http://grantland.com/features/chicago-cubs...x-theo-epstein/

 

Cubs slobknobbin.

 

That exploiting of hitters and pitchers sounds well and nice, but acquiring good pitchers isn't that easy.

 

So basically, because baseball got smart to these guys skating around the rules and changed them up to make them more fair for the rest of baseball, it's not Theo and Jed's fault that the Cubs haven't won. Meanwhile, the White Sox went from being old, broken down, and expensive to being a young, energetic team on the rise in 1 offseason.

 

Sounds like Theo and Jed were playing The Show and the difficulty just went from Rookie to Hall of Fame.

So basically, because baseball got smart to these guys skating around the rules and changed them up to make them more fair for the rest of baseball, it's not Theo and Jed's fault that the Cubs haven't won. Meanwhile, the White Sox went from being old, broken down, and expensive to being a young, energetic team on the rise in 1 offseason.

 

Sounds like Theo and Jed were playing The Show and the difficulty just went from Rookie to Hall of Fame.

 

You missed the part where Jed and Theo overcome and win the World Series anyway. DONT COUNT THEM OUT!

It's kind of funny because the story is the same, except for Epstein in charge now. Back in the late 90s early 2000s everyone praised their big name prospects in the minors. The Kerry Woods, Hee Sop Choi, both Eric and Corey Patterson, Felix Pie. All big name prospects that we're going to show up at the big league level and dominate, turning the 90 loss team into a WS contender.

 

Again we are seeing atrocious major league level play, and everyone is praising the minor league kids like they are sure bets

So basically, because baseball got smart to these guys skating around the rules and changed them up to make them more fair for the rest of baseball, it's not Theo and Jed's fault that the Cubs haven't won. Meanwhile, the White Sox went from being old, broken down, and expensive to being a young, energetic team on the rise in 1 offseason.

 

Sounds like Theo and Jed were playing The Show and the difficulty just went from Rookie to Hall of Fame.

 

 

It's more like they took the money cheat away. Between that and a fact he actually mentions in the article (The Red Sox were better to start with) I'm not sure Epstien is the genius many make him out to be.

 

It's really, really difficult to completely blow up a team and then build a WS champion from the ground up which is what they are trying to do. They have no wiggle room to miss on a single prospect or trade.

I love that the Cubs are all over this list...

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/77-facts-th...completely-true

 

34. The last time the Chicago Cubs won the baseball World Series, the Ottoman Empire still existed.

35. And lollipops had not yet been invented.

36. And women did not have the right to vote in the United States.

 

44. One more fact about the Cubs: The last time they won the world series, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, and New Mexico were not yet states.

Much, much higher bust risk with Baez. He could potentially never start in the MLB at this point with that K rate and atrocious defense.

 

Hard to imagine that insane power not making him playable in the majors. Him and JorDanks having quite the HR showdown of late.

Hard to imagine that insane power not making him playable in the majors. Him and JorDanks having quite the HR showdown of late.

 

Jack Cust had insane power and an atrocious K rate, and didnt last too long.

Jack Cust had insane power and an atrocious K rate, and didnt last too long.

 

Cust was also fat, slow, and terrible defensively. Baez plays 2B/SS and is 46 of 55 for his career in stolen bases.

 

Baez should be a regular at the MLB level.

Cust was also fat, slow, and terrible defensively. Baez plays 2B/SS and is 46 of 55 for his career in stolen bases.

 

Baez should be a regular at the MLB level.

 

 

Regular? I'll go with 1st division player. The guy is going to hit 30+ bombs a year and play in the middle infield. I know as a Sox board many of us love to pretend that some of these Cubs prospects aren't exciting but I refuse to take part in it. Wite, this is by no means a shot at you, I'm just saying. I usually cringe in the Cubs thread because of the stuff I see.

Cust was also fat, slow, and terrible defensively. Baez plays 2B/SS and is 46 of 55 for his career in stolen bases.

 

Baez should be a regular at the MLB level.

 

from what I have read, Baez is pretty terrible defensively as well.

Regular? I'll go with 1st division player. The guy is going to hit 30+ bombs a year and play in the middle infield. I know as a Sox board many of us love to pretend that some of these Cubs prospects aren't exciting but I refuse to take part in it. Wite, this is by no means a shot at you, I'm just saying. I usually cringe in the Cubs thread because of the stuff I see.

 

I tend to believe that as well, but with prospects, I want them to prove it at the MLB level before I fully buy in.

 

from what I have read, Baez is pretty terrible defensively as well.

 

His bat and athleticism will play in the outfield though too, so if he can't stick at 2B, he'll be OK in the end.

Hard to imagine that insane power not making him playable in the majors. Him and JorDanks having quite the HR showdown of late.

 

Remind me to introduce you to Adam Dunn.

On this board, it works both ways. You have guys like SS2k5 that belittle each and every one of their prospects, but you also have the fathoms who think every schmuck they acquire will be the next big thing that'll propel the Cubs to multiple titles and tear the Sox asunder.

 

Not their individual prospects as much as Cub fans who think like fathom. The expectation that all of these guys are coming up to save the Cubs is ludicrous.

On this board, it works both ways. You have guys like SS2k5 that belittle each and every one of their prospects, but you also have the fathoms who think every schmuck they acquire will be the next big thing that'll propel the Cubs to multiple titles and tear the Sox asunder.

Some of those guys are going to be good, but the way to really turn it into success is to identify the guys who won't be and use them as trade chips before they're exposed. That simply hasn't happened so far...and we've gotten to watch a couple of their guys seemingly have their value drop significantly in the bigs already.

 

Maybe they'll recover that value this year, but they've already put themselves in a bind. They've got guys like Castro and Rizzo signed, filling positions, and coming off down years. They can't move them easily to fill holes now because they already committed to them...but then they have other guys coming up who could be most valuable at the same positions.

 

And on top of that...they simply don't have a "full roster" on their way up. They could have 4 of these guys turn into all stars and still wind up at the bottom of the NL Central because their pitching is that weak. They're relying on finding it elsewhere as of now, and that may not happen unless they trade someone.

 

Personally if I were in Theo's position, I would have picked the guy from their system I thought the least likely to succeed and put him on the table for either Price or Scherzer right now in order to get that pitcher signed and extended long term. It's a gamble but it would guarantee me getting the top of my rotation covered.

Starlin Castro, Felix Pie, Josh Vitters, Geovany Soto...it goes on forever.

I think there is some fluff in touting of Theo and the cub system but I think there are a couple of really good options down there. The steal will be Olt who seems to have gotten everything right again.

 

The issue in Chicago that I have is that these guys are being spoken of as sure fire can't miss guys. With hitters there is always a risk that any small flaw can catch up to them.

 

Baez made 44 errors last year.

I think there is some fluff in touting of Theo and the cub system but I think there are a couple of really good options down there. The steal will be Olt who seems to have gotten everything right again.

 

The issue in Chicago that I have is that these guys are being spoken of as sure fire can't miss guys. With hitters there is always a risk that any small flaw can catch up to them.

 

Baez made 44 errors last year.

Olt's done his ST hitting against nothing but scrubs, and isn't really tearing it up otherwise. Far from sold on his recovery.

 

Some of the Cubs prospects will be very, very good, if not great. But they won't ALL be, by a long shot. And Theo's enormous ego will likely have him trading the non-studs a bit too late. Theo and Jed are picking up every prospect (slight hyperbole) who they drafted in Boston or San Diego, but failed - it will be fun watching their enormous egos ratcheted down a peg or three.

Edited March 21, 201412 yr by Stan Bahnsen

All along I said that by year 3 improvements to the team and system will need to be apparent. I am not sure that will happen

Cubs scoring summary from today:

Starlin Castro, Felix Pie, Josh Vitters, Geovany Soto...it goes on forever.

 

I think it's quite clear that Soto was only good because he was on the juice.

Cubs scoring summary from today:

 

But the future Cubs put up 15.

Bonifacio back to back 4-4, with the most recent paving the way for blown save for Pittsburgh in the top of 9.

 

Kasper's promo read for the Sox/KC game earlier was gold. "...Adam Dunn and the Good Guys..."

Bonifacio gets hot to start the year. He did that when he first came up too.

Veras blows save

That's 9 hits in 2 games now...and it's the 15th inning.

 

Just a few years ago, 15 innings of Cub v. Pirate baseball was an officially listed option for death row inmates in 3 states + Puerto Rico until the goddamn humanitarians got involved.