Cubs Post-Game Recap by Krusty the Klown

@ Berselius:
The media in Chicago gives two shits about the White Sox? The media anywhere gives two shits about the White Sox?

I guess, if they did, wouldn’t they be talking non-stop about what a great trade the White Sox made for Kevin Youk?

If that were true, and anyone cared about those dirty rednecks with their tobaccy stained sox, ESPN would be covering those topics instead of the White Sox celebration of Mullets. And Shawn Michaels would actually take a few months to grow a mullet after he was invited to throw out the first pitch for his odd hairstyle choice

The White Sox are the New York Mets without the money but with the victories.

@ mb21:
I’d put Trout ahead of him. Trout is a ++ Defender in Center, super-speedy, and is leading the AL in Batting Average as a rookie. He is projected to steal 45 bases in 54 attempts. Ichiro is the only name that comes to mind to have done that. Unlike Ichiro, Trout seems to have + power as well.

Watching him play he has this killer demeanor that can’t be explained. He’s projected to have 15 home runs in under 500 AB’s this year. I see him getting at least a 30-30 season if not a 40-40 season before his career is over. That power-speed combination, as a 20 Year-old rookie, is hard to write off as a fluke.

Plus, Mike Trout is on pace for 45 walks. He already has a better eye than Castro.

But Bryce Harper? I think the hype outweighs the accomplishments.

I think I’m 40-60 on Castro’s chances. I really see Castro as a player in flux. I don’t know if he’ll be a 30-30 guy two years down the road hitting .280 or if he’ll become more of a singles hitter. I think he sticks at Shortstop. The question with Castro is: As his body develops, does his defense improve or decline as a result? What happens to his speed? How much upside power does Castro have?

Castro is a victim of a glut of great middle infielders. In the 1990s, 1980s and 2000s I think that Castro would be more likely than not to make the hall. This generation has Tulo, Cano, Andrus, Pedroia, Ian Desmond and Asdrubal Cabrera are before or entering their primes as we type. These guys are all playing for winning teams. Texas, Boston, and New York are all perennial contenders, while Washington figures to be good for years to come. It will take 3+ years for the Cubs to be relevant again.

It’s just not fair.

gaius Marius wrote:

Harper doing what’s he’s doing at 19 could put him in Ted Williams territory. of course it’s early, but guys who come to the majors with power and drawing a walk at that age are once in a generation players. I’d expect the HOF chances of him, Trout and Starlin are all pretty high. one has to remember that Starlin will have 500+ career his coming out of his age 22 season. if he stays at shortstop, he’s likely.

That’s a clown statement, bro.

Trout is far, far ahead of Harper at this point. He draws walks just as well, is only a year older, and plays plus-plus defense. I noticed that both strike out a ton. I was watching that catch and saw Mike Trout as the splitting image of Jim Edmonds. The intensity, after the catch, really clinched it. Trout’s had about 100 ABs more experience than Harper. I’ll give you that. Trout is sporting an OPS approximately .100 better than Harper’s.

Player #1: .281/.358/.483, .841 OPS, 7 HRs, 20 RBIs, 24 BB, 44 SO. OPS+ 127 in 203 PA
Player #2: .258/.324/.409, .733 OPS, 4 HRs, 12 RBIs, 15 BB, 46 SO. OPS+ 93 in 159 PA

Player One is Bryce Harper in 200 ABs at age 19 during his rookie season. Player Two is BJ Upton, who was hyped similarly,in 159 ABs during his rookie season. The big difference with Harper is the Raw Power, but Upton was on pace for ~20 walks had he made it to 200 PA..

BJ Upton ended up being a solid, above average, player. I doubt anyone would argue that he ends up a Hall-of-Famer at this point in his career.

I think it’s just too early to write Harper in. What Trout is doing is extraordinary. He’s a five-tool OF at a premium position on pace to lead the AL in batting average and rack up 40 steals. I have to see more from Harper before he gets my vote.

I think it’s too early to write in under-25 guys as Hall-of-Famers. I’d have Trout ahead of Andrus, Castro, and Harper at this point in his career as far as their chances. But really, odds are only two of those make it, and it’ll largely depend on their prime years.

Heading to a Tennessee Smokies game later this week. Should I write an unobstructed view?

@ SVB:
No surprise here. He’s a known steroid user. He recently received a 50-game ban for a drug that masks the effects of roids’. People tend to be assholes when they are doping.

Remember this was also the guy who screamed “take me with you” when Fukudome was traded last year. I regret with Marlon Byrd, as I now do with Geovany Soto, Carlos Marmol and Matt Garza, that we didn’t trade while the price was high.

I’m bummed that this FIRE SALE has netted zero trades. With the way Thepstien is pushing it, I’d expect someone to have cleaned out a locker recently.

I called all four were at peak value in the offseason. It sucks that only Garza is still starting out of those four players. We could have gotten, at the least, a C+ guy (probably ranked 8-10 in a system but not top 100) for three of those four if we got rid of them during the off-season. Garza and Soto were, at the least, comparable to Cashner in value. That trade netted us a top-50 prospect.

I think with established players the pattern here suggests to sell them once they can fetch you something tangible in return. There are no guarantees. Trading veterans means that you’ll get value for the competitive years. The WAR Veterans provide now means nothing when your season tops of at 60 wins.

The only way to lose the bet is if the player becomes a Type A free agent. The new CBA makes this a hell of a lot less likely to happen.