Soriano injury

[SouthSideRyan]

Forget Coco Crisp, go after Kenny Loften.

 

How much longer until the Cubs can activate the diminished skills clause in Soriano's contract and let him loose?

Soriano's skills haven't diminished.

 

Well then he has no baseball acumen. How about a diminished stats clause?

 

130 million just doesn't buy much anymore. Someone tell Soriano that just because the dollar buys a whole lot less doesn't mean that his play has to diminish in kind.

It hasn't diminished, though. He's coming off one of the best years of his career. Hendry got exactly the player that he paid for. It's not Soriano's fault that Hendry was out of his mind.

 

 

I'm glad they didn't call up Murton. He wasn't going to play, anyways. And we all know that middle infielders make the best outfielders.

 

Middle infielders make the best EVERYTHING!!

[Burtonbell]

Forget Coco Crisp, go after Kenny Loften.

 

How much longer until the Cubs can activate the diminished skills clause in Soriano's contract and let him loose?

Soriano's skills haven't diminished.

 

Well then he has no baseball acumen. How about a diminished stats clause?

 

130 million just doesn't buy much anymore. Someone tell Soriano that just because the dollar buys a whole lot less doesn't mean that his play has to diminish in kind.

It hasn't diminished, though. He's coming off one of the best years of his career. Hendry got exactly the player that he paid for. It's not Soriano's fault that Hendry was out of his mind.

 

 

I'm glad they didn't call up Murton. He wasn't going to play, anyways. And we all know that middle infielders make the best outfielders.

 

Middle infielders make the best EVERYTHING!!

 

Grit baby, just plain grit!

[Wilson A2000]

He had a good OPS, but when you look at his numbers since he started getting 500 AB's, his home runs and RBI's were down a bit.

[KingCubsFan]

Hopefully Ward will get the majority of starts

[David]

He had a good OPS, but when you look at his numbers since he started getting 500 AB's, his home runs and RBI's were down a bit.

 

Counting stats?....especially the bolded?

 

Besides, his HR total was just about at his career average. And he missed plenty of games due to injury.

[Guest]

Forget Coco Crisp, go after Kenny Loften.

 

How much longer until the Cubs can activate the diminished skills clause in Soriano's contract and let him loose?

Soriano's skills haven't diminished.

 

Well then he has no baseball acumen. How about a diminished stats clause?

 

130 million just doesn't buy much anymore. Someone tell Soriano that just because the dollar buys a whole lot less doesn't mean that his play has to diminish in kind.

 

The Cubs wouldn't have made the playoffs last year without Soriano's torrid pace in June when we coincidentally turned the season around.

 

That's right. But he is too streaky. Way too streaky for 130 million. Not fundamentally sound enough for 130 million. Where was Soriano when it really counted, in the playoffs? I would move the right fielder to short center and throw him curveballs and watch him try to pull everything.

 

I am just tired of this injury prone, fundamentally unsound, player who doesn't even give a ton of effort.

 

Yes, it was an awful signing for the years and the amount of dollars (and that was under an assumption that the injuries wouldn't pile up until year 4 or so when he started to decline). But I don't get how you can say he doesn't give a ton of effort.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Hopefully Ward will get the majority of starts

 

 

My guess is Patterson in LF with DeRosa at 2b or Patterson at 2b with DeRosa in LF is what we will see.

[WilcoFan]

Words cannot describe the depth to which Jim Hendry is a buffoon.

[David]

Words cannot describe the depth to which Jim Hendry is a buffoon.

 

I'm just guessing, but this was probably Lou's call.

 

I don't get the feeling that he likes Murton at all (despite his glowing comments during ST).

[Wilson A2000]

I don't think I have once seen Soriano hustle. He lopes after everything in the outfield. He never hustles down to first base. What about that triple that occurred this year off the side wall that he defended horribly? If you are going to be lazy, you better put up monster numbers. If you are having a terrible first month, then hustle. Edited April 16, 2008 by Wilson A2000

[BigbadB]

Matt Murton= red headed stepping stone

[David]

I don't think I have once seen Soriano hustle. He lopes after everything in the outfield. He never hustles down to first base. What about that triple that occurred this year off the side wall that he defended horribly? If you are going to be lazy, you better put up monster numbers. If you are having a terrible first month, then hustle.

 

Should he grimace more while he's running or something?

[Wilson A2000]

No, just run faster.

[Butterscup1679666578]

No, just run faster.

 

lol

[Sammy Sofa]

No, just run faster.

 

Is there a specific speed at which one crosses the line from "loafing" to "hustle?"

[rocket]

Hopefully Ward will get the majority of starts

 

no. ward is an awesome bench player. as an everday starter (in left field no less), he'd be brutal. remember todd hollandsworth?

[Wilson A2000]

No, just run faster.

 

Is there a specific speed at which one crosses the line from "loafing" to "hustle?"

 

Yes. It's like the difference in speed when you hit and home run and when you hit a double and run in to second. Soriano runs like he hits a homerun whether he hits a double or is running for a ball down the line or in a gap. Ramirez has this problem too. He started to hustle early last year, but then decided that he will get paid regardless. See his home run, I mean double last series.

[Sammy Sofa]

No, just run faster.

 

Is there a specific speed at which one crosses the line from "loafing" to "hustle?"

 

Yes. It's like the difference in speed when you hit and home run and when you hit a double and run in to second. Soriano runs like he hits a homerun whether he hits a double or is running for a ball down the line or in a gap. Ramirez has this problem too. He started to hustle early last year, but then decided that he will get paid regardless. See his home run, I mean double last series.

 

Are you seriously saying that Aramis would have had a triple off of that hit if he "hustled?"

[Chocolate Milk]

No, just run faster.

 

Is there a specific speed at which one crosses the line from "loafing" to "hustle?"

 

Yes. It's like the difference in speed when you hit and home run and when you hit a double and run in to second. Soriano runs like he hits a homerun whether he hits a double or is running for a ball down the line or in a gap. Ramirez has this problem too. He started to hustle early last year, but then decided that he will get paid regardless. See his home run, I mean double last series.

 

Are you seriously saying that Aramis would have had a triple off of that hit if he "hustled?"

Don't stop him, he's on a roll.

[Wilson A2000]

Are you seriously saying that it is OK to loaf on a ball that was not absolutely crushed? No, he would not have gotten a triple, but he could have gotten thrown out. This wasn't the first time that Ramirez did this and it won't be the last. I find it odd that people who make tons of money don't give it all on the field. I find it even odder that Cubs fans who haven't won squat in 100 years don't demand this from their players. Piniella, the supposed tough manager, treats Soriano and Ramirez with kid gloves. One thing I did like about Baylor is that he held Sammy accountable.

[frostwyrm]

For those of you who haven't seen it you can get the injury flash video from MLB by pasting the text below into a notepad file and changing the extension to .htm. Right-click on link and "save target as".

 

 

get video here

[Cansecos Roid Party]

How about we just let DeRosa play 2B where he is actually an above average contributor?

 

Since the Cubs are putting together ridiculous lineups, I figured hey why don't we come up with a novel solution. This lineup sacrifices a massive and hilarious amount of defense in the name of trotting out a lineup that does not include massive holes. Obviously I wanted Murton originally, but what can we expect...

 

Dome RF

DeRosa SS

Lee 1B (he couldn't be better than Ward in LF right now, could he? it seems like he wouldn't be bad though, just at first glance. i mean he's less fat)

A-Ram 3B

Ward LF

Soto C

E-Patt/Johnson platoon CF (E-Patt would hit better than the current incarnation of Pie, right? If not, can't WAIT to see him inevitably leading off...)

Theriot/Fontenot/Cedeno/E-Patt 2B Legendary 4-way potential platoon.

 

This lineup scores 1,398 runs a game, not counting the bonus runs we will be awarded with the upcoming Neifi signing to replace E-Patt in the 4th portion of the 2B platoon.

[inari]

Are you seriously saying that it is OK to loaf on a ball that was not absolutely crushed? No, he would not have gotten a triple, but he could have gotten thrown out. This wasn't the first time that Ramirez did this and it won't be the last. I find it odd that people who make tons of money don't give it all on the field. I find it even odder that Cubs fans who haven't won squat in 100 years don't demand this from their players. Piniella, the supposed tough manager, treats Soriano and Ramirez with kid gloves. One thing I did like about Baylor is that he held Sammy accountable.

 

That Ramirez hit was either going to be a home run or an out in his estimation. His estimation would have been right if Taguchi hadn't dropped the ball. He's not going to be sprinting around the bases for either of those outcomes.

[biittner77]

I have a theory that very few players actually hustle. Those that do only do so because they are on the fringe of being cut or it's the playoffs and they want to leave the impression that they always play hard.

 

You could also argue that players that hustle are being selfish- they want to pad their stats by legging out infield hits.

[SouthSideRyan]

Cubs farmhands everywhere are out buying a glove for 2nd base.