Tracer Bullet

I thought for a moment by listing him as traded since he technically was, but thought that was ideologically the better fit. Again, the difference in homegrown and traded wasn't really the focus, it was the lack of FA signings showing up on that list. I'd expect you of all people to remember that he was a Cubs top prospect that Jim Hendry gave up on an sent to the Reds for nothing. You must be [expletive] joking me. Bob - if not for your post, this wouldn't have happened. You owe everyone an apology.

Didn't read the defined terms, I see. He wasn't traded to the Rangers after reaching the majors? Wasn't he still a rookie his first year with the rangers? I don't know how TT counts players with less than a year of ML service time. The overall point is he wasn't acquired as a FA. ETA: he had more time in the majors in Cincy than I thought. My bad. Regardless, you owe me an apology. You're probably right.

Didn't read the defined terms, I see. He wasn't traded to the Rangers after reaching the majors? Wasn't he still a rookie his first year with the rangers? I don't know how TT counts players with less than a year of ML service time. The overall point is he wasn't acquired as a FA. ETA: he had more time in the majors in Cincy than I thought. My bad. Don't know anything about baseball, I see. (burrrrrrrrrn) Hey, I'm on TT's side of this one. You really want to take the opposing view?

Didn't read the defined terms, I see. He wasn't traded to the Rangers after reaching the majors? Wasn't he still a rookie his first year with the rangers? I don't know how TT counts players with less than a year of ML service time. The overall point is he wasn't acquired as a FA. ETA: he had more time in the majors in Cincy than I thought. My bad.

Didn't read the defined terms, I see.

He said if this sitting on your hands style results in 3 years of 75 wins, then that's a problem. I see it as a problem if it results in 1 year of 75 wins, and 2 would be a disaster. I'm not sure why he's willing to wait through 3 of them. Yes. That's not the same as saying he thinks you wait 3 years to evaluate him. That's basic logic which we know TT is entitled to. Where's the logic? He's skewing a list of players to try and support the notion that the only hope for the Cubs is to build stars from within, which inevitably takes at least 3 years. He threw out the 3 years comment. You and him and a bunch of others are buying into the notion that the Cubs stood no chance of staying in contention in the NL Central in 2012 so they were justified in tanking and it's nothing but a bunch of nonsense. If this team had $135 million in guarantees locked into lost players for 2012, well, your only choice was to clean house and essentially tank. But that wasn't the situation. This team isn't/wasn't destined to suck in 2012 until you pass/passed on the one thing you had a chance of acquiring this offseason with available resources, free agents. The excuse making and retroactive justification of avoiding free agency is mind numbing. I apologize, you didn't misread it. You just completely misunderstood.

That is such nonsense. He's not responsible for turning this team into a juggernaut this year, but they should win more than they are in-line to win. He inherited a flawed organization. But the pieces were out there to turn this team into at least a respectable club this season without destroying any future hope for greater success. If winning 60 instead of 80 games thus year makes the team significantly better in 2013-14, it's stupid not to do it. It's stupid to suggest that is the case. Didn't take long to get to "you're stupid if you disagree with me" jersey.

The point is signing FAs is much less likely to land stars than drafting or acquiring them via trade. Splitting the last 2 more finely doesn't change the landscape meaningfully and, in nsbb land, just leads to more arguments that miss the point.

That is such nonsense. He's not responsible for turning this team into a juggernaut this year, but they should win more than they are in-line to win. He inherited a flawed organization. But the pieces were out there to turn this team into at least a respectable club this season without destroying any future hope for greater success. If winning 60 instead of 80 games thus year makes the team significantly better in 2013-14, it's stupid not to do it.

He said if this sitting on your hands style results in 3 years of 75 wins, then that's a problem. I see it as a problem if it results in 1 year of 75 wins, and 2 would be a disaster. I'm not sure why he's willing to wait through 3 of them. Yes. That's not the same as saying he thinks you wait 3 years to evaluate him. That's basic logic which we know TT is entitled to.

Right. I think it's a cop-out to suggest that Theo's not responsible for winning in the next 'x' number of years while he rids the roster of Hendry's players (Not that I necessarily think this is what Theo is doing.) But an incoming GM has the responsibility to evaluate what he inherited and to make use of the parts that are usable. An elite baseball mind like Theo has the reputation for being should be able to both "win now" while also building the farm system to "win later." You know, the whole "parallel fronts" thing. Theo isn't responsible for winning this year. If we all can't agree with that, we should have hired some schmuck and continued to tread water forever. Theo inherited a mess.

Also, as an added bonus, during those 3 years we get to waste cheap 5+ WAR seasons from Starlin Castro. If we're blowing an offseason that could have made us a playoff team or near playoff team, why are the following two seasons already written off when we've only gotten rid of expiring contracts and added guys under control for several years? You are the one that talked about waiting until after the third season to hold them accountable for a lack fo success. Hahaha. You must have misread it bc this type of intentional misinterpretation isn't your style.

I can't buy that argument. It's like claiming the Iraq war is Obama's war. Until Hendry's contracts roll off, the team still has his footprint. The front office inherited a mess. They could have continued to band-aid the mess as has been done for 3 straight years, or they could blow it up and build it the their own way. Soriano's under contract for 3 more years. So the team is still Hendry's team until 2015?? He said Hendry's footprint. And obviously the fewer contracts from JH, the smaller the print (though he also gets credit for Castro). I think the point is that Theo ranking 2012 to make 2013+ better doesn't mean all of the failures of 2012 are on him, as jersey seemed to suggest. Rather, you hired a great GM to fix your organization, give him more than 1 season to do it. The pieces were/are there to be both better now and down the line. It would appear that Theo didn't think so. Or at least that the cost of the FAs this year wouldn't be justified by the increase in Ws.

I can't buy that argument. It's like claiming the Iraq war is Obama's war. Until Hendry's contracts roll off, the team still has his footprint. The front office inherited a mess. They could have continued to band-aid the mess as has been done for 3 straight years, or they could blow it up and build it the their own way. Soriano's under contract for 3 more years. So the team is still Hendry's team until 2015?? He said Hendry's footprint. And obviously the fewer contracts from JH, the smaller the print (though he also gets credit for Castro). I think the point is that Theo tanking 2012 to make 2013+ better doesn't mean all of the failures of 2012 are on him, as jersey seemed to suggest. Rather, you hired a great GM to fix your organization, give him more than 1 season to do it.

Remember the contract Weis got when he took a job no one wanted in 2004? And not having any OL in years 2 and 3 isn't nearly as bad as having a rape scandal. Can PSU have an intern as HC?

Or we can agree that you're wrong. Either way.

i bet you'd get laid a lot if you had a buddy who could kick two girls in the face at the same time imb should have roast as a wingman. His vertigo would no longer be an obstacle. hello im in an 18-month relationship, i no longer have any sex except with myself 18 months? What are you waiting for. Find yourself a nice parking lot and marry that girl.

i bet you'd get laid a lot if you had a buddy who could kick two girls in the face at the same time imb should have roast as a wingman. His vertigo would no longer be an obstacle.

i bet you'd get laid a lot if you had a buddy who could kick two girls in the face at the same time Hahaha

I did that in tecmo bowl so I could have a 99 yard TD.

Living in UM country for 8 years, I'd say it's rare for UM and MSU fans to cheer for each other's school. And I've been an Iowa fan as long as I've been alive and I've never cheered for another team based solely on conference affiliation. I understand wanting the conference to appear strong. But schadenfreude typically wins out for me.

And I'm just razzing you about your "objective" post. Nothing else intended.

Trying to be as objective as possible, but there is a ton of appeal for a stud wide receiver to go to Arkansas. You can count on playing in a pro-style system with a quality quarterback who can get the ball to you. Tyler Wilson returns next year, who broke SEC passing records set by the previous Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. He's followed on the depth chart by a redshirt Sophomore Parade All American QB. You have a chance to put up video game type numbers in a conference which is all over TV every single weekend, not to mention playing against NFL caliber players every week. There is an excellent chance that 3 or 4 Hog WRs will get drafted fairly high next season, which means that playing time is there for the taking right away. Just sayin'... That's trying to be objective? That's a lot of facts, not opinions. I really, really think Missouri is going to have to have big time trouble adjusting to the SEC defenses. Both the QB situations at Texas and OU are in flux. The SEC owns ESPN every Saturday night. Bobby Petrino, love him or hate him, knows how to coach an offense and utilize talent. Now that's a lot of personal opinions. Some are facts; some are less factual. All are from your biased viewpoint. Doesn't mean you're wrong (though I share TT's skepticism). But just bc you post quasi-factual stuff doesn't mean your post was objective.

Trying to be as objective as possible, but there is a ton of appeal for a stud wide receiver to go to Arkansas. You can count on playing in a pro-style system with a quality quarterback who can get the ball to you. Tyler Wilson returns next year, who broke SEC passing records set by the previous Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. He's followed on the depth chart by a redshirt Sophomore Parade All American QB. You have a chance to put up video game type numbers in a conference which is all over TV every single weekend, not to mention playing against NFL caliber players every week. There is an excellent chance that 3 or 4 Hog WRs will get drafted fairly high next season, which means that playing time is there for the taking right away. Just sayin'... That's trying to be objective?

Polian?