The Brewers are resting a bunch of players today, so this could be the best chance to avoid a sweep. This is a year!
Cubs lineup
RF David DeJesus
2B Darwin Barney
SS Starlin Castro
LF Adolfo Soriano
1B Bryan Lahair
3B Ian Stewart
C Geovany Soto
CF Marlon Byrd
P Ryan Dempster
Brewers lineup
LF Norichika Aoki
RF Nyjer Morgan
2B Rickie Weeks
3B Rodrigo Ramirez
1B Mat Gamel
SS Alex Gonzalez
C George Kottaras
CF Carlos Gomez
P Yovani Gallardo
Comments
@ Berselius:
Research suggests consumers are becoming more aware of this and getting pissed off by it. With over the top streaming options, viewers can cut the cord and get their preferred content ala carte. Sports is somewhat resistant to this phenomenon because of the importance of real-time viewing though.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Dempster is allergic to strikes today.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Nice double play by the infield
BerseliusQuote Reply
Starlin Castro may never eat dinner again.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Sweet baby DeJesus.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Good news…the Cubs haven’t been shut out yet in 2012 (dying laughing)
Rice in limboQuote Reply
@ Rice in limbo:
It’s gonna happen
BerseliusQuote Reply
It’s pretty awesome how on MLB.TV it now has in-feed links to every at bat in the game (this is using the PC interface).
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I now have five ways to watch the Cubs suck on MLB.TV: PC, phone, iPad, PS3 on one TV, and an Apple TV box on the other TV. BTW the latter two have different functionality – the PS3 app has the different audio options and easy fast-forwarding and watching from specific innings, etc.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
I like the ps3 app, though the fast forwarding is often a little too fast
BerseliusQuote Reply
I assume they shifted against Geo to get that double play on a ball that should’ve gotten to CF according to Gameday?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Were playing a righty shift on Soto?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Yes, Weeks was playing behind second base.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
You would be correct in assuming that, RC. Hit right at the 2B who was playing about a step left of the bag.
cwolfQuote Reply
@ cwolf:
I recall the Brewers have been doing that against righty pull guys for a couple seasons. Too bad Geo didn’t wait for one to drive in the air, but them’s the breaks.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Someone linked an article yesterday about how the Brewers have been shifting like crazy under Roenicke. Given the chatter about Sveum and his love of spray charts I’m surprised we haven’t seen that here too.
BerseliusQuote Reply
i like bryan lahair. Drawks walks. hits for power
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I thought the Cubs have shifted a few times this year – it seems like a little more than in previous years. Certainly not as much as the Brewers have been though.
cwolfQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
We have seen more shifts, especially infield shifts when right handers are up. It’s one of the things I’m most liking about Sveum so far.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
That’s good to hear. It’s something I don’t usually pay attention to unless the announcers keep harping on it.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Well, you cant always see it due to the whole fetish with the pitcher/batter medium shot.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
That Justin Verlander guy is pretty good
BerseliusQuote Reply
Since berselius never makes errors I have to say that Miler Park’s Wrigleyficiation this offseason was done perfectly.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
This was just my homage to Starlin Castro’s defense at SS (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
The Scotsman bunts against the shift. Foul.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Berselius wrote:
mb21Quote Reply
Another great catch by adolfo
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
That actually pissed me off. He was trying to put it right down the line when all he needed to do was put it about 5-8 feet to Ramirez’s right.
mb21Quote Reply
Dempster looks good against the Brewers’ bench.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Great play by Soriano!
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Correct.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
13 innings for Dempster so far, 4 hits. Think he can allow 2.8 hits per 9 all year?
mb21Quote Reply
marlon byrd is bad at baseball
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ mb21:
TRANSFORMED
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ mb21:
17 pitchers had BABIPs below .270 over the past three years, so maybe
BerseliusQuote Reply
Byrd looks thinner.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
You don’t think a 30% line drive rate and an .060 BABIP are out of whack with one another? If Byrd has a 30% LD% this year he’ll probably have a batting average over .400 and win the MVP award.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
Ya never know.
mb21Quote Reply
Based on the last plate appearance I don’t think Dempster gets another batter out this season.
mb21Quote Reply
i cant remember the last time he hit a ball hard.
/untrainedeye
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
When 30.8% of your batted balls are line drives I’m going to guess he’s hit a lot of balls hard this year. What your untrained eye is seeing is an ugly batting average.
mb21Quote Reply
Dempster seems like he might want a good contract from someone after this season.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ mb21:
MB, I gotta ask you a trivia question. I was fishing with Matt Franco, used to play for the Mets. I was fishing with him on a boat, and Matt Franco asked me this trivia question. He said he had talked to players past and present. He asked me, Which guy hit the hardest line drives most consistently of all I’d ever seen. Hardest line drives.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
If he has the type of season he’s had over the last 4 years my guess is the Cubs give him a 3 year deal to stick around. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cubs gave him a 3/36 contract or something. That would probably be well under market value.
mb21Quote Reply
Nah i have seen a lot of ground outs and fly outs.. Now thats where we might differ is me classifying fly outs as what others consider line drives
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
That’s a trivia question?
mb21Quote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
That’s the problem, bubbles. You’re going to be more likely to classify a line drive out as a fly ball. I’ll stick with the numbers. He’s hitting just fine. Besides, this is the 6th game of the season. Pujols had something like a .400 OPS after 10 or 12 games last year.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Well, it was for me and him. We were playing trivia on the fishing boat.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Where would I look up the answer to that?
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Well, you should know the answer!
WaLiQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Oh i know its early. But the at bats have just seemed to be pretty pathetic.
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Give me the question one more time.
mb21Quote Reply
Speaking of small sample sizes, Migeul Cabrera is loving having Fielder on the team and playing 3rd base. His OPS is over 1.2 and his OBP is .579. He has already been worth .7 fWAR (dying laughing)
WaLiQuote Reply
@ mb21:
All right. Who hits the hardest line drives of any player you ever saw on a consistent basis?
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Dave Winfield
mb21Quote Reply
@ WaLi:
Gary Sheffield
Aisle424Quote Reply
MB was that castro out a second ago a LD or a fly ball?
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ mb21:
All right, keep going. That’s one. That’s “A”. “A” wasn’t right.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Yes it was right. I beg to differ.
mb21Quote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
I wasn’t watching and my classification of it doesn’t matter.
The truth with Byrd is that he’s been unlucky and he’s been hitting a lot more balls on the ground than he has. It’s also been less than a week of games and is irrelevant. It would look totally different if he was off to a great start and stumbled for a few games.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
I’m gonna give you, uhh … I’m gonna give … I’m gonna give you a hint. Someone even broadcast games for him.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I broadcast Dave Winfield’s games.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
No … for the answer, I’m talking about. I’m telling you, he asked all the other players. I’m not saying—
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Well, I’m saying, this is a question for which there is no correct answer.
mb21Quote Reply
Looks like things are shaping up for a repeat of the opener
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Yeah, there’s a correct answer
WaLiQuote Reply
I think MB and WaLi are doing a bit.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
It’s also shaping up to be a repeat of 4 of the first 5 they’ve played.
mb21Quote Reply
If bubbles is looking for a guy that hasn’t hit a ball hard so far, look no further than the guy getting more ABs than any other player on the team: Mr. Kim DeJesus
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Well, what did you say? What was your answer? Did you get it right?
mb21Quote Reply
Ouch.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Dempster’s ERA since the end of the 6th inning: 54.00.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Yes.
Al Oliver.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ mb21:
NOT AN ACE
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
He hit a double off the wall in the first inning
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Oh, Al Oliver. He was
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
See!
WaLiQuote Reply
Dempster has lost the plot this inning.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
You’re going to include an at-bat from that long ago?
mb21Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
I sit corrected. With an Elysian Immortal IPA in my hand.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Bubbles has never liked DeJesus. Only really like Lahair right now.
This team is such garbage
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
He was a very good line drive hitter.
mb21Quote Reply
Cubs lose
BerseliusQuote Reply
Here comes the bullpen to tack on some insurance runs.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ mb21:
I knew you would say that. See, I knew that you’d eventually come up with the answer
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Winning on the road ain’t easy.
mb21Quote Reply
@ WaLi:
Joe Carter?
SkipVBQuote Reply
Thanks for playing along (dying laughing)
WaLi out fuckfaces.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
We didn’t even get to the best part. (dying laughing)
mb21Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
@ SkipVB:
Probably.
WaLiQuote Reply
How is that an error on the catcher? That’s like throwing one down the middle and calling it a wild pitch if it goes to the backstop.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
It was interesting because Matt Franco said if I got the answer correct, he would introduce to his cousin … the actor … Kurt Russell. And I said, ‘Okay’
WaLiQuote Reply
If Gallardo gives LaHair that pitch Stewart just hit, it’s going to go a hell of a lot further.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
WHY ARE THEY BUNTING A POWER HITTER?
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
SMALL BALL WINS BALLGAMES!!!
WaLiQuote Reply
Cmon Geo
BerseliusQuote Reply
Which confuses me… do they play with a different sized ball if they are bunting as opposed to hitting a home run? I would think the greater forces involved when hitting a home run would compress the ball making it smaller. So therefor hitting a home run should be called playing small ball.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Cliche about playing for the tie at home etc etc. Grit.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Ugh.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
I’m surprised Gallardo is still in the game
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
That’s his cousin?
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
That’s his cousin.
WaLiQuote Reply
Don’t worry guys, Blake DeWitt’s got this
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
So when did you meet Kurt?
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Well I haven’t met him yet. I just answered it last week.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Well, what’s taken him so long? We’re in L.A. Kurt could have been here tonight. Or maybe he wants to wait till you’re in New York, and we can help Kurt Russell … escape from New York
mb21Quote Reply
Nice line drive from Byrd there.
GBTSQuote Reply
Did anyone else enjoy Ernie’s introduction of John Grisham?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Yeah, that was a great movie. Snake Plissken. The Snake.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
You want to meet him bad, don’t you?
mb21Quote Reply
90 MPH on the 4-seamer from Kerry. *tear
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
just wow. So little chance.
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ mb21:
Yeah, that was his … That was his name. Snake.
WaLiQuote Reply
Anyone thinking they should have traded Byrd before the season started?
joshQuote Reply
Nationals have 9 hits, 10 walks against the Mets but only 4 runs
BerseliusQuote Reply
I got up to get a drink of water and when I got back Wood had struck out two batters.
/things I did not expect
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
(dying laughing) I remember reading that discussion somewhere awhile back and laughing my ass off. Thanks for helping me waste an afternoon doing something other than watching the Cubs lose.
mb21Quote Reply
@ josh:
Yeah, but not based on his poor start. It’s just that he’s not going to have more value at the deadline when he has 4 fewer months of club control.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
What the hell was that from? The Googles, they do nothing
BerseliusQuote Reply
According to Nasty Factor, Kerry Wood just unleashed the nastiest curve in the recently-ended history of sports
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Joe Morgan and Jon Miller during some broadcast. I’m sure you can figure out which one was Joe Morgan. (dying laughing)
mb21Quote Reply
When did it become 1998 again? Who the fuck was that kid pitching for the Cubs just now?
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ mb21:
That, and just the risk that he won’t have a good season. A poor start doesn’t mean anything, but there’s always that chance that he’s basically done. Maybe I’m the only one who worries about that kind of thing.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
I don’t think Byrd had all that much value in a trade to begin with. He probably could have brought the Cubs a low B prospect. Maybe not. It was clear the Cubs didn’t want to bring Jackson up to start the year so the question becomes, who plays CF until he’s ready? Tony Campana? Reed Johnson would have been acceptable, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with holding onto a player making little money who still provides value above it.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Yeah, that’s a good point.
joshQuote Reply
nicely done, wali and mb. +1s all around
GWQuote Reply
pads have serious rotation holes now with moseley out for the year and stauffer missing time, also. be interesting to see if they give cashner a shot
GWQuote Reply
Another of KGs claims about Starlin is slowly dying.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Fantastic AB from Sori.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Fucking Stewart. When you waste a pair of two-out walks from what are arguably the two least-patient hitters in the lineup, you deserve to lose.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2012-articles/april/skip-bayless-answers-his-critics-as-first-take-spirals-into-a-circus.html
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Smith is as groin-grabbingly stupid as Bayless is maddeningly hypocritical. Good on Rose for calling them both on their bullshit.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
I honestly believe Marmol has no idea where the ball is going when it leaves his hand. He’s just a thrower.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Has Marmol pitched in every game so far?
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Gameday sez Marmol’s getting squeezed
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Clown shoes!
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
I think this is the first game where the bullpen hasn’t given up a run, save that 1/3 inning stint by Marmol after F7’s Ascension.
BerseliusQuote Reply
It would be so Cubs if Soriano put up a 4 WAR season this year (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
Wait, so now both catchers are used, so if this goes into extras, Geo is catching the whole thing?
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I don’t really have a problem with it. I wish managers did it more often. If the game goes long then Clevenger can just start tomorrow.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
The Blue Jays catcher caught 16 innings and hit the game winning home run. Just sayin’.
joshQuote Reply
Wow, the Cubs bullpen did their job today! Wait, they didn’t have a lead to protect? Damn.
ACTQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Especially in a low-scoring game like this one. It’s not like Geo’s been behind the plate for 90 batters.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Reed. Blech.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Inevitable 9th inning near-rally complete
/ccd
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
He has a reputation that biases umpires. He’s the anti-Maddux.
ACTQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Agreed. I really like that Sveum has been using Clevenger to pinch hit this year.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Ditto
WaLiQuote Reply
Didn’t see the game, but it’s nice to see Starlin took another walk. Also, he leads the league in steals and hasn’t been caught yet. Too bad about the error.
ACTQuote Reply
Aramis is now: .091/.192/.182
ACTQuote Reply
Byrd is now: .048/.130/.048
ACTQuote Reply
@ ACT:
Should have been 2 errors. Soto’s error was a perfect strike throw to 2nd on a stolen base that Castro whiffed on. How that’s an error on the catcher is beyond me.
mb21Quote Reply
Aroldis Chapman is off to a great start.
ACTQuote Reply
@ mb21:
I guess the technical definition allows for that because the SS never caught or touched the ball, therefore it couldn’t be an error on the SS by the letter of the law?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Which is why errors are stupid idiot morons of statistics.
It looked like Castro took his eye off the throw for a second, right when it tailed away.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
(dying laughing) (dying laughing) (dying laughing) (dying laughing)
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
It’s been a rough three seasons.
GBTSQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
Orioles baseball and Peter Angelos will do that to you.
SkipVBQuote Reply
“The shit will hit the fan” is one of the all time great expressions.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Broxton —-> walk-off HBP
Way to go!
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Who needs Chase Utley when you have Freddy Galvis?
ACTQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Dodgers: TRANSFORMED
(into Cubs, or Orioles)
SkipVBQuote Reply
@ SkipVB:
?
Broxton is the Royals’ closer now. I missed a joke. *sad*
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
SMH.
Just after posting that, I had a nagging feeling that Broxton was no longer a Dodger. MB will probably skewer me now, eh?
Royals: NOT TRANSFORMED
SkipVBQuote Reply
Josh Johnson ———–> Not an ace
ACTQuote Reply
Not to beat a dead horse, but here’s a quote from yesterday’s game:
Pretty sure Maholm threw a lot like he normally throws. Slow and Poor.
Guess I’d have to go back through yesterday’s game notes to be absolutely sure, because the commentary there was certainly spot on, but going back to yesterday’s blog is so, well, yesterday.
SkipVBQuote Reply
Pavano———>No hitter through 3.
SkipVBQuote Reply
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ SkipVB:
That didn’t last.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/animals-who-are-extremely-disappointed-in-you
win.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I figured I’d post his no-hitter status in an effort to jinx the Twins.
SkipVBQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Is this a swipe at those here who watch Game of Thrones?
SkipVBQuote Reply
SkipVB wrote:
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Berselius wrote:
SkipVBQuote Reply
@ SkipVB:
I think it’s a swipe at those here who watch the Chicago Cubs on TV.
shawndgoldmanQuote Reply
In related news, if the Cubs lose their next two games, they will have triggered the “5-back rule” by the end of their first away series. That would be quite the accomplishment.
shawndgoldmanQuote Reply
@ shawndgoldman:
Oof! I am wounded.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ shawndgoldman:
That’s why I listen on the radio.
(and because I can’t get them on TV)
SkipVBQuote Reply
Lincecum (and various other Giants) got shelled in Coors tonight
BerseliusQuote Reply
Johnny Damon —> Indians?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Lincecum leads the league in SO/9, but has the highest ERA in baseball (12.91).
ACTQuote Reply
@ ACT:
What a scrub. Not an ace.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ ACT:
Sounds like he’s transformed
BerseliusQuote Reply
Today in baffling television-related valuation: Matt Lauer is making $25m per year.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
WTF.
MishQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Johnny Damon shot an arrow at some Indians?
joshQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
You can make money by being on TV?
I have wasted my life.
joshQuote Reply
You work in a tough environment, Josh
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/04/12/worker-sues-over-phallic-dumplings.html
MishQuote Reply
@ Mish:
Yeah, that chick is always complaining about our cock dumplings.
joshQuote Reply
@ shawndgoldman:
The Red Sox could accomplish it too. We really did bring Boston to Chicago. Everything except the mid-summer stretch of .650 baseball.
mb21Quote Reply
mb21 wrote:
A minor omission, really.
ACTQuote Reply
(dying laughing) at all of the complaining/warning about tomorrow’s game on twitter/facebook. It baseically boils down to:
Hey Cubs fans attending/watching tomorrow’s Cardinals home opener against the Cubs – they might be acknowledging the fact that they won the World Series last year. ZOMG.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I went to a Cardinals/Cubs game twice in St. Louis. Both times it was the worst experience I’ve ever had at a game, though the new stadium is beautiful.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
I’ve been a few times over the past 3-4 years. I can’t recall any bad experiences, probably because the Cubs haven’t been too great. And also the group I go with is split 50/50 between Cubs/Cards fans.
Although now that I think about it, we usually have one person in our group who is that obnoxious Cards (or Cubs) fan (dying laughing)
WaLiQuote Reply
minor league post coming soon
dylanjQuote Reply
new shite up
dylanjQuote Reply