Friday Night Fukudome: Hoffpauir vs. Pie vs. Ward

In true Chicago fashion, I’m going to log on again at home just so I can cast another vote against Pie.

It’s tough. I think you need Pie if only for defense and pinch-running, so it comes down to Hoffpauir and Ward. I love Hoffpauir, but what’s the difference between him and Ward except that Ward is more seasoned? Might as well take the more seasoned guy. It seems unlikely that the difference between Ward and Hoffpauir would cost us a game anyway.

seasoned? It’s the playoffs, if you’re don’t value the pinch hitter at the very least have the balls to go with the guy who’s swinging the hot bat as opposed to the guy with a .596 OPS since the all star break. Jason Marquis is doing .598 this year.

You don’t need Pie for defense and pinch running. You already have 3 good defensive CF’s on the roster in Edmonds, Vag Face, and Fukudome.

I could have sworn that was Sean Marshall on the far left.

Pie, Ward & Hoffpauir all deserve to be on the club. It’s Cedeno who should be cut. That’s right. Theriot is 27 years old and played all 9 innings last night. We don’t need Cedeno for a short series with an off day every 2-3 days. Cedeno is an emergency SS. So DeRosa the cubs MVP could play short for the remainder of a game should Theriot get hurt. Then be replaced on the roster by Cedeno if Theriot can no longer play. We are not going to use Cedeno in any double switches. Cut Cedeno.

Pie and Huffpuff. Anyone that wants Ward is a complete homer. I would rather have Marquis pinch hit than worthless Pancakes Ward. You need Pie to run and to play CF in the 9th when Lou pulls Soriano and moves Reed to LF. Difference between Ward and Huffpuff besides “more seasoned”? Huffpuff has shown he can hit this year, Ward has shown his affinity for pop outs and humpty-dumpty running

Ward does have a game-winning home run this year, lest we forget. But since I made the post above I’ve thought about it and revised my opinion to Ward and Hoffpauir. Pie would be the fourth guy on the roster who could play center, which just seems like too much - if you have to, move DeRosa to right and Fukudome to center. And for pinch-running, while Pie might be the fastest guy on the team, you can probably make do with Fontenot, Cedeno, and Marquis, all of whom appear playoff-bound. And since you’d rather have either Ward or Hoffpauir pinch-hitting than Pie… that’s the two I’m going with.

I had to go for Pie of course first off. That was a no brainer. He’s the obvious pinch runner and late inning sub for outfield defense. Gives us a second option for the double switch also. Without him you’re going to Cedeno to pinch run and if we need him at SS late in a game for another double switch or heaven forbid because of injury and already used him to run, we’re screwed. Thinking we don’t need Cedeno is one thing, realizing we’re stuck with him is another.

The hard choice is between Ward and Hoffpauir. I’ve been going back and forth on this but I think you have to go with the major league experience you get from a guy who can sit on the bench eatin sunflower seeds for weeks at a time and then step in to the box and fuck shit up for the other team. Micah has been hot, but Daryle just took Sheets out of the park like a god damn little bitch.

Pie. Ward.

Oh, and if you use Marquis to pinch run your losing a bull pen arm. He only pinch runs if he pitched long the night before. He’ll be a bullpen guy.

Hey Kevin,

What do u think about cutting Cedeno now? 8th Inning vs. the Brewers and he can’t catch a pop up. He fucked up in NY too. I’d rather eat Ward’s pancakes.

Cedeno is the antichrist. After the 2nd game in the Brewers series can anybody honestly feel Cedeno will be addition by subtraction?

excuse me, I’ve been drinking but i still remember Cedeno sucks

Hoffpower is the odd man out. Pie for speed. Daryl Ward for eating giant burritos.

The Kangaroo and Hoff.

Pie’s toss on Fielder’s blooper made Jacque Jones chuckle

I think Cedeno had sex with Crane’s sister or something, because he’s just plain irrational.

Look Cedeno just sucks! Where is the rational of using Cedeno? A meaningless game like last night with an error and what should have been another on the dropped pop-up. DO you remember last year’s playoffs, Kevin? The problem was not the deffense up the middle it was the bats were cold. Also it is gonna be cold baseball in October. Cedeno is gonna suck even more. I think ur fucking Cedeno up the ass u little bitch.

@Kevin -

It is obvious Kevin that you’re not giving Cedeno enough sucking at home.

Hey BK, I think you should somehow ban this Frasier guy, if not for his uncalled for profanity, then for his misuse of the English language or his irrational belief that we don’t need a backup SS on the playoff roster.

@Kevin - Ok Kevin, u’ve gone from moron to complete whiny bitch. Anyone reading this blog can see you brought up my sister first. It’s October, time to cut you and Cedeno. Nobody can honestly say Cedeno has not sucked playing SS these last 2 series. The only reason Hoffpauir or Cedeno make the ballclub is for offense or defense, respectively. How can you keep a guy for defense when he can’t catch pop-ups or cover first base on a bunt & hold the toss, while cutting the offensive player who goes 5-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI against a team in the playoff hunt? Which player, offensive or defenseive, has earned his way onto the ballclub? You want to keep the defensive player making errors? Theriot 27, played another 8 innings tonight. Maybe these next 2 days off won’t be enough to get him ready for the playoffs.

Dude, Cedeno didn’t drop a pop up. He was running full speed with his back to home plate and attempting to avoid 2 defenders when he dropped it. Context is everything. Please tell me how many innings anyone other than Theriot and Cedeno have played at SS. Actually, I’ll tell you. Derosa has played one (1) (uno) inning at SS this year. I want to get this straight from you now. This is the best Cubs team most of us have ever seen. We have a sickening number of offensive threats, and our pitching is ridiculous. You are telling me that you are willing to jeopardize our playoff run by not carrying a backup shortstop on the roster, is that right? And your only rationale for carrying one (1) shortstop on the roster is that that shortstop, Theriot, has NOT GOTTEN HURT YET? Do you understand the complete idiocy behind that statement? Read it, then read it again. Using that same logic, I guess we should only carry a backup for Soriano, because he is the only one that’s really been hurt all year.

To top this off, Cedeno has a better fielding % and a better range factor than Theriot this season. To top it off, since you are so enamored with “hot” players making the roster, Cedeno has a better average than Theriot this month (.275 to .267) with one less run scored in 35 fewer at bats!

Can’t you two just meet in an alley for some mad passionate make up hate boinking?

@Kevin - worst case is DeRosa plays the remainder of 1 game. Hoffpauir gets 3-4 useful at bats in the first series. When do u use Cedeno against the Dodgers? If you can honestly put the words useful & Cedeno in the same sentence you’d have a point but that’s impossible. Ur right Kevin, context is everything. Any player should hold a ball that falls in their glove. The out was made & Cedeno dropped it. Listen to Ron Santo’s call of that play. Ron went nuts. Cedeno jeopardizes this roster more than Hoffpauir/DeRosa. Back up SS is the least of the Cubs problems in the playoffs.

Look, everyone hates Cedeno, but I think it’s pretty clear that he’s going to be on the team. Let’s hope if he actually makes contact with a baseball, he remembers to run toward first base instead of third base.

Yah I know the Cubs don’t have the balls to cut Cedeno but he deserves it. The playoffs are a complete different season. A back up SS is about as useful as the 5th starter. The needs change in the postseason.

The ANGER!!!! I really don’t care about this argument, because Lou will do whatever he wants regardless of what’s said here.. Cedeno sucks. I’ll say that but it is risky not to have a backup. Then again, DeRosa could probably manage. Regardless. Game 1 is Wednesday and it should be great.

Dude, what if Theriot gets hit in the hand by Lowe in inning 1 on Wednesday, and they find out that it’s broken. You still think we should be fine with DeRosa? Also, never, ever use Ron Santo shouting as evidence of anything, because he’s started to shout when we walk a batter with a 12 run lead.

Yes, Lou will do whatever he wants but we will look at it again after the first round & see if he should be cut or not.

@Kevin -

If I had a gun, I would have driven to Milwaukee and shot Cedeno’s punk ass on Saturday and we wouldn’t even be having any conversation about him, except directions on where to go to piss on his grave. I know that it’s good to have a backup for each position, but Holy Jebus, this guy is terrible. I know he’s gonna make the team, but he better not see a single game unless Theriot’s bones jump out of his skin. As regards to the other three players, I think we have enough CFs with Johnson, Edmonds, and Fukudome on the roster, so Pie is the odd man out. For defensive shifts at the end of ballgames, we can always stick DeRosa in right, Fontenot at 2nd, and have Edmonds and Johnson play center and left. Or Fukudome in right and play all 3 center fielders. We need the Kangaroo’s bat and I’d rather have Hoffpauier’s stick than Pie’s wheels. At leat Michah might get on base.