DISQUS

DisCUBbobulated · 4 months ago

This is a very well-written deconstruction of DeLuca's DeRosa theory, which I really appreciate, but I'm not sure if it's well-argued.

There is a difference between getting ONE speedy and preferably left-handed bat and dismantling a team, so I don't think DeLuca's argument for one bat contradicts himself. Your point about what the Cubs really tore up is pretty good, though some would argue that losing DeRo and Wood, who were leaders, had a disproportionate chemistry effect (same argument could be made for Edmonds, who also played with passion).

Mostly, you don't address the chemistry argument very much - I think nearly every team in MLB has an 18-9 run at some point in the season, so it is meaningless to isolate that statistic as having any special powers to defeat the "poor chemistry" argument. instead, it is important to look at the overall records vs expectations, which has been less than anyone hoped for or expected.

Finally, you chickened out when offering your own definition of the problem, saying "the problem is that the best players from last year's team have had their problems". You aren't really saying anything at all here because you never specificied, in your whole article, what the problem actually is.

After seemingly eviscerating you, I still want to thank you for a well-written piece. I really appreciate the style and the depth of thought, even if I'm not sold on the arguments themselves.

Brooklyn B · 4 months ago

DisCUB--I think you missed the point of the article. It's obvious why the Cubs have underperformed, as this article points out: Soriano has turned in a very disappointing season, Ramirez missed a ton of games, and Fontenot and Soto have underperformed as well (though Soto did have a great June, I think).

Your first point on DeLuca's contradiction is just semantics.

Your speculation on chemistry and leadership is just that--speculation. The bottom line is that none of us know who the leaders are on the team, and none of us know what it's like inside the clubhouse. How do you know that the guys who left were the leaders? You don't. In fact, camera hogs like DeRosa are often disliked by their teammates (see Carter, Gary). But the truth is that we just don't know, and it's ridiculous for you to pretend that you do.

And, again, if you can't see the argument that the author is making--that it's the performance of this year's roster, not the departure of guys who left (none of whom are having great seasons), well... I got nothin'.

DisCUBbobulated · 4 months ago

Thanks for taking time to reply to my post. I do not remember seeing the specific reasons for underperformance when I first read the article, so either this was a mistaken oversight on my part, or the author updated. Either way, I am satisfied with the explanation of ARam's injury and Sori, Soto, and Font's underperformance as being relevant to this year's strugges.

Actually, there is substance ot my DeLuca contraduction ponit - the quote very clearly describes the need as "a speedy leadoff hitter, preferably one who's a switch hitter or left-handed". This is more than a semantic difference from a suggestion for tearing up an entire team, and does not contraduct DeLuca's point.

I am not presuming to know about the chemistry of the team, but I am saying that the author did not refute the chemistry argument very well. For example, instead of saying they had an 18-9 stretch in July and Soto's a better hitter than Blanco, he might have challenged DeLuca to provide specific examples of "going through the motions" instead of the sweeping and unsubstatiated claims he made.

I do see the argument the author is making... beleive me, I'm not one of those DeRosa heads who thinks the world ended when he left. Actually, I think we have many of the same problems now we did during the LA Dodgers series last year. The only part I really disagree with BR on is I think Chemistry has played a bigger role than could be explained by Aram's injuries alone, and is not totally independent from the struggles of Soriano, Soto, and Fontenot.