Daily Facepalm: 2.10.12 – Uber-facepalm edition

In Facepalm, News And Rumors by berselius117 Comments

Obstructed View Daily Facepalm

Self-directed facepalm

AC and berselius posted new Daily facepalm posts one minute apart from one another. So now they are merged. Those responsible have been sacked

Mish Mash

Let's face it, half the content on this blog is just stuff Mish posts, so today is a look back at Mish's contributions to the world of Obstructed View and beyond. If you'd like to talk about baseball or even the Cubs, I'm sure there are places you can go for that kind of thing.

Cubs top prospects

ESPN's Keith Law released his top 100 prospects list  ($) yesterday, and the Cubs had three players on the list (the system ranked 20th overall). Anthony Rizzo came in at 36, recent first round pick Javier Baez came in at 95 and top prospect Brett Jackson came in at 89. That one's a real head scratcher but KLaw's ranking criteria is different from most prospect listers. He sees a problem with BJax's strikeout rate, and if he doesn't figure it out he's "just" a solid-average regular. Former Cubs prospects Hak-Ju Lee and Chris Archer came in at 12 and 63, respectively. I find ranking Lee that high to be even more ridiculous than the Brett Jackson ranking, but I've never been high on Lee.

A Tale of Two (Second) Cities

Mish linked to this free story on BP about not one but two baseball teams, both of which play in Chicago, but (we hope) they're headed in very different directions.

Jed Hoyer Interview

Jed Hoyer went on ESPN 1000 yesterday. You should take everything he says with a Milton Waddams sized grain of salt, but the main headline from the interview was that he says Soriano will more than likely start the season with the Cubs. He also left open the possibility of maybe thinking about talking in the general area of an extension or similar type contract or agreement with Matt Garza.

Thread-Hijacking Discussion Mish Recently Enjoyed

If you want to know how to post images in the comments, you should follow mb's helpful instructions to Mish in yesterday's facepalm thread.

Speaking of salary dumps

The Pirates and Yankees are apparently talking a A.J. Burnett trade, and the Yankees are willing to pay at least 2/3 of his deal to do it. Much like Blake DeWitt getting cut by the Cubs, being salary dumped to potentially clear up room for 1000 year old Raul Ibanez should be a reason to consider instant retirement.

News about Apple Mish Recently Enjoyed

He enjoyed this story. He didn't actually eat an apple. Unless . . .

Is Mish's Dad Dead?

No.

Is there a Cubs game today?

No.

Mishtweeted

Image Mish Recently Enjoyed

Cool Interactive Infographic Mish Recently Enjoyed

Is there Wrigley Talk Friday today?

Check it out at 1 pm CT. Link

Video Mish Recently Enjoyed

Finally, happy birthday to Mish's favorite video evar. Can't believe Mish has been debating between kicking in the back seat and sitting in the front seat for 52 Fridays, but here we are.

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Comments

  4. fang2415

    If you’d like to talk about baseball or even the Cubs, I’m sure there are places you can go for that kind of thing.

    Really, this is unnecessary. Don’t you have your own place you can go to tell people to go to other places?

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  5. Author
    Berselius

    Can you guys see anything in this post? It’s coming up as blank for me, but working in the editor. I could just have a cache problem.

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  23. Mish

    To be fair, this post only shows my (un)contributions in the last 24 hours. I have 2 years of some of the worst posting every to happen on this blog to my name, assholes.

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  24. Rice Cube

    WOW! I didn’t know you could kill a post like Bubbles’ up around #16 with negative faget points.

    And now I’m too scared to actually click on the link to see what he said (dying laughing)

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  28. bubblesdachimp

    Kevin Goldstein @Kevin_Goldstein Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
    Sup 1st/2nd. RT @Frankieaaron: @Kevin_Goldstein If Gerardo Concepcion were in the draft, about which round would you expect him picked?

    I have no problem with the $$ but i still am a little confused why we had to give him a 40 man spot

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  31. mb21

    If you had problems with the Samardzija contract you have problems with Concepcion. There’s just no way you can have problems for one but not the other. At least with Samardzija he could elevate his fastball to 98, 99 mph. You have a hell of a lot higher ceiling when you can throw it 100 mph rather than sitting 89-92.

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  34. josh

    @ mb21:
    Are the scouts seeing that he has control and just needs refinement then? Or is this a pure “bet on the athletic guy” type move? Obviously there is something there they like. On the other hand, Theo said the best GM is going to be wrong 50% of the time.

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  36. bubblesdachimp

    @ mb21:

    I think they are different cases. I can see giving a college (although admittedly raw kid ) a 40 man spot if you think the potential is there. See no reason why the money wouldnt be enough without the 40 man spot.

    I think they are two different players and situations.

    Also one was drafted the other was a free agent

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  38. mb21

    josh wrote:

    Are the scouts seeing that he has control and just needs refinement then? Or is this a pure “bet on the athletic guy” type move? Obviously there is something there they like. On the other hand, Theo said the best GM is going to be wrong 50% of the time.

    I started a post about a week ago that mentioned that again. I’ve kept reading the Cubs saw something. Yeah, they always see something in everyone they acquire, but it doesn’t mean they’re always right.

    I think signing Concepcion is a real head scratcher. I don’t understand. I don’t like the money. I don’t like him being added to the MLB roster.

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  40. Mucker

    Maybe they gave him the 40 man spot because they know they will be losing one or more because of the Theo compensation? Who else in the system should grab the spot if not Concepticon?

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  42. mb21

    @ Mucker:
    I think you could pick a name out of a hat and you’d probably find someone as deserving as Concepcion. I actually think he’s as deserving of a 40-man spot as Hayden Simpson is. I won’t be surprised one bit if he’s as bad as Simpson either.

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  44. Mucker

    mb21 wrote:

    @ Mucker:
    I think you could pick a name out of a hat and you’d probably find someone as deserving as Concepcion. I actually think he’s as deserving of a 40-man spot as Hayden Simpson is. I won’t be surprised one bit if he’s as bad as Simpson either.

    I don’t know much about it but aren’t you eligible for Rule 5 if not on 40 man? Don’t know if that has anything to do with it. You guys know way more about this stuff than I, so I’ll take your word for it.

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  45. Mucker

    srbutch5 wrote:

    @ Mucker:
    I think it’s more about his options being used right away than it is about taking up a spot on the 40 man

    I didn’t realize international free agents had options. Man, I need to study more.

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  48. mb21

    @ Mucker:
    You’re not eligible for the Rule 5 until after you’ve been in the system 4 or 5 years. It’s 4 years for players who join an organization after 19 and 5 for those 18 and younger. So Concepcion has 5 years before he can even be eligible in the rule 5 draft, which is probably about how long it will take him to get the big leagues.

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  49. Mucker

    mb21 wrote:

    @ Mucker:
    You’re not eligible for the Rule 5 until after you’ve been in the system 4 or 5 years. It’s 4 years for players who join an organization after 19 and 5 for those 18 and younger. So Concepcion has 5 years before he can even be eligible in the rule 5 draft, which is probably about how long it will take him to get the big leagues.

    Oh ok. Thanks for the info. I didn’t know that.

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  50. Pezcore

    @KevinGoldstien wrote:

    Concepcion is the 6th best cub prospect and would be a sup 1st/2nd round pick in this years draft

    So the 7th best prospect in the Cubs system is worth a freshly drafted 2nd Rounder? Therefore, what is Josh Vitters worth? He usually barely makes the top 10 in most analysis.

    Would Jim Hendry trade a box of donuts for Vitters? One has empty numbers, one has empty calories, both inhibit taking walks.

    So getting a 5th-10th guy for, say Matt Garza, is worse than getting a B supplemental pick when he hits Free Agency?

    If the Sox get borderline top 10 Josh Vitters or Trey McNutt as compensation, is Theo considered a type B free agent? Is this considered a good or bad deal for the Sawx?

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  52. Pezcore

    @ GW:

    It was nearly banned in 1905 by the Bull Moose Founder, Teddy Roosevelt. In 1905, people died every other game due to the sports brutality. Concussions are a big difference.

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  60. Mish

    I don’t mind being made fun of (though I do a much better job of it myself); I grow angry when posts saying I’m the best get negatively-fageted-pointed to the point that they are no longer displayed. (dying laughing)

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  63. josh

    @ mb21:
    Could it just be that they have a directive to spend money on Internationals and youth, making them more willing to put up a little more money than is strictly prudent in those realms?

    Speaking of: What’s the payroll look like this season if they don’t sign anyone else? I seem to recall there was potentially enough flexibility for Fielder/Pujols, so there still has to be $20M or so floating around out there now, right?

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  67. Mish

    Brandon McCarthy is a funny dude:
    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/extramustard/hotclicks/02/10/oakand-as-pitchers-brandon-mccarthy-takes-ver-hot-clicks/index.html

    And this part is pure win:

    A big piece of news this week seemed to be that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was out partying after New England’s Super Bowl loss last Sunday. I read the original headlines with a firm ‘meh.’ Then I saw that rage directed his way was coming from not only fans, but former players and media … and that grabbed my attention. ARE YOU IDIOTS SERIOUS? The Super Bowl is over. There is NOTHING left to prepare for. In fact, the only thing to be done after a loss like that, is to grieve however you see fit. For some guys, I’m sure that was a bible group, or a meal with their families. Maybe for others it was a quiet bar and hours of introspective thinking. Whatever, I don’t care. But Gronkowski went to a club (GASP!) and had fun (DOUBLE GASP!), and now he’s a quitter, a loser, mentally weak, not committed to his team and probably unpatriotic. Nonsense.

    All the people who have helped push this 24-hour news cycle gem on all of us should take hammers to their keyboards so we don’t have to hear anything from them again. Gronkowski is a grown man who’s allowed to do whatever he feels like doing. Just because you’re grieving as a New England fan, doesn’t mean all the players should be sitting in a hotel conference room alternating between crying and devising a plan to get Tim Tebow and his super magic in a trade. Without Gronkowski and his ridiculous record-setting season, the Patriots don’t even get to the Super Bowl. And had he been healthy, I’m fully confident that they would have won the Super Bowl. But he played his heart out on a wonky ankle, did everything he could and the team came up short. What more do you want from him? Would you only be happy if he sat in his room and personally signed apology cards to each and every Patriot fan?

    Get serious folks. It sucks when your team loses, but what happens after the game has no relation to what happened during it, so frankly even caring about it is an exercise in inanity.

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  70. Rice Cube

    Re: AJ Burnett…

    4:14pm: The Yankees are telling the Pirates that absorbing $10MM isn’t enough, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets.

    WTF. You’re asking a small-market team to give you Garrett Jones AND eat more than $10MM of a bad contract? I didn’t do the trade values or anything but that just seems…dumb.

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  73. Eddie

    Just listened to today’s WTF. There is a Cubs billboard ad visible from the Northbound lanes on 294 that I think is around the Irving Park exit, featuring Dale Sveum. It’s pretty funny.

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  77. fang2415

    mb21 wrote:

    daily dead

    At first I thought this was another Dexter reference. Anyway, it’s good. I can go either way on the Dead, but Grisman and Rice always rule.

    Also, I didn’t edit the quote, it just happened to truncate it to the only two words that mattered. (dying laughing)

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  78. Rice Cube

    I’m on an iPhone 3G, which is about as obsolete as I am, but I seem to be getting a blank screen that comes up with an “on/off” button that cannot be toggled, and it is obscuring the article text and comments as it runs the length of the page. I’ll try to screencap this if it keeps happening, but wondering if anyone else has this issue.

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  82. mb21

    @ GBTS:
    When did it stop working? Sometime yesterday afternoon? If so, I’m guessing it has to do with me combining a bunch of css and js files. I never thought to check the mobile version when I was doing it.

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  83. fang2415

    Incidentally after rereading that CareerNet letter my new favorite line is “J. P. Morgan is a firm with a reputation that precedes itself”. (dying laughing) Truly Alvinesque.

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  85. mb21

    fang2415 wrote:

    Also, I didn’t edit the quote, it just happened to truncate it to the only two words that mattered. (dying laughing)

    I mentioned it yesterday, but if you highlight the text first and then hit quote it works just fine.

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  89. jtsunami

    @ mb21:
    Just read through this thread. About Conception being in 89-92 range, that scouting report is from (I think) June. Kids 17-19 are pretty projectable and many add a couple ticks. I mean, we can say 89-92 until a newer report comes out, but he *MIGHT* be in the 92-95 range nowadays. Or he could get up there when he starts working with the Cubs strength and conditioning coach.

    No reason really to already start doubting the scouting abilities of the new Superfriends.

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  106. mb21

    @ jtsunami:
    I don’t doubt their abilities, but I do very much doubt they made a good decision here. They are going to make mistakes and it’s hard for me to see that this isn’t one of them. That it only cost $7 million is a good thing, but this guy just isn’t very good.

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  112. mb21

    @ Aisle424:
    I don’t either. If it weren’t for Adam and Jeff doing the DFP, this place would have nothing new. There have been several times over the last couple weeks I’ve sat down with the intention of writing something. Anything. I spend about 20 minutes looking around for something and can’t find it. This team has gone from entertaining and bad to boring and bad.

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  114. Pell Mell

    @ GBTS:

    I thought it was cool that for a while, mobile users had an obstructed view of Obstructed View.

    Should this have been an Unobstructed View?

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