How Matt Murton Found Success In Japan

Nice article about the former Cub.

about 1 year ago Al Yellon 5 comments 0 recs |

Comments

I can't believe Murton isn't even 30 yet...

…seems like he’s been around forever. I think he’ll find his way back to the States. I understand it’s the Japanese leagues, but, pretty decent numbers he put up…and he really wasn’t all that terrible while he was a Cub.

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by Easy Ed on May 14, 2011 1:59 PM CDT reply actions

Murton shows the difference between MLB and Japanese baseball

I’m torn about his chances of success in MLB. He’s a 1/2 – 3 WAR hitter who is on the wrong side of a platoon, and doesn’t seem to do well with sporadic play. He’s good enough to crush Japanese pitching, but probably not good enough to be a #3 OF on a serious playoff team.

With the right set of developmental breaks, he could have become a Reggie Sanders-lite: the guy that you stick in LF/RF while you’re waiting for a year or two while you wait for a top prospect, then you move to another team needing the same. Hopefully somebody brings him back into that type of low-pressure situation where he can get 500 PA for a couple of years.

With the wrong breaks, he’s one of his comps: Benny Agbayani.

It's a simple question, Doctor: would you eat the moon if it were made of ribs??

by Invalid User on May 14, 2011 3:18 PM CDT reply actions

He hd a good year witht he Cubs then the Cubs forgot about him and did not give him regular time.....It messed him up.....adding him to the long list of players the Cubs have messed with

by TJ11 on May 14, 2011 3:25 PM CDT reply actions

how did they forget about him?

he was traded in 2008 (appeared in 28 games in 2008 as a Cub), and played 94 in 2007 games after Soriano was signed, so he was given chances. Sadly he was the odd man out, not messed up by the Cubs. he could not field RF well enough, was not fast enough for CF and to be honest was not a strong defender in LF either. . When traded he was not hitting worth a damn, and that continued with Oakland. His numbers for the Cubs pre trade in 2008 were .186 BA .219 OBP .229 SLG 448 OPS. I cannot agree with your thoughts on this, sorry. He lacked power as well, hitting 29 HRs as a Cub in 952 AB’s, so there is that to also think about with his being moved by the Cubs.

His best matches per baseball reference are not exactly a list of HOFers

by Stats
Gibby Brack (971)
Lyle Mouton (968)
Len Koenecke (967)
Benny Agbayani (962)
Red Worthington (960)
Andrew McCutchen (958)
Chris Coghlan (957)
Armando Rios (957)
Dutch Zwilling (957)
John O’Rourke (954)

by Age
Kirk Gibson (972)
Andre Ethier (981)
Rusty Greer (971)
David Dellucci (973)

that is without mentioning that he was moved as part of a trade to bring in Harden, who was a big pick up at that time for the Cubs.

so please, stop saying the Cubs messed up something they didnt. it is the one thing you do that irks me at times, and I understand why you do it, they have driven you mad with their inability to be a consistent team from top to bottom (except the person who cleans the uniforms, he/she seems to keep them nicely pressed)

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by Cubbie-Tim on May 14, 2011 4:19 PM CDT up reply actions