There’s one thing I can guarantee that you hear every single year: the Cubs will want to sign this guy or that guy to make a big splash before the Cubs Convention. I have no idea where people get this idea. Baseball teams do not care about making big splashes before fan events. Do you know why? Because the people have already bought the tickets and it’s sold out. They don’t have to make a big splash. In fact, it would be the perfect time to trade away a fan favorite. After all, what are they going to do? Return their Cubs Convention tickets? Of course not.
Let’s look back during the Jim Hendry era beginning in 2004. That week the big splash was Felix Martinez. Yeah, that Felix Martinez. The one who hadn’t played in the big leagues since 2001.
In 2005 they signed Cody Ransom right before the convention. During the convention the Cubs signed superstar ScotT. Williamson. The only problem was that he wasn’t a superstar and hadn’t been good since he was injured in 2003.
The week of the 2006 convention they traded Corey Patterson for two marginal minor leaguers. The next day they Jacque Jones. If anybody thinks signing Jacque Jones is making a splash then we have completely different ideas of what it means.
In 2007 they signed minor leaguer Tomas Perez. After the convention they signed Glendon Rusch.
They signed injured Jon Lieber before the next one.
They traded Angel Pagan for two minor leaguers prior to the 2009 convention
In 2010 they did sign a future MVP prior to the meetings. Unfortunately he was the PCL MVP and your 2012 starting first baseman. If that wasn’t enough, they also signed Scott McClain, Chad Tracy and some other person nodoby remembers.
Last year they re-signed a former 1st round pick, Luis Montanez. They also brought back one time Cubs great and future Cubs Hall of Famer Reed Johnson so yeah, they made huge splashes in 2011.
I could do without ever hearing about how the Cubs are going to make a splash right before the Cubs Convention again. It’s not happened yet. I have no fucking clue why people think the guys running their favorite team give a shit about planning their transactions around a fucking convention packed with people who would buy the tickets if they traded all the good players for bad players.
.
Necrophilia means you don’t have to apologize for having whiskey dick.
too bad we gave Pagan away.
Also, you guys should check out the recent @thekapman and @PWSullivan twitter exchange.
.Is that were you get mad that Dusty gets fired then cry about playing time?
[quote name=Mucker]Neither do girls that are alive if you have chloroform.[/quote]To paraphrase the great Rudy Ray Moore, I once took pussy from a deaf chick, so I broke all her fingers so she wouldn’t tell nobody.
So it’s not true?
[quote name=jtsunami]Also, you guys should check out the recent @thekapman and @PWSullivan twitter exchange.[/quote]You should have just posted a link sans explanation.
[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]To paraphrase the great Rudy Ray Moore, I once took pussy from a deaf chick, so I broke all her fingers so she wouldn’t tell nobody.[/quote]You know the day is complete when somebody quotes Ole Dolemite.
[quote name=Mish]You should have just posted a link sans explanation.[/quote]Don’t tell me what to do.
Theo says the Garza trade talk is overblown. That must mean he’s as good as gone.
[quote name=jtsunami]Also, you guys should check out the recent @thekapman and @PWSullivan twitter exchange.[/quote]Are they fighting over the Preciousssssss?
I think there would be multiple (dying laughing) if Garza is traded tomorrow after you guys posted this.
[quote name=ACT]Theo says the Garza trade talk is overblown. That must mean he’s as good as gone.[/quote]
(dying laughing), I was about to say the same thing.
Truth be told, the whole idea of pretending to want a guy before trading him is a refreshing change of pace.
I’m not sure if Hendry did this, but I do not foresee Thoyer making moves for PR reason.
[quote name=ACT]Truth be told, the whole idea of pretending to want a guy before trading him is a refreshing change of pace.[/quote]THIS. If I had the time I’d go through the Cubs rumors/headlines from 72-hours before right up to the trade announcement. I think what we’d see is a bunch of quotes on how the guy isn’t in trade talks and is a valuable piece to the team.
Unrelated, but while looking for weird merchandise on Amazon, found these MLB toasters.
http://www.amazon.com/Pangea-Brands-PROTBBCHIC-Chicago-Protoast/dp/B003C0FJJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1326319049&sr=1-1
I was amused that the Astros and Mariners toasters didn’t have toast samples, as if they were as broken as their respective franchises.
I also want to know what’s up with the payroll. Sure seems like it’s been decreased significantly since it’s just right around 100M. This despite the fact that Ricketts has claimed it would be pretty much the same as last year.
[quote name=JMan]I also want to know what’s up with the payroll. Sure seems like it’s been decreased significantly since it’s just right around 100M. This despite the fact that Ricketts has claimed it would be pretty much the same as last year.[/quote]If they want to make up the difference, it’s possible that they just sign one of them Cubans instead.
Gordo quoting Theo “if we can’t get a Wood deal done, there is something wrong”
https://twitter.com/#!/cst_cubs/statuses/157158564916502528
D Rose has turf toe. I’ve heard reports that it could up to a month or more to heal correctly. And for a player that uses his toes as such, Derrick will have a hard time playing.
Yikes.
“if we can’t get a Wood deal done, there is something wrong”
This line was also used to negotiate a Viagra sponsorship
[quote name=Rice Cube]I think there would be multiple (dying laughing) if Garza is traded tomorrow after you guys posted this.[/quote]Making a splash implies signing a big time player or at least a huge fan favorite.
[quote name=mb21]Making a splash implies signing a big time player or at least a huge fan favorite.[/quote]kWood
I think Kerry Wood just got signed.
[quote name=Rice Cube]I think Kerry Wood just got signed.[/quote]False…just close. So nothing’s changed (dying laughing)
I deserved that. I blame ESPN and their legion of fucksticks.
[quote name=jtsunami]Necrophilia means you don’t have to apologize for having whiskey dick.[/quote]She consented when she shut down her nervous system.
Good news from Dave at USSM: http://www.ussmariner.com/2012/01/11/leukemia-free/
[quote name=GBTS]She consented when she shut down her nervous system.[/quote]Her rigor mortis spelled “no” though.
[quote name=Mish]Good news from Dave at USSM: http://www.ussmariner.com/2012/01/11/leukemia-free//quoteI for one am happy that his clubhouse cancer is gone. Best of luck to him.
/baseball plus life
[quote name=Rice Cube]I for one am happy that his clubhouse cancer is gone. Best of luck to him.
/baseball plus life[/quote]
He traded Leukemia to the Marlins.
[quote name=Mish]He traded Leukemia to the Marlins.[/quote]Marlins should be fine. Fish are supposed to have anti-tumor qualities.
any of you fools on Spotify?
[quote name=jtsunami]Necrophilia means you don’t have to apologize for having whiskey dick.[/quote]Why would you apologize for whiskey dick? I never do.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/11/chicago-pd-planning-to-talk-with-starlin-castro-this-weekend-about-sexual-assault-allegations/
I like the part where he said the Cubs are taking a wait-and-see approach.
Just witnessed the Obama motorcade drive right past me. It was actually one of more entertaining things I’ve seen.
/cool story, bro’d
barney was a 2 WAR player last year? Fuck the heck
[quote name=dylanj]barney was a 2 WAR player last year? Fuck the heck[/quote]Grit and scrap add 1.8 WAR to actual production.
[quote name=dylanj]barney was a 2 WAR player last year? Fuck the heck[/quote]rWar was 1 and fWAR is 2.2.
Fangraphs must really get a boner over his defense.
[quote name=Rice Cube]Grit and scrap add 1.8 WAR to actual production.[/quote]Plus the .1 WAR because he played with Koyie Hill.
Clay Davenport with some good stuff on Cuba
http://claydavenport.com/?p=97
[quote name=Mish]Clay Davenport with some good stuff on Cuba
http://claydavenport.com/?p=97/quote
I glanced through quickly, but those 0-year-old Cubans sure put up some crazy numbers.
[quote name=dylanj]barney was a 2 WAR player last year? Fuck the heck[/quote]Only 1.0 rWAR.
fWAR has a lower replacement level, I believe.
[quote name=Aisle424]
Fangraphs must really get a boner over his defense.[/quote]That’s part of it. He also had 5 baserunning runs.
[quote name=Aisle424]rWar was 1 and fWAR is 2.2.
Fangraphs must really get a boner over his defense.[/quote]Fangraphs uses a slightly lower replacement level, but IIRC the difference was primarily defense. Considering the scouts think highly of his defense I’ve considered him a strong defender.
I’m trying to figure out why the Cubs have 7 outfielders, 3 2nd baseman and 3908 starting pitchers on the roster.
FRAA also rates Barney’s defense highly, but he was only worth 1.3 WARP.
The difference in rWAR and fWAR for Barney is 2 runs batting, 5 runs fielding and 4 runs baserunning.
[quote name=mb21]The difference in rWAR and fWAR for Barney is 2 runs batting, 5 runs fielding and 4 runs baserunning.[/quote]
…and a non-tendered Koyieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
[quote name=mb21]I’m trying to figure out why the Cubs have (3 2nd baseman and 3908 starting pitchers on the roster.[/quote][quote name=mb21]
That’s two secondbasemen less than the average Hendry team. These things take time.
[quote name=PW][quote name=mb21]
That’s two secondbasemen less than the average Hendry team. These things take time.[/quote]And all 3 of the 2nd basemen are at least approaching average human height.
You know, if Koyie Hill actually does add 0.1 WAR to every other player on the team, he really should be getting paid like a 2.4 WAR player. In perpetuity.
Sign this man to a lifetime contract. In 2012 he should be paid, what, about $11 million?
Derp.
I like the idea of keeping Koyie Hill’s preserved corpse in the clubhouse about 40 years from now as a means to improve the performance of all future Cubs teams. He could be put on wheels so they can bring him into the dugout during games. He could throw out the ceremonial first pitch sometimes via a pulley system.
And then jtsunami could have sex with him.
Prince Fielder rumors are wild. Earlier it was said that the Nats were 99% against signing him, and now it’s shifted to “patient and aggressive pursuit”. At this point I’d be surprised if Prince didn’t sign with Washington.
[quote name=Rice Cube]Prince Fielder rumors are wild. Earlier it was said that the Nats were 99% against signing him, and now it’s shifted to “patient and aggressive pursuit”. At this point I’d be surprised if Prince didn’t sign with Washington.[/quote]What’s funny is that scott swaim guy (@mlbinsidenews) reported the Lerner’s met with Fielder earlier and then 20mins later heyman reported the same thing.
new shit: http://www.obstructedview.net/chicago-cubs/articles/payroll-update.html
.