Pardon me while I vent. Chicago Cubs fans are making me very angry. Don't get me wrong, they are the best fans in baseball, but the lack of patience in a player's progression is getting old.
From reading many different blogs, it is very apparent that Cubs fans have zero trust or patience in Felix Pie. Never mind the fact that he is the best defensive outfielder on the Chicago Cubs. All the Cubs fans care about is that he can't be patient at the plate and start hitting the ball.
Let me ask a serious question: Why do you think our pitchers are so dominant, especially Ted Lilly? They have the utmost trust in the defense behind them, and this helps them throw strikes. The reason I say especially Lilly is because he is a proven pop-fly pitcher. Most of his outs are strikeouts or lazy flyballs to the outfield.
Felix Pie is by far the best outfielder on this team. He has the speed to run down any ball hit his way. This makes a pitcher feel really good, knowing that the power-alley gaps are significantly smaller with him out there than a Reed Johnson or 'Old Balls' Jim Edmonds.
My question is simple: Why can't Cubs fans and Cubs management be patient with him, and leave him in the game? Do you all realize that he is on the team primarily for his defense, and not for hitting? Do you realize that he is hitting in the eighth spot on the lineup? He doesn't need to produce in that spot. It would be nice, but I would sacrifice an extra 50 hits a year for a surefire out in center field.
I have two main issues that I want to bring up with the recent move to get Jim Edmonds, which will most likely put Felix Pie back in AAA Iowa.
1. Felix Pie is DOMINATING AAA pitching. He has proven that he is too good to be in Des Moines. For some reason, and I think it is a lack of confidence, largely brought on by booing and impatient Cubs fans, he can't translate that success to the bigs. I wish you all would give him a shot. Dustin Pedroia had the same issue last year. Boo birds all over Fenway Park, fans were down on him, yet the best coach in baseball (yes, I said best) Terry Francona, stuck with him. What happened? Oh, he won Rookie of the Year and ended up being a premier second basemen.
I'm not saying this is the case with Pie, but who cares! He is hitting in the eight spot. All he has to do is hit .250, steal a few bags, and keep playing amazing defense. That brings me to my next point.
2. Defense. Felix Pie is on this team because of defense. With Edmonds out in center field, the Cubs might as well print off huge signs saying "Hit it here", and hang them in left center. Neither Alfonso Soriano nor Jim Edmonds will have a chance at getting to those balls.
So, here is my argument: Get off Felix Pie's back. He will come around. You don't hit over .330 in AAA only to hit .200 in MLB. Respect him for what he brings to Chicago, which is amazing defense and tremendous speed if we need a run and we have a runner on second to pinch run for. Let him play. Put Edmonds back on the bench, and use him in situational-hitting situations only.
I'm curious to hear what you all think. After all, I did just call you out as being a bunch of impatient, whiny, baseball fans. The season is long, let's give Pie a chance.
Go Cubs!
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2 months ago
Well right now contrary to popular tyler belief Soriono is abusing the ball, if he hit hrs at this pace we don't need edmonds or PIE.
2 months ago
Amen, Tyler, Amen.
I don't know why the Cubs refuse to give their young players a chance. The Cubs were already the oldest team in the Majors before signing Edmonds, but now they are just flaunting it. I hate this win now mentality, because it's not like it's working to perfection. 3-5 years from now the Cubs will struggle to win 50 games because of how they treat their prospects.
2 months ago
This is a great article and you persuaded me to believe as you do. Pie's defense is the best on the team, and the Cubs will soon see the difference in range in centerfield wth him not there.
Pie has been around for what seems like forever, and the Cubs just don't seem to trust him for long periods of time. I agree that he has nothing to prove in AAA because all he does is rake down there. I guess the only benefit of having him down there is too boost his trade value.
Are Cubs fans against trading this kid and seeing what he could bring in return? Let me know....
2 months ago
Is this like "Give Peace a Chance"? OK, let me try and offer my side to this as best I can. Maybe I'm not seeing things clearly, but what I see is this:
A young player who doesn't have a clue of the strike zone.
Thus, he can't hit. At least for now.
His fielding is good, not great. For example, he doesn't take charge on balls that he lets infielders take instead.
He may be fast but if you can't hit, stealing does you no good.
Now, we're in a pennant race and we don't have time to wait around for youngsters to develop. And who's to say he will develop? The Cubs haven't drafted an all-star caliber position player for a long, long time.
If a vertin like Edmonds can come in and do a decent job, that will help us win. So what do you want, win now at all costs or development time for pre-schoolers? I say we want to win now and the future be damned. Guys, it's been a fricken century.
from 2 months ago
I love when you reply Bob. Always have great points. Here is my take:
1. He is young. And he has no clue what a strike zone is. But neither does Edmonds. I agree that if we are in a penant race and have a legit chance of winning it all, then send Pie down and bring up a proven player that can contribute right now. That is not Edmonds. Granted he was cheap, but still.
2. He hits in the 8 hole. Who cares about his bat if he can field (even if in your opinion it's not great, its still way above average).
3. Speed. You can't understate the value of speed when you have a guy at 2B that needs to score (AKA Geo Soto today vs Bucs). Pinch running may be what keeps this guy in the bigs.
I say, give him time. We've waited a century for a championship, let's wait 2 more months before sending him to Iowa.
2 months ago
many times i ave posted on cub BB same thing as you have expressed here. he can save runs with his glove! and from what i see this young man he has had sum HUGE big time clutch hits. yes he will blunder lots when it would be nice for a hit. but when cubs really need a hit he has produced. and personaly i cant help but beleive Edmunds could play part as a cancer
2 months ago
I am generally uneasy about the decision to bring in Edmonds and send down Pie, because our lineup was producing more runs than anyone else in the league. It didn't need "tinkering." If you've got the best scoring offense in the majors, why fix what isn't broken?
I completely understand your arguments regarding Pie's unbelievable defensive talents. I'll never forget the first time I saw Pie throw a strike (like, it literally would have been called a strike if it had been a pitch) to home plate from center field to throw out a runner. It was glorious. However, he doesn't seem to be living up to his potential, batting wise. It's important to remember that the Cubs hinder Pie's progression as a hitter every day he's watching the major league club play from the dugout. He needs at bats, consistently, in order to improve. That's only going to happen in Iowa for the time being.
I would give Pie a year or two more to develop his hitting ability. If he's destined to be a .250 hitter with All-Star level defense, then that's okay. We'll take him for his glove. But you'd hate to think that prematurely pushing him into the majors might prevent him from also becoming an excellent hitter.
BTW, I agree with you on the booing thing too. Save the verbal abuse for Cards, White Sox, etc.
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