PriortoTheoIhadWood

Actually that was a poorly thought out argument...Blech...Still think he's closer to a 4 than anyone here will care to admit. I certainly don't see the Cubs being a WS contender without adding at least one or two better arms (two if Shark isn't real).

WAR = be all, end all? Are they trading for his 5 years? You realize that according to bWAR he hasn't been a 4 WAR pitcher since '08? Or that at 25 Buchholz (2010) had a season that would only be bested by Dempster's 2008? Or that moving into the more offensive AL might negatively impact his numbers? Dodgers' #2 lol

*slaps knee* So?

To join the cool crowd do I just have to stroll around calling anyone who dares disagree with me crazy, or without 30,000+ posts is that just known as trolling? Should I save my big opinion pieces for the movie or TV thread? Do I just have to generally hold a holier than thou attitude? WHAT'S THE SECRET?

Lol evasive maneuvers! Launch stock dummy posts! Come on guys I want to be one of the cool kids/in crowd.

Yeah pretty sure Dempster has dropped more bombs than all those guys in his career. They're certainly capable of getting their butts kicked, but Dempster isn't anywhere near those guys and does not have their room for error stuff wise. It's just more likely to happen and HAS happened more often... Yankees - How directly are you translating his numbers here? He's one of their jumble of "Not CC" starters and probably isn't all that much better or worse than Kuroda, Nova, or even newly unretired Pettite. Red Sox - Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz when healthy and going are all better. Don't see his numbers seamlessly translating into the AL East. Think the Yankees and Red Sox lineup would eat him up... Dodgers - Kershaw followed by Billingsley, so third. Blue Jays - 3 almost solely because it's an extremely young rotation. Romero and Morrow are the vets and I'm not sure either is 28. Tigers - Scherzer but sure, that's a team that needs SP, has a great park to pitch in, and he'd give them what they need (solid innings) in front of that lineup. Mets aren't even a contender. Rockies - Sure, but we're talking about a team who's best pitcher with experience is Guthriw. What happened to Chacin? That's not so much "high end 3" as "hey this guy is a solid arm who is better than what we currently have" in pretty much all those cases. Consider that Bumgarner and Cole Hamels are the third starters on a couple of contenders.

You realize that it's not some insignificant piece of info that he didn't get hurt? You realize that in your reality you have to assume that Hamels has no clue what he was doing with a baseball in his hand AND that he had a real intent to injure the kid rather than back him off/intimidate? Quick, run to how it didn't intimidate or back him off! Herp what it the ball wasn't a ball but a BOMB!? What if Harper was pregnant? What if he had the cure for cancer in that particular part of his body, science was ready to extract, but then the HBP moved it/dispersed it? What if Harper was an alien prince and that malicious attack launched an intergalactic war that humanity isn't ready for?

I love Dempster, he's been awesome here, but it's tough to see a contender taking him on as a high end third starter. He doesn't throw hard enough that you can trust his K's to translate say...into the AL East or something. Plus there's his penchant to just crap out a 6 walk start for no reason. Maybe if Hoyer is a good salesman, but teams are going to do homework on him and I doubt he gets graded as a high end 3 on a championship caliber club.

Not something I would bank on.

Lol still with the hypotheticals and things that didn't happen to prove your "point."

I couldn't get into Zimmer in the first place, but whats wrong with Appel?

That depends on how they want to spend in the offseason. I would not mind retaining him and I would not mind trading him if they got a good price on him.

What adjustment would Jackson have to make to please the new bosses? He did everything right but K's and BA, and he's still that guy. I want some video of his swing. Whoever sees Iowa games live bring your high speed camera with you next time. I want to know wtf is going on there becaue if he were to bust (which I still doubt even with the K's) it's going to be something with that damned swing. I bet he's susceptible to sliders/curves down and in and fastballs up, but who knows? Changeups away are probably annoying...fastballs in...These things are so rarely in your basic BA scouting reports but so damn significant. I must know. Anyone ever asked a BA or BP guy what the issue is there?

Remarkable accomplishment given the strikeout rate. Back down to unremarkable given him being 23. You missed the point. When you strike out in ~33% of your at bats, you are extremely unlikely to hit in 21 straight. From a purely statistical perspective, it was a remarkable accomplishment. Kinda like guessing 21 straight coin flips. I got the point I just wanted to pile on.

Remarkable accomplishment given the strikeout rate. Back down to unremarkable given him being 23.

not sure that's the word I would use. I'd go with the phrase "potentially crippling" What is it that beats him? Fastballs (bat speed issue?) or does he just suck against off speed stuff? Which would be better/worse anyway? Sucks to not be able to hit a good fastball as a very young major leaguer...

Meh.

I'd like Vitters to be more patient, but I'll take him piling up hits (particularly 2Bs and HRs). At least get there...

Well you can jump off a bridge anchored by a 500 pound stone, but most anyone else can say that it's OK to peg Bryce Harper. Otherwise this thread gets to page 20 with me still raving. Or just retitle the thread "Bryce Harper: Innocent, Healthy Egoed Victim of a Violent Crime."

Thanks. Damn figured it wasn't a high velocity pitch.

http://mobile.bluebirdbanter.com/2006/2/11/205541/519 Link for Pro Player effect on K/9.

His better be Vitters getting hot.

Ugh yeah the equivalence of "good face"...Just meant that I like how he carries himself somewhat...probably should have just said that....I'm excitable. I don't know how hard Kaprielian throws, but That curveball looks nasty. I need to find out who the Vandy recruits are as well...

Carlos Delgado Wow good call...Cameron wasn't even the last guy to do it the year he did it (Shawn Green).

Finally! Now just finish up the series please....Boo Philly.