CWSGuy406

Hawk is exactly right. E-Lo needs to pitch inside if he wants to be successful. He's going away-away-away, and the Cubbies are sitting on it. f***ing s*** Loaiza... How about pitching a good game once in a while, huh?

4-3 Cubs.

So - do we have any pitchers besides Felix Diaz who can suck it up and pitch in a f***ing big game? Come on Loaiza, start f***ing pitching...

IMHO, Maggs won't be traded in a deal to Atlanta. Maybe down the line a bit for an absolute stud pitcher, but not for Russ Ortiz/Andruw Jones. I also love the aspect of getting Juan Cruz. IMO Jim Hendry doesn't take any slack for this, but he's an absolute moron for trading him for two minor leaguers. I would have loved to get Cruz at the time and only give up two small prospects. I absolutely love Cruz's stuff too. But like I said - if KW says that Maggs isn't going anywhere, I doubt he is. Joe Borchard is a different case, but I don't think Maggs is going anywhere, at least for now.

So we should tie up 9-10 million in a real good defensive outfielder, but a guy who probably, at best will hit .270-.280? I'd rather keep Maggs till season's end, get the two comp picks, and tie up that 14 million in a starter and a couple of relievers, or vice versa.

Jones is nowhere near as good as Maggs at the plate...

But we don't NEED another guy who's going to hit a lot of homeruns. We need guys who can get on base for Thomas, Lee, Maggs, and Konerko - not another big HR guy. I'm not saying ROwand is better than Jones. I'm saying that right now, Jones is doing worse than Rowand. But Rowand is an above average outfielder, and like Brando said, if A-Row was given the chance to be the everyday CFer, I think he very well could turn into a GGer. I like Jones glove. I like his ability to drive in runs. I like his ability to hit HRs. I dislike his contract, I dislike his low average, I dislike his low OBP. Jones isn't worth the 13 million he will recieve at the backend of his contract. If Maggs isn't included, and we can get Jones/Ortiz for Borchard/Rauch and one or two other prospects, then go for it. But not for Maggs...

That's the best news I've heard in this thread, because Maggs for Jones/Ortiz is terrible...

So JD Drew is overrated now? What's so overrated about him? His career .387 OBP that has been increasing each of the past two years? His career .283 AVG that's also been increasing? JD Drew is exactly what this team needs; a lefty bat who can get on base and hit for fairly high average. Look at this: If a trade of Maggs for Ortiz/Jones went down, IMO that would be terrible. We would be trading a .300+, 30HR+, 100+ RBI guy for: Ortiz - Who has a 3.87 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP (Yuck!). Now, add .5 to the ERA to get the AL ERA, so about a 4.37 ERA? and Jones - Who is REALLY overrated offensively, IMHO. Sure, he'll hit 30+ homers, drive in 100+ RBIs, but that's not what this team needs. Generally he doesn't hit for that high of an average (.243 this year), doesn't get on-base all that much either (.336 OBP), and why trade for a guy who we already have (in Aaron Rowand) who's also making what, 7 or 8 million less? I'm not saying Rowand will outperform Jones the rest of the year, but this trade is stupid...

(please don't crucify me for asking this.) I never got the whole Chuck Finley/Whitesnake ordeal. Can someone explain that to me? IIRC he and his wife had problems, but I never got the connection...

One bad year? How about one really good year? And the rest just average/a little above average years? Averages from '96 to present: .217, .231, .271, .275, .303, .251, .264, .273, .243. Highest OBP during that time .366. You say he drives in 100+ RBIs yearly, yet he's only done it three times? I'll agree with you that it's hard to find a GG CF 30+ Homer guy, but we don't need another 30+ homer guy. We need high avg/OBP guys. Rowand is hitting .299 with a .355 OBP, 7 Homers, 17 RBIs. In about 100 more AB's, Jones only has four more homers than A-Row. Not to mention what a great job Rowand has done defensively this year.

Supposedly, when Sammy Sosa was hitting during BP, over the PA they were playing the sounds of cork popping (I suppose like the champaigne bottle noise.). I heard this from WSI and, a couple of Cubbie fans called in the Score and complained. Personally, I find that hilarious...

He's overpaid. We have enough guys on this team that hit 30+ homers. What we need is more guys who hit for average/high OBP. BTW - I'd much rather take a .300, 25 HR, Above Average RFer than a .267, 30 HR, GG CFer. Rowand can provide the same that Jones is providing this year, like Cheat said.

All that money, and what will he provide? Lots of RBIs, Lots of Homers, GG defense. Yet a .270 average, and a .340 (I'm being nice here.) OBP. Definitely NOT worth it...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but can't a prospect not be traded until a year after he was signed? Was Sweeney signed quickly or did it take a while in last year's draft?

But still - Thomas got on base FOUR times today, pitchers don't want to face him. Ill be so friggin happy when we're done with this interleague play, we need to have both Konerko/Thomas in the lineup, especially when Maggs isn't in the lineup.

Jones is hitting .243 right now, 12 homers, 37 RBIs. :puke Career .267 hitter. And yet his contract increases to 13 million per year? No way I want a contract like that in four years or so when Brian Anderson and Ryan Sweeney are knocking on the door.

I don't like this deal at all, looking at Jones' contract. He's really overrated offensively, he'll hit a lot of homers and drive in some RBIs, but that's what Maggs does plus Maggs hits for higher average. I like Ortiz, but IMO he's a number 3 at best in the AL. I mean, he has a 4+ ERA in the NL, isn't it something like 'add .5 to that and get their AL ERA'? THat's like a 4.50+ ERA, IMO we could probably get that out of Diaz/Rauch. If the deal is straight up, Ortiz and Jones for Maggs, no way in hell do I do that...

And in any given at bat, I'd like to take the odds. How do we determine the odds? Probably OBP and Average, both which Drew has upper hand in... Yeah - Hunter terrorizes us with the glove, but he's not the best at the plate. .289 his career best average, .334 his career best OBP. Getting back to point: I'd rather have Drew than Jones...

I don't understand all your fascination with Andruw Jones...

Cheat - would you be able to calculate Shingo's ERA discluding his first appearance in New York?

But even on the Patterson homer, that pitch was at his neck! Diaz really had the hitters biting on his slider down, but they had to respect it, because he was able to get it over for both balls and strikes. This was the first time I saw one of our higher touted minor leaguers stuff be really good. Diaz showed a ton today, I hope Jon Garland had pen and paper handy in the dugout...

The Cell was absolutely electric when Shingo entered the game - also, gotta love the gong when Shingo enters the game. I love him so damn much...

You don't think that Thomas is even one of the best players in baseball? :headshake Do you not like his amazingly high OPS? But he doesn't play the field...