**OFFICIAL CUBS REGULAR SEASON THREAD**

[hawkfarmer]

Petitte out 6 weeks and CC headed to the DL (will only miss 2 starts, but you never know). Yanks could be looking for some pitching!!!

[hawkfarmer]

FYI ... the Cubs are down 16-1 after 6 innings today.

Samardzija, not looking the part of untouchable (from cub's perspective) as a starter the last few weeks. Wonder what is going on with him, mental, mechanics, both?

[deanvogs]

Do not care. Baker is not an everyday player, and LaHair either is going to be an everyday player or is a player that could get traded. He has not faced enough LHP for me to say never bat him against LHPs because Baker gets all those at bats. I say give him a chance, maybe some confidence.

LaHair spent a long time in the minor leagues. They know if he can or can't hit lefties. The problem is he couldn't hit lefties in the minors. What would possible make someone think he will start hitting major league lefties?

Here are some of his stats against lefties.
2005 (A+): 101 at-bats, .208 batting average, .639 OPS
2006 (AA): 44 at-bats, .159 batting average, .484 OPS
2006 (AAA): 47 at-bats, .255 batting average, .723 OPS
2007 (AAA): 139 at-bats, .187 batting average, .533 OPS
2008 (AAA): 75 at-bats, .200 batting average, .557 OPS
2009 (AAA): 140 at-bats, .221 batting average, .623 OPS
2010 (AAA): 108 at-bats, .222 batting average, .646 OPS

http://news.yahoo.com/fan-chicago-cu...0399--mlb.html

[Foval21]

FYI ... the Cubs are down 16-1 after 6 innings today. :eek:

Samardzija, not looking the part of untouchable (from cub's perspective) as a starter the last few weeks. Wonder what is going on with him, mental, mechanics, both?

maybe he just isnt as good as he was thought to be with the hot start. he has talent but ithink he is a 3 starter at best. or he is just struggling during a patch...heck look at mr. consistent (pujols) he went through some ups and downs last yr and this yr. that is what happens over 162 games.

[ssckelley]

I'm sorry, but using this logic then they should have never signed DeJesus in the offseason. And he was a Theo/Hoyer signing. So obviously they view DeJesus as more of a piece to the puzzle than they do Campana.

And, I really mean no disrespect, but I'll trust them regarding player evaluations. DeJesus is a prototypical OBP guy that Theo loves.

Just because a guy is fast does not make him an everyday player.

DeJesus is 32 years old and only has a 2 year guaranteed contract (3rd year option). They only spent 10 million on the guy and you know what you are getting putting him out there every day. I think Theo signed him to be a short term player, honestly I think the ideal situation is for Jackson to take over in center.

Again, the Cubs need to see what they have in Campana, even if he ends up being a career bench player the experience will benefit him. If Campana can hit .270 and get on base 32 or 33 percent of the time then he makes one heck of a leadoff hitter. He has a career .358 on base percentage in the minors (.374 at triple A), that leads me to believe if you give him more time at the major league level he might improve.

If all Campana ends up doing is coming off the bench then it is good to have someone that has experience in case of injury and gets asked to play every day.

I will end my Campana rant now.

[cjhawks]

Do not care. Baker is not an everyday player, and LaHair either is going to be an everyday player or is a player that could get traded. He has not faced enough LHP for me to say never bat him against LHPs because Baker gets all those at bats. I say give him a chance, maybe some confidence.

Someone already posted it, but look at his MiLB stats too. He wasn't even average against lefties.

He's 29 years old for cripes sake. If he couldn't gain confidence against lefties in the minors, how will he gain confidence against them in the majors?

Baker is not an everyday player........which is why he doesn't play every day. But he is a guy that, unlike LaHair, has a history of hitting LHP well.

[cjhawks]

DeJesus is 32 years old and only has a 2 year guaranteed contract (3rd year option). They only spent 10 million on the guy and you know what you are getting putting him out there every day. I think Theo signed him to be a short term player, honestly I think the ideal situation is for Jackson to take over in center.

Again, the Cubs need to see what they have in Campana, even if he ends up being a career bench player the experience will benefit him. If Campana can hit .270 and get on base 32 or 33 percent of the time then he makes one heck of a leadoff hitter. He has a career .358 on base percentage in the minors (.374 at triple A), that leads me to believe if you give him more time at the major league level he might improve.

If all Campana ends up doing is coming off the bench then it is good to have someone that has experience in case of injury and gets asked to play every day.

I will end my Campana rant now.

It's like talking to a wall............

[ssckelley]

Yep, you are right. I have accepted the fact that the Cubs are using this as a building year.

How about making a run for David Wright in the off season? No way the Mets pick up his 16 million dollar option next season.

[9YRPLAN]

campana is a 5th outfielder at best. we know that. there is no need to prove it further.

[hawkfarmer]

Listen, if LaHair isn't going to be an everyday outfielder I don't see the point, he's not great at defense and his offense, even against righties is just ok. Jeff Baker is not a long term solution even as a utility guy, so play LaHair, this is a lost year, and let him get his at bats, maybe he'll get some value. If you don't value him that much trade him for something that might be able to be of some value. I'm not saying LaHair is going to magically hit lefties,

but I would take his .208 career BA against LHP to have his threat of a power bat in the lineup. Baker is not someon you want protecting Rizzo or Soriano. At least LaHair has a chance at hitting for power when he's up. Baker is not someone that says pitch to the guy ahead of him.

[ssckelley]

I would like to remind everyone that the Cubs are 75 games into their season and have already won 26 of them. They sit 1 game ahead of the Padres for next years #1 draft pick in the amateur draft.

Play LaHair, play Campana, play Rizzo and let's see if they will be any use to the Cubs in the future.

[hawkfarmer]

I would like to remind everyone that the Cubs are 75 games into their season and have already won 26 of them. They sit 1 game ahead of the Padres for next years #1 draft pick in the amateur draft.

Play LaHair, play Campana, play Rizzo and let's see if they will be any use to the Cubs in the future.

DING DING DING

[DuffMan]

compana is bad. speed is useless when u can't get on base.ced landrum

Landrum was not as good of a base runner as Campana. Speed changes games and the Cardinals got to a few World Series in the 80s mainly using speed.Vince ColemanCareer .264 batting average with a .324 OBP.

1) landrum played 56 games for the cubs in the mid 80's and had 27 sb in 32 attempts. that's nearly identical to campana.

2) its not the 80's anymore. it hasn't been in over 30 years. as much as you like flock of seagulls and stolen bases neither are making a big comeback.

lastly you keep saying his speed could be a game changer. that's 100% true. it COULD be. however the reality is it isn't, mostly because he doesn't get on base enough to use it. hes at best a role player.

he's basically a shitier version of Ryan Theriot.

[ssckelley]

Duff, I really don't care. The Cubs are playing for nothing, they have the worst record in baseball and are about to unload what small veteran talent they do have to other teams. DeJesus is not going to be your center fielder long term, they are hoping Jackson ends up at center. There is zero advantage to playing DeJesus over Campana and I see no downside to giving Campana the experience while Jackson learns to cut down his strike outs in the minors.

[DuffMan]

Duff, I really don't care. The Cubs are playing for nothing, they have the worst record in baseball and are about to unload what small veteran talent they do have to other teams. DeJesus is not going to be your center fielder long term, they are hoping Jackson ends up at center. There is zero advantage to playing DeJesus over Campana and I see no downside to giving Campana the experience while Jackson learns to cut down his strike outs in the minors.

Dejesus playing everyday maximizes trade value. That's an advantage. If they move him play Campana all they want.