Consensus appears to be yes? Could the experts explain their position?

The 2005 White Sox were in a total tailspin too before they barely righted the ship.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

2005

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yes.

/thread

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Most overrated team in memory.

Wrong thread

I've never seen a team lose 10 out of 14 and still be ranked #1 in the power rankings.

That is how good the league believes this team is.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

But aren't power rankings supposed to be how you are playing now?

Power rankings are stupid though anyways.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Media hates the Cubs.

I enjoy reading them each Monday. Largely meaningless, but you can get a read on how teams are viewed nationally.

I think the Power Rankings are supposed to identify "the best teams" as of the publishing date. And a team, while slumping, can still be the best team over the next week or whatever. The Reds failed to get the Cubs out of this slump last week...maybe this second dose will do the trick.

If anything though... while I know the starting pitching has struggled...this does help show that Elmhurst Steve is an idiot with his Fowler thoughts.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

My eyes glaze over when I see his posts and I just slide by 95% of the time ... was he saying Fowler sucked? How recently?

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

C'mon DT. I can answer your question by asking another. Is Fowler a good ol' boy?

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When Fowler went down.

Paraphrasing...Fowler is just a guy and this will help prepare the Cubs for Almora to replace him...and surpass his production.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

This is an awful misrepresentation of my posts concerning Fowler. I believe Fowler is a good player, but not a great one. He is having a real nice season, but in truth, Almora is the better defender. Fowler is the superior offensive player (right now) and the team's best leadoff hitter, but I would not sign him to an extension, because Almora is ready to take over in 2017 and I would save the millions bringing Fowler back would cost, for starting pitching that will have to be acquired after the 2017 season.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Fowler is great (there aren't many leadoff hitters as good as him)
Almora will never be the offensive player that Fowler is
Almora's defense will not make up that disparity
The Cubs pitching seems fine?

You're in a hurry to break up a team that won 97 games and made it to the NLCS, then won 100+ and may surpass last year's playoff success.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Steve's obsession with Almora is bizarre. If Almora ends up ever being as good as Fowler, that'd be one of the best possible outcomes. It's highly unlikely. Fowler is a very good player (IMU uses "great" liberally). Almora is suspect offensively. You are overvaluing defense.

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Hate to side with IMU, but if you feel the need to differentiate between very good and great, using either one is probably fine.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

That's ridiculous. Why even have different words then? "Great" is an exclusive club (i.e. "all-time greats"). Very good is 20% of the league, if not more.

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are you unfamiliar with the concept of synonyms?

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Those are not synonyms.

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Very good and great are pretty synonymous. Example: Fowler

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

If someone told you Tim Duncan was "very good," would you say that was fully representative of his ability?

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No. And if they said he was great I would also say they are underselling him. Kevin Garnett was great. Tim Duncan was an all time great. Do I need to start a separate thread asking if great and all time great are synonymous?

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Don't get butthurt. We seek truth here.

BTW, there is a difference.

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Is there a difference between great and all time great? Because a few posts up you said there wasn't.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

No, I didn't. You're misinterpreting what I said.

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"Great is an exclusive club, i.e. All time greats" is saying great and all time great are interchangeable. You're saying great is an exclusive club, in others words/in essence all time greats. I didn't misinterpret it.

Sounds like you just wanted to argue semantics either way though, so you're welcome.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

My point was you wouldn't say "all-time very goods." Use your head a little.

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That's a silly point then. Nobody says all time very goods.

There are MANY guys who can be described as very good or great, and both would be fine. You're acting like there are set parameters for these definitions in regards to athletes.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul