Thursday, May 15, 2008

CHICAGO: JIM EDMONDS AND COLLATERAL DAMAGE

So, the Chicago Cubs have come to terms with the aging Jim Edmonds. In the process they have harmed this team and several editions to come. It's not Brock for Broglio, but it's not good.

The Basin is fully prepared to believe Jimmy has something left in the tank. Moreover, except for Houston, the NL Central is a small park division, except for Houston CF, thereby hiding Jimmy's declining defensive speed. He'll still hit some homers and he'll still make some rally-killing defensive plays. It was almost unfair to him to play in a totally unsuitable park, about the size of Yellowstone. No problem with his potential.

Still, he takes up a roster spot at what cost? There is no room on the big club for Jimmy and Felix Pie. What do you lose when you send Pie to the Minors? First, you lose the best defensive Outfield in late inning, lead-protecting situations: Johnson, Pie, Fukudome. It doesn't get any better than that, defensively. Second, you lose the confidence that Pie was building, learning to become a slap hitter at the big league level. There was some progress being made. That will be hard to sustain. Third, you lose a world-class pinch-runner, a laser-like weapon for targetted situations. Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, you are tampering with the chemistry of a team in a successful roll with obviously good cameraderie. Pie was a combination little brother and mascot to Soriano and Ramirez. Even not buying into all the Edmonds-was-a-toxic-teammate Angel/Cardinal gossip, he will not be the enthusiastic, zany kid who has been a part of this team's success. He also has a Spanish gap. That's a lot of change in environment for two or three (if you count Zambrano) of your biggest stars. Finally, you remove a lot of motivation and organizational commitment from Pie. He has burned up every minor league he's gone to. He's got nothing left to prove in lower leagues. The big team has essentially told him "You've served your time on the farm. There's no purpose in your going back down there. We'll work you into the big club gradually while you learn to hit the ball on the ground. Now he's going to feel betrayed. He was doing his part and they went out and got some old, Anglo guy to take his roster spot. Felix will be back but there's no guarantee his boyish enthusiasm will return with him.

Let's just say Jimmy has a good run this year--300 Plate appearances, .250 average, .300 OPB, 12 Homers and 55 RBI with decent defense--Was it enough to justify jiggering the roster and screwing around with the shining star of your organization. My take is, "No".

I give the Cubbies credit for agression and creativity but I'm thinking this was a serious case of "Overthink".

Since nobody wanted to talk about the race discussion yesterday, maybe this more digestible topic will be to your liking.

6 Comments:

At 9:19 AM, May 15, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

As a Cardinal, I don't believe there was a lot of talk about JE being toxic, I think he left a lot of that in So Cal. So maybe that won't be much of an issue @ Clark & Addison.

 
At 10:29 AM, May 15, 2008, Blogger UMRBlog said...

I'm leaving the toxicity out of the equation. I saw signs it was there in '07. It would have been hard for him to have moved up in the difficult player hit parade with Rolen and Drew around earlier.

I think until '06 he was probably pretty close to a LaRussa True Believer.

TYFCB

 
At 1:49 PM, May 15, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You think Lou would like Izzy as well?

I don't know what TLR is thinking. Izzy pitched last night and he brings him in today in the 8th in a one-run game.

When the guy is right he's iffy on back-to-back days and he's in during a day game following a night game and promptly gets lit up.

Guy is not going to have much Strat value next year.

 
At 3:30 PM, May 15, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, and I forgot something...

Shining star of the organization?
I think I've seen this movie before, except Corey Patterson starred in the original.

 
At 6:45 PM, May 15, 2008, Blogger UMRBlog said...

No real comparison between Pie's numbers/ages and Corey's numbers/ages coming through the system. Pie's been four tool player everywhere he's been. Even EPatt didn't do same kind of age/numbers progress through the system.

Moreover because F. Pie was about 12 when he entered the system, they could baby him. He's been the one unavailable asset for three years now. He'd have been the position player centerpiece of any organization at these age/numbers.

The trouble is this was to be his big boy year and he's been outsourced.

TYFCB

 
At 4:44 AM, May 16, 2008, Blogger Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

Bad move by Hendry. Charles Barkley said it best. Old players get older. Young players get better.

 

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