Last Offseson"Get lefthanded", this Offseason is....

[17 Seconds]

maybe they should stop looking for fabricated flaws on the team and focus on players who are actually... you know.... good.

 

aaron miles- utility guy to replace derosa! versatile!

ryan dempster- integral clubhouse guy! makes the team go!

milton bradley- fire! intensity! swagger!

kevin gregg- closing experience!

gathright- speedy! athletic!

Edited August 20, 2009 by 17 Seconds

[Tarver]

maybe they should stop looking for fabricated flaws and focus on players who are actually... you know.... good

 

That's quite a bit to expect from a man who described Samardzija's two best attributes as "stuff" and "heart".

[DivineBovine]

Oh great. We just sucked so much this year because we were a team built around power. Is he talking about the same team? What power?

[UMFan83]

maybe they should stop looking for fabricated flaws and focus on players who are actually... you know.... good

 

That's quite a bit to expect from a man who described Samardzija's two best attributes as "stuff" and "heart".

 

I thought he said his 3 best attributes were "stuff", "heart" and "Notre Dame"?

[dew1679666265]

Oh great. We just sucked so much this year because we were a team built around power. Is he talking about the same team? What power?

 

The Cubs have hit the 5th most home runs of any team in the National League and 7th of 16 in slugging percentage. Slugging hasn't been what's hurt the offense this year.

[gflore34]

How about an off season philosophy of looking at your core and then trying to improve it with good baseball players? Not left handed, or glove men, or speedy guys but, good baseball players.

[jersey cubs fan]

Oh great. We just sucked so much this year because we were a team built around power. Is he talking about the same team? What power?

 

The Cubs have hit the 5th most home runs of any team in the National League and 7th of 16 in slugging percentage. Slugging hasn't been what's hurt the offense this year.

 

7th of 16 when you want to finish in the top 4 in the standings can be a problem. It certainly doesn't help, especially when you are just 9th in OBP.

 

They are 10th in OPS and 10th in runs scored. I think the lack of power in LF, RF and C has played a pretty significant role in failing to meet expectations. But that's kind of Lou's point, they are built to hit for power (but not just to hit for power) and haven't been doing it enough.

[dew1679666265]

Oh great. We just sucked so much this year because we were a team built around power. Is he talking about the same team? What power?

 

The Cubs have hit the 5th most home runs of any team in the National League and 7th of 16 in slugging percentage. Slugging hasn't been what's hurt the offense this year.

 

7th of 16 when you want to finish in the top 4 in the standings can be a problem. It certainly doesn't help, especially when you are just 9th in OBP.

 

They are 10th in OPS and 10th in runs scored. I think the lack of power in LF, RF and C has played a pretty significant role in failing to meet expectations. But that's kind of Lou's point, they are built to hit for power (but not just to hit for power) and haven't been doing it enough.

 

We need to hit for more, I agree, but power hasn't been the #1 issue with this offense - that's probably how I should have worded it.

 

Our OBP has been a bigger detriment (even if just a little) and our lousy RISP numbers (whether luck or whatever other reason) have hurt as well. This team hasn't had enough power, but it has been a powerful team.

[Cubs Fan In NY]

Maybe Jose Reyes is looking for a new home :pig:

[erik316wttn]

I don't see how anyone could possibly think that Jim Hendry is a competent GM.

[MADD_DOG_31]

The Cardinals don't have any speed and they win in these parks

[Outshined_One]

Maybe this team's amphetamine shipment was held up in customs.

[Old Style]

Goal for 2010: Get less shitty

[biittner77]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

[ManCrushOnNomar]

I vote for next offseason's theme to be "Guys who are good at baseball." It sounds silly, but I think that's what wins ballgames.

[davell]

Maybe trade for Crawford and either move Soriano back to 2nd or trade Bradley, if possible? Keep Figgins away.

[C.C.]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

 

not many teams would be able to play through the injuries we've had. I actually think we've played pretty well when our key guys went down .

[Gingerballs Lives]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

 

not many teams would be able to play through the injuries we've had. I actually think we've played pretty well when our key guys went down .

 

You have got to be kidding me.

 

Second and third base became black holes of suck when ARAM went down. That was the injury this year and we completely folded.

 

But then again, I may blame that on the great Cubs organization that didn't think Fox could handle third base until Aramis was almost back.

 

Massive FAIL.

[Irrelevant Dude]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

I completely disagree here. I believe we need to rely on the minor league system for depth, rather than spending a lot of money on reserve players. As we have seen this year, our cheap minor leaguers have been as good or better than any of our veteran reserves. Even with injuries, depth hasn't been the problem this year. The problem is the bullpen and lack of competent starters at C, 2B, and LF.

[apete6]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

I completely disagree here. I believe we need to rely on the minor league system for depth, rather than spending a lot of money on reserve players. As we have seen this year, our cheap minor leaguers have been as good or better than any of our veteran reserves. Even with injuries, depth hasn't been the problem this year. The problem is the bullpen and lack of competent starters at C, 2B, and LF.

 

You guys do realize we were TIED FOR FIRST PLACE on August 6th. They weathered the ARAM storm fairly well. It's been the complete implosion the last 2 weeks due to a bad bullpen, terrible RISP hitting, and below average starting pitching, partly due to losing Z and Lilly.

[nick23]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

I completely disagree here. I believe we need to rely on the minor league system for depth, rather than spending a lot of money on reserve players. As we have seen this year, our cheap minor leaguers have been as good or better than any of our veteran reserves. Even with injuries, depth hasn't been the problem this year. The problem is the bullpen and lack of competent starters at C, 2B, and LF.

 

You guys do realize we were TIED FOR FIRST PLACE on August 6th. They weathered the ARAM storm fairly well. It's been the complete implosion the last 2 weeks due to a bad bullpen, terrible RISP hitting, and below average starting pitching, partly due to losing Z and Lilly.

What point are you trying to make? What does being tied for first on August 6th have to do with anything? Bad bulpens tend to get exposed at some point. Lack of depth definitely hurt this team with having no backup for our most oft-injured and best player.

[Banedon]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

 

not many teams would be able to play through the injuries we've had. I actually think we've played pretty well when our key guys went down .

 

Derosa would've helped with compensating for those injuries.

[apete6]

A great theme for this offseason would be to get deeper. A steady stream of injuries to key guys has been devastating. Good teams can play through these injuries by having competent back ups.

I completely disagree here. I believe we need to rely on the minor league system for depth, rather than spending a lot of money on reserve players. As we have seen this year, our cheap minor leaguers have been as good or better than any of our veteran reserves. Even with injuries, depth hasn't been the problem this year. The problem is the bullpen and lack of competent starters at C, 2B, and LF.

 

You guys do realize we were TIED FOR FIRST PLACE on August 6th. They weathered the ARAM storm fairly well. It's been the complete implosion the last 2 weeks due to a bad bullpen, terrible RISP hitting, and below average starting pitching, partly due to losing Z and Lilly.

What point are you trying to make? What does being tied for first on August 6th have to do with anything? Bad bulpens tend to get exposed at some point. Lack of depth definitely hurt this team with having no backup for our most oft-injured and best player.

 

You're right, those 20 games that Fontenot played at 3B really killed us. Point is that people are blaming the ARAM injury for everything, but after he came back we were in first place and just let it slip away the last 2 weeks. Our depth hasn't been the problem and 1 of ARAMs replacements, Baker, has been the one of the only ones doing anything the last 10 days. ARAM getting hurt had nothing to do with a terrible bullpen, bad managing, and Soriano being terrible.

[E.J.]

We were only in 1st place because the rest of the division sucked. The Cards added some good players in DeRo and Holliday, and we got worse with injuries to key starting pitchers while our offense has been lacking all season even with Aram in the lineup.

[biittner77]

What was the Cubs' record while Ramirez was out? Change that record to .500 over that span and the Cubs are in the thick of the race.

 

I completely disagree here. I believe we need to rely on the minor league system for depth, rather than spending a lot of money on reserve players.

 

I agree that wasting money on vets is bad. I'm not suggesting that the Cubs spend more on the bench so much as saying spend it on good players. Fontenot was good off the bench last season and has been exposed as a full time starter. He was that cheap depth that the team needed.

 

Even with injuries, depth hasn't been the problem this year. The problem is the bullpen and lack of competent starters at C, 2B, and LF.

 

The Cubs' incompetent 2nd base starter- Fontenot- became our even worse 3rd baseman because of a lack of depth. I don't believe it's too crazy to suggest that playing out of position hurt Fontenot at the plate as well. It certainly didn't help.