RynoRules
-
Posts
9,453 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Joomla Posts 1
Chicago Cubs Videos
Chicago Cubs Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits
2026 Chicago Cubs Top Prospects Ranking
News
2023 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
Guides & Resources
2024 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks
The Chicago Cubs Players Project
2025 Chicago Cubs Draft Pick Tracker
Blogs
Events
Forums
Store
Gallery
Everything posted by RynoRules
-
Its and Insider article, so you need to be registered: http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=gillette_gary&id=2113859&CMP=ILC-INHEAD Basically it argues that its too early to judge DePodesta as he's only been on the job for 1.5 years. As a critic of his, I found the article interesting, fair and objective. (for instance, though the overall tenure is that DePo should be given more time, the author notes that the contract he gave Drew was too long in light of his history of injuries and that the Fla. deal from last year blew up in his face b/c he was never able to spin those guys off to AZ to get The Unit). It also includes a graph charteing the teams and GMs with greatest improvement in total wins over the last two years. In the NL, no. 1 is JS and the Braves, at plus- 33. No. 2, with plus-22?: JH and the Cubs.
-
I'd do CPatt and Welly for Pierre and Mota in two shakes of a lambs tail. Classic "change of scenery" deal. Would FL do it?
-
Stop telling posters to stop suggesting trades. People are entitled to suggest trades regardless of how likely they are. I was implying to not put out Kerry Wood trade ideas. Thanks for chopping out the sentence preceding that. He knew what you meant, but people put out some crazy ideas on this bd. on a daily basis. Why should only the ones involving Wood be banned/stopped? That's a slippery slope you are creating. if you think its pointless to read about trade ideas involving Wood then don't bother responding or looking at threads that deal with them. IMO, in light of what we have seen with other guys w/ NTCs who want out (Schilling, Unit, Sammy, etc.), anything is possible.
-
my bad
-
Not encouraging if you were hoping for something...unless you belive Crasnik is subject to the "Gammons Rule of Rumors".
-
How did this become an argument about the relative goodness of "small ball"? My point was only that guys like Pierre, Lofton, and Posednik tend to have a positive effect on the guys hitting behind them, no matter if they "small ballers" or the NL's top HR-hitting team (the Cubs).
-
When it comes to judging a player, those intangibles shouldn't be the first thing to look at though. If the guy can run fast and play good defense, that's great. It's a bonus. Cubs actually scored less runs with Lofton at the top, and I don't see how Coleman helped his teams a lot with that .324 OBP. You can't steal 1B. :wink: But you can steal second and third, as he often did. The '04 team scored runs in bunches, often going several games with 1-2 runs then exploding for 10. When Lofton was here we were much more consistent. You need to check (or create) a Team Runs Consistency stat. That's pretty much what I meant, thanks ZZ. And, again, OBP isn't the only measure. Measure the team's productivity in general. The Sox, who don't have any consistency in the middle of their order, are, IMO, getting by in large part due to what they have at the top. The old Cards teams of the mid-80s were built on Coleman and Ozzie setting the table. They had almost no real power behind them, sans Jack Clark. Look up and down at the best teams of the last 25 years, and I would bet most of them had good leadoff hitters in the mold of the Posednicks, Loftons, and Colemans. Again, not an absolute, but generally helpful and a sign of a winning team.
-
I value pretty much two things in a leadoff hitter who plays CF, a la Pierre: OBP and defense. To a lesser extent, I think Ks and speed are important as well. This sort of guy can usually change the look of a lineup. Its hard to describe - an intangible thing. But I think history bears out that if you have a "table setter" at the top, it strengthens your lineup. Guys like Posednik, Vince Coleman, Kenny Lofton, etc. illustrate this, IMO.
-
This won't go over well on this bd, but I have been in love w/ Pierre and Castillo since they smoked our collective bums in the 03' NLCS. Pierre seemed to get to every single fly ball, and his mere presence at the plate and especially on the basepaths seemed to unnerve our pitchers and make Dusty reach for an extra toothpick. BTW, for proof that pesky, powerless leadoff hitters do make a difference, see Podsednik this year, Womak last year, Pierre the year before, etc. EDIT: I'd do Wellemeyer and Kelton for Pierre and a prospect out of their system. I don't think that they would, though.
-
The chances that Pittman's arms are "all-natural" are about as good as the chances that the rumor that started this ridiculously long thread is true.
-
Jim Hendry (numerous dates over the winter) - "Sammy Sosa will be my right fielder" Yeah; and see my thread re Hendry's comments to Gammons re trading CPatt. Looks like he is trying to drive up Cory's value....
-
In his Insider column today (which mainly deals with the A's resurgence, ironically noting that players w/ high OBPs have become too expensive for them), Gammons notes that Hendry thinks that CPatt has "turned the corner" down in AAA. When asked about trading Cory, he replied that everyone assumed they would deal him, but they aren't, at least (direct quote) "not now." :-k Gammons also notes that we acquired Gerut as an alternative to getting Preston Wilson, and that Hendry thinks that we'll have both Williamson and Nomar back by the end of the month. :D
-
In this poster's defense, he qualified his post several times with "hope I am rights" and "reliable soruce" and "if I am wrong I apologize". I'll give him the benfit of the doubt and hope is on target. I would also note that this trade makes sense based on what Jayson Stark's column on ESPN Insider says this morning. To paraphrase, the Reds asked the Stros for two MLers and two top-notch minor leaguers, beginning with Lane and Backe. The Stros balked. The scenario our new friend proposes then is that the Stros walk away but the Cubs dangle Hill, Mitre and CPatt in front of the Reds (and I would bet one other, low-level minor league position player, but even if I am wrong, its pretty much the deal Stark said it would take to pry Dunn away). I think it makes sense. We'll see.
-
The D-Back unis are hy-anus!
-
I agree, I just don't see how a left handed hitting backup OF who can play all positions and get on base is a bad thing. This move Macias back on the depth chart and we should be seeing less of him PHing in late game situtations. Here, here. This is a win-win. Dubois, though we all like the guy, is a butcher in left didn't show the sort of patience I thought he would when he was up here. He might be a classic "AAAA" player. Gerut has shown he can do it on the big league level, even if it was two years ago. So, its flier, but Hendry has come up with some good players out of deals like these: Murton, Williams, Karros/Grudz., etc.
-
Where would Mora play? 1B? Or Lowell at 1B?
-
Count me in. As an attorney, I am held to professional standards/ethics, and if I fail to adhere to them, my peers are expected to hold me accountable. Shouldn't journalists do the same? Don't they have as great a responsibility as lawyers do? Where are Bayless' peers?
-
My feeling is that a package of Hill, Patterson, and Mitre would likely get a deal for Dunn....well...done.
-
Leiter is Schilling-light: lots of talking, lbut w/ less results. He's an arrogant clubhouse lawyer on his last legs. That's why the Mutts let him walk. Then he blamed "Mike and the Mad Dog" (best sports radio talk show I have ever heard; out of NYC) for the Mutts' decision to cut him loose. Bush league.
-
Thome to Cubs? Huh???
RynoRules replied to Ding Dong Johnson's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
Lee is a better 1B than Thome by a lot, so could Thome play CF? :lol: -
Agreed - he makes "Moneyball" sense w/ his walks and HRs.
-
I agree. He wouldn't put up the nonsense molst of us have had to watch for 20 (or more) of the last 25 years.
-
And we thought Dusty was nuts...
RynoRules replied to vance_the_cubs_fan's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
I guess the "Mazilli is on crack" rumors will start now... -
Ok. Sorry - I love these HOF discussions, so BUMP.
-
Was looking at ESPN Insider's Rumor Mill this morning, and it reads that Glavine is likely being shopped by the Mutts. Its also notes that the Mutts don't want his Maddux-like deal for next year (his $10 mill option kicks in if he throws a certain amount of innings), but that a team like the Yanks or Red Sox might be willing to take on this "borderline" Hall of Famer. IMO, Glavine is an HOFer: http://www.baseballreference.com/g/glavito02.shtml As you can see, he has nearly 270 wins, has won 2 "Cys", a WS MVP, and from 1991-2002, was arguably the most consistent left-handed pitcher in baseball, winning 20 games 5 times and never winning less than 15 (sans the strike-shortened 1994 season, during which he was 13-5 and clearly on his way to at least 18 wins). His stats also compare favorably with those of Bob Gibson and Jim Palmer, both HOFers. Thoughts?