I will give General Manager Jim Hendry and the rest of the Chicago Cubs front office this.
They are not overreacting.
This offseason, after a largely disappointing 2009 campaign, the Cubs have made no significant additions to their 83 win team. They also are only rumored to be looking at tweaking, bringing maybe a bottom of the rotation starter or center fielder in.
In an era where those in player personnel often overreact to disappointing seasons, I wish it was more refreshing to see a GM who stays patient and plays for the long term.
The Cubs are in need of some roster change, and considering Hendry's ...
Alfonso Soriano has seen most of his stats diminish every year since his career season with the Nationals in 2006. Because he had a decent 2007, his first season as a Northsider, some have argued that his Cubs career, thus far, could be described as a wash or even a mild success.
His statistical trends, however, show that his Cub career has been poor, and is getting worse.
Soriano has not been up and down for three seasons, he has been consistently down every year. Here is a list of offensive statistics that have decreased in every year since 2006: Runs, hits, extra base hits, home runs, OBP, OPS, and Total Bases.
Should ...
Rumors ran wild this past week about the potential of the Cubs trading for Roy Halladay or Curtis Granderson.
What is sad is that the Cubs have the highest payroll in the league, and both of these players are going to be considered too expensive.
What's worse? Both of these players would fulfill enormous needs for the Cubs. In fact, they are the two biggest needs of the current Cub team.
Despite the Milton Bradley experiment, the Cubs lineup is still extremely right handed and more lefties should be targeted. Granderson would be a perfect fit. Although he does not have great OBP numbers, he ...
As if it wasn't a forgone conclusion already, Lou Piniella seemed to close the door on any possibility of Milton Bradley returning to the Cubs next year.
On ESPN 1000's "Waddle and Silvy" show today, Piniella talked about next year's team. It seems clear that Bradley is not in the plans.
"We needed a big bat to put in the middle part of our lineup, and we thought Milton would be the one. And it just didn't work out, for whatever reason. So we move forward from there and now we try to find somebody else."
Bradley with the Cubs was never a ...
The time has come. It pains me to say, but Lou Piniella should not be the manager of the Chicago Cubs next season.
Lou has mentioned himself that this year's club lacked the chemistry of the past few years. I agree. The 2007 and 2008 team's must have had good chemistry, because the team was not extremely talented.
The lack of talent is Jim Hendry's responsibility (see http://bleacherreport.com/articles/258580-wait-til-next-year-2010-cubs-to-look-awfully-familiar) but Lou is not without blame either.
While the manager can have an effect on team chemistry, there is something much more important he must do. He has to demand that his players play baseball ...
You thought this season was bad? Wait 'til next year.
Every year, an average Major League Baseball team turns over around twenty percent of its roster.
Chicago Cubs fans looking toward 2010 are hoping that that number is more like eighty percent. The core of this roster has gelled and played well together over the last few years. This year, however, this roster's shortcomings have finally caught up with them. If you ask Jim Hendry or Lou Piniella, they will tell you that this year was not short lapse.
Sadly, the Cubs' problems are much more serious from a structural standpoint, and they ...
You thought this season was bad? Wait 'til next year.
Every year, an average Major League Baseball team turns over around twenty percent of its roster.
Chicago Cubs fans looking toward 2010 are hoping that that number is more like eighty percent. The core of this roster has gelled and played well together over the last few years. This year, however, this roster's shortcomings have finally caught up with them. If you ask Jim Hendry or Lou Piniella, they will tell you that this year was not short lapse.
Sadly, the Cubs' problems are much more serious from a structural standpoint, and they ...
