From the Score (I know, I know):

[YearofDaCubs]

I think that the brief arguement over my other post (thanks for the support CW) was indicitive of what I was talking about. In no way was I saying that I was satisified with finishing 4th or 3rd or 1st in the divison. I too, of course, want a championship team. However, I can identify that there can be sucess without a championship. I see that over the last 3 and a half years there has been substansial successes to praise. There have been some monuemental failures as well but typically, the successes have outweighed the failures.

 

If I get branded as an optimistic fan, thanks. I prefer to look at the positives side of an acquisition by the team. There are drawbacks to everything. However, there are positives as well. Why complain?

There are positives but we just see it differently. I personally think the opposite of you. The failures have outweighed the positives. IMO the past two years have been failures and it's not just one thing it is several. We have a terrible manager, we have injury prone players that we've had issues with. We also have had clubhouse issues as well. Sure, Hendry made some nice trades and improved the team and what not but at the same time obviously he hasn't improved it enough because we haven't made the playoffs recently. Overpaying for mediocre talent in Rusch and Perez doesn't help. I wasn't so keen on Eyre but he will improve the bullpen. I do like the Howry signing because I believe he can be really good for us. I would have liked to have seen BJ Ryan or Wagner instead but realistically 10mil for Wagner is more ridiculous than 2.5 for Perez.Now that Eyre has been signed to me it seems that signing Rusch is redundant. I think if we didnt resign Perez and Rusch I would've been a bit happier but overall it's still early and we still have several holes to fill. If I feel that Hendry has done enough this offseason I will be very happy with the offseason and be positive going forward about our future in 2006.

[UK1679666180]

Is there an ignore feature on here that allows me to block out posts from certain members?

 

It's a feature I know nothing about. :)

 

Seriously, it is a feature avail. for premium members.

[nolanwood]

Is there an ignore feature on here that allows me to block out posts from certain members?

 

It's a feature I know nothing about. :)

 

Seriously, it is a feature avail. for premium members.

 

So what does it take to become a premium member, and what other features are included in that package?

 

THANKS!! :)

[Tim]

Is there an ignore feature on here that allows me to block out posts from certain members?

Sure. At the low, low cost of $5 per month. ;)

[Tim]

Oh, just a postscript to the ignore thing...

 

I can't be ignored even if you're premium. :twisted:

[nolanwood]

Oh, just a postscript to the ignore thing...

 

I can't be ignored even if you're premium. :twisted:

 

 

schucks!! :P

 

 

What other features do I get with the premium membership?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Look here

[stitchface]

Oh, just a postscript to the ignore thing...

 

I can't be ignored even if you're premium. :twisted:

 

oh, you can be ignored easily enough . . . :D

[CubfaninCA]

Hendry needs to put down the turkey and finalize this deal!! ;)

[Roast]

Hendry needs to put down the turkey and finalize this deal!! ;)

 

Have you seen hendry lately? He'll be eating for a while.

 

And let him continue, I really dont want Pierre. Abreu Please.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

Hendry needs to put down the turkey and finalize this deal!! ;)

 

Have you seen hendry lately? He'll be eating for a while.

 

And let him continue, I really dont want Pierre. Abreu Please.

 

hahaha, so mean. :lol:

[Neuby]

I thinking Monday this deal will be announced along with Furcal resigning with Braves or Cubs by no later than Thursday.

[Careless]

 

As far as $$ allocated to the bullpen, its not like this years budgeted bullpen $$ is much different than last year's. Last year you had Borowski $2M(?), Remlinger $4M, Hawkins $4M, Dempster $2M = $12M for 4 guys. This year you have Eyre $3M, Howry $4M, Dempster $5M and Williamson $2M = $14M for 4 guys. Do you think the improvements warrant an extra $2M in bullpen budget? IMO it does and the bullpen this year looks much improved. Now Dusty has two lefties that he can use any time late in the game and two righties he can use at any time.

Borowski was better in 2002-2003 than eyre has ever been over 2 years. Hawkins was better in 2002-2003 than howry has ever been over 2 years. Remlinger was better when he signed than eyre or howry are now.

This is EXACTLY what tim is worried about. you sign hawkins and remlinger to the same contracts as eyre and howry after even better seasons and what did we wind up with?

Not a top-flight bullpen, certainly.

[Geech]

Borowski was better in 2002-2003 than eyre has ever been over 2 years. Hawkins was better in 2002-2003 than howry has ever been over 2 years. Remlinger was better when he signed than eyre or howry are now.

This is EXACTLY what tim is worried about. you sign hawkins and remlinger to the same contracts as eyre and howry after even better seasons and what did we wind up with?

Not a top-flight bullpen, certainly.

 

Those players were obviously ruined by the bad chemistry of the 2004 team.

[mhuber92211]

now the question becomes, who do you want to ignore?

[Fred Hornkohl]

now the question becomes, who do you want to ignore?

 

Ignore Amos !

[NCCubFan]

now the question becomes, who do you want to ignore?

 

Ignore Amos !

Ignore Ant. :D

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

This quote from the The Cub Reporter made me smile.

 

Because the mythological notion of the prototypical Leadoff Man built in the image of Maury Wills or Vince Coleman still lingers in the minds of many of the opinion-makers we see hanging around Wrigley Field. The toothpick-lickers and Around-the-Horn-bloviators erroneously conclude that minimal-OBP no-power speed machines are a dying breed because those skills just don't appear very often in a single package, and what is rare must be precious. News flash: being able to fart to music is also rare, but it ain't precious.

[CubinNY]

This quote from the The Cub Reporter made me smile.

 

Because the mythological notion of the prototypical Leadoff Man built in the image of Maury Wills or Vince Coleman still lingers in the minds of many of the opinion-makers we see hanging around Wrigley Field. The toothpick-lickers and Around-the-Horn-bloviators erroneously conclude that minimal-OBP no-power speed machines are a dying breed because those skills just don't appear very often in a single package, and what is rare must be precious. News flash: being able to fart to music is also rare, but it ain't precious.

 

 

Great find Vance. I love the last line. It about sums up Piere for me.

 

Also pointed out in the article the fact that Piere has never hit over 30 doubles in a season or, somewhat more shocking seeing as he played in both Colorado and Flordia, never more than 35 combined doubles and triples.

[Jehrico]

This quote from the The Cub Reporter made me smile.

 

Because the mythological notion of the prototypical Leadoff Man built in the image of Maury Wills or Vince Coleman still lingers in the minds of many of the opinion-makers we see hanging around Wrigley Field. The toothpick-lickers and Around-the-Horn-bloviators erroneously conclude that minimal-OBP no-power speed machines are a dying breed because those skills just don't appear very often in a single package, and what is rare must be precious. News flash: being able to fart to music is also rare, but it ain't precious.

 

 

Great find Vance. I love the last line. It about sums up Piere for me.

 

Also pointed out in the article the fact that Piere has never hit over 30 doubles in a season or, somewhat more shocking seeing as he played in both Colorado and Flordia, never more than 35 combined doubles and triples.

I don't know why people are concerned with Pierre's lack of power. We're talking about a slap hitting, speedy leadoff man. I don't buy into the whole "speedy" leadoff thing. I want someone who gets on base. He had a down year last year. The three years before that, his OBP went from .332 to .361 to .374. He'll only be 28 next year, so his best years are likely ahead. He had a down year in 2002, and recovered nicely the next two years. All he has to do is get on base in front of DLee and ARam. I like his speed because it helps negate the lack of power. He'll steal alot of bases, and be at 2nd anyways when they come up. And even if he doesn't, he can score from first on pretty much any double, and can score from 2nd on many singles, where other slower options would have to be a base further up.

 

My only real concern with him is his caught stealing numbers. If you subtract the number of times he was caught stealing from his hits, and add his successful steals to his singles and make them doubles instead, it lowers his career OBP from .355 to .329, raises his slugging from .375 to .425, and raises his OPS from .731 to .755. I would rather he not steal bases unless he can improve on his success rate, maybe cut the number of times caught in half. In his defense, though, he did improve his success rate from 2004 to 2005, as it went from .654 to .770 (I think I saw an article somewhere that said .750 is the break even point, anything over that is pretty good). His career success rate is .743, without that awful 2004, he's .765.

 

Does anyone recall if he was plagued by any injuries in 2004 that would have slowed him down? That year seems to be a bit of an anomaly as far as his stolen base success numbers goes.

 

Anyways, if he could keep above a .350 OBP, I wouldn't mind him at the top of our order, regardless of his lack of power. If he could return to a .370+ OBP, I'd be thrilled.

[Sabermetrician]

This quote from the The Cub Reporter made me smile.

 

Because the mythological notion of the prototypical Leadoff Man built in the image of Maury Wills or Vince Coleman still lingers in the minds of many of the opinion-makers we see hanging around Wrigley Field. The toothpick-lickers and Around-the-Horn-bloviators erroneously conclude that minimal-OBP no-power speed machines are a dying breed because those skills just don't appear very often in a single package, and what is rare must be precious. News flash: being able to fart to music is also rare, but it ain't precious.

 

 

Great find Vance. I love the last line. It about sums up Piere for me.

 

Also pointed out in the article the fact that Piere has never hit over 30 doubles in a season or, somewhat more shocking seeing as he played in both Colorado and Flordia, never more than 35 combined doubles and triples.

I don't know why people are concerned with Pierre's lack of power. We're talking about a slap hitting, speedy leadoff man. I don't buy into the whole "speedy" leadoff thing. I want someone who gets on base. He had a down year last year. The three years before that, his OBP went from .332 to .361 to .374. He'll only be 28 next year, so his best years are likely ahead. He had a down year in 2002, and recovered nicely the next two years. All he has to do is get on base in front of DLee and ARam. I like his speed because it helps negate the lack of power. He'll steal alot of bases, and be at 2nd anyways when they come up. And even if he doesn't, he can score from first on pretty much any double, and can score from 2nd on many singles, where other slower options would have to be a base further up.

 

My only real concern with him is his caught stealing numbers. If you subtract the number of times he was caught stealing from his hits, and add his successful steals to his singles and make them doubles instead, it lowers his career OBP from .355 to .329, raises his slugging from .375 to .425, and raises his OPS from .731 to .755. I would rather he not steal bases unless he can improve on his success rate, maybe cut the number of times caught in half. In his defense, though, he did improve his success rate from 2004 to 2005, as it went from .654 to .770 (I think I saw an article somewhere that said .750 is the break even point, anything over that is pretty good). His career success rate is .743, without that awful 2004, he's .765.

 

Does anyone recall if he was plagued by any injuries in 2004 that would have slowed him down? That year seems to be a bit of an anomaly as far as his stolen base success numbers goes.

 

Anyways, if he could keep above a .350 OBP, I wouldn't mind him at the top of our order, regardless of his lack of power. If he could return to a .370+ OBP, I'd be thrilled.

 

27 is prime age. I don't expect Pierre to play as poorly as he did last year, but he'll likely never play at the level he did for the two seasons before last, either.

[Jehrico]

27 is prime age. I don't expect Pierre to play as poorly as he did last year, but he'll likely never play at the level he did for the two seasons before last, either.

I would say that 27 is the beginning of many position player's prime years, but it's certainly not the peak. I don't know if anyone's ever done a study, but I highly doubt that 27 on average is the most productive year for most players out there.

[goonys evil twin]

27 is prime age. I don't expect Pierre to play as poorly as he did last year, but he'll likely never play at the level he did for the two seasons before last, either.

I would say that 27 is the beginning of many position player's prime years, but it's certainly not the peak. I don't know if anyone's ever done a study, but I highly doubt that 27 on average is the most productive year for most players out there.

 

That's actually exactly what somebody did. 27 is the average prime year. That doesn't mean guys fall off cliffs at 28 or 29. What usually happens is players reach their peak at 27, but they can stay relatively close to that peak for several years after, a sort of plateau after the highest height.

[Jehrico]

27 is prime age. I don't expect Pierre to play as poorly as he did last year, but he'll likely never play at the level he did for the two seasons before last, either.

I would say that 27 is the beginning of many position player's prime years, but it's certainly not the peak. I don't know if anyone's ever done a study, but I highly doubt that 27 on average is the most productive year for most players out there.

 

That's actually exactly what somebody did. 27 is the average prime year. That doesn't mean guys fall off cliffs at 28 or 29. What usually happens is players reach their peak at 27, but they can stay relatively close to that peak for several years after, a sort of plateau after the highest height.

 

I find that hard to believe. Gotta link?

[David]

27 is prime age. I don't expect Pierre to play as poorly as he did last year, but he'll likely never play at the level he did for the two seasons before last, either.

I would say that 27 is the beginning of many position player's prime years, but it's certainly not the peak. I don't know if anyone's ever done a study, but I highly doubt that 27 on average is the most productive year for most players out there.

 

That's actually exactly what somebody did. 27 is the average prime year. That doesn't mean guys fall off cliffs at 28 or 29. What usually happens is players reach their peak at 27, but they can stay relatively close to that peak for several years after, a sort of plateau after the highest height.

 

I find that hard to believe. Gotta link?

 

Unfortunately, since I last read about all this at least 5 or 6 years ago, I don't have a link, but I can back up goony on this. In fact, I thought it to be common knowledge.