Season Review: Part 1.

Juan Pierre

Pandrew: Okay Juan Pierre. Best defensive season of his career.
Pandrew: No errors, zone rating of .911 (whatever that means!)
A-Train: That's not even a real stat.
Pandrew: Fine. Fielding Percentage of 1.000
A-Train: Walks declined for the fourth straight year. I know you're going to get on that, so I’ll just get it out of the way.
Pandrew: His July-August-September was almost unbelievably good: .332 AVG, 28 XBH, 27 RBI, 33 SB (though 12 CS)
A-Train: And yet you still want to not re-sign him.
Pandrew: April-May: .239 AVG, I don't need to break down the OBP
A-Train: I'm guessing somewhere in the vicinity of .239.
Pandrew: Somewhere
Pandrew: ODDLY
A-Train: Here's my thing: Outside of Soriano, who's your better idea?
Pandrew: June: .283/.352
A-Train: So he hit well once the weather heated up. I seem to remember somebody predicting that would happen.
Pandrew: I have no idea what manager you are talking about.
A-Train: It seems to have slipped my mind as well.
Pandrew: He's a singles hitter who steals bases.
A-Train: Yeah. but that makes him effectively a doubles hitter.
A-Train: Today at the mall, I saw a Brad Wilkerson t-shirt.
Pandrew: What did it say?
Pandrew: AVG/OBP/SLG!
A-Train: It was one of the pseudo-jerseys. For people who don't want to buy real jerseys.
Pandrew: I say we go with Happy Pie.
A-Train: Oddly enough, it was a Washington jersey.
Pandrew: Oh, I thought you meant T-Shirt.
A-Train: It was a t-shirt. You know what a t-shirt jersey is.
Pandrew: Oh...yes.
Pandrew: I thought you meant like in the mid-90s when Frank Thomas had T-Shirts of him hitting the baseball and a side view of his head.
Pandrew: With his first name in cursive and his last name in BIG BLOCK LETTERS
A-Train: Those are so great
Pandrew: Anyway Pie did this at Iowa this year: .283/.341/.451 with 56 XBH and 17 SB.
A-Train: That's nice.
Pandrew: AND he's only 21.
A-Train: .311/.372/.579 at Iowa. 25 2B, 26 HR.
A-Train: That's what Julio Zuleta did at Iowa in 2000 before we got the bright idea to make him Mark Grace's successor.
A-Train: JUAN PIERRE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE IS! HE'S WHO WE THOUGHT HE IS!!! AND IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND CROWN HIM, GO AHEAD AND CROWN HIS !!!
Pandrew: And if he asks for 8-9 million, it's too much for a singles hitter.
Pandrew: During a rebuilding year.
A-Train: Who is effectively a doubles hitter? Who knows.
A-Train: Either way, I think we're getting Soriano.
Pandrew: He's not effectively a doubles hitter
Pandrew: He hits like 174 singles
Pandrew: and turns 56 of those into doubles
Pandrew: but 20 of them into outs
Pandrew: Also
A-Train: I will not back down - a speed guy is important.
Pandrew: This is important
A-Train: That he is a speed guy? Yes.
Pandrew: Zuleta fits right into my minor leaguers getting power once they turn 25 and are still at AAA
Pandrew: theory
Pandrew: Pie is 21
A-Train: Pie can enjoy another year in AAA, then. he's got plenty of time.
Pandrew: So we're only going to sign Pierre for one season
Pandrew: Because why sign him at all, then?
A-Train: I don't think you can figure in a Felix Pie until he proves that he can hit, even in the short term, on the major league level.
A-Train: Okay, let's wrap up Pierre. My choice for CF next year: Soriano. Yours: Pie. Grade?
A-Train: I vote for B. He's a solid ballplayer.
Pandrew: I vote B. He was solid.
A-Train: Man law. On to...Michael Barrett.

Michael Barrett

Pandrew: I often started him over Victor Martinez.
Pandrew: The best non-Brian McCann catcher in the NL.
A-Train: I would just be happy if we'd consistently start him over Geovany Soto.
A-Train: Yes. agreed.
A-Train: Actually, not agreed. He's better than Brian McCann.
Pandrew: Another foul tip and he'll no longer need to use a cup.
A-Train: He'll be eligible for the WMLB.
A-Train: Wow. Lo Duca was the only NL catcher who qualified for the batting title.
Pandrew: Yes
Pandrew: McCann was better in every major offensive and defensive category
A-Train: Yeah. But still, I remain skeptical. I don't need a computer to tell me what players are good.
Pandrew: But you need a computer to talk about it.
Pandrew: One season is a small sample size
Pandrew: But we are only talking about one season.
A-Train: McCann really picked it up after the break, too. Okay. He's good. But Barrett is a sound second.
Pandrew: McCann was better than Barrett this year. Doesn't mean he'll be good next year (his minor league stats suggest a drop off but they too, are a small sample size, as he's only 22)
Pandrew: Back to Barrett
Pandrew: He wins best Cubs moment of the year
A-Train: Punching out A.J.? Yes.
Pandrew: Yes.
Pandrew: He only struck out 41 times in 375 AB
Pandrew: That's really good for a catcher with some pop.
A-Train: A very questionable level of pop-pop, though.
Pandrew: It's difficult to perform in the clutch if you don't have the balls to handle the pressure.
A-Train: People might not know it, but we enjoy Michael Barrett for reasons other than the fact that he got hit in the nuts.
A-Train: Seriously, he's awesome. A-?
Pandrew: I give him an A- because he can't throw out baserunners.
A-Train: Yes he can.
Pandrew: 10 %, then
Pandrew: my bad.
Pandrew: 19%
A-Train: 19% is not terrible.
Pandrew: Blanco: OLD, but also 42.9 %
Pandrew: And he caught for MADDUX
A-Train: Yeah. but Barrett is usually better than that.
Pandrew: Barrett's career is 23%
A-Train: Maddux is tricky, because he doesn't throw fast, but he rarely pitches out of the zone and has a compact windup.
A-Train: And 23% is not bad. It's average.
Pandrew: We aren't rating him on all of the other years of his career.
A-Train: Right. But as this relates to his future, I don't feel unconfident.
Pandrew: If he qualified, Barrett would have been second to last in the majors
Pandrew: Right in front of Martinez
A-Train: Ninth of ten. Because only nine guys qualified.
Pandrew: Wrong
Pandrew: 17 out of 18
A-Train: Apparently batting and fielding have different qualifier rates.
A-Train: They do! 1 game per two team games, so 81 games.
Pandrew: Haha, 1 GM per 2 team GM
A-Train: Then how did he not qualify?
Pandrew: ...I don't know.
Pandrew: But hey, there's Brian Schneider, the guy Montreal thought was better than Barrett. HAHA
A-Train: Hahahaha.
A-Train: A-. MOVING ON.

Derrek Lee

A-Train: This is not The Cubs Season In Review As Written By David Foster Wallace and Mark Z. Danielewski.
Pandrew: Genius.
A-Train: We should cover something that isn't so long, like Derrek Lee's season.
Pandrew: FUCK RAFAEL FURCAL.
A-Train: I know you want to give him an A. I do not.
Pandrew: I don't want to give him an A.
Pandrew: In the small sample size he had maybe a B-, especially coming after last year
A-Train: Well, then we're agreed.
A-Train: I thought we weren't evaluating past years?
Pandrew: We're not. but he set the bar
Pandrew: and was injured all of it.
Pandrew: Can't give him an incomplete, though.
Pandrew: Also, Derrek Lee did not play even a third of the games at first this year
A-Train: He's the first baseman, though
Pandrew: Well, that's like rating Kerry Wood instead of Sean Marshall for SP.
A-Train: No, because Lee will be the 1B next year.
Pandrew: I think we need to grade Mabry's .205 AVG as well, maybe after the pitchers.
A-Train: I'll save you the time: F.
A-Train: I think Derrek is good, as long as people realize that he's not going to have another 2005.
Pandrew: But he's going to be a near .300 guy with a lot of walks and 35-40 HR
A-Train: Exactly.
Pandrew: and as you know he will receive As for that.
Pandrew: Nobody but Pujols puts up triple crown numbers every year.
A-Train: If Steinbrenner picks up enough of A-Rod's contract to trade him to Oakland, certain A's might be receiving him.
Pandrew: The A's could do a lot worse than trading Eric Chavez for A Rod.
Pandrew: Chavez at his best is A Rod this year
A-Train: And the only thing Chavez points his ass at is ground balls.
Pandrew: Okay, Lee gets a B-. Hope his daughter gets better. Still hate Furcal.
A-Train: I'll drink to that. We can add her to our pray-for list, right under Michael Barrett's nuts. Hey, you like underage girls under your nuts, too! Next: Aramis Ramirez.

Aramis Ramirez

Pandrew: Best season of his career. It's a shame the Cubs were losing because he was mashing the hell out of the ball and nobody noticed.
Pandrew: 80 XBH
Pandrew: Career highs in HR, RBI, BB, 3B.
A-Train: Basically, I have nothing negative to say about Aramis.
Pandrew: He only sat out five games.
Pandrew: Baker missed more than that.
Pandrew: His midde name is NIN
A-Train: Anais Nin Ramirez?
Pandrew: It is confirmed.
Pandrew: They traded Matt Bruback and Jose Hernandez for Kenny Lofton and A-Ram
A-Train: The immortal Matt Bruback!
Pandrew: The Pirates didn't have enough RAM to process it.
A-Train: I love our trades with the Pirates. It almost makes our trades with the Marlins palatable.
Pandrew: Also, Aramis had 29 homers at A+ when he was 19.
A-Train: Proving that...he's just really fucking powerful.
-Train: Is there any way that getting rid of him and getting A-Rod is a halfway decent idea, on any level?
A-Train: I tend to vote for "no". and by "tend to", I mean "am fiercely committed that I will not".
Pandrew: If he then exercised his option and became a free agent
Pandrew: and signed with the Cubs immediately.
A-Train: How would that be a reason to trade him?
Pandrew: Because A-Rod could move back to SS
A-Train: We could not get A-Rod without giving up Ramirez.
Pandrew: and then you'd have an infield of D Lee, A Rod, A Ram, and...E Patt
Pandrew: Of course not.
A-Train: more like E-4 am i rite?
Pandrew: rotf!
Pandrew: Here is what I mean
Pandrew: Trade Aramis as soon as the season ends.
Pandrew: Then, as a Yankee
Pandrew: he uses his become a free agent option
Pandrew: and signs back with the Cubs.
Pandrew: I know it doesn't work. Don't trade Aramis.
A-Train: Then he hits Giambi over the head with a chair…
Pandrew: Also Barry Bonds LOL
A-Train: WE ARE ON THE INTERNET HELLO
A-Train: See? Just thinking about Aramis makes me happy.
Pandrew: Aramis plays on a differently level and our one dimensional grading system cannot adequately give him credit.
A-Train: I don't even care if you misinterpret that.
Pandrew: I'd say he made me happy too but you'd probably edit out what you said and then make fun of me.
A-Train: It's okay. It's an innocent kind of happy!Pandrew: Aramis gets A to the Nth degree.
A-Train: Man law.

This concludes part one of the season review. Tune in again in a couple of hours, when we present: Part Two, the bottom half of the lineup.