05/27 COBS (Garza) @ Pirates (Bedard) 12:35 WGN

[DiamondMind]

Josh Hamilton was an "idiot-proof" draft pick?

 

He was the first overall pick in 1999, his drug problems didn't come to light until 2001. So yea, pretty safe pick at the time, and it still ended up accurate.

[THISisTHEyear09]

Chances we lose more than 110 games?

[Guest]

 

We're just going to have to disagree. The advantage in drafting comes from scouting and player evaluation/development more than where you pick. Unless you have a freak like Harper or Strasburg lurking it's rarely worth tanking just to slide up.

 

I don't necessarily disagree. I'm just not sure how much the new rules change that line of thinking. Especially since sucking also means more IFA dollars.

 

Do you have to be THE worst to have the extra spending available or is an NBA draft-lottery-type deal where, say, the worst 5 teams have increased IFA spending available?

 

Good question. Raisin?

 

The IFA allotment is scaled from worst to best. For example, the worst team in 2012 will have $4.8 million next year, the second worst will have $4.7, so on and so forth. So no matter what, the Cubs will be able to spend more than this year's $2.9 million.

[El Duderino]

Chances we lose more than 110 games?

 

0%

[Backtobanks]

I'm amazed that there are still posters that support what Theo has done this year. I understand those of you that think he will eventually build a contender, but he has made the 2012 Cubs into a laughing stock. There's no excuse for a large market team in a weak division to be this awful. This team is years away from being decent and as Garza, Dempster, and LaHair come back to "normal", we will have very little to trade for 2013 and beyond.

[Guest]

I'm amazed that there are still posters that support what Theo has done this year. I understand those of you that think he will eventually build a contender, but he has made the 2012 Cubs into a laughing stock. There's no excuse for a large market team in a weak division to be this awful. This team is years away from being decent and as Garza, Dempster, and LaHair come back to "normal", we will have very little to trade for 2013 and beyond.

 

So, do you like Jim Hendry or something?

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I'm amazed that there are still posters that support what Theo has done this year. I understand those of you that think he will eventually build a contender, but he has made the 2012 Cubs into a laughing stock. There's no excuse for a large market team in a weak division to be this awful. This team is years away from being decent and as Garza, Dempster, and LaHair come back to "normal", we will have very little to trade for 2013 and beyond.

 

Again, just 10 days ago this wasn't being said. It's not like they have been awful all season. Until this losing streak, they were not the laughingstock you are portraying them to be.

[Sammy Sofa]

 

We're just going to have to disagree. The advantage in drafting comes from scouting and player evaluation/development more than where you pick. Unless you have a freak like Harper or Strasburg lurking it's rarely worth tanking just to slide up.

 

I don't necessarily disagree. I'm just not sure how much the new rules change that line of thinking. Especially since sucking also means more IFA dollars.

 

Do you have to be THE worst to have the extra spending available or is an NBA draft-lottery-type deal where, say, the worst 5 teams have increased IFA spending available?

 

Good question. Raisin?

 

The IFA allotment is scaled from worst to best. For example, the worst team in 2012 will have $4.8 million next year, the second worst will have $4.7, so on and so forth. So no matter what, the Cubs will be able to spend more than this year's $2.9 million.

 

Thanks for clarifying.

[Sammy Sofa]

Josh Hamilton was an "idiot-proof" draft pick?

 

He was the first overall pick in 1999, his drug problems didn't come to light until 2001. So yea, pretty safe pick at the time, and it still ended up accurate.

 

Yeah, I think that's about the exact opposite of a safe pick.

[Guest]

Josh Hamilton was an "idiot-proof" draft pick?

 

He was the first overall pick in 1999, his drug problems didn't come to light until 2001. So yea, pretty safe pick at the time, and it still ended up accurate.

 

Yeah, I think that's about the exact opposite of a safe pick.

 

To be honest, I realize that hindsight makes it hard to see it that way, but I think it's a safe pick that just didn't work out.

 

Airplanes are safe. Some people still die on them.

 

As draft picks go, Hamilton was a no-brainer (at least, as I remember it).

[Sammy Sofa]

Yeah, that's true; I keep forgetting that his drug/booze problems came out of nowhere.

[davell]

Theo and Co got a late start to the offseason. Knew very little about our employees, so they decided to stick a toe in the water, instead of jumping in. I understand it, even if I thought they could make us decent quickly and figure out how to sustain it from there. No groundbreaking moves whatsoever, unless Rizzo becomes one. But if we had signed Pujols, Fielder, or even Cespedes, how would we be looking right now? Harza wasn't dealt, in part to see whether we're close enough to contend with him. Granted, he's trying to screw himself out of an extension and us out of maxing out his trade value right now, but he's probably got 8-9 starts left to change that before the deadline. We missed on Darvish, but we don't know by how much. I just want Castro to get a little plate discipline, LaHair to break out of his slump, Garza to turn it back around, and Shark to keep it up. Trade Demp, lets see what Rizzo can do and hopefully Brett later on too. The more games we lose, the better, if those things happen. Oh, and get Soler under contract somehow before zjuly 2nd. We lose 110 and do that? I'm fine with things.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Kevin Goldstein was tweeting some of the more...notable Cubs post game calls, and simply put these guys make me embarrassed to be a Cubs fan. They'd make NSBB's meatiest blush in shame.

[El Duderino]

Kevin Goldstein was tweeting some of the more...notable Cubs post game calls, and simply put these guys make me embarrassed to be a Cubs fan. They'd make NSBB's meatiest blush in shame.

 

The best one was:

Kevin Goldstein ‏@Kevin_Goldstein

 

John in Chicago: "If I was going to ask for a GM to bring in talent for a farm system, I'd bring in Jim Hendry" #CubsPostGame

[Little Slide Rooter]

Kevin Goldstein was tweeting some of the more...notable Cubs post game calls, and simply put these guys make me embarrassed to be a Cubs fan. They'd make NSBB's meatiest blush in shame.

 

The best one was:

Kevin Goldstein ‏@Kevin_Goldstein

 

John in Chicago: "If I was going to ask for a GM to bring in talent for a farm system, I'd bring in Jim Hendry" #CubsPostGame

 

I think this guy has him beat, unless it's the same guy.

 

@Kevin_Goldstein: John in Chicago: "Theo hasn't made one good trade! Colvin is hitting .306 for Colorado!"

[Guest]

I can't make this stuff up. RT @mdirmeikis: @Kevin_Goldstein Theo Einstein is a fraud. Got lucky in Boston. He'll be gone in third year.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping my doom boner under control. I want very badly for Epstein to be the awesome baseball genius we all want him to be, and he certainly hasn't proved he isn't. There are some concerning stuff, but nothing that would be more than a minor footnote if he executes what appears to be his plan correctly.

[Guest]

I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping my doom boner under control. I want very badly for Epstein to be the awesome baseball genius we all want him to be, and he certainly hasn't proved he isn't. There are some concerning stuff, but nothing that would be more than a minor footnote if he executes what appears to be his plan correctly.

 

You don't think it's basically an established fact that he is? You think it's something we want him to be?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping my doom boner under control. I want very badly for Epstein to be the awesome baseball genius we all want him to be, and he certainly hasn't proved he isn't. There are some concerning stuff, but nothing that would be more than a minor footnote if he executes what appears to be his plan correctly.

 

You don't think it's basically an established fact that he is? You think it's something we want him to be?

 

You don't think it's possible that he inherited an awesome team, had a hot run of draft picks (that he hasn't really been able to repeat since) and won't be able to duplicate that success? Even a little possible?

[Guest]

I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping my doom boner under control. I want very badly for Epstein to be the awesome baseball genius we all want him to be, and he certainly hasn't proved he isn't. There are some concerning stuff, but nothing that would be more than a minor footnote if he executes what appears to be his plan correctly.

 

You don't think it's basically an established fact that he is? You think it's something we want him to be?

 

You don't think it's possible that he inherited an awesome team, had a hot run of draft picks (that he hasn't really been able to repeat since) and won't be able to duplicate that success? Even a little possible?

 

 

Does he get lucky when he says smart stuff too?

 

To answer your question, no. I think that's absurd. All you have to do is listen to him talk about his philosophies and thought processes to see the intelligence.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping my doom boner under control. I want very badly for Epstein to be the awesome baseball genius we all want him to be, and he certainly hasn't proved he isn't. There are some concerning stuff, but nothing that would be more than a minor footnote if he executes what appears to be his plan correctly.

 

You don't think it's basically an established fact that he is? You think it's something we want him to be?

 

You don't think it's possible that he inherited an awesome team, had a hot run of draft picks (that he hasn't really been able to repeat since) and won't be able to duplicate that success? Even a little possible?

 

Sure, anything is possible. But the game in which you are playing here is one that will end in you always being right. Because, yes, anything is possible. That can always be said. We could have gotten Pujols, Darvish, Yeonis and C.J. Wilson, and it's possible we wouldn't be that good right now. Possible.

 

Theo is one of the great baseball people in the game. If for whatever reason it doesn't work out, then so be it. What are you going to do? You roll the dice and you put yourself in the best position to have a successful franchise.

 

I'm actually starting to get annoyed that Rickets did a beautiful thing by landing Epsten, we all threw a party about it, and now less than two months into his first season, people are freaking out.

 

Damn you, people.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I don't think acknowledging multiple possibilities is some kind of cheap game to "always be right." It's acknowledging that it's a big, complicated world it's very easy to be wrong.

 

A lot of bad stuff has happened since Theo Epstein was hired. It won't break some sort of magic Theo spell to acknowledge that, alongside all the good stuff that has happened.

 

If the drafting and development turns out to be as good as it was during the early days in Boston, it'll all be worth it.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

A lot of bad stuff has happened since Theo Epstein was hired. It won't break some sort of magic Theo spell to acknowledge that, alongside all the good stuff that has happened.

 

He came on board like six months ago. He has barley put his fingerprints on the team yet. If it's true what you are saying, that a lot of bad stuff has happened since he took over, then most of it isn't his fault.

[UMFan83]

I think a big part of the appeal of Theo is putting together a competent organization from top to bottom. I don't know if or how the Cubs ran their organization before but reading about how he has a huge handbook to dictate how the organization will be run, what types of things to emphasize, and keeping it consistent throughout the system with the idea of developing better players with the ability to do the things that Theo has stressed. Obviously that stuff doesnt happen overnight, and you could probably argue how much that really changes things, but on paper it sounds like something our organization will benefit from.

 

I have definitely worried about how the new CBA effects Theo's plan, as it seemed like the thing he did well was allocate a big portion of his budget towards the draft and international signings. Now the strategic and monetary advantage he's enjoyed is downgraded significantly. He says he'll just have to find the next strategic advantage he can exploit, but what if he cant? Or what if he spends significant time doing the wrong thing, thinking it is the next great advantage?

 

I am still 100% behind Theo and I think its idiotic for people to sour on him 2 months into his first season. We all pretty much knew this team had a chance to suck, and regardless of how you feel about this strategy, if you were behind Theo in November, you should be behind him in May. Give the guy at least 2 years to prove that he is the boy genius he was in Boston.

[Soul]

I'm behind him, but this still sucks