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Brian Roberts Wouldn't Have Helped the Cubs

Eamonn BrennanPosted Oct 7th 2008 11:51AM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: Cubs, MLB Media Watch

It's a few days after the tragedy of a baseball team not winning the World Series, and Chicago's media is still searching for explanations to this Great and Sudden Collapse. The latest? The crumb-bums should have traded for Brian Roberts!
In the bitter end, the difference might have been Brian Roberts, after all. Maybe he wouldn't have overcome the walks in Game 1 or the errors in Game 2, but the Cubs' woeful lack of playoff hitting comes down to two big deficiencies:
Notice, if you will, the contradiction in the first two sentences. The difference was Brian Roberts! Or maybe not, really, but still!

The reasons given here are: The Cubs have no "true" leadoff hitter (yes, they do: Ryan Theriot, though it doesn't matter because Alfonso Soriano is a terrible, inflexible meanie), and the Cubs need more "respected" left-handed hitters. Maybe. Or maybe the lineup that was arguably the best in all of baseball in the regular season had a bad three games, had them just as easily as they could have had three really good ones. Maybe wishcasting for Brian Roberts sort of misses the simple nature of the playoffs: The Cubs were really good, and then ... weren't. Just like the Angels.

Nahhhhh: It was definitely Brian Roberts.

Notes From the Clubhouse: Baltimore Blues Might Finally Be Fading

Andrew JohnsonPosted Aug 2nd 2008 12:37AM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Orioles, AL East, MLB Transactions

Our MLB editor provides weekly dispatches from major league games in Notes From the Clubhouse.

Last week, the Orioles celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1983 World Series title. That was the last time the once-proud franchise won a championship, in case you were wondering, and it's been a decade since they were relevant.

Eight days later GM Andy MacPhail did nothing at the trade deadline despite his club's grim chances in 2008. Closer George Sherrill is still an Oriole. So is second baseman Brian Roberts, first baseman Aubrey Huff, outfielder Jay Payton and starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera.

To an outsider it might look like the latest gaffe from a front office that has been as hapless as they come since the days of the Clinton administration. But spend a few days with the team at Camden Yards and you get an entirely different vibe.

MacPhail has overhauled the organization in such a way that there's very real hope for the very near future. In perfect concert, manager Dave Trembley has changed the clubhouse culture, stressing things like accountability, respect and appreciation. It's enough to make you see the light at the end of the tunnel, if nothing else.
Continue Reading Notes From the Clubhouse: Baltimore Blues Might Finally Be Fading

Jason Giambi, Displeased With Common Baseball Strategy

Eamonn BrennanPosted Jul 30th 2008 3:35PM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Video



Warning: Naughty gesture used in the above video.

Trying to put the old shift on Jason Giambi, are you? Trying to outsmart the smartest mustache-wearing slugger this side of the Hudson, are you? Well guess what, boyo? Jason doesn't much care for your so-called "baseball strategy." When Jason was a boy, gloves weren't allowed, and you had nub the ball with your forearm. Bunts were popular.

Anyway, that's for you, Brian Roberts. Maybe you'll sack up and play baseball like a man next time.

(HT: Mr. Irrelevant and Big League Stew and The Sporting Blog)

Rumor Mill Roundup: July 22

Andrew JohnsonPosted Jul 22nd 2008 6:45PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Angels, Athletics, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Orioles, Rockies, Tigers, MLB Rumors

With the trade deadline right around the corner, our MLB editor brings you the top five rumors every day until July 31.

- Sometimes with trade rumors, it's just a matter of connecting the dots. The Dodgers have a scout in Tampa Bay for this week's Rays-A's series, and with Los Angeles tied with Arizona atop the NL West, you can bet he isn't there to check out Evan Longoria. Back in Tinseltown, manager Joe Torre announced his intentions to showcase give Andy LaRoche plenty of time at third base over the next few weeks.

Even considering Ned Colletti's apparent antipathy for young players, LaRoche is the one prospect who seems to have been jerked around the most. Oakland GM Billy Beane appears willing to deal just about any of his established big leaguers, and the Dodgers could use help just about everywhere. Reliever Huston Street is the obvious target, but shortstop Bobby Crosby and starting pitcher Justin Duchscherer could also end up on the move. LaRoche would be a more than handsome return for any one of those players.

- Brian Fuentes continues to be the hot commodity on the relief market. According to Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News, scouts from seven different teams have watched Fuentes pitch over the last few days, including almost all of the big boys from the American League. Fuentes gave up five runs in a loss on June 30 and since then has been utterly dominant, striking out 13 and walking none in his last seven appearances. Elsewhere, the Cardinals are reportedly stepping up their interest in Baltimore closer George Sherrill.
Continue Reading Rumor Mill Roundup: July 22

Chone Figgins to the White Sox?

Tom FornelliPosted May 21st 2008 1:16PM by Tom Fornelli (author feed)
Filed under: Chicago, Los Angeles, White Sox, Angels, MLB Rumors

The Chicago White Sox are currently riding a six-game win streak that's helped put them back in first place in the AL Central, but that doesn't mean everything is fine and dandy in the Windy City. Sure, the Sox have played a lot better the last few weeks and are starting to resemble a team that can win the division, but they still have holes.

The most glaring one is at second base where Juan Uribe and Alexei Ramirez have been splitting time this season. Combined, they're hitting .201 with four home runs and 20 RBI. The other glaring hole on the White Sox is their lack of a lead-off hitter, as the team currently has Orlando Cabrera at the top of the lineup, and he's much better suited for the two-hole (snicker).

All of which leads to trade speculation as the Sox are hoping to fill both holes in one move, but it won't be Brian Roberts they're going after. One of the names brought up to general manager Kenny Williams, though, was the Angels' Chone Figgins.
''That's an interesting name, and a name that I, yeah ... they're a pretty good team and they need ... I'm talking about the guys that will ultimately be available, and I don't know if they will be any better than what we already got,'' Williams said Tuesday, hours before the Sox beat the Cleveland Indiana 4-1 at U.S. Cellular Field. ''Again, the key phrase being that they will ultimately be available. Not that I can't sit here and play the fantasy game. Hell, I can play that game and come up with a bunch of people. Reality, that's the game I have to deal in.''
Continue Reading Chone Figgins to the White Sox?

Brian Roberts Bares His Soul

Eamonn BrennanPosted Apr 20th 2008 9:39AM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: Orioles, AL East, Baltimore, PEDs

So far, the best thing any steroid user can do is to just talk about it. Get named in the Mitchell Report, and no one's going to believe you unless you admit what you did, flash-fry a public response, and add a dash of earnest and self-effacing apology.

Why, just ask Brian Roberts. Roberts has been one of those guys that, despite admitting to using steroids, has managed not to deal with too much negative public opinion. That might be because he never broke any records. Still, it's easy to see how this happens:
"I don't know how familiar you guys are with the thing called the Mitchell Report," said Roberts, who wore jeans and a button-down shirt as he paced back and forth on the stage of a hotel ballroom in front of the students. "I knew the truth, obviously, deep in my heart, but I was trying to seek counsel from people around me, my family and friends. And I had some people that I trusted very much who were saying, 'Don't tell anybody. They don't need to know. This is your life. This is your business.' And in the end, I said you know I can't live with it like that."
That's just one of many Roberts quotes in this report from the Baltimore Sun, which covered a talk Roberts gave to a group of high school athletes. After he finished, Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings -- best known in baseball circles for his solid Clemens committee performance -- said, "When he gets up to bat, I hope people will clap a little harder and a little longer." So ... now we're supposed to cheer for the guys who did steroids? This is so confusing!

Brian Roberts Is Probably Staying in Baltimore

Pat LackeyPosted Mar 26th 2008 6:50PM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Chicago, Orioles, Cubs, AL East, NL Central, MLB Rumors, Baltimore

I'm not sure I've ever seen a rumored trade take on a life of its own the way this "Brian Roberts to the Cubs" rumor has. Cubs' fans seem to be banking on Roberts as if he's the final piece that will magically transform the Cubs into the '27 Yankees. Even Lou Piniella's incessant lineup talk has had the "unless we make a trade" caveat. Well, if you believe Andy MacPhail, the Cubs won't be making a trade. From the Chicago Tribune's baseball blog:
"We worked at it this long and we don't have deal," MacPhail said. "There's other sides characterizing it as an impasse. You make the judgment."

The Cubs have privately been saying Wednesday what MacPhail just laid out for the media. They feel they've done everything possible to acquire Roberts, but after nearly four months of stalemated talks, there's no reason to believe a deal could happen by Opening Day.
It's a pretty open ended statement by MacPhail, but when you break things down, Mark DeRosa and Roberts are really incredibly similar players. Last year Roberts hit .290/.377/.432 and DeRosa hit .293/.371/.420. Roberts is a little better and a little younger, but is the difference big enough to warrant trading for him? Honestly, I don't think so.

Feel Bad For Mark DeRosa

Eamonn BrennanPosted Mar 22nd 2008 7:42PM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: Chicago, Cubs, NL Central, MLB Transactions

Jim Hendry has a bugaboo that he just can't shake: He wants Brian Roberts. Wants him bad. The problem is that acquiring Roberts would surely bump current second baseman/utility man Mark DeRosa to a full-time utility role, and De Rosa is rightfully pissed:
"It's funny for me," DeRosa said Friday at Hi Corbett Field. "I feel like I've done enough ... where I shouldn't be put in this position. Hopefully Jim and [manager Lou Piniella] realize I'm one of the best hitters they have and my bat should be in the lineup."
Agreed! DeRosa's numbers last year were very solid for second base. The only conceivable excuse for the Cubs not recognizing what they have is Lou Piniella is calling for a "legitimate" leadoff guy, as if he doesn't realize that Kosukue Fukudome is right there, waiting to be plugged into the top spot. Getting Roberts would patch that hole in Hendry and Piniella's lives, but it would also cost the Cubs presumably valuable talent in return. DeRosa is good enough to be the Cubs' full-time second baseman. It's a shame the Cubs don't realize it.

Lou Piniella Is Worried About the Kids

Tom FornelliPosted Mar 17th 2008 3:04PM by Tom Fornelli (author feed)
Filed under: Chicago, Cubs, NL Central, MLB Rumors

If you're anything like me, not only are you extremely good looking, but you're also fully aware that the regular season starts two weeks from today. Those two weeks couldn't go by fast enough, because frankly, I'm getting pretty bored with spring training. It's the same stories every day. Somebody got injured, somebody is going to get traded, and Joe Girardi is going to instruct his players to carry knives around the basepaths.

As a Chicagoan, one of the stories I know I'm tired of hearing about is the ongoing saga of the Brian Roberts trade. Is it going to happen? Has it already happened? Why hasn't it happened yet!? Cubs manager Lou Piniella is tired of hearing about it as well, but not because he's bored by the story, but because he's worried about what it's doing to his youngsters.
"The one thing here with our camp with these trade rumors all the time, it's been a little unsettling for a lot of these kids here," manager Lou Piniella said. "It's hard enough. It's not easy for them to come here and read their names all the time. It's not the easiest thing in the world for these kids."
Won't somebody please think of the children!

Personally, I think the kids will be fine. After all, they're not really kids, and this is just a game that they're playing.

I still think this trade is going to get done, but I have my theory as to why it hasn't yet. With the Cubs continuing to look for another centerfielder in a trade, I wonder if maybe the Orioles want Felix Pie and his mangled manparts as part of any deal, and the Cubs don't want to let go of Pie until they have somebody to take his place.

NIT or NCAA: Dayton

Josh AlperPosted Mar 13th 2008 3:00PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: A-10 Basketball, March Madness

In 2006-2007, the Dayton Flyers won 19 games but their season ended with a loss to Xavier in the second round of the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. They had been 11-3 early in January but struggled to an 8-9 finish and spent the postseason dreaming about next year.

In 2007-2008, the Dayton Flyers won 21 games but their regular season ended with a loss to Xavier today in the second round of the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. They were 14-1 in early January but limped to the finish line with nine losses in their last 16 games. They may play in the postseason this year but it won't be in the NCAA Tournament.

That's a shame for Brian Roberts who ranks as the fifth-most prolific scorer in school history. He'll never play in a NCAA Tournament game, though. Many people will point to injuries as the culprit in the Flyer collapse this season but that's simplistic and incorrect. For all their bad luck, they ranked as the 36th luckiest team in the country according to the Pomeroy Ratings, which means that they won a bit more than expected.

The truth is that Dayton was a bad defensive team all season and, even before Chris Wright's injury, they were too soft inside. They were also an awful free throw shooting team. In today's 74-65 loss, they made just 17-of-28 from the stripe. A simple stat but one that illustrates Dayton's inability to grab what was right in front of them all season.
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