MeatampPotatoesMan

LOL. Unless by "some prospects," you mean Pie, then you must be kidding about getting Sizemore. ...as i just mentioned above.

Neifi is a much better defensive SS (as compared to other shortstops) than Corey is a defensive CF. Patterson is not in the same league as Hunter, Jones, Cameron, Edmonds. let edmonds, hunter, jones, and cameron play with a brick wall behind them. it's a completely different game. edmonds? oh no, you didn't.

it all depends on the prospect. if it was pie and walker, they'd probably consider it.

I think that's incorrect. They disagreed, Howe gave his opinion, Beane told him where he could put that opinion in no uncertain terms, Howe ignored the warning, and Howe lost his job, in spite of the fact that his team had won 100 games that year. Disagree with what? The manager having the final say on which player plays and which is player is replaced in a particular situation in a game? Howe had his ideas of how the 25 guys Beane brought him should be utilized and Beane has his idea, they weren't on the same wavelength and Beane in his position of authority wanted someone who was likely to manage the game similar to how Beane would. Like I said, you think Hendry would tell Baker how to manage? I don't. No, my point is that Howe clearly did not have the "final say". Beane made it clear several times who was in charge. He put the punctuation on that point by canning Art after he won 100 games for the second time. Did Howe's approach win 100 games or did Beane do it by making him play station to station ball? Howe had limited impact on both those 100+ win teams.

i'd take sizemore. Me too, but I think Crisp or a bullpen arm is more likely. You? yeah, i'd agree the bp arm is more likely. they have some decent ones to choose from, but i love sizemore (i'm sure cleveland does too).

What about Walker for Coco Crisp? We need an OF with a decent arm (if Murton is going to be in LF). Crisp doesn't have a Damon arm, but it's pretty close. I'm assuming you'd put him in CF?

We won't get anything great in trade for Walker (from the Indians). I can't imagine getting a decent prospect out of it. Maybe we can throw in some prospects along with Walker and snag Sizemore, although i doubt it.

I disliked their roles and not them. ditto. both are solid bench players. oh, and i'd like to add Dusty Baker, Tony LaRussa, and ARod to my list.

Free Agency means getting stuck with bad contracts. 5 years for Burnett? 4/40 for Furcal? 4 years for Giles? Those aren't attractive options. I'd imagine Hendry is more likely to trade to fill the hole in RF and overpay for Furcal than to burden us with crappy contracts (2 players via FA) for 20% of the payroll for the next 4+ years. That just isn't good business.

well, that stuff about Beane is from Moneyball, the same source you used. i don't know how you can disagree with the same source you used to make your arguement. :?

A GM doesn't tell a manager who to play or who not to play, a GM fires a manager who isn't on the same page as him. Hendry would be overstepping his boundaries if he wanted to become an arm-chair manager, that's our job. That doesn't stop Billy Beane (source: "Moneyball"), and many on this bd. hold him up as one who runs his club the right way. He and Howe had many fallings-out re who should be used, in-game strategy, etc. Beane and his mentor, Sandy Alderson, disagree with the common baseball conception that the manager is the "face" of the team, and instead believe that the front office (specifically the GM) should set the tone. Beane is the exeption to the rule. Name one other team in MLB that uses the manager that way. Not my point. Point is that Beane does things that way and they win consistently. Beane also played professionally and has the necessary cred to pull that off. His method also wins games. He's fighting the old school vs. new school battle. Hendry isn't. Beane rules the manager through intimidation, both physically and through reputation. Hendry couldn't pull that off. The most he could do is threaten Baker's job...that isn't the threat you imagine it is. Baker could go out and get another job easily (and probably in a less media intensive environment). Hendry doesn't have the leverage to tell Baker what to do in the clubhouse.

A GM doesn't tell a manager who to play or who not to play, a GM fires a manager who isn't on the same page as him. Hendry would be overstepping his boundaries if he wanted to become an arm-chair manager, that's our job. That doesn't stop Billy Beane (source: "Moneyball"), and many on this bd. hold him up as one who runs his club the right way. He and Howe had many fallings-out re who should be used, in-game strategy, etc. Beane and his mentor, Sandy Alderson, disagree with the common baseball conception that the manager is the "face" of the team, and instead believe that the front office (specifically the GM) should set the tone. Beane is the exeption to the rule. Name one other team in MLB that uses the manager that way.

1) Joe Morgan (retired) 2) Jim Edmonds 3) Craig Biggio 4) Randy Johnson 5) Derek Jeter

But he isn't used correctly and is therefore a detriment to this team. It's not his fault. It's Baker's. Burnitz was rock solid in RF and also GG caliber this year. Too bad his offense was lacking. He was shown the door and Neifi should be too.

THANK YOU =D> This thread is overrun with overreaction. it's called speculative emotional venting after a ridiculously disappointing and frustrating season. come down from the pulpit.

all that sounds nice, but id rather not go with the pen you listed and try to squeeze money out of some of the positions youve listed. A little more organized view of what your saying C: Michael Barrett - 3 Mil 1B: Derrek Lee - 8.7 Mil 2B: Todd Walker - 2.5 Mil SS: 3B: Aramis Ramirez - 10.5 Mil LF: Matt Murton - 300k CF: RF: SP: Mark Prior - 3 Mil SP: Kerry Wood - 11 Mil SP: Greg Maddux - 9 Mil SP: Carlos Zambrano - 5.5 Mil SP: Pen RP: Glendon Rusch - 3 Mil RP: Scott Williamson - 500k RP: Michael Wuertz - 400k RP: Robert Novoa - 400k RP: Will Ohman - 400k RP: Rich Hill - 300k RP: Ryan Dempster - 5 Mil Bench C: Henry Blanco - 1.5 Mil IF: Ronny Cedeno - 300k IF: - 1.5 Mil OF: - 1.5 Mil OF: Hairston - 2.5 Mil Total (23 Players) : 70.1 Mil Total Left to Spend: 30-35 Mil So yes, we could field a lineup with 30 mil spread out to those 3 positions, but id rather spend a few more mil on the bullpen by signing a howry type player. Then trade some of our young arms, and trading chips (walker, cedeno, murton, etc..) for a starting pitcher/CF, sign Giles (for w/e it takes), sign furcal, and maybe ice the cake by trading for luis castillo? :) sound good to me. A lot of those numbers don't look right. Williamson's is definitely $2M, not 500k. Prior's and Barrett's don't look right either. more like $3.6M+ and $4.5M respectively.

Neifi, not "Nefi." ...and CPat was also a good fielder who sucked it up at the dish. I don't hear anyone singing his praises.

He was solid defensively, but he killed us offensively, especially batting in front of Lee and Ramirez. CPat was good defensively too. As far as discounting this rumor b/c of the KC statement...all he did was say KC was going to make a run at a prime FA b/c they have some free cash, but weren't likely to land anyone b/c who in their right mind wants to play for a crappy team. there's nothing to scoff at there. he didn't say KC "might sign Furcal."

Baker, yes. Hendry, no. Hendry acquired Neifi to be exactly that, a bench player. Twice. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Hendry is great when it comes to trades, but he has a huge blindspot where Dusty is concerned.

i guess it would depend on who buys them. if they have the money to buy the cubs, i don't know why they wouldn't have the money for the 100M payroll. the cubs make a profit all by themselves (with a 100M payroll), so i don't see why it isn't financially possible. it just depends on how much profit the owner wants to make.

Cedeno needs to start or ride out another year in AAA until management realizes walker/neifi at 2B isn't the answer. i think it's obvious to just about everyone other than Hendry and Baker that Neifi isn't anything more than a good bench player.

Obviously not, since we are so far into the offseason and so many teams have made moves and Hendry is just screwing up left and right. :roll: Seems to me that are always going to be some people hoping for a bad offseason because they seem to get more enjoyment from ripping mistakes (real or perceived) by Hendry, Baker, etc. than they get when the team is succesful. after this past season, can you blame them?

All great points. I also add that Hendry seems to reward past production/loyalty instead of future probability. If this is true, it's almost like he feels he owes it Perez to give him another contract because he filled in so well. Loyalty is not a good trait for a GM. He filled in so well? .274/.298/.383 in '05 it's not even way above his career totals: .270/.301/.380 Neifi sucks and always has sucked. No way does he deserve to start.

WHAT? Anyone have an explanation for this? :-# Cubs wanted to get him out of there before he got lit up so they could trade him? Maybe they saw what they needed to see to make their decision. ...or he had a family emergency he needed to see to.

Dusty leads us to a sub-.500 record and there's talk of a multi-year extension. Garner only gets one year? That's justice for ya.