Jason Schmidt for Patterson (offesason trade)

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Corey has one last shot in 2006, IMO. If he sucks, he'll be gone midseason or at the latest by 2007.

 

Erik,

 

I think you are being too generous. I don't think he's in a Cub uniform after the 2005 season. I have it on good authority that Hendry will do everything he can to trade Patterson during the offseason, low value or not. Hendry is absolutely pissed off at Corey's play and attitude since he has returned. And, seeing 5 pitches in 4 at bats last night was just the icing on the cake. Although he probably won't play with the major league team this year, I get the strong sense that the Felix Pie in CF era is set to start in March.

 

Hoops

 

Whether or not Patterson is on the team next year, Pie needs to be in AAA. Looks like we're doomed to see the same mistakes the organization made with Patterson.

 

By the end of this year Pie will probably have almost 1500 minor league AB's, which I believe is almost double what Patterson had. I don't see how the Cubs could be accused of doing the "same" thing they did with Patterson.

Pujols only had about 500 minor league AB's. Miguel Cabrera had about 1400 minor league AB's.

If the guy is as good as everyone says then get him up here and don't waste a year in AAA. Patterson's inability to develop at the MLB level should not force the Cubs to keep every prospect in the minors longer. Each guy is different, and Pie might use the promotion as a catalyst to improve at a quicker pace than he would at AAA. If he doesn't, you can always send him back down to work on his game.

 

What's the main knock against Patterson? Strike zone judgment. Pie at AA has worse plate discipline than Patterson did at AA, and that's with Pie having more AB's like you say. He needs more time to refine that portion of this game, since it is so important.

 

Listen, I like Corey, but I'm so sick of hearing about how this is all the Cubs fault. When does Corey get some? He's always had the tools to be a average, or better MLB player............at some point COREY has utilize HIS skills to be the player he can be. He has to understand that he's not going to hit 40+ HRs a year and with his build, he may never do it.

 

It's not just plate discipline either. He's doesn't think like a baseball player on deck, or at the plate. He very rarely takes a pitch when the pitchers struggling. How many times have you seen the guy in front of him walk and then he comes up and swings at the first pitch?

 

He seems reluctant to cut down on his swing. If he did, he could be an all-fields hitter. Hit to the gaps and run like the wind. That would be utilizing your god given talent..............but that seems to be beneath Corey.

 

I'm sorry, I use to make apologies for him...............I'm just not going to do it anymore.

 

The Cubs were wrong to bring up Corey as soon as they did, how much of that has led to his struggles I don't know. You are also assuming a lot of things that you just don't know, like his mindset.

 

Anyways, Patterson or no Patterson, my point was about Felix. Even if Patterson didn't exist, Pie isn't ready for the show. His plate discipline is just not very good, and he would definitely benefit from getting more minor league AB's to refine that before being ready, especially since his injury has robbed him of so much time. Furthermore, if Corey just doesn't have the smarts, or the mindset, or whatever, what does that say when Felix has worse discipline at AA than Corey did, when Felix has more AB's in the system at that point? Please keep Felix away from the big league club for the majority of next season for his sake.