Realistic, Bold Predictions for '09

[SouthSideRyan]

Seriously, now you're going to argue that Cedeno wasn't rushed?

 

Cedeno earned one promotion in his career(rookie ball to A ball at the age of 18, and even that, A- seems more appropriate) before the big league call up. He was twice promoted with OPSs hovering around 550. And then after never coming close to the level before in his career, you feel he mastered AAA with his 245 ABs there in '05. You think those 245 ABs in '05 were more indicative of the fact that he was ready than near 1500 he had before that of awful performance?

 

Ronny was rushed through the system because the Cubs are a bunch of tools goofs. Then when Ronny started putting his tools to use, they rushed him faster and never bothered to teach anything. Combine it with the drooling buffoons coaching the Cubs during Ronny's '06, and what do you expect. You're going to write him off over that?

Edited March 24, 2009 by SouthSideRyan

[jersey cubs fan]

Seriously, now you're going to argue that Cedeno wasn't rushed?

 

Cedeno earned one promotion in his career before the big league call up. He was twice promoted with OPSs hovering around 550. And then after never coming close to the level before in his career, you feel he mastered AAA with his 245 ABs there in '05. You think those 245 ABs in '05 were more indicative of the fact that he was ready than near 1500 he had before that of awful performance?

 

Ronny was rushed through the system because the Cubs are a bunch of tools goofs. Then when Ronny started putting his tools to use, they rushed him faster and never bothered to teach anything. Combine it with the drooling buffoons coaching the Cubs during Ronny's '06, and what do you expect. You're going to write him off over that?

 

The biggest rush was unnecessarily 40-man rostering him when there was no way another team would keep him on a big league club for a full season.

[TruffleShuffle]

Players don't stop developing until their late 20s.

 

wrong. some players don't stop developing until their late 20s. some guys stop developing well before then. just because the average player peaks around age 27-28 doesn't mean that every player follows the same development curve.

 

The fact that you want to penalize him for a stupid decision made by the Cubs when he was 23 is way beyond bizarre.

 

do you want me to go back to his 2005 season, when he hit very well in iowa, was called up to the big club and hit very well there? should i quote my bp 2006 and ba 2006 handbook that say cedeno was ready to contribute at the big league level?

 

You simply have a blind spot of hatred for Cedeno for some weird reason.

 

ah right, so despite the arguments that i've laid out for why i didn't think cedeno would be a good player, i just have a "blind spot of hatred" for him. it can't be that someone actually has well-founded reasons to disagree with your opinion, can it? their opinion has to be irrational and wrong, while yours is well thought-out and correct.

[TruffleShuffle]

You're going to write him off over that?

 

no, i never wrote him off last year.

[jersey cubs fan]

Players don't stop developing until their late 20s.

 

wrong. some players don't stop developing until their late 20s. some guys stop developing well before then. just because the average player peaks around age 27-28 doesn't mean that every player follows the same development curve.

 

The fact that you want to penalize him for a stupid decision made by the Cubs when he was 23 is way beyond bizarre.

 

do you want me to go back to his 2005 season, when he hit very well in iowa, was called up to the big club and hit very well there? should i quote my bp 2006 and ba 2006 handbook that say cedeno was ready to contribute at the big league level?

 

You simply have a blind spot of hatred for Cedeno for some weird reason.

 

ah right, so despite the arguments that i've laid out for why i didn't think cedeno would be a good player, i just have a "blind spot of hatred" for him. it can't be that someone actually has well-founded reasons to disagree with your opinion, can it? their opinion has to be irrational and wrong, while yours is well thought-out and correct.

 

Seriously, your reasons don't seem very well thought out or logical.

 

He was rushed to the majors and had a bad year, and that is enough reason for you to believe he can never justify a job in the majors. I was never a fan of Ronny's. I never understood the rush to roster him or the infatuation with his tools. But he was treated exactly how you shouldn't treat a raw toolsy player, given one legit shot and then shoved out the door in favor of stable mediocrity. What's the point in investing in toolsy players if you are going to bail on them so easily?

[TruffleShuffle]

i don't understand signing miles rather than sticking with cedeno, but there was zero reason to give him a chance to start on this team.

[imb]

2 1/2 men

[TruffleShuffle]

2 1/2 men

 

wrong discussion.

[imb]

seriously though

[TruffleShuffle]

my predictions:

-milton bradley stays relatively healthy and gets close to 600 PAs.

-rich harden doesn't pitch much.

-marshall posts and ERA close to 4.00

-miles gets way too many ABs but isn't as much of a waste of space as we expect him to be.

-heilman bounces back and has a solid season as a 7th/8th inning guy.

-the cubs win at least one playoff game.

[TruffleShuffle]

seriously though

 

what are your realistic, bold predictions for '09? just curious because your contributions to this thread: "shut up meph", "2 1/2 men" and "seriously though" don't really seem to add much to the baseball discussion.

[Soul]

my predictions:

-milton bradley stays relatively healthy and gets close to 600 PAs.

-rich harden doesn't pitch much.

-marshall posts and ERA close to 4.00

-miles gets way too many ABs but isn't as much of a waste of space as we expect him to be.

-heilman bounces back and has a solid season as a 7th/8th inning guy.

-the cubs win at least one playoff series.

 

Plus,

-Lee cuts down the DPs.

[17 Seconds]

okay i give up.. ill do it

 

- Ramirez regains his old power, continues with his new patience, and enjoys a career year - .300/.400/.560

- Lou doesn't abuse Zambrano as much and he manages to stay good for an entire season...putting up an era near 3

- Milton Bradley stays relatively healthy, but only puts up an .840 OPS

- Lilly sees a drop in velocity and suffers... finishes the season with an era around 5

[imb]

seriously though

 

what are your realistic, bold predictions for '09? just curious because your contributions to this thread: "shut up meph", "2 1/2 men" and "seriously though" don't really seem to add much to the baseball discussion.

 

truffle will talk about matt wieters more than the cubs

umfan and eric will ruin the game threads

 

more to come

[Gingerballs Lives]

Aaron Heilman takes over one of the starting jobs when Harden gets hurt and does a good job (~4.00 era, whip comes back to earth)

Lou Piniella correctly uses Gregg as the closer and he flourishes.

Dempster has another outstanding season.

Lee and Fukudome continue their respective struggles from last year.

Bradley is good in RF (~.900 OPS, 22 hrs) and plays 135 games.

 

 

I expect a slower start because of all the new faces but the team finds its groove in June. 89 wins and Central champs again.

[TruffleShuffle]

seriously though

 

what are your realistic, bold predictions for '09? just curious because your contributions to this thread: "shut up meph", "2 1/2 men" and "seriously though" don't really seem to add much to the baseball discussion.

 

truffle will talk about matt wieters more than the cubs

umfan and eric will ruin the game threads

 

more to come

 

way to stick your neck out there as usual

[JeffH]

Kosuke goes hitless for the season.

[Post Count Padder]

Steel cage match, Soto vs. Wieters.

 

The world ends because this much awesomeness can't be in one place at the same time.

[erik316wttn]

seriously though

 

what are your realistic, bold predictions for '09? just curious because your contributions to this thread: "shut up meph", "2 1/2 men" and "seriously though" don't really seem to add much to the baseball discussion.

 

truffle will talk about matt wieters more than the cubs

umfan and eric will ruin the game threads

 

more to come

 

IMB will still remain completely oblivious to the fact that there's an ignore feature for people he doesn't like.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Donnie Veal ends the season with a 2.50 ERA ans a 1.09 WHIP. Unfortunately, he plays for the Pirates, so he also ends up with a 4-16 record.

[otis89]

Donnie Veal ends the season with a 2.50 ERA ans a 1.09 WHIP. Unfortunately, he plays for the Pirates, so he also ends up with a 4-16 record.

 

And all 4 wins come against the Cubs, right?

[bukie]

- The Cubs win the division by 20 games, and win at least 2 playoff series.

- The Cubs lead the NL in runs scored and runs allowed.

- The NL wins homefield advantage in the World Series.

- Milton Bradley plays over 120 games, mostly late in the season.

- Fukudome figures out how not to bail on outside fastballs and maintains a near .400 OBP with a slightly higher SLG (~.425).

- Harden makes over 25 starts.

- Kevin Gregg saves over 30 games. Carlos Marmol saves under 20.

- The Cubs make a midseason deal for a starting pitcher, SS, or 2B.

[fiver]

bukie passes from kool-aid overdose.

[Soul]

Tastes good though.

[Roast]

And to be fair, none of those are drastically unrealistic. Bold, certainly, but that's what the thread is calling for.