Name: Jason Berken
Position: Starting Pitcher
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Current Age: 28
Uniform Number: 57
Who is this fucking guy?
He's a former sixth round pick of the Orioles (2006). He got a chance to start for them in 2009 and sucked. He was part of their bullpen in 2010 and wasn't too bad. Then he went back to sucking in 2011 again. He has made one appearance for the Orioles this year, where he got lit up like a Christmas tree. His ERA is only 18.00 because five of the seven runs he gave up were unearned. He will be taking Jeff Samardzija's spot in the rotation for the rest of this season.
How the hell did he end up on the Cubs?
The Orioles designated him for assignment and the Cubs swooped in to claim him four days later. He joins Miguel Socolovich as another former Oriole that the Cubs claimed on waivers in what will hopefully not become a reversal of the MacPhail trend of picking up the Cubs' castoffs.
Did he enjoy the Bears/Packers game on Thursday night?
I would imagine so. He's a Packers season ticket holder. I suppose he can't help it. He was born in Wisconsin.
Is his page on Baseball-Reference.com available to sponsor?
Why yes it is. For the low, low price of $25, you can sponsor Jason Berken's player page on the off chance that someone visits it one day. (By the way, I bought Jeff Baker's page a couple years back for $8 and was shocked to see the prices that B-Ref's pages sell for now).
Is there any particular reason you are highlighting him in a post?
We haven't had a new post in awhile and he happens to be making his first start today for the Cubs.
Why We Might Like Him:
- That is an excellent, excellent question.
- To the best of our knowledge, he is not a serial killer.
Why We Might Hate Him:
- He's not very good and some fans still expect this team to win occasionally.
- He's a Packer fan.
- God help us, he could make us miss Jeff Samardzija
If You Rearrange the Letters in His Name You Get:
BAN JERK NOSE
What Cubs Blogosphere Thinks of Him:
He’s not going to knock your socks off, but he’s got as good a shot at locking down a fifth starter’s job as does someone like Justin Germano.
His stuff is better than some of the more recent pickups. He has a solid arm, sitting at around 91-93 mph and also throws a slider, curve, and change. As recently as 2009, he was rated as the Baltimore Orioles #17 prospect, according to Baseball America.
“BAN JERK NOSE”
(dying laughing)
Jorge Soler is apparently putting on a show during BP today at Wrigley. Kaplan reported 3 out of 4 balls were crushed onto Waveland. If the wind is blowing out, it isn’t blowing much today.
I’m not going to hold that against him.
(dying laughing)
Fuck yeah, I just won an autographed Bob Feller ball
(dying laughing) how did you even come up with that?
Looks like Jason Merkin is fitting right in with the Cubs pitching staff.
http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/when_is_middle_not_the_middle/#28
Wow, that’s extreme even for MGL.
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Are you an expert in MGL memes? If not, then STFU
MGL is a strange person.
mb21 wrote:
There are a few anagram sites that I’ve used and I sift through and find one or two that strike me as funniest.
@ Aisle424:
What’s the best anagram for mb21? (dying laughing)
I love how when you type “anagram” into Google it says, “Did you mean: nag a ram?” at the top of the page.
New WTF aside in case you missed it yesterday:
http://www.obstructedview.net/aside/wrigley-talk-friday-the-return-of-julie-for-awhile-9-14-12.html
Two people have found this site today Googling “oh shit train wreck”
(dying laughing)
@ Aisle424:
(dying laughing)
@ Aisle424:
Is that describing the Cubs or your blog?
/dick
New forums: http://obstructedview.net/forums
You will have to register again, which kind of sucks, but it’s not that big of a deal. There is a widget on the sidebar with the most recent topics that has replaced the one from our old forum. There is also a link to the forums on the menu below the banner image.
Cool, if you squish the window, so the sidebar disappears, my comics enlarge to span the window. Rule.
@ mb21:
I don’t think there is a link back to the main site from the forums (or the link doesn’t work)
@ WaLi:
I’ll be adding it (probably tomorrow).
Also, forgot to mention it before, but nice pickoff throw by Castillo in the first or second. Trying to be Molina —-> failed.
@ josh:
There’s only 1 Molina. OK, there are 3 Molinas. But Castillo’s not one of them.
I like how the Cubs teased us again with a ninth-inning rally. Good ol’ Cubs.
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Yoshi is only an honorary Molina.
THT just posted this:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/why-the-media-hopes-the-2012-brewers-and-ryan-bruan-go-away/
@ Rice Cube:
Can Yoshi catch?
@ Rizzo the Rat:
He’s been known to carry a team on his back, but every now and then he’ll lay an egg.
A recent throw I enjoyed:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24811133&c_id=mlb
WaLi wrote:
There is a link on the navbar back to Obstructed View Blog and down in the footer menu to Blog.
today game Cubs a there is?
@ Suburban kid:
Probably. (dying laughing)
http://deadspin.com/5943639?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
That’s dedication.
@ Rice Cube:
There are probably only a few places I’d rather not have sex in than a stall a ballpark.
I know the Pirates have a good record and all but they aren’t a good team and it’s still embarrassing when the cubs lose to them.
Rizzo!
@ mb21:
I don’t think you have to be embarrassed anymore.
@ mb21:
Their record is barely over .500. (And BaPro’s Odds Report says their predicted record is barely under .500.)
I’m getting more happy every day with that Cashner/Rizzo trade. What were the Pads thinking?
Much better
@ Rizzo the Rat:
I’m not sure there was actual thinking from that end.
@ Rizzo the Rat:
I think in-season projections more heavily weight the current season than they should. I think their true talent is closer to 70 wins.
Radio guys keep talking about how Lee Smith should be in the HOF.
http://www.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24831695&c_id=chc&partnerId=aw-7038593883731599046-1023
Rizzo’s grand slam. Brenly gets a little Santoish as the ball leaves the yard.
Stupid Pirates (dying laughing)
@ Rizzo the Rat:
If Lee Smith is a Hall of Famer so is Carlos Zambrano.
@ mb21:
They used Dennis Eckersley as another example of a closer who made it, but Eck had a fine career as a starter, too.
@ Aisle424:
Oh sure, TODAY they have an awesome game.
MB, sweet tees you had made for the fam:
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24837373&c_id=mlb
Wonder when the birds will get their revenge on Castro…poo poo bombadiers, away!
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24834497&c_id=mlb
FAIL
(dying laughing)
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24822503&c_id=mlb
Wow, indeed.
I thought this was photoshopped but apparently it’s for real going to be in the show:
@ Rice Cube:
Oh, so that’s why the world’s going to lose all electricity and be plunged into apocalyptic chaos. Damn it! Why does NBC always have to give away the big reveals in their commercials?
@ 5 Run Home Run:
Because they have to.
@ Rice Cube:
That’s the show where humanity reverts to using bows and arrows because they can’t plug in their guns, right?
@ Berselius:
(dying laughing)
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/17/tony-la-russa-holds-a-grudge-against-keith-law/
@ Berselius:
I’m not sure what the premise of the show is but I assume it’s slightly more plausible than a bunch of technologically advanced humans deciding to travel back in time and forgetting that “oh yeah, dinosaurs lived here too”…
@ Aisle424:
To be fair, I stole that joke from twitter (IIRC it was @jlwoj)
@ Suburban kid:
(dying laughing)
I just found a blurry unicorn and rainbow icon on my phone and thought my daughter downloaded something. Nope. Just OV. (dying laughing)
new shit: http://www.obstructedview.net/site/obstructed-view-is-now-responsive.html