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Backtobanks

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Everything posted by Backtobanks

  1. Backtobanks
    If Hendry does it your way, there would be questions and speculation for the rest of the season. Quade as interim gives Hendry a look at a possible replacement as opposed to a lame duck for the rest of the year. Also, making it public now probably helps Trammel find a position for next year.
  2. Backtobanks
    Keep in mind... It's Phil Rogers. I realize it's Phil Rogers, but after watching the Cubs the past few weeks (and especially today), they need someone to teach them fundamentals that they should have learned in Little League. I do wonder if Hendry has had second thoughts about "not rebuilding" and going with a young manager/teacher would fit with a very young/inexperienced team. Of course, behind all of this could be another motive - money. Signing most of the guys on that list would be a lot cheaper than someone like Valentine.
  3. Backtobanks
    Rogers in today's Tribune: Unless there's a Joe Girardi Hail Mary at the buzzer, the next Cubs manager isn't going to be a big name like Lou Piniella or Dusty Baker. A source close to the search says the focus is on finding someone who can be a teacher as well as push buttons. Ryne Sandberg's hopes could depend on how well-prepared players such as Darwin Barney, Welington Castillo and Sam Fuld appear down the stretch. … Alan Trammell, Piniella's bench coach, is definitely a teacher. Ditto third base coach Mike Quade and outside possibilities Ted Simmons, Fredi Gonzalez, Eric Wedge, DeMarlo Hale and Gary Varsho. … It looks like the Cubs want a young manager to relate with the young players. So much for "not rebuilding."
  4. Backtobanks
    According to a Tribune alert, Hendry told Trammel he wouldn't be considered for the job next year.
  5. Backtobanks
    From Phil Rogers: Unless there's a Joe Girardi Hail Mary at the buzzer, the next Cubs manager isn't going to be a big name like Lou Piniella or Dusty Baker. A source close to the search says the focus is on finding someone who can be a teacher as well as push buttons. Ryne Sandberg's hopes could depend on how well-prepared players such as Darwin Barney, Welington Castillo and Sam Fuld appear down the stretch. … Alan Trammell, Piniella's bench coach, is definitely a teacher. Ditto third base coach Mike Quade and outside possibilities Ted Simmons, Fredi Gonzalez, Eric Wedge, DeMarlo Hale and Gary Varsho. …
  6. Backtobanks
    For the season now the bullpen has had a much bigger impact on run differential. The Cubs offense is 12 runs worse than average for the NL (18 runs worse than median). The Cubs starting pitching has been 5 runs worse than average (4 runs worse than median). The Cubs bullpen has been 41 runs worse than average (49.5 worse than median). Even though the bullpen is much less important than the offense or the starting pitching, the Cubs bullpen has been so much worse relative to the league in that area than the other two that it has overcomed that relative unimportance to still be worse. That doesn't necessarily mean that the Cubs should focus on the bullpen in the offseason since there has so much variability there and almost everything has been absolutely awful there this year. But the bullpen has definitely been the biggest cause for the Cubs having such a bad run differential. To examine how run differential translates to wins/losses this season would require a much more detailed analysis. I would imagine most of those statistics are skewed by a bunch of AAA pitchers pitching relief in meaningless games.
  7. Backtobanks
    Look at what might have been this year if DLee, ARam, Zambrano, and Grabow had career-average years.
  8. Backtobanks
    Link?
  9. Backtobanks
    Adds to his versatitlity as a member of the 2011 Cubs and/or increases his trade value. What's not to like about this move?
  10. Backtobanks
    based on what? The fact that he was incinerating AAA hitters before his promotion. If only we could convince the rest of the league to play AAA players like we are.
  11. Backtobanks
    I'd like to see Colvin get in a little playing time at 1B. He played the position in college and it might add to his value for next year or as trade bait.
  12. Backtobanks
    Yes, but I'm dreaming with you I think Hendry will definitely look hard at Dunn. I believe there's been talk about Hendry being interested in him in the past. The thing that I wonder about Dunn is how a player of his skill set would get along under a manager like Ryno. I just imagine Sandberg hating Dunn. Dunn had better practice his sacrifice bunting.
  13. Backtobanks
    It would be easier to switch Cashner back to starting and use Marshall, Papelbon, and Marmol at the end.
  14. Backtobanks
    Papelbon @ $12 million is a better option than paying $12 million for Fukudome to play for another team.
  15. Backtobanks
    From MLBTR: Gammons On Papelbon, Ramirez, Overbay By Mark Polishuk [August 13 at 6:15pm CST] The venerable Peter Gammons appeared on WEEI's The Big Show to discuss a few Red Sox-related hot stove topics. WEEI.com's Sam Dykstra has the transcript of some of the interview's highlights... •The Red Sox will have a hard time finding takers for Jonathan Papelbon this winter if the club decides to install Daniel Bard as its full-time closer. Gammons predicts Papelbon will get around $12MM for his final year of arbitration, and doubts that Boston would be able to move Papelbon's entire salary plus get a quality return in a trade. The Red Sox have serious OF problems, so how about a deal centered around Fukudome and Papelborn? The money is reasonably close, so some tweaking with other players and/or cash could work.
  16. Backtobanks
    You have to be a pretty bad OF to nullify the runs Burrell generated during the Cubs series.
  17. Backtobanks
    Agreed, but I can't think of four "solid moves" that could be made. Gonzalez and Lee would be two. But it would take at least one more player of that magnitude and perhaps two to turn this team around. I don't think the Cubs would have the cash or the prospects to pull another one off. You think the Cubs are 2 MVP candidates AND 2 Cy Young candidates away from being a contender? I think it's fair to say that these 4 "solid" moves need to yield 4 or more good players. We have one of the worst offenses in the league and our pitching isn't much better. Actually a 1B like Gonzalez (or Dunn) might go a long way in improving the offense assuming ARam has a healthy year. DLee and ARam sucking all year and Lou insisting on keeping them #3 and #4 really screwed with a lot of offensive numbers. Lou's insistence on playing Hill over Soto so often certainly didn't help either.
  18. Backtobanks
    Maybe if we threw in Grabow they throw in Billy Butler. I would draw the line at Koyie Hill though.
  19. Backtobanks
    There wouldn't be any guarantee that he would sign with the Cubs, let alone for only 2-3 years when there might be a 4 year deal out there in free agency. As for "riding the pine" for any other team, not if that team didn't have another 1B candidate (unless you mean Nady or Baker :lol: ).
  20. Backtobanks
    First, it's kind of obvious the Cubs aren't going anywhere this season. While we're all tired of seeing this year's failures, I don't see the point of benching Ramirez, Lee, or Soriano. Ramirez and Soriano will return next year, so you don't want to insult them by benching them. As for Lee, the Cubs don't have any young player to replace him with. Also, mistreating Lee (by benching or DFAing him) would be a PR nightmare. Other players and their agents would note the mistreatment of a "class act" and consider that when thinking about signing with the Cubs. The best that we can hope for is moving Lee out of the 3rd spot in the lineup.
  21. Backtobanks
    It shouldn't matter, but playing for a contending/winning team helps in the voting.
  22. Backtobanks
    I think it's pretty clear: If the Padres were a losing team - Gonzalez would have been traded last month. The Padres are a winning team - Either Gonzalez won't be traded or his price has gone up even more. My original point was that the Padres doing well was a consideration in trading Gonzalez and the cost in acquiring him.
  23. Backtobanks
    I don't know how you can say a "taste of winning" will have nothing to do with trading their All Star 1B who helped a team make the playoffs when they were picked for last place. He's the drawing card that puts fans in the seats now that they're winning. If they were still floundering, Gonzalez would have been traded last month.
  24. Backtobanks
    If we're going to trade for one of the two, I'd much rather trade for Gonzalez, especially if the Nats' demands are as high as they sound. I think Gonzalez is going to cost more (in prospects) than Dunn.
  25. Backtobanks
    If the Cubs were contending, he would have to be considered as one of the frontrunners. I think his numbers as a SS on a contending team would get him ROY. Unfortunately, the lovable losers will probably blow his chances.
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