Cubs hire a "stats guru"

[jersey cubs fan]

At the very least, this kind of decision makes me think that Ricketts has his head on straight on how to build an organization in the 21st century.

 

Scouting plays a role in player decisions, but that scouting should be backed up by hard numbers.

 

With that said, my gut tells me that Sandberg isn't the type of manager Ricketts envisions after Lou. Oh, and Hendry should update his resume.

 

Everything tells me Sandberg is exactly who he wants as manager, eventually.

[lumafia]

The more I review his website and read about this situation, the less I care about this hiring. Having a guy with a high capacity for developing relative statistics when you have an organization full of people who are unable, or unwilling, to apply them is completely pointless.

[Tyrant]

The more I review his website and read about this situation, the less I care about this hiring. Having a guy with a high capacity for developing relative statistics when you have an organization full of people who are unable, or unwilling, to apply them is completely pointless.

 

I don't know if it means anything short term, but I can at least convince myself that this could be indicative of how RIcketts wants to run the organization. No one is going to listen to Kaplan, so he won't make a difference, but when Hendry is fired after this season, maybe this shows Ricketts will get a stats-oriented GM.

[Guest]

Probably a clown Hendry will want gone after his first few weeks. Hendry needed another scapegoat, so when the team isn't any better after those first few weeks, he can start pointing fingers again.

 

Everyone knows that in order to get to the World Series, you need to sign or trade for guys who just played in a World Series, you need guys who can catch the ball, guys with speed at the top of the order, guys who are willing to sign a no trade clause and accept way more money than they deserve and guys who can hit left handed and guys who will not disrupt the clubhouse.

 

Nothing else matters.

[soapy]

he has a no trade clause

 

this appears to have gone under appreciated.

[lumafia]

Probably a clown Hendry will want gone after his first few weeks. Hendry needed another scapegoat, so when the team isn't any better after those first few weeks, he can start pointing fingers again.

 

Everyone knows that in order to get to the World Series, you need to sign or trade for guys who just played in a World Series, you need guys who can catch the ball, guys with speed at the top of the order, guys who are willing to sign a no trade clause and accept way more money than they deserve and guys who can hit left handed and guys who will not disrupt the clubhouse.

 

Nothing else matters.

 

And guys who don't clog the bases with walks, and are aggressive at the plate.

[treebird]

and of course hendry has the predictable response

 

"It's a game that has to have a strong human element, whether it's scouting or performing. You just don't draw people up on computers and plug them in and that means they can perform at Wrigley Field in a pennant race. You just keep putting all your information together. You rely heavily on your scouts."

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=388443&src=152

 

apparently heavily relying on scouts doesn't produce players that perform in a pennant race either.

 

this is the smartest move hendry's ever made. we're not going to be in a pennant race before like 2015, so the guys the stats guru finds us should fit in nicely for the next few years.

[BigSlick]

At least he hired a Jew, I trust one of my people to handle the numbers well

[UMFan83]

This probably deserves its own thread but this is a scenario I just thought up...

 

If you could choose to either: completely clean out the front office, including manager, gm, baseball ops, etc and replace them with your own handpicked guys that fit the values that you are looking for

 

OR

 

completely clean the entire 25 man roster of the Cubs (lets stop at 25 for this argument), and could rid yourself of all contractual obligation to every single current Cub and were allowed to spend $140 million building a new 25 man roster.

 

Which scenario do you think would lead to more LONG TERM success? Remember if you choose A you have to start the scenario with the current Cubs roster and if you choose B, you have to have the current front office managing this new team after you've built it.

[Guest]

This probably deserves its own thread but this is a scenario I just thought up...

 

If you could choose to either: completely clean out the front office, including manager, gm, baseball ops, etc and replace them with your own handpicked guys that fit the values that you are looking for

 

OR

 

completely clean the entire 25 man roster of the Cubs (lets stop at 25 for this argument), and could rid yourself of all contractual obligation to every single current Cub and were allowed to spend $140 million building a new 25 man roster.

 

Which scenario do you think would lead to more LONG TERM success? Remember if you choose A you have to start the scenario with the current Cubs roster and if you choose B, you have to have the current front office managing this new team after you've built it.

Since I'm one of those that believes we can be very good in 2012 if we make the right moves starting with the trade deadline, I'd choose to replace the front office.

[hardcorecubfan]

Man, what a terrible website.

 

No joke.

 

Glad to see this move. Yes, this is a terrible website a HS kid could do a 1000 times better

[dew1679666265]

Since I'm one of those that believes we can be very good in 2012 if we make the right moves starting with the trade deadline, I'd choose to replace the front office.

 

I agree. There's some real talent on the 25 man roster, just not enough. The front office is on the hot seat as it is. The key there, though, is if we brought in an Ed Wade type, he could mire us in a truly long-term stretch of mediocrity. I trust Ricketts to make the decision, though, with his background/interest in stats.

 

And too, if we replaced the 25 man roster, we'd be getting rid of Castro, Cashner and Marmol. I don't want to do that. :D

[Sammy Sofa]

This probably deserves its own thread but this is a scenario I just thought up...

 

If you could choose to either: completely clean out the front office, including manager, gm, baseball ops, etc and replace them with your own handpicked guys that fit the values that you are looking for

 

OR

 

completely clean the entire 25 man roster of the Cubs (lets stop at 25 for this argument), and could rid yourself of all contractual obligation to every single current Cub and were allowed to spend $140 million building a new 25 man roster.

 

Which scenario do you think would lead to more LONG TERM success? Remember if you choose A you have to start the scenario with the current Cubs roster and if you choose B, you have to have the current front office managing this new team after you've built it.

 

The first option should be the obvious choice.

[Tyrant]

This probably deserves its own thread but this is a scenario I just thought up...

 

If you could choose to either: completely clean out the front office, including manager, gm, baseball ops, etc and replace them with your own handpicked guys that fit the values that you are looking for

 

OR

 

completely clean the entire 25 man roster of the Cubs (lets stop at 25 for this argument), and could rid yourself of all contractual obligation to every single current Cub and were allowed to spend $140 million building a new 25 man roster.

 

Which scenario do you think would lead to more LONG TERM success? Remember if you choose A you have to start the scenario with the current Cubs roster and if you choose B, you have to have the current front office managing this new team after you've built it.

 

It'd have to be the first option. A team with a payroll as high as the Cubs should never be in an extended rebuilding mode. A competent front office could make this team competitive by 2011 (if they were able to start making moves today) and championship-caliber by 2012.