Fox should be in the majors

At least according to FanGraphs.

over 2 years ago DTJchris 30 comments 0 recs |

Comments

Kasper and Brenly talked about this...

Fox’s defense is suspect, at best. He’s a DH/1B, and he’s blocked on the Cubs by Lee and Hoffpauir. Thet generally agreed he’s better off in the A.L.

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on May 20, 2009 11:52 PM CDT reply actions

whoa

Had no idea this was said in another thread. Eerie.

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on May 20, 2009 11:53 PM CDT up reply actions

There are almost as many Fox posts as Peavy posts now.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 21, 2009 8:20 AM CDT up reply actions

brian roberts

is pissed

by tim815 on May 21, 2009 8:24 AM CDT up reply actions

Brian Roberts

is a 31-year old base-stealing machine.

Judd Sirott is responsible for EVERYONE'S injury. And all the current slumps.
Bradley watch -- out 10 games of 38

by znohitter on May 21, 2009 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions

Fox doesn't have a position...

if they didn’t have Lee, perhaps the team could platoon Fox and Hoffpauir at 1B. But that’s the only place where Fox’s defense (or lack thereof) is tolerable.

by SouthernCub on May 21, 2009 9:13 AM CDT reply actions

Exactamundo.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions

FYI: I posted this link in the "jake fox's defense is horrible" three Fanshots below this one.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 9:59 AM CDT reply actions

Ah...

oops, didn’t see it as a fanshot, so just thought I’d throw it out there

"It's been my policy to view the Internet not as an 'information highway,' but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies." - Mike Royko

by DTJchris on May 21, 2009 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions

No biggie.

Clearly, Fox and Peavy are the topics du jour. I guess it’s better we focus on that than the fact the Cubs have scored one run in their last 18 innings of play.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions

when we’ve got a back-up at first base but have to play Font at third, where he’s not as comfortable. it’s all about timing of injuries and the luck of the game—if Fox were just a better d-man, and in a different position, he for sure would have already gotten called up.

by spain2323 on May 21, 2009 11:00 AM CDT reply actions

Yep, if he could play even a passable third base...

…I’d support calling him up. Honestly, the thought of Fox backing up third base and Hoffpauir backing up first base is a really pleasant one – in theory. Even after Aramis gets back, the Cubs would have a ton of power off the bench from both sides of the plate. But, alas, it doesn’t seem feasible.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Question:

Just how bad was his defense in high school or college? I’m assuming the Cubs drafted him with the idea they could improve his defense.

How bad is this guy, really? I mean, Hoffpauir was sold as completely worthless defensively and he hasn’t been horrid.

Is his defense really as bad as all that?

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on May 21, 2009 11:06 AM CDT reply actions

That's not completely true.

The reports from minor league experts I’ve read (toonsterwu, for one) said that Hoffpauir actually plays a solid, if unspectacular, first base. And I think the defense we’ve seen from him at the major league level bears that out. Fox, apparently, is far worse.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions

I saw Fox play 1B a couple times in spring training.

It wasn’t pretty.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 21, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions

It cant be worse than the ugliness that is Derek Lee at the plate

Call up Fox send down or lose Patton.. Give Lee a breather and see if Fox mashes for a week…

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42

by fischisgod on May 21, 2009 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions

Sigh... once again

Derrek Lee — like all good first basemen, do more than just play good first.

He also makes Theriot, Fontenot and Miles better. Lee is the only thing holding the infield defense together right now.

Put Fox at 1B and you’ll see a 6-error game.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on May 21, 2009 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

i would be willing to bet that doesnt happen...

He might be one of those people whose bat significantly outweigh his glove. plus you could always use d lee as a defensive specialist.. You ave to give the kid a shot or get something for him

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42

by fischisgod on May 21, 2009 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Lee looks like he's coming along and

his season average and season OPS have climbed .036 and .082 over the last week.

I’m not sure we can look at a guy’s season numbers, but need to look at what he’s doing right now and over the last few weeks.

From a low versus the Padres, he looks to be on an uptick and I don’t understand why the calls to sit him grow while he shows improvement.

In the last three games, all losses, DLee is batting .500 over 12 at bats with 1 home run and two RBI’s. These last three games were brutal to watch, but I don’t believe first base was a problem or that Fox or Hoffpauir starting at first would have changed any of the three outcomes.

if this was still new to me, i wouldn't understand

by N Oakley on May 21, 2009 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Do you honestly think the Cubs would relegate Derrek Lee to a bench player?

And what would you do with Micah Hoffpauir?

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions

His bat better damn well outweigh his glove

And Theriot’s, Miles’ and Fontenot’s.

And when he gets back, Ramirez’

Not to mention pickoff throws, snap throws from Soto, and oh yeah, fielding his own position.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on May 21, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions

so as long as he has 12 RBIs a game

we should be just fine

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on May 21, 2009 3:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Well, in high school, Fox was head-and-shoulders above most catchers.

In the interest of fairness, I’m biased because we were high school teammates. But from what I’ve seen, the talent level in Indiana when it comes to high school players isn’t near the level of other states, but Fox was able to dominate Indiana high school baseball. His senior year he hit nearly .500 and defensively, he was similar to Yadier Molina in that he would throw behind runners with great success – so much so that teams began daring him to throw behind and then break for the next base.

I don’t know what happened to his defense at Michigan (I think it was still good), but the Cubs evaluated Soto as a better defensive catcher and started moving Fox around, from what I’ve been told.

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 Bill Potter on May 21, 2009 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions

You were actually a HS teammate of Jake Fox?

Any way you could get in touch with him now and ask him some questions?

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 22, 2009 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions

Bulletin !!!

Jim Hendry has petitioned Bud Selig to allow the Cubs to play with the DH. Just as soon as the paperwork goes through then Jake Fox will arrive in Chicago.

You know they can't prove whose vomit it was...they don't have the facilities at Scotland Yard...you can't really dust for vomit.

by BLou on May 21, 2009 1:24 PM CDT reply actions

Bulletin #2

Jim Hendry will apologize to us after he lands Peavy this weekend. Fox & Vitters will be gone.

"It was a wise Man that invented Beer" (Plato)

by LarryCubFan on May 22, 2009 11:28 AM CDT reply actions

Bulletin #3

No.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 22, 2009 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions

I've referred to this before

But Rob Neyer published it so I will too. It’s Baseball America’s comment on Jake Fox before the season—about as nasty a thing as they’ve ever written about someone they have ranked as a top 30 prospect

There are scouts who swear that Fox’s plus power would produce 25 homers if he got the chance to play every day in the majors. The problem is that those longballs would come with a low batting average, plenty of strikeouts and absolutely no defensive ability … Fox can crush any fastball out of any park, in part because he sits on fastballs and sells out for power every time. He can’t handle breaking balls, won’t work counts and rarely listens to batting coaches. Power is Fox’s only tool, and one scout described his defense as “a notch above horrific.”

Tell me if that’s a guy we need to have in the majors.

by Josh Timmers on May 22, 2009 12:13 PM CDT reply actions