KingCubsFan

Up until about 10 years ago, it had to do with a terrible farm system. Now, I think it has to do with the fact that players just don't get a chance to develop and adjust to the major leagues. After a few months struggling, we try to replace them, or we try to change them radically. Felix Pie will probably be the next example of this

In Theriot's mind, Neifi probably is a great player. He's managed to do nothing with the bat but has hung around the majors for years. Theriot should wish he has the same career.

I don't know who's more reactionary about Felix Pie: the fans or the front office. He's struggled to adapt to every level of the minors, why did anyone think the majors would be different? If he played every day (which he won't), he'd probably be fine by June. At this rate, he'll be a Cincinnati Red within the next two years.

Try channel 10. That's what it is on mine

There aren't many people in the world I hate more than Alex Gonzalez. If I ever saw him in Chicago, I would make sure he didn't feel welcome

Just glancing at last year's numbers, he had an .872 OPS with RISP and 2 outs, and an .827 OPS with RISP. It also looks like he's a little more patient with runners on too. Sounds like a middle of the order hitter to me

Bring back the Roberts thread

Yeah, why hasn't Hendry grabbed one of those guys? The question is - Why hasn't the completely ineffective Hendry administration developed any guys like that? It has. The problem is,somewhere along the line, they decide that they want to be power hitters. Yeah, it all makes sense now. Corey Patterson didn't become Grady Sizemore because he didn't want to slap the ball into the ground enough. I know you're being sarcsstic, but you're not far off. Corey has the same talent, athleticism, and ability, but he was more worried about knocking every pitch into orbit than slap the ball on the ground or work the count in his favor. Corey never had the plate patience to become Grady Sizemore, but he was well on his way to becoming a solid .270/25 homer/30 steal CF with great defense before Dusty tried to make him Lou Brock. I think he was better off trying to "knock every pitch into orbit" as opposed to becoming a leadoff hitter which was a disservice to his skills.

Yeah, why hasn't Hendry grabbed one of those guys? The question is - Why hasn't the completely ineffective Hendry administration developed any guys like that? It has. The problem is,somewhere along the line, they decide that they want to be power hitters. Yeah, it all makes sense now. Corey Patterson didn't become Grady Sizemore because he didn't want to slap the ball into the ground enough.

Who said that?

No mention for the 2004 team?

no, just stop making promises like that in the first place. Then you wouldn't get players to sign below market value(market value in this case a less attractive deal on the table) That's why Silver's analysis of the situation is pretty worthless

I don't see how that is possible. The only way that happens is if they go with 1 backup middle infielder, and I don't see anyway they pull that off. .... With the normal 5-man bench, if one is a catcher and you burn one on a 1B-man (Ward), that leaves you 3 guys to cover infield and outfield. Either it's one outfielder (Johnson covering all three spots, supplemented by Ward or Cedeno), and two infielders (Cedeno and Cintron). Or it's one infielder (Cedeno) and two outfielders (Murton and Johnson). Personally I don't see why going with Cedeno only wouldn't be just fine. When's the last time a team went into a season with 1 backup infielder? When's the last time the Cubs even considered it? It's not going to happen. Cedeno only is impossible because of the "what happens if 2 go down in the same game" question. You can always throw Ward into the OF if need be, or DeRosa, but there's nobody on that roster that can step in at 3rd, SS or 2B if needed. The smart thing to do is not waste a roster spot on a 7th reliever. DeRosa and Cedeno can both play 2B and 3B. If someone goes down for an extended period, they can make the decision then.

Sure, that bench can hit a little. But it has 1 backup infielder, and there's no way they start the season that way. I still see something else going down before too long. I think Murton and possibly Marquis are headed out. We know at least 3 of those 5 aren't going anywhere, and there has to be another backup IF. That doesn't leave too many options. Or we could just move DeRosa around every game

I think that has more to do with the fact that he's a CF prospect on the Cubs than anything else. Pie has been a much better baseball player than Corey Patterson at every level of professional baseball (outside of low A), and has shown more or a willingness to be patient than Corey ever did. He'll never put up a .400 OBP, but I dont' think he's going to swing his way out of the major leagues either

Isn't this an argument FOR Kerry Wood as closer? As the closer, he'll have the whole half inning to warm up and he'll know exactly when he's coming in, unlike Howry or Marmol who may be summoned at a moment's notice.

Are you talking about the time when Dusty said he was unavailable due to fatigue? But then waited for Ryan Dempster to put 2 runners on base and then summon Hawkins from the pen, with a rushed warm up session, only to blow it against the Mets? It's not that it doesn't matter who closes, what doesn't matter are the absurd qualities that were listed earlier in this thread. Howry's experience does not give him a lick of advantage of Marmol or Wood. Their lack of saves, a made up stat, does not mean they can't close. If Wood somehow can't handle the position mentally and starts to blow games, replace him with Howry or Marmol. But you don't just make decisions about jobs based on who has the most experience doing it. That's the dumbest possible option. I wasn't arguing that experience is necessary. I think Wood's the best option for closer. I was talking more about some of the comments I've seen over the years that closers are basically worthless and it doesn't matter who closes out the game.

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the situation perfectly. Serious question: How can people watch LaTroy Hawking blow a whole season in one week in 2004, and then come back and say that it essentially doesn't matter who the closer is? The closer shouldn't be your best reliever, but he definitely has to have a certain mindset and willingness to close

Agreed, but allowing our young players to actually play and learn from mistakes for once would be even better

Wood would just get injured, Dempster would take his spot in the rotation and we'd be left with Dempster in the same position and a Wood-less bullpen

Calling them our three "top" pitching prospects is the same as calling Roberts an "all star." It's all contextual and doesnt' really matter. What matters is how they grade out as prospects. They're only "top" prospects because they're in our system. In reality, none of them are A prospects. Yeah, but it's all we really have, in terms of prospects potentially able to step in relatively soon OR prospects that are going to hae some trade value. Trading them now on a good player who is arguably very redundant and doesn't address the teams major holes could very easily leave the team damn near crippled if the precarious starting pitching balance falls apart AND if they need to make key trades by the deadline. I think the concept that this leaves the cupboard bare is a bit overblown. The Cubs one advantage over most teams remains money. And with money, it is quite possible, and rather easy, to restock a farm quickly. I'm not worried about restocking the farm system. I don't think any of those prospects are particuarly that good (Gallagher is pretty good, but I think a bit overrated on this board). But they are all close to the majors, and when Dempster inevitably sucks, and Lieber goes down, we're not going to have a lot of SP depth.

Calling them our three "top" pitching prospects is the same as calling Roberts an "all star." It's all contextual and doesnt' really matter. What matters is how they grade out as prospects. They're only "top" prospects because they're in our system. In reality, none of them are A prospects.

What do you mean, link to where he didn't he say this? Can I link to where he "didn't say this?" Yeah, I can. What does that prove though? What direct quote did I attribute to Hendry that you're asking for a link? Personally, to me, it looks like you're trying to bail Hendry out so you're pedantically asking for documentation when it isn't necessary. Do you honestly need a link to show that the Cubs have been talking about Roberts for 3 or more months? It's very simple. You accused Hendry for a certain behavior, and there's absolutely no evidence to show that he's acting in that way. The Orioles have always acted like this when trading a player, yet you think this time it's Hendry's fault. I'm not trying to bail out Hendry, I'm just asking for some sort of proof as to your statement. People do that all the time on this board, and justifiably so. Wrong. The Orioles did not take 3 months to trade for Jaret Wright, they did not take 3 months to trade for Kris Benson, and so forth. Whenever the Orioles try to play this game with GMs who actually own a pair, they don't get anywhere. It's only in the desperate weaklings who tip their hands that they can get away with this. So it's not like every other Orioles trade really. Those are times when the Orioles traded FOR a player, so it's not necessarily on their timetable. Find me a time over the past few years when they traded an important player or signed an important player and it didn't get delayed somehow.

Choi might be the only one who would have been a bust no matter who was his manager. Prior was abused, Cruz never got a chance, Corey was destroyed, Bobby Hill never got a chance (and by the time he got a chance with the Pirates, it was probably too late), etc. Dusty Baker singlehandedly set this organization back a few years. I think he'll do the same with the Reds

Dusty says a lot of things, particularly in spring training. If you want, go back and read what he had to say about Murton, Cedeno, etc. In the end, all he needs is a veteran to use as an excuse. But Dusty isn't afraid to abuse young pitchers. If the Reds are even close to being in the race, you can definitely expect Bailey and Cueto to have a bunch of 110, 120 pitch games, particularly with the Reds bullpen. But when Corey Patterson starts leading off, I'll be surprised if they're in the race.