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Over the past 10 days or so, rumors have encircled the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs, centered around the potential trade of current Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson to the Cubs. Chicago has made it a priority to find a center fielder with an above-average bat this winter, and with a career line of .272/.344/.484, Granderson certainly fits that bill.
However, some have peremptorily impugned the trade on two grounds: first, that Granderson would command too high a price in trade to Detroit; and second, that Granderson (like current Cubs outfielder and fellow left-handed hitter Kosuke Fukudome) cannot hit left-handed ...
When it comes down to numbers, right-handed pitchers have an easier go of it in Major League Baseball.
Only about one-quarter of all batters in the league hit left-handed, meaning right-handed pitchers can expect to have the platoon advantage over 75 percent of the hitters they face (removing the admittedly estimable impact of tactical maneuvering).
Lefties, however, always seem to garner the most attention when it comes time to construct or evaluate a team's pitching staff.
Theory says (and the logic is sound) that having at least two or three southpaw pitchers on the Major League roster allows a manager to carefully maximize ...
When it comes down to numbers, right-handed pitchers have an easier go of it in Major League Baseball.
Only about one-quarter of all batters in the league hit left-handed, meaning right-handed pitchers can expect to have the platoon advantage over 75 percent of the hitters they face (removing the admittedly estimable impact of tactical maneuvering).
Lefties, however, always seem to garner the most attention when it comes time to construct or evaluate a team's pitching staff.
Theory says (and the logic is sound) that having at least two or three southpaw pitchers on the Major League roster allows a manager to carefully maximize ...
For Cubs fans, the Verducci effect is an old and familiar foe, even if they have never heard of it. First set forth by Sports Illustrated baseball guru Tom Verducci , the theory concerns escalating innings totals for young pitchers.
If, before a player's age 26 season, his team sends him out for 30 or more professional innings (Majors and Minors combined) in excess of his previous career high, they have violated the Verducci rule (an implicit corollary), and can expect declining performance and heightened risk of injury in the following season.
Both Mark Prior and Kerry Wood were overused, by ...
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 ...
There is always talk amongst baseball fans and writers regarding who the worst general manager in baseball is.
Dayton Moore of the Kansas City Royals and Omar Minaya of the New York Mets are usually at the top of that conversation. Well, I think we can add one more GM to the conversation—Jim Hendry of the Chicago Cubs.
I really have no idea what he is doing in Chicago. Latest example: Hendry re-signed left-handed reliever John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5 million extension.
Are you kidding?
I am sure Grabow is a nice guy and I love the fact that he represented the USA ...
There is always talk amongst baseball fans and writers in regards to who is the worst general manager in baseball.
Dayton Moore of the Kansas City Royals and Omar Minaya of the New York Mets are usually at the top of that conversation. Well, I think we can add one more GM to the conversation: Jim Hendry of the Chicago Cubs.
I really have no idea what he is doing in Chicago. Latest example: Hendry re-signed left-handed reliever John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5 million extension.
Are you kidding?
I am sure Grabow is a nice guy, and I love the fact that he ...
If you are looking for an under-the-radar starting pitching prospect with the potential to make an impact in 2010, the Cubs’ Jay Jackson may be your answer.
While his name may not be well known, at least not yet, the 6′1″, 195 pound 22 year old reached Triple-A in 2009 and is potentially on the precipice of making an impact.
He seemingly has the arsenal to make his presence felt. He was described by Baseball America as the team’s fourth best prospect.
“Jackson has good feel for four pitches that are average or better. His best offering is a fastball ranging from 90-95 ...
If you are looking for an under-the-radar starting pitching prospect with the potential to make an impact in 2010, the Cubs’ Jay Jackson may be your answer.
While his name may not be well known, at least not yet, the 6′1″, 195 pound, 22 year old reached Triple-A in 2009 and is potentially on the precipice of making an impact.
He seemingly has the arsenal to make his presence felt. He was described by Baseball America as the team’s fourth best prospect.
“Jackson has good feel for four pitches that are average or better. His best offering is a fastball ranging from 90-95 ...
When a team identifies a weakness in their lineup, whether offensive or defensive, there are three avenues through which the club can attempt to augment their efficiency at that position.
First and most common, the club can look to the free-agent and trade markets to find a suitable upgrade.
Second, they can replace from within, by promoting a highly-touted prospect.
Third, they can platoon two players to fill the gap, or slide a player from one defensive position to another, thereby improving their expected output simply by optimizing the usage of their current roster.
In the case of the 2010 Cubs, the most glaring ...
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