Author Topic: Cubs in '11  (Read 57273 times)

Cubsin

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3840 on: November 09, 2011, 03:24:16 pm »
I doubt that Randy Bush felt empowered enough to tell Quade who to play without a specific directive from Ricketts.

davep

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3841 on: November 09, 2011, 05:39:25 pm »
Then he should have gotten a specific directive from Ricketts.

Cubsin

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3842 on: November 09, 2011, 06:45:26 pm »
Then he should have gotten a specific directive from Ricketts.

I agree. He also should have told Hendry to dump Pena at the trade deadline and play LaHair at 1B every day.

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3843 on: November 09, 2011, 07:59:27 pm »
I don't have a problem with the Cubs leaving LaHair down in the minors thru the end of the season there.  They could have played Baker at 1B, or called up Clevenger or Castillo and given him some games there.  This as the first season LaHair had absolutely dominated in the minors and letting him do it for the full season was defensible (though not the approach I would have taken), but once the minors ended, he should have been playing in a Cub uniform every day.  That said, when you look at the playing time he got, Quade was not all that far from that in the way he did use him once he was called up.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3844 on: November 09, 2011, 08:10:17 pm »
"I think [the criticism is] wrong, and what young kids are we talking about?" Quade said. "...


That's the line that struck me.  He didn't think he had any serious young prospects.  A 28-year-old 1B?  A potential backup catcher?  Casey Coleman?  DJ Lemahieu?   Tony Campana?  Luis Montanez? 


It's not like he was sitting on some significant prospects. 

davep

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3845 on: November 09, 2011, 11:03:04 pm »
Every one you mentioned is a better prospect than Pena.  There was little to be learned from playing Pena in September.  There WAS something to be learned by playing the above players, if nothing more than solidifying the fact that they should have no future with the Cubs.

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3846 on: November 09, 2011, 11:09:43 pm »
Every one you mentioned is a better prospect than Pena.  There was little to be learned from playing Pena in September.  There WAS something to be learned by playing the above players, if nothing more than solidifying the fact that they should have no future with the Cubs.

While I agree completely, that is also pretty much the way I felt about most of the Cub roster in 2011 during the entire year....

davep

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3847 on: November 09, 2011, 11:19:32 pm »
But the owner of a team that has a substantial amount of debt also has to consider the consequences of a total rebuilding effort.  If I were owner with that much debt, I wouldn't be that quick to do things that would cause fans to stay home too early in the year.  September was soon enough.

Jes Beard

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3848 on: November 10, 2011, 08:09:14 am »
There would be fewer fans buying tickets at 2010 ticket prices.  No question.  But the effect of that would be offset by seriously reduced salary, and could further be offset by reducing ticket prices to at least get fans to the park.

The Cub fan base would remain strong, even if attendance were sharply down for a couple of years, and as soon as the team improved the product on the field, attendance would return.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3849 on: November 10, 2011, 10:21:01 am »
Every one you mentioned is a better prospect than Pena.  There was little to be learned from playing Pena in September.  There WAS something to be learned by playing the above players, if nothing more than solidifying the fact that they should have no future with the Cubs.

I agree with you.  Getting a look at a long-shot fringe prospect and getting some confirming evidence that he's got no future is still useful info. 

But I can understand Quade's point of view, that the value in looking at some potential future fringe-players who aren't ready now, not so valuable. 

davep

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3850 on: November 10, 2011, 10:50:00 am »
I agree, Craig.  Not so valuable.  But still more valuable than playing Pena in a meaningless month.

It is easy to ridicule an idea by pushing it to extremes.  If I were manager, I wouldn't have played Montenez.  But I certainly would have played LeMehieu, LaHair, Coleman and even Campana.

Cubsin

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3851 on: November 10, 2011, 02:00:40 pm »
Surely Pena and his salary (for two months at the trade deadline or one month at the waiver deadline) would have been worth more than a supplemental round pick to at least one of the contending teams.  I was very disappointed both times he wasn't dealt at the deadline.

Clarkaddison

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Re: Cubs in '11
« Reply #3852 on: November 10, 2011, 02:41:34 pm »
In Quade's mind, giving Pena a shot at 30 homers was more important than trying out LaHair at his primary position.

That's one of the many reasons Q is looking for a job right now.

Even though he's got a million reasons not to.