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TheDude

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Everything posted by TheDude

  1. TheDude
    It seems you measure Hendry's value differently some others. I don't look at this season and blame Hendry. He assembled a team that should have made the playoffs. Number of wins is a reflection on the manager more than the general manager. Omar Minaya assembled a quality team in NY, but how many wins would that team have if Dusty Baker was the manager there? I measure Hendry's worth in value of deals. Hendry creates the plan, Baker (fails to) execute it. That doesn't make the plan a bad one.
  2. TheDude
    You don't recall correctly. I liked Choi, but viewed then (and still do) Lee as a far better player, as was one of the few that didn't have a negative knee-jerk reaction to the trade. I am a defense and fundamentals type of person. Lee fits my ideal for 1B.
  3. TheDude
    And this is why Stone will never be a major league GM. As was mentioned, Cedeno is a SS, and his value is as a SS. That means you would be giving Furcal shortstop-type money to play 2B. There's really no point in overpaying for less production. I don't believe Stone suggested moving Furcal to 2B. It seems like something was lost in the translation. The idea is Furcal at SS and Cedeno at 2B. That's exactly what he said but he mentioned something about Cedeno moving from 2b to SS in the fall league which made no sense to me. I just wanted to post Stone's comments for everyone to read. Perhaps Stone was pointing out Cedeno has experience at 2B already, having moved from the position in the past? And therefore a move back to 2B isn't as big a stretch as might otherwise seem?
  4. TheDude
    What team did Hendry inherit though? The talent is definately not worse than what is was when he took over, even if the results are not the best. If your criteria for a quality GM is that every move has to brilliant and work out - then good luck. This team is exceptionally talented and improved in many areas, most of which can be attributed to Hendry (Ramirez, Lee, Barret). His gambles, trades, and signings have been 50/50 overall, which can be said about most GMs. So Nomar didn't work out. Dempster did, and so might Williamson. Rusch was a solid gamble as well, while Hollandsworth was not. Neither was giving away Cruz or Cisco. But the ones that did work out, worked out big time, exceeding the ones that did not. Lee and Ramirez for forgettable spare parts. Those were coups. Grudz and Karros for Hundley? Another coup. There is no reason to think that the team is 2 or 3 quality offseason moves from contention again. I for one won't siphon off frustration from Dusty to Hendry, because I don't think it is justified.
  5. TheDude
    It's different when a respected baseball writer says something like this, than when amateur manager-wanna-be fans like us say it.
  6. TheDude
    And this is why Stone will never be a major league GM. As was mentioned, Cedeno is a SS, and his value is as a SS. That means you would be giving Furcal shortstop-type money to play 2B. There's really no point in overpaying for less production. I don't believe Stone suggested moving Furcal to 2B. It seems like something was lost in the translation. The idea is Furcal at SS and Cedeno at 2B.
  7. TheDude
    I don't mind trading Walker away. His low dollar value and [edit] excellent [/edit] production should bring a very solid prospect. Cedeno moving to 2B is not a bad idea at all. The young kid seems scrappy and looks good in the field.
  8. TheDude
    There is a premium on leadoff hitter talent in baseball. Nobody is going to give it up if they have it, and when it hits free agency, you must be willing to overpay (relative to other position production). I don't believe you can fault Hendry. He tried to get Roberts, not Hairston, to leadoff for this team. Baltimore wouldn't do it. Hendry signed/traded for 3 top quality relievers (at the time of relevance) over the last several years: Remlinger, Hawkins, Alfonseca. Hendry traded for Garciaparra to fill the SS position, viewed as a weakness for several years prior to his arrival. Hendry traded for Ramirez, a position long held as weak since Santo, and he is the best 3B the Cubs have had in years. Hendry gets it, better than all of us. It just doesn't always work out.
  9. TheDude
    Alright. So the Marlins have 4 runs with 6 baserunners. The Cubs have no runs with 5 baserunners. I think it is going to take only a HR or a leadoff triple.
  10. TheDude
    Yes he should have been. That's a no-brainer.
  11. TheDude
    With a hit and a walk, we should have 2 runs already!
  12. TheDude
    3 SS in the starting lineup :shock: . Go Cubs, based on...well...the surprise factor! That's it!
  13. TheDude
    Actually probably for the rest of the season, at least 75% of the time.
  14. TheDude
    Sorry, but isn't that the same thing? If he is on the road, and playing against the Cubs, then he is in Wrigley... ESPN only had individual year, or 3 year, but not career.
  15. TheDude
    If you want to convince Giles to come to Chicago, all you have to do is show him his splits while in Chicago at Wrigley... AB R H HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS 41 18 19 6 19 .463 .593 1.073 1.666 [edit]Those are 2002-2004[/edit]
  16. TheDude
    There is nothing meaningful to be gleaned from these numbers. The Cubs pitchers have a winning record when walking 3-7 batters in a game, but a losing record when walking 2 or fewer batters in a game.
  17. TheDude
    This thing is over 20 years old. It's an almost surefire bet to win for the person not drinking the milk.
  18. TheDude
    I am constantly confused by how earned and unearned runs are scored, so I am hoping somebody can enlighten me. Using today's game as an example, why was Prior tagged with 3 earned runs? Clearly if there is no error on the bunt, no runs score in the inning, as all runs scored with two outs (the error allowing an extra out). IMO, you can assume an out on a bunt play without an error. So what part of the scenario am I getting wrong?
  19. TheDude
    I make only two major moves in the offseason, both of which would be seen as definitive improvements: -Sign Johnny Damon to CF and leadoff -Sign Billy Wagner Those moves addresses two needs for the team but also spend the majority of the free money. From there, there is a series of minor moves: -Move CP for something, maybe left-handed bullpen help -Find/acquire a young defensive catcher with excellent onfield instincts to replace Blanco as back-up -Pick-up Walker's option for 2B -Give Cedeno a shot at SS I honestly can't figure out the LF and RF situation right now. I'd like to see one kid get a shot (let whoever may be ready duke it out in ST) and one stopgap veteran. I don't mind seeing Burnitz out there again, for another one year contract. I realize that signing Damon blocks Pie if his contract is 3 years or longer (it will be, Damon has earned it), so perhaps Pie can spend 2006 in AAA, then 2007-2008 in RF or LF.
  20. TheDude
    Not really. When your value is at its lowest, it can't get any lower. Teams already have appeared to lack interest in Corey, so his value can only improve with a red hot comeback.
  21. TheDude
    I agree with you. I lobbied for Randy Winn in the off-season. My comments were not supporting or dismissing Murton's validity in the lineup. They were with regards to the power/non-power argument.
  22. TheDude
    Why is everyone opposed to the "more power" statement with regards to Murton throwing out hall of fame (or near HoF) type examples to support their argument? Names like Gwynn, Rose, Grace, and Ichiro are exceptions to the rule and it only hurts an argument for Murton's presence in the bigs if anybody tosses these names around as examples for why Murton doesn't "need" power. Murton is not one of these guys. He is closer to Randy Winn or So Taguchi, who are quality players that have a tough time holding down a starter's role in the bigs for all the same reasons Murton will. It is true that players don't need power at a classic power position, but they do need it elsewhere. So a team can away with playing a lower power corner outfielder if they get above average power out of traditional non-power positions (maybe 2B and SS). The promising thing for Murton is that the Cubs have been keeping above average power around at 2B and SS for a few years, and have been at the top of Infield HR list for a few years. If guys like Walker and Garciaparra are around next year, maybe Murton can get a shot (but probably not). But Murton will have to develop more power to stick in the bigs long-term, or he'll have to be a quirky fit in a line-up stacked with big power elsewhere.
  23. TheDude
    Lee is a bonified 1B. Even at career norms. If the team wants to win, they sign him to a 3-4 year deal starting in 2007. If they want to rebuild, then let him go. But we as fans can't have it both ways. We can't complain about the lack of productivity to get to the playoffs, then also think that any minor leaguer can replace Lees production without a significant drop-off.
  24. TheDude
    What gives you this impression? From what I have seen, only pitchers take such drastic "injury risk" paycuts when coming back. Sexson and Ordonez got pretty stellar contracts as FA coming back from serious injury.
  25. TheDude
    And how many BA-minded power hitters are there, and how many of them strike out too much? It really depends on what you or I define as power hitter. I imagine you are thinking much higher numbers of HR than I am. IMO, any player averaging 15+ HR a season can be defined as a power hitter, in the sense that, in any given situation during the game, the other team's manager has to respect the player is capable of hitting the ball out of the park in that situation. There are plenty of guys in the league capable of hitting .280+ with 15+ HR as a season stat line.
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