Clem Fandango

Hey... We scored 5 runs after I made it. Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

I'm basically the Brick Tamland of game threads Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

I told someone to delete it several innings ago!

I'm a stupid. My bad. If someone wants to delete it go for it. Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

Starters thread said i was 4th in line prior to mondays game. Sorey guys. Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

Well whatever, I'm done with it

I've adjusted the quote for less pessimism

It's the Jackson quote, isn't it?

Well there's no Little Mac quote where he talks about winning, so... It's not your turn until Fred loses. I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE GAAHAHHAHHA

I tried http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/animereid27/50800765/2857/original.gif

Well there's no Little Mac quote where he talks about winning, so...

Supposed to be my turn in the rotation. Making this now because if I don't I assure you I will forget. My first game thread. Here we go. http://i.imgur.com/kSq5DwO.png http://i.imgur.com/ZNOTbRr.jpg

My bad

Personally I think I'd prefer trying to get a top prospect vs. a handful of projectable prospects. We've got projectable prospects, and I know the FO wants to load the system up with arms, but I'd like for one of those arms to be someone we can anticipate being a staple of our rotation for several years rather than a guy who tiptoes the line between the bullpen and the rotation hoping he turns into a C.J. Wilson type who comes out of nowhere. You don't really want to commit someone to the rotation unless you absolutely think you have something. The bullpen tends to be a revolving door to find out if someone can perform well in relief or if a starter can have his stuff play up at the major league level so you can slot him in the backend of the rotation if you need to. I'd rather chance it on someone you know you want in the rotation vs. a handful of guys who may or may not even make it to the majors or to the rotation. Starting pitching isn't cheap and I'd feel more comfortable knowing we wouldn't need to spend excessively to fill the rotation. I think you trade Shark for a top guy, and draft a pitcher this year and next. We have other players that can get us the projectable guys here and there if we really want them, IMO.

He deserves a big drop in rankings, I agree, as he's lost a lot of his luster. I just don't think it should've been this cataclysmic. If you're talking about NSBB rankings, it's clear Brett Jackson was overrated at 6 last year. I agree, but we all had to have felt he still had something to give for us to consider him that high on the list based on what we saw in 2012. 2013 was a colossal failure for him, no doubt about it, but it was also an experimental period for his mechanics. If he's reverted back to his old swing after spending a year with a different one I imagine there's going to be another growing pain in his game to get back to where he was before, and where he was before (2012) realistically was probably a serviceable bench player. I know that doesn't sound sexy, but how many players on our list already can we realistically expect to make the majors to even be a bench player? If Jackson can still show the ability to take walks this season while regaining some pop, I wouldn't mind him on the bench in the future, K's be damned. Do I think he's a future starter? No, but I think he can still be useful to varying degrees.

Whether or not that prospect is highly regarded, he still doesn't provide the team with the guarantee he'll be effective at the major league level while someone like Samardzija does. Is it likely that someone like Archie Bradley develops into a productive young pitcher? Sure, but he has no track record to provide his team the peace of mind of knowing that every 5th start there's a good chance they're gonna get some good innings out of their guy. Samardzija, meanwhile, is going out there every 5th start and dominating while the other teams sit and watch what they could have in their rotation while waiting for their wunderkinds to be ready for the majors as their team struggles.

He deserves a big drop in rankings, I agree, as he's lost a lot of his luster. I just don't think it should've been this cataclysmic.

Neither have I. I'm not using him to ridicule you, I'm using him as an example of a player who has had a similar loss-of-faith over the years who has, despite having less tools than Jackson, maintained some sort of perceived value over him despite having a less skillful tool set. I guess cause he's a year younger? Or he has a "contact" tool? He showed improved patience over 30 or so games last year before he got injured, sure. Before that he had some of the worst patience of all our prospects. Jackson had some of the best patience. Then he has a down year and he's banished into the nether regions of our farm system? It'd be one thing if people had been growing tired of him gradually. If he was our #18 prospect or our #26 prospect last season. But he was our #6 prospect by our own accord. And now he's barely good enough to fit in our Top 50? I don't get it. That's a colossal drop off.

Cole clearly cussed him out and just walked off without looking back and acknowledging his reaction, while Travis Snider walked up and got in his face and talked [expletive] to him

Trey Masek was the Cubs fifth rounder last year and BA ranked him the 49th best prospect going into the draft. I know who he is, it was hyperbole. Just making a point that our 2013 #6 overall prospect is a has-been because of one year now. I don't get how people can think Josh Vitters will have a career when he can't field any position and doesn't hit well enough to warrant a DH spot. Also you have zero certainty that he'll have a 40% strike out rate every year he plays in the majors. He's still only 25. Is that old for a prospect? Yes. Is that washed up and out of baseball playing for hot dogs in the independent leagues? No. Also speed... okay. I may have jumped the gun on that, but at least he has a fair baserunning ability. Vitters literally only does one thing that's just okay.

It seems that everyone apparently is of the opinion that Brett Jackson is finished and has no future on a big league roster. Even I'm not high on him, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel like everyone else apparently is. And yet we are still fitting him into our Top 50. And he might not make it. Meanwhile Josh Vitters, who was doing well but missed most of the year due to injury after putting up an .869 OPS in AAA in 2012 and following it up with maybe the worst cup of coffee ever (7 OPS+), is considered our 19th best prospect. Why? I have no idea. He can probably poop his pants better than he can field any position on defense (Jackson is a solid defender) and he is still attempting to learn to be patient at the plate (something Jackson already is). The only thing Vitters is good at doing is not striking out, because he's good at making contact. That doesn't mean he's a good hitter. He hasn't done him any favors so far in his career. Jackson, meanwhile, had an awful 2013 after management forced him to adjust his mechanics. So he was trying on a new swing for the first time in his career. And now he's doomed for the independent leagues while Vitters still has a chance at being something interesting? I don't buy it. Jackson still has the athleticism. Does he need work on his swing? Sure. But the tools are there. Jackson, despite his faults, still has multiple tools that are useful. Vitters really has only ever had one: Contact. And it's the kind of contact that doesn't mean he'll be a good hitter. But Vitters is our 19th best prospect while Jackson is currently having trouble sniffing Trey Masek's jockstrap, whoever Trey Masek is.

I'll be bold and predict that Brett Jackson will have a better major league career than Josh Vitters.

Agreed. Also the story, if I recall correctly, for his spike in homers was that he claimed when he came over to the Brewers and broke out he approached management and asked them if he could swing the bat freely. Since coming up in the minors he was a speedster and he apparently was groomed by the Mets and the Twins to be a prototypical lead off Juan Pierre type... slappy singles hitter with good speed. As soon as Brewers management let him do what he wanted he started hitting homers. Or so the story goes.

Maybe he's actually Tom Ricketts and he's speaking in metaphors

I lol'd