cheapseats

Nothing. The money is already spent, so how could we lose it? Sunk cost.

Block. Our defense came through, again.

I'm not worried. It's just the 2nd inning, and the wind is blowing in, and we've got a lot of speed on the field today, so we'll be able to grind this one out with our small balls offense because once Pierre and Izturis and Barrett (he's fast for a catcher) and Jones and Pagan and Neifi get on base, they know what to do, just like Hawk Harrelson always says, getting on base is fine but it's what you do when you get on base that matters. GO CUBS!

The Dbacks might hit 100 pitches by the end of this inning.

Jones can hardly handle right field? According to BP, his career rate is 6 runs above average. The worst season he's ever had has been average. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/jonesja04.shtml By Probabilistic Model of Range Jones has been above average: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/cat_probabilistic_model_of_range.php http://anaheimangelsblog.blogspot.com/2005/02/pmr-runs-rightfielders-pinto-has.html By UZR, a stat the Cardinals like so much that they hired Mitchel Lichtman, Jones has been above average: http://www.tangotiger.net/UZR0003.html David Gassko's system has had Jones as the best RF in the game: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/measuring-range/ The Fielding Bible is great, but if the preponderance of evidence says someone is better than average, perhaps one should explore why there is a discrepancy. I just opened up Dan Haren 3:16 in my Fielding Bible, and it says Jacque Jones is at least an average RF. Even if you want to deny every metric that says he's better than average, are you really going to argue that they've all grossly overestimated him? As for the defensive spectrum, again, some players are better suited for positions that are generally more difficult. If CF is inherently more difficult than RF, why wasn't Mike Cameron the best RF ever? If SS is inherently more difficult than 3B, why is Alex Rodriguez an above average SS and a below average 3B?

But I'm working under the assumption that we're going to keep him. If he's going to be on the team at all, would you rather he take up a corner outfield slot? His offensive production would look better in CF than RF - that's what I mean about the bat making up for the glove, if in fact his defense in CF proved to be a liability, and I'm not so sure it would be.

So getting bad jumps doesn't matter in RF? Anyway, even if he weren't Willie Mays in CF (and the past shows that he's a better CF than RF, but you can ignore that if you like), his bat would more than make up for his glove. Michael Barrett is not a good defensive catcher, but I'm glad we have him instead of Yadier Molina. Molina has been worth almost 2 wins this year solely because of his defense. Barrett has been worth almost 3 wins thus far solely because of his bat.

It's likely that they can't do a split doubleheader. They have an agreement with the neighborhood that dictates when they can play night games.

And some players are better fits for positions on the right of the spectrum rather than the left. Mike Cameron, for an example, is a below average RF but an above average CF. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/camermi01.shtml Jacque was a CF and was moved to RF not because he couldn't handle the position, but because Hunter was already in CF. Jacque has played 159 games in CF, and his career fielding rate is better than his rate as a LF or RF: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/jonesja04.shtml

Why should that matter? The most important part of the job is getting on base. Speed is way back in the distance in terms of importance. Way, WAYYYYYY back. But, to answer the question, yes, he has. 2004 was such a long time ago. :twisted:

Jones' natural position is CF. He moved to RF because of Hunter. And I don't agree with the assumption that CF is inherently more difficult than RF. Jones has good range but doesn't throw well. CF might emphasize his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses.

I'd honestly rather have Neifi Perez than Izturis. Although he was terrible with the bat last year and shouldn't be starting on a team that's dead last in runs scored, Neifi's glove was very, very good last year, and he has been very good over the course of his career. By fielding metrics, Neifi is, was, and probably will be a better fielding shortstop than Izturis. Yes, the media overrates Izturis that much. Even if Izturis reverts to his "all-star" form of 2004, he was actually only good for 3.5 WARP that year, so he'd be a run worse than what Neifi gave us last year. I don't expect Neifi to repeat his 2005 performance, but I also don't expect Izturis to repeat his 2004 performance. If I had to choose between Izturis and Cedeno, it would be Cedeno every time. He'd give us essentially the same production at one tenth of the price.

I take it you haven't been keeping up with Griffey this year. He's been pretty horrible. His OBP is below .300.

Wait... what happened? Aramis with a low throw to Neifi. Neifi catches ball bent over and parades around the infield on all fours.

Neifi is such a hotdog.

Sample size, Vance. :D Remember Mitre vs Halladay.

If we traded Neifi to the Brewers he could be the sixth sausage.

Yep, I don't listen to Chicago sports radio (or any sports radio, for that matter), but Murphy isn't bad.

The Cubs are tied for the 4th best team defense in baseball this year: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=11582 It's sometimes hard to measure a single player's defensive contribution, but it's not hard to measure a team's defensive performance. The Cubs have been one of the best defensive teams this year.

If Cedeno isn't the 2B next year, I bet it will be Kennedy, who has been one of the worst everyday 2B in baseball this year.

Do me a favor. Come back in a year and a half and we'll see how it all worked out. Izturis would be fine playing SS on the Red Sox or 2nd on the Yankees. According to PECOTA's projections, he'll probably add about 3 wins above a replacement player next year, and he'll do it with his glove as his bat is a liability. However, the Cubs are already the 5th best defensive team in the league, and they're one of the three worst offensive teams in baseball (you could make the argument that they're the worst). Izturis helps the defense - which is already quite good - a little bit, but he will hurt the offense that is already wretched.

Bottom of the order? Cesar is hitting second, dude. All hail Cesar!

Exactly what everyone said after every move in the offseason.

At first I thought you wrote, "That's a lot of poop." Which is also accurate.

The Phil Rogers column today makes me want to vomit. Izturis is "an excellent all-around player"? No, he's only valuable on defense. It's true that a run saved is (almost) as valuable as a run scored, but the Cubs are ALREADY the 5th best defensive team in baseball, believe it or not. We have the 2nd-lowest OBP in MLB, the 3rd-lowest OPS, and Izturis is going to make us worse in those departments, not better. What? Out of 50 players who have played shortstop this year, Ronny is dead last in offensive production (measured by VORP). Last. He can only improve, but what are his chances of becoming a "standout" at a position in which more offensive production is expected?