TheDude

Same old [expletive]. Poor defense and walks. Will a Cubs team ever force the opponent to actually earn Runs?

Was ESPN Gamecast wrong, or was ball 3 really in the dead center of the strike zone?

There is nothing wrong with discussing Cy Young favorites at this stage as long as you don't include numbers already. It's nonsense to throw in first and second start numbers, but if you you're building a case on talent, durability, stuff, and focus, I think you have to consider Zambrano the outside threat. Unfortunately Win differential still factors heavily in Cy Young voters' minds, so you have to include that wild-card factor also. But the discussion still begins and likely ends with Santana, Peavy, and/or Webb.

You forgot one - Give up more Runs than Hits in an Inning. Check

Nah, that's the Fuku-Fever washing over him.

Just tuned in to see the score. Ugh.

I have heard this expressed often. And I can't say that I agree. As long as Lou and Perry are reinforcing the message with Felix that he should only be swinging at pitches in the zone I think it is a great learning opportunity for him. "Kid, if they're going to pitch around you to get to the pitcher, I want you to let them do it, take your base, then let us decide what to do with the pitcher spot." It's actually a spot in the lineup where discipline can be taught relatively easily. I really think Pie is going to struggle with that sharp downward breaking pitch his entire career, much the way Soriano does. Obviously I hope not, but he sure does look terrible right now on pitches that break downward. I have observed also that his patience isn't consistent, like he's struggling to settle on an approach. Time and again Pie will take a borderline pitch, a fastball usually, and then swing at something way off the plate.

Buster Olney's take: Think he's pretty much spot on. The guy is good and affordable, and the Cubs don't have the goods to get him.

Because you're wrong maybe?

My local cable (Brighthouse) provider which carries the package offers no HD games per week. It's pathetic.

The article isn't uninformed. The research department did a solid job on many of the facts. The issue is that they chose to publish it for "Page 2", which then allows them to insert opinion and bias, and it's here where they are generally wrong (compared to popular opinion), or simply pot-stirring fr the sake of pot-stirring.

18 of 19 ESPNs contributers to their post-season predictions have the Cubs taking the division. The one guy who didn't has the Cubs in the wild card. So 100% have them in the playoffs. 3 of them have the Cubs in the World Series. Additionally, Kruk and Ravich, who are not among the 19 contributers for the web site article, both picked the Cubs to take the whole thing. I think there is some subconscious marketing symmetry happening with many of these media folks, getting wrapped up the 100 year anniversary, "how perfect would that be" story. There is no question that again the Cubs have a good team. This season reminds me so far of 2004, and there is more good than bad. And the bad is more nitpicky than anything else. So go Cubs go!

It should also be noted that three ESPN baseball "analysts" (Ravich, Kruk, Olney) have all picked the Cubs to go the World Series this year, based on primarily pitching and just enough hitting. Those are the only three analysts I caught, it's possible Gammons, Kur..., etc are on that wagon as well. It's probably best not to believe any of them, but I'll take the face analysts over the fringe contributers.

I totally agree. The one thing that Hendry and Lou share is that they have a habit of totally ignoring certain players (Murton, Cedeno, Marshall) and obsessing over others (Theriot, Roberts) usually without a good reason. As you posted, sliding Fukudome over to CF and using Murton in RF is 1000 times better than signing Johnson or trading for the likes of Payton, Byrd, Willits, etc. It's not complicated, really. Murton can't play CF. End of analysis. seems like pretty faulty analysis to me. I agree. Keener was not advocating that Murton play CF - just that simple changes could be made, if needed, with the players we have already to cover all 3 OF spots. The trouble with that thinking is that GM and coach of the team have not indicated they believe anyone but Pie or Fuld can play the position of CF. Both the decision making management levels don't believe anyone on the current roster can already cover all three positions in OF. So this idea that Hendry or Piniella should wake and recognize some combination of Murton, DeRosa, Ward, and Fukudome as capable back-ups for any/all outfield positions isn't going to happen unless all other options hit the wall. Considering all the rumors for choices (Crisp, Byrd, Johnson), Johnson would be the least costly to the franchise, which makes him the best choice by lesser of evils rationale. For me personally, it seems by indications that Fukudome is capable in CF, but then he is playing everyday, unless he sits in RF some days, where the Cubs have 3 other options. I'm curious why Cubs management hasn't considered the option like everyone else, but it's clear from months of rumors that they are not.

I totally agree. The one thing that Hendry and Lou share is that they have a habit of totally ignoring certain players (Murton, Cedeno, Marshall) and obsessing over others (Theriot, Roberts) usually without a good reason. As you posted, sliding Fukudome over to CF and using Murton in RF is 1000 times better than signing Johnson or trading for the likes of Payton, Byrd, Willits, etc. It's not complicated, really. Murton can't play CF. End of analysis.

Is it possible the O's want Theriot and that's what's holding up this blockbuster of a thread....I mean trade? What's holding up the deal is that the O's don't know what they want, they just know it always needs to be "more." This is also why they suck at baseball. What's holding up the deal is the lack of a sure-thing prospect from the Cubs. The Orioles really don't know what they are getting from the Cubs in any of the myriad projected scenarios. They're likely getting 4 young guys, lots of potential, but nobody that definitively slots as a full-time player or rotation guy. This uncertainty won't change, as the Cubs don't have the missing piece they crave. What's infuriating is that they won't decide whether or not to take the gamble on the players available. At some point you either dive in or climb down. Quit standing on the bloody board quivering like a moron.

As has been discussed to death, the Roberts trade is a significantly better deal *if* DeRosa gets the starting job at SS as his infield partner. Now you're basically replacing Theriot's production with Roberts, and that is more than a minor improvement.

Another sad story, kind of the Nats version of Prior. I thought this guy was going to be a strike out king in the NL for years.

Lol, that's absurd. It's not much of a prediction if you can wait until the season starts and look for a clear front-runner to shake out after April or May.

You hear that Mr. RobertsThread?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. RobertsThread...

The statement above is a lot of words that essentially means nothing, isn't it? I'm not exactly sure what "true talent" means though. What value does PECOTA if it cannot make accurate predictions? Or I guess I should say more accurate than other predictions. I'm convinced you didn't actually read the sentence. He was pretty clear. Thinking that PECOTA, or any prediction scheme, is a "crystal ball" is dumb. You then proceed to fault it because it's not a crystal ball. Chew on that for a while. I don't think it's a matter of him not reading your statement. I'm in agreement with CubinNY here (which might be a first); it's a semantics issue. What good a is forecast model that causes a person to be labeled "dumb" for using it to forecast a player's production? Don't call PECOTA a forecast tool if you don't want anyone to use it as a "crystal ball" to predict production. Based on what you and Meph are stating, it's a capability model, not a forecast model.

no, it's really not How is it not? After 3 months, name other possible scenarios. Hendry wants him, Macphail is asking for more than hendry currently wants to give. Whether or not somebody else on the O's side (PGA) is holding it up and wanting more doesn't matter. Hendry needs to decide one way or another, because it's just a distraction. So you'd rather Hendry give up more than he needs to in the trade?

If a guy was going to be asked to move to one of the two most critical defensive spots on the field (C,SS), the transition work would have happened day one of the player's readiness in ST. There is literally nothing to be gained by holding out on this transition time.

Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton for Jose Hernandez, Bobby Hill, and Matt Bruback Todd Hundley and Chad Hermanson for Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek That is all. Couldn't agree more. Hendry's steals have worked out far better long term for him than his busts have bit him in the long run. I couldn't disagree more. Since Hendry became GM: The Tribune has upped Cubs payroll from 70m to 110m+ The farm system has gone from one of the top farm systems to the bottom and back to the middle of the pack Cubs record since 2003 is 407-403 while playing in arguably the worst division in baseball during that span. My expectations are a bit higher than yours, I guess. This could spin way out of control for the umpteenth time, so people should probably let it die in this thread.

To be fair, those teams, for those years, could have plugged a washing machine in the lineup and still been 90-100 win teams. The Cubs can't make that claim, so the situations are not overly analogous. This is not an anti-Pie sentiment. Given the state of the division compared to the Cubs, there is no reason Pie should be benched or in AAA for 2008.