Centerfield ... anyone?

by kylejo on Jul 6, 2007 9:51 AM CDT Comment 26 comments

Centerfield has been an odd position to say the least all year long. First Sori, then the horrible Jacque Jones experiment seemed to be solved by Felix Pie...but that plan has since been left by the wayside. Angel Pagan has played pretty well when he's had the chance, but the fact is that we have no regular everyday center fielder. Is this a problem? If we are truly a playoff contender, and I think everyone believes we are, do you think we can have a roving position like this? I would like to hope that Pie will bounce back, get hot and reclaim the position, but what do you guys think is the best course? Also, I know I've read we can't add payroll, but i've also heard hendry say that we CAN add payroll...possibly a change of scenary for Andruw Jones if Atlanta feels they're out of it?

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Pie

What Pie needs is playing time, so I am at a total loss as to what this organization is doing with him. Either run him out there every day and let him get experience, and continue to learn how to hit major league pitching and be happy with his stellar defense, or send him back down.

by paulucla on Jul 6, 2007 10:05 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah i agree

he doesnt need to play everyday, but id at least like to see him out there everyday against righties.

ive liked lou a lot so far, but it seems hes kind of botching the pie thing right now.

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jul 6, 2007 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or just maybe there

are things going on with Pie that you don't know about.

by cubsbak on Jul 6, 2007 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

obviously

were not in the clubhouse, but if lou knew something, like say he didnt think pie was quite ready to face mlb pitching on a regular basis, dont you think they would have sent him back down to iowa?

having him come in as a defensive replacement three times a week isnt helping him at all, and it doesnt look to be helping the cubs enough that it warrants his growth being stunted.

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jul 6, 2007 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll go with

Sweet Lou on this one. He apparently wants to personally supervise Pie's development and doesn't want to trust it to the bozos in the Cubs minor league system. Right now he's working with him in the cages and will play him soon enough. Like I said, I'll go with Sweet Lou on this one rather than some know-it-all blogger.

by cubsbak on Jul 6, 2007 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ill trust lou too, its worked so far

know it all blogger?

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jul 6, 2007 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

agree....especially the know-it-all-KNOTHEADS

When Pie came up both times he hit the ball with authority, but then as the games unfolded he fell into two patterns:

A) getting down in the count 0-2 and striking out way too often

B) not hitting the ball with authority many busted bats and little twinkies in the in field.

I have heard bits & pieces state that the Cubs are working on him and his approach...I think he is jamming himself and taking way too big swings..but the problem is getting down 0-2, 1-2

Milw-09-24-98--Brown in for defense--bases loaded--flyball--HE DROPPED THE BALL!!!NO NO NO, cubs lose 8-7

by Ivy Walls on Jul 6, 2007 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Supposedly

Sweet Lou is working with him in the batting cage to improve his hitting. My guess is Pie will get more playing time after the all-star break. I'd much rather have Pie up in the majors working with Sweet Lou than receiving more "instruction" from the Cubs minor league system that hasn't produced a decent position player in 20 years.

by cubsbak on Jul 6, 2007 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll trust Lou here too

It is one thing to take a few lumps at the plate while learning but it's another to be overmatched and not have a chance. Recently it seems like Pie was heading toward the latter. Having him around the veterans and learning is fine with me.

by rlpete on Jul 6, 2007 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've heard the same

Pie has a "slow" swing, and Major League pitching has started to figure that out. He's got to make an adjustment if he wants to continue to have success at that level.

by Wreckard on Jul 6, 2007 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey Now

The Cubs are getting positive results from both Theriot and Fontenot so we might need to back off that claim in a short time.

by NO100 on Jul 6, 2007 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So far so good

but neither of those guys look to me like they'll ever be established major league starters. I can see one or both of them becoming solid bench contributors, but over the course of 162 games their weaknesses will be exposed if they start. The last every-day major league position player the Cubs have produced was Mark Grace.

by cubsbak on Jul 6, 2007 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

no reason

not to believe in fontenot, former first round pick, decent minor league numbers, decent pop, i dont see why he couldnt man second base for a few years

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jul 6, 2007 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe, maybe not

He's not exactly young. From what I've heard, the knock on him is his defense, which is pretty important at 2nd. I'm keeping an open mind, but have doubts that he can be an every-day second baseman.

by cubsbak on Jul 6, 2007 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

i guess im with you on this then too, his defense definitely seems suspect (though that mays style catch the other night was great) but his age obviously is a red flag...im still hoping he can be a david eckstein type player.

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jul 6, 2007 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

His age really isn't a red flag

It just means he's not going to be a star, he's not going to get much better. But what he is right now is apparently good enough to be serviceable. I say if he's at his peak right now then fine, ride it out. Just don't expect him to turn into a star.

I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. - Robert McCloskey

by pageian on Jul 6, 2007 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Andruw Jones

Is batting .199 right now. He's been flirting with Mendozaland all season.

Think about that. Jacque Jones has 33 points of batting average on Andrew Jones. (Yes, I know Andruw has more power and walks more. Andruw's OBP is still only .299)

I really don't think Andruw Jones is the answer--although he is the type of guy the Cubs could add because he's a free agent at the end of the season, so there would be no long term debt on him.

by Josh77 on Jul 6, 2007 12:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

hell id take jones

for his defense alone and just hope his bat will wake up, and youd have to think his bat will heat up evenutally.

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jul 6, 2007 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Which one?

both have same last name.

by nickler on Jul 6, 2007 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

funny i remember ARam with 12 HR's and batting

.230 when the Cubs got him in late July.

Jones needs a shock and wake up call. Trouble is the Cubs will not be able to trade for him and add to payroll.

Milw-09-24-98--Brown in for defense--bases loaded--flyball--HE DROPPED THE BALL!!!NO NO NO, cubs lose 8-7

by Ivy Walls on Jul 6, 2007 5:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ramirez...

... was hitting .280/.330/.448 with 12 HR and 67 RBI in 96 games when the Cubs acquired him.

He hit 15 HR and had 39 RBI for the Cubs in 63 games, hitting .259/.314/.491.

So easy to look this stuff up: go here.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Jul 6, 2007 5:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

he's too much of what we've got

lets go after ichiro to play center next year

If Jesus went to college these days, he would go to Notre Dame

by NDcubsfan on Jul 7, 2007 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There wouldnt be salary debt

But Andruw has been known to get in trouble for not hustling on a team that has many sparkplugs on it. A guy who doesn't hustle and who is flirting with the mendoza line is not really the piece of the puzzle to get during a playoff push. Has all hope for Griffey died?

by gacubbie20 on Jul 6, 2007 4:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs