Cubs to sign OF Gathright

[Giff]

<!--quoteo(post=5304:date=Dec 16 2008, 07:41 PM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 16 2008, 07:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=5299:date=Dec 16 2008, 08:38 PM:name=Giff)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Giff @ Dec 16 2008, 08:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=5292:date=Dec 16 2008, 07:32 PM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 16 2008, 07:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=5279:date=Dec 16 2008, 08:16 PM:name=Giff)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Giff @ Dec 16 2008, 08:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->There's way more signs that point to Fuk being a good baseball player than a bad one.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'd love to know what some of them were after MAY.
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After May, there were pretty much none (as a hitter, anyway). But that doesn't erase the entire rest of his career. And a guy doesn't do what he did over the course of 9 years without being a good hitter. Sure, it's possible he just all of a sudden lost it, but that isn't very likely at all.
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Were his previous numbers in MLB, I'd agree with you. But I never thought his Japan numbers meant much ("Fuk-Flop"), and his season line was pretty much exactly what I expected.

I love his defense, I'll give you that.
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I understand that. And I surely don't think he'll come close to matching his Japan numbers, because it's clearly an inferior league. But I can tell you Jose Macias or Manny Alexander aren't going put up a .305/.397/.543 clip over 9 seasons in Japan. I don't care what country you're in, it takes talent to be able to do that.