Anthony Rizzo just keeps hitting. He knocked out his 10th HR of the year last night and is now hitting .356. Luis Valbuena is also doing very well but at this point isn't anything but injury insurance. Frank Batista is really struggling in the bullpen since his promotion but is young-ish for the level so maybe he just needs time to adjust.
Kansas native Logan Watkins was about the only thing going on for the offense as he went 3-4. Watkins profiles as a utility IF as he can play 2B/SS. I think you'll see him in the majors by 2014.
Nobody did anything worth writing about. Zach Cates continues to be really really bad as a SP.
Peoria
Kyle(r) Burke put in another decent start working 6.1 innings of 2 ER ball. 1B Paul Hoilman went 2-4 with a triple and has really come on strong as of late. Taiwan Easterling is also finally showing some signs of life at the plate and is now hitting ..233 after a horrid start.
Comments
Here’s the video re: my last comment on the previous thread:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=5874075&c_id=mlb
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Lou Piniella did some crazy stuff in 2009 that I enjoyed.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Speaking of defense, has there ever been any research put into platooning defense with the pitcher?
For instance, let’s say you have a low strikeout GB pitcher at the mound. I might be more inclined to put Darwin Barney at 2nd and lose some offense but gain some defense since I know there will be a lot of balls in play. It seems like if managers were to do this, you may be able to create a low BABIP for the pitcher that is real and not luck.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I think that would probably be an endgame approach and managers already seem to do that. I think at the beginning of the game you play to get as many runs as possible before you worry about defense, but I don’t have 20+ years of MLB knowledge so that’s just my video game mode talking.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I was thinking more about starting pitcher pairings, not so much taking out Soriano for Reed Johnson in the 8th inning.
Sure you are always going to keep your best hitters in (Castro, LaHair) but if you were thinking about playing Cardenas or Barney, maybe you go with the better glove instead of the better bat.
WaLiQuote Reply
BTW, a TOOTBLAN that wasn’t:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21295905&c_id=pit&partnerId=aw-8090658275007578787-996
The SS had a brain fart on that one.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I think there has been some stuff written on it and it makes sense.
mb21Quote Reply
Needs more eroticism.
Marilyn HagertyQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I could imagine a manager and his statmonkey running the numbers to see how many runs each “platoon” could score and prevent and then use that information accordingly. If runs against >>>> runs scored then they’d probably use your idea in an ideal situation. I think most managers go for optimal offense though. I’ve also never heard of a pitcher requesting a personal defender other than a catcher, but that’s an interesting idea to explore.
(got myself mixed up there)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I was just cleaning out my gmail account and there must have been at least 300 emails to and from Dreamhost. Unreal.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
You should e-mail them back and suggest they change their name to Nightmarehost.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
These…are pancakes.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I’m not sure if I am supposed to use Maple Syrup or Tartar Sauce
WaLiQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
Fixed
/Jellyfishopobe
BerseliusQuote Reply
Also, Pancake Cthulhu or GTFO
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
This might be more appropriate given the upcoming election…
Seems you need a certain consistency of pancake as your starting material or else it won’t shape right. I wonder what kind of knife or blade he used.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Hey b
http://www.geekosystem.com/assassins-creed-3-bear/
MishQuote Reply
Mish wrote:
I hope the bear talks, and is from a long line of bear Assassins.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Brad had a FG article about LaHair:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/bryan-lahair-success-sustainable/
One of the commenters used a pigeonholed sample to compare LaHair to Adam Dunn at the same age.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Surely he’s not saying he’s going to sustain a .500+ wOBA because that’s just retarded.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
17 batters since 1964 have done so in two year windows, so you never know
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ mb21:
The tone of the article didn’t seem to give a solid conclusion one way or the other, but just that LaHair was an interesting case.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Fuck you NBC
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/entertainment/nbc-makes-drastic-call-veteran-comedies-30-rock-community-and-parks-recreation
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
It sounds like they’re getting half-seasons. I’d love for the shows to stick around but NBC has every reason to cancel them. They routinely get beaten by Univision or BBt reruns on TBS in the ratings. 13 episodes is also plenty to wrap things up, which would be nice instead of a sudden ending.
That’s just a rumor anyway, now that we’ve heard about it it won’t happen. FWIW none of the Parks/Community-obsessed TV writers I follow have picked this up, and they’re at upfronts right now.
BerseliusQuote Reply
I would love it if Community ended with everyone drinking hemlock, ala Cougarton Abbey (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
bubblesdachimp wrote:
Language.
Al YellonQuote Reply
@ Al Yellon:
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
how did the office survive?
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
It didn’t say that it would
BerseliusQuote Reply
bubbles=====>>>> Bubblesdasadchimp
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
You legally changed your name?
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
bubbles ====> drunk??
WaLiQuote Reply
Not yet.. Will be in about 5 hours
Bubbles is still recovering froma broken hand from last fridays bulls game
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
IS THAT REAL?
MishQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Metta World Bubbles
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
OTOH, that Reynolds comp is interesting. They have somewhat similar MiLB slash lines.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Mish wrote:
The guy just said he’s legally changing his name to bubblesdachimp and you’re wondering whether or not the NBC comedies comment is for real?
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
No reason, just a funny picture.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Just got around to reading the article.
I find it very hard to believe that a player’s BABIP doesn’t go down at the MLB level. If you start with the MiLB BABIP you have to take something off at the big league level. What we’d really want to do is regress his BABIP back to .300 or so based on the few PA he has. What we’d end up with is something like .302. xBABIP is the expected BABIP based on the events so far. It’s not the expected future BABIP.
mb21Quote Reply
BABIP at the MLB level is .290 for batters. It’s .328 in the PCL so far this year. I don’t know what the disparity is and whether or not you should just subtract X amount to estimate future BABIP, but there’s absolutely no way you can take minor league BABIP and act as if it will be the same at the big league level.
mb21Quote Reply
My guess is that BABIP decreases as you move up the system.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Yeah, there’s holes in the analysis. And even if you stick with FG numbers, if you regress LaHair’s numbers, you get league average, or a bit below. Making the adjustments you suggest would make me take real caution in my expectations for LaHair going forward.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
LaHair has a better ISO right now than Albert Pujols has ever posted in a single season. Surely sustainable for a 30 YO career minor-leaguer.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ mb21:
bubbles and all other foreigners can call themselves whatever the F they want. (dying laughing)
MishQuote Reply
This is new:
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/10/mlb-to-ban-the-fake-to-third-pickoff-play/
I know it’s not a balk but I shout “BALK” anyway. It never seems to rattle the pitcher though.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Here’s LaHair’s MLE’s, weighted for league and team, based on his best MiLB season (2011): 523 PA, 67 R, 128 H, 30 2B, 28 HR, 80 RBI, 45 BB, 120 K, .238/.298/.451
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m fairly certain he’s a good ballplayer. I wouldn’t bet a lot of money on it, but based on what we know at this point I think it’s safe to say that. I also think it’s safe to be cautious about our expectations as you are.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Yeah, I think he’s at least a league-average 1B. But he’s nowhere near as good as he looks now. I really want to see how he adjusts once the league adjusts. It looked like the Braves had a plan, and they got him to chase some bad pitches and get himself out.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Against the Braves LaHair had 11 PA (9 AB), 3 H, 2 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
If that’s the plan against him, I’ll take it.
WaLiQuote Reply
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/9974/lahair-takes-a-step-outside
WaLiQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
He’s learnding.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ WaLi:
Delgado had a lot of success pitching LaHair away.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
So says Sullivan:
He’s looking at you, Woody.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Kasper’s on the Score saying the same thing. Getting out the message?
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Kasper confirmed Sullivan is the one that pissed off Wood. Sully stirring shit. At least he’s being equal opportunity about it.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Should all e-mail Sully a question and tell him how long we’ve been Cubs fans.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
BerseliusQuote Reply
flaherty leadoff homer off colbyashi. .185/.207/.296 in very limited at bats
GWQuote Reply
Berselius wrote:
He’s looking at you, B.
Aisle424Quote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
Aisle424Quote Reply
MishQuote Reply
MB, did your post ever run on ChicagoSide?
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
No. I had actually forgotten about that until today and checked over there and it’s still not up. It was supposedly going to run sometime this week. If it doesn’t I’ll publish it over here. I’ve got another article I’m going to work on for here, but I was wanting that article to be published first.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Mish:
Showing my age here:
“Some days, you just can’t get rid of a bomb.”
Or words of that nature.
frysredjacketQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Honestly, I’m fine with this. That move is annoying as hell.
ACTQuote Reply
@ ACT:
Agreed. I hate it almost as much as bunts.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ ACT:
It became annoying in 1986 and it always amazes me that there are still some runners who get caught on that move.
mb21Quote Reply
Eduardo Nunez sure sucks at fielding.
ACTQuote Reply
@ ACT:
Is Jeter the DH again?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
A-Rod is. Nunez played third and made 2 errors.
ACTQuote Reply
@ ACT:
At least he had the range to actually make those errors 😀
/silver lining
Rice CubeQuote Reply
re: the new balk rule, the announcers of the Yanks-Rays game say the fake-to-third is being outlawed because it’s unfair to southpaws. That is, it’s a balk if lefties fake to first, but not righties. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I don’t find this justification convincing. Lefties have a huge advantage in holding baserunners, why take a small one away from righties?
ACTQuote Reply
@ ACT:
That was talked about in one of the comments in the HBT blog as well as the BLS blog.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Wow, Josh Beckett got rocked.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Berselius wrote:
jellyfish are the most terrifying thing ever. i’m not really sure why. i’ve been stung a few times and it doesn’t even really hurt.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Colby Lewis got 12 strikeouts but allowed 5 home runs.
ACTQuote Reply
Josh Hamilton now has 15 home runs.
ACTQuote Reply
Steve Strasburg has better hitting numbers than Bryce Harper.
ACTQuote Reply
Anyone read Extra Innings yet? Just started tonight.
mb21Quote Reply
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/mock-draft/2012/2613371.html
jim callis’ first 2012 mock draft
GWQuote Reply
Because Ryno isn’t here to do it:
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
dj’s minor league shit: http://t.co/uDjcEwfH
mb21Quote Reply