KingKongvs.Godzilla

Chris Archer still has no clue how to walk less than 5 guys per 9 (except for that one time) too. I still am stunned at how that guy went from throw in arm to top prospect in the Cubs system in the blink of an eye without anyone questioning a whole bunch of questionable aspects in his game (he's not all that big despite a listed height of 6'3", his control sucks, his command is average to a little above when he's on). I do think he'll make an excellent high leverage reliever in the long run (maybe even closer) because his stuff when it's on is nasty and he's got a very confident makeup. His ceiling as a starter was and is overrated.

This Garza fellow ain't bad. He's pitching closer to the ~3.5 ERA i thought he'd put up, and he's progressed as a pitcher despite being too something to do so. The loss of The Prospects was disheartening, but he seems like a coup for Los Cubs.

You forgot to add a tear falling on Fleita's stone computer, which then short circuits.

So he'll have a 810 OPS next year? Probably lower!

Yes, Halladay and Carpenter did need coaching, as any and all young players do to hit their ceiling. He took Halladay 17th overall in the '95 draft and Carpenter with the 15th pick in '93, so he must have seen something, and look where they are now. What does "what he saw in them wasn't what made them great pitchers" even mean? Both were very touted prospects who like many young players didn't come right in and set the baseball world on fire. Big deal. He saw the talent, he picked them in the first, they go on his resume. The way you're looking at this you can literally make the argument that no scouting director is worth it. After all players often take years to reach their ceilings, often they have to be coached (which scouts and farm directors don't do themselves), and by the time they make it what made them noticeable as prospects might have changed (though Halladay and Carpenter's huge size (both are 6'7 2something, moving fastballs, and plus breaking balls didn't...w/e). What he's done for the Cubs is help put together an underrated farm system that has depth and upside despite lacking the super prospects everyone dreams of having. He's helped put together one of the most touted drafts of 2011. I know the contributions should be in our face right now and these guys should be the driving force behind our currently winning teams, but just because that isn't currently happening does not mean he's contributed nothing and will contribute nothing. That's such a cheap process to me...Not to mention the first of his first round picks came up and hit 20 HRs last year with an .811 OPS...sure he then crapped the bed this year, but at 26 it's not like that kid is done here or in professional baseball. Why should the Cubs be opening up so many FO jobs anyway? Why would the new GM want to fill so many significant holes in the organization, or even be expected to right off the bat? Aren't there much bigger fish to try and catch this offseason afte filling the GM hole, or should the Cubs waste their time bringing in new scouts, a farm director, and head scout (a whole 5 years after overhauling the scouting department with the Wilken hire)?

i don't understand what wilken has done that would qualify him as "talent" i keep hearing how great he is but i don't see any great players at all. i see a few players who have had some decent years here and there, but are totally up and down because their peripherals are terrible. That sucks. Maybe you don't know enough about Senor Wilken: Those are some pretty awesome players. Just because his drafts here haven't born fully ripe fruit yet doesn't mean all that much.

That actually seems like a perfectly viable thought process for them to have on draft day. I don't think it was an accident that Vogelbach was drafted by the Cubs in the same year that Prince Fielder will be a FA either. It's just bringing in multiple types of skillsets and talents into the system, and I find it hard to believe they're just bumbling and fumbling their way around who they want to bring in nowadays.

When did the whole "Cubs promote everyone superfast" or just wrong start?

*spits tobacco* *hacking cough*

I have no idea what one has to do with the other. "Hello, elite GM candidate. We'd like you to stake your professional reputation to come in and save our franchise because we've produced putrid results given the resources we have over our direct competitors. Have you met the staff? They've contributed heavily to those putrid results, and we signed them to guaranteed contracts before we interviewed you." Who would make such a stupa sales pitch? Why not: Hey elite GM candidate, Were the [expletive] Cubs, were sick of losing, were sick of hearing how incompetent we are, were sick of all the bs that comes with losing. Were a mega rich both in money and history franchise that sits in the middle of a huge, untapped market (the Cubs as winners market), and victory would mean eternal glory and fame in the baseball world for you. You could liteally kill a man in front of a thousand Cubs fans and no one would see it if you won. That girl was 17? No worries, that's when they get all whorish! Did you really rob those elderly blind? Ah well, they won't notice! You cheated your wife with a stripper and had a love child? I smell sitcom! All you have to do is win. All that and more is yours. We'll give you money and will probably have a top 5 payroll because we can like a boss, we'll probably give you some amount of time, and with that some amount of patience. Use it wisely! The futcha awaits! Do you really actually believe the Cubs will be hurting for competent GM candidates because they locked up Oneri [expletive] Fleita? That's not going to happen. New GM also shouldn't be expected to come right in and have to restock the whole FO right off the bat. There's way better ways for the organization to spend it's time this winter.

Shyte I thought he was on the FA market this year. I'd rather blow a prospect load on someone a little more durable. Keep in mind he'd cost prospects then a contract, most likely.

Josh Vitters is going to wreck the PCL next year.

I think he's a major health risk as he gets older. He's got a long injury history as it is, and I still don't buy him mechanically. He's obviously a very good pitcher with alot of raw talent, but I'd rather see someone else pay him the FA money and years. CC Sabathia or CJ Wilson in FA ftw.

I have no idea what one has to do with the other.

Looks like my gut sucks. It doesn't suck to keep him.

For the most part this is a good thing. The idea that the team wants to hold onto their talent is something that I like to see.

How should he be involved with the development? The guy isn't a coach, that's not his role. Well let's see, he's the director of player development so it all starts with him. You don't think he has a say as far as coaching philosophies? It start with ownership and for a sizable chunk last decade ownership had one goal. Do you really believe that coaching philosophy is set in stone all around? Wouldn't a modern organization individualize coaching and focus on what the player can do as well as can't/isn't?

Should be according to....? He's playing the scapegoat right now, as it seems anyone of significance who worked with Hendry is going to be (except Wilken who seems to have a force field shielding him). He's also been a very big part in the good things the Cubs have pulled, and is probably a major player in the quiet rising of the farm system going ignored right now (no one will notice until it's fully bloomed and in your face anyway).

Is this serious? It's easier to have a good draft when there's 10+ million to spend on it. That's the splash they're talking about. What do Fleita and Wilken have to do with bonuses? And obviously Ricketts thinks its a good idea to invest in amateur talent right now. I'm not saying this particular situation didn't happen at all. OTOH, why would, should, or could I possibly care to believe that the Cubs shoot the majority of their pitching video (as the article seems to imply) with a cell phone camera? Seriously I know the organization has an absolutely garbage reputation when it comes to tech and stats, but who's actually going to believe they're so adverse to it that the only way they analyze players is through paper and pencil + camera phone? Yet Sam Fuld still drew his fair share of walks here anyway. It's as if the player he naturally is at the plate took over anyway, despite the Cubs' efforts to beat it out of him. Strange. Last year the Iowa Cubs were 6th. Last year the Smokies were 7th, and first in OBP. Not so much for Daytona. Poria was 11th last year. Not a good year for Boise. AZL Cubs iunno I'm lazy. I'm not sure what these actually conclude anyway. The Cubs have individuals who take their walks and hit (Brett Jackson comes to mind instantly, Flaherty), individuals who take their walks but aren't overly impressive as hitters so far (Matt Cerda, who I like more than most fits here), guys who hit and don't walk alot (LeMahieu, Vitters), and guys who don't do much of either. You can do this for many farm systems, most (all?) of which can be accused of not being patient enough.

Third possibility: Fleita: "WOW! That's GROUNDBREAKING! No WONDER you're the GM!" GM: "Er-well see about a decade ago people decided that walks are the shyte. You need to tell your guys that, since CLEARLY the Cubs hated and denounced walks before I got here with my shining beacon of knowledge." Fleita: "WOW! Groundbreaking! You must be real smart and read books and do maths and stuff or sumpin! Let me chisel in your order onto this stone tablet that the Cubs use in place of computers. How should we go about making our system more patient?" GM: "Well we could draft guys who walk more." Fleita: Is there a set percentage I should be looking for or...are we going arbitrary with it??? GM: "Well you know, patience. Just make sure they have patience." Fleita: "What about the res-...isn't there more to...I mean this isn't well defined as...." GM: "G'DAMMIT we need WALKS, damn you." Fleita: "Groundbreaking! You're like the GM who wrote MoneyBalls!! You've got revolutionary vision!" *eats a mothball and slinks away hunched over carrying his stone computer and chisel* 99% of this guy's problem is that he was here with the old regime, and since he's the biggest name left he's been chosen to embody all the problems of the past. Meh.

How should he be involved with the development? The guy isn't a coach, that's not his role.

1 - You're talking about a coach. He's a FO guy. He hasn't been a coach since the mid-90's. Scouting has been his big job, and he's been involved in some good ones for the Cubs. 2 - Before Wilken there was Fleita, who had that rep and has been touted by the organization and others for a while now. He's VP of Player Personnel right now in the minors, what that entitles I do not know but I like the farm system more than most. He's played the part of manager, scout, and director of Latin America operations from '97-'08 as well as player development from '00-'08 for the organization. The Cubs put alot on him, and apparently they're of the opinion that he's done well. Either way, I like the kind of players the Cubs have been bringing in talent I like recently. The last batch of hitting prospects sucked at making contact from Patterson to Patterson to Dopirak to Harvey to Pie. These guys have better discipline, better ability to put the bat on the ball, and generally aren't absolutely crushed by a breaking ball. This is progress, and it's progress that Fleita has most likely been heavily involved in. 3 - You really haven't presented any evidence for me to refute? I just hear that he's terrible and has a terrible philosophy.

Nolasco and Zambrano...well I guess Zambrano is 8 years ago.

Don't worry, I have it on good authority that the Cubs are awesome at developing pitchers under Fleita. So now that Hendry is gone I guess Fleita is the new scapegoat. DAMN YOU FLEITA FOR RUINING MCNUTT! THANK GOD ARCHER GOT OUT BEFORE YOU COULD DESTROY HIS CAREER AS WELL! I lawl'd. Word around the water cooler is that Hendry/Fleita/gang actually told Archer it was fine to walk as many hitters as he does. Of course, they told/tell the hitters walks are bad very bad.

Wait what? http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Zambrano/Zambrano_bio.html Who does he get credit for? Anyone who failed or can be knocked like a Shark or Russell (who are both promising in their own right)? Fleita has been with the Cubs a long time, and he's got the reputation as being the best talent evaluator in the organization. No that hasn't laid the riches upon us like the Super Team they woulda/coulda/shoulda been last decade, but that doesn't mean they had no intention of keeping him. They'd be foolish not to keep him, as they'd then be forced to look for a new GM plus a new Fleita, all based on a perception in philosophy and a little aggravation over losing. Not worth it. I'm really not sure what the big deal is...Or why there's an assumption of incompetence on anyone who worked under the Tribune's later days with Hendry as GM. Yes, the organization has been in a bad ways the past couple of years, mostly through the failures of the big league teams. Big deal, stuff happens, and they're moving on. Hell, they've been moving on. Choosing to keep the guy who's long been the most praised talent evaluator in the organization isn't something I'm going to lose sleep over. The new GM will figure some way to cope, as there's much bigger issues to go after (like the big league club, the hole at 1B and in the rotation, and 40+ million off the books).