As I See It: I'm Over It...

Hello everyone! I would like to thank you for viewing my very first blog. I have been writing my thoughts on Chicago Sports for quite some time and well...... It's kinda creepy unless you let others read it. So without further ado I present to you... As I See It: Chicago Sports in the eyes of Curtis Shaw Flagg. Enjoy!:


   I am over it. Totally done and over with being upset with Jim Hendry, and his decision to let go a good crop of corn(prospects, you will get used to the verbiage!) for Tampa Bay pitcher Matt Garza. Now let me be the first to admit that this is not the first Jim Hendry decision I have not agreed with(For an ENTIRELY different blog). But it remains the same, I wasn't quite sure if the ends justified the means. Chris Archer(our touted No.1 farm system prospect), Hak--Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, and fan favorite Sam Fuld were handed tickets for Southeast Florida without hesitation as the Cubbies added more depth to their starting rotation. Now lets weigh the pros and cons:

• We never really got any real substance out of Sam Fuld who showed sound baseball fundamentals and a hard hat and lunch pail approach to playing with hustle, a lot of why he was a fan favorite playing opposite Soriano. But with a .143 Batting Average and no significant contributions to the offense he was expendable, although his defensive play should not go without notice. It will be missed.

 

• Chris Archer was touted as the second coming of Kerry Wood in our farm system. Posting record highs in strikeouts, but compiling a hefty walk total as well. At this point in juncture in Chicago, it is time for the prospects to prospect and even with winning the minor league Pitcher of the Year award, posting 15 wins in both single and double-A, and pitching for Team USA in the Pan American Games the Cubs brass felt as if Archer wasn't ready to produce this season in the Majors(Hendry decision). As for the rest of the prospects, only time will tell. We have seen how Jim Hendry prospects have faired for other teams... Pretty good.

• Now to Matt Garza, the 2008 ALCS MVP. 15-10 last season with a 3.91 ERA and 150 strikeouts, 2nd best strikeout total on current Cubs pitching staff. One intangible that we acquired above all else is the proven postseason success. At only 27 years old he possesses the postseason experience as that of a veteran player and his proven success should drive this current Cubs roster to improve. With Zambrano likely to start an entire season, barring injury or another meltdown, this should increase the Cubs pitching staff's strikeout total significantly. 

   So as I see it, I am totally over giving up the prospects we did. Because if all goes well, the acquisition of Matt Garza to the Chicago Cubs could quite possibly make the starting rotation one of the top 5 in the National League. And that is saying a lot.