25 Man for October

by careyrd on Sep 27, 2008 1:34 PM CDT Comment 17 comments

Alright, with Lou announcing the rotation I started mapping out several 25 man rosters. I think the one that makes the most sense with Lou's inclusion of Howry (which I do not agree with) would be as follows:

1. Soto

2. Blanco

3. Lee

4. Fontenot

5. Cedeno

6. Theriot

7. Ramirez

8. Soriano

9. Edmonds

10. Johnson

11. Derosa

12. Fukudome

13. Dempster

14. Zambrano

15. Harden

16. Lilly

17. Marquis

18. Wood

19. Marmol

20. Samardzija

21. Cotts

22. Gaudin

23. Howry

Beyond the above listed players there are a few to choose between for the last two spots. I believe these two give the Cubs the best chance at success.

24. I think Pie deserves the nod because he can play great defense in all 3 spots of the OF as well as provide great speed on the basepath.

25. Ward for the plus of a pinch-hitter with more major league experience than Hoffpauir. That is not much of a reason but in talking this over with several fans I believe that most would agree with Ward over Micah.

This is a bummer because I think Marshall is a better choice than Howry but Lou already stated that Howry was on the 25 man for October.

Thoughts or changes?

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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Gaudin wont be on the playoff roster while Marshall will IMO

"I guess you had some lean years, and didnt have to beat it hard" - Craig Sager

SORIANO WATCH: AVG: .291 29 HR 72 RBI

by Galvan316 on Sep 27, 2008 1:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I concur

Marshall will be the second lefty in the pen, while Gaudin will be on the bench, watching and not eligible.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Sep 27, 2008 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

IF dero

isnt on it I think hoffPower goes.

from the mouth of Uecker:

"Am I the only one who’s glad it’s only a 4-game series? If was a 9-game series, I think the Cubs would win them all."

by cubsluver22 on Sep 27, 2008 4:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Ward is a lock

No way Ward isn’t on the playoff roster barring injury.

I think theres an outside chance that Wuertz replaces Gaudin.

by jeff_pico on Sep 27, 2008 6:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Well...

Gaudin will not be on the roster. Neither will Pie. Ward and HoffPOWER will be.

by MDBNIU on Sep 27, 2008 9:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

...and Marshall will be as well

by MDBNIU on Sep 27, 2008 9:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

How can you leave Hoffpauir off?

I’d rather have him that Fukudome, Ward or Cedeno. Sure, Fukudome is better in right, but that’s it, and Dero isn’t that much worse there. I know this is blasphemy, but since D-Lee changed his name into GIDP, I’d almost rather have Hoff at 1st.

"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all." -B. Dylan

by Wood20K on Sep 28, 2008 2:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Again...

… the role of someone who might take the spot of Hoffpauir would be to pinch-hit, nothing more. Hoffpauir can’t play the field — really, he’s not even good at 1B — and he’s not a good or experienced pinch-hitter.

He’ll be staying home in October.

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

by Al on Sep 28, 2008 4:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wonder

if hoffpauir being a bit of an unknown quantity would be a plus in this situation. I mean, “the book” on hoffpauir isn’t as long as it is for say, daryle ward. so its farfetched, but maybe the cubs gain a bit of an advantage because he’s been red hot all year and teams might not have a real good idea of how to pitch to him.

by circuitclout on Sep 28, 2008 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

doesn't matter to some people

they don’t like him and never will despite anything he does…..they rejoice in saying “i told you so” when he fails

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 28, 2008 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree Al...

and I think the numbers bear it out. He may not be experienced as a pinch hitter, but you are wrong about him not being good. Hoffpauir’s bat compensates for his lesser fielding ability. If Howry pitches and Fuk starts & DLee continues his numerically solid but sadly un-clutch season trend & Hoff doesn’t even make the team, I’d be surprised to see the Cubs make the second round, despite all the amazing talent on that team. I beg & beseech Lou to put the Hoff on the roster.

"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all." -B. Dylan

by Wood20K on Sep 28, 2008 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Explain how Hoffpauir's bat makes up for the fact...

… that he’s struck out in half his pinch-hitting at-bats?

In the postseason, he’s not going to be starting in meaningless tuneup games. He’s going to be getting one at-bat in a high-pressure situation.

I don’t put a rookie in that situation. Period.

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

by Al on Sep 28, 2008 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A good hitter is a good hitter...

and I don’t believe that means he has to be warmed up by playing the whole game at a position in order to be effective. I’m not swayed by your citing of split stats & I don’t believe that there is something qualitatively different about pinch hitting with 2 outs and the bases loaded, than coming up to bat with 2 down and the bases loaded. I’m no sabermetrician, just a guy who has played the game at a semi-professional level, so I should disclose that bias. That admitted, I’m not going to believe that experience will make a lesser player better in a clutch situation, or lack of experience make a good player worse. A good player prepares and is ready to go when called, be that in the course of a game or in a pinch. Furthermore, although Hoff’s a rookie, he’s 28 years old, and this isn’t his first time on a baseball field.

Quite simply, I do put a rookie in that situation. Period.

"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all." -B. Dylan

by Wood20K on Sep 29, 2008 9:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hoffpauir is off for sure, but what about....

….Choosing between Fukudome and Pie? Crazy right? But consider this: both play all outfield positions (although Fuku obviously prefers right and Pie prefers center), both are inconsistent hitters, and both have good defense. Pie is faster though and could also be used as a pinch runner, where as Fukudome has good speed but is about as fast as Theriot, if not slower. IMO I’d rather have Fukudome, considering that’s he’s been on the team all season and has playoff/high pressure experience (although it was in Japan), but I thought it was just an idea that was worth mentioning.

"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher

by Musicdude10 on Sep 28, 2008 11:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

No way is Fukudome left off and no way does Hoffpauir make it over Pie.

Those would be bonehead moves and Lou understands that Pie is necessary for running the basepaths. Wood20K, no way is Hoff more valuable than any of the players you listed.

by careyrd on Sep 28, 2008 11:29 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Cedeno's been error prone lately

and there’s no way you’ll convince me that his bat is better that HoffPower’s. Hoff is a marginally better fielder than Ward at both positions, and I don’t buy that adage about experience trumping numbers.

"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all." -B. Dylan

by Wood20K on Sep 28, 2008 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wish with all my heart...

that history had not vindicated my opinion, but sadly it has. Offense was the bane of this postseason, and Hoff instead of Fukodome would have provided that. We needed a big lefty bat against all those righty Dodjerk pitchers.

"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all." -B. Dylan

by Wood20K on Oct 6, 2008 1:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs