SB Nation User Blog: JB 23

Sanchez, Wilson reject contract offers

JB 23 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:07:49 -0000

Sanchez, Wilson reject contract offers

They will most certainly be moved. Even though Fonty has hit better lately, I would still like to see Sanchez playing 2b for the Cubs this year. (for the right price of course)

It would make the bench stronger and really solidify the 2b position.

MLB Happy Holidays Greeting Card

JB 23 — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:24:56 -0000

MLB Happy Holidays Greeting Card

Thought this was creative enough to share. Surprised that our friend Allan H "Bud:" Selig wasnt in the photo at the end!

Hardball Times - a dissection of the '07 / '08 postseason debacles

JB 23 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:53:26 -0000

The Hardball Times Chris Jaffe has a pretty interesting take on the 2008 postseason debacle. One of his assertions is that the relationship between the moves Lou made in the 2007 post season and then the preparation for the 2008 post season after the division was clinched, had a significant impact on the self confidence of the team going into October.

It's unduly simplistic to claim a sole cause for the 2007-8 shortcomings, but some underlying causes can be rooted out. A key one revolves around the decisions and actions of the team's manager, Lou Piniella.

snip

...for two straight years Piniella has prioritized physical preparation for his team. Both times the playoffs made painfully obvious that the Cubs sorely needed better mental preparation. What's more, his decision to prioritize physical preparation has likely helped cause their mental shortcomings.

The decision to treat players differently because the postseason is coming up sends the team some signals. First, it loudly pronounces to the players that the upcoming games are fundamentally different from everything they've experienced before. Second, it implies that they can't be trusted to win unless they approach this somehow differently.

If you think the team can just keep playing as they have all year and win, there's no need for any fancy adjusts on the verge of the postseason. Instead, these notions can make a team self-conscious. That's the single worst thing that can happen to a team. If you have to think about what you're doing, it won't be done properly. It should come naturally.

At the end of the day we all know the players didn't execute. Its been easy to point the finger at Soriano, Ramirez and Dempster, but perhaps Lou's post season preparation and plans had a far greater impact on that execution than any of us have been willing to admit.

Read the whole thing here and discuss..

Latest from Glanville

JB 23 — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:19:38 -0000

If you haven’t caught his previous columns in the NYT (I think Al posted a link to an earlier one on Clemens) it's cant miss reading in my opinion for baseball fans. His writing contains a unique mix of ex-MLB player perspective, part Ivy League and part fan. The kind of guy you would love to have beer with in the bleachers and talk about baseball all day. (Most likely just pepper with questions and listen)

Great tie in about his time with the Cubs (curious to know who his AA roommate was?), hitting a curveball and life...great stuff, enjoy and discuss

Glanville Blog NYTimes

Q & A with Bill James

JB 23 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:30:18 -0000

I have a feeling I am not alone as a lifelong baseball fan that started looking at baseball much differently several years ago when I read Moneyball. I started to really have more interest in the statistical aspects of the game and subsequently dove into Bill James books, Rob Neyer and Keith Law articles etc.

By no means am I a sabermatrician, but I respect the craft and feel that it has enhanced my baseball IQ and view of the game.

Thought this Q&A with Bill James in Time Magazine would be of interest, please discuss. Its a nice peak into the thought process of a front office that has won two World Series in the last 4 years as well.

Like to know how our resident sabermatrician(s) cwyers and the like feel about James as well.

Neyer on E Patt

JB 23 — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:29:45 -0000

ESPN's Rob Neyer has an interesting take on Eric Patterson's future or lack of one with the Cubs.

* As the Cubs continue to covet Brian Roberts, Eric Patterson might reasonably wonder about his future in the organization. As MLB Trade Rumors notes in a new series called "Blocked Prospects," Patterson is one of the young players "who seem to be buried on their current team's depth chart." The problem is that he's not good enough defensively to play second base and not quite good enough offensively to play center field. At least not for the Cubs, who already have Felix Pie. And at (almost) 25 he's not so young that we should expect him to improve significantly. Baseball America ranks him as the No. 12 prospect in the organization (not good for a player his age). If he's blocked, it's mostly by his own talents.

Shouldn't have been late last September Eric...that might have been your shot. Discuss

Pie on Rob Neyers top 10 CF list.

JB 23 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:15:24 -0000

Neyer has been ranking his candidates of the best players by position for the next 5 years. (the player needs to be under 30) Our friend Felix has made his list of center fielders.

This requires "insider" access; I have posted a link for those who have access and the list from his blog below.

Rob Neyer CF's for the next 5 years

Is he worthy?

B.J. Upton
Curtis Granderson
Grady Sizemore
Hunter Pence
Chris Young
Carlos Beltran
Melky Cabrera
Felix Pie
Josh Hamilton
Jay Bruce

Perhaps I've been too aggressive here with the youngest players. I do feel good about Upton, but the others -- Young, Cabrera, Pie -- really haven't been good yet in the majors. Hamilton's obviously a wild card, and perhaps there should be a place on this list for Wells. Meanwhile, there are a bunch of hot center fielders coming up, and so I've strayed from convention and filled in that last slot myself. It just seems to me that when you've got a player who's the consensus No. 1 prospect, he's your guy. Better, though, over the next five years than Wells and Rowand?