the marquis de swat... awesome.

Why does Hendry keep giving Dusty Baker poor-to-mediocre veterans to play with? It's like handing a pyromaniac a can of gasoline and a book of matches.

You'd think at some point that they would just take away the veterans and make Dusty play the kids.

Restovich is tearing up the VWL, at .337/.442/.577 in ~190 PAs. Quick scan of the stat sheet suggests he's the league's most productive hitter. (Ronny Cedeno's also having a nice run, at .355/.400/.491 in ~180 PAs.)

Can anyone comment on Restovich's fielding?

Now starting for the Cubs, your 2004 Rochester Red Wings!

I only saw Restovich play a few times, but he is a big guy and did not look very fluid in the outfield. I would be suprised if he is anything better than slightly below average.

What I remember in the little that I saw Restovich in a Twins uni he was a little bit cumbersome in the field with an above average arm. I think that he was supposed to be a plus defender but ended up bulking up a little bit around age 24 and it affected his speed. Why in the world he was let go so the Twins could have Corky Miller as a 3rd-4th catcher I will never know. Restovich could have been a Lew Ford-esque player with all sorts of value to the right team. Now he will end up as a kinda Adam Hydzu type player just looking for a chance.

I gave Restovich a FR in both left and right.

FR = Frightening?

Look at those OBPs. I'd bet my lunch that we'll see all three of them in a lineup together this year at some point. Of course, it looks like Restovich can actually hit the ball, so he'll be stuck at Iowa. Especially when NRI Jose Macias locks up another spot on the roster for 2006.

Grissom is so playing this year. I hope that, in this frenzy of signings, they've also signed a duty nurse to come turn Matt Murton on the bench once in a while so he doesn't develop pressure sores on his ass. Maybe he and Cedeno can be in charge of turning each other.

You'd think at some point that they would just take away the veterans and make Dusty play the kids.

I keep hoping. This team could cut every position player over 30 and be better than they are right now by virtue of being forced to keep younger players in the lineup. They only useful piece they'd lose is Walker, and they're not going to play him anyway.

My comments, from the Dugout last week:

Considering the recent history of the French military, they have an outside chance of being the best platoon in a centuries containing guys named Jacque and Marquis.

And no, that really isn't a compliment.

Hey, UCCF, should you be UCCF anymore since Damon shaved?

You'd think at some point that they would just take away the veterans and make Dusty play the kids.

I'd think that at some point people would stop assuming that Hendry wants to play the kids.

Hey, UCCF, should you be UCCF anymore since Damon shaved?

After the nonacronymification, there's no link between UCCF and any kind of Caveman (not that there really was to begin with - I stole from Saturday Night Live's Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, seeing as I was a lawyer and all).

UCCF is here to stay (albeit here less often than he used to be). Of course, if the Cubs would do something interesting it might be enough to bring me back more frequently. Just to be clear, these signings don't qualify.

I'd think that at some point people would stop assuming that Hendry wants to play the kids.

Good point.

BTW, Vince, I saw you helped out the guys at BPro with their simulation of a White Sox-Marines series.

Believe it or not, I'm less skeptical about this than most. Taking them in alphabetical order --

Grissom will surely make the team, but that's because Patterson will surely be dealt. (Yeah, don't call me Shirley.) If Patterson *isn't* dealt, I don't see the need for Pierre and Patterson and Grissom, and I think that even Dusty and Hendry wouldn't do that. When Patterson is dealt (either before or after Opening Day), Grissom will be the backup CF and defensive replacement. In that role, I think he'll be good enough -- certainly better than the Tom Goodwins of yesteryear.

I don't agree, however, that Grissom will be "taking playing time away from anyone in their 20s." Obviously, he doesn't pitch or play infield, so the only candidate (and danger) is him taking time from Matt Murton. I don't see it. Not only are they different players (backup CF versus starting corner OF), but they are both RH, so there isn't even a potential platoon advantage. I can see Grissom being a defensive replacement for Murton, but not the kind of threat that Todd Hollandsworth, Matt Lawton, or Jody Gerut were (or even that John Mabry might be).

Regarding Ojeda, I think he's purely an Iowa guy and won't see the majors unless they deal Walker or if there is an injury to Cedeno or Perez (or if Cedeno busts). Some of this depends on whether they deal Walker, of course. Still, if they deal Walker and bring up Ojeda, I don't see him robbing Cedeno of meaningful time just yet. No one ever accused Augie Ojeda of being a valuable offensive performer.

Finally, as for Restovich, I'm encouraged by his performance in winter ball as well as his status as a former hot prospect, but he's been a pretty lousy hitter since 2002, so while I'm all for giving him a shot, he needs to show a lot more proof than 100 or so winter PAs.

I saw you helped out the guys at BPro with their simulation of a White Sox-Marines series.

It was nice of them to give me a plug.

I'd think that at some point people would stop assuming that Hendry wants to play the kids.

For me, that day was August 19, 2005, when the Cubs activated Jerry Hairston, Jr. from the DL. Rather than DFA'ing the immortal Jose Macias (or Hairston himself), they optioned Matt Murton and his (then) .339/.415/.464.

I don't agree, however, that Grissom will be "taking playing time away from anyone in their 20s."

If Grissom is healthy he can probably still pummel lefties, so he is not necessarily a bad signing. The problem is that the lefty pummeling is most needed in RF, and Grissom is probably not going to see much action in RF. I hope I'm wrong about that. CF is fine, but if Grissom gets hot, you know that Baker is want to get his bat into the lineup somewhere, and with Pierre a fixture in CF, and Grissom not really having the arm for RF...

For me, that day was August 19, 2005, when the Cubs activated Jerry Hairston, Jr. from the DL. Rather than DFA'ing the immortal Jose Macias (or Hairston himself), they optioned Matt Murton and his (then) .339/.415/.464.

This doesn't jibe with this:

I don't agree, however, that Grissom will be "taking playing time away from anyone in their 20s." Obviously, he doesn't pitch or play infield, so the only candidate (and danger) is him taking time from Matt Murton. I don't see it.

I'll believe it when I see otherwise. It may not go down as simply as Grissom instead of Murton, but this organization finds ways to marginalize young players.

So, can we expect to see Murton traded? How about back to the Red Sox, to make up for stealing him in the first place, you bastards!

If anyone got robbed in that deal it was the Twins. Remember that they were supposed to get anther player other than Justin Jones from the BoSox and it never got through at the deadline. Damn Theo and Damn Terry Ryan for not having a spine.

Murton is obviously nothing special. A platoon system would make the most sense, which is probably what will happen. Ojeda was pretty hyped while in Minnesota. I wonder how it all went down the drain.

Artie, being a troll is one thing. Being a boring, witless, unamusing troll is another.

This doesn't jibe with this:

Sure it does. I no longer have any assumption that Hendry is demanding that the kids play. He may want them to play, but (a) he probably wants everyone to play and, more importantly, (b) either way, he's not willing to force the issue.

I also recognize that there are no guarantees that Murton will get the FT job in LF. I can imagine Hendry picking up (and Baker playing) a veteran if/when Murton has a weeklong slump, whether that be in June, April, or Spring Training. Heck, I can imagine Hendry picking up a veteran now, even before training camp opens.

I just don't think that Grissom is the guy.

I'd think that at some point people would stop assuming that Hendry wants to play the kids.

He should have his kids taken away.

He should have his kids taken away.

By St. Louis.

Damn Terry Ryan for not having a spine.

As I recall, the Twins were so happy to be rid of Mientkiewicz that they didn't press the issue.

The end of Mientkiewicz was a happy time. Back the Dr. Morneau could still hit a curveball. I just know that the other player would have turned out to be someboby. I love the Terry Ryan PTBNL deals because they always pan out.