Levine: Fukudome a Cub (was Kosuke coming to U.S.)

[windycityfan]

I hope Jenkins will have a career year with the Cubs in 08.

 

:shock:

 

Might as well take a piss on my cheerios.

[The Voice of Reason]

I don't have much faith in his agent. The guy doesn't seem to know what is going on. Even Rosenthal scooped him on Fukudome's annoucement of his intent to come to the US.

 

Pretty much anything an agent says is just a ploy to up the ante. My guess is that they want San Diego to get closer to Chicago's offering price and if it did come down to geography, San Diego wins.

 

 

Agree, this isn't Brian Giles coming home to San Diego and offering a hometown discount. If the Cubs have the best offer (like Soriano) they get him. If they don't have the best offer (like Furcal), they won't get him.

[CuseCubFan69]

I'll probably lose my lunch if I find out he goes to the Padres. Why on earth would he make that choice?

 

It's not a bad place to live...

 

It's not about living there, I'm sure he's talking about a hitter choosing a pitcher's park over a small field. These guy play half a year in a city and can make a permanent residence anywhere. How many of the Cubs players live in Chicago during the offseason? Not many. Most live in warm weather states, or outside of the country, to avoid Midwest winters.

 

Very true, I don't see why weather would be an issue. I'm sure he'll spend his winters in Japan.

 

Unless he is playing in Chicago in April!

[BigbadB]

I don't have much faith in his agent. The guy doesn't seem to know what is going on. Even Rosenthal scooped him on Fukudome's annoucement of his intent to come to the US.

 

Pretty much anything an agent says is just a ploy to up the ante. My guess is that they want San Diego to get closer to Chicago's offering price and if it did come down to geography, San Diego wins.

 

Yeah, that what it sounds like to me too. I hope Jenkins will have a career year with the Cubs in 08.

 

The only thing missing is Jenkins coming off a season playing in Colorado and artificially inflated stats that would have Hendry foaming at the mouth.

[minnesotacubsfan]

There's a funny thing about stereotypes. A lot of them are true most/much of the time.

 

 

I think alot of people get "qualities of cultures" mixed up with "stereotypes"

 

Its on thing to say a culture adheres to certain qualities, its far another thing to say a person of that culture adheres to those qualities because of their association to that culture

 

it can be true

[David]

I really don't see where climate plays into it more than park factors, especially considering that this is a sport played predominantly in the summer.

 

There's maybe 1.5-2 months of really sucky Chicago weather during the baseball season, and the team might be in town for half of it.

[Rob]

I don't have much faith in his agent. The guy doesn't seem to know what is going on. Even Rosenthal scooped him on Fukudome's annoucement of his intent to come to the US.

 

Pretty much anything an agent says is just a ploy to up the ante. My guess is that they want San Diego to get closer to Chicago's offering price and if it did come down to geography, San Diego wins.

 

 

Agree, this isn't Brian Giles coming home to San Diego and offering a hometown discount. If the Cubs have the best offer (like Soriano) they get him. If they don't have the best offer (like Furcal), they won't get him.

 

And the stark difference between those two situations is that Fukudome has explicitly stated that he wants three years. No more, no less. It should be pretty easy for Fukudome to take a look at the total dollar value of these two offers and decide which one means more money, where it was actually a question for Furcal.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I really don't see where climate plays into it more than park factors, especially considering that this is a sport played predominantly in the summer.

 

There's maybe 1.5-2 months of really sucky Chicago weather during the baseball season, and the team might be in town for half of it.

 

not to mention its not as if Japan has San Diego-like weather.

 

 

distance, and hence availible flights to Japan could. But Chicago has plenty of those too.

[BigbadB]

I really don't see where climate plays into it more than park factors, especially considering that this is a sport played predominantly in the summer.

 

There's maybe 1.5-2 months of really sucky Chicago weather during the baseball season, and the team might be in town for half of it.

 

If you're uprooting your entire family to move to the states, I can see how climate would make a big difference.

[jersey cubs fan]

And the stark difference between those two situations is that Fukudome has explicitly stated that he wants three years. No more, no less. It should be pretty easy for Fukudome to take a look at the total dollar value of these two offers and decide which one means more money, where it was actually a question for Furcal.

 

Although if one teams offers a 5 year contract with an opt out, that could tilt things in their favor. Years 4 and 5 at big money provide the cushion against potential decrease in his market, ie., if he's not all that good.

 

If Hendry offers a 5/75 contract that pays just $39m over the first 3 years, that means $13m per year, and gives him the choice of opting for free agency after 3 years, or settling for 2 more years at $18m. If the competition is inching up from 3/30, that could be a way to avoid having to go to 3/45 right off the bat. And Jim Hendry is likely long gone by then and not having to deal with the $18m price tag if Fukudome does stay.

[E.J.]

Man, we really need some news already. You people are going crazy.

[CuseCubFan69]

Why doesn't Hendry recruit like colleges and give him some "company" when he visits?

[Guest]

I really don't see where climate plays into it more than park factors, especially considering that this is a sport played predominantly in the summer.

 

There's maybe 1.5-2 months of really sucky Chicago weather during the baseball season, and the team might be in town for half of it.

 

If you're uprooting your entire family to move to the states, I can see how climate would make a big difference.

 

Is he going to move his family to the states?

[The Voice of Reason]

Why doesn't Hendry recruit like colleges and give him some "company" when he visits?

 

 

That might contribute to a "happy ending."

[windycityfan]

I really don't see where climate plays into it more than park factors, especially considering that this is a sport played predominantly in the summer.

 

There's maybe 1.5-2 months of really sucky Chicago weather during the baseball season, and the team might be in town for half of it.

 

To Chicagoans, great rationale and well put. To mild climate localities, political-like propaganda.

[E.J.]

Why doesn't Hendry recruit like colleges and give him some "company" when he visits?

 

I heard he took Pie with him when he was after Soriano last offseason. There's a reason they're "BFF."

[Lefty]

...And Jim Hendry is likely long gone by then and not having to deal with the $18m price tag if Fukudome does stay.

 

Why assume that Hendry will be gone? What if the new owners actually like him?

[BigbadB]

Is he going to move his family to the states?

 

I haven't heard. But, I would if I was in that situation.

[DenverCubs]

Why doesn't Hendry recruit like colleges and give him some "company" when he visits?

This would definitely work. Japanese dudes dig busty blondes even more than we Americans dig adolescent asian chicks.

[abuck1220]

great work on the stereotypes in this thread, everybody!

[jersey cubs fan]

I really don't see where climate plays into it more than park factors, especially considering that this is a sport played predominantly in the summer.

 

There's maybe 1.5-2 months of really sucky Chicago weather during the baseball season, and the team might be in town for half of it.

 

To Chicagoans, great rationale and well put. To mild climate localities, political-like propaganda.

 

Are the 1.5 - 2 months just April/May and late September/October? Because a case could be made, especially by Whale's Vaginaians, that July and August can be miserable as well. Late May through early July, and late August to early September may be the only good weather times in Chicago, especially for baseball.

[minnesotacubsfan]

great work on the stereotypes in this thread, everybody!

 

hey your welcome, your imput was absolutely critical

[CuseCubFan69]

Let's face it, the weather in SD is better than Chicago so why go there? I'd go with the fan angle if I were Hendry. Padre fans sleep during the game and that's if they win and Cub fans are a lot more active and support the team attendance wise no matter what. Also, he'd be a God if the Cubs won the WS while if he played in SD and won who'd even know who he was?

[jersey cubs fan]

...And Jim Hendry is likely long gone by then and not having to deal with the $18m price tag if Fukudome does stay.

 

Why assume that Hendry will be gone? What if the new owners actually like him?

 

Well, I said "is likely", and didn't just assume he will definitely be gone. However, very few GMs last 8-10 years on the job, going through 3-4 team presidents and an ownership change.

 

For Hendry to be around in a theoretical 4th year of Fukudome's contract, he would be going into his 9th year on the job.

[98navigator]

Why doesn't Hendry recruit like colleges and give him some "company" when he visits?

This would definitely work. Japanese dudes dig busty blondes even more than we Americans dig adolescent asian chicks.

 

We? :-&