Bruce Miles Chat, 04-21-04

[Tim]

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[Tim]

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[Tim]

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[Tim]

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[Tim]

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[Tim]

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[Tim]

How much of a reality were the rumors (before he was injured) of the Cubs thinking of getting Grudzielanek some games at SS to get his and Walker's bats in the same lineup? With an achilles injury, is it still a possibility?

[Tim]

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[Tim]

placeholder Edited April 21, 2004 by Tim

[Tim]

placeholder Edited April 21, 2004 by Tim

[Tim]

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[Tim]

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[Bruce Miles]

Hi Bruce,

 

Alex Gonzalez is probably the least popular regular to fans this year. What does the organization think of him at this point?

 

Thank you. And thanks Tim. Thanks Mark. Thanks NSBB.

 

Old Alex had a nice game last night. The Cubs know it's far from a perfect situation there, but they've got to live with it at this point. If the rest of the lineup hits as it should, whatever production Gonzalez provides should be OK. I don't expect him back next year.

[Bruce Miles]

How much of a reality were the rumors (before he was injured) of the Cubs thinking of getting Grudzielanek some games at SS to get his and Walker's bats in the same lineup? With an achilles injury, is it still a possibility?

 

The Cubs had toyed with the idea but were not ready to pull the trigger until perhaps June. That's from a good source. With the Achilles' injury, I don't see Grud at SS in the near future.

[Bruce Miles]

Have you seen or heard from someone who has seen Ben Christiansen in action this year? Is he (once again) a possibility to see sometime in the next year or so at the Friendly Confines?

 

I've not gotten any early reports on Ben. From what I've been told, it's going to be very tough for him to make it to the majors after both elbow and shoulder surgeries. On the other hand, he's a pretty mentally tough kid, and the Cubs won't give up on him. They'll be monitoring his velocity closely.

[Bruce Miles]

Thanks for the time Bruce.

 

How much of a factor is it to Dusty when a player stays or shows up early and works instead of going home the second practice or the game is through. Along those lines, how much goes on that we as fans have no clue about behind the scenes regarding playing time and Dusty's decisions to stay with certain players.

 

Dusty respects hard work a lot. He also gives players who have certain routines (for example, Maddux arrived for spring training work early and left early on days he didn't pitch) a little leeway.

I don't think that factors into playing time or Dusty "sticking with" certain players. The lineup is pretty well set, and other than Bako getting occasional starts or Hollandsworth spelling Alou on occasion, it's going to be the same guys in there every day.

One thing Dusty excels at is using all 25 guys. That's part of the reason he commands respect from players. He's not a big meetings guy, but he will call guys into his office for chats.

[Bruce Miles]

Assuming Prior comes back before mid-June and Angel Guzman continues to progress well, will the Cubs try to squeeze in a few starts for him and possibly setup a midseason trade involving Clement? Or do you get the sense that Hendry will be hesitant to mess around with the starting rotation and we might have to wait until September to see Guzman if there are no injuries? Would Dempster be the first one to turn to if Mitre starts to struggle down the road, assuming they don't trade Sergio?

 

Thanks for your time.

 

The Cubs always have taken a conservative approach with injuries. Guzman will get as much time in the minor leagues as possible. Hendry will not mess around with the rotation if it is successful. So I would say Guzman may not be here until September. I don't believe they'll trade either Clement or Mitre. The Cubs hope to have Dempster pitching somewhere in June. It's too early to say he'd be the first option if somebody falters in the rotation.

[Bruce Miles]

Many Cubs fans (at least on this board) view LF as an area that needs upgrading. Does the Cubs organization feel this way? Is Carlos Beltran a possible future Cub?

 

Left field is looking pretty good with Alou in the early going. That said, they will not pick up his option for next year, and at this point, it's iffy whether they'd even seek a lesser deal with him. I know the Cubs had hoped that Kelton, Jackson or Dubois would be ready to take over in LF next year and provide some payroll relief. Beltran is certainly the most attractive option out there, and with the Cubs shedding the contracts of Alou, Gonzalez and perhaps Clement after this year, Beltran is not out of the question, especially with the Cubs generating new streams of revenue.

[Bruce Miles]

Bruce,

 

What is the real deal with Prior's injury? Are the Cubs, as they say, taking precautionary measures with the Achilles or is there something else going on that we don't know about? When do you believe it's realistic to anticipate his return? Thanks.

 

The Cubs really had trouble isolating the source of the Achilles injury. I'm told the MRI and bone scans showed no significant damage to the heel or elbow. They showed that Prior's key elbow ligament was sound and strong. I'm looking at early June for his return. But I really don't think the Cubs have been lying or intentionally misleading anybody.

[Bruce Miles]

With Eric Chavez signing long-term with the A's, and Glaus again having early injury troubles, do you see an added emphasis being placed on signing Aramis in the offseason?

 

At first, I didn't think so because Hendry didn't seem to make it a priority. But now I do think they'll make a big effort to sign Ramirez to a multiyear deal next winter. It happened with Wood and Lee, and I think you'll see the same type of thing with Ramirez. I believe his agent is Adam Katz, a guy with whom the Cubs work reasonably well.

[Bruce Miles]

Bruce-

 

What did Hendry see in Barrett that made him want him for a long period of time?

Great question. As you guys know, Hendry is more of the "old-school scouts guy" as opposed to the new-school Moneyball-type guy. For a long time, he loved Barrett's "tools" and athleticism. The Cubs and Hendry also are big on attitude and I've seen few better than Barrett's. The guy is really a joy to be around. The Cubs felt Barrett would hit if he could stay healthy, and he's showing signs that he indeed will. He's getting better behind the plate, too. Last night, he and Rothschild were studying the tape of Zambrano's game.

[Bruce Miles]

The Cubs seem to have a pretty solid core of Lee, Wood, Zambrano, Prior, Patterson and possibly Ramirez, Sosa, and Barrett for at least the next 3 years. They have a great list of arms on the farm. Which direction do you think the Cubs are gonna take to fill the rest of the position slots (2B, SS, LF)? i.e. kids, such as Harris, Jackson, Kelton, Dubois or FA signing?

 

Combination. Walker has made a good impression so far. He's getting on base and is showing that he's reasonable inthe field. At short, they'll make a trade or try to sign a free agent. In left, as I've mentioned, they'd love for one of the kids to come in and take that job. Harris could be up later this year and he could stick on the opening day roster next year in some role.

[Bruce Miles]

Is there anything fans don't know about the Juan Cruz trade that you may have isight about? Pratt has definatley dissappionted us. Were there issues besides Juan Cruz as a player? Do the Cubs have high hopes for Lewis? Did they just want another lefty in the pen?

 

If you guys have read the Daily Herald (dailyherald.com), and sorry for the shameless self-plug, you know I don't like this trade. They did feel a need for a second lefty in the pen, but for the life of me, I don't know how they expected a kid with one game of experience to succeed. I do also know that they would not have done the deal without Lewis in it.

As far as Cruz goes, Rothschild should get a lot of credit if he blossoms in Atlanta. Larry did a lot of work with Cruz this spring. I feel the Cubs could have used him right now. All that said, Cruz still has some growing up to do. That's one of the biggest reasons for his inconsistency over the last couple of years.

[Bruce Miles]

Bruce,

 

As a big fan of the frankness with which you write your stories, I was hoping that you could give me some insight into problems you encounter as a beat writer. How much, if at all, are your stories affected by the relationship you must maintain with Dusty and the players? Along those same lines, how would you best characterize Dusty's quirky answers to reporters: a) having fun with the reporters, b) intentionally evasive, or c) curiously if not cluelessly off point.

 

Thanks in advance for your anticipated response.

 

Another great question. As a beat writer, and I'm in my seventh year with the Cubs, you walk that fine line of objectivity. You owe it to you readers to report the truth and to be honest and fair in your criticisms. This being a people business, you also must be respectful of those you cover. I try to do all that. I've had my honest differences with those I cover, but it's never gotten personal, and I won't attack people personally.

All managers have to be evasive on some issues because of secrets they want to keep from other teams. That's a big key. They don't mind us knowing some things, per se, but they don't want another manager to know a guy might not be available, for example. Dusty does like to have fun with reporters. But when I've asked him about stuff like walks, on-base percentage, use of pitchers, he's giving what he believes are honest answers.

He's the most unique guy I've been around.

[Bruce Miles]

Clement will be a free agent after the season; do you see the cubs making an attempt to resign him?

 

The Cubs are in a good position here, and they won't rush into things. They wanted Clement to take a multiyear deal last winter with some payroll relief this year, i.e., less money for '04. When that didn't happen, they rolled the dice. If Clement does well and helps the Cubs win, great. If not, they wouldn't want him back anyway. If his demands are way up there this fall, the Cubs feel they have enough depth in the organization that they can go cheaper and still be strong.