baseball7897

didn't hurt the Houston Astros of the mid 90's. Cubs hitters were significantly better v. righthanders last year anyway. hitting lefties was a big problem, a fact that more left handed hitters would not address. It is still not a good idea. Specially with all the right-handed closers in the league. You need some threat from the left side of the plate.

Will Ohman excells in this role.

one problem is that players do not always produce at their split levels when platooned. That's true, but I think that there's enough guys who have been in mostly platoon situations(e.g. getting Dellucci and Craig Wilson for a RF tandem) so that problem can be minimized. Dellucci and Wilson for a platoon has the be the worst idea I have heard in a long time.

Soriano Lofton Lee Ramirez Barrett Murton DeRosa Izzy P I hate the fact the Cubs will have no power threat from the left side.

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=325&p=2&c=596799

i agree... i would love this... but DEFENSE??? :shock: By some metrics, Bonds was a better than average fielder last year. He was certainly better than Carlos Lee, and no one in Houston is upset about Lee's defense (yet). I dont see Lee struggling to play defense that much with that short fence in LF.

Derrek Lowe and Brad Penny would look nice in a Cubs uniform.

I doubt Schmidt will get an offer in the 60-70 million range. Carlos Lee got 17M a year after putting up an average of under 120 OPS+ over the last 4 years, Schmidt has put up an average of over 130 ERA+ over the same period. While Schmidt is older, Lee dresses up like the State Puff Marshmallow man for Halloween and every other day of the year and signed to a longer term contract than Schmidt is rumor to be signed for. The way this market is going with such low depth at all positions, I wouldn't doubt he would recieve an offer in that range. I just hope Hendry is smart enough to not offer him a contract that exceeds 45 million. So are you saying the Cubs won't offer Schmidt 60-70 million or that he won't get that much. In your first post, it appears that you are saying he won't get that much. Now, it appears you're contradicting yourself saying he will get that offer, but you hope it's not from the Cubs. So which is it? I'm certain he could get 60 million. I'm just not sure it will be from the Cubs. Does he deserve 60-70 million at this point in his career? NO. Paying anything in the range of 70 million for a declining 34 year old pitcher is not a smart move. The only way I see him getting that much money is if some team has to offer him that much to get him out of the west coast. I see Hendry offering him a contract, but I dont see him offering anything close to 70 million. Specially if he goes out at signs Lilly to a contract.

I doubt Schmidt will get an offer in the 60-70 million range. Carlos Lee got 17M a year after putting up an average of under 120 OPS+ over the last 4 years, Schmidt has put up an average of over 130 ERA+ over the same period. While Schmidt is older, Lee dresses up like the State Puff Marshmallow man for Halloween and every other day of the year and signed to a longer term contract than Schmidt is rumor to be signed for. The way this market is going with such low depth at all positions, I wouldn't doubt he would recieve an offer in that range. I just hope Hendry is smart enough to not offer him a contract that exceeds 45 million.

Adds experience to that young Cleveland pen.

I doubt Schmidt will get an offer in the 60-70 million range.

http://espn-ak.starwave.com/photo/2006/0821/mlb_bluejays_275.jpg

He's better than Gil Meche. Ted Lilly is not a good pitcher. And how is he a better option than Gil Meche?

Why is the majority of everyone so high on Ted Lilly?

Anyone remember Sosa trying to persuade Alou to join the Cubs?

I would imagine Hendry would target Cliff Floyd if Jones was traded.

He was going up against some pretty good lineups out east. Westrbook did to in the central, but pitching in the AL east will lead to a lot of homers given up. Factor in the fact he'd be coming into the NL with a lot less homers, and without a DH as well. Not if he plays his home games at Wrigley Field.

That is when I would hang up the phone if I were the GM of the Red Sox.

Pete Rose

http://catfishstew.baseballtoaster.com/archives/215432.html Jason Schmidt's mechanics. Awesome pictures.

Washed up, done, AND finished.....dang. Somebody should have warned Carpenter. When he was 26 he had a 6.26 ERA in 175 innings. In 02 it was 5.28 in 73 innings, and he didnt pitch at all in 03. He was was probably just washed up and done though. Well, I would love to be wrong and hope I am. However reality hits home when you read reports of his shoulder being loose and surgery could be an option. One if not his last start was in Milwaukee and he looked like a college pitcher! I hope things change, but I have a feeling he will never regain his 03 form. I always thought having a loose arm is good for a pitcher. Kinda sorta. The loose shoulder helped him generate a good deal of the velocity on his pitches, though it carried with it a risk of injury like this. If they tighten it up, he should lose 2-3 mph off his fastball, but he shouldn't have to worry about the injury again for a good long while. If you tighten up the arm you're increasing your chances of an arm injury. Arm speed is very important for a pitcher. Arm speed is more important than arm strength. The faster you can move your body, the more energy you have to generate a 90mph fastball. I'm talking about the ball and socket joint of the shoulder and the network of tendons and ligaments holding it in place, not the tightness of the biceps, triceps, etc... Pitching is not even a natural movement. You want your shoulder to be loose. Specially the rotator cuff. I don't see how a pitcher can throw a baseball at high speeds without a strong, stretched out rotator cuff. Right. Too tight and you can't get enough velocity at all. Prior's is so loose that I understand he's been having microsubluxations if he throws hard enough. That's his problem. Prior's problem starts off with his upper body mechanics. Elbow lifter is what I like to call him. Kerry Wood and John Smoltz are examples of elbow lifters, also. Now, there is no evidence out there that suggests lifting your elbow above your shoulder causes any kind of arm injury. However, im a bit suspicious of this arm movement. All three of these guys have experienced some kind of elbow/shoulder injury.

Washed up, done, AND finished.....dang. Somebody should have warned Carpenter. When he was 26 he had a 6.26 ERA in 175 innings. In 02 it was 5.28 in 73 innings, and he didnt pitch at all in 03. He was was probably just washed up and done though. Well, I would love to be wrong and hope I am. However reality hits home when you read reports of his shoulder being loose and surgery could be an option. One if not his last start was in Milwaukee and he looked like a college pitcher! I hope things change, but I have a feeling he will never regain his 03 form. I always thought having a loose arm is good for a pitcher. Kinda sorta. The loose shoulder helped him generate a good deal of the velocity on his pitches, though it carried with it a risk of injury like this. If they tighten it up, he should lose 2-3 mph off his fastball, but he shouldn't have to worry about the injury again for a good long while. If you tighten up the arm you're increasing your chances of an arm injury. Arm speed is very important for a pitcher. Arm speed is more important than arm strength. The faster you can move your body, the more energy you have to generate a 90mph fastball. I'm talking about the ball and socket joint of the shoulder and the network of tendons and ligaments holding it in place, not the tightness of the biceps, triceps, etc... Pitching is not even a natural movement. You want your shoulder to be loose. Specially the rotator cuff. I don't see how a pitcher can throw a baseball at high speeds without a strong, stretched out rotator cuff.

Washed up, done, AND finished.....dang. Somebody should have warned Carpenter. When he was 26 he had a 6.26 ERA in 175 innings. In 02 it was 5.28 in 73 innings, and he didnt pitch at all in 03. He was was probably just washed up and done though. Well, I would love to be wrong and hope I am. However reality hits home when you read reports of his shoulder being loose and surgery could be an option. One if not his last start was in Milwaukee and he looked like a college pitcher! I hope things change, but I have a feeling he will never regain his 03 form. I always thought having a loose arm is good for a pitcher. Kinda sorta. The loose shoulder helped him generate a good deal of the velocity on his pitches, though it carried with it a risk of injury like this. If they tighten it up, he should lose 2-3 mph off his fastball, but he shouldn't have to worry about the injury again for a good long while. If you tighten up the arm you're increasing your chances of an arm injury. Arm speed is very important for a pitcher. Arm speed is more important than arm strength. The faster you can move your body, the more energy you have to generate a 90mph fastball.

The best throwing arm for a catcher I have ever seen.

Piazza will not being coming to the Cubs.