Yestheydo

Amen bro. It's like we haven't gotten the memo out that Wood and Prior aren't anchoring the most dominant rotation in baseball like we all thought they would be. This disdain for the Reds bugs me the most since I live near Cincy and follow them as well now; their starting pitching has gotten very good the last couple years.

I was gonna say the exact same thing. The Reds had such a great April last year they stayed in contention playing mediocre ball the rest of the way.

I wrote this right around the ASB in '05 after they got swept by the Braves: Cubs Stink (a parody of "Love Stinks" by J. Geils Band) Shockingly, it still fits.

I agree it probably is their approach, and it may not be that bad an idea. In 2004 they had a pretty powerful though predominantly righty lineup with Sosa, Alou, Ramirez, Lee, Barrett. Any time they faced a tough RHP (or mediocre one having a good day), they were practically helpless; I distinctly remember Todd Walker almost singlehandedly beating Clemens in Houston one night with two homers. Arguably, more lefty pop will make them less vulnerable to the types of pitchers who are toughest on right handed hitters and can shut down Murton way more easily than someone like Floyd or even Jones. We Murton lovers need to face the facts: if he were a lefty, he'd be perfect. But he's not, so he's just not a good fit for the Cubs right now.

...and whaddya know, he's a relief pitcher. He's actually their top minor league reliever; A's fans hate this trade. It only happened because Beane wanted Denorfia badly, the Reds have plenty of OF and the A's have plenty of pitchers. It was a win/ win.

I think the long-term plan is for Pie to bat 2nd, for Soriano and Pie to be the dynamic duo at the top of the order in front of Lee and Ramirez. And if Pie starts heating up this year, I think they'll put him there. Why the hell not? Until then, the 2 void will be held by whomever is hot at the moment (currently Theriot -- who, like Neifi and Ronny before him, will probably turn into a pumpkin at some point, sticking us with Izturis in the 8 hole again.) But it'll be okay, because those top four -- Soriano, Pie, Lee, Ramirez -- will one day be carved in stone as the lethal top half of the Chicago Cubs lineup for years to come. It's just a matter of when. If God loves the Cubs as much as I think He does, it will be soon. :roll:

Theriot Pie Lee Ramirez Soriano Jones/ Murton Barrett DeRosa

Then why on earth would they move him to the one position where they already have a glut? (Don't bother; I already know the answer)

That would be nice. But I think the fear is that he's uncomfortable in center and right and that's why he hasn't been hitting. They need to get him producing because if the Greatest Fans In The World start booing him and throwing stuff and he goes all Corey Patterson on us then holy crap that's really gonna suck. They assumed he'd be fine in center or right. They were wrong. Major screw-up.

LOL

You know, Hank caught Z's only win this year. If tonight goes well (I suspect it will), they should seriously consider making him his personal catcher.

I believe this is correct; Narron (or his brother Johnny) actually coached him too. After they picked up Hamilton, the Reds employed Johnny Narron as a coach; his unofficial job is to look after Josh. This is one of the reasons the Reds were uniquely suited to take a chance on him, and it's not farfetched to say that he may not have gotten this far had the Cubs or another team gotten him. Regarding his family life, from what I heard, his father was a Marv Marinovich-type control freak and it was just a matter of time before he rebelled. The accident that caused his parents to go back home, leaving him injured, with lots of money to spend, and alone ("free") for the first time in his life at the age of 20, made it virtually guaranteed he was going to do something stupid. Yes, he's ultimately responsible. But it's not difficult to understand, either. And after all he's been through, I really think that playing a boy's game --even at the highest level-- is simply no big deal for someone of his natural ability. As a transplanted Chicagoan living near Cincinnati, I follow the Reds as well now, and I have to say, he looks like the real deal, and it's very exciting to see. At least two of his homers have come the other way, when he was initially fooled, and just flicked the bat with his wrists at the last moment. When pitchers adjust, I don't think he'll have a problem adjusting right back. The bigger questions are whether he'll stay healthy and clean. I'm gonna stop gushing now, but after all the crap Krivsky took for that Nats trade, it's looking like this move could make up for it in spades.

Update: 5 HRs in 29 ABs

If Hamilton had been chosen and kept by the Cubs, and was doing everything he's doing right now for the Cubs, this city would be going absolutely nuts for him, guaranteed. He has four homers in, like, 24 at-bats. His discipline and plate coverage are phenomenal. He's like a lefty Derrek Lee right now. And he's going to get better. I agree he doesn't deserve to be treated as some sort of hero; he's the luckiest crackhead in the world. I'm just saying: if he were a Cub, it would make the Matt Murton lovefest look like a polite greeting. I'm picking the Reds to win the division. Even though everyone here knows what a fool they have for a GM.

That's right; they love the guy so we're stuck with him.

We have a winner. Theriot may platoon some with Pie, at least for awhile. I think this was the plan all along, they just weren't sure Pie was ready yet and no one offered much for Jones. Soriano Pie/ Theriot Lee Ramirez Floyd/ Murton Barrett DeRosa Izturis This is the "real" 2007 Cubs lineup.

Cincy has 3 catchers. I remember hearing their announcers bitching about it on XM. Well, Cincy doesn't count, because of the bolded part. Josh Hamilton

Jeez, let's relax. Soriano will hit, probably as soon as the weather warms up.

He is. I don't understand why some people are so up in arms over this situation. It's hardly a straight platoon. Murton has gotten four of the six starts so far in left field, and the Cubs have only faced a lefty in one of those games. How many times has he been yanked for Theriot as a "defensive replacement" in about the 7th inning? Not only should he get the majority of the starts, but he should finish the games. He's not terribly slow and Theriot isn't much better in LF (if at all). It's a move that's been made a few times and, imo, is just wasting our already thin bench. Theriot has just started playing the OF. If they want him to develop into a solid defender there, they have to give him the opportunity. It won't take much for him to be their best defensive outfielder. I think that's the plan.

heh heh your so right

You damn right brother. "Irregardless" is like saying "de-caffeine-free"

I don't see how the Reds are going to allow 40 more runs than they did last year.

What the hell is wrong with acquiring cheap arms to compete for spots? Not everyone has 300 mil to throw around.

How do you know that for sure? No offense, but I doubt Hendry tells reporters all the deals that he's discussing. OK. Believe what you will. I think my track record holds up pretty well. No offence, but the last thing I consider is your track record. I don't care. I care about the Cubs making themselves better. It may be all BS, but maybe not. I'm only reporting what my buddy told me. Either he's all wet, or you are. Time will define the truth of the matter. How can you not consider somebody's track record? Aren't track records the only thing we really have to go on? Has your imaginary friend given you good info before? If so, what? If not, why would you believe him? Sorry to butt in, but I've been coming here a couple years and Bruce never starts unsubstantiated rumors, and it's pretty irritating when jealous a-holes give him crap. Totally uncalled for. I agree with Bruce here, but that's no reason to insult anyone. Sorry about that; I got carried away.

How do you know that for sure? No offense, but I doubt Hendry tells reporters all the deals that he's discussing. OK. Believe what you will. I think my track record holds up pretty well. No offence, but the last thing I consider is your track record. I don't care. I care about the Cubs making themselves better. It may be all BS, but maybe not. I'm only reporting what my buddy told me. Either he's all wet, or you are. Time will define the truth of the matter. How can you not consider somebody's track record? Aren't track records the only thing we really have to go on? Has your imaginary friend given you good info before? If so, what? If not, why would you believe him? Sorry to butt in, but I've been coming here a couple years and Bruce never starts unsubstantiated rumors, and it's pretty irritating when jealous a-holes give him crap.