RotoAuthority - has the Cubs signing 6 of the Top 50 FA

[CubfaninCA]

Ok. I'll agree that he doesn't have a history of great FA signings, but he has brought all of the offensive talent this team has over via trade (Ramirez, Lee, Barrett, Murton, Nomar). I think Lofton would be a decent stopgap, but I agree it has to be $2M for 1 year. I have to think he will keep CF open for Pie. That's what leads me to believe he won't go after Preston Wilson, who would take a multi-year deal. I hope at the very least RF is filled via trade with a capable bat. I just have no idea who that could possibly be, and it likely won't be anyone as good as Giles, who's ripe for the picking.

Believe it or not I would prefer to see our OF talent be upgraded via trade if we can't get Giles to a good deal.

 

If they can't get Giles, they have to upgrade via trade. Status quo is completely unacceptable.

No way can we go into the season with our OF the way it is right now. If we do, Hendry will be exposed.

 

Not even just the way it is right now. To me, status quo is replacing Burnitz with somebody like Wilson or Jones, and settling on a second rate CF as well. They need somebody who is a real threat to have a 900+ OPS next season to play right, and is practically a guarantee for a .360+ OBP.

 

Only 5 rightfielders had an ops over .850 this year (Vlad, Giles, Sheff, Abreu, and Jenkins). The Cubs have little shot @ any of these guys.

[AAApittsburgh]

Only 5 rightfielders had an ops over .850 this year (Vlad, Giles, Sheff, Abreu, and Jenkins). The Cubs have little shot @ any of these guys.

I think we can get Jenkins actually. And he wouldn't be a terrible option if we don't get Giles.

[CubfaninCA]

The Cubs started the season w/ Patterson, Walker and Nomar @ the top of the order. Not bad at all. Things fell apart pretty quickly w/ Walker and Nomar getting hurt and Patterson really struggling. Then Hendry tried to fix things w/ the trade for Lawton, which some prefer to absolutely ignore. Unfortunately, Lawton choked big time.

 

Nothing went right this year. Yet ironically some want to bring back Nomar & Walker and count on those two again. Those two's lack of durability and the subpar pitching were the big problems. It sounds like Hendry's on the right path by going after Furcal and another starter. Matt Clement was nothing special, but his loss really hurt this year. Yes the Maddux signing was not great, but who would have replaced him @ a cheaper cost?? Wellemeyer? Mitre? Rich Hill? Angel Guzman? Guess they could have never signed Maddux and brought back Clement, but there's not much of a gain there.

 

Lawton bombed, but as bad as he bombed as the Cubs lead off hitter, he wasn't any worse than Patterson, Perez and Macias. Between the 4, they had OBP's of .263, .263, .269 and .270. Lawton had the .269. This horrible combination accounted for 354 at bats in the lead off spot. The only thing that salvaged what might have been the all time worst OBP from a lead off spot from any team in the history of baseball was Jerry Hairston Jr.

 

The Cubs waited too long to try and do something about the glaring hole at the top of the line up. What's worse is they had in house candidates that either sat on the bench or played at the bottom. I applauded the effort to fix the problem in going after Lawton, but they were basically already done by that point anyway. When Lawton didn't work out, they could have kept searching (Murton, Murton, Murton), but went back to has beens and never was's in Perez and Macias.

 

Perhaps Murton was better off batting 6th and 7th. There's not as much pressure as batting 2nd.

[CubfaninCA]

Only 5 rightfielders had an ops over .850 this year (Vlad, Giles, Sheff, Abreu, and Jenkins). The Cubs have little shot @ any of these guys.

I think we can get Jenkins actually. And he wouldn't be a terrible option if we don't get Giles.

 

For who?

[CubfaninCA]

Of those who had enough at-bats to qualify, there were 20 outfielders who had an ops of .846 or higher. Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay, Vlad, Cabrera, Griffey, Berkman, Dunn, Andruw Jones, Giles, Pat Burrell, Sheffield, G. Jenkins, Delucci, Abreu, Bobby Holiday, Cliff Floyd, Matsui, Randy Winn and Jermaine Dye.

 

How many of these guys do the Cubs have a legit shot at?? Floyd?? Burrell?? Delucci?? Iirc Winn and Dye are signed for another year, and the majority of these guys are going nowhere. Taking the slim pickings into consideration, guys like Jacques Jones and Preston Wilson don't look so horrible.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Of those who had enough at-bats to qualify, there were 20 outfielders who had an ops of .846 or higher. Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay, Vlad, Cabrera, Griffey, Berkman, Dunn, Andruw Jones, Giles, Pat Burrell, Sheffield, G. Jenkins, Delucci, Abreu, Bobby Holiday, Cliff Floyd, Matsui, Randy Winn and Jermaine Dye.

 

How many of these guys do the Cubs have a legit shot at?? Floyd?? Burrell?? Delucci?? Iirc Winn and Dye are signed for another year, and the majority of these guys are going nowhere. Taking the slim pickings into consideration, guys like Jacques Jones and Preston Wilson don't look so horrible.

 

If you put together the right trade package, any of Ramirez, Dunn, Jones, Burrell, Jenkins, Abreu, Floyd or Winn from your list above are obtainable. Plus the free agent Brian Giles of course.

[CubfaninCA]

Of those who had enough at-bats to qualify, there were 20 outfielders who had an ops of .846 or higher. Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay, Vlad, Cabrera, Griffey, Berkman, Dunn, Andruw Jones, Giles, Pat Burrell, Sheffield, G. Jenkins, Delucci, Abreu, Bobby Holiday, Cliff Floyd, Matsui, Randy Winn and Jermaine Dye.

 

How many of these guys do the Cubs have a legit shot at?? Floyd?? Burrell?? Delucci?? Iirc Winn and Dye are signed for another year, and the majority of these guys are going nowhere. Taking the slim pickings into consideration, guys like Jacques Jones and Preston Wilson don't look so horrible.

 

If you put together the right trade package, any of Ramirez, Dunn, Jones, Burrell, Jenkins, Abreu, Floyd or Winn from your list above are obtainable. Plus the free agent Brian Giles of course.

 

If the Cubs had a better farm system, I'd me more optimistic. Jmo but Giles, Abreu, Manny and Dunn are all major longshots.

[Magnetic Curses]

Ok. I'll agree that he doesn't have a history of great FA signings, but he has brought all of the offensive talent this team has over via trade (Ramirez, Lee, Barrett, Murton, Nomar). I think Lofton would be a decent stopgap, but I agree it has to be $2M for 1 year. I have to think he will keep CF open for Pie. That's what leads me to believe he won't go after Preston Wilson, who would take a multi-year deal. I hope at the very least RF is filled via trade with a capable bat. I just have no idea who that could possibly be, and it likely won't be anyone as good as Giles, who's ripe for the picking.

Believe it or not I would prefer to see our OF talent be upgraded via trade if we can't get Giles to a good deal.

 

If they can't get Giles, they have to upgrade via trade. Status quo is completely unacceptable.

No way can we go into the season with our OF the way it is right now. If we do, Hendry will be exposed.

 

Not even just the way it is right now. To me, status quo is replacing Burnitz with somebody like Wilson or Jones, and settling on a second rate CF as well. They need somebody who is a real threat to have a 900+ OPS next season to play right, and is practically a guarantee for a .360+ OBP.

 

Only 5 rightfielders had an ops over .850 this year (Vlad, Giles, Sheff, Abreu, and Jenkins). The Cubs have little shot @ any of these guys.

 

yep. they have the ability to outbid anyone for giles, yet they have "little shot"? okay.

[TheDude]

I'm reserving final judgment once this offseason is over. However, I'm not liking the way it's starting.

That's a bit harsh considering the offseason hasn't even started yet, isn't it?

[goonys evil twin]

I'm reserving final judgment once this offseason is over. However, I'm not liking the way it's starting.

That's a bit harsh considering the offseason hasn't even started yet, isn't it?

 

The offseason started October 2 after the game. Resigning all the coaches was a decision made in the offseason. That's the only thing that's been done, and it was a terrible move.

[rawaction]

I'm reserving final judgment once this offseason is over. However, I'm not liking the way it's starting.

That's a bit harsh considering the offseason hasn't even started yet, isn't it?

 

The offseason started October 2 after the game. Resigning all the coaches was a decision made in the offseason. That's the only thing that's been done, and it was a terrible move.

 

Who cares? The Cubs can win in spite of the coaching staff if they get better players. They got to the NLCS with this coaching staff. And if they go out and make the moves they should make, they can compete for a title with this coaching staff. Granted, it's still a bad move to keep them, but I see this as Hendry accepting the blame for 05 and giving his guys 1 more year before he tears it all apart.

[goonys evil twin]

I'm reserving final judgment once this offseason is over. However, I'm not liking the way it's starting.

That's a bit harsh considering the offseason hasn't even started yet, isn't it?

 

The offseason started October 2 after the game. Resigning all the coaches was a decision made in the offseason. That's the only thing that's been done, and it was a terrible move.

 

Who cares? The Cubs can win in spite of the coaching staff if they get better players. They got to the NLCS with this coaching staff. And if they go out and make the moves they should make, they can compete for a title with this coaching staff. Granted, it's still a bad move to keep them, but I see this as Hendry accepting the blame for 05 and giving his guys 1 more year before he tears it all apart.

 

Well, aside from the pretty obvious point that the coaching staff is incompetent (can anybody in this crew help a hitter?), I was making a point that the offseason has indeed started, and the Cubs, as usual aren't off to a good start.

[rawaction]

I'm reserving final judgment once this offseason is over. However, I'm not liking the way it's starting.

That's a bit harsh considering the offseason hasn't even started yet, isn't it?

 

The offseason started October 2 after the game. Resigning all the coaches was a decision made in the offseason. That's the only thing that's been done, and it was a terrible move.

 

Who cares? The Cubs can win in spite of the coaching staff if they get better players. They got to the NLCS with this coaching staff. And if they go out and make the moves they should make, they can compete for a title with this coaching staff. Granted, it's still a bad move to keep them, but I see this as Hendry accepting the blame for 05 and giving his guys 1 more year before he tears it all apart.

 

Well, aside from the pretty obvious point that the coaching staff is incompetent (can anybody in this crew help a hitter?), I was making a point that the offseason has indeed started, and the Cubs, as usual aren't off to a good start.

 

I see. But too much is being made of the non-coaching changes. I think the only one really in jeopardy was Rothschild. If you are upset about Baker and his cronies not being let go, then your expectations were way too high. I don't see the point of fretting over something that wasn't gonna happen anyway.

[erik316wttn]

Only 5 rightfielders had an ops over .850 this year (Vlad, Giles, Sheff, Abreu, and Jenkins). The Cubs have little shot @ any of these guys.

I think we can get Jenkins actually. And he wouldn't be a terrible option if we don't get Giles.

 

And people want to get rid of Nomar because of injury concerns.

 

Jenkins, when healthy, is about a .270/35/100 hitter. But when healthy.

[BigbadB]

It's not just the coaching decision. Everyday that I open up ESPN Insider, I have to read these two quotes about Nomar:

 

"Chicago is where I want to be and I hope they see that. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though the Cubs will entertain bringing him back".

 

Rumors are they want a better defender at 2nd base, which in my opinion will also likely mean that they will sacrifice offense for defense. I don't like this either.

[CubfaninCA]

Ok. I'll agree that he doesn't have a history of great FA signings, but he has brought all of the offensive talent this team has over via trade (Ramirez, Lee, Barrett, Murton, Nomar). I think Lofton would be a decent stopgap, but I agree it has to be $2M for 1 year. I have to think he will keep CF open for Pie. That's what leads me to believe he won't go after Preston Wilson, who would take a multi-year deal. I hope at the very least RF is filled via trade with a capable bat. I just have no idea who that could possibly be, and it likely won't be anyone as good as Giles, who's ripe for the picking.

Believe it or not I would prefer to see our OF talent be upgraded via trade if we can't get Giles to a good deal.

 

If they can't get Giles, they have to upgrade via trade. Status quo is completely unacceptable.

No way can we go into the season with our OF the way it is right now. If we do, Hendry will be exposed.

 

Not even just the way it is right now. To me, status quo is replacing Burnitz with somebody like Wilson or Jones, and settling on a second rate CF as well. They need somebody who is a real threat to have a 900+ OPS next season to play right, and is practically a guarantee for a .360+ OBP.

 

Only 5 rightfielders had an ops over .850 this year (Vlad, Giles, Sheff, Abreu, and Jenkins). The Cubs have little shot @ any of these guys.

 

yep. they have the ability to outbid anyone for giles, yet they have "little shot"? okay.

 

How long you been a Cub fan?? Hopefully, you're not one of the people who got bamboozled into thinking there was a legit shot @ Beltran last year.

[CuseCubFan69]

It's not just the coaching decision. Everyday that I open up ESPN Insider, I have to read these two quotes about Nomar:

 

"Chicago is where I want to be and I hope they see that. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though the Cubs will entertain bringing him back".

 

Rumors are they want a better defender at 2nd base, which in my opinion will also likely mean that they will sacrifice offense for defense. I don't like this either.

 

Is it possible that the Cubs want a better defensive 2nd baseman because they may sign Nomar?

[BigbadB]

The Cubs started the season w/ Patterson, Walker and Nomar @ the top of the order. Not bad at all. Things fell apart pretty quickly w/ Walker and Nomar getting hurt and Patterson really struggling. Then Hendry tried to fix things w/ the trade for Lawton, which some prefer to absolutely ignore. Unfortunately, Lawton choked big time.

 

Nothing went right this year. Yet ironically some want to bring back Nomar & Walker and count on those two again. Those two's lack of durability and the subpar pitching were the big problems. It sounds like Hendry's on the right path by going after Furcal and another starter. Matt Clement was nothing special, but his loss really hurt this year. Yes the Maddux signing was not great, but who would have replaced him @ a cheaper cost?? Wellemeyer? Mitre? Rich Hill? Angel Guzman? Guess they could have never signed Maddux and brought back Clement, but there's not much of a gain there.

 

Lawton bombed, but as bad as he bombed as the Cubs lead off hitter, he wasn't any worse than Patterson, Perez and Macias. Between the 4, they had OBP's of .263, .263, .269 and .270. Lawton had the .269. This horrible combination accounted for 354 at bats in the lead off spot. The only thing that salvaged what might have been the all time worst OBP from a lead off spot from any team in the history of baseball was Jerry Hairston Jr.

 

The Cubs waited too long to try and do something about the glaring hole at the top of the line up. What's worse is they had in house candidates that either sat on the bench or played at the bottom. I applauded the effort to fix the problem in going after Lawton, but they were basically already done by that point anyway. When Lawton didn't work out, they could have kept searching (Murton, Murton, Murton), but went back to has beens and never was's in Perez and Macias.

 

Perhaps Murton was better off batting 6th and 7th. There's not as much pressure as batting 2nd.

 

Perhaps you just like to argue for no particular reason. Check Murton's OBP when hitting at the top of the order. He didn't get many at bats, but the few he did were WAY, WAY, WAY better than Neifi, Macias, Lawton and Patterson. Also, look at how well Neifi does at the bottom of the order.

 

Some people are just better suited to hit at the top of the order and others are better suited to hit at the bottom. It's a manager's job to find each guys niche. Most of Dusty's homework was already done for him, however. Neifi has never been a good candidate to hit at the top of the order. Yet, he did it anyway.

 

Our best lead off option never hit lead off all year. Todd Walker. He had 2 lead off at bats in 2005, compared to 100 in the 6 hole.

 

I don't mind you wishing to argue with me, as it helps me further my point. But, some of these arguments are getting a bit lame. You can either show some patience at the plate or you can't. Murton can, Neifi can't. By that deduction alone, Murton is a better candidate to hit at the top of the order. Period!

 

Just to point out how wrong you are about how much more difficult it is for a rookie to hit at the top of the order, Cedeno got 24 at bats in the 2 hole this year, and he hit .292 with a .346 OBP. Once again, way better than Macias, Neifi, Patterson or Lawton.

 

Was Dusty so magical that he could pick the spots that these guys would succeed? If he were that magical, why did this team suck so bad last year? He had his opportunities to try something new (like giving the rookies more top of the order at bats for Lee), but Cedeno and Murton were slid aside for the wonderfully talented at nothing, Jose Macias.

[CubfaninCA]

It's not just the coaching decision. Everyday that I open up ESPN Insider, I have to read these two quotes about Nomar:

 

"Chicago is where I want to be and I hope they see that. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though the Cubs will entertain bringing him back".

 

Rumors are they want a better defender at 2nd base, which in my opinion will also likely mean that they will sacrifice offense for defense. I don't like this either.

 

People want to address obp yet bring back one of the biggest obp killers. If Nomar goes down again, the Cubs are stuck w/ a backup again. Yes, Cedeno could be alright, but as goony says, there's no guarantee of that.

[goonys evil twin]

It's not just the coaching decision. Everyday that I open up ESPN Insider, I have to read these two quotes about Nomar:

 

"Chicago is where I want to be and I hope they see that. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though the Cubs will entertain bringing him back".

 

Rumors are they want a better defender at 2nd base, which in my opinion will also likely mean that they will sacrifice offense for defense. I don't like this either.

 

People want to address obp yet bring back one of the biggest obp killers. If Nomar goes down again, the Cubs are stuck w/ a backup again. Yes, Cedeno could be alright, but as goony says, there's no guarantee of that.

 

Who is the OBP killer you are talking about?

[BigbadB]

It's not just the coaching decision. Everyday that I open up ESPN Insider, I have to read these two quotes about Nomar:

 

"Chicago is where I want to be and I hope they see that. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though the Cubs will entertain bringing him back".

 

Rumors are they want a better defender at 2nd base, which in my opinion will also likely mean that they will sacrifice offense for defense. I don't like this either.

 

People want to address obp yet bring back one of the biggest obp killers. If Nomar goes down again, the Cubs are stuck w/ a backup again. Yes, Cedeno could be alright, but as goony says, there's no guarantee of that.

 

"If" Nomar goes down. "If" Furcal blows out an achilles tendon rounding 1st trying to stretch a single into a double, we'll be stuck with Cedeno as a back up. Hey, I'm in favor of getting Furcal AND Nomar, and keeping Cedeno as well. Every team in baseball doesn't have a star player backing up their starting star player. Not going to happen.

 

Nomar is an injury risk. But, because he's an injury risk, he'll come cheaper, for less years and can provide + offensive potential for the dollar. It's worth the risk. Furcal will cost you bigger dollars, longer years and he could just as easily turn into a long term injury risk. How often did Nomar get injured early in his career?

 

Nomar, an OBP killer? That's a new one. The guy has twice finished a season with an OBP OVER .400. He typically finishes a season with a higher AVG than many peoples (like Macias/Perez) OBP.

 

Come on.

[CubfaninCA]

The Cubs started the season w/ Patterson, Walker and Nomar @ the top of the order. Not bad at all. Things fell apart pretty quickly w/ Walker and Nomar getting hurt and Patterson really struggling. Then Hendry tried to fix things w/ the trade for Lawton, which some prefer to absolutely ignore. Unfortunately, Lawton choked big time.

 

Nothing went right this year. Yet ironically some want to bring back Nomar & Walker and count on those two again. Those two's lack of durability and the subpar pitching were the big problems. It sounds like Hendry's on the right path by going after Furcal and another starter. Matt Clement was nothing special, but his loss really hurt this year. Yes the Maddux signing was not great, but who would have replaced him @ a cheaper cost?? Wellemeyer? Mitre? Rich Hill? Angel Guzman? Guess they could have never signed Maddux and brought back Clement, but there's not much of a gain there.

 

Lawton bombed, but as bad as he bombed as the Cubs lead off hitter, he wasn't any worse than Patterson, Perez and Macias. Between the 4, they had OBP's of .263, .263, .269 and .270. Lawton had the .269. This horrible combination accounted for 354 at bats in the lead off spot. The only thing that salvaged what might have been the all time worst OBP from a lead off spot from any team in the history of baseball was Jerry Hairston Jr.

 

The Cubs waited too long to try and do something about the glaring hole at the top of the line up. What's worse is they had in house candidates that either sat on the bench or played at the bottom. I applauded the effort to fix the problem in going after Lawton, but they were basically already done by that point anyway. When Lawton didn't work out, they could have kept searching (Murton, Murton, Murton), but went back to has beens and never was's in Perez and Macias.

 

Perhaps Murton was better off batting 6th and 7th. There's not as much pressure as batting 2nd.

 

Perhaps you just like to argue for no particular reason. Check Murton's OBP when hitting at the top of the order. He didn't get many at bats, but the few he did were WAY, WAY, WAY better than Neifi, Macias, Lawton and Patterson. Also, look at how well Neifi does at the bottom of the order.

 

Some people are just better suited to hit at the top of the order and others are better suited to hit at the bottom. It's a manager's job to find each guys niche. Most of Dusty's homework was already done for him, however. Neifi has never been a good candidate to hit at the top of the order. Yet, he did it anyway.

 

Our best lead off option never hit lead off all year. Todd Walker. He had 2 lead off at bats in 2005, compared to 100 in the 6 hole.

 

I don't mind you wishing to argue with me, as it helps me further my point. But, some of these arguments are getting a bit lame. You can either show some patience at the plate or you can't. Murton can, Neifi can't. By that deduction alone, Murton is a better candidate to hit at the top of the order. Period!

 

Just to point out how wrong you are about how much more difficult it is for a rookie to hit at the top of the order, Cedeno got 24 at bats in the 2 hole this year, and he hit .292 with a .346 OBP. Once again, way better than Macias, Neifi, Patterson or Lawton.

 

Was Dusty so magical that he could pick the spots that these guys would succeed? If he were that magical, why did this team suck so bad last year? He had his opportunities to try something new (like giving the rookies more top of the order at bats for Lee), but Cedeno and Murton were slid aside for the wonderfully talented at nothing, Jose Macias.

 

PERHAPS, I'm just more willing to give Baker & Hendry the benefit of the doubt from time to time. They've been around the game for a long time. I'm just a mere armchair coach. I know it's in vogue to rip Baker for everything, but I respect that he played the game, and maybe it is a good idea not to throw a prospect into the deep end of the pool.

[CubfaninCA]

It's not just the coaching decision. Everyday that I open up ESPN Insider, I have to read these two quotes about Nomar:

 

"Chicago is where I want to be and I hope they see that. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though the Cubs will entertain bringing him back".

 

Rumors are they want a better defender at 2nd base, which in my opinion will also likely mean that they will sacrifice offense for defense. I don't like this either.

 

People want to address obp yet bring back one of the biggest obp killers. If Nomar goes down again, the Cubs are stuck w/ a backup again. Yes, Cedeno could be alright, but as goony says, there's no guarantee of that.

 

Who is the OBP killer you are talking about?

 

The guy who posted an obp of .000 for 100 games this year. Let him go to LA and sit on their DL.

[BigbadB]

The Cubs started the season w/ Patterson, Walker and Nomar @ the top of the order. Not bad at all. Things fell apart pretty quickly w/ Walker and Nomar getting hurt and Patterson really struggling. Then Hendry tried to fix things w/ the trade for Lawton, which some prefer to absolutely ignore. Unfortunately, Lawton choked big time.

 

Nothing went right this year. Yet ironically some want to bring back Nomar & Walker and count on those two again. Those two's lack of durability and the subpar pitching were the big problems. It sounds like Hendry's on the right path by going after Furcal and another starter. Matt Clement was nothing special, but his loss really hurt this year. Yes the Maddux signing was not great, but who would have replaced him @ a cheaper cost?? Wellemeyer? Mitre? Rich Hill? Angel Guzman? Guess they could have never signed Maddux and brought back Clement, but there's not much of a gain there.

 

Lawton bombed, but as bad as he bombed as the Cubs lead off hitter, he wasn't any worse than Patterson, Perez and Macias. Between the 4, they had OBP's of .263, .263, .269 and .270. Lawton had the .269. This horrible combination accounted for 354 at bats in the lead off spot. The only thing that salvaged what might have been the all time worst OBP from a lead off spot from any team in the history of baseball was Jerry Hairston Jr.

 

The Cubs waited too long to try and do something about the glaring hole at the top of the line up. What's worse is they had in house candidates that either sat on the bench or played at the bottom. I applauded the effort to fix the problem in going after Lawton, but they were basically already done by that point anyway. When Lawton didn't work out, they could have kept searching (Murton, Murton, Murton), but went back to has beens and never was's in Perez and Macias.

 

Perhaps Murton was better off batting 6th and 7th. There's not as much pressure as batting 2nd.

 

Perhaps you just like to argue for no particular reason. Check Murton's OBP when hitting at the top of the order. He didn't get many at bats, but the few he did were WAY, WAY, WAY better than Neifi, Macias, Lawton and Patterson. Also, look at how well Neifi does at the bottom of the order.

 

Some people are just better suited to hit at the top of the order and others are better suited to hit at the bottom. It's a manager's job to find each guys niche. Most of Dusty's homework was already done for him, however. Neifi has never been a good candidate to hit at the top of the order. Yet, he did it anyway.

 

Our best lead off option never hit lead off all year. Todd Walker. He had 2 lead off at bats in 2005, compared to 100 in the 6 hole.

 

I don't mind you wishing to argue with me, as it helps me further my point. But, some of these arguments are getting a bit lame. You can either show some patience at the plate or you can't. Murton can, Neifi can't. By that deduction alone, Murton is a better candidate to hit at the top of the order. Period!

 

Just to point out how wrong you are about how much more difficult it is for a rookie to hit at the top of the order, Cedeno got 24 at bats in the 2 hole this year, and he hit .292 with a .346 OBP. Once again, way better than Macias, Neifi, Patterson or Lawton.

 

Was Dusty so magical that he could pick the spots that these guys would succeed? If he were that magical, why did this team suck so bad last year? He had his opportunities to try something new (like giving the rookies more top of the order at bats for Lee), but Cedeno and Murton were slid aside for the wonderfully talented at nothing, Jose Macias.

 

PERHAPS, I'm just more willing to give Baker & Hendry the benefit of the doubt from time to time. They've been around the game for a long time. I'm just a mere armchair coach. I know it's in vogue to rip Baker for everything, but I respect that he played the game, and maybe it is a good idea not to throw a prospect into the deep end of the pool.

 

Perhaps it's a good idea for Baker to watch and learn how Bobby Cox threw all 17 of his rookies last year into the deep end of the pool, on their way to another 1st place finish. Different coaching philosophies. One worked quite well. One doesn't.

 

One even has the opportunity to CORRECT his flawed thinking after the 3rd or 4th day in a row of 1-8 .125 OBP from the top two spots in the line up (Macias/Perez) while Lee went 4-4 again. I've made mistakes a 2nd or 3rd time before. I'm human. But, he does them over and over and sits there scratching his head wondering what the problem is.

 

THE PROBLEM IS LETTING BAD HITTERS HIT.

[CubfaninCA]

It's not just the coaching decision. Everyday that I open up ESPN Insider, I have to read these two quotes about Nomar:

 

"Chicago is where I want to be and I hope they see that. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though the Cubs will entertain bringing him back".

 

Rumors are they want a better defender at 2nd base, which in my opinion will also likely mean that they will sacrifice offense for defense. I don't like this either.

 

People want to address obp yet bring back one of the biggest obp killers. If Nomar goes down again, the Cubs are stuck w/ a backup again. Yes, Cedeno could be alright, but as goony says, there's no guarantee of that.

 

"If" Nomar goes down. "If" Furcal blows out an achilles tendon rounding 1st trying to stretch a single into a double, we'll be stuck with Cedeno as a back up. Hey, I'm in favor of getting Furcal AND Nomar, and keeping Cedeno as well. Every team in baseball doesn't have a star player backing up their starting star player. Not going to happen.

 

Nomar is an injury risk. But, because he's an injury risk, he'll come cheaper, for less years and can provide + offensive potential for the dollar. It's worth the risk. Furcal will cost you bigger dollars, longer years and he could just as easily turn into a long term injury risk. How often did Nomar get injured early in his career?

 

Nomar, an OBP killer? That's a new one. The guy has twice finished a season with an OBP OVER .400. He typically finishes a season with a higher AVG than many peoples (like Macias/Perez) OBP.

 

Come on.

 

"Stop gaps" and "getting guys on the cheap" cause they're injury prone is what has got this team into trouble in the past. Furcal's A LOT less likely to get hurt.