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Cubs Wed Feb 20 2013
Attention Cubs Fans: Don't Fall In Love With Bad Players
The trading of Tony Campana marks the end of the latest iteration of a Cubs player that some fans develop a foolish love for. Don't believe me? Check the comments about the trade on the Bleacher Nation Facebook page (BN is a site that every Cubs fan should be aware of and visit frequently if you want to get a pulse of the fanbase).
Mixed into the chatter about the great haul the Cubs received (two 17-year-old Venezuelan pitchers -- which is great return for a bench guy) along with the mocking of the people I'm talking about, you see the opinions that are infuriating. "SMH," mumbled one fan. "Worst trade of the year," complained another. It may take years, but a quest to rid these people of their shortsightedness is basically the job of the Cubs PR department (re: Theo Epstein).
Campana belongs in the big leagues, there's no question about it. He's quite possibly the best base stealer currently in the majors (Billy Hamilton is the best on the planet), and that skill has immense value in certain situations. But the teams that can maximize his unique abilities, while also dealing with his massive deficiencies, aren't the ones praying for 65 wins like the Cubs.
Campana would have been perfect for an American League team that is loaded with hitting (hiding his horrible bat), but is light in speed (think Detroit). He could be deployed late in games to steal a couple of bases, and can track down enough balls in minimal innings defensively to not kill you. Does that job sound familiar? It should, because it's exactly what he did for the Cubs last year. They just can't afford to expend a roster spot and playing time to someone whose skills are so one-dimensional. You can't steal first base.
He follows in the footsteps of former Cubs (not) greats Ryan Theriot and Sam Fuld, who were lauded for their immense hustle, but haven't been good enough to find every day jobs elsewhere. The funny thing is that baseball is a game that you can't outwork your opponent, so the word hustle and the term grinder are complete misnomers. These guys aren't great players, so there's no reason to get worked up when they get dealt or released. Especially when a team is foolish enough to give you lottery tickets in return.
Campana isn't the last of his kind on the Cubs roster either. Darwin Barney fits into that group as another guy who excels primarily in one aspect of the game: defense. He won a Gold Glove last year by setting a record for consecutive errorless games by a second basemen, but he was far below replacement level as a hitter. Again, you can afford that if the rest of the lineup can rake, but not so if you're struggling to "hit 'em where they ain't."
If you want to go head over heels for a player, repeat after me: Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo, Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija. Don't waste your time being upset about the loss of anyone else.
CJLane / February 20, 2013 10:01 AM
" but he was far below replacement level as a hitter"
Sez who? Baseball Reference has him at 1.3 wins above replacement *on batting alone* in 2012. He was a better overall hitter last year than Gordon Beckham, and only slightly behind Dan Uggla, but will play this year for about $2.5m less than Beckham, and over $10m less than Uggla.
Below *average* sure; below *replacement* and, especially, "far below", no way in hell. You're exagerrating in a way that you don't need to to make your point. Barney is *fine* until someone better comes along, but there is NO reason to sign him longterm unless he suddenly starts (and maintains) hitting with more power.