Mesa, Arizona, Cubs Pitchers and Catchers are In You

In Commentary And Analysis by aisle42463 Comments

Cubs pitchers and catchers report today so we can finally get down to talking about some serious baseball stuff like bunting tournaments and if there is any purpose at all for Steve Clevenger. But for now, this is the time on Sprockets when we dance!

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  1. SVB

    @ dmick89:
    @ Aisle424:
    Well, not to give them any credit or anything, but the site is called Rant Sports. Maybe we are just expecting too much. After all:

    Rant: 1. to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner; 2. to scold vehemently, 3. to utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion

    They seem to have the definition down, because when you are ranting, you aren’t expected to be thoughtful, logical, or even to look slightly intelligent.

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  2. SVB

    Thanks for the dancing. P&C report day: the sign that the dregs of winter are ending, no matter what some loony groundhog thinks.

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  3. SVB

    I used to work at a sprocket factory. Whenever I tell people this, I’m pretty sure the first set of dancers comes into their minds.

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  4. SVB

    @ dmick89:
    Yeah, I remember them challenging you to a duel.

    But whenever I read anything there (ie. when Rice Cube punks me with a link) I can’t help but think the entire site is tongue-in-cheek.

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  5. Rice Cube

    I apologize for pointing out that Rant Sports article. I don’t actually know if they’re all Cubs fans or if they rant about every other team as well, but they keep showing up in the sidebar so every now and then I click and then am immediately sorry for doing so. I should learn from this.

    Also, Anthony Rizzo should learn to hit LHP.

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  6. Author
    Aisle424

    @ GBTS:
    It certainly looks that way. Assuming thinner automatically equals better shape. I wonder if he loses much power with less mass.

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  7. SVB

    @ Rice Cube:
    Yeah, that’s 1 I linked to after you put your link. The one SK said woke up his anti virus. Don’t read it. it’s stupid. Of course. Castro should bat leadoff to teach him how to take a walk.

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  8. akabari

    On ESPN today, there’s an article about F7 that says he is “so confident in his progression, he walked away from the Cubs in talks about a 3 year deal”
    (dying laughing) seems like a big risk.

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  9. SVB

    @ Rice Cube:
    Well, the Angels are carrying Bill Hall, and the Indians are carrying Ryan Raburn, the Mets have Corey Patterson (or is he with Mil this year) and Marlon Byrd in camp, so they must not the guys on their 40 man. SD seems like they could use a fast OF.

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  10. dmick89

    I’m sure some team will pick up a good defensive CF who is also one of the best base runners in the game. He won’t start much and he shouldn’t, but as a replacement and a pinch runner he can be valuable.

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  11. dmick89

    Campana was worth 2.1 fWAR and 1.9 rWAR over the last two years and that was a total of only a little over half a season of playing time. In other words, he’s been an above average player at the big league level. I don’t expect that to continue, but he has value.

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  12. Rice Cube

    @ dmick89:
    @ dmick89:
    I agree with you that there is value to be had with those legs and the fact that he doesn’t completely suck at defense. I am guessing there’s a method to the madness, and while I do think there’s a decent chance he gets claimed, the Cubs are gambling that he will pass through. I can’t actually tell you how likely it is a team will DFA a guy just to claim Campana though.

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  13. SVB

    I think last year the Tigers might have done it. They were slow in the OF. But with the emergence of Quinten Berry, replacing Young with Hunter, and dropping Raburn, they seem like they are in better shape….still…

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  14. Rice Cube

    @ SVB:
    Again I understand that Campana has value etc. but the fact is that this is a guy who couldn’t beat out Super Joe Mather in spring training. While I think it’s likely that the Braves claim him there’s a very good chance he ends up in Iowa anyway. I highly doubt any team will DFA someone to make room for Tony Campana. But I’m not that smart 😀

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  15. dmick89

    I don’t think it’s a bad thing that Campana was dfa’d. He’s not a very good hitter and the cubs have better outfielders. No big deal, but he does have value. Probably more to another team.

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  16. Chet Masterson

    dmick89 wrote:

    In other words, he’s been an above average player at the big league level

    I love advanced metrics as much as the next guy, but when statements like that get made….

    C’mon.

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  17. dmick89

    @ Chet Masterson:
    Statements like what? The average NL player is 2 WAR per 700 plate appearances. He’s essentially been a replacement level batter, but a damn good baserunner and fielder (both Fangraphs and Bref agree on this). To this point in Campana’s career, he has been an above average player. Or if you’d prefer, he has performed at an above average rate, all things considered.

    That does not mean, as I said earlier, that we should expect that to continue. We shouldn’t. His defense will likely regress (same with baserunning) and he’s not a good hitter. He’s probably slightly better than replacement level and could provide value in certain roles. He can play all 3 outfield spots. He’d be a very good defensive replacement for any outfield position and he’s one hell of a baserunner.

    Darwin Barney isn’t a whole hell of a lot better at the plate than Campana and I don’t see anybody arguing he hasn’t, at the very least, performed at an average or better rate to this point in his career. If you don’t believe Campana is as valuable as WAR suggests, you cannot believe that Barney is. Which is it? Have they both sucked to this point in their careers or have they both provided value to their teams in ways other than batting?

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  18. WenningtonsGorillaCock

    dmick89 wrote:

    @ SVB:
    The Cubs have as many world championships as there have been popes who have resigned over the last 600 years.

    I smell a marketing tie-in. Pope Hat Tuesdays sponsored by Bud Light?

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  19. SVB

    Happy 150th birthday to former (White Stocking/Orphan/Colt) Cub CF Jimmy “Pony” Ryan.

    In 1888 he led the NL with a .515 slugging % built on leading the league with 16 HR and 33 2b. He also had 60 SB, but that did not lead the league. He played 18 seasons, 15 with the Cubs, and accumulated a 42.9 oWAR, putting him just out of the Hall of Fame. Apparently there were rumors that he was using ipecac and saltpetre as PEDs. Considering the quality of defensive metrics in the 1880s and 1890s we won’t mention his -10.0 dWAR. He is the only major leaguer to hit for cycle while appearing in the same game as a pitcher. Wikipedia also says he punched reporters on two different occasions (those were the days!).

    He is also the best baseball player born on this date. One could argue for Ray Collins (Red Sox), I guess, but he only pitched for 7 years (2.51 ERA; 21.7 career WAR). Brian Matusz doesn’t have enough career to compare yet, but I doubt he’ll challenge Ryan for the best ballplayer born on Feb 11 title. Ryan leads all players with more than 7 AB in every offensive category that matters and most that don’t, except HR (Ben Oglivie).

    He ended his career with the Cubs in 1900, but played two more years with the Nationals in 1902-03 as the oldest player in base ball. He died in 1923. Ask SK about the funeral. I hear it was lovely.

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