Iceblink

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I don't think that comparison works. Burke seems to have something resembling a clue at the plate but hasn't displayed much power in his professional career. Harvey has no clue at the plate but probably has the best power in the Cubs' minor leagues. Maybe I was reading too much into the high school homer fest. I'll defer to your mojo. Earl Cunningham? :)

"Can we be fwends?" "Kay." ":D" "I've spent the last few years in Chicago building up an immunity to Iocane powder. "

The BA analysis mentions the 1st round pick Barrett will command if he leaves San Diego. That doesn't make it any more appetizing.

Smells kind of like a lefty Ryan Harvey. Color me skeptical, but hopeful.

I was thinking the same, though I wouldn't say 'bigger' deal. I think Eyre might be going. It wouldn't be Hendry if he didn't trade 2 Cubs players at the bottom of their value in the same week.

Sportscenter 'breaking news' (whheeeee) covering it now on ESPN2. Talking to some San Diego newspaper guy. Still no word on the return. Talking about how he'll work with Bard.

It does sound exactly like a trade Hendry would make. While I'm on the Fontenot bandwgn, I don't think he's established himself as the 2b of the future just yet. EPatt wasn't going to bump Pie from CF or play a corner position in the OF. Still brings enough tools to give him a shot somewhere, though.

Just announced on Mike & Mike by Buster Olney. No word on the return.

When you're talking about a 25 year old who put up respectable numbers the last two years, not to mention his minor league career (better than the guy(s) replacing him) who has struggled for about 100 sporadic at-bats...yes. If we were the Devil Rays or 20 games out, then sure. Instead, we're a team that has both a legit shot to win its division and a fairly weak, RH-heavy lineup. Given Murton's performance at the plate, in the field, and on the bases, Floyd is and has been a better option. It's up to Murton to hit his way into the lineup, even if he has to do that from the bench. It's not up to the manager to continue to start him until he does that, especially if it means a far more productive bat is on the bench.

DeRosa has been pretty solid this year. He's second on the team in pitches per plate appearance, just behind Lee (both around #20-25 in the majors in that stat: link) Fontenot and Theriot, much as I love the LSU action, will have their adjustment periods where they'll need some relief. Ramirez could fight his health the rest of the season, given his healing times from past injuries. DeRosa's flexibility (and apparent willingness to play anywhere) and decent bat make him awfully valuable to hand away unless the return really does something for our team. I don't think Hendry will move a guy he just signed, at least not until he's hit bottom in his value. I don't think Hendry usually moves anyone until they've hit bottom in their value, unless Juan Pierre is available.

This is a perfect example of using statistics badly to prop up a weak premise. Murton has played poorly at times. However, Murton's been given sporadic, inconsistent playing time and a handfull of ABs. There is no reason to try to bring in numbers to prop up an extremely lame argument. They don't give the opinion any more validity at all. And just for future consideration; RBI are at least partly dependent on your teammates and where you bat in the order. My premise is that Murton has done nothing to justify playing in front of Floyd. I think every stat backs that up. I wish Murton was playing every day and playing well. Murton has been given almost exactly the same number of at bats as Floyd. Sure, it would have been better if they came more steadily, but they're close enough to where the stats are entirely relevant. As for the RBI argument, Murton has fewer opportunities, to be sure. However, he's done nothing in those situations. More stats to prop up my weak premise: Bases empty: Murton-.274/.346/.342; Floyd-.220/.304/.300 Runners on: Murton-.208/.308/.326/; Floyd-.373/.420/.493 RISP: Murton-.192/.300/.308; Floyd-.425/.489/.650 RISP/2 outs: Murton-.077/.200/.077; Floyd-.389/.476/.611 Murton doesn't add much of anything defensively over Floyd, and his baserunning was generally pretty bad, as well. What reason is there to play him over Floyd, other than the fact that Murton is younger and had a nice year in 2006? Sure, he'd probably do better with regular playing time. So would almost anyone. This is a new manager, and a team with a spotty (at best) offense. It's up to Murton to produce well enough or play defense or run the bases well enough to earn play in a corner OF spot. He hasn't done it - not even remotely. The point is that the numbers you are posting are meaningless. Murton's had 100 or so ABs spread out over two months of sporatic playing time. They tell you nothing that you don't already know and are predictive of little. There is nothing wrong with your opinion, although I disagree. The data your are presenting does nothing for you. Well, if the point of the argument is that Murton should play over Floyd in RF regardless of how they've performed, then yes, the numbers I'm posting are meaningless. If the most basic numbers that show how the players have performed are meaningless, then there's no argument at all. The start/sub patterns, at least visually, don't look that different to me: Murton & Floyd. Sure, it's not Murton's fault that the lineup is RH-heavy and has 4 or 5 guys who are #2 hitters like he supposedly is (though he's hit best in the #6 spot this year). It is his fault that he's hit terribly in run-producing situations. Is the argument that we should ignore how bad he's been and continue to play him until if and when that changes, regardless of other options?

http://www.newsday.com/sports/printedition/ny-spken175259523jun17,0,5808730.story?coll=ny-sports-print Quoting: He has no-trade protection to 18 teams, and by design, that list of 18 features virtually all of the clubs who would want and need him.

This is a perfect example of using statistics badly to prop up a weak premise. Murton has played poorly at times. However, Murton's been given sporadic, inconsistent playing time and a handfull of ABs. There is no reason to try to bring in numbers to prop up an extremely lame argument. They don't give the opinion any more validity at all. And just for future consideration; RBI are at least partly dependent on your teammates and where you bat in the order. My premise is that Murton has done nothing to justify playing in front of Floyd. I think every stat backs that up. I wish Murton was playing every day and playing well. Murton has been given almost exactly the same number of at bats as Floyd. Sure, it would have been better if they came more steadily, but they're close enough to where the stats are entirely relevant. As for the RBI argument, Murton has fewer opportunities, to be sure. However, he's done nothing in those situations. More stats to prop up my weak premise: Bases empty: Murton-.274/.346/.342; Floyd-.220/.304/.300 Runners on: Murton-.208/.308/.326/; Floyd-.373/.420/.493 RISP: Murton-.192/.300/.308; Floyd-.425/.489/.650 RISP/2 outs: Murton-.077/.200/.077; Floyd-.389/.476/.611 Murton doesn't add much of anything defensively over Floyd, and his baserunning was generally pretty bad, as well. What reason is there to play him over Floyd, other than the fact that Murton is younger and had a nice year in 2006? Sure, he'd probably do better with regular playing time. So would almost anyone. This is a new manager, and a team with a spotty (at best) offense. It's up to Murton to produce well enough or play defense or run the bases well enough to earn play in a corner OF spot. He hasn't done it - not even remotely.

They don't have to "convince" Floyd to be a bench player, they need to TELL him that. Floyd doesn't make playing time decisions; Lou does. Well, Lou needs to start making better ones. For all his talk, the vets get a lot of playing time. That's pretty much always been the case with Lou. He's almost as bad as Baker for having a veteran fetish. I don't see that in Lou at all. When did Baker start 3 rookies in one game as Lou did Wednesday night? As far as playing Floyd over Murton? Maybe if Murton would have been hitting the ball better he would have gotten the majority of the playing time. All I see is lou playing to win games. Right on. I like Murton, but he's hit and produced runs about as well as Izturis has. For all the talk about how Fontenot has more RBIs than Cesar, he's also got more than Murton put up. A corner outfielder has to produce runs - either by driving them in or scoring them. Matt wasn't doing either...and was playing a bad RF. Floyd and Murton have almost exactly the same number of plate appearances. Murton had one more run scored, but Floyd has 25 RBI to Murton's 8, and Floyd has a .788 OPS to Murton's .667. I know Floyd is an older player who can adjust to part-time work better, but this offense isn't good enough to let Murton find himself again. Piniella didn't really have a choice.

Excellent pictures. Thanks for posting.

Adding to the LSU love: http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070614/capt.b66970dbf09c471f8b27c4b9da36f43e.mariners_cubs_baseball_cxc111.jpg http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070614/capt.b1263d5941254bc28a269029969c0981.mariners_cubs_baseball_cxc110.jpg

I'm having 1987 flashbacks to Noce and Brumley. Only this is much cooler because it's LSU players. ps - John Mahoney was awesome as the manager in Eight Men Out.

LSU! LSU!

Heck yes! Geaux Cubbies.

Woohoo for LSU players executing fundamentals.

Nice swing on an 0-2 curve against a lefty by Fontenot. Way to hang in.

Holy DeRosa.

I turn on the tv and there's an immediate fake rally. Awesomeness.

Wonder if Matt will make the start for Iowa tonight.

Please tell me Sori doesn't fall behind swinging at bad pitches.