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Backtobanks

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Everything posted by Backtobanks

  1. Backtobanks
    You're right for now, but I'll defer my opinion until the end of the season. Why not wait until 2014? Soriano is already past his prime and he doesn't have a great history of production to give anybody confidence that he will turn things around. There's really no time to be patient with the guy Hendry decided would be his savior. He's been a huge disappointment, but the Cubs are giving him all the leeway in the world, because of the money. He's done many things that have gotten others benched. Soriano, like many of the best hitters, is a streak hitter. When he gets hot, watch out. When he's cold, you wait for the next hot streak. There are very few top hitters that aren't streaky.
  2. Backtobanks
    Use him until he regresses back to his norm.
  3. Backtobanks
    Personally, I think it mostly in his head. After someone hits a HR, he cranks his fastball up to 95-96 on the next batter. Also, I'm wondering if his ego is allowing him to listen to Rothschild about correcting his mechanics.
  4. Backtobanks
    Before everyone gets too excited, why don't we see what moves Piniella is actually going to make.
  5. Backtobanks
    He is showing that he could be a decent 4th OF instead of a 5th. He could have a decent career in the Jay Payton/Mark Kotsay mold.
  6. Backtobanks
    Certainly not interested in those two. I would think Rios is the only player on their major league roster we might want. Do they have any interesting prospects?
  7. Backtobanks
    Lou made it sound like the changes would involve the pitching staff.
  8. Backtobanks
    Guzman to the bullpen, maybe.....but not as closer. Marmol in the bullpen and eventually being groomed as a closer, possibly. Marshall in the rotation, possibly..........but 3 lefties isn't a great choice if you can help it. Soriano to 2B will never happen. A butcher at 2B can do a lot more damage than an adequate OF. I would love to see Soriano in RF if it wouldn't mess with his offense. I would love to see Derosa as a super-sub, but that would mean getting an everyday SS in a trade, probably not going to happen. My guess is Eyre will be traded for next to nothing, Wuertz will be given more responsibility, and Dempster will remain as closer (for now).
  9. Backtobanks
    I honestly thought he retired by now. Good to see he's still around, though I don't know if he's still productive. And we can't find a taker for Jones?
  10. Backtobanks
    Folks, when you rely on a guy with a career WHIP over 1.5 to be your closer, you are asking for trouble. Sure, Dempster got off to a decent start this year, but you knew his long term trend would eventually surface, and it did. He has always had a habit of working behind in the count and walking guys, and on top of that, he gives up more than 1 hit per innings pitched. These aren't exactly the traits you look for in a closer. Dempster is like many other closers that are 1 year wonders. The advance scouts get a read on these guys, and figure out a way to make life miserable for them. With Dempster its easy - all you do is make him throw strikes, and chances are, he will get himself in trouble by walking guys and then give up a hit or two because he turns to toast. Yesterday was obvious, first Dempster was looking down at the mound, like that was the reason he couldn't throw strikes, then he complained to the ump on a pitch 6 inches inside. If that ain't a sign a guy is blowing up, I don't know what is. I'm always amazed that managers worry so much about a closer's ego. If I was a manager I would have another reliever warming up when I brought my closer into the game. After watching closers for decades, I noticed that you can tell if they're on or off their game by watching them pitch to the first batter. I am surprised that these high-priced pitching coaches haven't figured that out.
  11. Backtobanks
    Mazzone and Duncan couldn't straighten out Marquis.
  12. Backtobanks
    Typing that "e" in Pie's name is a killer.
  13. Backtobanks
    Things must be getting better, I remember when the Cubs used to pick up everyone else's castoffs.
  14. Backtobanks
    Never bought into that. There's plenty of poverty in Latin America, even moreso than in US inner cities, yet there's no shortage of latin kids finding their way onto pro baseball rosters. Simple fact is baseball is no longer very popular with young African Americans. That's why the scarcity of black players isn't going away anytime soon. Jesse Jackson can bitch about it all he wants but it won't change anything. I think the bottom line here is that in the NBA and NFL these kids go straight to the big league...and the money. In MLB, that doesn't happen too often with much success and in today's society of instant gratification, kids don't want to put in a couple of years or more in the minors. They want the money and glory and they want it now. So, where are the protests about the lack of diversity on the field in the NFL and NBA? And don't Jesse Jackson and his minions have better things to do with their time and other people's money? I agree with what you said. In addition, being successful in high school, college, or the minors doesn't necessarily translate to success in the majors. The correlation between success in basketball and football at the college level is much greater than baseball. At the high school level it is even greater.
  15. Backtobanks
    Maybe Lou can use his powers of persuasion to convince Soriano that not only should he bat in the middle of the lineup, but he should play RF too. Assuming it wouldn't affect his offense, Soriano in RF makes the most sense. A future OF of Murton, Pie, and Soriano would provide decent defense at the corners, spectacular defense in CF, and strong arms in CF and RF.
  16. Backtobanks
    I can't imagine the Cubs getting Cabrera and then not being able to re-sign him. Can you imagine the uproar of getting someone like Cabrera, having him help you get into the playoffs, and then letting him walk?
  17. Backtobanks
    The Cubs seem to lead the league in jumping out to a 4-5 run lead and then hibernating for the next 6-7 innings.
  18. Backtobanks
    i can't see the giants giving up Lincecum if they're in it in July because he will likely have been one of the driving forces behind them still being in the race. Don't want any part of Ervin Santana or Jered Weaver either. Santana is AWFUL on the road. Weaver...well...meh. He's okay, but I think we could do better. Don't look at his run out of the gates at th beginning of his career as an indicator of future success. He also added about 120 innings last year from his professional debut, which I don't really like for his future. Didn't he have arm problems in march/april? If Z starts pitching well, we could do a whole lot better than ESantana or Weaver, I think. I would think it would be ESantana plus someone (Brandon Wood?).
  19. Backtobanks
    Obviously, rap music isn't to blame for domestic violence, but it sure isn't helping the situation either.
  20. Backtobanks
    Those are always 95% of the trade proposals here. I think it really just goes with the whole message board community idea. I'm sure SoSH gets just as many of them. right, but people should at least try to separate "wishful thinking" from "realistic idea." I mean, think about the players you're throwing in these trades - Eyre, Jones, Izturis, Marshall, etc. If you're so eager to get rid of them, do you really think other teams are willing to give much up for them? Probably not. I agree that some trade proposals are "wishful thinking", but it depends on the teams involved and their specific needs or mood. If a team needs a LOOGY to win their division, Eyre might be valuable trade commodity. Jones could have value to a team that needs a platoon OF. If a team is having a "fire sale", Marshall could be part of a trade proposal for an expensive veteran. As for Izturis, let's not forget the Tigers thought they needed a defensive IF (Neifi Perez) late last year. So let's not give up on the Izturis for Cabrera trade just yet :).
  21. Backtobanks
    The key to this whole argument is that there's no hurry in trading him or signing him. The deadline that they set has already passed. Wait for awhile to see whether he corrects his situation or not. If he becomes the Zambrano of old, make him a good offer. If he continues having poor starts, make him a lower offer and if he doesn't accept, then trade him. If an injury shows up, obviously an offer can be made based on the probability of his return to top form. Another factor might be the success of some of our minor league prospects. Getting top price for a mediocre Zambrano might be in the best interest of the Cubs especially if our minor league prospects and the players we get in trade are ready to step into the starting rotation.
  22. Backtobanks
    There have been hints of Toronto having a fire sale. Now might be the time to make an offer for Vernon Wells. Jones, Eyre/Ohman, and Marshall for Wells. I think he becomes a free agent after this season, but Pie should be ready for next year.
  23. Backtobanks
    When you combine a bigger-than-life ego and alcohol (or drugs), you are going to have a combustible situation.
  24. Backtobanks
    I would. Alfonso seems to have a great arm. Bruce Miles has been saying since the day he signed that Soriano should be the everyday RF for this club especially with Pie being groomed to become the everyday CF. Some of that was predicated on the belief that Jones could be dealt, which I still think can happen. He definitely should be in RF. I don't know if his offensive resurgence had anything to do with his move back to LF, but I wouldn't chance another move unless it was an emergency. He does have the arm, but RF in Wrigley is tough.
  25. Backtobanks
    Just think of the Pandora's Box you would open by releasing your medical records. As others have pointed out, there could be something embarassing in your records (not having to do with steroids) that would be found out even if everything else was "blacked out". Secondly, you would be ostracized in your clubhouse and throughout baseball.
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