The "Kids"...

[moorecg]

From Bruce's article today:

Marshall wasn’t the only Cubs "kid" to lead the way. Second baseman Mike Fontenot, up for his second stint, singled in the third and added a 2-run single in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie.

 

Rookie center fielder Felix Pie was on base three times, scoring a run. And shortstop Ryan Theriot stole a base and made a couple of nice defensive plays.

 

--

 

Right now we've got Pie, TheRiot, Fontenot, Marshall, Hill, Zambrano, Marmol, Wuertz, and Gallagher all basically products of our farm system at the Major league level...and, aside from Lee, Soriano and Ramirez they are arguably our better players...coincidence? If that doesn't argue against going out and spending money on middle of the road bench/fillin/relievers I"m not sure what does.

[CUBZ99]

Fontenot seems to have come out of nowhere. He can hit, has a solid glove, and seems to play like he knows what he is doing. With some roster decisions coming up soon, Lou is going to be faced with some tough decisions. I can't see the Cubs justifying sending Theriot or Fontenot down. Maybe it is time to admit a mistake with Izturis and move on.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Fontenot seems to have come out of nowhere. He can hit, has a solid glove, and seems to play like he knows what he is doing. With some roster decisions coming up soon, Lou is going to be faced with some tough decisions. I can't see the Cubs justifying sending Theriot or Fontenot down. Maybe it is time to admit a mistake with Izturis and move on.

 

Fontenot hasn't come out of nowhere. His minor league numbers have always indicated he could hit. Why it took the Cubs this long to bring him up is a mystery to me.

[CUBZ99]

Fontenot seems to have come out of nowhere. He can hit, has a solid glove, and seems to play like he knows what he is doing. With some roster decisions coming up soon, Lou is going to be faced with some tough decisions. I can't see the Cubs justifying sending Theriot or Fontenot down. Maybe it is time to admit a mistake with Izturis and move on.

 

Fontenot hasn't come out of nowhere. His minor league numbers have always indicated he could hit. Why it took the Cubs this long to bring him up is a mystery to me.

 

Fontenot has come out of nowhere. There are plenty of minor league players that hit well and still aren't considered good prospects or able to adjust to the majors. I don't seem to recall Fontenot in the top 10 of any prospect lists recently or reading in any reputable publication that he was MLB material (Certainly he has had his supporters on this board, and Kudos to them). Great to see him having a break out year, and taking advantage of his opportunities.

[C.C.]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

[Amazing_Grace]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

We shouldn't get too excited yet. Fontenot's been up for all of two weeks, Pie has hit well since his 2nd callup, and Theriot's been mired in a slump recently. None of these guys are superstar prospects. Still, they are a better option than Izturis, and definitely show how stupid it is to pay the likes of Neifi Perez 3M per year.

Edited June 14, 2007 by Amazing_Grace

[C.C.]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

Can we just swap out teams? Speaking of patience I've been impressed by Pie in that department.

[Tracer Bullet]

Fontenot seems to have come out of nowhere. He can hit, has a solid glove, and seems to play like he knows what he is doing. With some roster decisions coming up soon, Lou is going to be faced with some tough decisions. I can't see the Cubs justifying sending Theriot or Fontenot down. Maybe it is time to admit a mistake with Izturis and move on.

 

Fontenot hasn't come out of nowhere. His minor league numbers have always indicated he could hit. Why it took the Cubs this long to bring him up is a mystery to me.

 

Fontenot has come out of nowhere. There are plenty of minor league players that hit well and still aren't considered good prospects or able to adjust to the majors. I don't seem to recall Fontenot in the top 10 of any prospect lists recently or reading in any reputable publication that he was MLB material (Certainly he has had his supporters on this board, and Kudos to them). Great to see him having a break out year, and taking advantage of his opportunities.

 

He's not a top ten prospect and it's not likely that he's going to be a star that would warrant recognition on prospect lists. But his MiLB numbers have shown that he has an ability to contribute offensively. A 2B with an .800 OPS in 2 years at AAA should have been given a long hard look to start for this team coming into this year. But instead we went out and spent valuable $ on DeRosa (I'm not saying he's terrible, but does is value to the team justify the difference in cost?).

 

But no, Fontenot did not come out of nowhere. If the Cubs didn't realize that there was a very good chance that he could be successful at this level, they're idiots. But they did the same thing at 2B than they did in the OF. They didn't add difference makers with the money they spent. And they blocked guys who had a good chance to be valuable contributors at low cost. It's moves like this that waste valuable money and should have cost Hendry his job by now.

[ctcf]

I'm all for keeping the LSU connection running.

 

And I'm dangerously close to getting a Marshall jersey shirt.

[Roast]

I fully plan on buying a Marshall Jersey sometime in the near future. I love him. He is by far my favorite non Lee/Z cub.

 

Also, not to be picky, but Fontenot isn't really a "product of our system."

 

He came over in the Sammy Sosa trade, and I'm pretty sure he was already in AAA. If not, then it was at least AA.

[Derwood]

last night's starting lineup had Pie, Theriot/Fontento, Marshall and Hill up the middle. Enough kids for ya?

[illiniguy]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

We shouldn't get too excited yet. Fontenot's been up for all of two weeks, Pie has hit well since his 2nd callup, and Theriot's been mired in a slump recently. None of these guys are superstar prospects. Still, they are a better option than Izturis, and definitely show how stupid it is to pay the likes of Neifi Perez 3M per year.

Actually Pie is a pretty big prospect

[jersey cubs fan]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

We shouldn't get too excited yet. Fontenot's been up for all of two weeks, Pie has hit well since his 2nd callup, and Theriot's been mired in a slump recently. None of these guys are superstar prospects. Still, they are a better option than Izturis, and definitely show how stupid it is to pay the likes of Neifi Perez 3M per year.

Actually Pie is a pretty big prospect

 

Yeah, Pie is definitely a star prospect, in terms of potential. He may never be a superstar, but he could end up flirting with the 900 OPS level out of CF, which would be perennial all star kind of production.

 

Theriot and Fontenot are not ideal starters. I like them both as bench players and occasional starters. Or, if you fill the rest of your lineup with studs they are economical filler.

 

In 2008 I'd like to see Patterson, Fontenot and Theriot battle it out for 2B and utility roles, assuming they get a real SS. Or, if they find a real RF, then those three plus Cedeno could probably adequately fill the 2B and SS positions.

[YearofDaCubs]

I'm glad to see the kids finally playing. At least these guys give us a chance to win. Players like Izturis and Jones bring nothing to the table. It's amazing the patience that Pie has shown so far. The organization wanted more patience from him and he did it. That's good to see. Even though Theriot's numbers are down, he clearly is a better player than Izturis and should start every day.

[jersey cubs fan]

Even though Theriot's numbers are down, he clearly is a better player than Izturis and should start every day.

 

I honestly don't think he should start everyday. He should get most of the starts, but I think the more he plays the more he's exposed. I'd rather he play 4-5 times a week than play everyday. I see him getting into a huge rut if he starts 10-15 straight.

[ToThePain]

That trade to Baltimore sending Sammy Sosa over for $16.5 million, Jerry Hairston Jr, David Crouthers and Mike Fontenot... is finally starting to pay some dividends.

 

Here's to hoping Fontenot continues to rake.

[SouthSideRyan]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

We shouldn't get too excited yet. Fontenot's been up for all of two weeks, Pie has hit well since his 2nd callup, and Theriot's been mired in a slump recently. None of these guys are superstar prospects. Still, they are a better option than Izturis, and definitely show how stupid it is to pay the likes of Neifi Perez 3M per year.

Actually Pie is a pretty big prospect

 

Yeah, Pie is definitely a star prospect, in terms of potential. He may never be a superstar, but he could end up flirting with the 900 OPS level out of CF, which would be perennial all star kind of production.

 

Theriot and Fontenot are not ideal starters. I like them both as bench players and occasional starters. Or, if you fill the rest of your lineup with studs they are economical filler.

 

In 2008 I'd like to see Patterson, Fontenot and Theriot battle it out for 2B and utility roles, assuming they get a real SS. Or, if they find a real RF, then those three plus Cedeno could probably adequately fill the 2B and SS positions.

 

Mark Derosa cries in the corner.

[jjgman21]

That trade to Baltimore sending Sammy Sosa over for $16.5 million, Jerry Hairston Jr, David Crouthers and Mike Fontenot... is finally starting to pay some dividends.

 

Here's to hoping Fontenot continues to rake.

 

that trade paid huge dividends already. it allowed the Cubs to get 96 OPS+ production for about 17M in 2005 instead of 82 OPS+ production for 18M. it also got them out of 18M in dead weight salary for 2006.

[Mark_R]

Would anybody be upset with Theriot playing SS five days a week, DeRosa getting 2 a week, and then Derosa and Fontenot splitting 2B?

 

They'd be hitting near the bottom of the order, ideally, but as a whole, they'd likely be way more productive than Izturis.

 

Izturis, Jones, and Eyre are all the pieces on this team that have to go.

[CubColtPacer]

Would anybody be upset with Theriot playing SS five days a week, DeRosa getting 2 a week, and then Derosa and Fontenot splitting 2B?

 

They'd be hitting near the bottom of the order, ideally, but as a whole, they'd likely be way more productive than Izturis.

 

Izturis, Jones, and Eyre are all the pieces on this team that have to go.

 

I'd have no problem with that-if they are going to have DeRosa play short at all.

 

Before Fontenot came up and Murton went down, it seemed like that a good ratio would be DeRosa 6 (all at 2nd), Theriot 5 (1 at 2nd, 4 at SS) and Izturis 3 (all at SS) would be good. That would give everybody at least one day off, and Izturis only steals one start out of 7, hopefully against a pitcher he's been good against in the past.

 

Now with Fontenot up and playing well, and a lack of options in RF to play against LHP, DeRosa should probably play 6 out of 7 (2B against right-handers and RF against left-handers), Fontenot play a variable amount (giving DeRosa days off against right-handers at times, and playing 2B against left-handers), Theriot play 6 out of 7 (all at SS), and Izturis playing 1 out of 7 giving Theriot a day off.

Of course, none of this can even start to happen until Ramirez comes back.

[YearofDaCubs]

Would anybody be upset with Theriot playing SS five days a week, DeRosa getting 2 a week, and then Derosa and Fontenot splitting 2B?

 

They'd be hitting near the bottom of the order, ideally, but as a whole, they'd likely be way more productive than Izturis.

 

Izturis, Jones, and Eyre are all the pieces on this team that have to go.

Anything to keep Izturis out of the lineup. He's that bad.

[Marco4]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

Its something the Daytona Cubs management were having a drive for the other day.

 

(Shameless plug for my mention on the radio again. :P)

[CubinNY]

Fontenot seems to have come out of nowhere. He can hit, has a solid glove, and seems to play like he knows what he is doing. With some roster decisions coming up soon, Lou is going to be faced with some tough decisions. I can't see the Cubs justifying sending Theriot or Fontenot down. Maybe it is time to admit a mistake with Izturis and move on.

 

Fontenot hasn't come out of nowhere. His minor league numbers have always indicated he could hit. Why it took the Cubs this long to bring him up is a mystery to me.

 

Fontenot has come out of nowhere. There are plenty of minor league players that hit well and still aren't considered good prospects or able to adjust to the majors. I don't seem to recall Fontenot in the top 10 of any prospect lists recently or reading in any reputable publication that he was MLB material (Certainly he has had his supporters on this board, and Kudos to them). Great to see him having a break out year, and taking advantage of his opportunities.

 

Fontenot was up for a brief period in 2005. I saw him pinch hit in Pittsburg. He's been languishing in the minors for Dusty's entire tenure. Having written that, he's nothing to get excited about.

[Amazing_Grace]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

We shouldn't get too excited yet. Fontenot's been up for all of two weeks, Pie has hit well since his 2nd callup, and Theriot's been mired in a slump recently. None of these guys are superstar prospects. Still, they are a better option than Izturis, and definitely show how stupid it is to pay the likes of Neifi Perez 3M per year.

Actually Pie is a pretty big prospect

 

Oh I wasn't referring to Pie. I was referring to Theriot and Fontenot. They're both in their upper 20's so they aren't prospects by anybody's definitions. Pie is definitely a good prospect.

[Amazing_Grace]

What I find more shocking is that Iowa is still rolling along in the win column without all these guys...

 

Maybe their organization preaches patience, OBP, and the importance of the walk.

 

We shouldn't get too excited yet. Fontenot's been up for all of two weeks, Pie has hit well since his 2nd callup, and Theriot's been mired in a slump recently. None of these guys are superstar prospects. Still, they are a better option than Izturis, and definitely show how stupid it is to pay the likes of Neifi Perez 3M per year.

Actually Pie is a pretty big prospect

 

Yeah, Pie is definitely a star prospect, in terms of potential. He may never be a superstar, but he could end up flirting with the 900 OPS level out of CF, which would be perennial all star kind of production.

 

Theriot and Fontenot are not ideal starters. I like them both as bench players and occasional starters. Or, if you fill the rest of your lineup with studs they are economical filler.

 

In 2008 I'd like to see Patterson, Fontenot and Theriot battle it out for 2B and utility roles, assuming they get a real SS. Or, if they find a real RF, then those three plus Cedeno could probably adequately fill the 2B and SS positions.

 

Mark Derosa cries in the corner.

 

DeRosa is, by the numbers, the team's fourth best hitter right now. He should play every day somewhere.