I went to the Iowa cubs and portland beavers game and.....

by nks6911 on May 14, 2008 1:43 PM CDT

I live in Portland oregon, and have very little chance to see cubs games. So I went to the Beavers,cubs game. I went to three games and saw three victories. Which was nice. In those three games I witnessed a real star in the making. Micah Hoffpauir. He is a left handed power hitter who seems to be an r.b.i. machine. My question here is why edmonds when we have this guy? I do realize we would probably have to move fuke to center to fit him in to right field. He is also a great back-up for d-lee in the rare occasion he sits the bench. What do people think about this. Did I mention he is a left handed power hitter!

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Star in the making?

Hardly. Hoffpauir is 28 years old and has never played above AAA. He’s got midrange power, nothing special, and really is only a first baseman. I saw him play OF in spring training and, let’s just say, he’s not an outfielder, he’s a first baseman who was standing in right field.

You wouldn’t want him to be a starter in the major leagues, much less move a plus right fielder out of position to accomodate him.

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

by Al Yellon on May 14, 2008 1:56 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed

He was close to making the club at the end of spring training but didn’t because we had better players. I do think he could be better than Edmonds though, definitely not as experienced, but i hate jim edmonds. dunno about hoffpauir, probably another jason dubois

"This ball's got a chaaaaaance.....(YES!!! YESSS!!!!).....GONE!!! CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN!"

by FutureGroundscrewMember on May 14, 2008 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions

If you think Edmonds can't play CF...

... try putting Hoffpauir out there. As someone else posted yesterday, I’d rather see Jason Marquis in CF than either of those two.

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

by Al Yellon on May 14, 2008 2:22 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm tellin' ya...THIS IS THE ANSWER.

Let Marquis play 5.2 innings in the outfield and then replace him with “fireman” Felix Pie. Marquis probably wouldn’t even notice the position change.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.

by daver on May 14, 2008 3:05 PM CDT up reply actions

I'd rather see

neither of them. I think we already have enough people in CF. Johnson has done fine, and Pie needs more playing time—but that’s another story.

by gx4 on May 14, 2008 3:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Micah Not Right Fit

The Cubs don’t need a first baseman. In addition to only having midrange power, he is not blessed with speed. His greatest asset is hitting for good averages in AAA. That doesn’t necessarily translate into hitting for good averages in the majors. I suppose he could be a September call up. I feel he would have a better chance of making the majors and sticking, if he were with another organization.

by memphiscub on May 14, 2008 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Although

someone in the cubs organization is pushing him into the outfield. He’s played there the last 5 games due to his left handed bat and power. The Des Moines paper quoted “cubs officials” as telling the manager to get him ready by playing outfield. While we may not think he’s any good, someone does. I know that it may never happen but he may be the left handed bat Lou is asking for.

This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).

by mrcubsfan on May 14, 2008 3:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes, they're doing this...

... just as they did in spring training. Doesn’t mean he’ll ever be any good at it.

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

by Al Yellon on May 14, 2008 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm Rooting for Micah

I like to see guys who have been in the minors for years make it to the majors. Learning to play the outfield may help him get to “The Show”. He had some experience in the outfield before this season. I still don’t see him ever sticking in the bigs, but he could get a cup of coffee with Chicago this year.

by memphiscub on May 14, 2008 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions

I suspect

he’s making this all up. The Beavers played the Cubs in Des Moines, not Portland.

It's a girl! Born 1-18-08. 2246 PST. 8 lbs. 1 oz.

by Josh Timmers on May 14, 2008 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions

At Least I've Seen Micah in Person

I’ve seen Hoffpauir play in person for the AA West TN Diamond Jaxx, when they were affiliated with the Cubs, and for the I-Cubs against the Redbirds in Memphis. I know from seeing him that he’s a good AAA player, but he’s probably not much of a MLB prospect. Isn’t it a long drive from Portland to Des Moines? I don’t think anyone would get those two cities confused.

by memphiscub on May 14, 2008 5:39 PM CDT up reply actions

I think the Cubs should trade him...

D-Lee here to stay and in case of injury, we have Mark DeRosa, Daryle Ward, and Jake Fox. I think they could get someone pretty decent. I also wish the best for him, I like him in spring training.

by wrigleyrocker12 on May 14, 2008 3:21 PM CDT reply actions

Add Soto to the IN CASE OF

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on May 14, 2008 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Random:

With all this talk about players in different positions…

Who is our emergency catcher?

The Time Is Now. [Chicago Cubs, '08]

by EJThunder on May 14, 2008 4:39 PM CDT up reply actions

After Hank..

...I’m guessing Koyie Hill.

"I'm petrified of nipple chafing. Once it starts, it's a vicious circle." Andy Bernard

by TXCub on May 14, 2008 5:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Nah...

I mean on the roster…. in case Blanco and Soto are KO’d.

The Time Is Now. [Chicago Cubs, '08]

by EJThunder on May 14, 2008 5:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Matt Murton used to do this, but of course he's at Iowa.

I suspect it might be Mike Fontenot.

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

by Al Yellon on May 15, 2008 8:17 AM CDT up reply actions

To who? For what?

Nobody wants him. He’s the sort of cheap bat you can find at dozens of AAA teams throughout the minors. That doesn’t make him a bad person, and that doesn’t make him useless, but it means that most GMs won’t return your calls if you offer him up in a trade, even for a used sack of baseballs. Hoffpauir IS essentially the proverbial used sack of baseballs.

I has a blog.

by cwyers on May 14, 2008 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions

I think people just like his name.

Micah Hoffpauir. He just sounds like a good baseball player.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.

by daver on May 14, 2008 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions

I want to make it clear that I was not suggesting he should be starting. I was really trying to say that their are tons of options in are farm club who are better than Edmonds. I personally think PIEshould be starting every day. Hoffpauir defense is atrocious, but I think he is becoming a power hitter who could have a slg.% around .550 and an .ops at .900. Unfortunately for him he probably wont get that chance for the cubs, because he isn’t a good fit. Maybe he knock the crap out of the ball in the first half of the season, and some team inneed of a first basemen will trade for him.

by nks6911 on May 14, 2008 3:36 PM CDT reply actions

I agree..

...I think he probably doesn’t fit here, but I’d sure enjoy seeing how he fares if and when he makes it up.

"I'm petrified of nipple chafing. Once it starts, it's a vicious circle." Andy Bernard

by TXCub on May 14, 2008 5:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Where the heck

did you see this game?

The I-Cubs and Beavers played in Des Moines last weekend.

It's a girl! Born 1-18-08. 2246 PST. 8 lbs. 1 oz.

by Josh Timmers on May 14, 2008 5:29 PM CDT reply actions

well

for what it is worth, i talked to paul sullivan after tonights game in the parking lot. he told me pie is going down tommarrow for edmonds and that by sunday ward will be on the DL and they will bring Hoffpauir up. take it with a grain of salt though.

by Glacier on May 15, 2008 12:26 AM CDT reply actions