TCR Friday Notes
- Everyone's favorite topic...lineups!!!
On days when switch hitter Aaron Miles plays second base and Kosuke Fukudome plays center field, Piniella said he likes this lineup: Soriano, Miles, Lee, Bradley, Ramirez, Fukudome, Geovany Soto and Ryan Theriot. That's a right-switch-right-switch-right-left-right-right alignment.
Armchair managers commence bitching! Between rumors of 400 AB's and now batting second, Aaron Miles has all the makings of being the new ¡Neifi! It's like no one in the Cubs organization has noticed that his likely unrepeatable .343 BABIP last season accounted for nearly all of his .753 OPS "success".
- Alex Eisenberg runs one of my favorite prospect sites - Baseball Intellect. He clearly didn't get the memo about Prospect List-mania 2009 coming out this week or he would have gotten to his top top Cubs prospects by now . Alex does do a great job of mixing minor league statistical analysis with good old-fashioned scouting, plus the frame-by-frame animations are fantastic. Check out how Jay Jackson's arm slot makes it tough to pick up his slider versus his fastball.
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- An old Marquette classmate of mine has some ideas about the lot adjacent to Wrigley. Beats the Mrs. Field's Cookies and Victoria's Secret that will probably go into the mall they're going to end up building.
- Looks like some of the readers are starting up a keeper fantasy league and I think they could use a few more warm bodies.
- Kerry 20K Parachat Viewing Party this Sunday at 9PM CST. You can view it on DVD, Itunes or at MLB.com.
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#1 Re: TCR Friday Notes
If Kosuke rights himself, my dream lineup is
Fuku
Lee
Soriano
Bradley
Ramirez
Soto
Fontenot
Theriot
I accept that Alf=leadoff though so given that, I'd like
Soriano
Fontenot
Ramirez
Bradley
Lee
Soto
Fuku
Theriot
I think Lou will do this
Soriano
Fontenot
Lee
Bradley
Ramirez
Soto
Fuku
Theriot
#11 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Correct.
#22 Re: TCR Friday Notes
I accept that Alf will be leadoff so my lineup looks like this:
Alf
Emanuel Lewis (he's scrappy)
Wesley from Mr. Belvedere (also scrappy)
Tina Yothers (she's really bulked up)
Kim Fields (with Yothers, one of the most powerful 4-5s in baseball history)
Richard "Boner" Stabone (decent bat but dumb as a shovel)
Rerun (plus: arm as catcher and dancing skills. minus: speed on basepath)
Todd bridges (attitude problems: think Darryl Strawberry meets Milton Bradley)
#25 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Incorrect
#26 Re: TCR Friday Notes
I refuse to accept your comment unless you propose an alternative.
#38 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Replace Emmanuel Lewis with Gary Coleman. Improve team chemistry with Todd Bridges.
#53 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Todd Bridges is our RF. Gary Coleman is too Dusty-era.
#54 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Are you kidding? Coleman is emotional person-with-the-doesn't-grow-up-disease equivalent of Milton Bradley. He's got the fiery temperament that Lou likes. Didn't he choke one of his fans? Or just punch?
Bridges is Darryl Strawberry.
#2 Re: TCR Friday Notes
If everybody that I've invited as of 8:44 am EST signs up, we'll have 11, which means we need either 1 or 3 more.
#31 Re: TCR Friday Notes
"Milton's Prozac" haha... good name whoever that is.
#3 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Glad we are done with this...
"Orioles outfielder Felix Pie was a no-show at the team's first full workout Thursday because he's having visa issues in the Dominican Republic."
#4 Re: TCR Friday Notes
As long as the Cubs have players from the DR, or any other country...this could happen.
Unless, of course, that's a shot at Pie..
#19 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Who doesn't like Pie?
#20 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Pie for breakfast?
#37 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Of course it was a shot at Pie. He has reported to Spring Training from the DR how many years now? He knows the visa process is sometimes complicated, get it taken care of early.
#40 Re: TCR Friday Notes
I've flown from Chicago to NY many times. Usually its a snap because I time the traffic, etc...airport delays...all that.
Last time, i almost missed my flight because an accident on 90.
God I'm stupid...I should have known...after all..I've made that trip so many times.
Please google the expression "shit happens"
#42 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Did you forget to pack? Did you drive to the wrong airport because you forgot to print directions? Did you show up on the wrong day? Did you plan a trip to New York but then get to the airport and realize you forgot to buy a plane ticket?
I think you need to google the expression yourself.
If there was a fire in the US Embassy in Santo Domingo that destroyed the paperwork that needed to be filed, or something was lost in the mail, then I apologize, you are right, shit happens. But by far the most likely scenario is that Pie put this shit off until a week ago when he knows the process takes a while, and that he hasn't complied with all of the necessary requirements, see: http://santodomingo.usembassy.gov/atc-080324.html
Also are you Pie's dad or something? Relax man. I was only making a point that it always seemed like there was some drama with Pie and I am glad that it's now the Orioles' problem. That's all.
#43 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Whatever....lol...
Or perhaps he had taken care of it...thought everything was correct, and it turns out something is different this year..lol...he is 23 yeah?
I hope Pie goes out and hits .280/.350/.440,...and just sticks it up the Cubs ass for the next 10 seasons
#44 Re: TCR Friday Notes
If we're calling 280/350/440 sticking it in somebody's ass, then Todd Walker was one badass motherfucker.
#47 Re: TCR Friday Notes
When Todd Walker starts playing gold glove defense and is a threat to steal 20+ bases a year, let me know.
#49 Re: TCR Friday Notes
You let me know before you decide to randomly add parameters to the discussion at your own leisure.
Also, it was, you know, a joke. Heaven forbid I try to get one of those by you.
#50 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Not adding parameters at all... it is assumed that Pie will play great defense and steal some bases, right?
So if he hits the numbers mentioned, combined with great defense and plus base running, that will be pretty damn good.
#51 Re: TCR Friday Notes
I don't think Wes was focused as much on equating Pie to Todd Walker as he was pointing out, in a humorous fashion, the hyperbole in calling that line "sticking it up the Cubs asses".
I think sticking it up the Cubs asses would have to involve turning in a great OBP, slugging, or stealing a bunch of bases.
But I for one would definitely regret the Pie trade if he manages that .350 OBP and a .400+ slugging percentage. I'd be furious over the trade if he managed a .500-ish slugging percentage and a .370+ OBP, though. Hence the difference between sticking it up the Cubs asses and not doing so.
#55 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Felix Pie won't be half the player Todd Walker was.
He better try and be as good as Oddibe McDowell or Corey Patterson first.
#56 Re: TCR Friday Notes
Considering that the Cubs gave their "#1 prospect" 260 at bats over 2 seasons to prove himself, and that they are perenially looking for a CF, and are trotting out Reed Johnson, who I like, but is not a long term answere in CF..along with Kosuke Fukudome, and I believe that is Japanese for Might Have been Great in Japan..
Then yes, that would be sticking it up the Cubs asses...
#5 Re: TCR Friday Notes
As awesome as it would be to have Soto and Theriot batting 7-8, I think it's a big waste of Soto's run producing abilities to bat Fukudome in front of him. If he hits anywhere near what he did the last half of the season, Soto is going to have to work super hard to drive anybody in.
And I like the theory of limiting consecutive right handers in the order. I just hope it doesn't get to the poitn where we are playing an unproductive order simply to force managers to go to the pen more often late in the game.
Sori
Fonte/Miles
Lee
Bradley
Ramirez
Soto
Fuku/Johnson
Theriot
is what I would prefer. Theriot fits well in the 8 spot I think because of the high OBP. Assuming our pitchers can execute their bunts, it provides a lot of oppurtunity to roll to the top with a runner in scoring position.
#8 Re: TCR Friday Notes
I like your lineup.
IMO... With Theriot's amazing ability to dump base hits in front of the right fielder, or shoot them between the first & second baseman, I always thought he'd be perfect as a #2 hitter. I imagine a patient leadoff hitter who gets on first base often and is moved over to third by Theriot.
Of course, we have Soriano leading off... *sigh*
While I understand mixing up the lefties and righties, any of you that objects to this configuration should check out Theriot's lefty-righty splits. He's good against both, he's patient and consistent.
And fwiw, this would be my lineup:
Soriano *sigh*
Theriot
Ramirez
Bradley
Lee
Fuku/Johnson
Soto
Fonte/Miles
I know batting Lee 5th would probably be wildly unpopular, but the thing is we're still all pretending like '05 Derrek Lee is Derrek Lee every year... and that is not the case. He's a real good hitter, don't get me wrong, but '05 was a career year and I'm willing to admit that now.
#21 Re: TCR Friday Notes
The notion of hitting Lee 5th is certainly not unpopular with me. I have been squawking about the need to move his DP-hitting ass out of the 3-slot for almost a year now. I do think, though, that you have Soto too far down in the lineup. He should be 6th, with the Fuku/Johnson platoon 7th...
#29 Re: TCR Friday Notes
But then you stack lefties.
#52 Re: TCR Friday Notes
If Fukudome hits like he did in the second half of 2008, he's not going to be in the lineup, so your point is moot. If he gets himself straightened out, he's probably the best OBP guy on the team.
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