Damn You Cubs

If it was a situation like under Tribbie rule where the budget stayed the same from year to year I'd understand the never punting mindset.

However its been reported that Ricketts has mortgaged this franchise to the hilt. He still needs to do a whole heck of alot of capital improvements to the property.

I'd be more than ok with pairing down the payroll and paying off some of the debt. Provided of course that Ricketts would be willing to dig deeeper in future years when we do have an actual core of actual real MLB players and prospects.

Is Castro off limits to you guys? In other words, are there any untouchables? If the answer is no, then what kind of return on a Castro would you like? 2 or 3 solid prospects?

I kind of feel like a complete blow up means a complete blow up, but another part of me says I haven't seen a kid like this in a very, very long time, and never, actually, wearing a Cubs uniform at his age.

As a fan, why do you want the Cubs to win out?

It can sort of be argued that you should play Pena to keep him a type B guy, but Baker... yech.

Most professional analysts have been looking at B. Jax and saying that if he works out in the majors he'll be a "solid" center fielder. He Ks too much to ever hit for a very high average, and he's not really a 30 SB or 30 HR threat, nor is he an elite defender. Personally, I would say looking at the minors, Szczur has the higher ceiling--potentially elite defense and speed, which, if you combine with above average contact and respectable patience (and even respectable power), that could add up to an elite leadoff hitter in his prime. Hak-Ju Lee probably had the highest ceiling while he was here, for exactly the same reasons. But having guys who look like they have good upside after some time in A-ball is completely different from having guys who still look like they have good upside after significant exposure to AA and AAA.

"i don't expect much more [from Jackson] than what we saw out of m.byrd last year" -- crunch

So Jackson is a Byrd clone, just like Barney is a Theriot clone.

If this were a debate, I would take the side that Jackson--with his OBP, his home runs and his stolen bases--is the un-Byrd.

Do you want the link again to that Sesame Street same-different video?

You can't evaluate pitcher possibilities by going to 2013. I've learned at least that much.

Too much of a crap shoot. For every Roy Hallady there's a Burt Hooton, and for every Burt Hooton there's a guy with a towel drill.

Contemplating pitchers' futures is the biggest waste of time you can engage in.

I agree with all of that Rob. That was really what made the 2004 and 2008 Cubs editions the funnest for me as a fan. Could stack those lineups 5 guys deep right through the middle and you could almost always bank on somebody coming through for you.

I'm considered Pollyana around here, but I always look at the numbers and ignore the hype and the "professional analysts" (i.e., internet scouts).

So I jumped off the Jay Jackson bandwagon when he had trouble getting people out in double-A, and it's the same with Trey McNutt, toward whom my attitude is "show me." McNutt had trouble late last season when he was promoted to AA, and this year was just a continuation of those troubles. Sickels (or someone similar) says McNutt deserves a mulligan because of injuries (blisters or hangnails or something), but he's really just giving himself a mulligan.

I'd also add that you need to be a little cut throat in the roster decisions you make. The McFail/Hendry years were really littered with feel good personnel decisions and contract awards based on lifetime achievement and marketing. As opposed to on field gain.

Hopefully a new, more numeric approach will help to avoid this in the future. Though if Ricketts gets really "Hands on" then we can assuredly see that in the future.

Josh Byrnes was particularly hampered in Arizona by ownership giving 25% of the payroll to the ghost of Eric Byrnes.

We might have won a pennant in 2004 if McFail does the logical move of signing a prime Miggy Tejada to play SS. Instead he tried to peddle the Maddux marketing ploy and missed out on the best Cubbie window of my lifetime.

This is why it must be someone outside of the organization.

95% of TCR thinks you're pompous, cannot stand to be challenged, and will argue against facts with your own point of view in order to round-about make your points somehow valid.

also, you kicked muh dog and it up n' died...but only 95% of him.

also, i wish i could remember some of the insults you've called people lately off the top of my head so i could throw one at you right here.