jersey cubs fan

It's quite simple really. Last year in the second half Murton put up this line, .319/.390/.522, that is All Star level production and better than any Cubs OF in a very long time. He did similar things in the minors. He has patience at the plate and gets on base, unlike the Cubs in general. And he's very young, and very cheap, so he could fill a position with above average production at well below average cost, allowing them to spend big in other areas. I really don't understand how hard it is to see why people like Murton.

Well, he's not taking up a roster spot right now, and I don't believe he's blocking any prospects from getting their starts. He's not going to retire today and forfeit the rest of his guaranteed money. I don't see any harm in keeping him around as a worst case scenario insurance policy for a spot start if something happens to the rest of the staff and all their backups. Isn't he on the 40 man? Technically, yes. But he's on the 60-day DL, which allows the Cubs to replace his spot on the 40-man roster.

I'm going to keep pretending that I'm ignoring the Kerry Wood situation.

Doesn't that depend on whether or not Jones' numbers trend up toward his career norms? For the record, if trading for Payton meant we'd actually see Pie play, I'd do it. It would depend on quite a few things. It could depend on whether Jones improves, but Payton could conceivably improve as well. Depends on how Pie would handle the time, or if he even got time. Obviously if they traded Jones for Payton to become the starting CF, I don't think you're any better off. But the Cubs need guys who can hit lefties, and Payton can.

or just have good taste in women :P One man's slumbuster is another man's steady girl.

I'd think Gallagher is next in-line, that is what Lou said.

The question is whether Pie with a little Payton sprinkled in is better than Jones with Pagan getting time.

He's been terrible all season. I don't see the point in pretending that people are making a judgement over 5-6 games. They are judging him on his numbers, all season long. He's been awful, all season long.

But my point is that if he goes on another run of these disaster starts, he will look like the worst pitcher in baseball. His July ERA is 6.70. June was over 5. He's had just 2 QS since late May. He's on the verge of pitching like the worst pitcher in baseball already. Since his July 1 outing, his ERA has risen 0.9 points. His season ERA could reach 5 with just 2 more similarly bad outings.

In the month of June he hit .295/.326/.432. And it barely put a dent in his terrible season. He hit 2 of the 3 HR he's hit in 3 years during that month to inflate those numbers. We can't realistically expect him to hit even 1 the rest of the way. And I think there's very little hope of him even putting up a .300 OBP the rest of the way. Why do you insist on pretending people are only giving him 5-6 games? He's played 86 this year with well over 300 AB and his numbers have been absolutely atrocious. Not struggling. Not off. Absolutely freaking atrocious. Old guys disappear in baseball. How many times do you have to see marginal players finish their careers in a Cubs uniform before admitting they have an awful tendency of thinking guys have more left in the tank than they actually do? Jim Hendry pays far too little attention to the negatives involved in older players. He's convinced himself that guys peak in their 30s when all the evidence indicates it's well before that. Why is it so hard to imagine that he and his scouting friends were impressed by, and fooled by Kendall's 3/3 1HR day against the Yankees and therefore mistakenly thought he could help? I don't see why anybody would want to give the benefit of the doubt to an old catcher who is obviously nowhere near the player he once was and is going through not just a slump, but a completely terrible season.

JJ signed a 3 year deal and is under contract through 2008

The Cubs need to get better vs LHP. They'd be able to slot Pie back into regular duty while resting him against the toughest LHP. I think it makes some sense. It's not going to greatly improve the team, but it would improve them without costing much of anything.

I thought he was in trouble with the commish there for a second.

He's had quite a few epic bad outings if you ask me. Last night is the kind of piss Lou off kind of outing that could force his hand. I'm talking like five or six straight epic bad. Otherwise, I don't think Hendry will let Marquis be anything but a starter regardless of what Lou wants. He's had 3 of 4 epic bad on two seperate occasions this year. He could get there. But I highly doubt it'll take 5 or 6 epic bad in a row for Piniella to make a change. Assuming yesterday was the 1st in what will become 5 or 6 in a row, do you really think Lou will let him go out and crap the bed against Philly, the Mets, Colorado (we're at 4 in a row now), Cincy and SF before making a change? If he doesn't mix in a good game against one of the next 3 opponents, I would not be the least bit surprised if he doesn't make his start against Cincy.

That's a short list. There aren't many. Also it should be noted that only IRod has been catching in the majors for as long as Kendall. JK has more innings behind the plate than all but IRod. He also doesn't have the DH to fall back on as a rest. And finally, all of those guys have something in their game that helps older plays stay relevent, a spot of power. Pudge is the one exception currently playing. Fisk is another from history. But very few catchers last as long as Kendall has, in terms of years of service and innings caught, without a steep decline. Kendall was a one dimensional player in recent years. It shouldn't shock anybody if a one dimensional player with a history of physical problems at a position like catcher could deteriorate quickly.

He's had quite a few epic bad outings if you ask me. Last night is the kind of piss Lou off kind of outing that could force his hand.

Well, he's not taking up a roster spot right now, and I don't believe he's blocking any prospects from getting their starts. He's not going to retire today and forfeit the rest of his guaranteed money. I don't see any harm in keeping him around as a worst case scenario insurance policy for a spot start if something happens to the rest of the staff and all their backups.

His best OBP month this year is .326. He's been sub .250 in April, May and July. It's not a 2 month bad streak. It's 3 months of complete suckitude. Not Neifi like .295 OBP suckitude, but new and improved suckitude the likes of which the Cubs don't even seen. Don't give me BS about "picking a stat". OPS matters. The fact that Kendall only provides one part of the package when he's going good, and that he hasn't even put up a good OBP in any month this year tells you he's worthless. I'm dead set on believing he's done because I'm dead set on not being naive enough to think the Cubs can coax the best out of an aging ballplayer. Catchers age quickly and disappear. Kendall is an old catcher with many miles on him and he has shown over the course of this entire season that he's done.

Well, considering we should have made the WS in 2003 and should have made (at least) the playoffs in 2004, I would take that. Honestly, if we would have squirmed in in 2004, our starting pitchers may not have given up any runs in the playoffs. Prior, Wood, Z, and Maddux were on fire, even during that last week. Prior had a 16K game and LOST against the Reds for cripes sake. I would take a repeat of 2003 and 2004 (with different endings) this year and next year, even if it meant that we would look like the White Sox do now in 2009. Should have? They didn't. There's no should. They were a highly flawed team that had it's flaws exposed. They weren't some 100 win juggernaut that ran across a fluke opponent. It would be one thing if short-term gambles guaranteed success no matter how reckless they were for the future. But often times short-term gambles don't even achieve the expected result, which leaves you coming up short now and in the future. Example, letting a tired pitcher pitch longer than he should makes him more likely to be ineffective right now, and susceptible to problems later on.

What seems crazy to me is pretending it's been just 4 games. This is like Dusty insisting he has to see somebody play for him before coming to any conclusions when there is plenty of data on a player suggesting just how good or bad he is. Which until this year, and actually including one month of this year, has shown Kendall to be a Catcher who gets on base more often than almost any other catcher in baseball. Except for the first 2 months of this year, the data says Kendall should get on base better than any other option we currently have. Except the whole season says he won't. The problem with waiting until a washed up player finishes a year before declaring him washed up is that you've given a washed up player a full year to suck. Catchers age fast. Kendall is old. Why is it so hard to imagine this isn't a fluke? 3 of 4 months he has a sub 500 OPS.

Decided not to trade is typically code for waiting for the last minute offers to fly in just before the deadline. Cincy without any major moves is destined to maintain their level of mediocrity.

He's not elite, but the true elites are signing those $100+ million deals and Bulger is just a step below them. A lot of those 10/$110-115m deals were also signed 2-3 years ago, when the cap was smaller. Considering the inflation seen at other positions, this doesn't seem that far out of line for a guy who is good for a 90+ rating year in and year out.

Seconded. Anyone remember when Dusty admitted he didn't know the starter's pitch count after a ballgame? It was either Prior or Z that threw 120 or something like that. Pinielle recently said he loses the ticker when Z is pitching. It's nice that he's paying attention to this stuff. But that is his job.

It's one thing for fans to live and die with each win and loss, and quite another for the GM to make decisions based on short-term fluctuations in performance, including "how we hit in the next week".

What seems crazy to me is pretending it's been just 4 games. This is like Dusty insisting he has to see somebody play for him before coming to any conclusions when there is plenty of data on a player suggesting just how good or bad he is.