BigbadB

Loretta is one of my favorite guys in baseball. He plays the game right EVERYDAY! In other words, even on a day he goes Ofer, he's still in the right place at the right time to back up a play, moves a runner by going the other way. Team player all the way. Unfortunately, Loretta isn't going anywhere.

Right now is about 6 months too late, but I'll take it.

This is what I believe Brinoch took acception to. Labeling posters is not cool here, nor is misinterpreting their belief. Rather than labeling "some" people here, call that person on it when it happens rather than using a blanket statement. I am one of those people who likes to see a guy take a pitch. Do I value the walk more than a hit? No. But, I'll take a guy who can walk and hit over a guy who can hit, but can't draw a walk or a guy who can walk but can't hit. Give me Todd Walker over Alfonso Soriano. Give me Matt Murton over Jacque Jones. Give me Adam Dunn over just about everybody. While you may believe that Juan Pierre's .313 OBP is what would help the Cubs most, I lean more towards Johnny Damon's .387 OBP. I'd also prefer Matt Lawton's .370 career OBP. Some of us just may not see Pierre's speed as being all that impressive combined with a .354 career OBP. Especially if you were to subtract all the caught stealings from his career OBP. I challenge you to find one person here who values a walk more than a hit. I think what you will find is that most of the group you labeled as preferring a walk over a hit actually prefer plate patience in general. Swing at the good ones and let the bad one's go.

A rookie hitting over .400 and 8 dingers in 77 at bats should be at the plate looking for some more stuff to hit. When he cools off, I'd hope (at least if he was a Cub) he'd start being a little more selective. Until then, ride that wave all the way in. :wink:

It would have been the longest NSBB thread in history. Most of us just gave up on it though.

Frankly I don't think we will be having that conversation 15 years from now about Pujols and Lee. Agreed. Pujols' debilitating elbow injury a couple years from now is going to ruin his HOF chances. :wink: Nah, he's gonna get shot by a crazy woman in a hotel room in Chicago. Those crazy White Sox fans, eh?

What did he say about the trade? If Lawton isn't there, then he better be batting 2nd behind Walker.

I wanted Dunn or Huff, but I also wanted Lawton if the price of the other guys wasn't worth the sacrifice. Let those teams lose these players via free agency so we can laugh at them some more. Lawton provides a very good OBP, something this team has struggled all year with. And not just this year. For several years. Hopefully, the philosophy that a walk can be a good thing will soon be recognized and actually encouraged. I don't want everyone going up there with the mentality that they are going to draw a walk. But, I want them swinging at hitter's pitches, not pitcher's pitches. And if the pitcher isn't going to give them a hitter's pitch, then take a base and let the next guy drive him in. The thing that frustrated me most with Corey is that he was at the plate anticipating a hitter's pitch on every pitch. His biggest project in AAA must be pitch recognition. His whole battle is an overexcitement to swing at whatever is thrown. There doesn't appear to be any relaxation at all up there. I hope he figures it out, as he has the potential to be very good. Hendry has done a great job bringing in talent. Dusty isn't so good at utilizing that talent correctly, which might make Hendry's worst signing Dusty himself. I do see this team as a team that does want to win. They have proven over the last 3 years that they will spend money, they will make trades, they will sign free agents and they will do what is necessary to create a winning atmosphere year in and year out. For that, I'm proud of this team and it's ownership. But, when Nomar, Williamson and Wood (and Patterson?) get back next week, it will be time for results. Dusty needs to turn this .500 team into a .600 winning team in these next two months, and possibly even better. If he doesn't, he's got to go. If he doesn't, he will have proven that his ability to create a happy clubhouse isn't enough to overcome his shortcomings as an ingame strategist. I hope Hendry and MacPhail also see this final two months of this 2005 season is a time to really evaluate what Dusty has to offer. Because rumblings about wanting to coach in LA is not my idea of being focused on the job at hand. Thanks for trading for Lawton, Jim. I hope another good OBP guy proves all of us amateur sabermatrician's right that getting on base is the best way to score runs.

I was pretty sure Lawton's contract was done at the end of this year also. That is unless there was some special thing Pittsburgh did by trading for him in the offseason, like put in a guaranteed extra year. But, I doubt it.

Littlefield was not coming home from the deadline with Lawton still on his roster. Hendry swooped in and gave up a young talented outfielder on the mend and more than likely picked up a substantial portion of the remainder of Lawton's contract. It's another good move by Hendry.

Lawton might be someone he'd like to keep around. He certainly won't cost as much as his last contract. With Nomar at SS, there are only 3 positions to get a lead off guy from. If Patterson comes back to CF, that leaves two, LF and 2nd.

Dunn just made it unnecessary for Griffey to leave the bench (grand slam). Dunn made Petco look like the best hitter's park in baseball this weekend.

Agreed. It is still possible, but I wouldn't bet anything on it. It's over an hour after the deadline and there is NO news.

Griffey is not a spring chick. He's also injury prone. He also plays a very difficult position. It's a day game after a night game. I find nothing unusual about it. He can still come in and pinch hit if they fall behind. The Reds aren't exactly battling for anything this year. If a move for Griffey had been made, we'd have already heard about it. He's a guy who could be traded in the next month, as he'll surely pass through waivers with ease.

It is Sunday. Lots of regulars get a day off on Sunday. I'm watching and nothing has been said other than the rather unearthshattering moves the Padres made the last few days.

Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but this is a conversation I had with a new poster a few hours ago. Alright, I was patting myself on the back. Back to your regularly scheduled discussion. :D

Remember this little conversation we had a few hours ago? I wouldn't be so sure about that. There is no way Littlefield shows up for work on Monday or Tuesday with Lawton still on his roster. Lawton also has quite a bit of money owed to him for the remainder of this year. I'd bet Wellemeyer would be enough. As would Jody Gerut. I'll expect that ice cream cake shipped Fed Ex in dry ice. :wink: I also believe you should include a cherry pie to go with it, since Welly is still a Cub.

Rotoworld says Gerut for Lawton. I like it.

I'm going to tune into the Padres/Reds game and see if anything gets said here. I'd watch the rest of the Cub game, but it's been pretty depressing at this point. I do hope we never sign a reliever as old as Remlinger for more than a year ever in our lifetimes.

It's too quiet. I think something big is happening.

I am 99.9% sure that all deferred money is to be paid by the team that the player signs the contract with. It depends on how the two trading teams work out the arrangements.

Since there is another Griffey thread, I'll lock this one.

I really don't like what the Padres are doing here. They need offense and keep trading it away.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. There is no way Littlefield shows up for work on Monday or Tuesday with Lawton still on his roster. Lawton also has quite a bit of money owed to him for the remainder of this year. I'd bet Wellemeyer would be enough. As would Jody Gerut.

I'll have to warn you not to turn the channel to TBS. Their playing great ever since they benched has beens like Brian Jordan and Raul Mondesi for the likes of Kelly Johnson, Ryan Langerhans and Jeff Francoeur. :) Let's see two are batting .232 and .244 with .326 obs and one is .406 with no walks. Let's check in one month. Jordan's OPS this year .627 Mondesi's OPS this year .630 Francouer's OPS this year 1.333 Johnson's OPS this yer .720 Langerhans OPS this year .732 __________________________________ Hollandsworth's OPS this year .694 Murton's OPS this year 1.071 NEVER did I say Hollandsworth was better/more clutch than Murton. The only time I can recall Hollandsworth was clutch was last season in April when he hit the game tying homerun off Smoltz. Follow along with the quotes. My response was to SanJoseCub. He attempted to debate my argument about Atlanta playing the rookies. They're playing better, the team is doing better. I just decided to add that Murton is blowing Hollandsworth out of the water. But, my point is I'm fine with a rookie in the line up everyday, even in a playoff chase.