From: 00jlbrash@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Cubs (was: Maddux gone, Cubs alive?)
Date: 23 Nov 92 23:39:04 GMT
Organization: Ball State University, Muncie, In - Univ. Computing Svc's


 
>      GM Larry Himes haeld a press conference at Wrigley Field yesterday to
> announce he will no longer actively pursue free-agent CY YOUNG Award winner
> Greg Maddux, and will use the freed up money to fill in the rotation with
> one or two other free agent pitchers.  Refusing to name names, speculation
> revolves around former Twin/Pirate lefty John Smiley, former Pirate Doug
> Drabek, and former Brewer Chris Bosio.  
I don't care if Maddux's production does drop off. Let's reward the best player
the Cubs have. He should become the highest paid player in baseball in my
opinion. He's been by far and away the best and most consistent pitcher of the
last 5 years. Also, you can't just assume his production will drop off he has
always been consistent unlock many other former Cy Young winners (Saberhagen,
Viola, etc). 
>      My two cents worth:  Maddux had a terrific 1992, and an ERA of 2.18
> will be tough to duplicate by Maddux himself, let alone someone coming in
> to a new environment.  Tradition holds Cy Young winners experience a %27
> drop in effectiveness the year after winning the award, and tradition also
> holds players tend to experience a loss of production following the signing
> of a lucrative multi-year contract (admittedly, with some noteable exceptions).
> My point is this: with or without Maddux, the Cubs will suffer a rise in team
> ERA and had best plan accordingly.  The rotation is in need of filling in:
> 			#1     ???????????????
> 			#2 rhp Mike Morgan (awesome 1992!)
> 			#3 rhp Frank Castillo (innings type control pitcher)
> 			#4 lhp Greg Hibbard (scrappy, durable sinkerballer)
> 			#5 rhp Mike Harkey (injury prone, unpredictable)
Mike Harkey could have been one of the best pitchers in baseball even after his
first two near career ending injuries. But from what I heard this guy is done
for good this time. 
>      Some alternatives may include the return of self proclaimed head case
> Shawn Boskie, closer type fireballer Bob Scanlan, or Jim Bullenger, none of
> whom appear to be effective as a starter.  
Boskie is just that, a head case, but he has potential. Scanlan is nearing
Boskie's state, Bob has the stuff be a big time stopper but always seems to
blow it. Bullinger is a waste he'll be out of baseball in a couple years, his 2
hitter was a fluke.
>      I respect and admire the job Himes has done on both sides of Chicago and
> know that he spends more time trying to find solutions to organizational
> problems than any of us on the outside.  With this in mind, I hope he can
> figure out how to increase team OBP (woefully low outside of Sandberg\Grace)
> and score some runs to offset the inevitable erosion of team pitching.  The
> class and respect that surrounds Andre Dawson is well deserved, but he had
> half the number of walks and stolen bases as your average right fielder.  It
> would be a sad statement on the way MLB is run, but I can see the scenerio
> where Dawson is let go despite his immense presence.  Discussions have begun
> with Bonds (pipe dream) and Puckett may be another alternative.  The return
> of Dunston to the infield will again hurt OBP, and May and Sosa have not shown
> a great ability to draw the base on balls.  What to do?
While I agree their pitching will erode even with Maddux, I think their hitting
will improve vastly. Dunston showed great signs of improvement early last year
before his unfortunate injury. He was batting over .300 and was drawing
walks(for the first time in his life). I don't understand why he was dangled in
the expansion draft and why no one picked him up. Sanchez will never be
anything more than a role player(but a good one). Sosa will never draw walks or
hit for average but, mark my words, Derrick May will be a star. he looks like a
young Leon Durham bar the long term fate hopefully. May has a great looking
swing. He can hit to all fields(the key ingredient for a .300 hitter), and
obviously has lots of pop in his bat. He can also run although they didnt let
him last year. A couple years ago May was supposed to be the best player in the
Cubs organiztion but scouts soured on him in 90 and 91. To bad Castellano had
to go he looked good. Scott is a loss also, but he is a project.
							Cubs 93
							Brian
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball