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UK1679666180

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Everything posted by UK1679666180

  1. UK1679666180
    LaRussa is a good manager not great. I think Baker is a good manager as well, just not with a team that needs young pitching with an injury history to stay healthy.
  2. UK1679666180
    I think LaRussa is a better manager than Baker, he is more aggressive than Baker and uses stats to make decisions rather than traditions that sometimes have been proven by stats to be incorrect (Remlinger vs. LH'ers). The 1st thing that came to mind was last year in a close ballgame. The leadoff hitter for the Cubs reached 1B, so the 2nd hitter bunts the leadoff hitter to 2B. Next, up is Lee and is BB'ed to face Burnitz who fails to advance or score the runner on 2nd and the follwing hitters fails likewise. Next inning, same situation for the Cards, Eckstein gets on 1B. 2nd hits swings away, I believe he didn't advance the runner, but the Cubs had to pitch to Pujols and he burned them. Baker the took the bat out of the best hitter in '05 for an avg. hitting Burnitz, that's called failing to look ahead.
  3. UK1679666180
    For Bynum to be an asset, he's going to have to learn how to make more contact. He doesn't have the power to be an effective pinch-hitter off the bench that can tie a game w/one swing and doesn't have the ability to start a rally. His best asset is his speed, the Cubs have enough versatility as it is, especially if carry 14 players. Mabry can play the OF, 1B, 3B. Perez can play the 5, 6, 4. Hairston can play 2B or the OF. If there was a battle for a utility spot, I would hope that Fontenot would get it over Bynum b/c he has the better bat and with Pagan, Hairston, and Perez, the need for a pinch runner isn't needed much. Of course, the Cubs gave up little to get him.
  4. UK1679666180
    It's not all about Bonds but he is the focal point and much of the investigation will be centered around him. MLB would not be conducting this investigation if Bonds did not have the grand jury testimony as well as the likely possibility that he used steroids and isn't close to breaking Ruth's 714. I can't see anything good coming from this except a weak attempt for some good PR.
  5. UK1679666180
    They might not be able to force people to talk, but they could convince some people to talk, and might find some people who can't wait to talk. And with a senator on the job, I wouldn't be surprised if they found some way to inspire a few people to talk. Besides, it's not all about Bonds. Sure he's a major player in the story, but there's a whole lot more to look into if they ever get stuck on the Bonds angle. But, then what? They can't suspend him, he's already passed their test. They won't say rumors have him taking HGH last year, they might want that for tougher testing, but Congress will jump on them 1st and the union will do nothing. Nothing can come from this that hasn't been mentioned in the book. This will be a comedy hour, once the results are released from the investigation.
  6. UK1679666180
    What can MLB do to investigate Bonds is my question? They can't force anyone to talk and don't have the authority to get evidence. The only evidence they have is what testing they have done thru urine, which he has passed and leaked grand jury testimony in the book. Him passing the tests of '05 is Barry's get of jail free card. They can say we believe he took steroids, but if their only proof is from that book, what are they going to do?
  7. UK1679666180
    Does anyone think MLB is conducting this "inevstigation" moreso to prevent Congress getting involved again as far as questioning the effectiveness of the steroid policy rather than Bonds' setroid use? All this hype over the new book is pretty similar to when Canseco published his book. The last thing MLB wants is Congress making a fool out of Selig and Fehr again.
  8. UK1679666180
    You think, UK? I'm still uncertain. You don't buy the theory that Reyes is working on a new pitch? Yeah, there's nothing wrong with his 4 seam FB to begin it's a plus pitch as it is. Duncan's love of a two-seamer shouldn't restrict Reyes at this point. You put him at AAA & his throwing pattern would likely mirror what he'd do at the majors. Regardless, of where he's at, a pitcher will go back to what works for him and for Reyes his best pitch is his 4 seam FB as he can locate it where he wants. He began working in a 2 seam FB last year. If I was Duncan I'd let him keep his 4 seam FB and let him cont. to improve his change which has promise to be a plus pitch. He doesn't need the 2 seam FB as much as he needs the change.
  9. UK1679666180
    What position did Paquette block Polanco at? Polanco is a middle infielder who has the ability to play 3B. Paquette only played 86G at 3B and 93 at 1B and the OF. Polanco only played 35G at 3B (which left a window of 41 games). But Polanco played 80 games at SS/2B. I don't consider Paquette getting more ABs over Polanco at 3B as a case of veteran bias. Ponson over Reyes, call it veteran bias or whatever, it's just a bad move.
  10. UK1679666180
    Depends on the player, they can make just as good of a manager as a position player. Not many would argue what Lasorda did as a manager, Dallas Green was a pitcher as well. The numbers aren't as great b/c few get hired, Rothschild like every other DRay manager bombed, but there's nothing definitive to say that they'll fail as a manager.
  11. UK1679666180
    If there was one stat, I like DIPS.
  12. UK1679666180
    Dayton Moore as GM and Orel Hershiser as manager. Moore is a dream (love to have him here). Isn't he Schuerholz's heir apparent? Frank Wren is just as much of a possibility as Moore replacing Schuerholz. All depends on Terry McGuirk's decision. Moore did accept Boston's GM job before deciding against it a short time after. If Boston had been a situation more suited for Moore at the time, I think he would've accepted the position. Moore is a better with the Cubs than Boston. How so? Just b/c we're quite a bit more into talent evaluation than stats? The farm system and the instructors are set-up differently, the Cubs like the Braves have no influence from ownership unlike Boston. With all the garbage going on with Epstein at the time, I question whether or not Moore wanted to get involved. But, you don't get as far as Moore did in the hiring process without excluding every team other than Atlanta.
  13. UK1679666180
    Dayton Moore as GM and Orel Hershiser as manager. Moore is a dream (love to have him here). Isn't he Schuerholz's heir apparent? Frank Wren is just as much of a possibility as Moore replacing Schuerholz. All depends on Terry McGuirk's decision. Moore did accept Boston's GM job before deciding against it a short time after. If Boston had been a situation more suited for Moore at the time, I think he would've accepted the position. Moore is a better with the Cubs than Boston.
  14. UK1679666180
    Dayton Moore as GM and Orel Hershiser as manager.
  15. UK1679666180
    Chemistry is often misused. Most think of it as what goes in the clubhouse and whether or not athletes like each other or not. For me, chemistry on the field is much more important than chemistry in the clubhouse. I like to see how the OF communicates, how the SS and 2B handle the DP, and of course the battery. Of course, that chemistry is built over time, something today's game provides little of. 1 position player of the '03 team remains. The A's of the early 70's could not stand each other off the field, but they were extremely talented and able to forget about their differences once they stepped onto the field. A GM can't build a team around chemistry, chemistry is something that discovered after a team has been built and not before. The Cubs won't make the playoffs b/c of their chemistry and they won't miss the playoffs b/c of it either. Who knows which team has the best chemistry? So many roster transactions per year, it's impossible to tell. there won't likely be a direct relationship between a 1st place with great chemistry compared to overall talent.
  16. UK1679666180
    It's just a substantiated rumor now, compared to an Internet rumor. The Cubs are one of the few subsidiaries in the Tribune conglomerate that annually makes a profit. Unless it is a case of last resort, I don't see them selling off at this stage. Of course, be careful what you wish for. Look at the payroll under Ted Turner ownership compared to TimeWarner/AOL.
  17. UK1679666180
    One of the least likely things to occur in MLB is a prospect for prospect trade. The higher rated the prospects are, the more unlikely it is to occur.
  18. UK1679666180
    Barton is one of the best prospects in the game. He doesn't hit for power b/c of a flaw, just that his bat angle is geared towards line drives like Pujols had when he was at low-A. If Oakland wanted to, they could get him to adjust his swing for HRs at the expense of less contact. The only frustrating thing was the BA mention that him not sticking at C was due to lack of effort.
  19. UK1679666180
    Since the late 90s there haven't been many good prospects to block, it's hard to add validity as far as a veteran bias, b/c the last decent hitting prospect was Pujols, who started very young. Of course, Barton is the best prospect to come thru the pipeline since Pujols and he's now in Oak. b/c of a one-sided trade. As far as pitching prospects, most have been run into the ground b/c of injury either at the major league level or in the minors. Haren is the best pitching prospect since Ankiel melted down and see Barton.
  20. UK1679666180
    I wanted a platoon of Mark Sweeney and Eli Marrero. I respect UK for coming out with a possible different path that Hendry could have taken in RF. It will be fun tracking the production of Sweeney and Marrero this season and comparing it to that of the Cubs RFers. I think a platoon of Sweeney vs. RH'ers and Marrero vs. LH'ers will outproduce Jones. Of course, not only does it make RF stronger, it makes the bench stronger. Marerro would be the best bat off the bench against a LH'er and Sweeney would be the best bat off the bench against a RH'er.
  21. UK1679666180
    I wanted a platoon of Mark Sweeney and Eli Marrero.
  22. UK1679666180
    It's never a good thing when a pitcher loses his focus in the middle of a game, when he starts kicking dirt and throwing at batters, his mind is anywhere but where it should be. He's lost focus when he hasn't lost his cool, I enjoyed Perez last year going to the mound and trying to straighten his out. It's part of maturing porcess he still needs to go through, you can be as intense as Kevin Brown (most intense pitcher I've seen) was and not get thrown out or show up teammates.
  23. UK1679666180
    D. Drysdale Bob Gibson N. Ryan J. Moyer T. Gwynn
  24. UK1679666180
    I like this trade for everyone involved... Wellemeyer wasn't going to get his shot with the Cubs, he's better than a 13th pitcher on a staff and is better off on another team than the Cubs. Holdzkom, could be a steal depending on how well he has recovered from TJS to go with his upper 90s FB he had a very good curve. He might end up being the northside version of Bobby Jenks, both have great arms, noted for poor work ethics, been thru TJS, possible weight issues, and not inside the box mentally.
  25. UK1679666180
    Neither one of Pagan or Restovich would or will have a major impact. There's nothing to suggest from Pagan that he can hit better than a 5th OF'er. With as poor as the bench is, they need more than a 5th OF'er or hoping someone like Restovich turns it on and learns how to hit a curve and shorten his swing. I thought they should gone for Marrero and platooned him Jones, the Cubs likely don't want to platoon Jones and didn't show interest in Marrero who signed on as a non-roster invitee with the Rockies. FWIW, Marrero has had a strong Spring and earned a roster spot. Someone like Marrero is a nice upgrade over someone like Pagan and a higher possibility to produce over someone like Restovich. Also, I'd rather see Greenberg make it as the 5th OF'er over Pagan.
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