Sammy and Nomar make Fox's All Washed-Up team

[DivineBovine]

Sammy is so washed up, he's the superstar of the team. But Nomar, no. He has yet to have had a bad year given a reasonable number of AB's. He puts up the numbers year after year. The problem, of course, are injuries. I still think he's worth taking a shot at. It's been his groin, his back, his wrist, etc., but at least he doesn't keep injuring the same body part over and over. With a little luck, he could conceivably stay healthy. If he somehow puts up a full year, he'll be one of the best offensive SS's in the majors.

[Satch80]

There's no way they'll sign Nomar for SS next season. Nomar has lost even more range and along with Aram's poor range and slow footwork we'd be even worse on D than this year.

 

Nomar isn't really washed up, he has a bat but he's no longer reliable as an every day player.

[ConstableRabbit]

Since when did anyone on this site care what Fox said anyway?

Wasn't any last hope of credibility killed when Buck called Derrek "Carlos" without correcting himself at the all-star game?

 

I thought it was when they interviewed a charectar from a beer commercial (while he was still in charectar) during the World Series.

 

ConstableRabbit don't remember dat.

 

It was Leon from the Bud commercials.

 

 

I know it was Leon, I was making a parody of him by speaking in the first person.

 

Wade thinks you mean third person.

 

ouch. I'm usually a grammar nazi too. :oops:

[GaryWoods]

The only way Neifi gets a lot of playing time is if the starter goes down.

 

Or if the "starter" is under 30 and Dusty is still the manager.

[abuck1220]

With $40MM to spend and his job on the line in 2006, Jim Hendry isn't dumb enough to rely on Colorado and San Francisco castoff Neifi Perez as his starting SS. He will (over)pay to get Rafael Furcal, and that is a good thing IMO. A nice leadoff hitter with speed and defense, a gun for an arm, can even turn on a ball occasionally. A much better option than Nomar:

 

Furcal 2005 thru 9/8:

 

Age: 27 (just turned two weeks ago)

BA: .280

HR: 11

RBI: 51

SB: 39/46

Triples: 10

Hits: 149

K/BB: 68/53

OBP: .344

OPS: .769

Fielding pct: .982 (12 errors, 677 chances, 108 DP's)

 

Furcal has been the leadoff hitter all year for Atlanta, and his numbers are exactly on track with his career performance, especially over the last 3 years since he became an everyday player. So it stands to reason that if healthy, this kind of performance could be expected over the course of his new contract as he hits the prime of his career.

 

I want him. Move Cedeno over to 2B in winter ball (as is the plan), keep Hairston and Neifi FOR THE BENCH, and as backup in case Cedeno or Furcal falter or get hurt.

 

Furcal will make roughly Nomar money. Dumping Walker for Cedeno frees up another $2.5MM to go back in the pot for the outfield and pitching staff. Brian Giles is a necessity, as is one of BJ Ryan or Billy Wagner. Either trade for a CF or go ahead and sign Damon, and this team's problems (other than the manager and coaching staff) would largely be solved.

 

how do you figure furcal will make nomar money? nomar will probably get less than he did this year, while furcal will probably get a four-five year deal for at least 8 mil/year.

 

a .344 obp out of your lead off hitter is not all that good.

 

i'd rather re-sign nomar and keep walker. cedeno is the primary backup at 2b and ss, keep hairston, don't bring neifi back.

[XZero771679666304]

With $40MM to spend and his job on the line in 2006, Jim Hendry isn't dumb enough to rely on Colorado and San Francisco castoff Neifi Perez as his starting SS. He will (over)pay to get Rafael Furcal, and that is a good thing IMO. A nice leadoff hitter with speed and defense, a gun for an arm, can even turn on a ball occasionally. A much better option than Nomar:

 

Furcal 2005 thru 9/8:

 

Age: 27 (just turned two weeks ago)

BA: .280

HR: 11

RBI: 51

SB: 39/46

Triples: 10

Hits: 149

K/BB: 68/53

OBP: .344

OPS: .769

Fielding pct: .982 (12 errors, 677 chances, 108 DP's)

 

Furcal has been the leadoff hitter all year for Atlanta, and his numbers are exactly on track with his career performance, especially over the last 3 years since he became an everyday player. So it stands to reason that if healthy, this kind of performance could be expected over the course of his new contract as he hits the prime of his career.

 

I want him. Move Cedeno over to 2B in winter ball (as is the plan), keep Hairston and Neifi FOR THE BENCH, and as backup in case Cedeno or Furcal falter or get hurt.

 

Furcal will make roughly Nomar money. Dumping Walker for Cedeno frees up another $2.5MM to go back in the pot for the outfield and pitching staff. Brian Giles is a necessity, as is one of BJ Ryan or Billy Wagner. Either trade for a CF or go ahead and sign Damon, and this team's problems (other than the manager and coaching staff) would largely be solved.

 

how do you figure furcal will make nomar money? nomar will probably get less than he did this year, while furcal will probably get a four-five year deal for at least 8 mil/year.

 

a .344 obp out of your lead off hitter is not all that good.

 

i'd rather re-sign nomar and keep walker. cedeno is the primary backup at 2b and ss, keep hairston, don't bring neifi back.

 

.344 isn't great, but it's below his career average. But more importantly, you have to look a the alternatives. Dusty won't hit Walker leadoff, or he would have done so this year. Hendry has set getting a leadoff man as a priority, as well as defense. I can't see anyone else on the team as a canditade for leading off (you could say Cedeno, but you know Dusty will have none of that. And I would be stunned if Hairston is back), and I sincerely doubt Hendry would block Pie by bringing in a CF like Pierre.

 

IMO, Hendry will target Furcal early in the offseason, and I would be surprised if he isn't a Cub in 2006. (not that I am advocating it)

[Geech]

.344 isn't great, but it's below his career average.

 

By just a smidge, and it's completely in line with his OBP in every year since 2000.

[YearofDaCubs]

I know Nomar is an injury risk and that is a huge concern but damn, he is just tearing it up right now.

[XZero771679666304]

.344 isn't great, but it's below his career average.

 

By just a smidge, and it's completely in line with his OBP in every year since 2000.

 

True, but I think my point about the lack of alternatives still stands. I'd much rather pay Furcal a bit too much to post a .350 OBP than end up with a fiasco like this year.

[1wizard]

I know Nomar is an injury risk and that is a huge concern but damn, he is just tearing it up right now.

 

He sure as sh!! does not look like he is washed up. He will get a nice contract again next year (might not be the Cubs). Someone will be willing to take him because the payoff could be very nice.

[Rob]

how do you figure furcal will make nomar money? nomar will probably get less than he did this year, while furcal will probably get a four-five year deal for at least 8 mil/year.

 

a .344 obp out of your lead off hitter is not all that good.

 

i'd rather re-sign nomar and keep walker. cedeno is the primary backup at 2b and ss, keep hairston, don't bring neifi back.

 

Maybe a conventional .344 OBP out of the leadoff spot isn't good, but that's not really indicative of Furcal's success.

 

BP just came up with a new metric, SOB. Speed-adjusted On Base Percentage. Due to Furcal's stealing abilities and baserunning abilities, they estimate his impact to the lineup is more like having an average runner with a .370 OBP. (based on last year only)

 

And interestingly enough, Furcal was rated the 2nd best baserunner according to EqBR (again, last year only.)

While that's still not amazing, that's certainly something to think about.

[JGalt73]

Tribune

 

The Cubs obviously have no need for a third baseman with Aramis Ramirez signed through 2008. If Ronny Cedeno returns as shortstop, the Cubs could ask Garciaparra to return as a left fielder.

 

"We'll deal with that when I talk to him," Baker said. "Lesser athletes do that, and there have been some guys who have done that. What about Robin Yount? And he went to center field."

 

Either way, rumors the Cubs have no intention of bringing Garciaparra back were unfounded.

 

"You have to get contractual stuff straight," Baker said. "I think he wants to come back. I think he likes Chicago and I think Chicago likes him. There has been only one problem with Nomar from the beginning here, and that's when he got seriously hurt."

 

Garciaparra wants to return but isn't thinking about the future yet.

 

"I love it here," he said. "That stuff has a tendency to take care of itself in the off-season."

 

Maybe his .327/.364/.582 have changed some minds...