12-17-2008, 01:29 AM
I'm going to debate myself here. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
(Dunn is an interesting player to discuss because he's so unique, and because both his strengths AND his weaknesses are practically off-the-chart. Thus, all of us have tended to take extreme positions).
But I'd be remiss in my duties as a Cub fan (and a sabermetric type) if I didn't throw in this: corner OFers are the most easily replaceable guys in the lineup. Especially left-fielders.
A catcher who can hit? Real rare (we don't know how lucky we got with Soto.) Middle infielders who can really hit? Again, rare.
But a LF who can hit? They all can. It's practically the job definition, because almost any guy with a modicum of athletic ability can play the position, defensively. Thus if you can't hit pretty damn well, you don't get the job.
Good hit-bad field LF guys (Pat Burrell is another good example) are not gonna be <i>that</i> much more valuable than a replacement-level player from AAA, unless they truly hit a TON, like Manny.
So even though I think Dunn would be a whole lot better for us than, say, Fuk, I still couldn't justify spending $60 million to get him.
(Now, if the rumors are true about him dying to be a Cub, and he'd take a lot less...)
(Dunn is an interesting player to discuss because he's so unique, and because both his strengths AND his weaknesses are practically off-the-chart. Thus, all of us have tended to take extreme positions).
But I'd be remiss in my duties as a Cub fan (and a sabermetric type) if I didn't throw in this: corner OFers are the most easily replaceable guys in the lineup. Especially left-fielders.
A catcher who can hit? Real rare (we don't know how lucky we got with Soto.) Middle infielders who can really hit? Again, rare.
But a LF who can hit? They all can. It's practically the job definition, because almost any guy with a modicum of athletic ability can play the position, defensively. Thus if you can't hit pretty damn well, you don't get the job.
Good hit-bad field LF guys (Pat Burrell is another good example) are not gonna be <i>that</i> much more valuable than a replacement-level player from AAA, unless they truly hit a TON, like Manny.
So even though I think Dunn would be a whole lot better for us than, say, Fuk, I still couldn't justify spending $60 million to get him.
(Now, if the rumors are true about him dying to be a Cub, and he'd take a lot less...)
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance