BigbadB

Who was more lights out than Mike Remlinger in 2001 (2.76 ERA) and 2002 (1.99 ERA)? Cubs gave him a 3 year deal for top dollar reliever money and he wasn't anymore effective than Jeff Fassero was as a reliever with the Cubs. Eyre and Howry haven't "always" been awesome relievers. They have their moments where they are Remlinger bad. I hope they are good for the next 3 years, but I wouldn't bank on it. There really aren't that many relievers that are good year in and year out. I hope they are lights out and they prove me wrong, but that was a bad gamble, IMO. I agree the Cubs needed to get a couple of arms for the pen. However, 3 year deals was not my idea of how to go about getting those bullpen arms.

Link Hendry on Walker and competition Which takes me back to my original comment. Walker just needs to shut up and let his bat do the talking.

Aren't the relievers about the last guys to get in game shape?

Yeah, I think Hill, Williams, Guzman, Brownlie and Rusch (taking out Maddux, Wood, Prior, Zambrano and Miller) is still a better rotation than the one the Reds are sending out there. I do like the Reds offense a bit better than ours, but our pitching is clearly better.

On a related note, Chad Cordero was 2-4 last year. What a useless pitcher. :wink: Yeah they should trade that Cordero guy for Shawn Estes he usually has a nice W-L record, and everyone knows what a great pitcher he is. Is Shawn even still around? lol I think I saw him on a west coast roster. Padres or Dodgers.

I wouldn't have minded seeing Theriot earn the middle infield utility role. However, Neifi is blocking him for the next 2 years. If Walker is assumed to be gone, then I would imagine Theriot could earn the last spot on the roster if what we got in return for Walker wasn't another middle infielder.

And if I might add another $.02, you will notice that this forum has an extensive forum for minor leaguers only. The main NSBB web site has thorough examinations of the minor league teams. Every single player at the major league level on down through the minors gets "evaluated" extensively. No, not every minor league player is going to make it. However, there really is nothing wrong with hoping that all of these players become impact players. Yes, I'm one of those who had Choi penciled in to be the everyday 1b for the Cubs for the next 10 or so years. I was wrong. I'm glad we have Derrek Lee. Do I or anyone else that hoped Hee Seop Choi would be as successful at the major league level as he was in the minors need our noses rubbed in it at each conceivable moment because he didn't gain that success? No.

I'm not suggesting anything. I'm pointing out that you like to take every opportunity to belittle anyone who hoped Hee Seop Choi, Brendon Harris, Juan Cruz, Jason Dubois, etc... would become good major league baseball players. You've pointed out to us how wrong we were that it has grown tiring to read it again and again. You sound like a broken record. What kind of Cub fan comes to a Cub fan message board and belittles other fans for hoping that our minor league system produces many a major league player? And if it has nothing to do with the minor league players, is it really that coincidental that every player you listed outside of Walker (who this thread is about) just happens to be a failure from our system? From where I sit, it gives the appearance you want Cub fan favorites to fail just so you can come here to gloat. I'm sorry if that's an inaccurate picture, but every time I see Choi on the field now, I think to myself "oh, maybe if he strikes out on national tv, oldcubsfan will have another moment of glory on NSBB." It's really pretty sad.

I don't see how Walker relates to those other players at all. Walker has proven himself to be a real good hitter, whereas those other guys never did anything. I am getting a little tired of him running his mouth, even though he's exactly right and should be upset. If anything, his comments are only going to piss Cubs players and management off. Pay no mind, Mizzou. oldcubsfan just likes to throw our failed minor league players in our faces every chance he gets. Walker definitely doesn't apply since he didn't play on any Cub minor league teams.

Good point. He should do a lot less talking and more hitting because, even though Jerry was forced to take a few days off following the beaning, Hairston seems be winning the all around battle on the field. According to yesterday's game notes, Jerry is hitting .444 and Todd is hitting .231 so far this Spring. Once again, judging players with a long major league history on their performance in one month of the spring is ludicrous. For anecdotal evidence, I remember that even in his all-star years, Jeff Bagwell would routinely hit in the low 200's during the spring. Bagwell? How about Sandberg? Notorious slow starter.

. That is exactly what WHIP does-there is no distinction. Interestingly enough, many of the pitchers on your all time winningest list would also be on the all time losingest list. :wink:

Competing for jobs in spring training isn't very smart baseball. And is Walker really arguing about competing? It sounds to me like he thinks he should be the starter based on his track record and the likelihood of what the candidates will bring to the table this year. That's about the mpost rational train of thought in this silly storyline. I agree. However, that's not the way Dusty thinks. I can't control how Dusty thinks and neither can Walker. All Walker can do is just go out there and prove his bat deserves to play everyday. Yapping to the press is not going to earn him the starting job. Hitting .200 in Spring Training is not going to win him the starting job. Walker's desire to speak to the press everytime he is unhappy about something is why I think Cub management wants him gone, not lack of production. dusty can't decide on whether to start a player based on what he did 10 years ago or what he does in 30 days in early spring. Dusty decided to let Neifi Perez play everyday last year based on 30 at bats in April.

That is an absurdly foolish claim. WHIP=H+BB/IP 9 singles+ 0 BB/9 IP=1.0 WHIP 9 HR + 0 BB/9 IP=1.0 WHIP Next. Next what? Next absurdly foolish claim by you? Okay, what is it? WHIP is one stat. It's one extremely helpful stat in judging pitchers, but it's still one stat. Nobody will tell you 9 singles equals 9 homeruns. To claim so is completely ignorant. The pitcher who gave up 9 home runs over the course of 9 innings got the win because his own offense scored 10 runs. He's 1-0 with a 1.00 WHIP and a complete game. What an awesome pitcher!!

Competing for jobs in spring training isn't very smart baseball. And is Walker really arguing about competing? It sounds to me like he thinks he should be the starter based on his track record and the likelihood of what the candidates will bring to the table this year. That's about the mpost rational train of thought in this silly storyline. I agree. However, that's not the way Dusty thinks. I can't control how Dusty thinks and neither can Walker. All Walker can do is just go out there and prove his bat deserves to play everyday. Yapping to the press is not going to earn him the starting job. Hitting .200 in Spring Training is not going to win him the starting job. Walker's desire to speak to the press everytime he is unhappy about something is why I think Cub management wants him gone, not lack of production.

I think in this case it's just not the bat in question, it is also the defense. His bat has done enough to give him a starting job on a major league club basically every year he's been in the majors. His defense is suspect, it's been well documented. Offense trumps defense, therefore if he just lets his bat do the talking, he will get a majority of the at bats at 2nd base. If he was just as good defensively as he is offensively, then he might have an argument about having to compete for a starting job.

Many players have to battle for a starting job in this game. The best way to go about winning that battle is to let your bat do the talking.

Actually that was Dock Ellis http://www.gettingit.com/article/691 Whoops. You are correct. I still don't remember Vida being a spit ball guy, but maybe he was.

No clue. I'm hoping he rebounds into his 2003 form though, for the Royals. 2003 .338 OBP .451 SLG .287 AVG 2004 .308 OBP .385 SLG .262 AVG 2005 .305 OBP .375 SLG .270 AVG He was also a decent base stealer in 2003, but bad in 04/05.

I'm with Goony. I don't have a whole lot of respect for the HOF. And if Ron Santo is not in the HOF before his days on this planet are over, I will never have any respect for the HOF. And I'm not just referring to his baseball playing credentials. If a guy like Ron Santo can't have his place in the HOF, who really should? The guy has overcome tremendous odds to still be among us, and he is still around the game as much as when he played.

What the heck happened to Berroa anyway?

How do you feel about the whole 'spitball pitchers in the Hall' argument? Obviously obtaining spit is only gross and not illegal so it's not exactly the same, but do most baseball fans resent pitchers who may or may not have cheated when they were pitching? Is that a breach of sportsmanship? I'm not even sure how I stand on the matter. Just curious what others think. (To clarify, I believe steroids = bad) Spit balls were allowed for a while. Steroids were always against the rules, they just didn't have testing. And I don't think the two are near the same category. But isn't Vida Blue, or some dude like that in the Hall and everybody is pretty sure he threw spitters when they were illegal? BBB makes a good point along with yours, in that they probably weren't thrown on every pitch, whereas steroids make you stronger all the time. Gaylord Perry comes to mind when discussing spit balls, not Vida Blue. Vida Blue is the one that supposedly threw a no hitter while on LSD. Does the MLB really need to spell out all that is illegal? Do they really need an Article 276 section F that reads "child porn is illegal in the United States, therefore illegal in MLB. Any player caught with child porn will be banned from the game." I just don't see the need for this rule. If you are doing something that is illegal in this country, then the job/company you work for should be in jeopardy. Steroids are an illegal substance, just like cocaine. How many times did Steve Howe get suspended?

How do you feel about the whole 'spitball pitchers in the Hall' argument? Obviously obtaining spit is only gross and not illegal so it's not exactly the same, but do most baseball fans resent pitchers who may or may not have cheated when they were pitching? Is that a breach of sportsmanship? I'm not even sure how I stand on the matter. Just curious what others think. (To clarify, I believe steroids = bad) Was every pitch a spit ball? Probably not. Only when they could get away with it. Occasionally, they got caught and ejected from games. Bonds was playing everyday enhanced by illegal drugs, and apparently a whole bunch of them. Add on his body armor and what pitcher stands a chance against the Incredible Hulk (minus the green skin tone)?

And, steroids has helped baseball players break long standing records that otherwise probably wouldn't be broken. Will they let the record stand when some player takes kryptonite and hits 540 HR's in a season, assuming kryptonite is an illegal drug. :D

Jim Thome can outproduce by himself the production that Big Skirt and Carl Everett provided the White Sox last year. Paul Konerko did. Frank Thomas/Carl Everett '05 XBH's= 57 Paul Konerko's '05 XBH's=64 Frank and Carl's RBI output=113 Konerko's RBI output=100 Frank and Carl's Runs scored=77 Konerko's Runs scored=98 Case closed.

Oh, and how much more of a "leader" is Carl Everett than Jim Thome?