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katway

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Everything posted by katway

  1. katway
    Why would you rather have Neifi at SS than Walker at 2nd? It makes no sense to purposefully downgrade a position. As crappy as he's been this year, Neifi is capable of much worse. I'd opt for Ronny Cedeno at SS
  2. katway
    Burny doesn't have enough range for center. His defense numbers when he played an extensive amount of center field for the Rockies in 2004 were not good. Last year, he played 69 games in center due to the Preston Wilson injuries with a Davenport Translation of 92 on defense and a ESPN zone rating of .792, both of which were well below average. The only worse NL regular center fielder in zone rating was Ken Griffey, Jr. (he was still recovering from injuries last year). Thus, if we put him in center, Burny will probably be the worst regular as measured by range factor. In addition, Burny seems to be among the worst hitting outfielders the second half this year. While I appreciate his hustle, I'd rather he not be on the Cubs next year in more than a backup role.
  3. katway
    Exactly! I'd say the same thing about Cedeno. i agree with both of you. it appears that these players just know how to play without having to think too much. ballplayers, billy beane would call them. i could live with murton in left and cedono getting siginificant time in the middle infield spots, preferably backing up nomar and walker. murton also provides a cheap option that affords us the luxury of spending big in right field, centerfield, and getting another sp and reliever. i think the only possible way that we don't land giles is if giles simply does not want to play anywhere other than crappy southern california. we have the most money to spend and hendry knows that he has work to do. Why is Southern Ca crappy?? The chances of the Cubs giving Giles enough money to leave SoCal is slim and none. I like Chicago better. :D Having lived in Chicago, SoCal, and DC, I'd have say most cities have their unique advantages and disadvantages :-k ; but Chicago is by far the best sports city in America :D
  4. katway
    Can see Konerko ending up in Boston, and perhaps Burnett too. My guess is that the Cubs stick their nose into the Manny trade talks w/ NY and try to get Cameron or Floyd. Perhaps they could get both for Murton, Patterson and Walker. I wouldn't trade Murton since he can be a cheap and productive outfielder for many years. He also has good baseball instincts, which is something this club desperately needs more of next year. I never liked Cameron with the WhiteSox, he is very streaky; I almost rather hang onto Patterson. Floyd would be a nice bat in the lineup and we might be able to get him for Walker and a prospect. Floyd cou;ld return to rightfield and Murton could play left. Not very good defensively, but a full season of them would be a major upgrade over what we have gotten this year out of the corner outfielders.
  5. katway
    Murton needs to be penciled into left next season because he is more of what this team needs -- a baseball player and not an "athlete with potential". He not only plays the game, but you can tell he thinks about the game and has an idea of what is needed in a particular game situation. This team needs all the baseball instincts it can get.
  6. katway
    The article doesn't even mention Nomar :-k
  7. katway
    Walker has good offensive numbers but hasn't been very clutch with the Cubs. His defense, however, is far worse than the stats. He is probably among the worst at turning a double play. I really can't think of any 2s that are worse at turning two than Walker. For that reason, I would think his greatest value is in the AL. Nevertheless, the Cubs will have to have an adequate replacement lined up before trading him such as having Nomar agree to play 2nd.
  8. katway
    I agree. I think even Dusty could win a WS with that lineup. I wonder how Dusty can win without a leadoff hitter, with most of his starters going down to injury, a troubled bullpen, and having to rely on a rookie (like Cano) and aging veterans.... h'mmm looking at this year's Cubs, we can definitely say Dusty would never get the Yanks where Torre has taken them. Dusty would have never trusted Cano, never have managed the bullpen properly, and never gotten the best out of his players. Dusty would have let the NY press crumble his team Steve Stone style in April, let alone through a full season of having to put up with the press and Steinbrenner. Nevertheless, NY is Torre's last job since he is getting older and has had health issues.
  9. katway
    duh because Palmerio did the juice without being on the Yankees. Giambi came about as clean about being on the juice as his lawyer would allow. The guy didn't stand up in front of Congress and lie about it. He's been pretty forthcoming. But, I'd never give him a "come back player" award for putting up decent numbers without the juice. Raffy deserves harsher treatment because he lied big time and obtained hall of fame numbers on the juice. the only reason he came clean was because his testimony was leaked. and probably the only reason he didn't lie when he testified was because he knew he was busted. When Giambi was under oath, he told the truth. When Palmeiro was under oath, he lied. Hence, in the scale of losers - Palmeiro > Giambi. In any event, with respect to comback player, I think Todd Jones deserves major consideration. He has done a remarkable job for Florida.
  10. katway
    duh because Palmerio did the juice without being on the Yankees. Giambi came about as clean about being on the juice as his lawyer would allow. The guy didn't stand up in front of Congress and lie about it. He's been pretty forthcoming. But, I'd never give him a "come back player" award for putting up decent numbers without the juice. Raffy deserves harsher treatment because he lied big time and obtained hall of fame numbers on the juice.
  11. katway
    The great hitters can inside-out an inside fastball. It is what seperates them from the crowd. Pitchers commonly go inside with 2 strikes and the great hitters can take that pitch up the middle or to the opposite field. Tony Gwynn excelled at it, as did his hitting idol Ted Williams. It’s called “staying inside the ball”, and it was integral to their success. An inside-out stroke allows a hitter to wait longer and make contact deeper in the hitting zones so they can take an inside fastball the other way. In Ted Williams’ book, The Science of Hitting, Ted noted that he went from being a good hitter to a great hitter when he learned how to inside-out the fastball on the inside corner with two strikes. Tony Gwynn also had this ability as did others like Rod Carew, Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, etc...
  12. katway
    Who would we rather have -- Maddux @ $9M in 2006 or Randy Johnson @ $32M for the next two years (combined)? Given their numbers this year, Maddux is a relative bargain.
  13. katway
    Without Guzman and Bergola equivalents there is no way Cubs do such a trade for Dunn and Bradley. Dunn is not in Lee's class and Bradley is more trouble than he is worth. Cubs would have to get a definite trade winner deal to trade Lee where everyone looking at it says why did they give up so much to get Lee. Equal value will not suffice, Cubs will need more and I don't blame them.
  14. katway
    If you can turn one good player (Lee) into 2 good players, I think you have to do it with this terrible FA market. Trades are the only way the Cubs are going to get anything of value this offseason IMO. Thome's defense is not that bad. He's about average. Plus, it's 1B. Who is foolish enough to give up two proven good players for one proven good player and is in a position to win next year if they only had a 1st baseman? IMO, trading Lee for anything less than proven players and instead for "potential" would be a mistake.
  15. katway
    No thanks... Thome is tailor made for the AL. He is below average defensively and needs a day off from the position every week to remain healthy. He has much more value to an AL team. Hendry understood this and made the decision not to go after him as a free agent a couple years ago even though Thome had lunch with Hendry to express his desire to be a Cub.
  16. katway
    As fans of a losing team with a hefty payroll, should we be harse on a hall of fame winning pitcher and demand he forgo his tour of the league? :roll: Seems to me that way too much is being made of Maddux getting $9 mil next year. :-({|= That was the deal and the team has to live with it, move on.
  17. katway
    What if trading Lee got you another All-Star, possibly one younger and more likely to stay at their current numbers than Lee? There's a lot of good hitting 1B, I'd explore the possiblity. The only way I would consider trading Lee is if maybe it is to Texas for Mench and Gonzalez who is gonna be a stud hitting 1B if you can give up Lee and a midlevel prospect for Mench, Gonzalez and another prospect maybe. Then they could have Texiera be the DH. But i dont see Texas doing this deal becasue they need pitching. Lee to LA Cubs prospect(s) to Milwaukee LA prospects to Cincy Dunn to Chicago Overbay to Chicago Just throwing it out there. Am I missing something, but is this just essentially 2 trades? 1 - Lee for Dunn, then 2- prospects for Overbay? I'd never do a Lee for Dunn trade strait up like that.
  18. katway
    Lee is a rare player that uses all 5 tools, plays first with a gold glove, stays healthy, and is an all around good guy with a reasonable contract. He has value because he is a rarity and trading such a rare player will only net us a bunch of less than remarkable players that we could pick up as free agents or through a non-D. Lee trade. I'd rather overpay $ to get position players at other positions than trade D. Lee.
  19. katway
    Agreed. Vick's emergence is keeping a lot of kids from being college WRs, but I give Cunningham the credit for giving guys like Vick (and the current crop) a chance to stay at QB. was warren moon before cunningham? warren moon was my favorite nfl player growing up! Let's not forget Doug Williams. He was the Super Bowl MVP in 1988 and continues to make significant contributions at Grambling.
  20. katway
    Braves will not trade Marcus Giles. Oakland tried to pry him away for Hudson last offseason and the Braves wouldn't budge. The Braves kept telling Oakland that Marcus Giles was simply not going to be a part of any trade. With that in mind, I doubt the Cubs could get Marcus Giles. Furcal, however, seems to have worn out his welcome in Atlanta.
  21. katway
    A couple years ago, I wanted the Cubs to make a Wood for A-Rod deal for A-Rod to play short; but, now I wonder if A-Rod can actually return to short after 2 years at third. A-Rod has gone up in wieght from 190 when he came over to Texas to 225 today with the Yankees. At 6'3" and 225, he doesn't appear to have the same mobility that he used to in the field.
  22. katway
    The article implies the Cubs couldn't have gotten Padilla for Rusch. It implies the Cubs made that offer and the Phils refused for good reason.
  23. katway
    True in most situations, but not all. If the player feels they have to make a running correction to touch first base (i.e., slowing the legs down to make contact with the bag rather than running in stride), then a slide may be quicker in that particular situation. It is not an absolute that the slide is always slower when a running adjustment must be made to touch the base. the only time to slide is to avoid a tag. if it were ever faster you would see olympic sprinters doing it. Please pay attention. Olympic sprinters are not adjusting to touch a bag. Your natural stride doesn't always take you to the bag, it can take you under or over a bag. Hence, sometimes a slide can help someone reach quicker because it eliminates the awkward running adjustment to touch a bag. Such instances are rare, but the answer is not absolute. Considering the size of the base, and especially so for Hairston since his stride isn't that long, I'd say that the ground slows you down more than taking a half step to make sure you touch the base. Didn't say Hairston made the right decision, just noting that the concept is not absolute that the slide (particularly head first with momentum continuing forward) will be slower than a running adjustment.
  24. katway
    True in most situations, but not all. If the player feels they have to make a running correction to touch first base (i.e., slowing the legs down to make contact with the bag rather than running in stride), then a slide may be quicker in that particular situation. It is not an absolute that the slide is always slower when a running adjustment must be made to touch the base. the only time to slide is to avoid a tag. if it were ever faster you would see olympic sprinters doing it. Please pay attention. Olympic sprinters are not adjusting to touch a bag. Your natural stride doesn't always take you to the bag, it can take you under or over a bag. Hence, sometimes a slide can help someone reach quicker because it eliminates the awkward running adjustment to touch a bag. Such instances are rare, but the answer is not absolute.
  25. katway
    True in most situations, but not all. If the player feels they have to make a running correction to touch first base (i.e., slowing the legs down to make contact with the bag rather than running in stride), then a slide may be quicker in that particular situation. It is not an absolute that the slide is always slower when a running adjustment must be made to touch the base.
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