2011 Venezuelan Winter League

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Coello is a former Sox prospect with a good arm. I think he can be a good power pen arm if given the shot.

[Rob]

The lone bright spot is the one TT really doesn't want to see.

 

He's coming around. It's just a matter of time before he's leading the charge.

[Guest]

I'm sure the bidding war between Monterrey and Nippon Ham will be fierce.

[Rob]

A few weeks ago he wanted LaHair dead. A couple weeks later he hears "Osaka is beautiful in April" and now he's talking about a bidding war?

 

Oh yeah, he's coming around.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Marwin Gonzalez: 51 AB, 1 BB, 9 K - .314/.327/.314/.641

 

Having your BA match your slugging with your OBP mere points ahead is no easy task with as many ABs as he's had.

[Little Slide Rooter]

A few weeks ago he wanted LaHair dead. A couple weeks later he hears "Osaka is beautiful in April" and now he's talking about a bidding war?

 

Oh yeah, he's coming around.

 

If the Cubs did let him go, and he didn't want to go to Japan would he be able to get a big league deal at league min from someone else? If Jack Cust hung on as long as he did, it's possible.

[SouthSideRyan]

Take a look at Jack Cust's minor league numbers before comparing LaHair to him.

 

Or for that matter, take a look at his major league numbers before questioning why he's stuck around.

[Guest]

10/30:

 

Magallanes lost 5-0 Box Score

 

DH B. LaHair 1/4

 

Zulia won 4-1 Box Score

 

SP A. Bibens-Dirkx 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 9-3 GO-FO

[Little Slide Rooter]

Take a look at Jack Cust's minor league numbers before comparing LaHair to him.

 

Or for that matter, take a look at his major league numbers before questioning why he's stuck around.

 

Yup. After several cups of coffee, Oakland finally gave him his big break when he was 27-28. He had 4 good years before falling off. If you're a team who wants to gamble on getting 2-4 good years on a league min AAAAer, LaHair would be a decent bet. Surely someone will translate this as me saying Brian LaHair >>>>>Albert Pujols, but that's not at all what I'm saying.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Brian LaHair >>>>>Albert Pujols

 

Sigged?

[Clem Fandango]

Take a look at Jack Cust's minor league numbers before comparing LaHair to him.

 

Or for that matter, take a look at his major league numbers before questioning why he's stuck around.

 

People give Youkilis a lot of credit for being a patient hitter, but Jack Cust makes him look like Juan Pierre. I've often wondered if Jack Cust would make a good hitting coach.

 

He does already have a baseball academy... and has had one since 1997

 

http://www.diamondnation.com/diamondnation_jacks/

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Take a look at Jack Cust's minor league numbers before comparing LaHair to him.

 

Or for that matter, take a look at his major league numbers before questioning why he's stuck around.

 

People give Youkilis a lot of credit for being a patient hitter, but Jack Cust makes him look like Juan Pierre. I've often wondered if Jack Cust would make a good hitting coach.

 

He does already have a baseball academy... and has had one since 1997

 

http://www.diamondnation.com/diamondnation_jacks/

 

I like the Generic Home Uni home page picture.

 

The French teacher from my HS once told me that she taught Jack Cust, who was a big star in the NJ HS baseball world. My reply was basically in the area of "Jack Cust sucks." I remember this specifically because 1. I felt like an idiot with my analysis even walking out since I actually knew alot about Cust's misadventures early on in the Majors plus his minor league career, 2. he went on to dutifully prove that statement wrong in the majors with one of my favorite teams no less, and 3. I'm pretty sure that's the only thing I ever said to that lady. I now hope that he does become a hitting coach, and a top tier one.

[Guest]

@Kevin_Goldstein: #Cubs RHP Carlos Zambrano pitched in the VWL parallel lg. today. 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K. 40 pitches, 26 strikes (thanks to @rafaelrojasc)

[Guest]

11/1:

 

Magallanes lost 5-3 Box Score

 

DH B. LaHair 0/2, R, 2 BB, K

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

@Kevin_Goldstein: #Cubs RHP Carlos Zambrano pitched in the VWL parallel lg. today. 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K. 40 pitches, 26 strikes (thanks to @rafaelrojasc)

 

Not bad. Any velocity reports or general scouting report?

[Guest]

Leones del Caracas:

 

Marwin Gonzalez: 66 AB, 2 2B, 3 BB, 10 K - .348/.377/.379/.756

 

Caribes de Anzoategui:

 

Eduardo Figueroa: 2 IP, 22.50 ERA, 1 BB, 0 K

RHP Carlos Zambrano: 8.2 IP, 5.19 ERA, 4 BB, 8 K

 

Navegantes del Magallanes:

 

Robert Coello: 14 IP, 0.64 ERA, 11 BB, 18 K

Bryan LaHair: 91 AB, 6 2B, 7 HR, 18 BB, 29 K - .264/.391/.560/.951

 

Tiburones de La Guaira:

 

Hector Mayora: 8.1 IP, 4.32 ERA, 4 BB, 6 K

 

Tigres de Aragua:

 

Jonathan Mota: 12 AB, 0 BB, 2 K - .083/.154/.083/.237

[idakepps]

Good for LaHair. Obviously he's going to get a good shot at the 2012 team. Wouldn't be shocked to see him starting at 1B, or at least platooning there.

[Guest]

Good for LaHair. Obviously he's going to get a good shot at the 2012 team. Wouldn't be shocked to see him starting at 1B, or at least platooning there.

Unless we get several major upgrades elsewhere, I'd be very disappointed with that outcome.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This has become my standard answer to Cubs fans who want to see LaHair start in 2012:

 

The following are four PCL Iowa seasons from a slugging first baseman:

 

BA/OBP/SLG

.316 .389 .630

.343 .387 .614

.331 .405 .664

.307 .399 .664

 

Without looking it up, I ask them to tell me which one is LaHair and which three are Julio Zuleta. That usually quiets the "LaHair for 1b!" meme.

[Guest]

This has become my standard answer to Cubs fans who want to see LaHair start in 2012:

 

The following are four PCL Iowa seasons from a slugging first baseman:

 

BA/OBP/SLG

.316 .389 .630

.343 .387 .614

.331 .405 .664

.307 .399 .664

 

Without looking it up, I ask them to tell me which one is LaHair and which three are Julio Zuleta. That usually quiets the "LaHair for 1b!" meme.

Zuleta was all kinds of fun to have around, though.

[SouthSideRyan]

This has become my standard answer to Cubs fans who want to see LaHair start in 2012:

 

The following are four PCL Iowa seasons from a slugging first baseman:

 

BA/OBP/SLG

.316 .389 .630

.343 .387 .614

.331 .405 .664

.307 .399 .664

 

Without looking it up, I ask them to tell me which one is LaHair and which three are Julio Zuleta. That usually quiets the "LaHair for 1b!" meme.

 

I like Micah Hoffpauir for my go to comp.

[Guest]

Z last night: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 6-3 GO-FO.

 

He left the game after being hit in the face by a line drive but initial reports are that he'll be fine.

 

On the VWL season: 13.2 IP, 3.29 ERA, 12/6 K/BB.

[fan_in_China]

This has become my standard answer to Cubs fans who want to see LaHair start in 2012:

 

The following are four PCL Iowa seasons from a slugging first baseman:

 

BA/OBP/SLG

.316 .389 .630

.343 .387 .614

.331 .405 .664

.307 .399 .664

 

Without looking it up, I ask them to tell me which one is LaHair and which three are Julio Zuleta. That usually quiets the "LaHair for 1b!" meme.

 

 

Why? Why does that quiet the meme? It is a red herring, as much as if I put up Nelson Cruz's 3 years of AAA and mixed LaHair's in there so that you couldn't tell (and most couldn't). Just because AAAA players put up good numbers in AAA, doesn't mean that anyone who puts up numbers in AAA is a AAAA player.

 

There are 2 big reasons not to try LaHair out at 1B, Pujols and Fielder. The Cubs should get one of those guys. They are a big market squad, and it would fill the Cub's largest hole. However, if Pujols takes a hometown discount and Fielder goes for an unreasonable sum than LaHair should be an option that the Cubs could consider.

 

LaHair was a big prospect, that has torn it up after he turned the magic age of 27. His big chance was 150 PA in one of the worst hitters parks in the MLB. I'm not saying he should be the cub's first baseman, but I think that if the cub's don't land one of the big boys than I am against them overpaying Derrek Lee, Pena, or someone like that just to be a stopgap at 1B.

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum!

 

A better way to quiet the crowd would be to list all six years of LaHair's time in AAA.

[Vinestal]

Welcome to the forums, popular opinion here on the forums is that once you reach a certain age your done for and no matter what kind of numbers you put up at AAA you don't deserve a shot at playing in the majors. I don't agree, but that seems to be the prevailing thought here. It seems to be based on what other players have done at similar ages after putting up similar numbers. Apparently thier numbers are suppose to be written off as some sort of fluke that can't possibly be replicated at the major league level.