UMFan83

But Furcal is better at deciding to drive drunk and injuring Cubs players.

LEAK!!!! Shut everything down. No one is going anywhere now.

My guess is the Mariners couldn't afford to give Santana the extension, so it would have just been a waste of time. True, but how much do you think Bedard will get if he has a great season this year?

I'm glad neither team got him, or we would be hearing about Johan Santana, as much as we are hearing about Tom Brady. The Mets getting Santana---at a VERY steep, but worth, IMO---doesn't really affect us, so I am not really concerned about it. How does it not affect us? Assuming we even got that far, how would you like facing Santana 3 times in a 7 game NLCS? There's a chance the Cubs wouldn't face him in the regular season. And the playoffs? We should cross that bridge when we (or they) get there. Letting a pitcher---even the one of Santana's ability---to affect you mentally, then maybe you should find players who likes the challenge. Again, if the Cubs have a strong enough mental and physical team in 2008, then facing a guy like Santana SHOULD NOT affect the Cubs. You have to beat the best, to become the best. I don't agree. Although the playoffs have proven to be a crapshoot, you still have to consider the landscape of the league you are in. Cubs fans won't settle for just a playoff appearance this year (although its not given that we make it), we have to be concerned when an already potent team in our league gets the best pitcher in baseball locked up for 7 years. I don't care how "mental and physical" we are, Santana has the ability to make the best hitters in baseball cry

2008 NLCS: Cubs (Zambrano) @ Mets (Santana) Cubs (Lilly) @ Mets (Martinez) Mets (Maine) @ Cubs (Hill) Mets (Perez) @ Cubs (Marquis) Mets (Santana) @ Cubs (Zambrano) Cubs (Lilly) @ Mets (Martinez) Cubs (Zambrano/Hill) @ Mets (Santana/Maine)

I'm glad neither team got him, or we would be hearing about Johan Santana, as much as we are hearing about Tom Brady. The Mets getting Santana---at a VERY steep, but worth, IMO---doesn't really affect us, so I am not really concerned about it. How does it not affect us? Assuming we even got that far, how would you like facing Santana 3 times in a 7 game NLCS?

Wow, thanks for the teaser

Which is why I'd rather have Ichiro than Andruw Jones

Exactly. Do you think MacPhail or McDonough or Kenny has agreed with every move that Jim Hendry has made? Did they interfere? They didn't interfere because they picked Jim Hendry to be their general manager to handle the responsibility of acquiring and managing the players on the Chicago Cubs. They hired him because they thought he could do that job. Angelos hired MacPhail because he is too busy to be the GM himself. This way MacPhail does all the work, which sometimes takes months of hard work, only to present it to MacPhail and have it turned down or accepted. But the problem is, Angelos isn't around the team in a day to day basis. He knows little about the Orioles day to day situation. Think about if a company hired you to manage a group of people and everytime you made a managerial decision, you had to go ask the CEO for permission first. Only the CEO is too busy doing things on a larger scale and has no idea why giving bonuses to your top performing employees would motivate them, only that giving bonuses would cost a lot of money so he rejects it.

Maybe Mark Prior will start the game as part of his rehab assignment.

It's still ridiculous that it would take 3 days for a trade that was complete to be "approved" by the owner. Seriously, if its that big of a deal for Angelos to free up 15 minutes of free time, either trust the GM you hired or become the GM yourself.

I remember when the Cubs did this in like I want to say 1995. The players play for an inning, and its usually a bunch of minor leaguers after that. The starting pitcher is usually the long reliever or a AAA pitcher. It sucks to use an off day on this though. The last one that was on was actually broadcast on WGN, maybe this one will. HoJo went yard This is the HOF websites recap of the game: They also played in 1988:

I remember when the Cubs did this in like I want to say 1995. The players play for an inning, and its usually a bunch of minor leaguers after that. The starting pitcher is usually the long reliever or a AAA pitcher. It sucks to use an off day on this though. The last one that was on was actually broadcast on WGN, maybe this one will. Last year Tomo Ohka started (on his throwing day) for the Rangers and Scott Williamson started for the Orioles.

I am finally on the side of people who are saying "forget the Orioles, lets just move along" Lets somehow find a way to get Greene for SS, and whether or not we do,lets call it an offseason. Soriano Fukudome Lee Ramirez Greene DeRosa Soto Pie/Byrd/CF

Now Rosenthal is implying the deal is on hold or perhaps off. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7726024/Source:-M's-deal-for-Bedard-on-hold

Sometime in June 2008: Reporter: Andy, you made a lot of big moves in the offseason and they appear to be paying off. Yesterday Adam Jones went 4-5 with 2 HRs in a big win over the Yankees. While the team still has away to go before contending, you have to be pleased with trading Erik Bedard, Bri- MacPhail: No I didn't. Reporter: What? MacPhail: No trades we're made, what are you talking about? Reporter: .....Bedard you traded him to the Mariners for a package of yo- MacPhail: No I didn't, he's right over there Reporter: Mr. MacPhail, thats Melvin Mora......Anyways, Adam Jones has continued to rake at the big league level, hitting .289 with 13 home runs so far this season. Andy, how much of that is attributed to your coaching staff getting him prepared for the major league level? MacPhail: I really don't think I should be talking about other team's prospects. Look when Seattle comes to town next week we'll discuss him. Reporter: ........... Ronny Cedeno (walking by): Eyyyy, Mr. MacPhail, we need to talk about my playing time. MacPhail: Your playing time? Son, your quite a batboy, but you need to be a little older before you can get some game action (chuckles). Now go help Mr. Roberts over there with his B-12 injections.

I wonder if he coached baseball799456947

Oh man, you're leaving? We didn't even get to use VORP and EqA yet

LOVE THIS. If you guys were smart you would read it more carefully where I put "since it shows what kind of player they are." HR's and SB's are comparable depending on the player. For instance Greene is a power hitter thus he hit around 28 HR's and had around 4 stolen bases. Theriot is a speedy guy meaning he hit around 4 HR's and has about 28 SB's. See how they are comparable. I'm not saying I would take 28 SB's over 28 HR's, but im saying thats the type of player they are. Greene has a good amount of HR's for the type of hitter he his, and Theriot has a good amount of SB's for the type of player he is. Why is it ok to say that HR's and SLG matter but OBP and SB's dont??? Who the ____ decides that that is more important in baseball? I completely disagree. I think OBP is just as important as stuff like SLG. I think batting average is just as important as stuff like HR's. It's ridiculous to say it is not! The overwhelming majority of people on this board will agree that OBP is a very important statistic. Batting average is not. While I understand the point you are trying to make when comparing SB and HR, they just aren't comparable. A home run equals a run, whereas a stolen base does not, thus making home runs much more valuable than steals. SLG > OBP (slightly) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BA>SB Flip OBP and SLG. The fact is there is basically little to no marginal difference in Greene vs Theriot's OBP. The difference in their slugging with Greene in Wrigley would be huge. In fact, I'd go out on a limb and say that Green's IsoP as a cub would be 2.5 times Theriot's. I could have sworn that I've read that SLG is marginally (theres that word again) more important than OBP in statistical analysis. I thought that was a critique against using OPS as a comparative tool. Nope, you got it flipped. And its more than marginal. Whoops, must have killed those brain cells with too much alcohol this weekend ;)

we're not really saying HRs are worth a lot. We're saying that OBP is worth a lot. and we're also comparing the two extremes, Yes, as long as Jones is hitting his 40 HRs not like last year id take him over Ichiro, who really isnt much more than below average defensively. Ichiro is below average defensively? What?!! Are you kidding me? You would take jones' .220 avg and 40 HR over Ichiro's .350 avg. and 40 SB? Show me a year Jones hit .220 with 40 HR.

LOVE THIS. If you guys were smart you would read it more carefully where I put "since it shows what kind of player they are." HR's and SB's are comparable depending on the player. For instance Greene is a power hitter thus he hit around 28 HR's and had around 4 stolen bases. Theriot is a speedy guy meaning he hit around 4 HR's and has about 28 SB's. See how they are comparable. I'm not saying I would take 28 SB's over 28 HR's, but im saying thats the type of player they are. Greene has a good amount of HR's for the type of hitter he his, and Theriot has a good amount of SB's for the type of player he is. Why is it ok to say that HR's and SLG matter but OBP and SB's dont??? Who the ____ decides that that is more important in baseball? I completely disagree. I think OBP is just as important as stuff like SLG. I think batting average is just as important as stuff like HR's. It's ridiculous to say it is not! The overwhelming majority of people on this board will agree that OBP is a very important statistic. Batting average is not. While I understand the point you are trying to make when comparing SB and HR, they just aren't comparable. A home run equals a run, whereas a stolen base does not, thus making home runs much more valuable than steals. SLG > OBP (slightly) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BA>SB Flip OBP and SLG. The fact is there is basically little to no marginal difference in Greene vs Theriot's OBP. The difference in their slugging with Greene in Wrigley would be huge. In fact, I'd go out on a limb and say that Green's IsoP as a cub would be 2.5 times Theriot's. I could have sworn that I've read that SLG is marginally (theres that word again) more important than OBP in statistical analysis. I thought that was a critique against using OPS as a comparative tool.

Ahh, I was wondering why his responses were so slow. I was hoping that he was spending time registering an account at Baseball Prospectus.

LOVE THIS. If you guys were smart you would read it more carefully where I put "since it shows what kind of player they are." HR's and SB's are comparable depending on the player. For instance Greene is a power hitter thus he hit around 28 HR's and had around 4 stolen bases. Theriot is a speedy guy meaning he hit around 4 HR's and has about 28 SB's. See how they are comparable. I'm not saying I would take 28 SB's over 28 HR's, but im saying thats the type of player they are. Greene has a good amount of HR's for the type of hitter he his, and Theriot has a good amount of SB's for the type of player he is. Why is it ok to say that HR's and SLG matter but OBP and SB's dont??? Who the ____ decides that that is more important in baseball? I completely disagree. I think OBP is just as important as stuff like SLG. I think batting average is just as important as stuff like HR's. It's ridiculous to say it is not! The overwhelming majority of people on this board will agree that OBP is a very important statistic. Batting average is not. While I understand the point you are trying to make when comparing SB and HR, they just aren't comparable. A home run equals a run, whereas a stolen base does not, thus making home runs much more valuable than steals. SLG > OBP (slightly) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BA>SB

LOVE THIS. If you guys were smart you would read it more carefully where I put "since it shows what kind of player they are." HR's and SB's are comparable depending on the player. For instance Greene is a power hitter thus he hit around 28 HR's and had around 4 stolen bases. Theriot is a speedy guy meaning he hit around 4 HR's and has about 28 SB's. See how they are comparable. I'm not saying I would take 28 SB's over 28 HR's, but im saying thats the type of player they are. Greene has a good amount of HR's for the type of hitter he his, and Theriot has a good amount of SB's for the type of player he is. Why is it ok to say that HR's and SLG matter but OBP and SB's dont??? Who the f*ck decides that that is more important in baseball? I completely disagree. I think OBP is just as important as stuff like SLG. I think batting average is just as important as stuff like HR's. It's ridiculous to say it is not! Oh no...

The idea isn't to keep those four. The idea is to use those four in a trade that would be more of an upgrade than from Lofton "up" to Figgins... Theriot up to any real shortstop is a much larger improvement than Figgins would be over Lofton, if he is one at all. Let me guess, you think Khalil Greene over Theriot is more of an upgrade than Figgins over Lofton?? Cuz there arent any other shortstops out there that are available. And Greene is awful! Yes, Greene over Theriot is a much bigger upgrade than Figgins over Lofton. Much bigger. I'd pull some stats to prove it, but you probably saw all four players on TV a few times. How could I argue against that? I'll save you the time!!!! Greene vs. Theriot BA- .254 vs. .266 (hmmmm) OBP- .291 vs. .326 (hmmmm) BB- 32 vs. 49 K- 128 vs. 50 (ouch) SB- 4 vs. 28 (comparable to the HR's since it shows what kind of player they are) HR- 27 vs. 3 (this is the only thing Greene is that much better than Theriot)... power #s In my opinion I would rather have Greene than Theriot. But based on numbers Greene is god awful. An OBP less than .300!!!!! Are you kidding me? Yes Greene plays good defense and hits for more power. But Theriot isnt that type of player. There is no way Greene is more of an upgrade over Theriot than Figgins is over Lofton. Now look at this http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor Look at where Petco Park is on that list. Last by a fairly large margin. Now look at Wrigley Field. It is number 2. One of those players plays at Petco, one plays a Wrigley. Now look at this: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=5797 Look at Greene's home road splits. Home: .216/.258/.412/.690 (291 AB) Away: .288/.322/.519/.841 (320 AB) This point has been made 1,000 times. You don't have to agree with it, but I'd rather have a SS that has an over .800 OPS and plays good defense then Theriot.