Pickle

JD Drew

Why does Dusty hate Murton again? Because he gave Murton some rest when Murton started slumping in June? Because he cut back on Murton's playing time? Maybe the fact that Murton isn't playing everyday is what's helping him. He's certainly been hitting a lot better since he's gotten more rest. Maybe with this being Murton's first full year in the majors, some time off helps him. Nah. Dusty hates the kid. I'm not sayin that I love everything Dusty does, but some of the bashing is just silly.

I'm pretty sure that Nomo was considered a big game pitcher in Japan. And Nomo had a quite a few good years.

Both trades stink. Don't do it unless ya can get Street.

I wouldn't mind seeing byrnes signed as a platoon partner with Jock.

At the risk of sounding like Brodie Bruce, if you're not going to pay attention to the conversation, don't join in. Don't worry. You sound NOTHING like Brodie Bruce. And I'd just like to know where this "good defense" is coming from. Ramirez has been pretty good at third. Cedeno is inconsistent. Where's this run-saving defense coming from? Isn't that what the discussion was about? The effect of good defense on pitching? All I wanna know is why you consider the Cubs defense to be good and, therefore, able to save the Cub pitchers tons of runs. I realize, the subject is debatable. But, I've watched MANY Cubs games this year and haven't walked away from any of them thinking that the Cubs had a bunch of defensive studs. You, obviously, see things differently.

Tell that to the White Sox who won a WS on Pitching and Defense. Their team BA was .262 with a .322 OBP and yet they managed to win a WS. they hit a crapload of homers. True..but they had 200 HR to our 194. They had a .262 AVG with a .322 OPB while we had a .270 AVG with a .324 OBP. So what was the difference between the two teams offensively? The difference must be in the clutch hitting because defense means very, very, very little. Yeah, that or exceptional pitching. I'll go with the pitching myself. You don't think that the defense had anything to do with that? I don't think it had much to do with it, no. How's our good defense working out with our pitching this year? The Cubs have a good defense this year?

Tell that to the White Sox who won a WS on Pitching and Defense. Their team BA was .262 with a .322 OBP and yet they managed to win a WS. they hit a crapload of homers. True..but they had 200 HR to our 194. They had a .262 AVG with a .322 OPB while we had a .270 AVG with a .324 OBP. So what was the difference between the two teams offensively? The difference must be in the clutch hitting because defense means very, very, very little. Yeah, that or exceptional pitching. I'll go with the pitching myself. You don't think that the defense had anything to do with that?

Tell that to the White Sox who won a WS on Pitching and Defense. Their team BA was .262 with a .322 OBP and yet they managed to win a WS. they hit a crapload of homers. True..but they had 200 HR to our 194. They had a .262 AVG with a .322 OPB while we had a .270 AVG with a .324 OBP. So what was the difference between the two teams offensively? The difference must be in the clutch hitting because defense means very, very, very little.

I think those that are somewhat happy with this deal are happy for 2 reasons 1) Yes, a 711 OPS is not that great-but it's about average for a shortstop-average OBP, slightly below average slugging for a shortstop. Combine that with his great defense, and you have a pretty good shortstop. 2)If the choice at short is Izturis or Cedeno, Izturis is a much better player. He is better offensively, and much better defensively. He won't be nearly the hole that Cedeno has been in the lineup-so this is an upgrade in talent. Now we'll see if Hendry can find the offensive player to play at second to go with him. I'm sorry, but none of that is true. Izturis is bad. Defense doesn't make him good. Cedeno can and will get better, Izturis can't and won't (at least when compared to his 04). Why won't he get better? Is there something that you know that no one else knows? Check out Omar Vizquel's stats his first few years in the league. They weren't that good and he turned out to be a pretty good hitter. I've never seen Izturis over an extended period of time, but Vizquel's name seems to pop up a lot when measuring his D against another player. And Vizquel is a career .702 OPS hitter. He's also a career .090 ISOD hitter, something Izturis has never approached. As I said, Izturis won't get better than his 04 numbers, which he is about 80 points off of for his career. I will give you that he can possibly approach those numbers and maintain them for a few years....but a .711 OPS isn't anything to write home about. It still sucks, frankly. Vizquel has always had a better eye at the plate than Izturis. That will always be the difference between the 2. That's why I said look at Vizquel's stats for his first few years in the league. Let's even narrow that down into when he played in Seattle. Did you look at those stats? Yeah, not so good. I'd go into posting the numbers, but I'm lazy.

I think those that are somewhat happy with this deal are happy for 2 reasons 1) Yes, a 711 OPS is not that great-but it's about average for a shortstop-average OBP, slightly below average slugging for a shortstop. Combine that with his great defense, and you have a pretty good shortstop. 2)If the choice at short is Izturis or Cedeno, Izturis is a much better player. He is better offensively, and much better defensively. He won't be nearly the hole that Cedeno has been in the lineup-so this is an upgrade in talent. Now we'll see if Hendry can find the offensive player to play at second to go with him. I'm sorry, but none of that is true. Izturis is bad. Defense doesn't make him good. Cedeno can and will get better, Izturis can't and won't (at least when compared to his 04). Why won't he get better? Is there something that you know that no one else knows? Check out Omar Vizquel's stats his first few years in the league. They weren't that good and he turned out to be a pretty good hitter. I've never seen Izturis over an extended period of time, but Vizquel's name seems to pop up a lot when measuring his D against another player.

Izturis is out there for his glove, not his bat. Defense is important, too.

Since Pierre wasn't traded, then you can pretty much count on him being re-signed. Instead of going after Soriano or Lee, Hendry will probably try to get a second tier free agent for the outfield. Or he might decide that Murton needs another year and goes with basically the same outfield as this year.

Soriano, this year has played like he should. Soriano has a baseball card full of years where he was good in ESPN stats, but lacking in other parts that make him value added. That said I would much rather have him on this cubs because he can handle the heat and thus dusty would play him everyday. Oh and Matt Murton is was better than Joey Belle. That's a good one. Imagine how good Murton will be when he changes his first name to Jeremiah.

You just made some people very unhappy--angry, even. It's gonna get ugly, but stay strong. You have supporters.

I keep wondering how a guy can hit 291 and only have an OBP of 319. I watched Brad Wilkerson tonight who is slumping badly. He's hitting 234, but his OBP is still higher than Jones. Even against righties, which Jacque hits better, his isoD is only .030. No matter how you slice it he gets on base by hitting the ball, not walking. That sounds familiar....Hendry? I'm not saying it's the right way or the best way to get on base. I'm saying that it's the way Jacque gets on base. Factual rather than opinion. I'll say it. Hitting is the best way to get on base. But, of course, you worry about a guy that has allergic reactions to walks. And Beane has started shifting philosphies as OBP has become more valued. That's the point of "Moneyball." It wasn't all OBP and OPS. It was finding what the market didn't value and figuring out how to utilize it.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060719cubsmaddux,1,5003999.story?coll=cs-home-headlines Maybe you were just being facetious (if so, proceed :)), but I really don't see any opportunity to criticize the Cubs here. I think the point was that management is wasting their time on things that really don't matter much in the grand scheme of things instead of trying to fix this mess they've created. Not that Hendry is necessarily the guy responsible for this, but that the focus is in the wrong place. I'm sure that Maddux appreciates it. I remember watching that game and thinking those runs shoulda been unearned. This is not the kind of thing that takes a lot of time. It's an appeal. There's nothing to criticize here.

He's in love with Adam Dunn, too?

I jus threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Let's hope.

Dusty just can't wait to let Miller go 120+ pitches in his 3rd start back.

This is 2003 all over again(except maybe he won't get hurt). He started off on fire and he's been cooling off every month since. He still doesn't walk and he still K's a lot. The difference is that the Orioles cut him loose on the basepaths. And trying to fool Andruw Jones, one of the top 2 or 3 CF's in the game, is stupid any way ya slice it. The fact the Orioles were happy when he tried it means that Corey should be very happy in Baltimore as long as that regime is in charge.

Matt Murton is a 4th OF, at best. "Speed bumps" are the only thing keeping more people from seeing that.

I thought IPT and Dewwood were just joking around. There didn't seem to be anything mean-spirited in any of it.

Now he'll use it as an excuse to get the savior in there. "Neifi woulda never been caught, dude."