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It is a very stupid decision, but maybe it's the kid's idea. I can't imagine that there are too many kids willing to pass up that money and playing baseball professionally, especially given his agents' history. Boras' past is too much of an indication of what likely happened IMO.

But, all our experts on here said don't waste a pick on him. No way he will sign. :good: Good call guys. What he signed for and what his demands were at the time of the draft are likely two different numbers. Unless you're saying you know for a fact that his original demands were "only" 1.25 mil?

Plus, he's stronger than any other hitter in either League. It's not as if he's fouling or missing those pitches to get into all those 2 strike counts. He's too passive early in the count, especially for someone who doesn't expand his zone. From watching Dunn over his career, he's too passive up there early in the count.

I will say that Howard is an even larger example of this than Dunn.

Over their careers, if Dunn had maintained Lee's 2 strike/PA ratio, it would've results in 180 or so less PAs that weren't in two strike counts or about 30 per year. Lee is also a patient hitter as well that works the count, I don't think Lee has the talent of Dunn, though.

There's nothing flawed with my thought process, it's spot on. 55% of his PAs end with him with two strikes. His overall .899 OPS shows how good of a hitter he is with less than two strikes as well as early in the count. I'm not saying is a bad hitter in his current state, if anyone puts those words in my mouth, they're an idiot. I'm saying it's about turning a good hitter into a better hitter. There is room in Dunn's game to make him a better hitter. I think he would be more productive overall sacrificing some of that patience by swinging aggressive on pitches that can be driven. Too often, he'll let the best pitch in the AB be a called strike early in the AB.

It's not the strikeouts, it's the amounts of ABs that he tries to him from with two strikes and behind in the count.

A guaranteed multi-millionaire with his 4 years of college paid for by MLB (if he doesn't pan out) is turning that down to better his chances of earning more money spurning a team that is always willing to go well over slot by risking injury, bombing out of school, and/or falling apart as a pitcher? Bad decision if he goes to UCLA, IMO. Boras isn't doing what it is best for his client's long-term well-being, IMO. He has the opportunity to set-up his financial security for life.

He also consistently works starters deeper into the count and contributes to them departing earlier, which helps the whole team. As far as the comment of 100 strikeouts over average costing half a win, he strikes out about 50 times more than the average player every 600 at bats...so can we call it a game every four seasons? His impact of working pitchers deep into counts isn't likely as damaging to the pitcher if he was more productive in the AB, therefore creating more runs and extending the pitchers' usage by not creating an out. Except, you know, that a a significant amount of those at bats are productive and end up in walks or hits...he does have a 500 OBP at a full count. Not really a significant amount of those Abs are productive, if they were, he'd be a much better hitter overall. With two strikes, his OPS is .578. About 30% of his 2 strike ABs are 3-2 counts, in those other 70% he has been bad, even for a hitter of lesser quality than him. He'd be a better hitter if he was more aggressive early in the count, IMO. Either that or he needs to become a better 2 strike hitter since 55% of his PAs are in two strike counts.

He also consistently works starters deeper into the count and contributes to them departing earlier, which helps the whole team. As far as the comment of 100 strikeouts over average costing half a win, he strikes out about 50 times more than the average player every 600 at bats...so can we call it a game every four seasons? His impact of working pitchers deep into counts isn't likely as damaging to the pitcher if he was more productive in the AB, therefore creating more runs and extending the pitchers' usage by not creating an out.

True, thats a simple way to look at it. But the thing is, in this NL I think you have a better shot at beating this crapshoot by having a better team, or at least hypothetically since a lot of teams can't matchup on talent. It just upsets me to think that the Cubs could win 100 games, but go into the playoffs cold and get swept away again. It's not like getting hot or cold is something you can really control. It's basically just something that happens as a fluke. The Cubs do have that advantage b/c they do have the most talent in the NL and they will be playing more home games tham road games until they hopefully make it to the WS. With that said, that isn't good enough to overcome those other teams playing better than the Cubs,

Show me where it's a negative having that experience, that's what I'm looking for.

That's what it is, which team is playing better during that timeframe. Each of the playoff teams will have enough talent to beat their opponent.

For the record, I really don't care about out in play vs. strikeouts, it is too marginal of a difference to get upset about. My beef with Dunn is that he is reducing the chances of putting himself in a position to produce by working the count until it becomes a disadvantage for him. While strikeouts are often the ultimate outcome, it's his frequent ability to get behind in the count with two strikes that limits him on pitches that can be driven. If it's 1-1 and he takes a called strike, it's less likely that he'll get a better pitch to hit on 1-2. Sometimes tip your cap b/c there was nothing he could've done, sometimes you think he should've been more aggressive.

One player learning from another certainly isn't unheard of. However, I would imagine that happens moreso during the course of a long season rather than a short postseason series. It depends on the situation, maybe Edmonds is more familiar with the opposing pitcher than anyone else on the roster, maybe Edmonds spots that the pitcher is tipping his pitches. Having that experience is something that could become a benefit, there's nothing negative that would come from his experience. Sure there is. Edmonds could approach ABs differently than other players. He has a different skill set and if he's trying to give advice based on what applies to his skills compared to the guy he's talking to skills he could wind up screwing with the other guy's swing/approach for no reason. On the list of the reasons Jim Edmonds is good for the Cubs postseason hopes extra hitting coach for a team full of veterans doesn't even register. Every player is pitched to differently, therefore his approach is going to be different, espec. being one of two LH'ers in the lineup. If you read what I had mentioned, him hitting in the middle of the order as well as providing power from L side was 1st and foremost. I would think that Edmonds' experience is a positive moreso than a negative. People in this thread try and paint it as if me and (moreso) Cuse are stating it's the most important trait of Edmonds while overlooking what he does on the field or some BS like that. I'm glad Edmonds has been through this before regardless of some measure of how important it is, that's trying to be attached to his veteran status.

One player learning from another certainly isn't unheard of. However, I would imagine that happens moreso during the course of a long season rather than a short postseason series. It depends on the situation, maybe Edmonds is more familiar with the opposing pitcher than anyone else on the roster, maybe Edmonds spots that the pitcher is tipping his pitches. Having that experience is something that could become a benefit, there's nothing negative that would come from his experience.

Tim is exactly right that if Dunn replaces even 1/3rd of his strikes into even balls put into play (not even sharply into play) that is significantly better than those 60 or so strikeouts. Dunn is too passive of a hitter. He has had 1555 of 3735 ABs end on counts where he was down 0-2, 1-2, and even on 2-2. That's 42% of his career ABs. This is OPS in those counts: 0-2 .365 1-2 .336 2-2 .469 He has had 2140 of his 3735 ABs with two strikes (including full counts). Look at his splits early in the count w/less than two strikes: 0-0 1.251 OPS 1-0 1.178 1-1 1.204 0-1 1.043 2-1 1.230 He's such a horrible two strikes hitter, that he would be better off being more aggressive earlier in the count, given how well he does when he puts the ball in play. When he makes contact 0-2, he's hitting .357, 1-2 297, 2-2 .350.

Except for when it results in an out. Then it's neither better nor worse. What one thinks about the out is totally irrelevant. Tim is exacly right on this one, if Dunn put the ball in play at a similar ratio as Ramirez, he'd be a much better hitter. People give Dunn all this credit for working the count and it has hurt him more than helped him. He is a poor two strike hitter and more than almost anyone in the game is hitting with two strikes. Unless he's amazing at fouling pitches off, he's been too selective, IMO.

At this point, I'm hoping Edmonds can be that LH'ed middle of the order hitter. As far as bringing playoff experience, his background doesn't hurt. I don't know what type of player he is as far as giving advice on his own, Lee doesn't appear to be the vocal leader, that falls moreso Zambrano and Soriano. If you want an example of a player giving another player credit via experience and knowledge, Dempster has been extremely appreciative of what Maddux taught him.

Why is LaPorta hitting 6th?

He's turned into Pauly Shore all of a sudden.

151 KM = about 93 MPH if I recall correctly.

I find that american fan irritating.

Strasburg has struck out 5 of the 1st 6 hitters he's faced. I'm pleased with no commercial breaks allowing me to see the pitchers in warmups.

Im watching it online: http://www.nbcolympics.com/tv_and_online_listings/online.html