Campana's Number 1!
With Fukudome now saving face in free agency, Tony Campana has claimed the number 1 spot in the jersey lottery. Still think he should be wearing 5/8, but whatevs. In other numerical reassignments, Matt Garza has changed from 17 to 22, apparently to match the regularly changing arbitration numbers that have since been rendered moot. And Jason Jaramillo will try to earn his dinner wearing Carlos Zambrano's old 38. Isn't this exciting?
Photographic Evidence of Baseball
Tim Sheridan is the Cubs sprint training P.A. announcer, and he posts regularly over at Boys of Spring. He usually gets plenty of good shots of mediocre players, and the images of spring training have already started to pour in as players show up to camp early. David DeJesus,Josh Vitters, Jeff Samardzija, Darwin Barney, and all their scrappy friends have begun working out and are, by the looks of it, in the best shape of their lives. Here's a shot of Kim DeJesus's husband:
Is There a Cubs Game Today?
Nope.
Tweettastic
The #Cubs grabbing Adrian Cardenas off waivers just proof how easy it was to replace D.J. LeMahieu. The question unanswered is why you would
— Christina Kahrl (@ChristinaKahrl) February 6, 2012
Link I recently enjoyed
Not to get all political, but . . .
THE POLITICAL TALK WILL STOP NOW
They gave #21 to Andy Sonnanstine.
I think Sammy Sosa has been insulted enough. Don’t you?
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
Berselius wrote:
Really, this seems unnecessary. Don’t you have your own blog to raise objections to political talk?
Aisle424 wrote:
Truly, indeed, a sad life you must lead.
I like when we can have an entire conversation in Yellonisms.
Berselius wrote:
Amusing, but wrong.
Aisle424 wrote:
False.
Berselius wrote:
Funsucker.
@ Aisle424:
Someone should write a Yellon FAQ to keep track of all these.
Rice Cube wrote:
I’ve thought of that, but I can’t remember where half of the Yellonisms originated.
Mish wrote:
Absolutely correct.
Rice Cube wrote:
Correct.
Rice Cube wrote:
Make sure it’s a Fanpost.
@ AndCounting:
‘s’more like it
Berselius wrote:
I can’t argue with you today.
So we need a post on posting Yellon memes? (dying laughing)
Suburban kid wrote:
[img]http://www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitormagazine/images/october_2006/morethansmores/smore_large.jpg[/img]
@ Mish:
Which you can only add to after reading the explanatory post posting posting post.
Mish wrote:
Nice snark.
jtsunami wrote:
If you have something constructive to add to the discussion, feel free.
Otherwise…
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-10-worst-transactions-of-the-winter/
A-Ram —> Brewers is on the list.
Ryno can list about 50 Alvinisms.
Worst thing every done
You’re outta here
Wrong
You and I don’t often agree
My favorite Al comment of all time was when he said all Negro League players should be removed from the Hall of Fame until Buck O’Neil was inducted. (dying laughing) yeah, that will go over really well. Just take out all the blacks. Nobody will notice.
@ Rice Cube:
The fact Fielder isn’t number 1 tells me all I need to know about that article.
@ mb21:
I think Dave Cameron hates overpaying relievers more than he hates overpaying for DH’s (dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
I am incapable of not giving faget points to making fun of Alvin. The man was just born to be made fun of.
i noticed that boys of spring site has a contest for best cub blogs. This one is not nominated in any category whatsoever.
mb21 wrote:
This. Papelbon was a lousy move, but Fielder’s contract will almost certainly be historically lousy.
fang2415 wrote:
Also, hitting the quote button now seems to do this.
@ mb21:
I’m watching you.
@ dylanj:
If they had a most discredited Cubs blog category we’d be nominated. Too bad for us.
Who nominates the blogs? Jesus?
fang2415 wrote:
quote
@ fang2415:
Just hit the reply button then. (dying laughing)
I think the quote only breaks if you’re quoting a reply
mb21 wrote:
test
(dying laughing), or not.
Berselius wrote:
test
@ Berselius:
Wonder why that is.
mb21 wrote:
(dying laughing)
mb21 wrote:
WCBWJR
What Cubs Blog Would Jesus Read?
@ mb21:
It may be the way the code recognizes and sets up nested quotes.
I think anyone can nominate a blog. I think it’s kind of lame to nominate oneself, but I’m not above telling everyone here to go over and nominate the shit out of us.
Aisle424 wrote:
Probably a Spanish Language one.
I just tried quoting B’s test above and got nothing in the blockquote except “gory “. Then I tried it again and got nothing in it again.
Aisle424 wrote:
quote
mb21 wrote:
I get this when I hit quote. Sometimes the fragment is pulled from a different comment. Maybe it doesn’t like Chrome or vice versa.
Aisle424 wrote:
Nominate all you want, people. The shit will abide, I promise.
@ josh:
I logged in my other account and it didn’t copy any of the text. It must be a role issue, but I don’t know where to go to even begin. I’ve noticed most people just use the reply button anyway.
Another lefty pitcher that broke his arm throwing a baseball was John Smiley back in the late ’90s.
You used to be a valuable poster…..
You seem to only come around to start trouble…..
I can’t argue with you today……
Shut him right up……..
You have been banned from Bleed Cubbie Blue. I think this one’s his favorite. (dying laughing)
Could Jon Heyman be more condescending?
@ mb21:
Yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing. No big deal.
@ Mucker:
You’ve been warned. I know exactly who you are.
@ mb21:
Yeah, I think I use quote more than other people. Partly because when people hit reply I have no clue what they’re replying to. (I know it links back to the parent, but I’m too lazy to do anything. Ever. (dying laughing))
@ fang2415:
Although the links from the reply comment does open up
newold meme possibilities.Aisle424 wrote:
Well, he didn’t also suggest that Hamilton needs to add a clause in his contract that he should wear stigmata under his cap to further remind him of what he has done, not to mention paying the Rangers for the privilege of playing baseball.
If Hamilton collects even $1 for his services this year, then we should probably cancel baseball.
@ Aisle424:
Hamilton really owes all of us something to compensate us for what we’ve had to endure because of his tiny hint of a relapse into the hardest thing he’s ever had to deal with in his life. I think he should take out the garbage every day for everybody in America for one year, minimum.
If Vitters really is the rumored player for the Theo compensation, does that satisfy as “significant”?
wait, is Josh Hamilton somehow barred from drinking beer by MLB? What the fuck is Heyman talking about.
Hamilton didnt go off on a bender, he had some beer and called a friend to hang with him and then reported himself. Thats not a fucking bender. What a dick.
It would be hilarious if Hamilton took Heyman’s comments to heart and gave a discount to the team that “saved” him by taking his talents to Cincinnati (dying laughing)
I guess that’s for Lucchino to decides. Seems like he’s been the one holding things up. But I guess really, Bud’s word is law at this point.
@ dylanj:
His contract may actually stipulate that he can’t imbibe alcohol.
josh wrote:
We haven’t heard anything. It’s possible that Selig is lost in the UW Humanities building. Or more likely, spent too much time in there and hung himself in his office out of sheer architectural despair
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/selig-to-retire-to-madison-to-write-memoirs-on-uw/article_ab1e31a0-f9f1-11e0-983d-001cc4c002e0.html
@ Berselius:
That bad? I didn’t know it could be worse than UIC’s Psychology building.
josh wrote:
From what I remember visiting UIC’s campus, it’s the same hideous Brutalist architectural style. It was built with poured concrete and despair.
Supposedly it was built to be riot proof
The concept at UIC is “NATURAL LIGHT IS EVIL.” The Psychology building is built to give you claustrophobia, literally. The architect was an agoraphobic or something. At least, that’s the official story.
@ Berselius:
That is reminiscent of UIC, with the narrow windows and concrete everywhere.
Here we go. The Behavioral Sciences building kind of looks like a fractal and designed to be impossible to navigate. My wife had classes there. I hated that place: http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/walkingtour/9bsb.html
Since we’re talking about terrible university buildings, the math building, Evans Hall, at Berkeley is usually a fun one. At least once every year someone throws themselves off the building. I’ve walked by two body bags on my way to lab during my undergrad there. That building is depressing, but I feel bad for the kids who felt the need to just off themselves…math and life isn’t THAT bad that you have to resort to that.
Rice Cube wrote:
I don’t recall hearing that it was a problem like that at UW, but they did seal off the windows on the top floor at the UW math building around 10 years ago. It’s pretty impossible to get out of them anyway.
The dept administrator was super pissed that they didn’t clean the windows before sealing them, now all the windows up on the 9th floor lounge (which has an INCREDIBLE view) are all dirty and can’t be cleaned.
@ Berselius:
Yeah, the UIC math building had those narrow windows. They didn’t look to me like they had ever been able to open. They were crusted with accumulated minerals from condensation, I would guess. Hard to see out of them anyway. I hated that place.
Calcaterra quoting Law on the White Sox farm system:
KG has said the exact same thing. The Sox are last and “it’s not even close.”
@ Berselius:
Why don’t they just have the window washer dudes repel down from the roof and clean them? (dying laughing)
Rice Cube wrote:
It’s on the inside of the glass. They sealed the old windows by putting another pane of glass over them, so the dirt etc is trapped between the two sheets of glass.
@ Berselius:
Wow, that is pretty stupid.
@ Rice Cube:
I think at UIC it’s also two-paned and the inside is what’s dirty, I think. Also, it’s plexiglas. I don’t know, maybe it can’t be cleaned and is actually etched? Who knows. UIC always seemed like kind of a shit hole to me. As I said, I didn’t enjoy my time there.
@ josh:
We have a pretty nice view of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan from where we’re at on the tenth floor.
@ Rice Cube:
I thought you were at UC, right? I dont’ think UIC has any lake views. Anyway, I was up pretty high (I can’t remember now, but at least the 9th floor — one of the floors without a toilet) and I could see Taylor street and a parking lot, and cars, when I wasn’t too depressed to get out of my desk and actually look out the window.
@ josh:
Yup, U of C. We’re in tallest building in the hospital/biosciences area and thus have unobstructed views all around.
Rice Cube wrote:
This should have been an Unobstructed View.
@ Aisle424:
I should’ve read the post about posting.
@ Berselius:
The whole idea that the Rangers saved him is laughable. I’ll give the Rangers credit where it’s due and they deserve some, but Hamilton quit. Period.
Brett’s summarized the MLB top 20 Cubs prospects:
http://www.bleachernation.com/2012/02/08/mlb-com-offers-its-top-20-chicago-cubs-prospects-for-2012/
No Hayden Simpson. Travesty.
MLB.com had Jackson as the 33rd prospect and Rizzo as the 37th so naturally Rizzo ranks 1st in the organization and Jackson 2nd. FAIL
I posted this on Bleacher Nation:
I don’t understand how Rizzo could possibly be higher than Jackson. First, as you mentioned, he’s lower in the top 100 and rightfully so. Jackson plays a premium defensive position while Rizzo is at the other end of the spectrum. Jackson, if his defensive skills decline, could move to LF/RF. When they decline later on in his career he can move to 1st base and then DH. Rizzo, though, would move to DH. Each have similar career OPS’s in the minors. Rizzo is younger so give him the advantage at the plate. Not much of one, but some. Yet despite that, all of the projections have Jackson projected as the better hitter.
If we get into a WAR projection the difference becomes huge. I recently took a look at this. If Jackson had a .325 wOBA (league average) Rizzo would need about a .350 wOBA just to have a similar WAR as Jackson. There’s no reason to think he’s that much better a hitter and in fact he may be worse.
To me, this is an example of where scouts and prospect rankings go wrong. They’re comparing the two as if they play the same position. They’d never do this with pitchers. Imagine two 3.0 ERA pitchers. One of them is a starter and the other a reliever. Obviously the starter will be ranked much higher. They understand the difference between positions when it comes to pitching, but still don’t understand it when it comes to position players.
@ mb21:
Was “Don’t you like anything?” a Yellonism?
If so, then…that.
(dying laughing)
@ mb21:
I was actually wondering about that but you summarized it nicely.
@ Rice Cube:
There’s just no way that Rizzo is a better prospect than Jackson. Rizzo may end up being better or more valuable, but he is not a better prospect.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/08/fyi-barry-bonds-can-use-a-baseball-bat-again/
I wish the Cubs had a DH in the unlikely event of a Bonds comeback.
@ mb21:
FWIW, maybe they’re factoring in the possibility that BJax moves off of CF.
Berselius wrote:
How does BJax grade as a CF? Is a move to corner outfield likely?
Mucker wrote:
There was some talk about it going into 2011, and the Cubs played him at corner spots for a nontrivial number of innings in 2010 (though supposedly it was just to get Guyer more time in CF)
From what I remember he’s just an average CF, which is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s not like he’s Jacoby Ellsbury out there.
@ Berselius:
Has Ozzie ever been a GM? Then he should shut up.
A chronicle of a Marlins season with ozzie as manager and mgl as bench coach would be the best sports book in history.
@ Berselius:
what is this i dont even
From Baseball America on Jackson:
I don’t think he’ll be moving to a corner spot anytime soon.
From Cameron’s chat:
(dying laughing)
The 2007-2009 Cubs say hello right back.
/grinds axe
Berselius wrote:
Yeh. Guess that’s why Fielder wasn’t #1 on the worst moves list.
Yeah I’m with b on the Cameron thing. While the big contracts are albatrosses, it gave the Cubs 3 years of essentially being the best team in the Central. The bigger problem was after the 09 season with the lack of awareness of that window closing on them and not trying to retool the roster.
@ Mish:
THIS.
We said it at the time, but they had to do something after the 2009 season. Either add a bit of payroll for a few years or sell some of the high priced players and get younger. They could be contending by now. They chose neither plan.
@ mb21:
One wonders if the Tigers will do any better once Fielder starts to go south. Somehow I doubt it. (dying laughing)
I think they knew damn well that the window was closing/closed, but nobody had the balls to pick a plan. Hendry was still trying to complete a Hail Mary on a limited budget to save his job. Ricketts wasn’t about to sink millions more into payroll with all of that debt looking him in the face (and a shitty economy on top of it). Why they didn’t use their belief that ticket sales were recession proof as a shield to pare down and start over is beyond me. I’m guessing they believed it enough to treat the customers like shit, but not enough to put their actual revenue on the line with a bold plan.
@ josh:
Sheesh, this IS ugly. Maybe the worst campus building I’ve ever seen. Certainly beats ours with the sagging ceiling tiles and the fans that squeak squeak squeak all through class.
Did Jon Heyman learn sports writing from Jay Mariotti? They’re each about -1.5 WAR in my book.
@ SkipVB:
-1.5 WAR at the AA level
@ SkipVB:
The building’s old inside. I really don’t know what the ceiling fans are like, but the building is so difficult to navigate, they had to add signs, and even those are confusing. Plus there’s almost no natural light. Maybe you have to experience it to understand.
If you are -1.5 writer above replacement at AA, does that put you above, or below, the ultra-entitled no-talent prep-school newspaper reporter with the marching band beat?
mb21 wrote:
I was beating this dead horse over at LOHO this morning. The Soriano contract was going to be a net negative over the course of the deal but it met the objectives that Hendry’s corporate masters were looking for (i.e. win something and inflate the sale value while he’s good), and the whole McDonough thing etc. etc. That doesn’t excuse the deal or mean the money couldn’t have been better spent, but it’s some perspective at least. I think Hendry was an okay GM at the big league level but my big problem with the Hendry regime was the years of shitty drafts and shitty player development. Well, that and his impossible dream of fielding a team of entirely 2b (dying laughing).
@ josh:
Thanks Josh, but I have enough pain in my life now than to add to it with a trip down Behavioral Sciences hallways, plus I’m sure the pain will only guess worse beginning about day 3 of baseball season, when the luster of the new season wears off with Soriano’s second missed catch in LF.
(dying laughing) or crying?
@mb21
This new comment format is excellent!
Does anyone have insider status to Keith Laws new organization rankings on ESPN.com? He advertises/hints at an unknown Chicago team ranking dead last.
Keith Law’s Farm System Ratings
Crap, I can’t edit my post. Here’s a correct link…
@ Berselius:
Yeah, I don’t think Hendry was a bad GM either. He was just around so long and shit didn’t go well so we remember all the bad things. I think we’d be looking at his tenure differently if Prior and Wood had stayed healthy. Or if they’d gotten the final 5 outs in the 2003 LCS. Or just imagine if they’d won the WS or another year. They’d have been contending from 2003 through 2009 and probably even after that if Wood and Prior stay healthy.
@ Pezcore:
It’s the White Sox. The Cubs were #20.
It’s a huge gap from the White Sox to whoever is #29. KG pointed out earlier today that the White Sox traded away Santos and Quentin to restock their system and they’re still dead last by far.
@ Pezcore:
There’s a new edit link now that’s a lot more usable than the other one.
I also got rid of the image embedder below the comments since it doesn’t work that well. You all should be able to use html. http://www.tizag.com/htmlT/images.php
Edit works for me now. Which is nice.
href=”#co_77577″ title=”Go to comment of this author”>Aisle424 wrote:
The Yellonisms will stop now or I will go on the most Yellonism filled rant you have ever seen!
new shit: http://www.obstructedview.net/major-league-baseball/mgl-on-clubhouse-confidential.html