People who know that I am a Cub fan keep asking me..."So, how are your Cubbies going to be this year?"
The problem is that I don't know how to answer that question. Are we a better team than in 2008? I honestly don't know. It's hard to believe that we are better when you look at the additions and subtractions.
Dempster. We had him anyway. He might be as good as he was. He won't be better.
Gone are Wood and DeRosa.
Added are Bradley and So Taguchi.
Gone are Cedeno and Blanco.
Added are Gaithright and Bako.
We have Harden all year, but is he healthy?
Gone are Edmonds and Ward.
Miles is new.
No backup third baseman this year -- and ARam's history is that he can't play 150+ games.
Marmol and Samardzija should both be better this year...
Centerfield scares me. Johnson and Fukudome? Not exactly a great platoon.
So. How are the Cubbies going to be this year? As good as last year? Division winner?
I think that as this team stands...right this second -- they'll compete for the division and possibly win it -- but without some additions we won't go into playoff round 2. Again.
Player by position recap:
Soriano - LF -- bad defensive outfield. Will he be healthy? Can he run? How many K's?
Centerfield platoon -- Reedodome -- Johnson is an average outfielder, at best, who also at best, is fair. At his best, he's fair. Period. Fukudome? Until he shows different, he stinks. Sorry.
Bradley -- RF. No idea if this guy can play even 100 games. I hope so, but we will see. Who plays right if he can't? Hoffpauir? Bailodome? DeRosa. Oops. Sorry. Forgot that he's an Indian. At least we have three pitchers that will never see the inside of Wrigley.
Ramirez - 3b. He'll probably have a good year. Hope to God he doesn't get hurt.
Theriot. ss -- Can he steal more bases than he gets caught? Doubt it.
Fontemiles - 2b. Eh. I'd rather have Orlando Hudson for the contract he signed.
Lee 1b -- kind of an old 1b...doesn't have the power he used to.
Soto C -- No problem. Good catcher. Good hitter. Going to be depressed without Blanco.
Pitching. -- Decent staff. Some good starters. Good bullpen. No complaints at this time.
Bench. Eh. Gaithright, Miles, Hoffpauir. Whatever.
Are we better than last year? I don't know. I can't say yes, yet.
I think we are a piece or two away from a championship team...let's hope that the new ownership realizes that and makes some mid season moves.
When does the season start? This is one dull offseason.
js
Fontenot/Miles 2b -- eh.
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11 comments:
Pithy, poignant and profetic except I can't agree with R Johnson. I think he is an above average center fielder and a solid top of the line up type of guy.Can he play 150 games is the real question. I know he is platooning for now but HasBRO will go down with an owey before Memorial day and the Japanese twister will play RF for the remainder leaving RJ in CF full time, oh I forgot we have the big hitting Gaithright.
I don't like the Bako move, my 8 year old can hit it farther than him.
So Taguchi? Really, we have him? Why, are we trying to corner the market on light hitting mediocre outfielders? If so, we win.
Let's have a lotto on when Big Z is going to beat the crap out of HasBRO. I say before the All Star break.
Like the Optometrist, I agree that Reed J. is better than you give him credit for. My question, who plays 3rd for the 40 or so games that Aramis is certain to miss? Miles? Although I loved Ron Cey in the 80's, there is no place for a 5 foot tall third baseman in todays game. The fact that Bako was signed forthe same time period and same money as Hank WHite has me convinced that there is crack in Hendry's kruller. It'll just never make sense uless Bako hits .350 in a backup and pinch hitting role. Hank is that much better defensively.
You are both stoned if you think that RJ is any better than "fair."
He's GREAT as a backup centerfielder -- sometimer kind of guy. On an everyday, or every other day...he's just about average, or fair, as it were.
He's not fleet of foot. He's got no power. He is a good guy with a good work ethic. That's it. He'll make a few nice plays. He'll not get to a lot of balls other players would. There's a reason he was released in Toronto. THEY didn't need a fifth outfielder.
Crack in the kruller. I like it.
If RJ is platooning with the Samari Twister in CF he will only play about 50-60 games since he will start with lefties, that means the Samari Twister will be screwing himslef into the ground for the majority of games. At least we have Gaithright and my favorite pitcher Mike Stanton.
At least we don't have Howry anymores.
Here is the final ranking of 2008 centerfielders. Centerfield is far too important a position to fill it with below average, or "fair" ballplayers. Please note that Vernon Wells is near the bottom because of injury. Only two other players in the list of 25 are below Reed Johnson, and one of them is Jim Edmonds. Joey Gathright? Not even on the list, in fact...thanks to nonexistant offensive production -- he's in the bottom five.
I suggest we trade for Nate McClouth. Now.
Re: this 2009 team? Here are my biggest concerns:
1. As noted, who plays third when Aramis gets nicked up? And he will.
2. Is Harden healthy? Can he pitch more than five innings in a game? If not...we need not just a number five pitcher, but also a number 4.
js
1 Grady Sizemore
2 Carlos Beltran
3 Curtis Granderson
4 Josh H Hamilton
5 Shane Victorino
6 B.J. Upton
7 Torii Hunter
8 Cody Ross
9 Nate McLouth
10 Marlon Byrd
11 Jody Gerut
12 Mike Cameron
13 Matt R Kemp
14 Chris B Young
15 Carlos A Gomez
16 Skip M Schumaker
17 Rick Ankiel
18 Jacoby Ellsbury
19 Adam L Jones
20 Scott A Hairston
21 Gabe Kapler
22 Reed Johnson
23 Jim Edmonds
24 Vernon Wells
25 William Venable
that ranking is a load of shit. If you expect me to belive that Reed J. isn't AT LEAST as good as Gerut, Schumaker, Young or Marlon Byrd you are crazy. What that list shows me is that there aren't very many good centerfielders out there, exactly why the Pirates locked up McClouth. To get him, someone will have to give up the farm. The Cubs already gave up much of the farm for a couple of shitbags this winter. As I have been saying for 2 months, it all comes down to Peavy...got to got to get him.
Our offence is likely slightly better as we traded Derosa and Edmonds for Bradley, and will see more Fontenot.
Defence, probably a little less tallented than last year, Outfield will be slower in right, infield depth at 3B unsure.
Pitching, same as last year.
Winning the division should be straight forward, where they go then depends on how they gel.
I watched the whole cubs cards game last nite (recorded), and was most surprised by the Bartman moment with Sarge and a 350 lb fan that deflected a fly ball from Sarge's mitt. His reaction was the same as Alou's, but only lasted about a half second. If you're in the front row, get your fucking head in the game.
DeRosa and Edmonds were about 40 homers and close to 170 rbis. You think Boredgame and Fontenot can do that? I don't.
Our problem this year is simple -- we are the "Tread Lightly's"
> Be careful with Harden. He could get hurt.
> Be careful with Bradley. He could get hurt.
> Be careful with Soriano. He could get hurt.
> Be careful with Ramirez. We don't have a backup at 3b.
That's four pretty key ballplayers...all with a relatively strong history of missing games due to injury.
If we are trading away farm at midseason...I hope it's for Jake Peavy or Roy Halladay -- and not because we NEED a Troy Glaus to fill in at third. Or a bullpen righty because Heilman has been forced to start...
js
What is this ranking based on? Maybe RJ didn't get enough AB's. He hit 305 with a 358 OBP and 6 HR's in 300 AB's. Fontenot hot 307 with a 390 OBP and 9 HR in about the same AB's. Not bad numbers but more importantly is they both have good AB's and are clutch which is something the numbers don't tell you. Look at Fonzi, he hits 300 without anyopne on base and 180 with runners in scoring position
Doc Rakeer? Not Dr. Hakeem Rakeer?
Doc Rakeer? Not Dr. Hakeem Rakeer?
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