Cubs compared to their projections

Pujols having issues at 3B tonight.

Rami, Pena, and Soto underperforming seems to say it all. The guys ahead get on base, the guys behind pop out to the catcher or strike out looking.

[quote name=mb21] By the way, I don’t really care if Hendry is fired or not. It’s not going to make a damn bit of difference with this organization. This team’s problems run a lot deeper than its general manager.[/quote]
It all depends on who they hire when Hendry goes. If it’s Ned Coletti, then yes, the problems are much deeper (dying laughing).

I don’t know if the radar is a bit generous sometimes, but Z has been able to get to 92-94 mph fairly often. He seems to like the offspeed stuff more though.

[quote name=Rice Cube]I don’t know if the radar is a bit generous sometimes, but Z has been able to get to 92-94 mph fairly often. He seems to like the offspeed stuff more though.[/quote]Radar guns are usually hot. Pitch f/x has been fairly consistent for him. There was one start he had an average just under 91, but most other starts it’s been below 90.

Who would be a realistic candidate for Cubs GM if they went to an outsider instead of just promoting Randy Bush?

Any ETA on the Cubs game?

Indians temporarily stopped sucking.

[quote name=mb21]Andrew Friedman’s contract is up and the Cubs would undoubtedly be willing to offer more than the Rays. I’m guessing if the Cubs want him they’ll hire him.[/quote]
The only reason I think he doesn’t come to the Cubs (assuming the Ricketts don’t lowball) is because he’s supposed to be buddy-buddy with the owner. Also kind of depends on how much free reign he gets to actually build the team, not just trot out a half-ass contender every year.

it’s kind of funny because I see this season as the best it’s going to get for a few years. Cubs probably find a way to win about 70 games this year. Wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t win 70 or more for a few more years. They’re bad and they have a terrible farm system. They’re banking on both of their top two prospects not only working out, but exceeding expectations while also expecting Castro to become a star. Ain’t happening.

[quote name=Rice Cube]The only reason I think he doesn’t come to the Cubs (assuming the Ricketts don’t lowball) is because he’s supposed to be buddy-buddy with the owner. Also kind of depends on how much free reign he gets to actually build the team, not just trot out a half-ass contender every year.[/quote]I don’t know, RC. If I’m Friedman and I know I can create a team that has regularly contended with the Yankees with no money, I’d want to see what I could do with some money. I’d probably take less money to work for an organization that spends money because I’m thinking I could put together a dynasty with that kind of money. Then I have job security for life. That’s just me though.

[quote name=mb21]I don’t know, RC. If I’m Friedman and I know I can create a team that has regularly contended with the Yankees with no money, I’d want to see what I could do with some money. I’d probably take less money to work for an organization that spends money because I’m thinking I could put together a dynasty with that kind of money. Then I have job security for life. That’s just me though.[/quote]
I can definitely see that point of view. I also don’t think Friedman is as crazy as Billy Beane has been portrayed to be so he’d definitely accept that kind of a challenge, especially if the paycheck is good.

Rain is moving out of Chicago but no announcement of game start time yet.

8:45 start time, supposedly. Going to be a late night.

[quote name=Rice Cube]If anyone is watching Game 7 now, I think Vancouver just totally lost. What a fail of a shorthanded goal.[/quote]
Lots of luck involved in that goal, but yeah, they probably just lost.

Just struck out the side! 92 mph on the last strike three call.

Jeff Baker makes LHP his bitch.

[quote name=Rice Cube]Who would be a realistic candidate for Cubs GM if they went to an outsider instead of just promoting Randy Bush?[/quote]
I’m available for league minimum.

[quote name=Bubba Biscuit]I’m available for league minimum.[/quote]
League minimum for GMs is $1.

[quote name=Bubba Biscuit]Umm, ok then make that $100,000. A quarter of the league minimum for players.[/quote]
Lemme see what I can dig out of my couch.

I’ll do it for $99,999.

Damn the Canucks suck.

Methinks Z just lost any chance of getting to the ASG.

Did Z just walk? *shock*

Or Reed Johnson.

REEDZ!

[quote name=melissa]In a most unlikely string of events, Z walks, Castro walks, Reed Johnson hits a home run. I bet your spreadsheets didn’t predict that. (dying laughing)[/quote]
Forgot to carry the 1.

[quote name=melissa]Reed Johnson has shown the other Cubs hitters a blueprint for success, the question is, will they follow it?[/quote]
Nope.

[quote name=melissa]Reed Johnson has shown the other Cubs hitters a blueprint for success, the question is, will they follow it?[/quote]Yes, but they’ll read it upside down.

Serious question… Does Reed or Baker have trade value…

Both seem to be hitting lefties at an insane rate…

I was against reed being on the team over fernando but i assume he has already paid for his salary barring an 0-300 in WAR

[quote name=ACT]Stop making errors, Starlin.[/quote]Yeah, he’s very atheltic, but he’s kind of a painful short stop. There has to be a better position for him.

Just venting there.

[quote name=Rice Cube]He’s also just 21. I’d give him till the end of next season and then think about a position switch after that. He should improve.[/quote]Yeah, I think that’s true. There have been a lot of wild shortstops who settled in after a couple of seasons, if they decide to keep him there. I think he’s shown improvement over last year.

I’m not worried yet. We have LaTroy Hawkins in the bullpen. He’s always good for six or seven runs allowed.

Letting Baker face a righty? Are they saving Pena for something?

They should just DFA Grabow.

[quote name=bubblesdachimp]Serious question… Does Reed or Baker have trade value…

Both seem to be hitting lefties at an insane rate…

I was against reed being on the team over fernando but i assume he has already paid for his salary barring an 0-300 in WAR[/quote]
Baker, in part because he can play many positions, yes. He does absolutely smash lefties and shouldn’t bat against righties as mb said in his season preview ( I think it was mb). Baker could make sense for a team needing a platoon guy. He should be worth .5 to 1 WAR over the rest of the season and is getting paid $1.175 Mil this season. So, depending on when he is moved, he could be worth $1.5 M to $4 M, but I see $1.5 M to $2 M as his most likely return if the Cubs move him.

Reed, not so much. A 4th or 5th outfielder ideally on a contending team has already accumulated the WAR he was supposed to get for the full season. Paid $900k this season, looks to be replacement level to .3 WAR the rest of the season. UZR is hating his defense this season and Reed will continue to be an injury risk the rest of the season. His platoon splits are not as large as Baker’s. He doesn’t smash lefties like Baker, so he has less value as a platoon hitter then Baker. I don’t see Reed going anywhere as he has no surplus value.

(dying laughing) @ Pat Hughes making fat joke

What do you have against brisket, b?

Ryno wants to talk about some guy’s meat.

[quote name=Jame Gumb]Tell me more about this smoked brisket sandwich, MO.[/quote]Friday, we had a BBQ competition: our dept. vs. the education dept. 8 briskets. Friday, we trimmed and rubbed, Saturday evening, we fired up the massive smoking rig (it’s made from 3 propane tanks, cut and welded into two massive fireboxes attached to the actual grills), injected the meat (we used a modified bordelaise sauce, they cheated and used FAB), and then smoked from 8 that night until 1 p.m. on Sunday. We all used the same wood, a mix of alder, apple, and hickory, in both chunks and chips. We soaked our wood, they didn’t. I used the large chunks to bring the heat up and then handfuls of chips every 30-40 minutes to keep it a steady 225, and we had a much better smoke ring and more smoke flavor through the meat. Predictably, the folks used to tasting real barbecue chose our brisket, but the majority of voters went for the FAB-injected beef. Both were good, and I think when we combine the recipes, we’ll have a winner.

Anyhoo, all that to say I ate the last of what I took home after it was all over, as a sandwich.

I still can’t get over Ricketts’ inane “I never considered hiring a baseball guy” comment. He’s so lost, he doesn’t even know he’s lost

I’ll give Bowden credit for responding to the comments in his thread, but that’s about it. The rest is so logically incoherent:

http://espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-office/post/_/id/389/simple-stats-to-evaluate-teams-players#comments

[quote name=mb21]Ryno wants to talk about some guy’s meat.[/quote]
You’re right, but Mish is wrong. I want my own.

[quote name=Mish]Ryno, I see your R + RBI love and raise you OPS + RBI, or OPSBIs.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/espn_jim_bowden_simple_stats_to_evaluate_teams_players/#When:09:40:15Z/quote
Too advanced.

[quote name=Mish]Most of his comments are asinine. I don’t have much of a problem with the Hendry vote of confidence, since the vote is usually the sign of an axe coming and even if not, the organization’s issues run deeper. But every single response had me thinking “this guy has no fucking idea”.[/quote]You know what that interview reminded me of? It reminded me of these students I get, usually 2-3 every term, who never show up for section, or rarely show up, attend lecture spottily, get D’s on the first two exams, and the come in a week before the final wanting to know what they can do to raise their grade. I usually begin asking them a few questions about the readings, what stuck out for them, which readings they had particular problems with, and pretty quickly I can tell they haven’t done any of the readings, and they’re lost, but that doesn’t keep them from trying to talk about the material as if they had read it.

And that’s the way Ricketts sounds; like a student who hasn’t done one bit of reading and is trying to convince the instructor that not only have they done the reading, they’ve mastered it.

[quote name=Jame Gumb]Sounds great. Next time you have some smoked brisket, use it in a marinara sauce. Everyone thinks I’m crazy until they try it.[/quote]That’s not crazy at all. I’ve used smoked ham hocks in pasta sauces, as well as lamb neck bones. What you really have to try is a sauce called amatriciana. it’s a spicy tomato sauce make with guanciale (smoked pork jowl bacon)

[quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]That’s not crazy at all. I’ve used smoked ham hocks in pasta sauces, as well as lamb neck bones. What you really have to try is a sauce called amatriciana. it’s a spicy tomato sauce make with guanciale (smoked pork jowl bacon)[/quote]
Respect.

[quote name=melissa]Bruce Miles just said something very similar on the radio. In regard to his baseball guy remarks he thinks Tommy Boy doesn’t know enough to understand what he doesn’t know.[/quote]Yeah, I imagine for people like Miles, who have been around the game for decades, that interview had to have been almost shocking in certain ways.

[quote name=Josh]That’s exactly what people have been saying since they heard how much the Ricketts dropped for the team. I’ve been hearing that they overpaid since the day the deal was done. An ESPN analyst predicted higher ticket prices and a long term losing team because the deal was so bad. We could be on the cusp of a Pirates-esque decline in the franchise.[/quote]I think the Cubs will look a lot like the Orioles for a good long while.

Also, I’m going to the Cubs game today for work. I’m really only going for Lloyd and the Planet formerly known as Prince Fielder.

Don’t forget Greinke, Mish.

[quote name=GBTS]Don’t forget Greinke, Mish.[/quote]

Ooo he’s pitching? Everything’s coming up Milhouse (except for seeing the Iowa Cubs play).

Can someone go read Sullivan’s recap from last night and tell me a single thing that happened besides Zambrano’s poor start?

Seriously, one thing that happened on the field.

[quote name=GBTS]Can someone go read Sullivan’s recap from last night and tell me a single thing that happened besides Zambrano’s poor start?

Seriously, one thing that happened on the field.[/quote]
I heard there were errors. And at some point the bullpen kept failing.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15945629&partnerId=aw-5407335468519497232-996

[quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]I still can’t get over Ricketts’ inane “I never considered hiring a baseball guy” comment. He’s so lost, he doesn’t even know he’s lost[/quote]For Kenney’s role? I’ve never understood why people think you have a baseball guy to be in an MLB front office. Sandy Alderson wasn’t a baseball guy and he hired another guy who wasn’t a baseball guy to indoctrinate Billy Beane. Neither is Andrew Friedman. I’m all for replacing Kenney, but I couldn’t care less if it’s a baseball guy. I don’t care if the non-baseball guy they hire to replace him hires another non-baseball guy to replace Hendry. In an era when more non-baseball guys are entering the game as analysts, it doesn’t make sense to restrict yourself to a baseball guy.

You know I don’t like Ricketts and do not have high hopes for this organization, but to be completely honest, that’s the only fucking comment from him since he bought the team that gives me any reason to think this organization may turn it around. That’s he’s not limiting the pool of potential executives isn’t a problem. It’s a damn smart thing to do.

[quote name=mb21]For Kenney’s role? I’ve never understood why people think you have a baseball guy to be in an MLB front office. Sandy Alderson wasn’t a baseball guy and he hired another guy who wasn’t a baseball guy to indoctrinate Billy Beane. Neither is Andrew Friedman. I’m all for replacing Kenney, but I couldn’t care less if it’s a baseball guy. I don’t care if the non-baseball guy they hire to replace him hires another non-baseball guy to replace Hendry. In an era when more non-baseball guys are entering the game as analysts, it doesn’t make sense to restrict yourself to a baseball guy.

You know I don’t like Ricketts and do not have high hopes for this organization, but to be completely honest, that’s the only fucking comment from him since he bought the team that gives me any reason to think this organization may turn it around. That’s he’s not limiting the pool of potential executives isn’t a problem. It’s a damn smart thing to do.[/quote]
What does Kenney have to do with baseball now anyway? The team president should be someone who knows how to deal with the business-side stuff he’s been tasked with – namely the Triangle buliding, new ST facilities, etc. If/when they get rid of Kenney they should replace him with someone who knows where the bodies are buried in Chicago.

[quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]You know what that interview reminded me of? It reminded me of these students I get, usually 2-3 every term, who never show up for section, or rarely show up, attend lecture spottily, get D’s on the first two exams, and the come in a week before the final wanting to know what they can do to raise their grade. I usually begin asking them a few questions about the readings, what stuck out for them, which readings they had particular problems with, and pretty quickly I can tell they haven’t done any of the readings, and they’re lost, but that doesn’t keep them from trying to talk about the material as if they had read it.

And that’s the way Ricketts sounds; like a student who hasn’t done one bit of reading and is trying to convince the instructor that not only have they done the reading, they’ve mastered it.[/quote]
(dying laughing), you’re much better at this than I am. I usually have to resort to breaking down the numbers for them and watching them try to pretend that they can score 95+ percent on the remaining exams.

[quote name=Berselius]What does Kenney have to do with baseball now anyway? The team president should be someone who knows how to deal with the business-side stuff he’s been tasked with – namely the Triangle buliding, new ST facilities, etc. If/when they get rid of Kenney they should replace him with someone who knows where the bodies are buried in Chicago.[/quote]Agreed. If I looked at only team presidents or whatever Kenney’s title is, very few would be baseball guys. I believe there are 3 non-baseball guys who are general managers now. That’s 10%. It’s only going to increase. I wouldn’t be surprised if some team hired a manager who wasn’t a so-called baseball guy. If we looked at the position higher than the GM, I’d be surprised if 10% are baseball guys.

I want the Cubs to become a progressive organization. Two of the most progressive organizations are the A’s and Rays. Both team’s have been hugely impacted by non-baseball guys. The executives who made decisions had the balls to look elsewhere and they were right. There is no reason at all to limit the number of potential employees. There aren’t that many baseball guys. And most of them are retards.

FWIW, the sentiment is more anti-Kenney than pro-Dombrowski/Gillick/whoever you want to name. I don’t think it needs to be someone who’s deemed a “baseball guy”; when we were discussing Friedman the other day, I stopped short of pointing out he had no MLB experience but was really intelligent and understood financial and business competition/advantages, and that there are likely a ton more of him working in corporate America.

[quote name=mb21]How long do you have to work in baseball to be a baseball guy?[/quote]
Probably a couple of weeks.

[quote name=mb21]I wouldn’t be surprised if some team hired a manager who wasn’t a so-called baseball guy. [/quote]
I heard Lisa Simpson and her laptop were available.

[quote name=Jame Gumb]She’s a fucking statfag.[/quote]
Wouldn’t she be a statdyke?

(live long and dying laughing)

Q: Who’d be the best MLB’er? Data, Worf or Geordi?

Data, but all the MSM writers would disparage him because of his analytic approach to the game. They’d love Worf because of his passion.

Doesn’t always work though. Rudy Jaramillo was an exciting acquisition until the Cubs didn’t hit any better than they did before.

[quote name=Josh]Doesn’t always work though. Rudy Jaramillo was an exciting acquisition until the Cubs didn’t hit any better than they did before.[/quote]
I don’t think that the hitting coach can help guys suddenly learn how to hit. He can fix their swings a bit and find mechanical flaws that could be corrected, but otherwise most of the hitting comes from the hitter’s own talent. Of which, on this team, there is little.

If you want a model for consistent winning, wouldn’t it be the Phillies? Their method is to buy really good pitching and grow hitters in house.

Holy shit (dying laughing)

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/06/special-instructions-to-players.html

Those old-timey guys were pretty foul-mouthed.

I thought the idea was that you built everything in house and then you only buy the pieces that you need to fill certain holes in the pitching and the lineup. Otherwise it gets Yankees-expensive.

RF Fukudome

SS Castro

2B DeWitt

3B Ramirez

1B Pena

LF Soriano

C Soto

CF Campana

P Garza

No, that’s not a typo. DeWitt is the number 3 hitter.

[quote name=Bubba Biscuit]This model is wrong, very wrong. Work is causing my baseball work to become heavily delayed, but this is at the root of it. You are handing out the most amounts of money to the riskiest bets in baseball, starting pitchers staying healthy. On top of that, every single team in the MLB right now thinks an Ace pitcher is needed to contend and win championships meaning a very unbalanced supply & demand marketplace driving the prices up on Aces and creating undervalued assets elsewhere. Can you get Ace production without the Ace price tag? I think you can and my work is on that subject.[/quote]I was just thinking that the Giants maybe are an even better model — most of their pitchers are homegrown and they basically don’t care about offense. It seems like heavily offense-oriented teams without good pitching suffer the same fate over and over again: killer records in the regular season, absolute fizzle in post season. Maybe pitchers are overvalued on the open market, but that just means the Cubs should focus on investing into their pitchers in the farm system. One amazing hitter can’t save a team, or the Cards would have won ten years in a row.

[quote name=ACT]RF Fukudome

SS Castro

2B DeWitt

3B Ramirez

1B Pena

LF Soriano

C Soto

CF Campana

P Garza

No, that’s not a typo. DeWitt is the number 3 hitter.[/quote]Q: PLEASE GOD SOMEONE DRIVE IN RUNS!

[quote name=Josh]I was just thinking that the Giants maybe are an even better model — most of their pitchers are homegrown and they basically don’t care about offense. It seems like heavily offense-oriented teams without good pitching suffer the same fate over and over again: killer records in the regular season, absolute fizzle in post season. Maybe pitchers are overvalued on the open market, but that just means the Cubs should focus on investing into their pitchers in the farm system. One amazing hitter can’t save a team, or the Cards would have won ten years in a row.[/quote]The playoffs are mostly just about luck. You have to build your team to win over 162 games. There’s still luck involved even in that sample, but a great team can get swept. Season over. A great team is very likely to find itself in contention and most likely in the playoffs.

[quote name=mb21]Agreed. For all the great hitting, no pitching teams that didn’t win we find examples of great pitching, no hitting teams that didn’t win. The Atlanta Braves won only one title despite having the best rotation almost every single season.[/quote]
Nailed it, you have to plan for the season and hope to get lucky in the playoffs as it is too short and anything can happen. Going to one extreme or the other is a mixed bag. The idea is to see an opportunity in the market and use it to your advantage before the market corrects that imbalance.

[quote name=Bubba Biscuit]This model is wrong, very wrong. Work is causing my baseball work to become heavily delayed, but this is at the root of it. You are handing out the most amounts of money to the riskiest bets in baseball, starting pitchers staying healthy. On top of that, every single team in the MLB right now thinks an Ace pitcher is needed to contend and win championships meaning a very unbalanced supply & demand marketplace driving the prices up on Aces and creating undervalued assets elsewhere. Can you get Ace production without the Ace price tag? I think you can and my work is on that subject.[/quote]
I was going to reply to that and say that the Phillies have gotten lucky with injuries.

On the other hand, the resources that they’ve committed the most to (Hallady and Lee) are also two proven durable starters.

Though I suppose even a durable starter is one injury away from the end of his career.

[quote name=The Wreckard]I was going to reply to that and say that the Phillies have gotten lucky with injuries.

On the other hand, the resources that they’ve committed the most to (Hallady and Lee) are also two proven durable starters.

Though I suppose even a durable starter is one injury away from the end of his career.[/quote]
I think Halladay & Lee should stay healthy, but yes anything can happen. Jake Peavy, Johan Santana, Rich Harden, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Strasburg???, Ben Sheets, etc. Starters injuries may not be career enders, but they can easily knock them out of ace status.

[quote name=Josh]If it’s foolish to spend too much on pitching, and too hard to ensure you can get good pitching from your farm system, then do you just have to rely on luck? Obviously there’s always some luck involved, but surely there are good strategies that have proven to work to build pitching staffs. Maybe not. I can’t think of very many teams that always have awesome pitching where they didn’t buy it.[/quote]
Well, there is no good strategy that has been tried yet. The Braves bought it and got good health out of those guys for a long time, but that is the exception or luck. Think of the Santana trade, Peavy trade, Greinke trade, hell even the dumbass Garza trade, teams know the supply of Aces are low and you are seeing teams having to trade players plus pay about what they would get in free agency for these guys, that is laying a lot out on them. If they go down for a season with an injury, it effects the whole team. Cardinals are still doing ok without Wainwright this year, but that was a big blow to them and probably keeps them short of the Brewers this year. Imagine any contending team losing their #1 or #2 pitcher for the season. It is so competitive, that likely costs them a playoff spot.

Relying on great pitching in the modern 5-man rotation is hoping to get lucky each year and paying a hefty premium to increase your odds.

I see your point.

No, no Grienke is terrible now. We’ll be fine.

Castro also shut me right up.

Thank goodness for that passed ball, because Pena struck out (dying laughing)

Garza….doing good today….

4-2 already? What the hell did I miss?

I did some quick calculations and at this rate, the score will be 18-18 by the 9th inning.

The Yankees were an incredibly balanced team from 1996 to 2000. Over those 5 years, only Braves and Red Sox had more pitcher WAR. They were 5th in ERA and 4th in FIP. Only the Indians had more batting WAR than the Yankees. They were 4th in wOBA and 3rd in wRC. Their defense was pretty bad, but offensively and pitching, they were just good all around. They won 3 World Series.

We can talk about strong pitching or strong hitting all we want, but the goal MUST be to be good all around.

[quote name=mb21]The Yankees were an incredibly balanced team from 1996 to 2000. Over those 5 years, only Braves and Red Sox had more pitcher WAR. They were 5th in ERA and 4th in FIP. Only the Indians had more batting WAR than the Yankees. They were 4th in wOBA and 3rd in wRC. Their defense was pretty bad, but offensively and pitching, they were just good all around. They won 3 World Series.

We can talk about strong pitching or strong hitting all we want, but the goal MUST be to be good all around.[/quote]
Yep, and unless you have the Yankees payroll, that means breaking with tradition and finding ways of maximizing value and limiting risk.

It’s still April!!!!

Average speed something something.

[quote name=Josh]No, no Grienke is terrible now. We’ll be fine.[/quote]
Joshstradamus.

Why couldn’t they do this for Z last night? *grumble*

[quote name=Rice Cube]Why couldn’t they do this for Z last night? *grumble*[/quote]His teammates are still mad at him.

[quote name=jtsunami]Garza looking wild?[/quote]I don’t know if he’s wild, but he’s giving up homers at a rate of one per inning.

That was a pretty “all over the place” walk there.

Hey Cubs fans! The Cubs are hosting their first Wrigleyville Block Party this weekend and it sounds like fun. Check out details here http://bit.ly/mHSSE2

[quote name=matt]Hey Cubs fans! The Cubs are hosting their first Wrigleyville Block Party this weekend and it sounds like fun. Check out details here http://bit.ly/mHSSE2/quote
(dying laughing)

There’s that power.

[quote name=Aisle424]Fixed.[/quote]
Don’t you like anything?

[quote name=matt]Hey Cubs fans! The Cubs are hosting their first Wrigleyville Block Party this weekend and it sounds like fun. Check out details here http://bit.ly/mHSSE2/quote
That reminds me, I need to finish up my marketing campaign for W flags and Go Cubs Go CDs. OV is the perfect place to sell them (dying laughing)

[quote name=jtsunami]O/U Grienke’s IP: 4.2[/quote]
Garza isn’t far behind…this was not expected (dying laughing)

Vancouver has established the template for block parties. The question is, can the cubs replicate it?

Rickie Weeks loves the TOOTBLAN

somebody get that gif

Umpire took a shot, yup.

[quote name=Berselius]That reminds me, I need to finish up my marketing campaign for W flags and Go Cubs Go CDs. OV is the perfect place to sell them (dying laughing)[/quote]
Don’t forget your, “It’s Gonna Happen,” signs. They will go like hotcakes around here.

[quote name=jtsunami]OMG Castro has two walks. I think it’s the first time ever.[/quote]Seems like he’s been much more patient lately AND hitting with more pop. Nice little combo.

[quote name=Berselius](dying laughing), I’m going to Vancouver next month and just got a travel advisory from the university about civil unrest (dying laughing) (dying laughing)[/quote]
They’ve declared war on automobiles.

Levine floating the Z—> Yankees rumor again.

[quote name=mb21]I’d like to order a dozen.[/quote]
I only accept orders via fax.

[quote name=Rice Cube]Levine floating the Z—> Yankees rumor again.[/quote]That would be nice. Did Levine write an article about it?

Yeah, you can probably write a new blog on this:

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/4932/with-n-y-in-town-let-big-z-speculation-begin

Soriano had an interesting viewpoint about it towards the end of the article.

(dying laughing), the Cubs are contagious

Alcides Escobar would have made that play.

[quote name=Berselius]April 77th Kosuke![/quote]
/424′d

Fukudome now a double short of the cycle.

Pat Hughes: “the feet are connected to the nose. When you sniff a base hit, you run faster.”

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/135990/oshea-blasts-ex-tribune-execs-current-editor-in-new-book/

2-day TOOTBLAN streak by Weeks.

[quote name=Rice Cube]Kosuke will only get an AB in the next inning if the Cubs get men on base. Cycle very unlikely.[/quote]
He’ll get one in the 8th

[quote name=Berselius]He’ll get one in the 8th[/quote]
Correct. I thought it was the 8th inning already. Derp.

They needed that second base. Otherwise Morgan couldn’t have hit a 5 run HR.

Well, I don’t think he’ll get four anymore…. But, Sori got one.

[quote name=bubblesdachimp]Just saaw yellon on that blast[/quote]
Was he under a misting station?

I was thinking of trying to catch a Peoria Chiefs game this season. Are there any good players down there? I saw that Angel Pagan was pitching there.

I know it’s meaningless, but it would be cool if Kosuke could hit for the cycle

[quote name=Rice Cube]This is your fault.[/quote]
Clearly the best course of action is to save face and move to Japan.

Sean Marshall for the coveted Fuck-You-Three-Inning-Save?

Greinke had 10 strikeouts and 2 walks, good for a 2.77 FIP.

Will John Grabow piss this whole lead away?

Man, if Grabow forces Marmol come in here, I’ll be pissed.

[quote name=ACT]Greinke had 10 strikeouts and 2 walks, good for a 2.77 FIP.[/quote]And a 1.19 xFIP!

[quote name=Josh]Think the Cubs will resign Kosuke if he continues to play well, or are they just going to be thankful to get a good trade piece? If the Cubs don’t pick up Rami’s contract, how long until he’s officially signed by the Orioles?[/quote]
I don’t think there’s any chance they re-sign Kosuke unless he takes a significant pay-cut. I used to think there was no way it would happen, but with Colvin looking completely lost, they might try to resign him at something like $4 million for one year. I think ultimately whether they resign him depends on:
1.) How he finishes and what he’s willing to sign for
2.) If the Cubs have lost all faith in Colvin being a starting major league calliber player
3.) Timeframe for Jackson and Szczur

If Ricketts is really going young and slashing payroll then he’s not coming back.

If the Cubs don’t pick up Rami’s contract, how long until he’s officially signed by the Orioles?

It would be pretty hilarious if they picked him up. Regardless, it wouldn’t surprise me if he were to go the AL to be a DH. If he stays in the NL, it’s going to be with a seriously offensively challenged team like the Padres.

[quote name=The Wreckard]The funny thing is that he’s not even playing that much better than normal. Adjust for his inflated BABIP and he’s basically putting up the exactly same numbers as he has in years past.

And by Fangraph’s measure the combination of bad fielding this year and his completely empty line has him pegged at 0 WAR despite his “strong” start.[/quote]
I have a hard time with this one… while obviosuly the eye test is a pretty terrible way to evaluate players, I really can’t believe he’s been that bad in the field. Kosuke has always struck me as an average or even plus fielder.

Kosuke is second in the league in Total Zone runs, has a terrible UZR, and an average DRS. His Fan Scouting Reports for the past couple years are slightly above average.

Does what happened with Kosuke pretty much kill any chances the next Japanese star makes any kind of money in MLB?

Kosuke does not believe in your fagety spreadsheets:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15964567

I’d rather go with the Fans Scouting Report over the available defensive metrics. The new FRAA is pretty good in that it tells us what happened and doesn’t infer as much as the others.

[quote name=mb21]I’d rather go with the Fans Scouting Report over the available defensive metrics. The new FRAA is pretty good in that it tells us what happened and doesn’t infer as much as the others.[/quote]
I haven’t seen that, but it sounds interesting. Do you have a link? I’m too lazy to Google it (dying laughing).