Yoenis Cespedes
Okay, this 26 year old Cuban outfielder is starting to generate a lot of interest with Spring Training right around the corner. I’ve been reading a bit more on him as of late and here’s my thoughts that I would like to share with you.
First, he has a ton of talent and it’s obvious when you look at his stats from the Cuban league. In 2011, he managed to hit .333 with 33 HR’s, 99RBI’s, 11 SB’s, with 49 Walks and 40 strikeouts in 354 at bats. From 2004-2011 he hit under .300 only one time. I truly believe he’s the real deal.
With that said, I think he’s capable of .285 average with over 20 HR’s in his first MLB season depending on how quickly he adjusts to MLB pitchers. The quicker he adjusts the better his stats will be.
I think the Marlins will be the team that lands him and I think it’s going to happen soon. I would love my Cubs to sign him, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. Miami actually makes a lot of sense to me with its large Cuban population and the new stadium and all the money they’ve been spending this off-season. Imagine Cespedes in a lineup with Stanton, Reyes, Ramirez, Sanchez and more. It’s scary!!!
Getting Spammed
Not sure why this is happening all of a sudden, but I’ve gotten a ton of spam comments lately. I hope I am able to fix this problem soon.
Ron
Cubs Sign Cuban
Wow, the Cubs signed a Cuban player but not the one I was expecting. We ended up getting an 18 year old left handed starter named Gerardo Concepcion. I’ve read that the Cubs are interested in Yoenis Cespedes and Jorge Soler, both outfielders, but didn’t realize we were interested in the young lefty. I think this is a good sign by Theo & Jed and just adds another young arm to our farm system. I may have to adjust my rankings for my 2012 Top Cubs Pitching Prospects. I also hope the Cubs are able to sign one of the outfielders as well.
Mark Cuban and Other Thoughts
I really don’t care too much about who ends up buying the L.A. Dodgers. I mean no disrespect by this, but I don’t have anyone that I think would be a great fit as owner. I know there are several groups still alive in the bidding process and some of these groups include some famous names such as Magic Johnson and Joe Torre. However, there was one potential owner that didn’t make the first cut from what I understand. That is Mark Cuban. A few years ago, I was hoping he would win the bidding for the Chicago Cubs. I am pleased with the Ricketts family, but I must admit there is a part of me that would have liked to see what Cuban would have done with my favorite team. For some reason, Cuban hasn’t been successful in any of his attempts to buy a Major League team. I think this is a travesty and part of me feels that Bud Selig and an overwhelming majority of owners don’t want this young and charismatic man as an owner. I think Cuban would be a breath of fresh air for baseball and would be a great owner. I know several NBA players love how he takes care of his team, the Dallas Mavs. For whatever reason, he has yet to be taken as a serious potential owner in baseball and I hope that changes in the near future.
With the upcoming season just around the corner I am already getting excited for opening day. I know the Cubs appear to be out of contention this year and I’m okay with that. I do think they will surprise some teams though as we get younger with guys like Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo being the future of our team. I anticipate more trades by Theo & Jed and even a another money eating deal that involves us trading Alfonso Soriano. I think Marlon Byrd will be traded this summer as well.
I keep reading about Yoenis Cespedes lately and wonder if the Cubs are truly interested in this guy. I know he’s only 26 and possesses a lot of talent. However, I don’t know if I want to see the Cubs spend a bunch of money on him.
I think the Cubs are going to be fun to watch this summer even if they finish well below .500. The reason I say this is the fact we are getting younger. I like this youth movement and I hope it continues throughout the season.
Oh well, that’s all I’ve got for now.
Jim Hendry a Yankee Now
Even though I thought things got out of hand towards the end of Jim Hendry’s tenure with the Cubs I was happy to read today that he will be working for the Yankees as a special assignment scout. Good move by the Yankees and glad to see Jim is back in baseball. He had some good years with the Cubs, but it was definitely time for change.
Best of luck to Hendry in his new role.
Fearing Bud Selig
Okay, I didn’t really know what to title this post. First, let me say that I am not a fan of Commissioner Bud Selig. As a matter of fact, I think he is the worst commissioner of all major sports in this great country of ours. He turned a blind eye during the whole “steroid era”, helped create inter-league play, was acting commissioner during the strike in 1994 and is a former owner. My list of negatives could actually go on and on, but that’s not the focal point of this post. You see, I am afraid of what Selig is going to do with the upcoming compensation that the Red Sox will get from the Cubs for hiring Theo Epstein. The Red Sox didn’t have to let the Cubs talk to Theo, but I think after the epic collapse in September their organization was ready to wipe the slate clean. This allowed for the exits of Terry Francona and Theo.
Anyway, I fear that Selig is going to force the Cubs to give up one of their better minor league prospects. As a former owner, I can see him punishing the Cubs and Epstein for leaving an organization before his contract was up. I really hope I am wrong on this and my fear is not warranted. However, I do not trust Selig to make a legitimate and fair decision for either team.
When it’s all said and done, I don’t have a say in this at all. All I can do is share my thoughts and feelings on this simple blog. I hope Selig doesn’t punish the Cubs and force us to give the Red Sox someone like Brett Jackson. If he does, it will be just another reason for me to not like him as Commissioner of baseball.
Forgotten Cub?
There’s been a lot of talk this off-season about several different players involving the Chicago Cubs. Matt Garza, Carlos Zambrano, Prince Fielder, Alfonso Soriano and Anthony Rizzo have all received a ton of media attention surrounding the Cubs. All of them deserved that attention as well. However, one Cub I have read or heard little about this winter is RHP Jeff Samardzija. So, here’s my tribute to the “Shark”.
He’s just turned 27 just a few days ago, so belated “Happy Birthday”! I felt the Cubs organization really messed up the progression of his development early in his career. In 2008, he was a late season call up and had decent success posting 2.28 ERA in 27.2 innings pitched as a reliever. That was after making 21 starts between AA & AAA. In 2009, Samardzija made 17 starts for AAA Iowa and pitched 34.2 innings with the Cubs primarily as a reliever with the big league team posting a 7.53 ERA. He did manage to to make 2 starts for the Cubs in 2009 as well. In 2010, the Cubs had him both start and pitch from the bullpen in Iowa and with the Cubs. If you haven’t noticed, the Cubs couldn’t decide whether to make him a starter or reliever. I believe this hurt his progression. Plus, he did bounce back and forth from Iowa to Chicago. Last year, 2011, the Cubs defined his role as a full time reliever and he had his most successful season yet. He pitched 88 innings with 87 strikeouts and a 2.97 ERA. I think he will only get better and will build off this season. While there is a part of me that still thinks he could convert back to the starting rotation, I believe he is best suited for the bullpen and could eventually become a closer making Carlos Marmol available to trade. The reason I even bring up Marmol is the fact he has control issues with the strike zone and his delivery makes me think that Tommy John surgery is a part of his future.
In 2012, I look for Samardzija to work as a setup man and middle reliever. If he can put together another strong season I would be extremely pleased. Remember, he’s still young and valuable.
FANDOM, THE SUPER BOWL AND THE WORLD SERIES
Now that the Patriots and Giants have punched their tickets to the big game it got me thinking about comparisons with the World Series and people’s fandom.
First, let me make my own personal categories of fans within a fandom. These apply to all sports. There are your superfans/diehards. These fans not only have a favorite team they loyally follow, but they tend to follow the sport as a whole. Often times, superfans/diehards like multiple sports and are pretty knowledgeable in all of them. Then you have your casual fans. You know these people. They follow sports when the playoffs begin, March Madness or maybe Monday Night Football. They know a little bit about a sport or two, but don’t have a favorite team. However, they do appreciate the sports they casually follow. Next are your “homers”. These guys drive me nuts. They only follow one team within a sport and don’t know much about the game or even their own team. Yet, their team is the best!!!! Yes, these fans drive me nuts. Every sport and every team has them. Finally, there’s your “sports fan” in general. These fans don’t necessarily have a favorite team, but follow multiple sports and are almost as knowledgeable as your superfan. Some of these categories can overlap too. For example, sometimes a “homer” can also be a “superfan”.
Anyway, when the big game is played between the Giants and Pats there will be all kinds of fans and even non-fans watching this event. I call it an event on purpose too. Heck, some people only watch the game for its commercials and we all know that’s true. There is also a lot of hoopla around the halftime entertainment as well. Let’s hope for no wardrobe malfunctions this year. So, the game can sometimes become overshadowed and it does not seem to bother fans all that much.
When I think about the World Series I know it doesn’t get the tv ratings football does, but I enjoy it more, personally. It’s not about all the hoopla surrounding the game…..it’s about the game itself. Two teams trying to become Champions. As you probably know, I am not a Cardinals fan and cannot stand them. However, the World Series between the Cards and the Rangers was one of the best I’ve watched in years. I felt every game was exciting for various reasons. I was amazed, though I probably shouldn’t have been, by Albert Pujols’ 3 homer game. The back and forth competition between the Cards and Rangers was fantastic. However, since the World Series is not an event like football is many non-fans did not witness this great series. It’s too bad too. They missed out on something much better than any commercial or half time show.
Please Trade Alfonso Soriano
When the Cubs signed Alsonso Soriano prior to the 2007 season I was really excited. He had just posted a 40 HR/40 SB season. Things have not worked out as I had hoped but Soriano still has value in the right situation. He is still capable of hitting 25 HRs in a season and would make a good DH/OF for an American League team. I know that Cubs still owe $18 Million a year through 2014, but I hope Theo & Jed are able to eat a majority of that contract and trade him. It would open up a spot for Brett Jackson hopefully. We already have Marlon Byrd and newly signed David DeJesus in our outfield. I think we need to find a way to get this done before the season starts.
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