DiamondMind
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Everything posted by DiamondMind
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Again, I can't provide any sort of numerical backing just because it'd take a ton of time - but there's no way they'd only save "a run every three or four games". On top of runs prevented, what about helping keep a pitchers pitch count low due to them turning the DP, making exceptional plays, etc?
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I too am concerned with Cedeno. Izturis' D is vastly better, and I don't care what Ronny hit in Arizona or Winter league or whatever - his offense has been anemic so far.
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Not when you are dead last, or near the bottom in walks earned and walks allowed. Not to mention a total lack of power production from key positions. Add on top of that our pitching staff has been depleted by injuries, and obviously inexperienced pitchers are more prone to allow the fly ball in ratio to the ground ball.
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What does? Sabrmetrics? hitting and pitching. show me some proof that defense wins championships, and maybe i'll get on board. until then, it's just a lovely sounding cliche that you can put on t-shirts and such. It's hard for me to crunch and collect numbers and give you some sort of numerical proof that anything wins championships. Generally a well rounded team wins more than anything. I just think defense plays an important role.
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Sarcasm or not, I'm in the camp of in any sport, defense wins championships. Unfortunately, our GM and manager are also in that camp. And we'll see where it leads. 2006 isn't a fair gauge of the plan's success due to excessive injuries.
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What does? Sabrmetrics?
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Can't argue with the Neifi part, as I see your position. However, what can really be said about the 2007 Cubs? Who knows who they'll sign or trade. Hopefully they have some brains and realize the complete lack of patience at the plate and power production in general.
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Sarcasm or not, I'm in the camp of in any sport, defense wins championships.
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I don't think they are necessarily 'critical' to a teams success either, but something has to be said for the non-measurable attributes speed creates like annoying the crap out of the opposing pitcher and him throwing a fastball that catches too much of the plate. Also, what can be said about players like '03 Lofton, '05 Damon/D. Roberts and '05 Podsednik directly leading to a teams playoff success?
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Respectfully disagree - the Cubs problem is not a general lack of offense, but lack of offense from the corner positions. Murton and Jones are both 4th OF in my opinion, Ramirez had a terrible first half, and Lee has been disabled for most of the season.
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When we're paying his contract for a .600 OPS next year, I don't think I'll agree. Isn't that a bit overstating it there? From his last 3 years and splits, he is likely to at least be at 650 OPS next year, and possibly better. Still not good at all of course (and I expect more out of him, but it's a longer explanation why) but when the median shortstop has a 740 OPS, it's a lot better to be a 650+ OPS then to be a 600 OPS. 2005 was the only year in the last 3 that he didn't reach that number, and if you look at his splits where he was playing hurt (same as that you have to throw out Lee's numbers this year because half of the time he played he was playing hurt) Cesar's numbers are well over 650 for 2005 also. Agreed. And again, he's providing top notch defense with the ability to make contact in any count to help with situational hitting depending on his lineup slot.
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When we're paying his contract for a .600 OPS next year, I don't think I'll agree. What is the continual fascination with a 4M contract on a behemoth organization like the Cubs? Besides, what you want up the middle (C, 2B, SS, CF) is defense defense defense behind a solid pitching staff. Corner OF and corner IF are positions to produce your offense. I'm certainly not saying a .600 OPS is acceptable from anyone, but if he has the luxury of hitting 7th or 8th in the 2007 lineup, it's totally acceptable with his Gold Glove defense. Honestly, I'm more concerned about Cedeno. I'd rather have an average defensive shortstop who can hit like an average player or better. stellar defense is entirely overrated when it's in lieu of even marginal hitting. Stellar defense is what wins games assuming you have a good pitching staff that is heavy on strikeouts and ground balls. Assuming the Cubs are healthy, Izturis and Cedeno up the middle (IMHO) will save many more runs than their marginal offense will cost. The problem is the Cubs lack of offense in the corner OF, not 2B/SS.
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When we're paying his contract for a .600 OPS next year, I don't think I'll agree. What is the continual fascination with a 4M contract on a behemoth organization like the Cubs? Besides, what you want up the middle (C, 2B, SS, CF) is defense defense defense behind a solid pitching staff. Corner OF and corner IF are positions to produce your offense. I'm certainly not saying a .600 OPS is acceptable from anyone, but if he has the luxury of hitting 7th or 8th in the 2007 lineup, it's totally acceptable with his Gold Glove defense. Honestly, I'm more concerned about Cedeno. I think the concern with the money is that it could be better spent elsewhere. You take his $4 million plus Neifi's $2.5 million plus Rusch's $2.75 million, and all of a sudden you have a decent chunk of change to use towards a decent hitter. The fact that a team has money to spend doesn't mean that team should throw it away on mediocrity. And while having good defense is nice and everything, you can't completely ignore having any offense from those positions when the corner outfield spots aren't producing consistently. I appreciate your opinion and see where you're coming from. You can't hold Rusch and Neifi (and I guess Hendry) at fault for Izturis' contract, though. 4M for a GG SS isn't bad.
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I don't think it's a controversy yet, but I'm trying. :D But really, Jeter looked like he was getting ready to powerbomb A-Rod and neither made any effort to move toward a live ball rolling around the infield, then the highlight ended. Somebody told me they heard on the radio that Jeter says he thought the ball was caught and that's why he didn't go after it after the muff. If anything it's general frustation with pure chance that A-Rod was involved in the play. A-Rod wears a bullseye on his chest every game, and has that snowball effect going with any miscue (real or perceived) on his part.
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When we're paying his contract for a .600 OPS next year, I don't think I'll agree. What is the continual fascination with a 4M contract on a behemoth organization like the Cubs? Besides, what you want up the middle (C, 2B, SS, CF) is defense defense defense behind a solid pitching staff. Corner OF and corner IF are positions to produce your offense. I'm certainly not saying a .600 OPS is acceptable from anyone, but if he has the luxury of hitting 7th or 8th in the 2007 lineup, it's totally acceptable with his Gold Glove defense. Honestly, I'm more concerned about Cedeno.
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Mike Cameron
DiamondMind replied to RockTheIvy's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
His strikeout rate, rising age, and the relative small size of the Wrigley OF leaves me with no inclination to spend FA$ on him. He makes sense for teams like Seattle, San Diego, but not in Chicago; especially with the K-prone players we have retained already for 2007. -
The gyroball is hardly much more than a fabrication by the western media. It's just a modified curveball similar to Maddux' retreating cutter. This is the MLB we are talking about, and 2-3 times around is enough for hitters to adapt to the pitch. Besides, he'll sign with Seattle or NY due to their Japanese advertising, there's literally no carrot on a stick for him to sign in Chicago.
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Sit him for the rest of the year along with Prior. Why risk it?
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I may be a stickler to baseball fashion, but the nameless blue home jerseys are an eyesore. Regardless of the opinion that home fans should know players by number, ugly is ugly.
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I'm skeptical of his long term offensive production, especially hitting high in the order, but he has been serviceable if not more so to this point. Getting him in a trade for Maddux when we're not in a pennant race isn't too shabby as well.
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Yeah, he's such a team player that he moved to 3B when the Yankees signed the best defensive SS in the AL...wait, that never happened. Jeter, through his service in NY, should hold the preference of position played. Again, you're making something out of nothing. You're saying that he should get to play whatever position he wants out of deference to his tenure, regardless of the fact that it's detrimental to the team? No, I'm not saying whatever position he wants. Jeter has developed as a SS and deserves to play that position until his skills dictate otherwise; another player acquisition should not be the reason of a position shift. Who says Jeter's defense is detrimental to the team anyway? He may not have A+ range but he turns the DP and fields balls that should be made. The Yankeee's infield defense is definitely not a problem of the squad.
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3/$15m right fielder 3 good prospects + $5.75m + potentially many more millions of dollars $2.8m Do you seriously need this explained to you? I don't think he ever asked for you to explain anything to him. Patterson's lack of plate discipline and situational hitting cancels out his OPS in my opinion. Stolen bases from the 6-slot in the order aren't critical to a team's offensive production either. Jones, however, has just as bad discipline and situational hitting and also plays a very easily replaceable corner outfield position. I think Pierre would be better suited as a 2-hole hitter due to his ability to make contact and lay down the bunt. As far as the 2007 leadoff and 2-hole hitter for the Cubs, I have no idea.
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Yeah, he's such a team player that he moved to 3B when the Yankees signed the best defensive SS in the AL...wait, that never happened. Jeter, through his service in NY, should hold the preference of position played. Again, you're making something out of nothing.
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Jeter is the consumate team player, and even if A-Rod is involved, this controversy (if thats even what it is) is totally media created.
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I thought we loved Murton? We don't now?
