In a general basis for 90% of the managers the difference is small. But there are those 5% like LaRussa who can elevate a team and 5% like Quade that who can really sink a team. If you really want me to go through and show all of the things he did wrong I can

I watched probably 70 games last year...
Castro batting third didn't work very well...
But we have the luxury of looking back...
Quade had...
1B---a career .239 hitter, lottsa "K'S"
2B---a rookie
SS---Good hitter, but ML leader in "E's"
LF---a high paid albatross
CF---struggled w/risp, and got HBP that was a hindrance
RF---Free agent bust
C---Barely hit his weight
A closer that couldn't close, and a starting pitching staff with an ERA over five...
Mike Quade was playing against a stacked deck...

But he also had a guy with a career OPS over .800 against lefties and a guy with a career OPS around .700 against lefties but chose to never start the first against a lefty.

The pitching staff was partly his fault for trying to make a lefty specialist into a starter.

he should have removed Marmol from the closer role the 2nd half of August and September with Shark or Marshall.

He had 2 guys hitting below .200 with RISP hitting 3rd and 4th but had a guy with an OPS near .900 with RISP hitting 7th

Bosio and Sveum knew Marmol was throwing a pitch that he couldn't throw last year and Bobby Valentine had to point out Castro's inattentiveness on national TV. Quade and Riggins sat in the dugout playing Tweedledumb and tweedledumber.

Nuff said. So far, and I realize it is still Feb., I like the new regime.

Why would you bring up E's when talking about Castro hitting?

Also, Castro has never LED the majors in errors.

I stand corrected...
He is like Avis...
Second place both 2010 and 2011 in all of MLB...

The conversation was the shortcomings of the Cubs failures for the 2011 season...
Half the game is played on the defensive side of the field...
I wanted to make sure that I gave Starlin Castro the kudos he deserves for his hitting...
But one thing I have said for almost two years...
If Castro was a sub .270 hitter, this MB would be screaming for a new SS...
You and I had discussions last year in the offseason about Castro's "D"...
This is season three...
I've seen you wanting to run guys out of town, if they don't perform in the first two months of a season...
I'm sure he will be better this season...

The conversation was about hitting third in the order. Still not sure how fielding figures in....

I would be fine if he were a .2 70 hitter. Just because he makes errors doesn't make him a bad shortstop.

Maybe I'm mistaking you for someone else, but...
Then why all the bashing on Ryan Theriot?...

OK...
I put my two cents worth in on that, too...
Did Starlin Castro's hitting decline when he was put in the three hole?...
His BA hitting third wasn't up to what he was doing, prior to that...
Still not sure where you come up with that I have tied his hitting in, with his fielding woes...

Why not? He was a poor defender and a poor hitter. What's not to bash?

You mentioned errors when you were talking about the choices to hit third.

I guess you are going to here...
"Starlin Castro's hitting is causing him to lack in defense"...

I am not going there at all. I am going by what YOU said. YOU were the one who brought up errors as a part of hitting, not me.

But you would give a pass to a .270 hitter that has made the second most "E's" on all of MLB...You got me there...

There is a lot more to defense than errors. Even with those errors Castro converted over 50 more outs last year than Theriot did in his best season(rationalized out to the same number of innings)

I will be willing to give up 15 more errors if it means my SS is getting to 70 more balls

If he is a good young defender, why not?

Time will tell...