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Backtobanks

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  1. Backtobanks
    Ugg great, I wouldnt think he will out live Hendry who will most likely be gone when his contract expires, which is after the 2008 season right? If the Cubs get into the winning mode, I'm sure Hendry will be here for all of Piniella's contract.
  2. Backtobanks
    I think that is one of the reasons a lot of people (including me) think the Cubs are not as bad as their record indicates and with a few smart moves can contend in the NL Central. I know the NL Central is weak, but once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.
  3. Backtobanks
    I will go on record and agree with this right now. Way to cover your butt. The comments of some on this great board are starting to diminish the quality it once had. Too many people jumping on the opinions of the outspoken. I think if the Cubs win in '07, it will be 95% due to the players and 5% to the manager, no matter who they hire!! I totally agree. I stated in one post that I doubt that there would be a swing of more than 3 games no matter whether they hired Piniella, Bochy, Girardi, or Brenley. Whether we want to admit it or not, these guys are all competent enough to win with the right players.
  4. Backtobanks
    Not a problem, we can get ARod for compensation.
  5. Backtobanks
    I doubt very much that Piniella would accept a one year contract. I'm sure it will be at least 2 years and probably 3 years. I would doubt anyone would take a one year deal with the Cubs and all of their baggage.
  6. Backtobanks
    Obviously, the Cubs have to gamble this offseason because of their dismal performance during the season. My point is signing players like Soriano, CLee, Scmidt, etc. to $50-75 million contracts is a big gamble too. Giving up young players for Dunn, Tejada, or ARod is a giagantic gamble too. Personally I would take my chances with players in their prime rather than short-term contracts with players past their prime.
  7. Backtobanks
    I agree. The bottom line is if Hendry acquires the right players and the Cubs have some semblance of health, the Cubs will contend with any of these guys. All of these guys have their share of supporters and detractors, but the fans and the media will jump on or off the bandwagon depending on results. There's been lots of threats about disowning the Cubs if someone like Piniella is hired, but most of the Cub fans will be waiting in line (real or virtual) when the tickets go on sale no matter which manager is hired.
  8. Backtobanks
    Evidence that a player's production goes up 20-30% during their contract year? I guess I don't have any hard evidence, but observation seems to point to much better production during a player's contract year. All of a sudden .260 hitters turn into .300 hitters, guys who average 25 HRs hit 35 HRs, and pitchers who win 12 games suddenly become 18 game winners.
  9. Backtobanks
    There have been many threads that involved hustling and giving 100% effort and many more threads that wandered into that topic. My question is if major league ballplayers are playing at a level so much higher than "normal" people and many seem to be giving 100% effort, how come their production kicks up an extra 20-30% during their contract year?
  10. Backtobanks
    The same reason they would be interested in Prior.
  11. Backtobanks
    As a couple of posters have written, I think he wants out of Washington. Also, I'm sure his agent and him think that the rejected Nationals' offer will set a starting point for others. I would think that he won't do much better than what was offered, but you have some desperate deep-pocket teams (Yankees, Cubs, Orioles, etc.) out there.
  12. Backtobanks
    The Sox deal matches up with the Yankees' needs. I would think teams might be a little hesitant on Crede until they find out details on his back. If his back is okay, this would be a good deal for both teams. As others have posted, the Cubs would need a third team to obtain ARod. The only other deals I can think of: (1) Florida sends Cabrera and Willis to NYY, Yanks send ARod to Third team, and third team sends a boatload of excellent prospects or cheap players to Florida. But, who is that 3rd team? Angels? Dodgers? Padres? (2) Seattle trades Beltre and Felix Rodriguez. The CW is that ARod would veto a trade to a West Coast team. I think the only way the Yanks would trade ARod without getting back a 3B in the deal would be for Aramis to become a free agent. If the Yanks signed Aramis, I think they would trade ARod for just pitching - that's just a hunch. I don't think it would have to be Cabrera and Willis, but maybe Cabrera orWillis with another player or 2 involved. If it's one or the other, the third team might not have to send quite as many players (or the Yanks might send a prospect too).
  13. Backtobanks
    The Sox deal matches up with the Yankees' needs. I would think teams might be a little hesitant on Crede until they find out details on his back. If his back is okay, this would be a good deal for both teams. As others have posted, the Cubs would need a third team to obtain ARod.
  14. Backtobanks
    Barrett was hurt after the 2006 season was buried. If you are going to play the excuse game, at least have the courtesy to not include the ones that didn't have anything to do with the team going in the tank. But he did miss time for suspension.
  15. Backtobanks
    I'm assuming this is the part of the post that was actually yours. Baker had Maddux. He also had the chance to treat Prior and Wood better when they were healthy. He also had the chance to let Hill battle through his problems last year, which may have quickened his eventual, and some would say inevitable, improvement. He had a chance to not rely on Rusch when he sucked and let Hendry know he wasn't worth bringing back. He also had the chance to not make Neifi and Bynum such prominent members of the roster. Excusing him for Barrett missing time is absurd. The team was lost long before that happened, and besides, catchers get hurt and miss time. It's a fact of baseball. Baker deserves much of the blame for what has happened the last two years, but as has been pointed out in the press conferences there's lots of blame to go around. Everyone hates excuses, but with injuries to Wood, Prior, DLee, Nomar, Barrett, etc. injuries have to be part of the reason the Cubs have been dismal for the last two years. As MacPhail pointed out in his press conference, too much of the payroll was on the DL at any given time. Dusty was a bad manager, but with the injuries they had and the players he had available, no manager would have been able to win consistently.
  16. Backtobanks
    That analogy doesn't work unless you have chess pieces that move themselves. Also, if that chess player with only pawns is playing against a similarly skilled chess player with his normal pieces he will most certainly lose. Sure, Baker with a bunch of scrubs could beat some high school team but even Earl Weaver couldn't make the scrubs into a winning team against average major league competition. I'm certainly not defending Dusty, but you can't expect much when your starting pitching is Z and 4 rookies, 2 of your star players (Barrett & DLee) are out for extended periods, and you have the likes of Neifi, Mabry, and Bynum on your team.
  17. Backtobanks
    Everyone has their favorites, but I have trouble believing that any of these guys would win or lose more than 3 games compared to the others. Is there a VORM statistic to compare them. If tremendous players have a VORP of around 10, how much effect can one manager have over another assuming they are all basically adequate?
  18. Backtobanks
    Do you have any inside information on the behind the scenes issues that Phil Nevin hinted at?
  19. Backtobanks
    I'm not to sure what you're going to find out in an interview anyhow, but Piniella, Brenly, Girardi, Listach, and Quade have been available for a week. Bochy is the only one he needed to wait for. I'm wondering if Rothschild as pitching coach is one of the interview questions.
  20. Backtobanks
    If he hits .260 is like saying if Murton hits 50 HRs it will be a monster season. Dunn has only hit .260 once as a full-time player. Dunn for Jones - great. Dunn for Jones plus a pitching prospect - maybe. Dunn for Hill or Prior - no way. No its not, Dunn has hit 260 in his career, Murton has not hit 17 HRs in a season, let alone 50. Don't be ridiculous. He's hit .260 only once as a regular. I don't think Murton will ever hit 50 HRs, but I doubt Dunn will hit .260 again either. There were many posts about ARam not hustling, but at least he doesn't look like a giant Sequoia out in LF. Dunn is a total mope with a lousy BA and lousy defense who gives you 3 possibilities at the plate: HR, BB, or K. That being said I stand by my statement that if the Cubs can get him cheaply okay, but I wouldn't offer much. Actually, I think the whole discussion is moot since Cincy wouldn't trade him to a division rival anymore than the Cubs would trade someone like Prior to a division rival. Facing Dunn or Prior could come back to haunt their original teams for the next decade. I said hes hit 260 in his career, not over the course of his career. I understood what you said and I still don't think he will ever hit .260 again.
  21. Backtobanks
    The FA class is very weak for 3b, and there are no obvious trade candidates. The yanks need pitching, but they should be able to get pitching AND a 3b for ARod. They won't need pitching after they sign Zito, Scmidt, and Matsuzaka.
  22. Backtobanks
    If he hits .260 is like saying if Murton hits 50 HRs it will be a monster season. Dunn has only hit .260 once as a full-time player. Dunn for Jones - great. Dunn for Jones plus a pitching prospect - maybe. Dunn for Hill or Prior - no way. No its not, Dunn has hit 260 in his career, Murton has not hit 17 HRs in a season, let alone 50. Don't be ridiculous. He's hit .260 only once as a regular. I don't think Murton will ever hit 50 HRs, but I doubt Dunn will hit .260 again either. There were many posts about ARam not hustling, but at least he doesn't look like a giant Sequoia out in LF. Dunn is a total mope with a lousy BA and lousy defense who gives you 3 possibilities at the plate: HR, BB, or K. That being said I stand by my statement that if the Cubs can get him cheaply okay, but I wouldn't offer much. Actually, I think the whole discussion is moot since Cincy wouldn't trade him to a division rival anymore than the Cubs would trade someone like Prior to a division rival. Facing Dunn or Prior could come back to haunt their original teams for the next decade.
  23. Backtobanks
    If he hits .260 is like saying if Murton hits 50 HRs it will be a monster season. Dunn has only hit .260 once as a full-time player. Dunn for Jones - great. Dunn for Jones plus a pitching prospect - maybe. Dunn for Hill or Prior - no way.
  24. Backtobanks
    I'd trade Hill, if they'd do it straight up. No way! It looks like Hill is penciled in to be the #3 starter for the Cubs. Trade Hill and you have to find 3 starters for next year's team.
  25. Backtobanks
    Can you imagine Bonds in Yankee Stadium? He might pass Aaron before the All-Star game.
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