CuseCubFan69

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/03/D8ME57NG5.html This might cause a little bit of a problem for the voters for the Hall.

Mike Jones from South Carolina is transfering out of Syracuse. He's unhappy with his playing time of 6 minutes a game. He'd be a very nice pickup for somebody.

Well, Gallagher has a good chance to start the season at Iowa, so he's got to be the most likely. Chris Shaver spent all but the first week of last season at West Tenn, so he should be ready for AAA too. I think Veal could use quite some time at Tennessee this season, there are a few concerns he need to address. Just like last year when I was hoping a young guy would step up like Hill I think one will again this year for the big team. I don't know much about Shaver and I like to see guys that I haven't heard that much about step up and go to the next level and succeed.

Now that hurts. Why do I feel like the guy in the GEICO commercial? Well, I'll be 50 in April, and the guy who asked about OPS is in his late 60s. The guy that said I was "carrying on" about on-base percentage claimed to be a Cubs fan for 60 years. Were these questions sent to you via telegraph? Actually, one guy asked me in person and another sent his via the U.S. Mail. I don't even remember how to send a letter anymore. That's fantastic. Well, good for them. I generally stear clear of those topics when talking to my dad, and others, about the game. It's much more enjoyable to just discuss the game. But I've brought up the whole OBP/walks thing with him and he's completely receptive to the topics. Shouldn't be surprising though, since he was my first coach and constantly talked about looking for a specific pitch in a zone to drive early in the count and all that. My high school coach, who was younger, was completely opposite, preaching aggressiveness at all times and the need to pound the ball into the ground. Since when do they let scorekeepers play?

That's pitching. So few guys are good year-in and year-out. Saberhagen had 4 of 5 years over 200 IP before age 26, then never did it again. He had a few effective years after that, but in somewhat shortened seasons. True pitching can be more inconsistant, especially because of usage.

Thanks raisin. If someone gets called up form Iowa who is the first Tenn guy called up? Will Veal or Gallagher be ready by mid season to get that call up?

Bert Saberhagan was an interesting case of this to me. He would look great one year and the next year be below average.

If those 3 could bring in a major impact SS or OF I'd be thrilled.

Yeah, but to say that a big reason that Hawk gets her vote for the HOF is because he was a nice guy who signed lots of autographs? That doesn't qualify one to be in the Hall. She only said that it was one reason, not a big one. Hawk's relations with the fans, how he comported himself on and off the field is a legitimate factor. Maybe not a big one, but it is legitimate given the definitions on the ballot. I agree and I'm sick of players like Micheal Irvin that get too much publicity for being a crack head. There's nothing wrong with having a good character be part of the picture.

Now that hurts. Why do I feel like the guy in the GEICO commercial? Well, I'll be 50 in April, and the guy who asked about OPS is in his late 60s. The guy that said I was "carrying on" about on-base percentage claimed to be a Cubs fan for 60 years. Were these questions sent to you via telegraph? The pony express would have brought it to Bruce yesterday but they had the day off.

He wasn't injured. Chris Shaver had offseason surgery to remove elbow chips. So they just shut him down? Was he as dominate last year as he was in rookie ball?

You're the 3rd person in this thread to say that.

I still don't know who he is and this story has been out for a while. Wasn't there an episode on MASH with a similar theme?

So Cotts can make you eat a shoe instead of crow? I hope we are laughing about this in October! In a good way.

Is Pawelek healthy? What was his injury, I can't remember.

It's maddening to watch a hitter let 1-2 or 2-2 fastballs down the middle consistantly go by. Bonds has a great plan when he goes up to the plate and impliments better than anyone I have ever seen.

I have a friend who claimed he offered Eli a shot and Eli just said, "I don't do shots." Maybe your friend mispoke and said he wanted him shot? NY fans are cute that way.

Considering there is no such thing as a relief QB, obviously you are wrong. It's not a job he can have. That's why I'm an innovator and not a follower! As I said, I hope I am wrong.

Well, I think you're clearly wrong about Rex's upside. You don't have the good games he's had without having significant upside as a QB. FYI, Jeff George had multiple seasons where he qualified as top 10 in several categories. George started 10 or more games 8 times, so he was hardly a backup. But he was a journeyman. I think Grossman's career path is much more extreme, he's either going to be really good, or disappear from the league. I don't see him bouncing around. Goony for your sake and the rest of you Bear fans I hope I'm wrong. I don't think I am though. I think his best best is to be a relief QB. I think it best fits his personality as the pressure would be off and he would have nothing to lose. I think he may bounce around because of his potential.

Couldn't have put it any better myself. He's on game what, like 20, of his career? The fact that he's had as many great games as he had already bodes very well for his future. His bad ones may be worse than some other guys', but his good ones are better than most guys' too. At this stage in his career, you just have to put up with the inconsistency. How can people want to give up on him already? This city is just way too impatient. I'm saying this as an outsider, I'm not pro or anti Bear. I'd like to see them win because a lot of fans on this site are big fans but it's just my opinion that Grossman isn't the QB that the Bears should invest their future or playoffs with.

Was Jeff George a top 10 QB in the league during his peak? I said at best but yes he was. He was also inconsistant and never stayed in the same place for any time during his whole career.

I am so glad you do not make personnel decisions for the Chicago Bears. I want to win not baby sit some headcase. In the playoffs you can't fool around and wait and see if your QB can turn it around, especially one with thin skin like Grossman. I think you're confusing growing pains with lack of talent and ability. Rex has enough talent to be a top 10 QB in the league. He's not Peyton Manning, but he's not a backup. What Bears fans need to realize is that developing a franchise QB takes time, and requires patience and an understanding that there's going to be some inconsistencies. Very few QB's step in and don't have disaster games in their first couple seasons. I suppose the difference between you and I is that I don't think Grossman is a possible top 10 QB. I think he is going to have a George type of career at best. I agree with you about developing a QB. And Goony, Gresie then.

I am so glad you do not make personnel decisions for the Chicago Bears. I want to win not baby sit some headcase. In the playoffs you can't fool around and wait and see if your QB can turn it around, especially one with thin skin like Grossman.

working the count to get a good pitch>walking>swinging at the first pitch If that were the case then guys who walk and strike out a lot should have the highest LD%s. Last season LD% and (BB+SO)/PA had an r of -0.06157, so nope on that one. BB/PA? 0.06227. So really no. That's not the point of working the count. It's to get the pitcher to throw extra pitches so he tires further down the road. Yeah it's easy, and too glib IMO, to just say "walking trumps everything". Of course it does if you only look at the surface (it's like the Piniella line about sending 8 midgets up to walk every AB). I think kctigers is forgetting one thing about why people walk: they tend to be dangerous hitters so the pitcher doesn't want to throw strikes. I also don't get why what MrWood said should imply a high correlation between K+BB rate and LD%. I think the teams that have a consistant scoring rate make pitchers throw the ball more often. Heck, I want guys that hit for a high average and walk a lot! You're right, a dangerous hitter makes a pitcher pitch a little more carefully and a selective dangerous hitter even more so. Vlad swings at everything but is a dangerous hitter while Bonds makes the pitchers pitch and IMO is the biggest pain in the butt to pitch to. The combination of two is really hard to teach and even harder to impliment.

working the count to get a good pitch>walking>swinging at the first pitch If that were the case then guys who walk and strike out a lot should have the highest LD%s. Last season LD% and (BB+SO)/PA had an r of -0.06157, so nope on that one. BB/PA? 0.06227. So really no. That's not the point of working the count. It's to get the pitcher to throw extra pitches so he tires further down the road.