Felix Pie

by sandbergformanager on Jun 27, 2006 3:59 PM CDT

I was wondering what you guys think of Felix Pie...

Personally I think if this guy plays the year out at Iowa and comes up under a manager other than Dusty Baker he has the chance to become a great player. I know from reading up on Pie he has a few areas of concern including his plate disapline, baserunning skills, and hitting the cutoff man, however anyone who watches baseball knows there is no such thing as a perfect player. I think that if Hendry trades Felix Pie he will set this franchise back years because at this point he is the one guy that could bring back confidence in the Cubs farm system for other organizations. I will also be the first to tell you this, if the Cubs keep Felix Pie he will play on a championship team with the Cubs. I know some of you don't feel the same way about him but lets face it this team needs a position player to build around and D-Lee is great but he is 30 years old and Ramirez hasn't shown he can be the guy. I just hope that Cubs fans give this guy a year or two and let him become the star that this team needs.

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

Right now,

Felix Pie is hitting .265 and is on pace to strikeout about 200 times in IOWA!!!! He's not ready and I don't know if he ever will be. It could be from the injury he sustained last season, but who knows.

by TheBeerBaron on Jun 27, 2006 4:08 PM CDT reply actions

He's young and he'll mature

as a hitter, but plate discipline isn't something that is easily learned. The jury is still out on him. If he'd show some improvement this year it'd be nice. Stalling out could be a sign that he's not really a great player, or that he's still young. Let's hope he learns and improves.

by pageian on Jun 27, 2006 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions

I think his lower BA & higher K rate is a

combination of the injury plus the better pitching he is seeing in AAA.

Obviously not ready for The Show.

by JFCubFan on Jun 27, 2006 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions

You guys are buying the Corey Patterson

comparisons too I bet. But according to all the people around the two, Pie and Patterson, they say Pie is much more comitted to getting better.

by sandbergformanager on Jun 27, 2006 4:26 PM CDT reply actions

re

It's called guarded optimism (at best).

These people are being realistic that Felix Pie doesn't stand that great of a chance of being the allstar that you have already prematurely anointed him.

If recent history is any sign, the Cubs do not often succeed at developing position players. I can forsee Pie as eventually playing in the majors, but I honestly doubt that he is going to be allstar caliber. I hope he proves me wrong, but I'm not that optimistic.

by CosmicCharlie911 on Jun 27, 2006 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Thoughts

First, Pie is just 21 years old, playing against guys with quite a bit more experience, so you must take that into account when considering his decline in numbers.

The thing that concerns me the most aren't his batting average, as he has been fairly consistent throughout his minor league career there, but as you note his increased strikeout rate and his decline in stolen base %.

These are two numbers that typically will improve with experience, and after improvement in the strikeout rate last season, he has seen a decline this year. The stolen base success has pretty much stayed the same throughout his minor league career before going down this season.

Check out my Cubs Minor League System website: Top Cubs Prospects

by jonpyardi on Jun 27, 2006 6:08 PM CDT reply actions

Pie

Felix Pie equal poor man's Juan Encarnacion

by Mike63 on Jun 27, 2006 6:17 PM CDT up reply actions

Let me

get this straight.

Felix Pie, a prospect who has never seen a day of ML action, is a poor man's Encarnacion.

stuck in exile in Disney.

by Faith plus 1 on Jun 27, 2006 6:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Yep

If he's lucky. Right now I'm not convinced he even makes the majors. Saying he will become a poor man's Juan Encarnacion may be too charitable of a description. The guy is way, way, way overhyped. The plate discipline is non-existent and you could drive a Buick through the holes in his swing. Major league pitchers will eat him for lunch.

by Mike63 on Jun 27, 2006 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Have you..

..ever seen him play?

vote santo for h.o.f.

by santo for prez on Jun 27, 2006 7:20 PM CDT up reply actions

This guy is as bad as a troll

All opinions. You have them too.. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

by cubsfan2883 on Jun 27, 2006 6:47 PM CDT up reply actions

aren't you

the valiant one.

Take a step back junior and realize I wasn't berating him this time, I was asking for clarification.

stuck in exile in Disney.

by Faith plus 1 on Jun 27, 2006 10:00 PM CDT up reply actions

He ain't ready

Our cable package has quite a few I-Cubs games on. He isn't ready, and rushing him up won't help him. He needs coaching, and work on fundamentals; but, the raw tools are definitely there.

by Nibbles on Jun 27, 2006 8:39 PM CDT reply actions

Jeff Francoeur

had numbers at double-A that tend to be similar to Pie's triple-A numbers before he got called up last season. His average was a little higher as well as his slugging, but on-base numbers and K/BB ratio is very similar to Pie, and I think many of us will take Francoeur on the Cubs.

by sandbergformanager on Jun 28, 2006 1:09 AM CDT reply actions

Francoeur...

... well, let's take a look, shall we?

Last year he burst on the scene by hitting .300/.336/.549 in 257 AB, with 14 HR. But there were warning signs. He didn't draw an unintentional walk till he had over 100 PA.

He has regressed this year; .252/.272/.439 with 15 HR in 321 AB so far -- but only SEVEN walks and 59 strikeouts. He's got power so his "counting stats" look good, but he may have been called up too soon. He has only nine doubles.

Pie needs this full year at Triple-A. In fact, he might need NEXT year at Triple-A, unless you want him to become the next coming of Corey Patterson.

by Al Yellon on Jun 28, 2006 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions

2 outfielders

Who would you rather have:

Player A:
BA - .280
OBP - .327
SLG - .458

Player B:
BA - .252
OBP - .272
SLG - .439

Obviously, player A is better. Player B are the current stats of Jeff Francoeur. Right now, he is not a very good player. I also believe that he will never be a good player until his plate discipline gets better. Francoeur was called up too early and Atlanta is risking turning him into just another OF'er. Pie should not be considered an option until 2008 assuming he improves which is still not a given.

By the way, player B are the lifetime stats of Jacque Jones who everyone wants to unload. The point is that right now, Jeff Francoeur is not ready for the major leagues, his hot streak last season just hid it. Right now, he isn't even close to the same league as Jacque Jones.

by rlpete on Jun 28, 2006 9:57 AM CDT up reply actions

Pie

I have seen Pie play several time as I live in Des Moines Iowa and attend many Iowa Cubs games. Pie is an exciting player that has alot to learn. He is 21 years old and I think he will get better. He has a gun for an arm and has a good glove and speed. I think that he was always projected for a power hitter over the past couple of years and now a leadoff hitter (currently batting second now) and he needs to adapt and learn a new style of hitting. I think he is much, much better than Patterson due to overall game. This is only his first year in AAA ball and will need some more time. You people need to stop writing off players so soon in their careers. He is only 21!! Give him a chance and I think he will be ok. Mike Quade sia good coach for Iowa and will help him along... just my opinion.

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball."

by CubbieFamilyMan on Jun 28, 2006 8:23 AM CDT reply actions