Ramirez has the highest OPS among 3B

[UMFan83]

Hard to believe that Aramis could walk unnoticed into just about any 7-Eleven in the country.

 

He plays for arguably the most visible team in the NL in a huge market.

 

He filled a famous positional void for said most-visible team.

 

He was a part of the most-visible team's best run in decades.

 

Colossal marketing fail for the Cubs and (one of many) for MLB. This guy is a star.

 

He is a quiet guy and keeps to himself, and while he's put up consistently good numbers he's never been a premier player in the league. He's only finished in the top 5 of the NL any offensive category twice (2B in 2008 - 5th, XBH in 2006 - 4th) and never in the top 3. He's only made 2 ASG, and only finished closer than 10th in an MVP voting. He's also been overshadowed by more personable stars like Sosa, Alou, Nomar, Prior, Wood, Zambrano and Lee his entire Cubs career before this year.

 

I'm not trying to downplay his career, because its been really good, adn the guy is/was a star. But I can understand why he's kind of fallen between the cracks in terms of marketing.

[Guest]

He's also never really been the best player on the team. Lookinag at BBRef, he's led the team in WAR once(2007), and that was overshadowed by all the money that was spent the previous offseason. Fangraphs only has him leading the team in 2006, when the team was horrible and Dusty's antics were the top story.

[UMFan83]

Speaking of Ramirez hate. People keep piling on. How can you actually believe this [expletive]?

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9010329

[Guest]

The Yahoo contributor network appears to be the landing spot for people who couldn't quite make the cut at Bleacher Report.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

That's just a big ol' frozen chunk of poopy

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Speaking of Ramirez hate. People keep piling on. How can you actually believe this [expletive]?

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9010329

 

Laying the groundwork for next year's scapegoat, after Zambrano becomes this year.

 

Beloved stars of the last 20 years: Mark Grace, Kerry Wood, Ryne Sandberg

 

Run out of town: Sammy Sosa, Carlos Zambrano, soon-to-be Aramis Ramirez.

 

If I were Starlin Castro, I wouldn't be making plans to retire here.

[J.R.]

Lots of guys who weren't the Cubs' "best player" have been marketed ahead of Aramis over the years.

 

Gritty they were.

[RynoRules]

My only concern with Aramis is that he's going to be 34 next season and has been playing a pretty taxing position for more than 10 years. He's my fave Cub of the last 10 years.

[RynoRules]

Lots of guys who weren't the Cubs' "best player" have been marketed ahead of Aramis over the years.

 

Gritty they were.

 

We need more "Can't Quiet the Riot" t-shirts.

[Brett]

Speaking of Ramirez hate. People keep piling on. How can you actually believe this [expletive]?

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9010329

 

Laying the groundwork for next year's scapegoat, after Zambrano becomes this year.

 

Beloved stars of the last 20 years: Mark Grace, Kerry Wood, Ryne Sandberg

 

Run out of town: Sammy Sosa, Carlos Zambrano, soon-to-be Aramis Ramirez.

 

If I were Starlin Castro, I wouldn't be making plans to retire here.

 

Don't forget Carlos Silva and Milton Bradley. Heroes in their own time.

[XZero771679666304]

Lots of guys who weren't the Cubs' "best player" have been marketed ahead of Aramis over the years.

 

Gritty they were.

 

 

The average dipstick gloms on to people he/she can identify with, and marketing departments know this.

[imb]

The Yahoo contributor network appears to be the landing spot for people who couldn't quite make the cut at Bleacher Report.

 

As a Packers and Cubs fan,

 

wait what

[Magnetic Curses]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

[Guest]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

[Little Slide Rooter]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

 

Problem is, all of our recent big money dissapointments have been either black or hispanic. If only we'd signed Adam Dunn so we could show the world the equal opportunity hecklers we really are.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

 

We have one Designated Scapegoat at a time. He wasn't around long enough for it to be him.

[KingCubsFan]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

Or Marlon Byrd. Mark Prior, however, did. I think the scapegoats tend to originate from players that aren't open with the media, as the beat writers and columnists are often the ones who start these crusades.

[Guest]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

Or Marlon Byrd. Mark Prior, however, did. I think the scapegoats tend to originate from players that aren't open with the media, as the beat writers and columnists are often the ones who start these crusades.

I totally agree. But there does seem to be a recent and growing anti-Latino bent. I think it's a pale reflection of the general mood of the country.

[apete6]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

Or Marlon Byrd. Mark Prior, however, did. I think the scapegoats tend to originate from players that aren't open with the media, as the beat writers and columnists are often the ones who start these crusades.

I totally agree. But there does seem to be a recent and growing anti-Latino bent. I think it's a pale reflection of the general mood of the country.

 

But Soriano, for all of his suckitude, has actually remained out of the cross hairs. I think its because he's generally a freindly guy and gives interviews to everyone. He also actually tries pretty hard most of the time (the occasional thrown out after watching a long fly ball excepted).

 

Also, everyone loves Pena and most like Soto. I think it's just a general media crusade towards guys that they don't perceive as trying very hard (Ramirez and the stupid Castro article here or there) or that are just hard headed and dumb (Z).

[MSG T]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

 

We have one Designated Scapegoat at a time. He wasn't around long enough for it to be him.

 

 

How long does it take? He was here for what, 6 1/2 seasons? If he were going to be one, there was plenty of time in there for it to happen.

 

 

I'd say the problem with many of them, Juan Pierre and Jacque Jones in particular, wasn't so much their performance, but how they were sold or what they were sold to be. If you are made out to be a power hitting, middle of the order hitter when you're not (like Milton Bradley), and then you aren't immediately performing like that, you become a target. Granted, Bradley had other issues, but it started when he didn't come in and start bashing HR every other game. I'm not trying to completely deflect their responsibility in the way things turned out, but the Cubs as an organization didn't help matters with many of the players that had issues. Z is just the latest example. Was his behavior unacceptable? Absolutely, but the Cubs haven't handled it in the best manner either, at least publicly. You can probably go back and find similar things with all of the players that have had issues. Could the Cubs have handled things better in regards to Jones or Bradley or even Prior? Couldn't they put to rest at least some of the criticism directed at Aramis?

 

Maybe it wouldn't completely change the way things turned out with any of them, but in many instances it sure looked like the Cubs did exactly what they shouldn't have done.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'd say the problem with many of them, Juan Pierre and Jacque Jones in particular, wasn't so much their performance, but how they were sold or what they were sold to be. If you are made out to be a power hitting, middle of the order hitter when you're not (like Milton Bradley), and then you aren't immediately performing like that, you become a target. Granted, Bradley had other issues, but it started when he didn't come in and start bashing HR every other game. I'm not trying to completely deflect their responsibility in the way things turned out, but the Cubs as an organization didn't help matters with many of the players that had issues. Z is just the latest example. Was his behavior unacceptable? Absolutely, but the Cubs haven't handled it in the best manner either, at least publicly. You can probably go back and find similar things with all of the players that have had issues. Could the Cubs have handled things better in regards to Jones or Bradley or even Prior? Couldn't they put to rest at least some of the criticism directed at Aramis?

 

Maybe it wouldn't completely change the way things turned out with any of them, but in many instances it sure looked like the Cubs did exactly what they shouldn't have done.

 

Mark Grace was sold as someone who would develop a middle-of-the-order power hitter. Didn't seem to hurt him.

 

 

How long does it take? He was here for what, 6 1/2 seasons? If he were going to be one, there was plenty of time in there for it to happen.

 

2005 was Corey Patterson, 2006 Ronny Cedeno (and to a lesser extent Juan Pierre), 2009 was Milton Bradley. He was traded in 2010, when Carlos Zambrano began a two-year reign.

Edited August 25, 2011 by Hairyducked Idiot

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Mark Grace was sold as someone who would develop a middle-of-the-order power hitter. Didn't seem to hurt him.

Mark Grace also sold himself as a beer drinking, womanizing, everyday Joe, and the general public eats that [expletive] up.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Mark Grace was sold as someone who would develop a middle-of-the-order power hitter. Didn't seem to hurt him.

Mark Grace also sold himself as a beer drinking, womanizing, everyday Joe, and the general public eats that [expletive] up.

 

Well yeah, if your white.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

My white what?

[jersey cubs fan]

the way minority players are treated on the north side is shameful. if you don't smile and tap dance, the crowds hate you.

For the most part, Lee didn't seem to have an issue.

Or Marlon Byrd. Mark Prior, however, did. I think the scapegoats tend to originate from players that aren't open with the media, as the beat writers and columnists are often the ones who start these crusades.

I totally agree. But there does seem to be a recent and growing anti-Latino bent. I think it's a pale reflection of the general mood of the country.

 

For all the fun and games we have making fun of the anti-Latino thing, there are pretty obvious reasons why these guys are targets. I love Ramirez. I love what he's done with the Cubs. But he really doesn't look like much of a tryer, and it has nothing to do with skin color. Milton Bradley was an unproductive surly prick. People freak out about body language and how athletes look. Jay Cutler gets dumped on for his body language. Reed Johnson isn't very good, but somehow he keeps producing and he looks like he tries really hard, and people love that. Todd Hundley didn't produce worth a crap and he looked like he as constantly waking up in strange hallways, which was probably the case. And people hated him. Some people still insist Ryan Dempster sucks because of some blown saves. Nobody can stand John Grabow.

 

On the fringes there are definitely racial overtones to many statements about certain players. But by and large the perception comes from the reality of how the player acts, and that is the case in every city in America. It's hardly a Chicago thing.