Jones to play in Japan

by VS on Oct 28, 2006 6:39 PM CDT

Unfortunately, he wont be going to play there permanently. He and other major leaguers will play in a five-game series againt Japan next month.

Link

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Chicago Cubs outfielder Jacque Jones became the 27th--and hopefully last--member of the major league squad named to play in a five-game series in Japan next month, organizers announced Saturday.

Jones, who previously came to Japan for a tour in 2002 while with the Minnesota Twins, replaces New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran. The left-handed hitting Jones batted .285 this season with 27 homers and 81 RBIs.

Since both the major league and Japan squads were first announced, there have been numerous withdrawals and changes, most notably at manager, with Bruce Bochy the third choice for the big leagues.

The major league team features 10 players selected for this year's All-Star Game, including AL batting champion Joe Mauer of the Twins.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

Jones

interesting that he would play this series. I still say, as many would, that if utilized correctly he would be a very productive part of the offense. this year against righties: .303/.358/.528/.886. I know it's a career year but take away a bad season or two in minnesota and it's pretty normal- and he didn't platoon in minnesota. I didn't run the numbers but I think it would be close. if you have more time than me please do. Maybe Craig Wilson to platoon in RF? he just declared for FA and would be a nice acquisition who could play LF and 1B on occasion. Wilson against lefties in his career: .296/.395/.543/.938. Get him Jim! not sure what price he's commanding though.

by cashcowsquirtingsourmilk on Oct 28, 2006 7:33 PM CDT reply actions

Craig Wilson...

... would be an excellent RH bat to platoon with Jones, give D-Lee an occasional day off -- and he can catch, too, which gives you more roster options.

by Al Yellon on Oct 28, 2006 8:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Craig Wilson

made $3.3 mil with the Pirates this year. That's a lot for a platooner but he would be much more. He'd be a spotter for Jones and a GREAT bat off the bench. again, not sure what he's looking for in FA. maybe he wants a starting job. who knows. I think the cubs could promise him plenty of playing time and the numbers speak for themselves. Much better than paying what glendon, mabry, and neifi got. Our bench this year was anemic. that's only the start of the bench of course, but worth the money, I'd say.

by cashcowsquirtingsourmilk on Oct 28, 2006 8:43 PM CDT up reply actions

If he's realistic

he's gotta know that he's not an every day player. Hell, he had a tough time getting everyday ab's with Pittsburgh. If platooned with Jones in RF, the Cubs get all-star production from that spot, and much more power off the bench.

by davidalanu on Oct 28, 2006 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions

If I were Hendry

I would wrap up Wilson like I did with Howry and Eyre last year right NOW.

by cashcowsquirtingsourmilk on Oct 28, 2006 9:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Of course you would.

Yup. Let's sign old free agents who are going to give us numbers that good young minor leaguers can give us so we don't have any money to sign real difference makers. Howry, Eyre, and Dempster (and if signed Wilson) are all big examples of exactly what is wrong with the Cubs. All of these players are not bad, the problem is that lots of major league minimum young players can produce the same numbers. Save the big free agent money for difference makers.

by Frustrated Fan on Oct 28, 2006 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions

$4 million?

not exactly "big money" these days. and he's not "old". again, there are two ways to approach this. blow up the team, or be competitive in the short-term. craig wilson is not over the hill. he's exactly the kind of bench player this team needs if they want to contend the next couple years, which is their goal. The opposite is to go with the youngsters and trade away all the talent and build. I don't think you can have it both ways.
Eyre and Howry ARE difference makers if money wasn't wasted on Neifi, Rusch, Wood, Pierre. Craig Wilson is a fine player, and a big market team like the cubs should employ such a player if the goal is to contend "now". you talk like he's tony womack.

by cashcowsquirtingsourmilk on Oct 28, 2006 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed, and further...

... name me a player in the Cubs' farm system who can do what Craig Wilson can.

And don't say "Michael Restovich".

by Al Yellon on Oct 29, 2006 3:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Well, he's not as versatile as Wilson

But he is much cheaper and will give you very good production out of a platoon role.

Sadly, I doubt he will ever get the chance.

by VS on Oct 29, 2006 11:40 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah, why not?

He hit .311 in the minors this year against lefties alone (and slugged .566); what about that doesn't at least merit a look as a platoon partner? I don't think that Restovich is the future of this organization, but he could certainly put up similar numbers to Craig Wilson if used in a platoon role, and it would be a heck of a lot cheaper. Why not say "Michael Restovich?"

by NocNoc on Oct 29, 2006 11:34 PM CST up reply actions

4 million isn't big money

But that's NOT the point. The problem is that 4 million for this guy, 2 million for that guy, 6 million for that guy and poof you have spent 12 million dollars on three guys that could be covered for the MLB minimum (and you don't have 12 million to spend on the big name free agent).

Restovich could do everything for the Cubs that they need out of Wilson.

Wilson's a PR move, and sadly Cub fans are too stupid to understand this.

by Frustrated Fan on Oct 29, 2006 4:06 PM CST up reply actions

OK,

who in the cubs org will be "difference makers"??????? they will be cheap yes, but they will suck. again. 1) blow up the team 2) don't.

by cashcowsquirtingsourmilk on Oct 28, 2006 10:54 PM CDT up reply actions

Difference Makers

No one in the Cub system IS a difference maker (well except perhaps for Patterson and Pie, but the Cubs don't have guts to make the right move and put both of them on the team next year). Thus the Cubs need to sign the difference maker from the outside. And they can't do this if they have pissed away all of their money on "bargins" like Miller, Wilson and the like.

But Cub fans are too stupid to understand this.

by Frustrated Fan on Oct 29, 2006 4:08 PM CST up reply actions

The "right move"?

People were so psyched about Cedeno this past year, and he didn't quite live up to expectations. Murton had shown great promise late last year, but became inconsistent at the plate for most of this year. Starting both of them was the gutsy move, and now most people don't want Ronny starting, and many are happy to throw Murton into trade rumors.

I'm glad they're holding off on Pie. Hopefully he'll come up when he's ready and become a long-term CF, like we wanted Corey to be.

As for Corey's brother, from what I keep seeing of his numbers, he hits mid 200s in the minors. Yeah, 2nd base isn't a power position, usually, but there's a reason he hasn't been up in September--he's not ready for the majors.

If you just throw him in at 2nd, maybe he becomes a Derek Jeter or Robinson Cano-like player, but more likely he gets his confidence destroyed, goes back to the minors, gets traded, and eventually becomes a great player for another team.

From what we've seen of the Cubs system the last couple years, most talent we bring up goes right back down. And if that talent is pitching, we trade it to the Marlins or someone and they manage it to Rookie of the Year caliber play.

If we'd hired Girardi, I'd be more open to the "bring up the youngins" argument, but that's a long term, willing to accept 90 loss seasons approach. You willing to accept another 90 loss season or 2 so we can let people like Pie, Patterson, etc adjust?

by HanOfTheBluegrass on Oct 29, 2006 8:40 PM CST up reply actions

Murton and Expectations

The comments about Murton are just not true. Did he meet the wildly unrealistic expectations of the Koolaid drinking Cub fans? Nope. Had he done so, he would have been an MVP candidate. But for a player in his first full season, he did a very good job. And he did have a slump, but he adjusted. (And his OBP always was over .330, or higher than the season average of the lead off hitter).

With respect to your argument that Eric Patterson isn't ready for the majors because he has not been called up in September, that argument is specious. Pie, to point to another example, hit the cover off the ball at Iowa for the second half of the year. Virtually every major league team not in contention would have called him up. But not the Cubs. Its why Curtis Granderson has become a major contributor to the Tigers at a young age. The Cubs management last season couldn't empty water from the proverbial boot with instructions written on the proverbial heel.

by Frustrated Fan on Oct 30, 2006 6:31 AM CST up reply actions

Curtis Granderson...

... is not a comp for Felix Pie.

Granderson played college baseball, and had over 1500 minor leage at-bats before he became an everyday starter this year at the age of 25.

Pie is 21, and yes, has that much minor league experience now. Pie has not dominated any level yet. Granderson did -- he was Tigers Minor League Player of the Year in 2004.

If he'd have had a September callup under Dusty Baker, he wouldn't have played -- given Baker's propensity for playing veterans, etc. Pie would have sat on the bench and been a pinch-runner for a 96-loss team. What's the point of that?

by Al Yellon on Oct 30, 2006 9:51 AM CST up reply actions

They don't have the guts

to put Eric Patterson on the team, and count on him to be productive? That wouldn't take guts, that would take the stupidity you speak of. He has two years of minor league experience, and didn't exactly set the world on fire at AA this year.

I'm all for giving prospects a chance, including Pie this year, if the option is Pierre, but Patterson isn't ready.

by davidalanu on Oct 30, 2006 8:22 AM CST up reply actions

This is crap.....

I was under the impression that Jacque was going to rehab his shoulder?

he hath no fury like a cubs fan scorned

by timeforachange on Oct 28, 2006 10:06 PM CDT reply actions

maybe sushi and saki

and some meditation is what he needs ;)

just kidding. it's just a 5-game series. I'm just happy he's even re-habbing at all. More than I can say for Prior, who's patiently spending his offseasons in margaritaville until FA comes around.

by cashcowsquirtingsourmilk on Oct 28, 2006 10:48 PM CDT up reply actions