Hendry Top Exec?

[tspain]

Sorry guys, I thought I was right, but you are right, as I went back in my book and checked my facts. We did draft Josh Hamilton in Dec. 2006, and traded him to the Reds for $50,000. Not last Dec, but Dec. 06. I stand corrected.

 

Still I stand by my statement that we could have had Josh Hamilton in RF instead of $40 million spent on Fukudome, and that fact is true.

 

Pastor Tom Spain

[CubColtPacer]

Sorry guys, I thought I was right, but you are right, as I went back in my book and checked my facts. We did draft Josh Hamilton in Dec. 2006, and traded him to the Reds for $50,000. Not last Dec, but Dec. 06. I stand corrected.

 

Still I stand by my statement that we could have had Josh Hamilton in RF instead of $40 million spent on Fukudome, and that fact is true.

 

Pastor Tom Spain

 

True, but even the second guessing doesn't really hold together as a reasonable thing for the Cubs to have done:

 

For the Cubs to have a successful Hamilton..they would have to do all of the above:

 

draft Hamilton and plan to keep him on the roster despite Hamilton having 50 AB's in the minors in the past 4 years combined

not sign Cliff Floyd (Floyd was the only backup OF to start the 2007 season).

Get enough PT (which was possible once Soriano got hurt that year and moved back to LF-but that's definitely hindsight and wasn't really that reasonable before the 2007 season started).

 

That doesn't even get into the fact that the Reds had connections to Hamilton's past which helped him to stay clean and for them to feel better about taking a risk on him, or that even with a little PT and success there would be no guarantee that Hamilton wouldn't have been pushed out of the lineup because of his first slump.

 

I doubt this would have even been an issue if say the Dodgers had been the one to trade the Reds the pick. But since Hamilton was Cubs property for a very, very short time, many people like to blame the Cubs for not seeing Hamilton's talent. Really though, any team in the league could have had Hamilton very easily if they wanted him. The Reds were the one to take the risk, and this time, it worked out. That doesn't mean the Cubs (or the other teams who passed on Hamilton) did anything wrong.

[Warren Brusstar]

I don't think there's any doubt that if the Cubs go anywhere in the playoffs, it will be Hendry.

 

Kenny Williams has a great case too.

 

Signed Linebrink and Dotel to make one of the worst bullpens in baseball in '07 a strength.

 

Stole Carlos Quentin from the D'backs.

 

Signed Alexei Ramirez for chump change.

 

(The Swisher and Cabrera trades are probably neutral)