06/16 Oakland (Gonzalez) @ CUBS (Dempster) 7:05 CDT, WGN TV

[Guest]

I'm not sure if this is relevant to this discussion or not, but I'm just curious, what would you do with Vitters? edit - this has nothing to do with colvin, Im just curious.

 

You mean right now? Nothing. He still has a ton of work ahead of him in the minors.

yeah, Vitters is quite far away from being a productive major leaguer at this point.

 

His performance in AA isn't as bad as his numbers look at first blush. He's made very good contact at a 13% strikeout rate and his BABIP is horrendous. But his power hasn't really manifested itself in game action there. Of course, the primary concern with him continues to be his lack of patience. There just aren't many good examples of productive hitters in MLB with 3% walk rates.

 

Combine that with his defense still needing work and there's no reason to even begin considering him for the bigs any time soon.

[Outshined_One]

What happened to Mat Gamel?

 

Rehabbing a shoulder injury down in AAA.

[CubColtPacer]

It's not a catch-22; you don't bench a typically productive player you hope to trade for an unproven one who has to keep hitting at or around his current ridiculous level to justify his starts due to his defensive shortcomings. Colvin will still get plenty of AB's up here even if he's not starting regularly over one of the other OF.

 

Are you talking about Fukudome? A typically productive player? Are you watching the same games I am? 715 OPS in May and dipping to an abomination like 552 OPS this month.

 

This happens EVERY YEAR. He starts off hot (fukudome), and everyones like oh hey he gets on base he's a pretty preductive guy.

Then the wheels fall off in late may/early june and its downhill fukucopter drilling into the batters box from then on.

 

Fukudome was better in the second half of the year last year than the first half. He could easily end up doing that again this year.

[Sammy Sofa]

It's not a catch-22; you don't bench a typically productive player you hope to trade for an unproven one who has to keep hitting at or around his current ridiculous level to justify his starts due to his defensive shortcomings. Colvin will still get plenty of AB's up here even if he's not starting regularly over one of the other OF.

 

Are you talking about Fukudome? A typically productive player? Are you watching the same games I am? 715 OPS in May and dipping to an abomination like 552 OPS this month.

 

This happens EVERY YEAR. He starts off hot (fukudome), and everyones like oh hey he gets on base he's a pretty preductive guy. Then the wheels fall off in late may/early june and its downhill fukucopter drilling into the batters box from then on.

 

Fukudome was better in the second half of the year last year than the first half. He could easily end up doing that again this year.

 

Right. June has been one of his weakest months both of the last two seasons for whatever reason, but then he bounced back last year and was very good in July and August.

[Keener98]

It's not a catch-22; you don't bench a typically productive player you hope to trade for an unproven one who has to keep hitting at or around his current ridiculous level to justify his starts due to his defensive shortcomings. Colvin will still get plenty of AB's up here even if he's not starting regularly over one of the other OF.

 

Are you talking about Fukudome? A typically productive player? Are you watching the same games I am? 715 OPS in May and dipping to an abomination like 552 OPS this month.

 

This happens EVERY YEAR. He starts off hot (fukudome), and everyones like oh hey he gets on base he's a pretty preductive guy.

Then the wheels fall off in late may/early june and its downhill fukucopter drilling into the batters box from then on.

 

Fukudome was better in the second half of the year last year than the first half. He could easily end up doing that again this year.

 

Over and over and over and over this keeps getting said, yet people still throw out the "Fukudome only starts out hot, then sucks." How many times does it have to be said that Fuku had a better 2nd half than 1st half last year, and he had 2 months after the All Star break over a 900 OPS. Can we please stop with the "OMG FUKU SUCKS AFTER APRIL!!!"

[Andy]

I want to see more Colvin too, though I can see the showcasing Fuku argument. Although I don't see us getting a whole lot for a 12M a year outfielder who isn't all that great a hitter, even if he is really good in right field.

 

It's nice to go up and see a win. Ron Santo rolled right by me in a motorized cart being escorted up to the booth today, too. I was wearing my Santo jersey. A bit surreal.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'm not sure if this is relevant to this discussion or not, but I'm just curious, what would you do with Vitters? edit - this has nothing to do with colvin, Im just curious.

 

You mean right now? Nothing. He still has a ton of work ahead of him in the minors and he's only 20.

 

The way I see it, the minor leagues are his college experience. Hes 20, and was drafted at 17. When a college player is drafted, usually at about 20-23, they are expected to progress much quicker. Vitters was a much more raw product, and while other guys his age are facing college pitchers, hes facing professionals. I know that while minor league pitching isnt always the best, for the most part, its tougher than college aside from the occasional phenom.

[Guest]

318/.392/.547/.939 in 167 PA's

 

.311/.365/.621/.987 in 116 PA's

 

These are the numbers of LH corner outfielders playing part time in RF for the Cubs after mediocre career numbers prior to that point. Which one is Colvin and which one is Hollandsworth?

[jersey cubs fan]

318/.392/.547/.939 in 167 PA's

 

.311/.365/.621/.987 in 116 PA's

 

These are the numbers of LH corner outfielders playing part time in RF for the Cubs after mediocre career numbers prior to that point. Which one is Colvin and which one is Hollandsworth?

 

Colvin has 116 PA. I thought Todd was slightly better than that.

[Guest]

318/.392/.547/.939 in 167 PA's

 

.311/.365/.621/.987 in 116 PA's

 

These are the numbers of LH corner outfielders playing part time in RF for the Cubs after mediocre career numbers prior to that point. Which one is Colvin and which one is Hollandsworth?

 

Colvin has 116 PA. I thought Todd was slightly better than that.

 

Hollandworth's first 118 PA's that year: .327/.432/.633/1.065

[jersey cubs fan]

318/.392/.547/.939 in 167 PA's

 

.311/.365/.621/.987 in 116 PA's

 

These are the numbers of LH corner outfielders playing part time in RF for the Cubs after mediocre career numbers prior to that point. Which one is Colvin and which one is Hollandsworth?

 

Colvin has 116 PA. I thought Todd was slightly better than that.

 

Hollandworth's first 118 PA's that year: .327/.432/.633/1.065

 

I was thinking he had eclipsed the 1000 OPS.

[TruffleShuffle]

It's not a catch-22; you don't bench a typically productive player you hope to trade for an unproven one who has to keep hitting at or around his current ridiculous level to justify his starts due to his defensive shortcomings. Colvin will still get plenty of AB's up here even if he's not starting regularly over one of the other OF.

 

Are you talking about Fukudome? A typically productive player? Are you watching the same games I am? 715 OPS in May and dipping to an abomination like 552 OPS this month.

 

This happens EVERY YEAR. He starts off hot (fukudome), and everyones like oh hey he gets on base he's a pretty preductive guy.

Then the wheels fall off in late may/early june and its downhill fukucopter drilling into the batters box from then on.

 

Fukudome was better in the second half of the year last year than the first half. He could easily end up doing that again this year.

 

Over and over and over and over this keeps getting said, yet people still throw out the "Fukudome only starts out hot, then sucks." How many times does it have to be said that Fuku had a better 2nd half than 1st half last year, and he had 2 months after the All Star break over a 900 OPS. Can we please stop with the "OMG FUKU SUCKS AFTER APRIL!!!"

 

i love that this has been shot down about 100 times in 70 different threads, yet it keeps coming up.