CardsFanInChiTown

Looks like a catch but you gotta challenge

he got it

We have a new ballgame.. sorta

While Pierre is no offensive panacea, his skill set is such that he provides the most value at the top of the order. There are two main components to scoring runs; getting on base and advancing runners. For the most part Pierre is pretty good on the first count. His great speed and fantastic contact ratio allow him to maintain a healthy average, which in turn help him post good OBP. The fickle nature of BABIP makes him prone to down years like those he suffered in 2002 and 2005, but for the most part you can expect him to do a good job getting on base. The other component of run production, advancing runners, is where Pierre is seriously deficient. The vast majority of his hits are singles, and a lot of those are of the infield variety. In short, he doesn’t do a good job at advancing runners. With those traits in mind, you’d want to place Pierre in a lineup spot where there are few opportunities to advance runners and where there are good hitters behind him who will drive him in when he gets on base. There’s a nice term coined for such a lineup slot; leadoff. I really can’t think of anywhere I’d bat Pierre aside from leadoff. (Unless you're talking about a theoretical lineup has a player with a better OBP but a similarly weak SLG, that is.) Then again, it doesn’t look like batting order has a huge impact on run production, so for the most part I’d say these issues don’t really matter. Although I respect your points, I still believe run production is maximized by putting the best hitters in front of the lineup. However you are right, batting order doesn't have a huge impact on production.

I suggest we take all nonbaseball sports talk out of social and into new forum called "Non-Baseball Sports Talk". Yay or Nay?

I might be beating a dead horse however I'm shocked how many NSBBers think the Cubs should have kept Corey. - Corey is a human being and he needed a change - Wrigley was eating him alive. - He would have been a media fiasco (Bruce Miles point) - 3m a year - .215/.254/.348 last year and is .252/.293/.414 for his career - He's 26 now - it's not old but he's not a kid anymore in baseball years - How likely would he been able to get things together coming off the bench? - How much more could the Cubs really have gotten for him? I think Hendry did a pretty good job with this trade.

No way. BTW, I'm assuming that Walker will not be with the team. I wouldn't give the leadoff spot to somebody who just started in the ML, I think you want someone with experience. Some who is a big steal threat to make the pitchers nervous. You want someone who frequently walks more than he strikes out. To me, neither Cedeno or Murton have enough experience to bat leadoff. Especially after trying to force Corey into that role. I think Pierre was a huge pickup for the cubs. I really think he improves the team a lot. Finally, a tested, proven leadoff hitter. There's no way I would bat him anywhere else. I don't believe Pierre's speed will add much to the Cubs and he doesn't really walk much. I believe all three players will have similar OBP however Murton and Walker should have a better SLG so I'd want them to get more AB's. Obviously I'm the minority opinion here. If Walker gets delt I'd do the following: Pierre\Hairston - whoever is swinging a hotter bat, most likely Pierre Murton Lee Ramirez Barrett Jones Hairston\Pierre - whoever is swinging a colder bat, most likely Hairston Cedeno

It'll be interesting to see how Tavarez handles the pressures of Boston.

The Cards are keeping the same uniforms, I don't know where that pic came from.

Why is it obvious Pierre should bat leadoff? If I were a Cub fan I would want him to get as few as AB's as possible. As I stated before, I'd bat Walker and Murton in the top 2 spots because of increased OBP and extra base hits.

Haw-haw laugh>

Ack, I don't want to think about this but I'll pick A since I don't think B is an option. That said I don't think the Cardinal org is sold on Marquis.

Yes, based on the "allegations" and all the garbage that will go with them, I'd hate for those questions and discussions to take away from the honor that Ripken and Gwynn (two wonderful ambassadors of the game) richly deserve. I guess I consider McGwire less deserving than those two. But as you have said, I too would have a hard time not voting a deserving candidate just on what I "believe" to be true instead of what I know...therefore my statement that I would "reluctantly" cast that vote. Of course, I can see a lot of voters not voting him on the first ballot because they view a first ballot HOFer to be a greater honor than getting in on a later ballot. I would not begrudge a voter who wanted to make McGwire wait until 2008 or 2009 for induction. I would begrudge those who refuse to ever induct him. Whoops, after rereading your original post I realize my error.

You don't think he should share the podium with Ripken and Gwynn because of allegations? He probably took steroids however I don't think voters should exclude people based on allegations.

Murton Walker Lee Ramirez Jones Barrett Pierre Cedeno edit - fliped Jones and Barrett because Pierre is a lefty

From the baseball HOF webpage. And since Sutter is pretty much set the standard for the modern closer, Sutter most "indelible" mark came as a member of the Cubs. No disrespect to the Cards, after reading...Sutter has to go in as Cubs. Thanks! It'll be interesting if they "consider his wishes" enough to make him a Cardinal. Wishes aside he should be a Cub in a close call...

I recall they can "split" the cap. Is that true?

According to ESPN's Rumors: Looks like Marte would net Lugo, I was under the impression that wasn't enough...

Sosa is a rare exception. It can be done but I wouldn't bank on it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Tampa want more than Andy Marte for Lugo? That's steep. edit - Whoops, UK already made this point.

I would say he has a chance to be decent in Baltimore but not in Chicago. And why is that? He was mentally fried and the fan's were all over him. Did you check out his body language? Did you go to a game in the 2nd half? It was horrible. I think you can take it as a given that I do watch Cubs baseball since I run a site devoted to them. Why do people even ask this question of someone who is a big enough fan to participate on these forums? Did you watch any Cards games last year? Woah, sorry that's not what I meant, on TV the boos didn't seem as extreme. Truth be told I didn't go to one game at Bush last year.

I'm not gonna disagree at all, but lets end this before it starts because it will become forty pages on whether its ok to boo or not. :shock: :-#

I would say he has a chance to be decent in Baltimore but not in Chicago. And why is that? He was mentally fried and the fan's were all over him. Did you check out his body language? Did you go to a game in the 2nd half? It was horrible.

I understand your "let's wait and see if he can get more" argument. I guess my question is how much do you think Hendry could have gotten? I think part of his argument is that the Cubs paint themselves into the corner where everybody knows they HAVE to deal certain players and brings down their value even more. I agree that this is a problem and the Sosa deal was pretty much a sham. Regardless, even without that knowledge, I don't think they could have gotten much more than they did. He's not making 350 K anymore. At a risk of sounding like a troll I think Wrigley fan's painted Hendry into a corner.

I would say he has a chance to be decent in Baltimore but not in Chicago.