How Others Handle Rookies

Evan Longoria, the Rays' best prospect heading into this season, was called up on April 12 and hasn't been out of the lineup since - despite a woeful three-week stretch that included a .167 batting average, 23 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of .263 and slugging of .273. During that time, his average dropped 76 points to .210 on May 15.

What did the Rays do? Bench him? Send him to wherever Iowa is for the Rays?

No. They played him every day. Didn't change where he hits in the order, other than to bat him sixth instead of fifth in one game.

Good thing, too. Since May 15, he is batting .310, with a .364 OBP and is slugging .609, with six home runs.

It's hard to quibble with the best record in baseball, but it's also hard to argue that a little consistency and constancy will do young players a world of good.

(And, yes, I'm well aware of what Felix Pie is batting in Iowa. And, yes, I blame the Cubs for the way they have handled him - and every other player since Mark Grace came up, with the (new) exception of Geovany Soto.)

Down on the (Beet) Farm

Looking over the I-Cubs' roster for some Cubs of interest, I happened to see this guy is back with the team. Just roster fodder, I suppose. Right?

Felix Pie had a productive day yesterday as he drove in 2 RBI to help his team to a 6-4 win. However, he's hitting a robust .114/.188/.205/.392 in 40 ABs. So...yeah.

On the other hand, the ginger snap himself is hitting a useless-to-the-Cubs (especially since the galactically awesome Jim Edmonds is on the roster) .355/.452/.444/.896 with 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI and a 19/10 BB/K ratio. But, he sucks, remember?

Eric Patterson is still doing well at .319/.369/.471/.840 with 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR and 13 RBI and 6 SB; but a horrible 9/28 BB/K ratio. We would like to see more base clogging, young man. Then again, why would we come to expect base-clogging from a Patterson?

Sean Marshall and Rich Hill are on Iowa's 7-Day DL and Kevin Hart is 1-1 and has a 4.12 ERA in 19 2/3 innings with a 6/24 BB/K ratio.

Lou Not Making Much Sense On Felix, OF

After telling Felix Pie that when he was a ball player he had to walk uphill in three feet of snow both ways, Lou Piniella gave this explanation of why Pie is a worse option than a Jim Edmonds/Reed Johnson platoon:

Piniella said Pie has to "be ready" to succeed on every day, not just once in a while. "I played in the minor leagues six full seasons before I got to the big leagues," he said. "But when I got there, I stayed for 17 years. That's what you have to look at. You can't look at the short haul. … Some kids develop and learn their skills a little later than others, and you have to be patient with them. But at the same time, we're not in a rebuilding situation here."

OK, Lou, we'll play along.

Lou's Rookie Year

In your rookie year, you played in 29 of your team's first 31 games and 62 of the first 67. Here's how you fared:

After 15 games, you were hitting .234 with an OBP of .296. Eegads! Lou, did you come to the park ready to succeed every day - and not just once in a while? If so, your 3-for-20 slump in mid-April does not demonstrate that readiness to succeed.

After 38 games, you were hitting .260 with an OBP of .297. Lou, were you still coming to the park ready to succeed every day - and not just once in a while? If so, your 2-for-18 slump in the week leading up game 38 does not demonstrate that readiness to succeed.

But, Lou, you got your average up to .303 by mid-July and has high as .293 in September. Because you came to the park ready to succeed every day. And because your manager stuck by you, wrote your name on the lineup card every day and LET YOU PLAY FREAKING BASEBALL, giving you the opportunity to succeed.

Felix's Rookie Year

Now, Lou, let's take a peek at how Felix has been handled in his young career:

After 15 games of playing more or less every day in his rookie year of 2007, Felix Pie was hitting .229 (.005 lower than Lou after his first 15 games) with an anemic OBP of .245. Days later, that earned him a month-long demotion to Iowa - presumably because he wasn't coming to the park ready to succeed every day. Only once in a while. Unlike Lou.

After coming back, Felix quickly raised his average to .287 (with a .318 OBP) after seven consecutive starts in early June. Those numbers slid considerably (.227/.275) with a 6 for 48 slump over the next two weeks, earning Pie a week of pinch hitting duties followed by a trip back to Iowa.

Pie returned to the Cubs August 8, started four straight games and then did not start consecutive games the remainder of the season.

In short, he was demoted twice after two bad weeks of baseball.

Felix - Year Two

Felix has started consecutive games on the following occasions:

March 31-April 4 (four games)
April 29-30 (two games)
May 5-7 (three games)

That's it.

So, Lou, instead of yanking Felix around day after day and playing him behind Reed Johnson - who is not appreciably better at baseball than Lyndon Johnson, at this point - why not put him in a situation where he is not constantly looking over his shoulder, wondering which over-the-hill center fielder you are going to bring in to take his job?

Do you and Doughnut Jim truly, truly believe that a platoon of Johnson and Edmonds will perform better - offensively, defensively - than Felix Pie? Really?

Cripes!!!

I've been hearing some frightening news around the Interwebtubes that the Cubs are interested in "exploring the signing" of Jim Edmonds.

I, as well as all of you, knew as soon as you heard that the Padres had released Edmonds that Jim Hendry would be all over his jock. True to form, Hendry has bought out the local Krispy Kreme in celebration of Jimmie clearing waivers on Wednesday.

Maddog thinks lots of things, but of this I think he is spot on. I'm not sure about the Khalil Greene thing, except that the Padres may be looking to retool sooner rather than later, and that could lead to them blowing up the whole thing if their losing ways continue. Also, it doesn't seem like Lou envisions a future for Felix Pie with the Cubs. Felix isn't doing much to help his cause, either.

Of Jim Edmonds: he was one of the best outfielders in baseball. He was a feared hitter. He used to have range. Hell, I used to be all of those things as well. Then I woke up. Jim Edmonds is terrible. He has a sub-.180 average. He can't get to anything hit not directly at him. This is a bad idea, Jim.

And, since I know for a fact that Lou reads this blog, here's what the Cubs should do to immediately solve their CF problem (I'm going to get blasted for this, but what else is new?): Do whatever it is you plan on doing with Pie to get him off the roster, recall Thunder Matt to play RF and move Fukudome to CF. You'll still have Reed Johnson to fill in at all three outfield spots, especially for the liability of Murton's defense in RF. For some reason, this has always occurred to me to be Plan B since the Fukudome signing, and especially since Thunder has yet to be traded.

Or, there's always that Griffey guy. In which case Fukudome will most certainly still move to CF. Or, that Lofton guy.

DISCLAIMER: This post is not meant for a panic, wet-the-bed handwringing about Felix Pie. The Cubs have won four in a row and looked good doing it. This is, however, definitely a breathless reaction to the notion of signing Jim Edmonds. Please, for the love of all things baseball, don't sign Jim Edmonds, Hendry. Don't make me hate you even more.

Free Felix Update: "Nothing's Indefinitely"

As only Lou could put it.

In accordance with our new official Wrigleyville23.com policy, Felix Pie should be granted release from "the bench" and welcomed back into "the lineup."

Great catch by Pie last night, by the way.

Pie: Undercooked, Overcooked, or Just Plain Terrible?

So, a fancy newsprint media source is speculating that the Cubs may send Felix Pie down to Iowa to think about what he's done.

Which brings me to this: Felix Pie has done everything right in the minors, yet done pretty much nothing special in the majors. The Reed Johnson Experience has been a fun ride thus far, but it's far from having legs as a long-term option for the Cubs. So, what is the right move here?

It's uncertain (at least to me) if the Orioles were asking for Pie in a Brian Roberts deal as they already have a young stud in Adam Jones patrolling CF in Baltimore in the foreseeable future. According to the terms of the Chicago-Pittsburgh Garbage Pact, Pie could be dumped on the Pirates for Lord knows who--Freddy Sanchez? Jason Bay? Jack Wilson? Bobby Bonilla? Roberto Clemente? But, why would they want Pie? Nate McLouth is lights out and having an All-Star worthy start to 2008.

So, what would you, the scholarly readers of WV23, do with Pie?

Len, Confused About Anatomy

As Felix Pie walked off the field holding his junk after colliding with Rickie Weeks in the second inning, Len speculated:

"Maybe he had the wind knocked out of him."

I know for a fact that that is not where the wind comes out of.

Felix Needs To Unpack His Luggage

Felix Pie will undergo "testicular torsion" to fix his twisted testicle. Cubs.com says he'll be back in three to five days.

I, for one, would miss more than three to five days if my testicle was torsioned. I was going to post some details on the procedure, but it made my junk hurt to read about it. If you like, you can read about it here.

Pervert.

A Causal Relationship

I watched two batters in today's game - Felix Pie's homer and Eric Patterson's double, which of course proves that the key for the Cubs this year is for me to watch as much of as many games as possible.

Felix Pie, Mr. Perfect

At this pace, according to the irrefutable laws of mathematics, nobody will ever get Felix Pie out.

Rumor: Trachsel On The Move Again

A Wrigleyville23 Exclusive!

WRIGLEYVILLE - Steve Trachsel signed a minor-league deal today with the Baltimore Orioles, who immediately began taking offers for the aging righthander from Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, according to a major league baseball source.

"A deal could get done as soon as Wednesday," the source said. "Jim just needs to put together the right package of prospects to make it happen."

Talks are believed to be centered around Felix Pie and Sean Marshall, but it is widely assumed that the Cubs would have to send at least three players to Baltimore to land Trachsel. "They gave up three players last year to get him, and he certainly couldn't be any worse, " the source said.

Cubs and Orioles officials declined to comment on the rumors, though sources close to the Orioles said owner Peter Angelos is very reluctant to let Andy MacPhail trade Trachsel again.

If the Cubs were to give up multiple prospects for Trachsel, it would complicate the team's suspected five-for-one trade talks with the Orioles about second baseman Brian Roberts.

"The Cubs might run out of players," one scout said.

Cubs Looking at Bedard?

In the "I'll believe it when I see it department," today's Washington Post says the Cubs and Orioles may be expanding a deal for Brian Roberts to include Erik Bedard.

"Notes: The Chicago Cubs have made an aggressive attempt to trade for Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts this week, and the deal could be expanded into a blockbuster that would include lefty Erik Bedard as well, according to league sources. However, it remains unclear whether Orioles owner Peter Angelos would approve a trade of Roberts; last year, Angelos vetoed a deal involving Roberts that the Orioles' front office had reached with the Atlanta Braves. Andy MacPhail, the Orioles' de facto GM, said Wednesday he has remained in daily contact with Angelos and has not been dissuaded from pursuing any deals. . . ."

I'd love to get Bedard. He's great and he's cheap, something the Cubs need. But what's it going to take to get this deal done? My guess is at least Pie and Rich Hill. But if they can get the deal done without including Hill, I offer my strong endorsement.

Cubs Contemplating Trading Felix?

This is from Phil Rogers, so take it with the Bonneville Salt Flats:

There's a lot of talk about (Kosuke) Fukudome, the Japanese free-agent center fielder. Word is the Cubs are very much in pursuit of him, in part because he's a left-handed hitter and an on-base machine. Fukudome sat out part of 2007 with an elbow injury but still wound up hitting .294 with 13 homers and a .443 on-base percentage for the Chunichi Dragons. He has hit for power in Japan (31 homers in 130 games in 2006), but some U.S. scouts compare him to Seattle outfielder Raul Ibanez, who has had three seasons of 105-plus RBIs but only one hitting more than 24 home runs. Fukudome is an unrestricted free agent, so teams won't have to bid for the rights to sign him. Several teams are said to be pursuing him, including Texas and San Francisco.If the Cubs signed him, they might be in position to use Felix Pie in a significant trade, possibly with San Diego for shortstop Khalil Greene. But, like the Cubs' reported interest in Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, that's all speculation.

With a name like Fukudome, the headline possibilities are limitless, of course.

Could Soriano's Loss Be a Cubs Gain?

Al over at Bleed Cubbie Blue has an interesting post that touches on what it will mean for the Cubs to be without Soriano for perhaps four weeks. The main knock on Alfonso is that he is a streaky hitter who isn't particularly good in clutch situations.

Having watched plenty of Soriano last season when he was with the Nationals, this is unequivocally true. In fact, I have long thought that the reason he insists on the leadoff spot is that it keeps him from having to bat with runners in scoring position. The sad truth (which Chuck at IvyChat correctly identifies in this post) is that the Cubs would be a better team if they could put Alfonso in RF and bat him deeper in the order -- but that he doesn't seem to have the make-up for either.

It will be interesting to see how Eric Patterson fares over the next couple of weeks, but I'm a little distressed by his call-up. In my perfect world, I'd like to see Alfonso's playing time taken by Matt Murton or Felix Pie. My fear with the Patterson call-up is that Lou will use this to give Ronny Cedeno more playing time. It's all too easy to envision him moving Theriot to RF or LF, starting Ronny, and using Patterson off the bench. I know I placed a moratorium on criticizing Lou's line-ups for the forseeable future -- but I really hope Lou doesn't do this.

Felix Heads West

Alfonso Soriano was tasked with explaining to Felix that he was not headed to heaven, but rather to Iowa.

The Cubs sent Felix Pie back to Iowa today, and called up the intriguing catching prospect Geovany Soto. Soto is expected to catch Zambrano in this afternoon's game. With Pie not seeing regular playing time, I agree with this decision. However, the Cubs are also keeping Koyie Hill and Rob Bowen on the roster through the weekend -- giving the Cubs three catchers. The other downside to this is that Jacque is now going to be the starting centerfielder. I'm already getting worried about the second half...

Wish List for the Second Half

1) That the leprechaun who stole Derrek Lee's power swing will decide to give it back.

2) That Big-Z continues his trend of having strong second-halves and that the Cubs eventually sign him to a 4-year deal at a hometown discount.

3) That the Cubs orgnization doesn't turn Felix Pie into the next Corey Patterson.

4) That Hendry will ask Jacque Jones, Scott Eyre and Bobby Howry to accompany him on a trip out to the countryside, complain about a flat tire, ask them to step out of the car to investigate it, and then just drive away.

5) That all fist fights take place on the field, and not in the dugout or clubhouse.

6) That Cubs' staff walk verrrrrry carefully around Jason Marquis for the next three months, lest he blow up at any minute.

7) That Marmol and Petrick wind up being for real.

8) That Ronny Cedeno is not allowed to wear any Cubs' merchandise that doesn't also have "Iowa" written somewhere on it.

The Obligatory Griffey Post

I've studiously avoided even reading stories about Ken Griffey getting traded to the Cubs, but it is interesting to contemplate a Griffey-Soriano-Pie outfield and a batting order that begins something like this:

Soriano, (one of the Cajun guys), DLee, Aramis, Griffey ...

For the 17 games that Griffey is healthy, that would be fun to watch and Derrek would bat about .450.

Ken Rosenthal, however, says it's not happening:

Good luck to the Cubs in their continuing efforts to trade outfielder Jacque Jones, who has a .295 on-base percentage and two homers in 201 at-bats. Oh, and forget about the Cubs acquiring Reds right fielder Ken Griffey Jr. If the team can't sign right-hander Carlos Zambrano due to its ownership change, then it certainly can't take on Griffey's $12.5 million a year contract through '08, plus a $4 million buyout or $16.5 million club option for '09. ...

So you're saying there's a chance?

Where's Felix? Free Felix!

Wrigleyville demands that he play every day. EVERY DAY. Got it?

All Hail (The New) King Felix

Felix Pie hits a three-run homer, doubled and stole a base to lead the Cubs to a series win over the Brewers. Since being recalled from Iowa, Pie is 8-for-20 (.400, for the mathematically challenged). More importantly, the Cubs are 3-1.

Let's see if he can stay in the lineup and not worry about anyone's feelings, shall we? (I know they say he's staying, but it is the Cubs, after all.)

Mmm, More Pie

Felix is back and the Cubs win. I don't think it's any coincidence, do you? In fact, the Cubs are 11-7 in games in which he plays - and 12-24 when he doesn't.

Math proves it: Felix Pie should play center field every day. Period.