Cubzfan64
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Everything posted by Cubzfan64
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That in a nutshell is exactly what's been wrong with the Cubs for the last 2-3 years. Too many of the same kind of undisciplined hitters in the lineup - aggressive hitters are wonderful, but you have to be aggressive WITHIN the strikezone and force the pitchers to give in to YOU, not the other way around. Put yourself in the shoes of a good opposing pitcher - how hard is it really to get ready to face the Cubs offense? The majority of them have the same offensive strategy of swinging at too many pitches out of the strikezone - I imagine the smart pitchers come in knowing that and in most cases have our guys swinging at THEIR pitches. I had honestly hoped that one of the pluses of bringing Maddux over here was that being a smart pitcher who spent alot of time pitching with a bunch of other smart pitchers (most of who have always had success against the Cubs) with the Braves, he could have convinced our hitters to adjust their approach. All in all this has just been the most pathetic season I can remember in my lifetime and I don't see much chance for any quick improvement based on our leaders track records of evaluating talent.
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I'd take Boston out of the mix too personally. Their real need right now is starting pitching and if they make a deal I'm guessing it will be for that. They've been more than happy with Alex G. at SS this year and they're also quite pleased to have Cora backing him up. Lugo would be an upgrade offensively, but they really built this year's team on defense and it's been superb for the most part - I'd be really surprised if they broke up the infield.
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but statistics-wise Marshall and Marmol look like they've performed quite well for us. My question is for all you guys who get to watch them day in and day out and possibly saw them in the minors... Are they the real thing? Are either of them potential #2 or #3 starters in the bigs, or do you think they're putting up good numbers based on flukes, luck and possibly hitters not knowing them too well yet? Basically, I guess I'm asking if the concensus is that they are future good starters for this team, or if we'd be better off packaging them in a trade at the deadline to get something to improve the team and take advantage of selling "high?"
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Don't overlook the possibility of Boston - they could use a solid pinch hitter as well as someone to spell Lowell and Youkalis in the stretch run.
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It pisses me off, but you know what? They can say whatever they want until we field a team that wins a WS!
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What if we offered Z, huh smart guy? And why the hell would we do that? Sure, we could get nearly any player if you're willing to overpay. My point is the Red Sox acquired Crisp for a reason and aren't likely willing to move him. Agreed - when I try to come up with viable trade options, I put myself in both shoes and do my best to come up with a "sensible" reason for each side to make a trade. I'm sure Boston would take Z for Crisp - the Cubs on the other hand would be ridiculous to do it. I would have suggested Maddux, but Boston wouldn't do that for a guy on the downside of his career. I would have suggested Rusch, but Boston is too smart to do that. If Wood were healthy and would have accepted a trade to a contender I think that might have worded out, but it obviously won't happen now. Vance - the only possible reason I can see for the Sox to make the move is if we included Pierre and gave them enough pitching to get them to the playoffs - I agree that they are trying to get young, and if they're smart they wouldn't give up on Crisp just because of somewhat an off year so far - that said, I was just hoping we could catch them desperate for pitching and fleece them. Either way - realistically Theo is too smart to make any of those trades I guess.
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You're probably right - I guess I was just hoping perhaps we could finally catch a team more desperate than us for something and wind up buying low and selling high for a change.
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The Sox are clearly in a playoff fight which should last until the end of the season. With Wells on the DL (possibly coming off soon although no guarantee he'll pitch well), Clement on the DL (nobody knowing what the heck is wrong with him), Beckett being very inconsistent and now Wakefield having what looks like serious back problems, you've gotta figure Boston HAS to find some starting pitching - not to mention their awful middle relief with Taverez and Seanz. Add to that the fact that Crisp is NOT having a very good season and perhaps there's a way we can swing a trade with them and pick up a CF who can keep us happy until/if Pie ever makes it up to the big club. I don't think we have a starter that fits their needs, but we have plenty of relief and if we were to package Pierre with some combination of Eyre, Williamson or Dempster, does anyone think this would be a worthwhile deal? Would Boston be desperate enough in the pitching category to move Crisp? Would they ask for too much in return? Granted Papelbon is tearing things up as their closer, but he's projected to be a starter for them and if push came to shove, they might consider closing with Dempster and putting Papelbon in the rotation if they absolutely needed to. Just trying to think out loud.
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There was this guy once who came up with the Cubs in 1981 and was given the chance to play a full season despite a lousy start. In his first two years in the ML he hit a whopping total of 15 HR's. I believe his name was Ryne Sandberg. Granted, for every Sandberg there are probably 50-100 guys who get the chance and fail, but that said, I think Murton shows some ability with the bat and with the season pretty much in the crapper I'd either like to see him play every day, or be traded while he's playing well if we don't think he'll be a regular for us.
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I'd be very surprised if the Red Sox made a serious pitch for Zito - it'll cost them a ton of money and I don't think he's a very good fit for Fenway. They have some good young arms and although Schilling is on the back side of his career, I just don't see them getting in a bidding war for Zito.
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Very easy choice for me to make - Bye Bye Dusty!
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For what it's worth, I'm glad to see Nomar taking advantage of the opportunity LA gave him and putting together a "comeback player of the year" potential season and getting into the AS game. All I can say is I wish he would have done this for the Cubs :(
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Dudes, we got em all just where we want em!!!! Lull them into a false sense of security and then pounce on them in the second half!!! In all seriousness, I haven't been this disgusted with Cubs baseball since the pathetic teams of the 70's. I know if I had any link to the organization, I'd be embarassed to show my face in public.
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Actually the Cubs having no All Stars would be appropriate, but the rules are the rules, they had to pick someone out of this mess. That's BS. Barrett certainly deserves to be there. We'll just have to agree to disagree. The last thing I want to see when I tune into the All Star game is to have our lone team "All Star" (and I use that term very loosely for this team) Barrett come up to bat only to have the announcers talk about how he served a long suspension for cold cocking a guy. Not trying to provoke an argument here or anything, just giving my opinion.
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Actually the Cubs having no All Stars would be appropriate, but the rules are the rules, they had to pick someone out of this mess.
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The fact is that it's NOT common to be able to find a pitcher who's had a major injury problem, pick him up and let him work his way back to the big leagues and have him become a better than average player (especially a closer). The Cubs should have done what they are NEVER willing to do - move him in a trade when his value was highest and keep building a better and better team. They did the same thing when Rusch was doing well in 2004. They never learn and their evaluation of talent is really lacking. They're always looking to strike it rich with every "has been" or "wanna be" they sign up - whether it's an injury plagued player or a "flash in the pan" guy.
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Worst team since the last time I decided it was the worst Cub team I'd ever seen :(. For what it's worth, there were some truly awful teams in the 1970's.
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Peter Gammons in hospital with brain aneurysm
Cubzfan64 replied to rocket's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
He's a down to earth kind of guy who does alot for charities that never hits the public airwaves. I have an uncle who suffered a brain aneurysm at the age of 39 - didn't go to the doctor or hospital when it happened because he thought it was just a bad headache. Took the next day off work and they found him lying in bed after he apparently suffered a second more massive one. He's now living (if you can call it that) in a nursing home where he can only move his head, doesn't recognize anyone in the family, can't speak or eat on his own. I wish Peter Gammons all the best and I hope he recovers fully from this! -
It doesn't say Ortiz is the #34 clutch hitter in Red Sox history - it says he's the #1 clutch hitter but wears #34. As far as the guy in 1st place for "clutch hitting," he was the ONLY player I ever wanted to see up to bat with the game on the line. I always felt he deserved alot more credit than what he received - his only downside was his lack of HR power at a typical HR hitting position, but I for one was thrilled to have his consistency, ability to work a pitcher until he got the pitch he wanted and doubles power.
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You guys all have good points - I think it's probably very correct that Ortiz's successes are memorable while his failures aren't. What I mean to say is that as one of you pointed out, Boston has had a good team the last few years and on the occassions where Ortiz has failed, someone else (Manny etc...) comes up big allowing you to forget that failure. That said, I have to say I have a great deal of respect for a guy like Ortiz who can crush the ball when needed as well as he can punch a drive to the opposite field if that's where the pitcher is gonna toss it to him.
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I don't know but I can think of at least 2 walk off home runs that won games this season and I know he's had a number of other ones. I don't know what it is about him, but I swear it's not coincidence or luck that he's got so many game winning hits - he seems to really bear down and come through in the clutch. By the way, his game winning hit was an opposite field line drive single against the shift that every team seems to pull on him. The guy flat out knows how to work a count and drive the ball wherever it's being pitched.
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Nixon in 2007??
Cubzfan64 replied to Cubzfan64's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
Yah, you all are right - I guess I'm just so disgusted with this season that I'm grasping -
No, not Otis and not even Richard!!! I'm wondering what the potential might be for Trot Nixon to sign with the Cubs in 2007 as a free agent if he doesn't re-sign with Boston. On the plus side: 1. He does a decent job of getting on base. 2. He has enough pop in his bat to generate 15-25 HR's per year. 3. He's a good defensive OF. On the minus side: 1. He doesn't hit well against lefties 2. He has a bad habit of going on the DL each year for something or other 3. He's 32/33 and is making $7-8 mil this year. I wouldn't do it if he demands too much $, but if there's a shot we can get him at a reasonable price, I could see him in LF or RF (if we were to move Jones during this season). I don't know - it's just a thought - it keeps my mind off this awful awful season.
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Who's deperate for a DH?
Cubzfan64 replied to Backtobanks's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
what makes the most sense is trading him for something/anything - of course that means we'll be releasing him in a few days and he'll get picked up by a contending team for the 2nd half of the season and probably end up hitting some penant clinching HR or something. -
I haven't read this whole thread, so I apologize if my two points have already been discussed: 1. If Baker loses his job, I think at least his pitching coach and hitting coach should be gone as well. I hear nothing but bad things about Rothschild and I think Von Joshua should get a shot at the big club as well. If we're going to make a change, let's make it a REAL change. 2. That said - I'm really really really concerned with how much Hendry allows the on-field coaches and manager to run the club. What I mean by that is if Baker is let go along with our pitching and hitting coach, will the new manager be allowed to change the overall offensive strategies we've seen the last couple seasons, or will it just be the same story with new folks at the helm? It's clearly evident that changes HAVE to be made to this team and now!! Getting Lee back from his injury isn't going to all of a sudden make us a contender. Other than personal pride, I don't know how a ballplayer goes out there game after game for this team and gives 100%. Whoever is put in charge of this mess had an awful lot to clean up.