50-Game Mark TCR Reader Survey: Question 1

I will leave these questions open for voting for two days, and we'll revisit them at games 100 and 150.

How satisfied are you with the performance of the Chicago Cubs ball-club?

Submitted by Transmission on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 10:59pm

Comments

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 9:18am

Even with a pretty good arm for a left fielder, Ibanez has been pretty bad over his career:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/dt/ibanera01.php

The Hardball times last year, based on his Zone Rating and his Out of Zone plays gave him a grade of F.

Though it's intuitively hard to understand, looking good and playing well in the outfield are not the same thing. And keep in mind that right field in Wrigley is one of the toughest outfield positions to play in MLB.

Submitted by Romero
on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 11:31am

Not arguing, but just for fun:

What grades do they give Soriano and Burrell?

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 12:17pm

Soriano F
Burrell F-
Abreu F-
Bradley too little to be graded but didn't look good.
Dunn F-

Now I am curious... wonder who they think is good.

Ryan Braun got a B
Ahh finally, Carl Crawford got an A
Fred Lewis got a B
Chase Headley B

They claimed that they normally distributed the grades, but they must have done it by grouping all outfielders, because left field has a ton of F's.

Submitted by Wedge2
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 2:14pm

We need to fake label the entire state! Damn Francour!

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 2:17pm

Can we trade Z to the Yankees for a couple of pitching prospects and package those with our own bums to get Peavy?

If we have to eat any of Z's contract, maybe we can get the Pad's to eat a little of Peavy's to help offset the money. Actually, all the fuckers involved, players, owners, etc. are all rich, so I don't care who pays what.

And I see Vitters in the majors being a bad 1970's style DH unless he learns the goddamn strike zone. Vitters is on a pace for 14 walks if he gets 500 ab's this year. The only good thing is right now, in low A, he's only going to k 81 times in 500 ab's, but those numbers will likely go up as he faces better pitching. He needs to learn the strike zone, and I'm of the belief that hitters aren't taught the strike zone, they are either naturally gifted or hackers. Maybe Vitters projects as a .260 30 hr, 180k guy in the majors, but that's not a blue chip prospect. That's Russell Branyon territory.

Arizona Phil, have you seen Vitters in person? What do you think he projects to right now?

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 4:11pm

So your theory on Vitters is that the competition will get better, but he will not. You realize he's 19, playing with a bunch of guys who are 22 or 23? Then there's the whole "he doesn't walk, therefore he can't play third base" thing you've got going on.

He's on pace for 37 HR's against those 81K's. He's one of the top 20 prospects in baseball, calm down.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 4:43pm

I'm not talking about whether he can play 3b, I'm saying unless he learns the strike zone he's going to resemble Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Ryan Harvey, and a countless stream of other over-hyped Cubs busts.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 5:00pm

Well you said you see him as a DH.

Harvey was a year older than Vitters when he was in the midwest league, he hit 24 HR's against 137 K's in 467 at bats.

Pie was a year younger, hit only 4 HR's and K'd 98 times in 505 at bats.

Patterson had 20 HR's against 85 K's in 475 at bats at the same age as Vitters, and would have been an all-star player in 2003 if not for blowing out his knee.

Alex Rodriguez K'd 44 times against 14 HR's in his 248 at bats in the Midwest league.

Walks are good, but to tell if a guy can hit at a level, K rate is more important.

Now if you're more making an beef against the minor league organization and how they don't encourage hitters to take walks, I can 100% support that. But if you don't think Vitters is a top prospect... well, you're in the Flat Earth Society.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 5:06pm

A 1970's DH style hitter.

You didn't include that ARod's minor league career his k to bb rato was 2:1, not 5:1 like Vitters.

And we all know how well Korey's career has gone.

These guys are rushed through the Cubs system with apparently no emphasis on learning the strike zone. Then the Cubs brass are shocked that the players struggle against big league pitching.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 5:12pm

You need to quit using K to BB ratio as your tool for evaluating strike zone discipline. Was Andre Dawson a major league hitter? Shawon Dunston? Joe Carter?

Just look at K rates, that tells you whether the guy is hitting what he's swinging at.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 2:27pm

An interesting note: Mike Murphy on the Score radio in Chicago replayed an interview he had with the Iowa play by play guy, Dean something I think. This was from when Randy Wells first was called up to face the Brewers, and the announcer said that when Wells was with Toronto in spring training and for a few weeks at the beginning of 2008, Roy Halladay taught Wells a sinker, which has made Wells a much more complete pitcher, according to the announcer.

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 2:49pm

and Bruce Levine's take on Z missing the flight...

http://espn.go.com/chicago/columns/blog?post=42271...

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 2:50pm

Cubs movie soon...

http://muskat.mlblogs.com/

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 8:21pm

Clearly the reality is scarier than anything they can think up for the big screen.

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 2:56pm

Pie/Orioles = Patton/Cubs, some potential but mostly useless and wasting a roster spot.

http://masnsports.com/2009/06/macphail-on-pie.html

Submitted by waveland
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 7:55pm

From that link:
"Sudhir said:
I totally agree with Mr. MacPhail. It's good to have a backup, who is a legitimate CF. Pie, probably, is confused because of overcoaching."

Oh Orioles fan, you'll learn eventually. Does Maryland not get WGN?

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 3:25pm

crunch, I have to agree with you.

This is a waste of medical resources. It's a castration of the medical staff where they no longer need clinical judgement. Every ingrown toenail gets the mega workup. Might want to draw some bloodwork on Bradley to see if he has Dontrelle Willis disease while they are at it.

It's unlikely that an MRI will give more info than an office exam...unless they get the radiologist to dictate some gibberish and then use that to put Bradley on the 60 day DL.

Bruce Levine coming on ESPN radio shortly.

edit: he didn't have any news on the all important MB MRI. Bradley Day-to Night- to Day-to Night...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 3:48pm

sori, riot, fuky (rf), lee, font (3b), rejo (cf), hill, blanco, lilly.

as will Soto...
This lineup sucks.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 4:04pm

It's one thing to have this lineup this shitty every once in awhile when players are resting, but this type of caliber lineup basically everyday SUCKS. The starting pitchers can't pitch good enough to overcome the lack of runs and shittiness of the bullpen. Changes need to be made and soon...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 4:13pm

Well that pretty much guarantees us an 9-3 win.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 4:50pm

HA HA That is probably right!

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 4:23pm

What changes, Manny? Lets hear some ideas.

Submitted by mannytrillo
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 4:52pm

Adding a bullpen arm and adding a bat would be the changes I would be looking at. As for exact changes, I am not sure who is available, so I can't tell you you Hendry should go after.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 5:01pm

Where would you play this 'bat'. What would you trade for these guys?

Submitted by The Joe
on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 5:05pm

Can we trade Theriot for Hanley, then Fontenot+Scales for Utley?

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