Offseason Losers - SI's Jon Heyman

[Ace]

<!--quoteo(post=78682:date=Feb 5 2010, 08:18 AM:name=Coach)-->QUOTE (Coach @ Feb 5 2010, 08:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Did the Cubs play like they looked on paper last year?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

What does that have to do with how this offseason went, which is the point everyone is discussing?

[BT]

<!--quoteo(post=78683:date=Feb 5 2010, 07:24 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Feb 5 2010, 07:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=78682:date=Feb 5 2010, 08:18 AM:name=Coach)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coach @ Feb 5 2010, 08:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Did the Cubs play like they looked on paper last year?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

What does that have to do with how this offseason went, which is the point everyone is discussing?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Nothing really, but I also think it's fruitless to compare the January 2010 Cubs to the January 2009 Cubs. One was a team coming off a 97 win season, the other is a team coming off an 83 win season. I literally don't think it was possible for Hendry to construct a team that, on paper, would rival the 2009 Cubs, let alone be better.

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=78677:date=Feb 5 2010, 06:42 AM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Feb 5 2010, 06:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->On paper, the 2010 Cubs look worse than the 2009 Cubs at the start of the season. I would like to hear anyone debate that.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Using career numbers, no. Using 2009 offensive ouput, the 2010 Cubs do look better (Bradley out, Byrd in; Baker/Fontenot instead of Miles/Fontenot). Pitching-wise, the exit of Harden is almost negated by the exit of Gregg. So one could argue, using the 2009 numbers, the Cubs have slightly improved (not that I would use that as an argument).

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=78682:date=Feb 5 2010, 07:18 AM:name=Coach)-->QUOTE (Coach @ Feb 5 2010, 07:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Did the Cubs play like they looked on paper last year?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

They played like they were made of paper last year.

[Ace]

<!--quoteo(post=78685:date=Feb 5 2010, 09:05 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Feb 5 2010, 09:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=78677:date=Feb 5 2010, 06:42 AM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Feb 5 2010, 06:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->On paper, the 2010 Cubs look worse than the 2009 Cubs at the start of the season. I would like to hear anyone debate that.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Using career numbers, no. Using 2009 offensive ouput, the 2010 Cubs do look better (Bradley out, Byrd in; Baker/Fontenot instead of Miles/Fontenot). Pitching-wise, the exit of Harden is almost negated by the exit of Gregg. So one could argue, using the 2009 numbers, the Cubs have slightly improved (not that I would use that as an argument).
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

A very good point (though I agree with your ending parenthetical, in this, my ending parenthetical).

[Clapp]

Heyman's fellow SI & MLB Network buddy, Tom Verducci, said tonight what I've been saying all along: it comes down to Soriano and Soto. As he pointed out, we lost 21 homers and 59 RBI with those 2 when comparing their 08/09 stats. He thinks we're easily a 90+ win team if they perform more like 08. Now, I'm not expecting Soto to be that good again, and who knows how good he really is. He's way better than 09 though.

[ruby23]

Soto will suck until the end of time.

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=78752:date=Feb 6 2010, 03:57 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Feb 6 2010, 03:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Soto will suck until the end of time.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Fuck you. He'll win ROY again this season.

[Dirk]

<!--quoteo(post=78752:date=Feb 6 2010, 04:57 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Feb 6 2010, 04:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Soto will suck until the end of time.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is anyone keeping a tally on all the players that Ruby has decided will never amount to anything?

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=78758:date=Feb 6 2010, 08:30 AM:name=Dirk)-->QUOTE (Dirk @ Feb 6 2010, 08:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=78752:date=Feb 6 2010, 04:57 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Feb 6 2010, 04:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Soto will suck until the end of time.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is anyone keeping a tally on all the players that Ruby has decided will never amount to anything?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It would be easier to keep track of the players he thinks will succeed.

[kbwsb]

He was right one time.
He once said Brady Quinn would completely suck.
Of course, this was before his last year of college. He finished 3rd in the Heisman voting that year.

Yet, he <i>has</i> sucked as a pro, so I now realize that ruby was referring to the distant future at the time of his prediction, and thus, I consider it a "win" prediction.