leatherguts

One of the CSN tools mentioned on the pre-game Nomar is having back problems and might miss a few games. Dusty doesn't expect him to hit the DL though.

Can anyone believe the pitches some of these kids are throwing? Breaking ball after slider after breaking ball. No wonder TJ surgery is so common nowadays.

:lol:

Link The Sun-Times address your question, but doesn't really answer it. In my opinion, if you are going to create this so-called "surplus", then you trade it for young positional talent, not over-the-hill stop gaps. At the same time, I don't really see that this surpless has even emerged. The Rule V draft prohibits you from stockpiling ML-ready arms (lest Andy forget the Sisco Fiasco). Its all double talk. I no longer have much use for MacPhail. Here's my problem with what MacPhail is saying: If that is the true organizational philosophy, to emphasize pitching in the draft and acquire positional talent via free agency, why has the biggest offseason acquistion in the past few years been Greg Maddux?

Corey is having a terrible career. And how exactly do you gauge his "desire to get better"? And how many coaches does Corey have to go through? Corey could be a very valuable bench player, but he is not a starting CF for a team that wants a playoff spot. The Cubs made a mistake by not letting him develop and are going to have to live with it if they want to get the kind of production out of Corey that they had hoped. I'd much rather have him in center while upgrading other positions than have to pay a higher price for someone on Juan Pierre's level at multiple positions. Look around at the other playoff teams. It's quite possible to make the playoffs with Patterson on the team. Actually, it's quite important to have cheaper talent. The "desire to get better" comes from comments from him and all of his coaches repeatedly saying that. Even Dusty will drop the occasional complement. And Corey just needs the right coach or two. Not three or four coaches who try to make him into something he's not. And Dusty's latest comments really scared me. To want to "overhaul" a young player's entire game in a month at AAA is pretty absurd. That's what I mean. This seems to be a case of "too many chefs in the kitchen" and I wonder if Corey might not respond better to a different (smaller) role, and less attention.

I don't think Hairston is the solution either. This outfield (minus Murton) might be one of the worst in MLB.

So when exactly do you give up on Patterson? '07, '08? Understand this, I don't necessarily want Patterson off the team, but he should take Hollandsworth's spot as 4th outfielder.

Corey is having a terrible career. And how exactly do you gauge his "desire to get better"? And how many coaches does Corey have to go through? Corey could be a very valuable bench player, but he is not a starting CF for a team that wants a playoff spot.

Bingo. Although Patterson's defense is usually respectable.

What expectations do you have of Corey next year? If you mean bring him back for his defense only, and to be pulled for a PH every, and I mean EVERY, single time he comes up for a crucial AB, then I'm fine with it.

You actually want him back next spring?