Still early, but Hendry's off-season grade = ?
by ExNorthsider on May 8, 2009 9:26 PM CDT
137 comments
This is not an exhaustive list, but consider:
Gregg
Gathright
Heilman
Bradley
Miles
Dempster's big $
- loss of DeRosa
+ continued faith in DLee
Pretty easy to analyze: Hendry failed. The team is significantly worse than it was last year. If DLee can recover and if ARam is not out for 2 months + and if Dempster and Harden can pitch better and if Zambrano is better than a 3rd starter and if Bradley hits .330 over the next 100 games... well... if if if.
Sad.
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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too early to tell
Still got most of the season to go. So far early on I would say that Bradley has been a dissapointment and Gregg is starting to turn it around. Gathright didn’t do anything, but who expected him to do anything?
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 9:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Obviously the Cubs did.
They had Felix Pie on the team at the MLB minimum, and decided that it was worth their while to jettison him off in Hendry’s mad quest to land Aaron Heilman, and replace Pie with a guy making twice as much who does absolutely nothing well.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gathright
Gathright was a warm body who really wasn’t going to do much more than pinch run. Obviously when he was asked to do anything else he failed miserably and they went in another direction.
Are you really saying that having Felix Pie in Gathrights place would be better for the team or just a way to save $400k?
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm saying it would be better AND save $400K.
Hendry felt compelled to step down from Mark DeRosa to Aaron Miles in order to save $3M.
That drastic step indicates that funds were very, very short. (Not to mention the failure to offer arb to Kerry Wood out of the blind fear he might accept a 1-year deal.)
Then he goes out and decides that the 25th man on the roster warrants jettisoning Felix Pie for absolutely nothing — Hendry sold at the absolute nadir of his value — in order to sign a proven failure who adds nothing to the team…. at twice the price.
How can you reconcile those two stances?
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t know about losing Derosa, I’m ok with Derosa one way or the other. If everyone is healthy Derosa is on the bench for most of the year.
What I do disagree with is that Felix Pie would deserve a place on this team. I think he was a AAAA player who will never be a major league caliber player.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 9:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why would DeRosa be on the bench?
The guy had a 119 OPS+ last year.
He was due to make $5.5M in the final year of his contract.
The Cubs jettisoned him for no one in particular, and dramatically weakened this year’s team.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fontenot
Fontenot deserved to be given a full time shot and Bradley was going to play in right.
In fact Fontenot has proven that he is worthy of a full time job.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 9:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fontenot is hitting .247.....
and .067 against lefties. He has ONE hit against a lefty this year.
Something tells me that he may work best the way Lou used him previously.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Derosa is hitting .250
And Fontenot has a better OPS
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let's see how long that holds up.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
what value?
Have you seen Pie play lately? He’s having trouble finding regular playing time let alone producing. He’s a bust, so I’ll take the PTBML over him regardless of who it is (Fontenot was the PTBML in the Sosa trade with the Orioles).
by JTcubbies on May 11, 2009 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed
Way to sell out Hendry less than a quarter of the way through the season. Miles was a cost effective replacement for Derosa that helps us fix the problem of too many right handers ( I don’t know if you remember but the Dodgers killed our lack of lefties). Derosa is in the latter stage of his career, so trade him after he puts up great numbers so that he still has value. Bradley has been hurt, but he’s starting to swing the bat better and once again, we desperately needed a lefty. Gathright wasn’t too good, but who cares we paid him under a million and got Freel out if, who is a great bench guy. Heilman has been good aside from 2, maybe 3 outings, and Gregg is turning it around (although I still want Wood back). Lee’s struggles have nothing to do with the offseason, because he didn’t get a new contract or anything. I don’t know I just find it hard to start trashing a guy who has made some great trades for us. He gave up Hee Seop Choi straight up for DLee, who then had an MVP caliber season two or three seasons later. We gave up practically nothing for Aramis, and got back not only Aramis but some key players to the 03 NLCS team.
by JTcubbies on May 11, 2009 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The lack of lefthanded hitters was NOT the reason the Cubs lost the NLDS.
That’s a myth. It’s wrong, and Lou’s obsession with it has really hurt this team.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
by Al on May 11, 2009 8:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
D minus.
The jury is now in on Gathright. It was a failed decision that cost the team money.
The step down from DeRosa to Miles was not worth the ~$4M saved.
Hendry’s dogged 4 year odyssey to finally land Aaron Fracking Heilman cost the team Felix Pie – who may or may not ever be a legit MLB player, but who earned the MLB minimum and did everything that Gathright could do — and now that we have Heilman, he’s an absolutely useless bullpen arm. Wild, and when he throws strikes, they are flat pounded.
Losing Kerry Wood, without even offering arbitration, was stupid. Adding Kevin Gregg to replace Kerry Wood was equally bad.
Giving Ryan Dempster a 5 year deal at the very start of an offseason in which the price of players plummeted was a very, very bad decision, that will look far worse in 2013.
The truth of the matter is — literally every move that Hendry made left the team worse off. The bench is thinner, the bullpen is orders of magnitude worse, and the players who were so heavily invested in through the farm system were discarded for nothing.
I can’t give him an F, because at least he signed someone in Bradley and knew enough to recognize that his stupid signing of Paul Bako was a stupid waste of money — although Bradley has scuffled badly, and the entire signing was a massive overcorrection for the Fukudome contract he gave out last year.
Finally, you can’t blame Hendry for the fact that D-Lee is still on this team. Apparently, Hendry couldn’t move him with the no-trade clause.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:42 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Un Miles only saved 2.5 million
but Gathright is now Freel for $800,000 so the jury is out on that. As I have said many times before, this is the team LOU wanted. You can blame Hendry for letting him have it without realizing it had issues but he has always bent to the managers choices so it is a shared responsibility.
"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux
by Doggie Stalker on May 8, 2009 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Correct, which makes it completely incomprehensible.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
RIGHT ON.......
Talking to my neighbors earlier ..They are Die-hard fans…THey feel the same way….But said F—- ….
by cubs north on May 9, 2009 6:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Excellent response
I agreed with everything you said.
St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2009 12:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
way way way way WAY
too early to make this assessment.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 8, 2009 9:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
The Gathright era is over. Grade = F minus.
It was a stupid decision, the Cubs have now admitted it, and the jury is in.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gathright
was a bench player who didn’t work out. Last year, those guys were simply people who were already on the team, like Hart and Pie, who could be sent back to AAA if necessary.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 8, 2009 9:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You know who was already on the team?
Pie. At the MLB minimum.
Gathright was a blunder. It’s over.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pie
Again you understand that Pie is hitting .158 in Baltimore?
Is money really that important that you want a guy at the minimum who isn’t hitting?
Chances are Pie would be off the team at this point also.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 9:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pie's BABIP is ridiculously low.
He’s got a case of Nick Swisher syndrome.
"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."
by Blicks on May 9, 2009 7:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Felix Pie is not major league material
Get over it. Once again he is struggling to hit above the Mendoza line and will soon be jettisoned back to Triple A ball for the fourth consecutive season.
by BLou on May 8, 2009 9:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is completely immaterial.
The move has to be judged from the time it was made — and it was clear that the Cubs were doubling the price of the 25th man on the roster for no particular reason.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know that.
however, I don’t think it’s a testament to the troubles of the team that we had a less than productive bench player.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 8, 2009 10:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
We're grading Hendry's offseason.
We aren’t discussing the team’s general malaise.
Looking at each of Hendry’s moves in a vaccum, there is no longer any dispute that he totally spit the bit with his Gathright decision. It cost the team money and hurt the team’s performance.
The 2008-09 offseason rivals the 2004-05 offseason for sheer ineptitude. That entire era consisted of Hendry shoveling buckets of cash at middle relievers and signing mediocrities and non-entities to man his corner OF spots.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 10:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think
you can grade the offseason until much deeper into the season. How long did we wait for Edmonds to pick it up? How long did we give Soriano in his slumps?
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 8, 2009 10:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You can certainly grade the Gathright deal
I think that I’m pretty clear on how the jury is still out on the others.
That being said, the decision to save $2.5M by stepping down from DeRosa to Miles is incomprehensible, and the team is dramatically worse off for it as of this moment.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
alright
fair enough. I just don’t see Gathright as that big a deal that you can hang Jim Hendry on it.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 8, 2009 10:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Remember Hendry said at the Convention
It was too make the team MORE left handed which Lou was obsessed with so again blame to go around.
"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux
by Doggie Stalker on May 8, 2009 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
his hands are sort of tied with lee
but that’s because he gave him such a huge contract on the strength of one great year. hendry’s offseason grade is a D and his overall grade since he’s become GM is a D.
by amory blaine on May 8, 2009 9:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Its' really shocking
How can a team spend this much money and have the backup third baseman be the starting second baseman… in which case the new backup 3B is the backup catcher?!
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by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I said before...
…and I’ll say it again. I thought Hendry did a horrible job this offseason. Whatever he does from here till the end of the season will be clean-up from this last off-season.
by TheHawkRules on May 8, 2009 9:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
the thing is
we aren’t really even second-guessing because all of these questions came up at the time of the deals. Letting Kerry Wood go was a no-brainer. I agree with Jim on that. However getting rid of DeRosa and Pie was dumb then and it is dumb now. Selling at Pie’s lowest value was idiotic. DeRosa even getting 400 ab’s at his salary was very valuable. Now I am not mr. doomsday here but Hendry really screwed this offseason up if in fact all of these deals were in an attempt to get Peavy. You can’t free up this money if you aren’t 100% certain you can get Peavy. Its just disgusting to watch Fontenot out there vs. LHP and Aaron Miles seeing a lot of action.
by uwbadger on May 8, 2009 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The move that has really bit is losing Mark DeRosa
Other than that, it appears that Hendry clearly was making a series of moves in order to have the pieces necessary to acquire Jake Peavy. But then that fell through. Which Hendry must be criticized for because he clearly wasn’t on the same page then with San Diego over the seriousness level they had in trading Peavy or what it would take to get him.
So we are left with no DeRosa who was an exceptional, versatile and unselfish performer two years in Chicago. And the real pisser is DeRosa is owed only $5 million or so in 2009 and meanwhile Hendry gave Aaron Friggin Miles a 2 year $5 million contract. Miles sucks. He sucks in the field, lacks versatility and just plain makes me want to puke.
by BLou on May 8, 2009 9:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
You don't do a 3-way trade if you aren't sure the 3rd team is playing ball.
If Hendry went out and traded Pie for Garrett Olson because SD was making googly eyes at him and Hendry thought Garrett Freakin Olson was going to put the Cubs over the top in the Peavy deal, he needs to get his head examined.
3-way deals don’t happen in stages. They happen like the Nomar deal — get the contingent deals lined up, and then when the last team pulls the trigger, all the pieces fall into place.
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by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agree
Hendry put the cart before the horse on the DeRosa deal. He thought he was getting Peavy and the deal fell through. He even said he would only trade DeRosa if he was getting Peavy. That may have been posturing but I believe he thought it was a precursor to the Peavy deal.
by shastamasta on May 8, 2009 10:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
YES THIS MOVE MADE.....
No sense then and no sense now……What were they thinking ????
by cubs north on May 10, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
DeRosa is the only one I'll question him on
I long ago stopped believing in Kerry Wood. Kevin Gregg has been pretty good lately.
Pie was a bust.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
by Worf on May 8, 2009 9:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
No reason you couldn't have Wood and Gregg.
Howry’s salary was coming off the books. There is absolutely no reason why Gregg couldn’t have replaced him.
And dropping from DeRosa to Miles to save $3M is insane.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let's look at this in a week
I think Hendry’s big test will be the prognosis on Ramirez.. A good GM will hopefully make a deal to get a big bat back on the team.
by ak123 on May 8, 2009 9:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
its May
There just aren’t going to be many people available to go out and get
Bobby Crosby is one guy, but who wants him?
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 9:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I meant more like a trade
Who knows what can get pulled off.
I guess having Freel/Scales will be a minor solution for the next few days….
by ak123 on May 8, 2009 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes I know
Teams just don’t make big trades in May and its not like the Cubs have a plethora of talent to give away.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Which is why
Which is why I said I’d like to see if Hendry can pull anything off. It’s a hard task but you never know….
by ak123 on May 8, 2009 9:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the Mariners are smart, Beltre's available.
The M’s got off to a hot start, but they aren’t going to sustain that record (they’re coming back down to earth, especially their pitching outside of Felix/Bedard).
The Cubs have the prospects to land Beltre, easily.
"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."
by Blicks on May 9, 2009 7:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Unless the Mariners would rather have the draft pick
I’m not completely solid on the rules, but I am pretty sure that Beltre would qualify as a Type A FA, meaning that if he signed with someone else, they’d get a first round (sandwich?) pick in return. Some teams prefer that to whatever they get in a trade (like the Brewers).
by Pat19 on May 9, 2009 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Who do the Cubs possibly have that would be able to get a player as good as Beltre?
St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008
by vivaelpujols on May 9, 2009 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It might be time to move Soriano to the middle of the lineup with Ramirez lost
That will be the interesting development to watch in my view. Go with something like the following…
1. Theriot
2. Kosuke
3. Soriano
4. Bradley
5. Lee / Hoffpauir
6. Fontenot
7. Freel / Scales / Whatever
8. Hill / Soto
by BLou on May 8, 2009 10:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
not happening
We’ve seen over and over again that Soriano doesn’t like the middle of the lineup and doesn’t perform there. I think Lou was quoted that its not happening.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Things have changed
Losing Ramirez for an extended period greatly cripples the run production value of this team. Soriano is going to be needed moreso in the heart of the order to stem the bleeding.
by BLou on May 8, 2009 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not going to happen
Lou has tried moving him and it has never worked. Doesn’t matter that it’s all in Soriano’s head. He only works properly in that spot.
by chitownhawkeye on May 8, 2009 10:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
oh, god
not this again. We’re a .500 team without Soriano. We’re a .300 team when he bats not first. We’re a .600 team when he bats leadoff.
BE DONE WITH THIS.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 8, 2009 10:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't disagree that Soriano should hit first
because, as you say, we’ve done this already; however, our record when he bats leadoff might be somewhat affected by the fact that we also had our best hitter in the fourth spot before tonight. Unfortunately, no matter where you put Soriano in this lineup, it can’t hide the absence of Ramirez.
"I'll never forget how I felt last October." ~Kosuke Fukudome
by Goodie1969 on May 8, 2009 10:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
perhaps
but Soriano also hits better when he’s in leadoff. So moving him could lose us his bat in addition to Rami’s.
Rami has been on the DL before, and Soriano still produced. I recognize the importance of Rami’s bat. But let’s not go rearranging the deck chairs quite yet.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 8, 2009 10:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not suggesting we move him.
I think we’re better when he leads off. I’m just saying, without Rami, no way this is a .600 team.
"I'll never forget how I felt last October." ~Kosuke Fukudome
by Goodie1969 on May 8, 2009 10:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
we'll see.
if Bradley can step up to replace his output, and Dome can break out of this mini-slump he’s in, I don’t see why not.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 9, 2009 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
IT'S NOT GOING TO FREAKING HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When the hell are some of you going to get it. By the way, Soriano has been freaking awful with RISP. Why would we WANT him in the middle of the order? He’s proved over, and over, and over, and over, and over, that he’s better in the leadoff spot.
It would only hamper the team more to move him down
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
by BoVandy on May 8, 2009 11:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
soriano=mental midget
Awful with RISP, tighter than a snare drum in the clutch. Leave him leadoff, please.
by reedjohnson on May 9, 2009 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1
Why the guy can’t hit anywhere but leadoff no one knows. It’s just bizarre, but a reality.
I have nothing funny or creative to write.
by Canadian Cubs Fan on May 9, 2009 8:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
zank you fer der diaknosees, Herr Doktor,
but yer zervizes are nut reqviered.
Mental midget indeed.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 9, 2009 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Check Minus
The bullpen is what scares me most, followed by Bradleys health. I never understood his logic this offseason. He jettisoned a perfectly serviceable, inning eating, fifth starter a flame throwing closer, all to presumably clear money for a DH
dont even get me started on Heilman. With Pujols gunning for the triple crown and now Aramis’ injury, Im wondering if we’ll even make the playoffs
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 10:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
way too early to grade it
how can he set a team up with expectations of an April filled with injuries and under achieving?
MB was signed based on his hitting past (you know, the same stats BCBers love to lok at)
Wood was too much $$$$ for a closer with his injury past
DeRosa was a utility player, sure he would be nice with ARam out, but how many rings did he bring us while here, move on
Gregg is not as bad as so many make it out to be, relax
Gathright, Lou wanted speed, sadly they didnt know Gathright had no common sense
Rami/Lee/Marmol/MB/Zambrano/Rami (again) with injuries this early, NO ONE can expect that and be prepared, not one of us would have been expecting or preparing for that in a two week period
Dempster’s contract well, thats modern sports. you get paid for what you did not what you will do in this era, live with it.
Fukudome off to the start we all dreamed about, and he was a real “x” factor
Vizcaino/Marquis, no one is perfect, hell many here wanted Marquis gone, not want him back, cant have your cake and eat it too
give Hendry more than a month, come one. It is MAY8th not SEPT8th there is A LOT of baseball before we hit the trade deadline, and with a new owner (hopefully) in the mix by then, a lot may change.
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 8, 2009 10:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I hardly think DeRo was a utility player
Sure he could play multiple positions, but he was an everyday player. I think you sell him short by calling him that
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 10:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
glorified utility player
he is not an All Star, not a Superstar, he was not the savior that people are talking about him as.
I remember Todd Walker being signed, and everyone (or so it seemed) being pisssed since it meant the end of Grudz, then we sign DeRosa and the same people were pissed since it meant the end of Walker, and guess what the same people are pissed about now……DeRosa being gone. See how that works?
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 8, 2009 10:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not so much
Grudzielanek was the superior player out of those two, and DeRosa proved capable of being an everyday player, post season errors not withstanding.
Now, the bloom couldve come off his rose this year as he is, what, 34? But he was a key part of last years success, no one saw that year coming from him. Was it an anomaly? perhaps, but he was more than a utility player.
I never claimed he was a star. I wouldnt give Jimbo a high grade this offseason, as evidenced by my Check Minus.
Ameliorating the bullpen and throwing 30M at a DH wasnt a good start
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ameliorating?
How did he “ameliorate” the bullpen? Are Wood, Wuertz and Howry really that good to say that this team would be significantly better with them? Now I don’t like our bullpen this year but I don’t think its any better with any of those guys.
The only exception would be if they could have added Gregg AND kept Wood. That seemed possible numbers but wasn’t done for some reason.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
actually Wuertz is off to an amazing start
http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=430900
1.80 ERA in 14 games
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 8, 2009 11:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wuertz
Ok he’s but it together for 6 weeks but as a Cub that wasn’t the guy we had.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 11:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree
was just saying he seems to have figured it out (or is just off to a hell of a start, we shall see)
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 8, 2009 11:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well..
Ive had a few beers, so my mistake on the vocab, I shouldve gone with “enervate”. We’re slowly seeing the real Heilman emerge, the Vizcaino experiment failed gloriously at the expense of a fine no 5 starter, we’re wasting Samardzija’s talent and developmental phase by using him in the bullpen….so tell me how its better?
I have no problem with Gregg, at worst he’ll be a Borowski type closer
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
trying too hard to use
words to impress, or just had a few too many and enjoy using them?
not picking on you, just asking
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 8, 2009 11:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
haha
I wish I knew….you gotta throw them in every now and then so you remember how to use them properly, college was a few years ago now, clearly Ive forgotten a great deal already.
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
its cool
we all been there, and drunkenese is always fun to try and translate
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 8, 2009 11:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I did pretty well on the verbal section of the GRE
that must be noted
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ridiculous.
The man had a 118 OPS+ last year. He was a very good hitter. He was also a very cheap hitter. He was also the backup at about 3 positions, and could completely shield Fontenot from left-sided pitching, which is something that Fontenot really, really needs.
If there’s one thing missing from the Cubs’ roster, it is a right-handed 2B/3B with some pop who can back up 1B and play some corner OF in a pinch. It’s not a coincidence that people are pining for DeRosa — the 25-man roster has a DeRosa sized hole in it.
The current roster construction is silly — the backup 3B (Fontenot) is also the starting 2B, so you slide him over. But then the backup 2B (Miles) is the only other player on the team capable of manning SS… so if anyone else goes down we have to move Koyie Hill to 3B because he played there in college. And god forbid we need a pinch hitter.
It’s like the old Bert & Ernie sketch - Hendry put the eggs in the sugar bowl. So now the sugar is in the soap dish. Don’t worry, though, I put the soap in the fishbowl, and the goldfish in your cowboy hat.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 11:41 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
lol
rec’d for choice Sesame St. reference.
"I'll never forget how I felt last October." ~Kosuke Fukudome
by Goodie1969 on May 9, 2009 7:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
you fixed my drunken eyes
and the last paragraph was classic
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 9, 2009 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
well
your concerns about the infield should be reduced. We have Freel AND Scales (hopefully they keep Scales). That’s four guys to cover what Lee and Hoffpauir don’t.
None of these guys are last year’s Mark DeRosa. I agree. Never the less, there’s no gurantee that THIS year’s Mark DeRosa is last year’s Mark DeRosa. And it doesn’t matter. He’s gone, we have to deal with what we have.
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on May 9, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
DeRosa is not a utility player.
And the “how many rings did he win us” trope is just stupid. Pedro and Manny and Ortiz hadn’t won the BoSox any rings either, until they did.
Fukudome’s start isn’t exactly what we all dreamed about. He hit very well for most of April. He’s under .100 in the last 10 days, though.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 10:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
he is not a star
he is a Super Sub, batting 244.
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 8, 2009 11:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
and as a FYI
DeRosa, Mark
BA 244
OBP 304
HR 6
OPS 751
plus if Soto is off to a bad start because of the WBC, what about DeRose who also was in the WBC?
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 8, 2009 11:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I doubt thats it
DeRosas could be b/c of age and readjusting to the AL, Soto could very well be a flash in the pan. He was largely overlooked until his breakout PCL season, and then the ROY last season, which is fine, but doesnt necessarily portend sustained MLB success.
Lord knows we’re gonna need him now more than ever, so I hope he snaps out of it
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i threw the WBC in
only because so many keep blaming it for Soto. I doubt the WBC has anything to do with Youkilis hitting 393 or Soto hitting below the Mendoza line.
DeRosa had a career year (I would be willing to bet on that) last season. If you look at what he was pre Cubs, and post Cubs the numbers are not that much different. he is a great person, no doubt, and that is why so many are crying for him. They remember his smile and great interviews and how he became a fan favorite, which in large part was because of that as much if not more than his stats in a Cubs uniform.
I am not anti-DeRosa, but the love affair for him is silly at times. But lets remember he is a career 278 hitter.
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/stats/individual_stats_player.jsp?c_id=cle&playerID=136660
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 8, 2009 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
actually 2007 his numbers were better
and they dipped in 2008…..
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 8, 2009 11:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
What numbers are you talking about?
His 2008 was substantially better.
His 2007 was also very good.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 11:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i was loooking at BA mainly
and correct me if i am wrong, but 2006 looked better than either
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 8, 2009 11:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
OK, you are wrong.
Batting average means very, very little.
In 2008, DeRosa had an .857 OPS – good for a 118 OPS+, meaning that he was roughly 18% better than the average player. It was 102 in 2007, meaning that he was roughly average.
He also raised his OBP 60 points (and his SLG 70 points!) from 2007 to 2008, doubled his HR from 10 to 21, and scored 103 runs while driving in 87.
He was not just a “good” player last year – he was a serious contributor, and one of the better offensive middle infielders in MLB – in fact, his offense would have been acceptable for a more offensive-oriented position — he was more productive than Derrek Lee, for instance.
To call him a “glorified utility infielder” is either a serious case of sour grapes, or just not paying attention to his stats.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 11:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Derosa
Derosa’s most valuable asset is his versatility. I agree that too many here have him pegged as the key guy who helped the Cubs win 97 games last year. I don’t think having him or losing him would make a huge difference this year.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 11:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree
and his VoRP is 2.0 not exactly screaming “huge difference maker” so to speak.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/team_audit.php?team=CLE
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 8, 2009 11:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Grady Sizemore's is 2.0, too, you know.
DeRosa was really, really good last year. And even after a pretty awful slump to start the season, he’s still providing value over a replacement plaer.
When you consider that he could have worked as a RH/LH 2B platoon with Fontenot, the loss hurts even more.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 11:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
you are smart enought not to put enough stock in ~100 at bats
when valuing a player. DeRosa is a very good player, and clearly a large upgrade over Miles, not even considering all of the other things that he offers.
St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008
by vivaelpujols on May 9, 2009 12:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bradley is a career .278 hitter
why do people assume he’s someone we can lean on this season?
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
by BoVandy on May 8, 2009 11:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
are you suggesting
replace Bradley with DeRosa then?
Plus Bradley did not replace DeRosa, so its a moot point you bring up.
The DeRosa talks (heating up today) are cuz of ARam injury, and since Bradley WILL NEVER be at 3B its apples and oranges. But nice try
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 8, 2009 11:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well he did lead the AL in OPS last year
So he’s clearly capable and talented, the question has been his health and general DHness
The concern, now, would be that he presses to much knowing that the team needs a lift.
Jake Fox anyone?
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fox
Fox can only play 1st, and maybe Hoffpauir level outfield.
I’d say his biggest asset to the Cubs would be as a piece of a trade if an AL team wants to use him as a DH. He’s never been a ’can’t miss’ prospect or anything like that. Jury is still very much out.
by jeff_pico on May 8, 2009 11:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmm, I thought he could play a little third
my mistake….well we’ll see what Hendry has in mind, will he stand pat or go for a stop gap?
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
unless MB can play 3B its a moot point
MB was signed as insurance to Fukudome. He is not the direct link to DeRosa. Fontenot was taking DeRosas spot at 2B and their numbers are not off by a lot..
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 8, 2009 11:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I dont think he was insurance to Fukudome
He was a direct replacement, with the consolation prize being a platoon CF b/t Kosuke and Reed b/c Kosukes contract made him unmovable, so they found a way to upgrade, offensively anyways, in RF while making the best out of a bad situation in CF.
The point being, labeling DeRosa as simply a utility player downgrades what he meant to the 08 team in particular,not to say we’d be any better off this year. Though with Rammies injury, Fontenot would now be playing fulltime at second
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
by bren on May 8, 2009 11:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Until Fontenot shows that he can hit LH pitching even a LITTLE
Then yes, their value is substantially different.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on May 8, 2009 11:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
what
St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008
by vivaelpujols on May 9, 2009 12:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
C
Getting Bradely was an excellent move IMO, but trading away Marquis and DeRosa, while failing to re-sign Wood are looking like huge mistakes so far. Also, the Dempster extension wasn’t that prudent, considering the guy had basically been a below average pitcher in the majors before last year.
St. Louis Cardinals... defying win expectancy since 2008
by vivaelpujols on May 9, 2009 12:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
How predictable
One loss and here come the whiners. I enjoy this site but it has become way too much whining by people that apparently have never witnessed the ups and downs of a long baseball season. Not every move has been perfect but Hendry could not have predicted the injuries to Lee and now Ramirez. Soto is not the same hitter right now but the Cubs are still over .500.
Enjoy the season. Don’t flip out on every Cubs loss. This is supposed to be entertainment.
by rlpete on May 9, 2009 6:56 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
When MLB decide it was entertainment was when the sport began to decline
But that’s another argument for another day.
by CaliCub on May 9, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
What else is it?
It’s not life and death. It doesn’t impact me or my family’s job situations, wealth or health. I don’t understand how serious some people take this. It is something I enjoy as entertainment.
by rlpete on May 9, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You're a better man than I am
Mike Marshall Ph.D. had me in mind when he said that there must be a great unfulfilled need in our society when people are emotionally crushed when their favorite ballclub loses and become excessively euphoric when their team wins.
by CaliCub on May 9, 2009 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe because I'm older?
My emotions would be permanently crushed if I let all the Cubs losses I’ve seen get to me.
by rlpete on May 9, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
hendry
hendry had little money to spend with not having an owner in place. he gets a d. we could use derosa right now with aramis out for quite a while.jim had to lose all these guys so he could get bradley.a few years ago he could have kept them all. no money to spend right now.lou will really have his hands full this year.
by NOMAR on May 9, 2009 7:22 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Right now I'd give him a failing grade.
He should revise.
"If you play more than two chords, you're showing off."--Woody Guthrie
by buckmulligan on May 9, 2009 8:18 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I'd still give him an incomplete.
The Cubs are still contending despite the injuries and bad decisions, and Hendry is making moves now to fix the problems.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
by Al on May 9, 2009 9:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
+120
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 9, 2009 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rec'd for creativity alone
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2009 3:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll grade Hendry....
…at the end of the season, when the results will determine his effectiveness.
As I have said numerous times before, the window on this club is 2 years tops (and could be shorter with long term injuries or deteriating performance of key players). If this club fails to make the post-season in 09, I would think you have to consider getting a little bit younger and moving 2 or 3 veteran players who are past their prime and making big dollars.
The problem is this; Hendry’s strength is not acquiring or developing good young talent, and at some point, you have to do that to avoid a 2-3 period when you are not competitive.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on May 9, 2009 12:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
2010 and 2011 might be "transition years"
until a new batch of talent – hopefully the homegrown kind – is ready.
I agree with you that Jim Hendry will never be mistaken for Terry Ryan or Tony Reagins. It will be interesting to see what Tom Ricketts does a year or so into his ownership. Will he let Lou and Hendry go and bring in a younger management team, one that is willing to let the parent club falter a bit at the expense of developing a farm system that will deliver both quality and quantity? Will a new general manager and field manager be courageous enough to deal veterans for prospects? Or will Ricketts be satisfied with the Hendry/Lou philosophy and let the two of them choose hand-picked successors that will continue their philosophies?
by CaliCub on May 9, 2009 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good questions...
…but I do know this; it is almost impossible to be a legit playoff team each year, without an adequate pipeline of talent coming up through your system. If you lack the good pipeline, you eventually end up with aging players who make a boatload of money (which is frustrating if you haven’t won a championship).
Hendry is an “acquirer”, not a “builder”, and it will be up to Ricketts to decide what the best long term path the club is going to be.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on May 9, 2009 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Significantly worse"
Cubs record, 5/9/2008:
19-15 (.559)
Cubs record, 5/9/2009:
16-13 (.552)
by Wreckard on May 9, 2009 1:50 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
+1
The 08 team was healthy and hitting also.
"Check the magic of a winning season and there are always reasons beyond the talent." Ned Colleti
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 9, 2009 3:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
it's too early to tell
But here’s my take:
Letting Wood go was probably necessary. Signing Bradley will likely pan out.
But, had Hendry not signed Miles ($2.2 million), tendered Gaudin a contract ($2 million, of which we are paying like $1.6 million), signed Gathright ($800,000) and given Bako $150,000 (that’s how much he got for not making the team), the Cubs would have almost had the $5.5 million to keep DeRosa.
This team, with DeRosa instead of Miles (the only guy of the four I mentioned still on the roster) would have made the Cubs a lot stronger.
by elgato on May 9, 2009 5:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Um not to mention the 4 million for Vizcaino
Yes it was a salary dump but not a good one but again dumping DeRosa was as much a Lou wanted more lefties as it was a salary dump.
"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux
by Doggie Stalker on May 10, 2009 1:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The $4 million to Vizcaino is irrelevant to DeRosa...
as his $4 million was a ~$5 million savings from Marquis. If we didn’t get Vizcaino, we’d have about $5 million more in salary.
Granted, Marquis would have added pitching depth, but that has no implications on keeping DeRosa or not. If anything, taking on Vizcaino actually would have made it easier to keep DeRosa financially.
As for your point about Piniella wanting to get more left-handed, I agree. I don’t think DeRosa was actually moved to save salary. He was moved simply to get more left-handed. The team (manager and GM) overreacted to a bad three-game stretch in October, misdiagnosed the problem, and then went overboard in “correcting” the “problem.”
The result was a team that is much less insulated from risk. The bench is anemic, and we left ourselves without a solid backup at 3B or SS.
Last year, we had a .750+ OPS backup option at every position besides C and SS. This year, we have that possibility in the OF and 1B only.
by SouthernCub on May 10, 2009 10:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
derosa
i think the point everybody is trying to make is,derosa is better than miles.thats all.and as crappy as cleveland is they still need him as a posistion player.so for those that want him back.forget it. we traded him to free up money to get bradley.im sure the money to pay him will not be available.the only reason we can get a guy like freel is because baltimore will be paying him.
by NOMAR on May 10, 2009 8:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
We didn't really free up money though...
as has been pointed out, the salaries of Gaudin, Cotts, Gathright, and Miles offset the cost of DeRosa.
I think DeRosa was traded with the idea of making the team more left-handed. The team felt they needed more LH bats, and so they got Bradley, Miles, and Bako/Hill, and dropped Cedeno, DeRosa and Blanco. In reality, getting Bradley and Hill should have been enough, but the team went overboard.
That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean the team was worse off. If we had had good fortune with healthy, the starting lineup was better (especially with Fukudome playing well). Of course, the converse is that if we don’t have good health, the team is much less prepared to withstand injuries. So far, we’ve had bad health, which magnifies the problem.
The bullpen is another issue altogether.
by SouthernCub on May 10, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Run differential?
I’m too lazy to look it up, but let’s base this team (whether it’s worse or not) with last year’s team. Losing DeRo is obviously the worst move in a few different ways. First off he should be filling in for Aram now. Second, he could’ve been subbing in for an underachieving Fonty before the aforementioned injury. Third, he could’ve been a defensive replacement in left or right fields. That’s Hendry significantly weakening the team offensively and defensively. Add the loss of Wood (not so significant), and adding Miles (ugh), I’d rate it a….
D+
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
by propheteer on May 10, 2009 11:28 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Not sure it's really fair to compare results to last year...
As we didn’t have the number of early-season injuries last year as we have this year.
But to answer your question, the run differential is -1 this season, and it was +54 after 30 games last season. We had an expected W/L of 20-10 through 30 games. This year, it’s 15-15.
by SouthernCub on May 10, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Comparison only
The win/loss is pretty much the same, but the quality isn’t as good as last year. As far as the run differential goes, we’ll have to wait until late in the year to decide if the club is better or worse.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
by propheteer on May 10, 2009 5:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
to cpmpare our 2008 and 2009 at this point
would need to include how our opponents were at this same time. are we beating/losing to better Brewers team for example.
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 10, 2009 8:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The expected W/L is much worse so far this year...
20-10 and 15-15 are not pretty much the same. However, the actual W/L is pretty close, because last year we struggled to win close games early on.
Obviously it will take longer to find out if the team does better or worse than last year.
by SouthernCub on May 11, 2009 6:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
In Hendry's Defense...
He cannot control the injury problems the cubs have had.
Still, I never liked some of his offseason moves.
"Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living." - Alvin Dark
by cubs199235 on May 10, 2009 5:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Hendry did a bit more....
than tweak the lineup during the off-season. You cannot predict all the injuries so far, but with so many changes to the roster, it’s a “feeling out” process for Piniella similar to what he went through early in 2007. The Cubs were not broke in 08. Why did Hendry try to fix them?
by montecarlo on May 12, 2009 3:35 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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