lets you turn a single into a double quite often if you have a good caught stealing rate. That is something that doesn't show up on a hitters SLG, but alot of the time a hitter is standing on second base with one swing. Alot of stat heads think SB is meaningless and the reason for that IMO is because it's a unpredictable stat. So anything their systems can't example they say is meaningless. Thats one of the reasons why I will always probably be somewere in the middle of old school and new school of thinking when it comes to stats. Most importantly though the hitters needs to get for a decent average(270 plus) with a good OBP, with being speed a bonus. But I don't think you can just hit for a decent average but with a low OBP(think Juan Pierre)and be a good leadoff hitter. I also don't think you can hit for a poor average(below 250) with a high OBP and be a good leadoff hitter(think Rickie Weeks). On paper having a high OBP might only matter but if you hitting 240 but have 370 OBP, that probably means your walking a ton against bad pitchers, but struggle against good pitchers. So over the course of the season your OBP might look good, but in games against good pitchers that your team needs to win your not gonna get good production from your leadoff hitter. A good example of that is Rickie Weeks he only hit 178/327 against us last year. I'm sure him getting on base more in front of Hardy,Braun,Fielder and Hart could have helped them win more then one series against us last year.

As for Theriot leading off, I'm not a huge fan of it, but am ok with it if he improves to be 280s/340s type hitter this season, and we have a high OBP in Fukudome or DeRosa batting behind him. I think it's important to have at least one strong OBP guy in front of the order, especially if were gonna have a so-so OBP(340's) leading off. But I do think we would benefit from Theriots speed in the leadoff spot. But in a perfect world Roberts is our leadoff hitter and Theriot is hitting 7th or 8th. But it's up to the Orioles I guess and if they wanna come to their sense and lower they demands for Roberts.

It's one thing to like DeRosa, but it's an entirely different thing to think he's actually as good as Brian Roberts, which is so far from the truth I don't even know where to begin. Is he enough of an upgrade to warrant trading so many players? I don't think so, but let's not be delusional here and pretend that DeRosa is Brian Roberts' equal.

As for Marquis/Dempster...what has Dempster shown? Did the season begin already? Or are we talking about spring training in which Marquis has been better than Dempster, but somehow you think that means Dempster is as good or better? Marquis isn't very good, but Dempster is a terrible pitcher. Has been his entire career. It's not going to change this season. He has a slim chance...a very slim chance of being better than Marquis. I hope it happens since we're mindlessly putting this terrible pitcher in the rotation, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm not looking at Marquis/Dempster in spring training. I could care less if both never retire a batter or never allow a hit all spring. They each have long enough track records to know for sure that Marquis is a better pitcher.

Attitude may be important. I'm not arguing against it, but show me how DeRosa's is better than Marquis. Here's how their offseasons have gone:

DeRosa: complained in December, January, twice in February, and twice in March.
Marquis: complained once

If we're comparing the two here, which is silly, but if we are, one has complained one time and then shut up while the other has been a little whiney bitch the last 4 months.