BigbadB

You can compare them one on one, but it doesn't really tell you all that much. Both teams had a .270 AVG as a team last year. The Cubs out hit the Cardinals and outslugged them as well. Here's a real intersting stat. The Cardinals struck out more often than Cub hitters last year. But, what makes St. Louis better offensively is their ability to get on base, which is really the truest indicator of run production. The Cubs had 36 more doubles than the Cardinals. The Cards had 3 more triples than the Cubs The Cubs had 24 more home runs than the Cardinals. The Cubs had 46 more hits than the Cardinals. You would think the Cubs were the better overall team just looking at these stats. But, the most important element that is missing here is the ability to get on base via the lousy walk. You know, the guy who comes around to score nearly every time you watch one of our relievers give up a lead off walk. It's because a walk is not an out. A walk rarely drives in runs, but it sure is responsible for a lot of runs scored. Here's the real difference between offenses. The Cubs had a team OBP of .324 last year. The Cardinals had a team OBP of .339. Those 15 percentage points has a lot to do with the fact the Cardinals scored more than 100 more runs than the Cubs did last year. 102 to be exact. How many more runs could the Cubs have scored with all those extra doubles, and single's and Home Runs they hit over the Cardinals if they just found some guys to walk their way on base ahead of those hits? Same problem every year. Cubs management doesn't believe in clogging bases with walks. Get up there and swing away. Let's see how few pitches we can see while some guy named Casey Daigle throws a 5 hit shut out in under 80 pitches. Horrible philosophy. It's not completely about OBP. But, until Cubs management recognizes the value of the walk, and quit signing guys who don't know how to walk, this team will never surpass the Cardinals in offensive production.

I suppose that depends on what you define as "good" OBP.

We do need to win now. If the Cubs went out and won the World Series this year or next year, would we really care if Giles turned into a Luis Gonzalez production wise outfielder for his final year? If it appeared he was going to turn into that type of player, couldn't the Cubs have picked up 5m or so of his final year and shipped him back to San Diego? We don't know if he would have signed with the Cubs. At 13-15m a year for 3 years, I think he would have. No team offered him that much. He signed so quickly with San Diego because if he didn't, he wouldn't have been able to go back if the Padres didn't offer arbitration, which I doubt they would have. They came up with that offer at or near the final days that he could still return to the Padres or wait until May 1. The offers entertained didn't appear to me to be any better than what San Diego finally matched. I don't blame him for staying if the club you are now with in the town you'd prefer to be in is basically offering up the same deals that have been offered elsewhere. Sure, he could have gambled that some team would have coughed up 13m eventually, but since no one had done it yet, why risk not being able to resign with the Padres? Surely, it was a gamble to pay top dollar for Giles considering he'd be 35-37 over the life of the contract. But, Moises Alou didn't completely disappoint (some were more enamored with him than others) over the life of his contract, and he was also 35, 36 and 37 during that contract. Heck, he was even better at age 38 last year.

Texas is the only hitter's park in that division. The NL Central is one of the best hitter's divisions in baseball. I don't think you'd see much of a drop in his production if he came to the Cubs. But, guys like Jacque Jones, Alfonso Soriano are guys that I have never felt were a good fit for the Cubs. The emphasis should be on adding players with a history of good OBP. Why management doesn't see this is beyond me.

After the run support he received in Houston last year, why on Earth woud he want to subject himself to that kind of run support again pitching for the Cubs?

A 3 year deal for Giles would have ended during his 37th year on Earth, not 38. He'll be 35 in January. That makes him 35 in 2006, 36 in 2007 and 37 in 2008. I could care less how he plays when he's 38.

I'd like to know why the Orioles would be opposed to trading Tejada to an AL East team when they would be getting a player in return that can do more damage with a bat than Tejada can. (Manny).

What I understood was that the team originally dumped payroll because the owner spent nearly everything he had purchasing the team, and didn't have the money to make improvements. It seems like he must have fixed his financial situation with the way he's spending money this offseason.

Maybe the bullpen? That's probably about it though. A package deal that had us take some salary could probably be arranged, but I'm not overly excited about Gonzalez. I wouldn't mind Green, but I think he'd invoke his no trade clause.

And Josh Kroeger

I'm not sure the officials would have ever been able to clear the field if they threw a flag AFTER Michigan scored the touchdown. Some of the people already on the field weren't players or coaches. Much more chaos would have ensued if Michigan scored on that play. The Nebraska players were the first to enter the field of play when the fumble occured back at the 30 yard line.

Doh!!! Yeah, I really messed that up.

I can't believe I haven't heard anybody else talk about this part of the play. That was just so stupid. I watched that play over and over. If anyone gets the opportunity, take a close look at at least 1 Michigan blocker (I use the word blocker loosely) at about the 25-30 yard line. He and others had already given up on the play. Michigan very easily could have gotten into the end zone on that play with: 1. A cut back to the inside rather than down the sideline. 2. A lateral to the quicker guy trailing the runner. 3. The runner ran past 2 blockers who hadn't given up on the play. 4. The other blockers who DID give up on the play staying in there ahead of the runner. Split second decisions, I know. But, Michigan had a golden opportunity to get into the endzone. It appeared that only the few guys who ended up being in on the tackle were the only one's on that team that didn't give up on the play.

He probably also sees a former leadoff hitter with speed. He'll hit 2nd. Yep. I think he'll hit 2nd as well, and whoever Hendry gets to get the bulk of the playing time in LF will either go between Lee and Ramirez if he's a lefty, or will hit 5th behind Ramirez if it's a righty.

I'll add one more thing. When (I use WHEN rather than IF because I think adding another outfielder is inevitable) Hendry does add another outfielder, it will be Murton who gets platooned, not Jones. Jones is viewed as an everyday starter by Hendry and Dusty. He was basically an everyday starter with the Twins. We (NSBB) see his horrible splits against lefty starters, but Dusty sees a veteran who has been an everyday starter for years who is also making starter money.

I'm all for it. As stated before, Hendry seems to like rehab projects. Mike Sirotka, Dempster, Sullivan, Fox, etc...

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but I think the likelihood that Murton is your everyday leftfielder next year is probably at about 20% odds at best. Hendry seems intent on trading Patterson and Walker, and he still has an extra arm or two in the bullpen he can deal between Ohman, Novoa and Wellemeyer. Between those guys I just listed and a prospect or two, Hendry WILL find someone that turns Murton into a platoon at best. Dusty has no faith in rookies. Cedeno and Murton might both be given plenty of playing time, but I doubt you see them in the same line up together very often. Unless they are both just creaming their competition silly. I could have seen Murton win the job all by himself if Hendry signed Giles or Furcal, or traded for Tejada. But, with Neifi now looking more and more like he's going to be a big factor in the offensive scheme next year, Jacque Jones being Jacque Jones, Hendry will feel the need to give the outfield a boost somehow. I mean, Jerry Hairston is currently the 4th outfielder. Yikes! Think about that. If Murton or Jones sprain an ankle, the outfield will be Murton, Pierre, Hairston. Ughh. I'm hoping that Hendry has taken my advice (I know he reads me daily :D at NSBB) and has decided that Huff wasn't worth what Tampa wanted, and that just before Spring Training breaks, Tampa will be asking for a Neifi Perez chewed piece of gum in exchange for the Cubs taking all or most of Huff's 7.5m for 2006. But, Tampa better hurry or Hendry won't have 7.5m to spend. Anyway, Dusty might put Cedeno and Murton out there at the same time if he gets enough pressure from Hendry. Once. But, out of spite Dusty will do it just long enough to show negative results just so he can play "his" boys. I would have loved to have seen Murton AND Cedeno playing everyday in 2006. But, in order to do it and make it work, the Cubs would have needed to add players that make Murton and Cedeno's offensive production look generic in comparison. With the players added, the Cubs can't afford generic numbers from Murton and Cedeno. They would need above average production, something that is not very fair to ask of a rookie.

I'm still holding onto hope that the Jacque Jones rumors aren't true. :D

Soriano is not a must have and he isn't a good fit for what this team needs. I woudn't give up much for Soriano. It's Bowden's problem he traded for a 2nd baseman when he already had a 7m+ 2nd baseman. We have a 2nd baseman in Walker. We have several if you include Hairston, Cedeno and Perez. That being said, I'd gladly welcome Soriano if it means the rotation stays in tact.

Heh! What did the Cubs pay for Jerry Hairston last year? 17m? :shock:

Derrek Lee hit 6th in the order 38 times last year. That's 37 more times than Albert Pujols has hit 6th in the last 3 seasons combined. Cool, huh?

Want more depression? Neifi Perez as a #8 hitter in 2005: .318 AVG/.375 OBP Jose Macias as a #8 hitter in 2005: .364/.375 Neifi Perez as a #7 hitter in 2005: .305/.341 Jose Macias as a #7 hitter in 2005: .345/.367 Jose Macias as a lead off hitter in 2005: .229/.270 Neifi Perez as a lead off hitter in 2005: .254/.263 Macias had just as many at bats in the top two spots as he had in the bottom 2 spots (7-8). Neifi Perez had more than twice as many at bats in the top two spots than he had in the bottom two spots. The numbers say hit those guys at the bottom of the order if they are going to play at all. What would Dusty do? The exact opposite. Kind of reminds of you of Mike Remlinger a little bit. He was good at getting righties out, so what does Dusty do? Bring him in to face 1 lefty. Matt Murton compiled 11 at bats in the top 2 spots in 2005: .300/.364 Ronny Cedeno compiled 24 at bats in the top 2 spots in '05: .292/.346 Cool, huh?

Tight End please. Either through draft or free agency.

I agree. In fact, he would probably hit more. Texas is the only real hitter's haven in that division. The NL Central doesn't have a poor hitters park to speak of.

I don't feel that way. I think they felt they were within striking distance with the combination of youth and talent they had on their roster along with some solid additions. Because of their location, their forced to spend top dollar to coax players to move to Canada. They might still only finish 3rd, but they have put together a team that has the potential to be better than all the teams in the AL Central or West, and could also slide by Boston or the Yankees if either team falters.