Lefty

On most issues there are two sides. But how can any rational person defend Macias? If he is resigned, you really have to question Hendry's competence, even if Macias is the 25th man.

Because I don't think anybody believes that Nomar can still play a passable shortstop.

Or the trade for Alfonseca.

Pedro, who's the girl with the fake stuff?

Man, how awful would our offense be with both Cedeno and Perez in the starting lineup.

Comparing the runs scored by each team is not necessarily the best way to point out the Cubs' problem. Most Runs Created formulas indicate that the Cubs should have scored a lot more runs than they did with the offensive stats that they had (BP had them at about 746 runs). The way to look at it, I think, is that the Cubs hit .270 and had a .324 team OBP, while their opponents hit .250 and had a .325 OBP. Most studies show that an unintentional walk is worth about .33 runs. Cub batters walked 419 times, their opponents 576 times. That's about 5 or 6 games in the standings lost on the walk differential. Of course if they had more walks they wouldn't have hit .270, but it's definitely something to work on on [sic] both sides of the ball.

Cedeno starts over Perez according to Hendry. You can continue to espouse this belief that he won't if you like, but it gets tiring to see that you state it as fact everytime the topic emerges. The fact is the GM promotes Cedeno as starting and Perez signed as a back-up super-sub for 2B, SS, and even 3B. Perez likely gets a lot of PT of the bench in that super-sub role under Dusty. Last year Hendry promoted the idea of DuBois starting in Left. That lasted until Baker got to fill out the Opening Day lineup. Dubois had a respectable shot. In April and May he had 93 at bats (Hollandsworth had 104) and he struck out 33 times with only modest power numbers. It's not like Hollandsworth was any better during those months...neither one of them stepped-up and claimed the job. In June Hollandsworth got hot, and that was it for Dubois. It's true that Dubois didn't start the season as the everyday LF, but then I don't recall that he was handed the job as confidently as with Cedeno. Look, that's water under the bridge. But 93 ABs in the first two months, highly scattered I might add, isn't really a shot. Don't you remeber all those noises Hendry made about someone having to win Rookie of the Year? Even though the Cubs probably won't miss Dubois, all we have left of our decent, not great, prospect is a Jewish Single-A pitcher. And no, he's not a lefty. GO JH!

Why is this good news? Cedeno might hit like Neifi and Furcal will be hard pressed to outproduce what Walker did last year. Since Neifi had a good year at short, on a net basis the Cubs will be no better off. If you sign Furcal, leave Walker at second, Neifi on the bench and Cedeno at Iowa. If I'm not mistaken, Furcal hit 15 homers last season and had an OBP as good or better than Walker. IMO it won't be all that difficult for Furcal to surpass Todd's rate of production from 04-05. Edit - It should be noted that I want a Furcal/Walker middle infield for next year. I just don't see it happening anymore. :( I say if we get our leadoff hitter, defensive SS in Furcal. Might as well go defensive up the middle too with Cedeno. That way you have a very stront middle infeild (with more range and probably capable of MANY more DPs than Nomar/Walker) Cedeno and Furcal are no slouches in the hitting department either. How are you so sure about Cedeno's offense?

Why is this good news? Cedeno might hit like Neifi and Furcal will be hard pressed to outproduce what Walker did last year. Since Neifi had a good year at short, on a net basis the Cubs will be no better off. If you sign Furcal, leave Walker at second, Neifi on the bench and Cedeno at Iowa. If I'm not mistaken, Furcal hit 15 homers last season and had an OBP as good or better than Walker. IMO it won't be all that difficult for Furcal to surpass Todd's rate of production from 04-05. Edit - It should be noted that I want a Furcal/Walker middle infield for next year. I just don't see it happening anymore. :( You have to adjust Walker's production for his injury. Furcal's rates aren't any better. Plus Furcal had a large advantage in his home park. I maintain that you are no better off and I think you agree with me. But you seem to be adjusting to reality better than I am. when you factor in defense & speed, furcal is much more productive than walker. Speed doesn't mean anything independently. It is already included in his stats. And that's not the only relevant thing. Offensively and defensively, how sure are you that Cedeno outproduces Neifi?

Why is this good news? Cedeno might hit like Neifi and Furcal will be hard pressed to outproduce what Walker did last year. Since Neifi had a good year at short, on a net basis the Cubs will be no better off. If you sign Furcal, leave Walker at second, Neifi on the bench and Cedeno at Iowa. If I'm not mistaken, Furcal hit 15 homers last season and had an OBP as good or better than Walker. IMO it won't be all that difficult for Furcal to surpass Todd's rate of production from 04-05. Edit - It should be noted that I want a Furcal/Walker middle infield for next year. I just don't see it happening anymore. :( You have to adjust Walker's production for his injury. Furcal's rates aren't any better. Plus Furcal had a large advantage in his home park. I maintain that you are no better off and I think you agree with me. But you seem to be adjusting to reality better than I am.

Pardon me if I'm wrong, but if we wait until February, we won't be able to sign Burnitz either. Don't we lose the right to negotiate with him after December 20 (until May 1)? I was mostly using Burnitz as an example of what happens when you wait too long.

Huff: .321/.428/.749 Burnitz: .322/.435/.757 Near as I can tell, they are the same player. Burnitz is older; Huff is a whiner. My conclusion: stay away from both! Your conclusion might be right, but we are so short of outfielders I think it's worth the gamble on a Huff rebound. If he hits like he did last year we are no worse off. That's an okay mindset come January and February, but I don't think we can be settling for that type of production at the very beginning of the offseason. Well, obviously, I am confident that he can improve on those numbers. But if you wait until February to fill a hole this big you end up re-signng Burnitz (don't laugh). Or the price for Huff goes up. We could do Rich Hill for Huff today. I say do it.

Cedeno starts over Perez according to Hendry. You can continue to espouse this belief that he won't if you like, but it gets tiring to see that you state it as fact everytime the topic emerges. The fact is the GM promotes Cedeno as starting and Perez signed as a back-up super-sub for 2B, SS, and even 3B. Perez likely gets a lot of PT of the bench in that super-sub role under Dusty. Last year Hendry promoted the idea of DuBois starting in Left. That lasted until Baker got to fill out the Opening Day lineup.

Why is this good news? Cedeno might hit like Neifi and Furcal will be hard pressed to outproduce what Walker did last year. Since Neifi had a good year at short, on a net basis the Cubs will be no better off. If you sign Furcal, leave Walker at second, Neifi on the bench and Cedeno at Iowa.

Huff: .321/.428/.749 Burnitz: .322/.435/.757 Near as I can tell, they are the same player. Burnitz is older; Huff is a whiner. My conclusion: stay away from both! Your conclusion might be right, but we are so short of outfielders I think it's worth the gamble on a Huff rebound. If he hits like he did last year we are no worse off.

Huff is not the answer to any of our problems. He would have been a nice addition to last year's OF due to it's enormous sucktitude, but we can do better than him this offseason. I'm not sure about that. We have to fill CF and RF; you don't really think we're gonna get Giles? And I don't think you wanna sign Damon. If Hendry has a (description of an excited man deleted) for Preston Wilson, he'd better be in Center. In that case Murton, Wilson & Huff strikes me as a best case scenario. Maybe some of you who have a handle on all contract status' and arbitration eligibility can answer whether a player like Vernon Wells might have to be traded much like D. Lee was two years ago.

Good. Huff will be available, won't cost that much in terms of talent, and will be better than Burnitz.

McGee and John Candelaria were the missing links.

Mr. Miles: You are our only link; the only bridge from knowledge to ignorance. Please drive carefully. Sincerely, Lefty

If I knew that Perez was playing short and batting eighth, Walker at second and batting second, I could live with this and hope we could get productive OFs. But my faith in Hendry and Baker is zero. Can an outfield of Preston Wilson, Jaun Pierre and Jerry Hairston be in our future?

No big deal. It looks like a typical Neifi Perez at bat.

More stupid than penciling Perez in everyday? So you're saying Walker is a defensive replacement? :D I'm already upset that Perez might be the Shortstop. If he starts at second, I don't know how they can make up those lost runs.

More stupid than penciling Perez in everyday?

Preston Wilson isn't breaking out anymore. There's no question there will have to be a trade. But sometimes that's how you have to improve. Aubrey Huff isn't the stud he appeared to be, but he's better than what we have. The Dodgers may want to dump salary or attitudes. And I think we have to get over the hoarding of prospects. If Rich Hill nets us Aubrey Huff, we do it.

Kill the messenger! :lol: I kid I kid. That is terrible news though, and I really hope you are wrong. My record is terrible as well.