to malign everyone in the organization who are trying to make it better just perpetuates the problem the Cubs have.

 

Because those idiots are the reason it sucked. Relying on the same people who ruined the team to make it better is foolish. Complaining about the problems of this team does not make it worse. That is just a flat out stupid claim. Hiding from the truth doesn't make them better.

[goonys evil twin]

What's wrong with saying things like "Jim Hendry, you sucked this year and last...but you gave us Aramis and DLee for next to nothing...now see if you can do it again."

 

Because it's the same thing as saying, "Neifi Perez, you sucked this year, but you were really good in April 2005...now see if you can do it again."

[Pinktermite]

why do you have to call me stupid by saying my claim is "stupid"? I have a differing opinion...no need for that kinda stuff is there? I agree with some of what you say, but why complain about things we can't do anything about? What's done is done...

 

I'm heading to work...have fun making fun of my opinions...

[goonys evil twin]

why do you have to call me stupid by saying my claim is "stupid"? I have a differing opinion...no need for that kinda stuff is there?

 

I didn't call you stupid, I said it was a stupid claim. Attack the post, not the poster. Claiming that my complaining about the Cubs somehow perpetuates the Cubs problem of losing lots of baseball games is just flat out asinine.

[cl smooth]

What's wrong with saying things like "Jim Hendry, you sucked this year and last...but you gave us Aramis and DLee for next to nothing...now see if you can do it again."

 

the last two seasons, hendry's deals have done more harm than good. it's ok to remember that he traded choi for derrek lee and a bunch of horsecrap for lofton and ramirez, but more recently, the negatives have outweighed the positives by a good margin:

 

* multi-year deals for glendon rusch and neifi perez, who were WAIVED by terrible teams before they were picked off the scrap heap by the cubs. think about that for a minute.

* trading three young arms for a one-year rental in juan pierre, who is about as one-dimensional as they get.

* practically getting into a bidding war with the ROYALS for the services of jacque jones and signing him to a terrible 3-year deal while they were better options available.

* giving freddy bynum, phil nevin, john mabry and a cast of thousands time in left field instead of playing matt murton.

* bringing up tony womack to play on a major league roster.

* wasting bench space, fabric for a jersey and oxygen in the locker room on jose macias.

 

shall i go on?