Sources: Cubs Near end in Hiring a Manager...

[Derkach77]

Quade......

 

[Captain Obvious]

keep it up CO

I'd love to!

 

[The Bandit]

Sandberg>Quade>everyone else> Wedge

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

Sandberg>Quade>everyone else> Wedge

Wedge is better than you think..

Too bad he's in Seattle now.

 

[RandallPinkFloyd42]

It's going to be Quade.

 

[kleenexbox]

It better be Quade.

 

[Capt. Serious]

Jerry Manuel/sarcasm

 

[Jntg4]

Jerry Manuel/sarcasm

*waits for either CO or waldo to ask why you put the sarcasm there and claim Manuel is a really good manager*

 

[Lex L.]

The Yankees won last year's World Series because they had the best team. Not because of Girardi. Also, I want no part of Sandberg. He's incredibly infatuated w/ bunting and he does it so often during a game, as if he thinks he'll lose if he doesn't do it. Small ball gets you nowhere in the MLB currently if it's what you rely on to score runs all the time

Small ball is good, provided you have speed though. The cool thing about speed is that it often translates to defense. It also doesnt slump. Too bad Hendry likes having defensive first basemen and CFs who arent that great at defense to get another bat in the lineup

 

[waldo7239117]

*waits for either CO or waldo to ask why you put the sarcasm there and claim Manuel is a really good manager*

Nope.

 

[kleenexbox]

Small ball is good, provided you have speed though. The cool thing about speed is that it often translates to defense. It also doesnt slump. Too bad Hendry likes having defensive first basemen and CFs who arent that great at defense to get another bat in the lineup

The only time small ball is good is in the late innings or if your pitcher is up. If you're bunting in the 1st inning with your #2 hitter, that's just stupid.

 

[Lex L.]

The only time small ball is good is in the late innings or if your pitcher is up. If you're bunting in the 1st inning with your #2 hitter, that's just stupid.

Thats not true at all. Small ball at other times is perfectly fine. But like anything else, if youre good at it, its a good idea. Unfortunately, bunting has kind of become a lost art. But its something that people need to re-learn. One of the reasons it kind of faded away was because of the steroid era with 9 hitters as legitimate HR threats. Baseball hasnt completely made the transition yet. Part of the problem is demographic however, too.

Again, if you can play small ball, it usually also translates to defense. It usually means you have speed in your lineup. Speed doesnt slump. Also, small ball is nearly as affected by weather conditions as waiting for the 3 run homer. The wind actually blows in at Wrigley more than it blows out.

Edit-- Regarding your scenario, Id rather steal 2nd and then who you have hitting third dictates whether your 2 hitter bunts. If you have a 3 hitter that hits a lot of flyballs and can drive the ball, then you should bunt him to 3rd because the either/or sac fly/HR option is in play.

 

[X]

Thats not true at all. Small ball at other times is perfectly fine. But like anything else, if youre good at it, its a good idea. Unfortunately, bunting has kind of become a lost art. But its something that people need to re-learn. One of the reasons it kind of faded away was because of the steroid era with 9 hitters as legitimate HR threats. Baseball hasnt completely made the transition yet. Part of the problem is demographic however, too.

Again, if you can play small ball, it usually also translates to defense. It usually means you have speed in your lineup. Speed doesnt slump. Also, small ball is nearly as affected by weather conditions as waiting for the 3 run homer. The wind actually blows in at Wrigley more than it blows out.

I think the lack of steroids in baseball now will lead to the resurgence of small-ball....but, just my $0.02

 

[Lex L.]

I think the lack of steroids in baseball now will lead to the resurgence of small-ball....but, just my $0.02

I think so. But, as I mentioned, one issue is demographic. Not as many black people are playing baseball and thats an ideal source of incorporating speed in the game. It doesnt mean you cant play small ball or get speed from other demographic sectors but, just look at the speed in the 80s: Tim Raines, Willie Wilson, Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, Ricky Henderson, Bo Jackson.

You dont really see so much speed like that in the game these days. I honestly dont think there is one guy in MLB who can run like the guys I listed above.

Like I said, that doesnt mean you cant get fast guys or play small ball though.

BTW, I dont know if this is small ball but its residue from the steroid era and thats strike outs. You really didnt see so many strike outs in the 80s. At least you didnt see so many people striking out 120 + times in a season. Im not saying Ryan Howard doesnt have the power to justify it but not everyone is Ryan Howard. This is another area of baseball that needs to be recalibrated back to pre-steroid era baseball.

 

[poodski]

I think the lack of steroids in baseball now will lead to the resurgence of small-ball....but, just my $0.02

Thats a very interesting concept, and a very valid point.

Over the last 5 years the runs per game has gone as follows:

2006: 4.86 R/G
2007: 4.8 R/G
2008: 4.65 R/G
2009: 4.61 R/G
2010: 4.38 R/G

So its been going down every year, and the more runs become a premium the more I think we might see small ball coming back. Small ball definitely makes it more likely to score one run, but it takes down the big innings, but with teams only scoring just over 4 per game the big innings aren't as needed.

It will be interesting how this changes going forward.

 

[Jntg4]

Watch it drop to 1.5 R/G lol