The Cubs lost to the Astros 1-0 in what quite possibly could be the worst game of baseball ever played. Between the two teams there were ten hits, six errors, and one meager run. The only reason the otherwise merciless crapfest ended was because Starlin Castro couldn't outrun Dave Sappelt's stupidity, preventing Castro from scoring the tying run before Sappelt made the last out at third. Thank goodness that shit didn't go to extras.
Do the Cubs Have a Game Today?
I'm honestly afraid to look. But I'm pretty sure they do.
Most Valuable Aramis
Aramis Ramirez is having a career year with the Brewers, While it's true that his when-it-doesn't-count production will go for naught for the late-blooming Brewers (it could happen, but it's not gonna happen), imagine what kind of year he could have had for the Cubs. Let's take a look at just how little any of the Cubs' games have mattered this season:
- Since the conclusion of the Cubs' very first game, they've never been closer than one game out of first place.
- After the first series, they never got closer than two games behind the division leader.
- The Cubs haven't trailed in the division by single-digit games since May 22.
- They haven't trailed by fewer than 20 games since August 1.
- They haven't been within a game of .500 since the end of the first series of the season.
- Lest a winning streak were to cause Aramis to feel undue pressure or smell the disgusting whiff of hope, the Cubs haven't won more than four games in a row.
By my calculations, given the minuscule intersection of the sets of Games that Count and Games that Involved the Chicago Cubs, Aramis could have been a 60 WAR Cub this year. And somehow the Cubs would still manage to win fewer than 60 games.
@WaLi
Rizzo is sore, but uninjured.
Maybe Aramis’s usefulness-to-pointlessness ratio is a logarithmic curve instead of an exponential? Worth investigating.
@ josh:
Either way, my math may be off.
Good writers for this show:
http://deadspin.com/5941913/the-nfl-lawsuit-that-could-be-bigger-than-the-bounty-scandal
Ehrmargard Mike Trout in Wrigley in 2013.
A lot fewer interleague series than I would have guessed, given the new scheduling constraints.
@ Mish:
@ Berselius:
I remember they thought there would be fewer Cubs/Sox games next season, and that’s true. I guess the cross-town cup wasn’t quite the seller they hoped it would be?
Per HBT, there’s an actual doubleheader scheduled on Memorial Day. Rangers and someone, IDK. (dying laughing)
Mish wrote:
Someone’s gonna lose
Did the site go on strike?
I bet AL teams who will lose the DH for 3-4 games in September due to the late interleague games are not going to be happy about the new schedule.
WaLi wrote:
You don’t know how hard it is to blog unless you’ve been a blogger.
@ WaLi:
Rahm told them they had to blog without using words.
@ Aisle424:
A joke, but with some truth in it too.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
True, but then they will have had the advantage of more DH games earlier in the year so should have a better record. Not that it’s going to make the team’s sportswriters whine any less (dying laughing).
@ berselius22:
True (dying laughing)
@ berselius22:
My theory is that asking sports writers to whine less is like asking a dog to fart out Skittles.
@ josh:
Nyan Dog!
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Maybe that will cause the moneybags AL teams to force the DH on all.
I noted that the forum links are no longer on the sidebar.
According to World Series Dreaming, the teams were limited to only 20 interleague games. If that’s correct, then that explains why they are thinner than expected.
@ Rice Cube:
They’ll be back. For some stupid fucking reason I haven’t figured out yet the new theme doesn’t want to play nice with this WP install.
Mercurial Outfielder wrote:
But super happy they get to beat up on the NL.
Vitters at 3B tonight vs LHP. Interesting to me only because with Rizzo out and a LHP on the mound, LaHair is on the bench and the Cubs went with Some Guy at 1B instead of Vitters.
Seems interesting that at the MLB level the Cubs won’t play Josh anywhere but 3B when they had him play there more than a few times in MiLB. Not that I’m complaining, since him playing 1B is a white flag move (in my opinion), I just found it interesting.
@ Chet Masterson:
Are there hard numbers that back up all these assertions of the AL being this bastion of superb and unbeatable baseball teams, or this some sort of received wisdom based on things that used to be true? I ask because 8 of the 17 WS since the strike have been won by NL teams, and one AL team has accounted 5 of the 9 AL wins. Maybe the NL has more really bad teams, but I suspect the teams at the top of each league are roughly equal. Just seems like something baseball fans like to say, but I’ve never seen much data beyond the head-to-head records, and you can’t dismiss the WS number by saying “anyone can be bad in a 7-game series” without that argument calling into question the regular season W-L records, because those are even shorter series.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I think it has to do with the fact that the AL has owned the NL in All-Star games and interleague over the past decade or so. Plus I imagine the DH increases the overall OPS of an AL team relative to their NL counterparts. I’ve also read blogs before (including from ACB and OV) that suggest the NL needs a WAR adjustment because they’re just not up to par with the AL, but I don’t remember exactly where or why.
Just throwing things out there. The DH is usually the main item discussed when arguing AL > NL though.
@ Rice Cube:
Ok, I can see that, although the ASG stuff is pretty much worthless to my mind. The DH angle makes sense.
Didn’t see this posted here, but thought it was interesting:
(Warning: Grantland)
…not so much for the discussion on Strasburg, which has been mercilessly beaten to death, but for this, among other things:
Reading the numbers on how Wood and Prior were used makes me kinda sad. And a bit angry.
.550ish winning percentage for the AL vs NLbin recent years so yeah, the AL is awesome and the NL sucks. Basically, a .450 team in the AL would be a .500 team in the NL.
@ mb21:
How so? I need to see an argument.
(dying laughing) @ Cubs lineup for tonight.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/chi-rizzo-out-of-lineup-with-shoulder-and-back-soreness-20120912,0,2078025.story
If anyone had any question as to how bad this team is, just take one look at this.
What I am asking is why is the AL better? What makes the AL so much better? W-L records don’t tell that tale. I need that story. Otherwise, it’s just bare assertion masquerading as fact.
@ Mobile Rodrigo:
C’mon. There are at least two major league hitters in that lineup.
Sveum said Rizzo swung in the cage and “looked normal”
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
One hypothesis, that I didn’t originate, is that because the DH creates a more hitter-heavy lineup, AL pitchers have to be a little better, so it’s sort of an arm’s race that creates a little better team. Maybe, too, the fact that the pitchers don’t worry about hitting gives them more time to focus on pitching? Pure conjecture here.
@ josh:
I can see that but is there any data to back that up? I mean one extra hitter in the lineup results in a .05 difference in winning %? That sounds a little odd.
The AL is better right now and has been for most of this century. That’s not an assertion. It is a fact.
Why ate they better? More talent. Will they continue to be better? No, probably not. Prior to the AL dominance they were quite a bit worse than the NL.
@ mb21:
I think, but I don’t know, that it’s probably one or two teams that bring their average up.
I wonder how they compare if you just look at the middle 10 teams in each league.
Somebody broke MLB.com’s standings.
@ mb21:
Why do they have more talent? How does that talent make them that much better? You’re not answering the question, you’re just tossing facts at me. If you can say with certainty that a .450 AL team is a .500 NL team, then show the work.
Because Mike Trout is in the AL.
Duh.
@ Mish:
Mike Trout & therefore, etc. (dying laughing)
I’m not denying the AL is better, I just want to understand why they are better. What exactly adds the extra wins to make a .450 AL team a .500 NL team?
Never Forget.
@ GBTS:
Where were you when the worst game ever played happened?
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I don’t really know what you’re asking. I’m saying that right now and for the last several years the AL has had more talent than the NL and has therefore been a far superior league. I’m also saying that it’s not likely to continue forever. FWIW, it’s more than just the Yankees and Red Sox too. The AL is just better because they have more talent, but in all likelihood will not continue to have more talent than the NL. At some point it’s likely to be reversed.
http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/al_v_nl_in_2011/
Last I saw this year (June), the AL had something like a .575 winning percentage against the NL. That surely changed though I don’t know how much, but the bottom line is that right now the AL is considerably better than the NL. Looking for reasons is relatively pointless in my opinion. The bottom line is that an average AL team vs. an average NL team will result, if enough games are played of course, in the AL team thoroughly kicking the NL team’s ass.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Right now it’s simple: talent. It actually is as simple as that. The AL has much better pitching and the hitting, last I read, is about the same. They’re just better.
I think you’re trying to look for reasons that just aren’t there. It’s entirely possible the DH gives the AL some advantage, but probably not much and certainly not as much as we’ve seen. They kick the NL’s ass in the NL ballparks too. Of course, by kicking ass away from home I’m talking winning as many as you lose.
Wow: http://ken.arneson.name/2012/09/mlbs-customer-alignment-problem/
That Tango post was exactly what I was looking for, thanks.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
That was actually MGL, but no problem. MGL knows a shitload about baseball, but is a super asshole.
Mercurial Outfielder wrote:
Not trying to be a dick or anything but this was really funny to me (dying laughing)
Man, that Arneson piece is exactly how I’ve felt about MLB the last few seasons. Best bit:
Rice Cube wrote:
It reminded me of this old joke:
A young couple are enjoying a CSO concert on the lawn at Ravinia. As young couples tend to do, they get a bit frisky under the blanket. The woman brings her boyfriend off, getting a bit of his spendings on her hand. Unsure of what to do, she pulls her hand out from under the blanket and gives it a mighty shake, sending his seed straight into the face of the second chair violinist. He reaches up to wipe it off and gasps in horror.
“What’s wrong?” whispers the first chair.
“Someone just tossed a fuck at me!” replies the second.
“Well, is it any wonder? You’ve been playing like a twat all night.”
@ mb21:
Are you an expert on assholes? If not, you should stop calling MGL an asshole.
@ frysredjacket:
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
I wonder if this will work:
Dempster and Soto are the battery for the Rangers tonight. So far so good.
Max is quite the bro.
Better late than never:
@ GBTS:
Pure. Win.
@ GBTS:
(dying laughing) Took me a little while to find him.
@ Aisle424:
I think OV should publish a “Where’s Alvin” children’s book.
@ Aisle424:
I looked for the one with the hat. (dying laughing)
@ GBTS:
It would be a best seller.
That was Abad bunt attempt.
/rimshot
@ mb21:
I agree, but Al would probably be a dick and sue the crap outta you (dying laughing)
@ GBTS:
Can’t thumbs-up until you find him.
@ GBTS:
Is he where Waldo would’ve been?
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
This is definitely Gordo’s fault.
@ GBTS:
There’s also a cartoon gal with nice cartoon cans near him.
@ Rice Cube:
No, Waldo is there
@ GBTS:
(dying laughing)
We need to contact HIghlights to see if they’re interested in purchasing our Where’s Alvin game. It could be a blast for children for decades to come.
@ mb21:
But the haircut poll at the end of the book would be strange and obtuse.
@ mikeakaleroy:
Her name is Wanda. Maybe you should be a little more careful.
@ GBTS:
Sorry. WANDA has nice cartoon cans.
@ mikeakaleroy:
Is she crispy?
Soriano can haz defense.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24716687&c_id=chc&partnerId=aw-6413407758508618341-1023
@ GBTS:
http://firealyellon.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/al-likes-em-crispy/
(dying laughing) (dying laughing) (dying laughing) thanks for reminding me about that.
@ Aisle424:
I believe the proper nomenclature is “leathery”
Soriano can haz TOOTBLAN. But he got another RBI in the process.
@ Aisle424:
If someone would have told me in March that he’d have a real shot at 100 RBI, I’d have laughed at them. His season is a far bigger surprise than Samardzjia’s, for me.
@ GBTS:
Ah, after reading the post, I now understand where I went wrong. I apologize if I offended you, Wanda, Roger the beer guy, or Alvin.
Sappelt tried to kill the pitcher. Ouch.
Are pitchers ever going to wear helmets? Does someone really have to die before they do?
@ mb21:
I don’t think they’ll ever wear masks, but this seems like a good compromise.
The Brewers are about to be 3 games behind the Cardinals for the Wild Card. Bet they wish they had Greinke now.
Storey got hit in the cheek/jaw area, so a helmet wouldn’t have done him any good. McCarthy would have benefited though.
@ Rice Cube:
I’m OK if they don’t wear masks, but they should have something that at least covers the ears. Taking a line drive off the jaw or chin will hurt like a motherfucker, but it won’t kill you.
@ Aisle424:
In that case it wouldn’t have helped, but I’d support them wearing masks and I think eventually they will. First we’ll see helmets and once that happens I don’t think it will be long before they wear some type of facial protection too. Why not? Once they’ve made a change and go from hat to helmet I just don’t think it’s going to take long to see further changes.
White Sox are not even at capacity at US Cellular, for a series which could determine the division, and by extension, their playoff lives. Sox fans are odd.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Excellent article.
I think this sums up my argument on why the Cubs should not have pushed more and more of their games to CSN or whatever and away from WGN. WGN built their brand and got millions of kids hooked on the Cubs, and now we are still fans. CubsNet or whatever, will restrict viewing so much that the future fans will never be hooked.
@ mb21:
They might benefit from something like what ice hockey players wear nowadays.
It probably can’t be a mesh like what catchers wear, or a full face shield as it could get fogged up. I think the main concern is whether or not a pitcher will still be able to do his normal motions with headgear on. But you can argue that an even bigger concern is whether his brain stays intact on a comebacker.
The O’s are 26-7 in one-run games. I wonder what the best record in such games in a season is.
@ SVB:
I think it will be interesting to see how this all pans out. But I definitely think baseball is going to lose a whole generation of fans because of this business model.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
They are all at some dingy bar with good burgers in Michigan City.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Agreed
(dying laughing) @ http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/57420/americas-new-favorite-apocalypse-here-comes-honey-boo
Here’s something I found amusing—-
Over on the Forum page (which I accessed from the menu bar at top because the links at right are still missing), the status of the topic “Chicago Teachers Strike” is on fire. But the status of “Why I Hate Religion” is not. I guess God isn’t paying attention.
@ SVB:
I’ll add the links tomorrow.
@ mb21:
He’s busy helping the Angels with their cruising speed mediocrity.
Triple away from the cycle! (dying laughing)
@ SVB:
(dying laughing)
@ SVB:
That’s a good point. I lived in Iowa and my parents probably wouldn’t have sought out CSN or whatever. My whole family got hooked on the Cubs thanks to WGN. They do seem to be trying to make an effort to get a lot of weekend games on WGN, but I don’t know if they are broadcasting them over the entire superstation like they used to.
I FUCKING LOVE THE INTERNET:
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
What the HELL?
Feisty little rodent…
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24725285&c_id=mlb
@ josh:
Sean Connery Fist Pump
I now must learn to play guitar and form a band, because we have a name already.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
You speak the truth.
Here’s a great play from the Orioles game last night.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24727839&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_24727839&v=3
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Your first single can be “Being John Malkovich”
Oh, wait…
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
But what about the guy next to him, or the woman in front? This picture is insane.
I’ll play guitar in Sean Connery Fist Pump, but we better not be a Fallout Boy ripoff.
Wood had a hell of a play on defense last night. I love how that guy can play D and hit. They should stick him out in center and see if he can play every day.
@ SVB:
Another one-run win for the O’s. That’s just insane.
@ Rice Cube:
I don’t think pitchers will wear helmets (or visors or whatever) unless MLB makes them. NHL players said something to the effect of “We all want to wear visors, but no one will because it puts you at a competitive disadvantage if someone else isn’t. So unless NHL mandates it players aren’t going to voluntarily wear them”. I can see the same mentality being applied to any sport.
@ WaLi:
DAMN YOU PRISONER’S DILEMMA!
To me, the thing to consider is the frequency that people get hit in the head by a comebacker. Batters wearing helmets made sense because it doesn’t interfere that much, and people were getting hit in the head often enough that it was worrisome. It seems like pitchers getting hit in the head or eye area is much more rare. From a pitcher’s perspective, it just might not be worth the sacrifice for something that is very improbably. In NHL, it makes sense, because, again, the frequency of violence to the face in that sport.
Watching pregame with Tom Thayer. He called Clay Matthews “Clay Matthews Junior” three times. Actually, he’s Clay Matthews III.
You know, Josh’s comics are real good and all, but BGTS deserves to also be honored with full authorship and executive bathroom credentials at OV given the quality and frequency of his gifsmanship.
I was referring of course to LGBT’s “Where’s Alvin” series, although I suppose A424 also creates some of those.
BGTS? Battlestar Galactica To Schaumburg?
@ Mish:
It’s a slow, meandering trip that leaves you feeling confused and a little annoyed.
That’s high praise, Provincial Child.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
J. Walter Weatherman in a quasi-papal outfit?
New Comic: http://www.obstructedview.net/comics/new-old-hat.html