MLB Hamilton article

[mg420]

i guess the cubs should have considered keeping him.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070506&content_id=1949398&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Soriano12]

He is better off in Cincinatti, he can hang out with members of the Bengals NFL team and blend right in.

[YearofDaCubs]

Doesn't matter anymore. He's a member of the Reds now and don't see him becoming a Cub.

[Pushfrog98]

It was never even an option for him to be a Cub.

 

The Cubs already had an agreement with the Reds that they would have our pick for cash. We had no clue who they wanted. They slipped us a piece of paper, we passed it on, that player went directly to the Reds.

[jersey cubs fan]

It was never even an option for him to be a Cub.

 

The Cubs already had an agreement with the Reds that they would have our pick for cash. We had no clue who they wanted. They slipped us a piece of paper, we passed it on, that player went directly to the Reds.

 

You're acting as if that was a standing agreement the Cubs always had to be in-line with. They didn't have to come to that agreement. And they could have done a better job scouting him, to find out themselves that Hamilton was ready to turn things around. Knowing how early their pick was, they could have done so on their own.

[Bruno7481]

It was never even an option for him to be a Cub.

 

The Cubs already had an agreement with the Reds that they would have our pick for cash. We had no clue who they wanted. They slipped us a piece of paper, we passed it on, that player went directly to the Reds.

 

You're acting as if that was a standing agreement the Cubs always had to be in-line with. They didn't have to come to that agreement. And they could have done a better job scouting him, to find out themselves that Hamilton was ready to turn things around. Knowing how early their pick was, they could have done so on their own.

 

Do you really think the Reds did extensive scouting in those 15+ games he played in the past 4 years to determine how he could do? They took him as a flyer also, Narron's brother had worked with him in the past. The Reds have notoriously underfunded their scouting department, it wasn't due to scouting.

 

It may not have been a standing agreement, but it would be a cheap shot to back out and keep the guy. The last thing this team needs is another outfielder anyway.

 

Good luck to him in Cincy.

[RichHillIsABeast]

It was never even an option for him to be a Cub.

 

The Cubs already had an agreement with the Reds that they would have our pick for cash. We had no clue who they wanted. They slipped us a piece of paper, we passed it on, that player went directly to the Reds.

 

You're acting as if that was a standing agreement the Cubs always had to be in-line with. They didn't have to come to that agreement. And they could have done a better job scouting him, to find out themselves that Hamilton was ready to turn things around. Knowing how early their pick was, they could have done so on their own.

 

Why would the Cubs be scouting an OF in the Rule 5?

 

Edit: And when Hamilton puts up 2 full years of decent numbers, then I'll call him legit.

[SouthSideRyan]

The Reds got EXTREMELY lucky with Hamilton. It would've been stupid wasting our time with Hamilton.

[Derwood]

he may be rookie of the year. he may be chris shelton. too early to know

[jersey cubs fan]

It was never even an option for him to be a Cub.

 

The Cubs already had an agreement with the Reds that they would have our pick for cash. We had no clue who they wanted. They slipped us a piece of paper, we passed it on, that player went directly to the Reds.

 

You're acting as if that was a standing agreement the Cubs always had to be in-line with. They didn't have to come to that agreement. And they could have done a better job scouting him, to find out themselves that Hamilton was ready to turn things around. Knowing how early their pick was, they could have done so on their own.

 

Why would the Cubs be scouting an OF in the Rule 5?

 

Edit: And when Hamilton puts up 2 full years of decent numbers, then I'll call him legit.

 

Because their OF has sucked for many years.

 

Scouting is more than just watching a guy play in games. Scouting can tell you if a guy is signable, if a guy is a douchebag, or if a guy is ready to turn the page on past problems.

 

I don't think it makes any sense to say that a team got extremely lucky to have an extremely talented player play well. If they had good reason to believe the drug issue was under control, there was no reason not to take a chance on the kid.

[Derwood]

it's more damnable that the Devil Rays left him unprotected than the Cubs trading him away

[Guest]

it's more damnable that the Devil Rays left him unprotected than the Cubs trading him away

 

I don't see why the Rays should be at fault either. It was time for the two to part ways.

[BigbadB]

With Crawford, Young, Baldelli, Gomes and Dukes patrolling the D'Rays outfield, do you really think they care about Josh Hamilton anymore? They have plenty of outfield depth with or without Hamilton.

 

With the Cubs recent history of poor performing outfielders, do you think they were really in a position to test a guy who hasn't played above A ball and had only a small handful of at bats in the last 4-5 years as their 5th outfielder?

 

Prior to what Hamilton has done with Cincinnati, would anyone have preferred Hamilton over any one of Floyd, Murton, Soriano, Pie, Jones and DeRosa going into the 2007 season?

 

Does anyone think the Cubs were in a position to hide a Rule 5 draftee in their line up all season?

 

I'm certain that teams are putting together scouting reports on Hamilton that will eventually target his weaknesses. He has had great success to date and I would love to see him keep it going, but the likelihood that he continues the level of success he's had so far is pretty bleak.

 

There just isn't much of a history of guys missing complete seasons of baseball while they feed their addictions with their entire signing bonuses, who then turn around and walk into a major league environment after never playing a single game above A ball and dominate major league pitching over an entire season.

 

Like I said, I hope he continues his success, especially since I drafted him in my fantasy league. But, the odds are pretty overwhelming against him continuing at this level. I'll wait until the scouts identify his weaknesses and attempt to expose those weaknesses. If he passes that test, he should probably win more than just a come back player of the year award.

[Jehrico]

It was never even an option for him to be a Cub.

 

The Cubs already had an agreement with the Reds that they would have our pick for cash. We had no clue who they wanted. They slipped us a piece of paper, we passed it on, that player went directly to the Reds.

 

You're acting as if that was a standing agreement the Cubs always had to be in-line with. They didn't have to come to that agreement. And they could have done a better job scouting him, to find out themselves that Hamilton was ready to turn things around. Knowing how early their pick was, they could have done so on their own.

 

Why would the Cubs be scouting an OF in the Rule 5?

 

Edit: And when Hamilton puts up 2 full years of decent numbers, then I'll call him legit.

 

Because their OF has sucked for many years.

 

Scouting is more than just watching a guy play in games. Scouting can tell you if a guy is signable, if a guy is a douchebag, or if a guy is ready to turn the page on past problems.

 

I don't think it makes any sense to say that a team got extremely lucky to have an extremely talented player play well. If they had good reason to believe the drug issue was under control, there was no reason not to take a chance on the kid.

Considering your definition of scouting, I don't see why you think the Cubs could have done a better job scouting hamilton. You can't scout a guy who doesn't play, and the guy didn't play any kind of ball for several years. He could easily meet your definition of a douchebag (speculation on my part as to what you consider a douchebag), and there's no way to tell if he really has turned the page on past problems. He's not been on the wagon that long, and he's fallen off of it on several past attempts. I don't know what the Cubs could have realistically expected to have done with regards to Hamilton. Buy a magic 8 ball maybe?

[cubsfan5150]

If anyone would have thought that Hamilton was absolutely ready to get over the shiite he was going through, he would have been the first pick in the draft. Everyone knew he had the talent to be a big league star, but he didn't have the head. It remains to be seen how long he'll stay sober.

[LetsGoCubs89]

i wish we could have kept him, ship out murton, no need for floyd, then we could put hamilton in either CF or RF and same for jones.

[killthegoat06]

i wish we could have kept him, ship out murton, no need for floyd, then we could put hamilton in either CF or RF and same for jones.

 

Next year Soriano, Pie, and Hamilton would have been a sick outfield.

[Derwood]

i wish we could have kept him, ship out murton, no need for floyd, then we could put hamilton in either CF or RF and same for jones.

 

 

yeah, nice in hindsight, but in the off season, keeping hamilton and shipping murton would have been insanity

[RichHillIsABeast]

20/20 hindsight is grand, isn't it? ...especially after less than 1/4 of a season.

[Derwood]

i wish we could have kept him, ship out murton, no need for floyd, then we could put hamilton in either CF or RF and same for jones.

 

 

yeah, nice in hindsight, but in the off season, keeping hamilton and shipping murton would have been insanity

 

not sure why i responded to this guy. i'm 99% sure he's been banned

[seanimal]

i wish we could have kept him, ship out murton, no need for floyd, then we could put hamilton in either CF or RF and same for jones.

 

 

yeah, nice in hindsight, but in the off season, keeping hamilton and shipping murton would have been insanity

 

not sure why i responded to this guy. i'm 99% sure he's been banned

 

Let's hope anyway.

[NCCubFan]

i wish we could have kept him, ship out murton, no need for floyd, then we could put hamilton in either CF or RF and same for jones.

 

 

yeah, nice in hindsight, but in the off season, keeping hamilton and shipping murton would have been insanity

 

not sure why i responded to this guy. i'm 99% sure he's been banned

Yep.

[soccer10k]

Wouldn't the Cubs have had to keep Hamilton on the MLB roster the whole year if they had kept him on the team. I'm guessing not too many people would have been pleased with that going into the year considering nobody had any idea he would hit like this.