Byrd

[Ace]

I believe vita was being sarcastic.

[BT]

<!--quoteo(post=73705:date=Jan 1 2010, 06:04 AM:name=vitaminB)-->QUOTE (vitaminB @ Jan 1 2010, 06:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73700:date=Jan 1 2010, 01:53 AM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Jan 1 2010, 01:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73697:date=Dec 31 2009, 10:22 PM:name=MW4)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MW4 @ Dec 31 2009, 10:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73635:date=Dec 31 2009, 12:31 PM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Dec 31 2009, 12:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->biggest depression since 1929<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


No just a Recession.
There was only one depression -- Between 1929 and 1933, the gross national product of the United States decreased by 33% while the rate of unemployment increased to 25%.

We are NO WHERE Near that.
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REALLY??? THAT is what you want to argue about? The semantics of the last bad economy? really?
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Well, it's better than arguing over the definition of backloading. Which it totally is, by the way. But IIRC we have a metric shit ton of money coming off the books in '12 so I'm okay with it.
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Soriano is the only player we have on the books after 2012.

[Coldneck]

Keith Law gives Jim Hendry a ringing endorsement for signing Byrd.

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Byrd could be another OF mistake for Cubs

Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Cubs' signing of Marlon Byrd, which seems to me like too much money and too many years, could be the latest in a Groundhog Day-like series of outfielder mistakes for general manager Jim Hendry.

Marlon Byrd is a nice fourth outfielder who could play every day on a non-contender, but he doesn't handle centerfield well enough to play it every day on a team with aspirations of playoff contention and doesn't hit well enough to play every day in an outfield corner. He boosted his overall stats the last few years playing in a good hitters' park in Texas, posting a .290/.339/.415 line in 516 road PA over that time, a line that won't cut it in left or right field, and he's no better than average defensively in center, perhaps less if he has to play it 150 times a season. He replaces Milton Bradley and Bradley's replacements, but even with the off year Bradley was more productive for the Cubs on a rate basis than Byrd was in Texas, and the Cubs have improved by less than a win between the pair of moves.

Paying Marlon Byrd $5 million per year (although the deal is backloaded, so his salary will be increasing as he ages and his value decreases) isn't going to sink the Cubs, nor is it an enormous loss of value, but giving a player who shouldn't be playing every day three guaranteed years into his mid-30s seems like a risky decision. And since it comes on the heels of a deal where they had to give away the last outfielder to whom they gave a three-year contract (a deal they only pulled off by taking back one of the worst pitchers currently on a 40-man roster), it makes even less sense. The odds are good that Jim Hendry (or his successor) will be trying to dump Byrd's contract on another club before 2012.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Mikey]

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif[/img]

[MW4]

Is Law a secret SOI member??

[Prometheus]

For his contract this is good value. Byrd's main strength is his ability to play an average CF. As long as he sticks in CF, he'll be worth at least the first few years of his contract (barring some epic collapse at the plate). There are many CFs out there that are much worse.

One interesting thing is that his FB rate increased by a lot last season. If he continues that he should hit pretty well in Wrigley, which favors flyball hitters. Hopefully he doesn't revert to a ground ball hitter.

I think the point of the backloaded contract is to try to catch the market on an upswing in the next few years. The team is hoping in a few years a $5.5 or $6.5MM contract won't look so expensive. It's a gamble and it will probably come back to haunt them. But still, I think Byrd will be worth the first 2 years of his contract. The last year will be interesting.

[Giff]

Piniella: Byrd to bat 5th

[Rappster]

This thread...

[Ace]

<!--quoteo(post=92640:date=Apr 25 2010, 09:16 AM:name=Rappster)-->QUOTE (Rappster @ Apr 25 2010, 09:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->This thread...<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Sample sizes and all that.

[Rappster]

<!--quoteo(post=92641:date=Apr 25 2010, 08:18 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Apr 25 2010, 08:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=92640:date=Apr 25 2010, 09:16 AM:name=Rappster)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rappster @ Apr 25 2010, 09:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->This thread...<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Sample sizes and all that.
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Agreed...and, we'll see at the end of the year.

BUT...we WILL see at the end of the year.

AND...I was, by no means, excited about the signing...

[Lance]

I'm trying to figure out the point of the revival of this thread. He's been great so far and we'll have to reserve judgement until the end of the year?

Can someone elaborate for morans like me?

[Rappster]

<!--quoteo(post=92643:date=Apr 25 2010, 08:49 AM:name=Lance)-->QUOTE (Lance @ Apr 25 2010, 08:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'm trying to figure out the point of the revival of this thread. He's been great so far and we'll have to reserve judgement until the end of the year?

Can someone elaborate for morans like me?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I just brought it up to exhibit the way we all...myself included...have a tendency to prejudge most situations.

[Lance]

<!--quoteo(post=92644:date=Apr 25 2010, 09:54 AM:name=Rappster)-->QUOTE (Rappster @ Apr 25 2010, 09:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=92643:date=Apr 25 2010, 08:49 AM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ Apr 25 2010, 08:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'm trying to figure out the point of the revival of this thread. He's been great so far and we'll have to reserve judgement until the end of the year?

Can someone elaborate for morans like me?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I just brought it up to exhibit the way we all...myself included...have a tendency to prejudge most situations.
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Thanks. Isn't that the tendency of all sports message boards? to prejudge things, judge them on short term results, second guess every move by everyone? This isn't any comment on you, Rapp, just an observation. It's why I don't listen to sports talk radio, or political talk radio for that matter. Yeah, and I purposely mispelled moron.

[Rappster]

<!--quoteo(post=92645:date=Apr 25 2010, 08:59 AM:name=Lance)-->QUOTE (Lance @ Apr 25 2010, 08:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=92644:date=Apr 25 2010, 09:54 AM:name=Rappster)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rappster @ Apr 25 2010, 09:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=92643:date=Apr 25 2010, 08:49 AM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ Apr 25 2010, 08:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'm trying to figure out the point of the revival of this thread. He's been great so far and we'll have to reserve judgement until the end of the year?

Can someone elaborate for morans like me?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I just brought it up to exhibit the way we all...myself included...have a tendency to prejudge most situations.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Thanks. Isn't that the tendency of all sports message boards? to prejudge things, judge them on short term results, second guess every move by everyone? This isn't any comment on you, Rapp, just an observation. It's why I don't listen to sports talk radio, or political talk radio for that matter. Yeah, and I purposely mispelled moron.
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I don't know, Lance...you might actually be right.

Still, I wonder if all this access to information and opinion isn't a tad suffocating, at times.

The other point is...we do have a tendency to beat our chests and yell that we're right, but don't always stick around when we're proven otherwise.

To your question...I don't know...a good point.

[jstraw]

I enjoy watching the games more when I'm aware of what's going on with the team. I can't just look at each roster move, change in the lineup and the pen and simply file it away as information. I formulate opinions. As a Cubs fan, I guess I'm predisposed to pessimism...but that doesn't bother me that much. It makes things like Byrd...and the way Z handled things last night...nice surprises. I don't mind being wrong.