Baker, Nomar, Wood and Patterson

[CubsWin]

That pretty much summarizes why this team isn't 10-15 over .500. Some still want to complain about the Sosa deal/fiasco, which put the organization in a financial bind this year. However, those same people would have probably really griped if the Cubs just let Sosa walk 4 years ago.

 

Baker has finally given in and is putting people who actually get on base in front of the potential Triple Crown Winner. However, the Neifi/Patterson experiment killed this team. Also, there's a plethora of other errors. But at least the guy's changing some. Maybe his job isn't so safe now.

 

Nomar he can't even play for a month. If he asks for more than $2 million next year, he should be chased out of Chicago. You have to be kidding me.

 

With Wood it's just the same ol, same ol. The Cubs essentially threw $18 million or so down the toilet this year w/ Nomar and Wood.

 

Patterson I can emphasize w/ some. I think Baker hasn't helped him along much. However, he hasn't come close to living up to expectations.

 

I'm not eactly sure where to start piakcing apart this post, so I'll just start at the top.

 

Baker, Nomar, Wood, and Patterson aren't the sole, or even biggest, reasons the Cubs aren't 10-15 games over five hundred. The reasons are:

1. The lack of a true leadoff hitter, before Hairston was placed there (yes, Patterson does tie into this).

2. An extremely inconsistent young bullpen.

 

Those are by far our two biggest problems. Blaming Dusty, Wood, Nomar, and Patterson in some sort of blind rage is easy, but it's also wrong.

 

You're scapegoating, when, in reality, the Cub's problems run much deeper than a top caliber pitcher who has been abused prior to joining the big leagues, a center fielder that was taught to be a power hitter all through the minor leagues and only now has been told to be a leadoff hitter, a perenial all-star shortstop who has won abatting title who tore amuscle from his groin andn (rather than sitting on his money) is now rehabbing in an attempt to rejoin the Cubs and contribute down the stretch, and a manager who you personally don't like even though he has carried to the NLCS, and back to back winning seasons for the first time in a long time.

 

As far as the Sosa deal, would you rather pay him $20 mil (or whatever it would be) to bat .230 for us, or $15 mil (or whatever it is) to bat .230 for the Orioles. We've been through this already on this sight, there was NO better deal out there, especially after the video of him leaving the clubhouse early surfaced.

 

Early in the season, Baker was batting Neifi and Patterson at the top of the order. Last year, Patterson had initial success in the lead off spot, and was told to prepare to be a leadoff man this year. That expiriment, at least for the moment, has failed. That's on Patterson not Dusty. Neifi was on fire for several months, and putting him at the top was logical. He has cooled off significantly since then. Yes Dusty like to play veterans, like Perez, over rookie's like Cedeno. This is a GOOD philospophy. Dusty is having to choose between experience and raw talent. Nobody knows how Cedeno would handle being a starter in the Big leagues, and the middle of a race for the wild card isn't the time to find out. I like young players too, but they have to prove themselves before I put blind faith in them like you do.

 

Nomar Garcipara is a superstar, and deservedly so. He got injured, and has a recent history of injury. HE"S A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE! He's going to be injured. Hopefully his groin muscle is fully healed, because when health he is one of the best hitters EVER.

 

Kerry Wood was overused by his High School coach, laying the foundation for the shoulder structural problems he has tody. His mechanics are much smoother now, taknig strain off that shoulder. Still, he went down again with shoulder tightness recently. After the season he may have a procedure like Matt Morriss did last year to repair some of the damage. This may be a good idea, because when healthy this guy is one of the best. His arm problems, at best, are only partially his fault, with others like his highschool Coach carrying much more of the blame.

 

You blame Baker for Corey Patterson's struggles. Obviously you don't know much about how FARM SYSTEMS work. In the minor leagues he was trained to be a run producer, power hitter. He was told all along he would be a run producer, power hitter. He wants to be a run producer power hitter. Now, suddenly, he's ordered to be a leadoff man, a very differnt style of hitting. Patterson has neither the skills or desire to be a power hitter, and Dusty Baker is too busy being the MANAGER of a big league team to snap the kid into shape. If he will ever be a leadoff hitter, he will learn it in the minors for a minor league hitting coach, not a big league MANAGER.

 

I'm sorry, but I'm really getting tired of people lashing out about problems with the Cubs, and blaming anyone and everyone in sight. One man cannot solve all the woes of the Cubs. Firing Dusty would signify the end for our bid to reach the post season this year. Do you really want to do that?

 

We need bullpen help, and for Hairston and Walker to continue to produce at the top of the order. Nomar may provide a seruious spark should he return (I hope! I hope!). Kerry Wood is still a top level starter. He needs to watch himself the rest of the season, and, if necessary, get surgery to clean up some of the scar tissue in his shoulder. In the mean time he should be on a pitch count the rest of the season.

Thank you for basically writing the post I would have written.

 

CubfaninCA, there were so many holes in your post I didn't know where to start either. I loved the part about the Sosa deal putting the Cubs in a financial bind this season. If the Cubs hadn't traded Sosa, they would be paying more money in payroll this year. That trade saved them money, got them better production out of RF and gave them their best lead-off hitter.

 

What led you to complain about the Sosa trade?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Thank you for basically writing the post I would have written.

 

CubfaninCA, there were so many holes in your post I didn't know where to start either. I loved the part about the Sosa deal putting the Cubs in a financial bind this season. If the Cubs hadn't traded Sosa, they would be paying more money in payroll this year. That trade saved them money, got them better production out of RF and gave them their best lead-off hitter.

 

What led you to complain about the Sosa trade?

 

Not to nitpick, but The trade is pretty even financially either way. The Cubs are paying 1.8 mil to Hairston and 15.5 to Sosa, 17.3 total. Had they just kept Sosa, they would have owed him 17.875 mil. Add in the fact that Burnitz likely would not have been signed for 5 mil if not for the deal, and I don't think you can make the argument the Cubs would be paying more this year with Sosa.

[wastra]

I think the reasons that this team isn't 10 games over are many.

 

The GM did NOT put a $100 million team on the field depsite a $100 million payroll. We entered the season with holes in Left Field, the bench, the 5th starter and all across the bullpen, relying on oft-or-recently injured guys who had not shown themselves to be healthy or effective.

 

The manager, despite his good aspects (motivation, for example...many teams would have folded after going 8 games under), routinely makes the worst statistical decisions and continues repeating them to the exasperation of anyone with baseball common sense. Admitting a guy should hit leadoff, them batting him leadoff for another 2 weeks is asinine. Admitted a guy can't get lefties out and bringing him in first THAT SAME DAY to face 2 lefties is asinine. Admitting a guy can't close and them using him as closer for 2 months is asinine. Admitting that a guy would be a better closer option than #5 starter and then naming him #5 starter is asinine. Admitting that our backup second baseman is probably our best leadoff candidate, and batting him 8th for 3 weeks is asinine. That kind of crap is NOT helping the team win.

 

We HAVE been beset by injuries. We were counting on offense from Nomar. Didn't get it. We were counting on strong seasons from Wood/Prior, haven't got them. No- you don't "blame them" because they're certainly not TRYING to get hurt. They are just guys with injury problems. But you do RECOGNIZE that their absense hurts this team.

 

We also did not get what we hoped from certain players. Patterson comes to mind. Dubois didn't shine consistantly. None of the youngsters in the pen have really stepped forward from their performances of last year, and some stepped significantly back. Remlinger has been inconsistant as well. Half the team seemed to be so allergic to taking a pitch for most the season you could easily make a casethat there was a general consensus amongst most hitters than walks were bad. even if that's the manager's philosophy, the players sure as hell bought into it 100%, and deserve blame as well.

 

 

So if you want to lay blame on who is the reason this team is only 2 games over- just point to the roster and exclude Ramirez and Lee, but don't forget to add management- both on-field and front office.

 

There are 25 men on this team, plus a number of guys who've bounced up & down from AAA, the DL, or are elsewhere now, plus management. All of them are responsible in varying degrees

[Bench Coach]

Thank you for basically writing the post I would have written.

 

CubfaninCA, there were so many holes in your post I didn't know where to start either. I loved the part about the Sosa deal putting the Cubs in a financial bind this season. If the Cubs hadn't traded Sosa, they would be paying more money in payroll this year. That trade saved them money, got them better production out of RF and gave them their best lead-off hitter.

 

What led you to complain about the Sosa trade?

 

Not to nitpick, but The trade is pretty even financially either way. The Cubs are paying 1.8 mil to Hairston and 15.5 to Sosa, 17.3 total. Had they just kept Sosa, they would have owed him 17.875 mil. Add in the fact that Burnitz likely would not have been signed for 5 mil if not for the deal, and I don't think you can make the argument the Cubs would be paying more this year with Sosa.

 

The question still remains would you rather be paying him that money to hit .230 for the Orioles or us?

[CubfaninCA]

That pretty much summarizes why this team isn't 10-15 over .500. Some still want to complain about the Sosa deal/fiasco, which put the organization in a financial bind this year. However, those same people would have probably really griped if the Cubs just let Sosa walk 4 years ago.

 

Baker has finally given in and is putting people who actually get on base in front of the potential Triple Crown Winner. However, the Neifi/Patterson experiment killed this team. Also, there's a plethora of other errors. But at least the guy's changing some. Maybe his job isn't so safe now.

 

Nomar he can't even play for a month. If he asks for more than $2 million next year, he should be chased out of Chicago. You have to be kidding me.

 

With Wood it's just the same ol, same ol. The Cubs essentially threw $18 million or so down the toilet this year w/ Nomar and Wood.

 

Patterson I can emphasize w/ some. I think Baker hasn't helped him along much. However, he hasn't come close to living up to expectations.

 

I'm not eactly sure where to start piakcing apart this post, so I'll just start at the top.

 

Baker, Nomar, Wood, and Patterson aren't the sole, or even biggest, reasons the Cubs aren't 10-15 games over five hundred. The reasons are:

1. The lack of a true leadoff hitter, before Hairston was placed there (yes, Patterson does tie into this).

2. An extremely inconsistent young bullpen.

 

Those are by far our two biggest problems. Blaming Dusty, Wood, Nomar, and Patterson in some sort of blind rage is easy, but it's also wrong.

 

You're scapegoating, when, in reality, the Cub's problems run much deeper than a top caliber pitcher who has been abused prior to joining the big leagues, a center fielder that was taught to be a power hitter all through the minor leagues and only now has been told to be a leadoff hitter, a perenial all-star shortstop who has won abatting title who tore amuscle from his groin andn (rather than sitting on his money) is now rehabbing in an attempt to rejoin the Cubs and contribute down the stretch, and a manager who you personally don't like even though he has carried to the NLCS, and back to back winning seasons for the first time in a long time.

 

As far as the Sosa deal, would you rather pay him $20 mil (or whatever it would be) to bat .230 for us, or $15 mil (or whatever it is) to bat .230 for the Orioles. We've been through this already on this sight, there was NO better deal out there, especially after the video of him leaving the clubhouse early surfaced.

 

Early in the season, Baker was batting Neifi and Patterson at the top of the order. Last year, Patterson had initial success in the lead off spot, and was told to prepare to be a leadoff man this year. That expiriment, at least for the moment, has failed. That's on Patterson not Dusty. Neifi was on fire for several months, and putting him at the top was logical. He has cooled off significantly since then. Yes Dusty like to play veterans, like Perez, over rookie's like Cedeno. This is a GOOD philospophy. Dusty is having to choose between experience and raw talent. Nobody knows how Cedeno would handle being a starter in the Big leagues, and the middle of a race for the wild card isn't the time to find out. I like young players too, but they have to prove themselves before I put blind faith in them like you do.

 

Nomar Garcipara is a superstar, and deservedly so. He got injured, and has a recent history of injury. HE"S A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE! He's going to be injured. Hopefully his groin muscle is fully healed, because when health he is one of the best hitters EVER.

 

Kerry Wood was overused by his High School coach, laying the foundation for the shoulder structural problems he has tody. His mechanics are much smoother now, taknig strain off that shoulder. Still, he went down again with shoulder tightness recently. After the season he may have a procedure like Matt Morriss did last year to repair some of the damage. This may be a good idea, because when healthy this guy is one of the best. His arm problems, at best, are only partially his fault, with others like his highschool Coach carrying much more of the blame.

 

You blame Baker for Corey Patterson's struggles. Obviously you don't know much about how FARM SYSTEMS work. In the minor leagues he was trained to be a run producer, power hitter. He was told all along he would be a run producer, power hitter. He wants to be a run producer power hitter. Now, suddenly, he's ordered to be a leadoff man, a very differnt style of hitting. Patterson has neither the skills or desire to be a power hitter, and Dusty Baker is too busy being the MANAGER of a big league team to snap the kid into shape. If he will ever be a leadoff hitter, he will learn it in the minors for a minor league hitting coach, not a big league MANAGER.

 

I'm sorry, but I'm really getting tired of people lashing out about problems with the Cubs, and blaming anyone and everyone in sight. One man cannot solve all the woes of the Cubs. Firing Dusty would signify the end for our bid to reach the post season this year. Do you really want to do that?

 

We need bullpen help, and for Hairston and Walker to continue to produce at the top of the order. Nomar may provide a seruious spark should he return (I hope! I hope!). Kerry Wood is still a top level starter. He needs to watch himself the rest of the season, and, if necessary, get surgery to clean up some of the scar tissue in his shoulder. In the mean time he should be on a pitch count the rest of the season.

Thank you for basically writing the post I would have written.

 

CubfaninCA, there were so many holes in your post I didn't know where to start either. I loved the part about the Sosa deal putting the Cubs in a financial bind this season. If the Cubs hadn't traded Sosa, they would be paying more money in payroll this year. That trade saved them money, got them better production out of RF and gave them their best lead-off hitter.

 

What led you to complain about the Sosa trade?

 

Read again. I didn't complain about the trade. jfc

[CubfaninCA]

Some of you need to learn how to read. All I wrote about Sosa was two sentences. It should be too hard to understand it not like I wrote 10 paragraphs like some. It's not too difficult to understand that I'm not complaining about his trade or his deal. Yes it put the team in the bind, as his production and health tailed off, but I'm glad they resigned him 4 years ago. If I was blaming the Sosa trade, I would have had that in the heading.