Rizzo to Cubs

[Rutang]

The one thing I am seeing a lot in this thread among people critical of Rizzo is a lack of understanding what age means in relation to a prospect's accomplishments.  Most experts will tell you next to the scouting reports, age is the second most important factor when considering minor league statistics of a particular player.  So far, just about everyone being compared to Rizzo has been older when at the same level.  That should tell you something about the guy's pedigree and potential.

Exactly.   Yes, Rizzo had problems hitting a ML fastball...at 21 years old.  I'm not ready to write him off or compare him to Jordy Mercer.

[scrapiron]

See...this is where we differ you and I scrap. I am a fan of the Pirates. When NH does something good, like his work in the first two rounds of the past 2 drafts, I have no problem giving him credit. You, however, are a fan of Neal Huntington. If NH trades for Kendry Morales, I will tell you right now that I will stand up and applaud NH for getting it done. I would most likely take him over Rizzo as well.

But we both know that is about as likely as your next critical post of NH. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Ryan Howard was 25 years old in 2004. He was 25 in his first taste of the majors. Rizzo was 21. Please. You are embarrassing yourself.

Milledge was highly regarded based on what he did at ages 18 and 19. His performances at age 20 and 21 were both solid but not spectacular. He NEVER had a year like Rizzo had at AAA last year at age 21.

Steve Pearce put up video game numbers at age 24 between A and AAA. How is that comparable to a 21 year old in AAA? Embarrassing.

Brad Eldred's video game season was at age 23 between A and AA. Still embarrassing yourself.

If Rizzo wasn't much of a prospect, would a former Red Sox have made such a point to bring him to replace Gonzalez as the centerpiece of that trade? Then, would another former Red Sox GM have brought him a year later to his new place of employment? Please.

Your need to be Neal Huntington's #1 cheerleader gets in the way of any possible objectivity you could ever have. Had the Pirates traded for Rizzo, I would be praising it ceaselessly...and so would you.

GO NEAL!!!!! NEAL IS AWESOME!!!! WHATEVER NEAL DOES OR DOESN'T DO IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!

Stop it.

RJR

This is where you are wrong...I am not a fan of NH, I am a Pirates fan.  Than means I don't piss and moan because of some imaginary misstep.  You are complaining about NH not doing something someone else did.  That is silly.  You don't even have a clue if NH contacted the Padres about Rizzo, yet you condemn him for not trading for the guy and on top of that build the guy up to superstar potential. You ignore the fact that everyone said the Cubs were going to be the likely spot for Rizzo since the Alonso trade happened.  That isn't being a fan of anyone.  Just a whiner. 

As for your attempt to counter the arguments I posited, you brought up Howard, not me.   You brought up how video game numbers denote superstardom, not me.  Your only defense is they guys age, then dismiss examples that prove you can't simple extrapolate based on age. 

I am not cheering on NH.  I have made it plain in other posts that I am not satisfied with the roster going into the season.  I also don't know what he has tried to do nor what he has not tried to do. Therefore I base my opinion on the facts available, unlike you who suppose he has not tried to improve the club even more.  You act like he has no restrictions on what he can accomplish.  Join reality for a change instead of playing a fantasy game.

[The Moose]

 

[parkerbatteryday]

No reason for name-calling. Calling someone a whiner is not only wrong, it's a bannable offense here at OBN.

To me....and maybe me only, the true showing that I'm a PIRATE fan is to refuse to patronize this ownership group and put money in their pockets at all. They care zero about the fans and what they want because their only goal is to make as much money as possible. They will sell in a second if the ability to make huge money on the team involves any risk at all on their behalf. I don't believe they'll ever do anything to attempt to win if that involves any risk to their profits at all. The only time they spend any money at all is when they feel pressure from MLB or the player's union. They will find reasons at every turn not to spend and they have "fans" like some here who will cheer their every deceptive move because you perceive that as your duty as "fans". Real fans who want to see this team return to its former glory and being competitive on a regular basis would do everything in their power to do what is necessary to apply whatever pressure is necessary to either make these owners accountable or sell the franchise to owners who care about winning. They have many mouthpieces saying many things, but their deeds are what counts and they have shown at every turn that their focus is purely financial. If you don't see this, you haven't been watching very closely. Nothing will ever change while this ownership group owns this team. If anything positive happens at all, it will be via dumb luck or other teams failing as well. Believe what you want...I'm only reporting what I see. I'm looking forward to responses on this as I believe they will mostly be wisecracks like " The Nuttings are cheap"....which they are but that isn't the point. The point is that they are very shrewd businessmen and they have a plan....and it's working nearly flawlessly...just not so well for fans who expect the team to ever be competitive, because that's irrelevant to this ownership group.

[Possum]

Thread Locked.  This will not become a pissing match fellas.  Scraps you are warned about name calling.  parker you are warned that you are not the mods here.  The procedure is that when you are upset with a post report the post to the mods.  That can be done at the link at the bottom right of the post.