The Jeff Samardzija Defenestration Thread

[Chuck to Chuck]

Jim Hendry is a ridiculously shitty appraiser of talent. 

That makes no sense.  He used to coach a Creighton so he must know how to evaluate high school talent.  He's been running the Cubs minors since 1995 and look what kind of talent has come out of there.

[Bort]

Had Prior stayed healthy, the Cubs would have done as well in the 1st as any other team than the Phillies.

I mean, it's not a _good_ list, but it's pretty much par for the MLB.  I think the Cubs refusal to spend serious
money on scouting and development was a far bigger issue and something to hate the Tribune for.  The
Tribune ran the organization for total shit until the last couple years as they tried to throw on a new coat of
paint to sell.

Except all of the players from the other teams actually made the majors, while the Cubs only had two, none of those teams were as consistently poor as the Cubs were when they were grabbing their first round draft picks (the Cubs won fewer than 70 games in 3 of those seasons, whereas all of those teams were drafting from the middle or end of the first round pretty much every single one of those years) and, most importantly of all ... unlike every team you are comparing them to, the Cubs never won a World Series in the 00's.  Why you'd compare the Cubs draft habits to perpetually successful baseball franchises is beyond me; the comparison totally irrelevant.  

I get that you're not really trying to be an apologist for how ridiculously shitty an appraiser of talent Jim Hendry is, but make no mistake.  Jim Hendry is a ridiculously shitty appraiser of talent.  

If you were anyone other than you, I'd THIS this.

I'll THIS your hypothetical THIS of that.

[Eli]

I just ask that he trade guys like Brownlie and Pie when they actually have some fucking value and not afterwards.

He got Lee for Choi.  You want more?

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Ramirez and Lofton was a much, much bigger depantsing.

Yes, but people weren't on love with Hill and Jose like they were with Choi.

Right, I forgot about this particular Chuckism -- trades are only good if the players traded are really highly regarded.

[SKO]

I just ask that he trade guys like Brownlie and Pie when they actually have some fucking value and not afterwards.

He got Lee for Choi.  You want more?

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Ramirez and Lofton was a much, much bigger depantsing.

Yes, but people weren't on love with Hill and Jose like they were with Choi.

Right, I forgot about this particular Chuckism -- trades are only good if the players traded are really highly regarded.

In his defense, people did like Choi. Hell, I liked Choi. He had an .886 OPS at the time of the collision with Wood. Granted, when they traded him for Derrek Lee I immediately rejoiced, but I did like him. I still don't feel like he was ever given a chance to succeed by the Dodgers. What that has to do with the value of the trade, I don't know. Let Chuck be Chuck.

[Chuck to Chuck]

I just ask that he trade guys like Brownlie and Pie when they actually have some fucking value and not afterwards.

He got Lee for Choi.  You want more?

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Ramirez and Lofton was a much, much bigger depantsing.

Yes, but people weren't on love with Hill and Jose like they were with Choi.

Right, I forgot about this particular Chuckism -- trades are only good if the players traded are really highly regarded.

Oh.  You were talking about Trader Jim's good trades.  Bless me, but I thought the issue at hand was trading of highly regarded prospects before their value diminished.

I bow to your topic changing skills.

[Saul Goodman]

Shit just got real.

[Canadouche]

I just ask that he trade guys like Brownlie and Pie when they actually have some fucking value and not afterwards.

He got Lee for Choi.  You want more?

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Ramirez and Lofton was a much, much bigger depantsing.

Yes, but people weren't on love with Hill and Jose like they were with Choi.

Right, I forgot about this particular Chuckism -- trades are only good if the players traded are really highly regarded.

Oh.  You were talking about Trader Jim's good trades.  Bless me, but I thought the issue at hand was trading of highly regarded prospects before their value diminished.

I bow to your topic changing skills.

If the point is that Hendry cleverly had us -- and the rest of the baseball world -- fooled for about five years regarding his ability to appraise and develop talent, then it's a good point.  He was still a shit drafter and an even shittier developer, no matter who he fleeced for which studs.

That's why the Cubs are still screwed, btw.  Colvin looked fantastic this Spring, what with his many hits and ZERO walks.  That is Hendry's problem -- like Dusty, he has never valued plate discipline in the players he's developed.  I'd even take back the "shit drafter" opinion and surmise that he's WASTED talented prospects by never having them focus on developing plate discipline.  And that includes the beacons of hope Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters -- Starlin walked all of 29 times in just under 500 plate appearances last year, while Vitters walked a Dunstonesque 12 times in 470 PAs.  Here's a fucking hint: being aggressive at the plate stops working when the pitcher can throw a breaking ball that starts at your head and ends at your waist.

[SKO]

I just ask that he trade guys like Brownlie and Pie when they actually have some fucking value and not afterwards.

He got Lee for Choi.  You want more?

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Ramirez and Lofton was a much, much bigger depantsing.

Yes, but people weren't on love with Hill and Jose like they were with Choi.

Right, I forgot about this particular Chuckism -- trades are only good if the players traded are really highly regarded.

Oh.  You were talking about Trader Jim's good trades.  Bless me, but I thought the issue at hand was trading of highly regarded prospects before their value diminished.

I bow to your topic changing skills.

If the point is that Hendry cleverly had us -- and the rest of the baseball world -- fooled for about five years regarding his ability to appraise and develop talent, then it's a good point.  He was still a shit drafter and an even shittier developer, no matter who he fleeced for which studs.

That's why the Cubs are still screwed, btw.  Colvin looked fantastic this Spring, what with his many hits and ZERO walks.  That is Hendry's problem -- like Dusty, he has never valued plate discipline in the players he's developed.  I'd even take back the "shit drafter" opinion and surmise that he's WASTED talented prospects by never having them focus on developing plate discipline.  And that includes the beacons of hope Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters -- Starlin walked all of 29 times in just under 500 plate appearances last year, while Vitters walked a Dunstonesque 12 times in 470 PAs.  Here's a fucking hint: being aggressive at the plate stops working when the pitcher can throw a breaking ball that starts at your head and ends at your waist.

Vitters did suck last year. At least he and Castro are only 19. Hopefully it's just youthful impatience. That's all I've got.

[Armchair_QB]

I just ask that he trade guys like Brownlie and Pie when they actually have some fucking value and not afterwards.

He got Lee for Choi.  You want more?

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Ramirez and Lofton was a much, much bigger depantsing.

Yes, but people weren't on love with Hill and Jose like they were with Choi.

Right, I forgot about this particular Chuckism -- trades are only good if the players traded are really highly regarded.

Oh.  You were talking about Trader Jim's good trades.  Bless me, but I thought the issue at hand was trading of highly regarded prospects before their value diminished.

I bow to your topic changing skills.

If the point is that Hendry cleverly had us -- and the rest of the baseball world -- fooled for about five years regarding his ability to appraise and develop talent, then it's a good point.  He was still a shit drafter and an even shittier developer, no matter who he fleeced for which studs.

That's why the Cubs are still screwed, btw.  Colvin looked fantastic this Spring, what with his many hits and ZERO walks.  That is Hendry's problem -- like Dusty, he has never valued plate discipline in the players he's developed.  I'd even take back the "shit drafter" opinion and surmise that he's WASTED talented prospects by never having them focus on developing plate discipline.  And that includes the beacons of hope Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters -- Starlin walked all of 29 times in just under 500 plate appearances last year, while Vitters walked a Dunstonesque 12 times in 470 PAs.  Here's a fucking hint: being aggressive at the plate stops working when the pitcher can throw a breaking ball that starts at your head and ends at your waist.

Dude, first one's the best one. And walks clog the bases.

[MAD]

Forgive me for I watched, listened to, and read the box scores of zero innings this Spring Training....but did Vitters get any time with the big club in Mesa?  I didn't  hear his name come up once this March.

[Canadouche]

Forgive me for I watched, listened to, and read the box scores of zero innings this Spring Training....but did Vitters get any time with the big club in Mesa?  I didn't  hear his name come up once this March.

Not that I'm aware of, but isn't he usually mentioned as a Top Prospect?

[R-V]

I just ask that he trade guys like Brownlie and Pie when they actually have some fucking value and not afterwards.

He got Lee for Choi.  You want more?

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Ramirez and Lofton was a much, much bigger depantsing.

Yes, but people weren't on love with Hill and Jose like they were with Choi.

Right, I forgot about this particular Chuckism -- trades are only good if the players traded are really highly regarded.

Oh.  You were talking about Trader Jim's good trades.  Bless me, but I thought the issue at hand was trading of highly regarded prospects before their value diminished.

I bow to your topic changing skills.

If the point is that Hendry cleverly had us -- and the rest of the baseball world -- fooled for about five years regarding his ability to appraise and develop talent, then it's a good point.  He was still a shit drafter and an even shittier developer, no matter who he fleeced for which studs.

That's why the Cubs are still screwed, btw.  Colvin looked fantastic this Spring, what with his many hits and ZERO walks.  That is Hendry's problem -- like Dusty, he has never valued plate discipline in the players he's developed.  I'd even take back the "shit drafter" opinion and surmise that he's WASTED talented prospects by never having them focus on developing plate discipline.  And that includes the beacons of hope Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters -- Starlin walked all of 29 times in just under 500 plate appearances last year, while Vitters walked a Dunstonesque 12 times in 470 PAs.  Here's a fucking hint: being aggressive at the plate stops working when the pitcher can throw a breaking ball that starts at your head and ends at your waist.

Vitters did suck last year. At least he and Castro are only 19. Hopefully it's just youthful impatience. That's all I've got.

.886 OPS at age 19 in low A-ball. Maybe not HOLY SHIT good, but he definitely didn't suck. He put up a shitty .604 OPS when he moved up to high A, but that could just be an adjustment period. I'd expect him to do well at Daytona this year. If not, then yeah, he probably sucks.

[MAD]

Forgive me for I watched, listened to, and read the box scores of zero innings this Spring Training....but did Vitters get any time with the big club in Mesa?  I didn't  hear his name come up once this March.

Not that I'm aware of, but isn't he usually mentioned as a Top Prospect?

I'll ask it again as my American English obviouly confused you.

DID JOSH VITTERS PLAY WITH THE BIG CLUB IN ANY CACTUS LEAGUE GAMES?

[Canadouche]

Forgive me for I watched, listened to, and read the box scores of zero innings this Spring Training....but did Vitters get any time with the big club in Mesa?  I didn't  hear his name come up once this March.

Not that I'm aware of, but isn't he usually mentioned as a Top Prospect?

I'll ask it again as my American English obviouly confused you.

DID JOSH VITTERS PLAY WITH THE BIG CLUB IN ANY CACTUS LEAGUE GAMES?

Not that I'm aware of?

[MAD]

Forgive me for I watched, listened to, and read the box scores of zero innings this Spring Training....but did Vitters get any time with the big club in Mesa?  I didn't  hear his name come up once this March.

Not that I'm aware of, but isn't he usually mentioned as a Top Prospect?

I'll ask it again as my American English obviouly confused you.

DID JOSH VITTERS PLAY WITH THE BIG CLUB IN ANY CACTUS LEAGUE GAMES?

Not that I'm aware of?

Okay that was funny.

Seriously, does the interwebs just swallow spring training stats once the season starts?  I can't find me my damn Vitterstats!