“You better know who your ninth starter’s going to be”
I’ve been a bit confused by one of Theo’s comments since taking over as President of Baseball Operations. “We need starting pitching. You can’t take your chances very seriously as a club if you go in to the season without, not just five guys you can point to, but six, seven and eight guys. You better know who your ninth …
Can the Oliver projected standings be right?
At the bottom of The Hardball Time’s Oliver forecasts page they have the 2012 projected standings. They were updated yesterday, but I know this was done before the Brewers signed Aramis Ramirez. National League Central Team Wins Losses CIN 90 72 STL 88 74 MIL 86 76 CHN 82 80 HOU 65 97 PIT 62 100 Oliver projects 1.2 WAR …
Cubs Seriously Debating Whether to Offer Koyie Hill a Contract
When the Age of Theo was ushered in, we thought that certain Cub traits would be washed away as the Superfriends were assembled. Surely, we all agreed, paying for guys who had “intangibles” would be one of the first things out the door. Right? Not so fast. Bruce Miles, opting not to jump on the “Let’s make fun of Steve …
Chicago Media Mourns Bears Loss By Mocking Steve Bartman For Some Reason
How can you tell the difference between our local mainstream media writers and meatball sports radio callers? That’s not the start of a joke, I’m seriously asking. Obviously, those of us who are even dimly aware of the NFL probably know by now that Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos overcame incredible odds and adversity to defeat the Chicago Bears …
How much is Prince Fielder worth?
We’ve talked a lot about Albert Pujols and taken a look at his value, but I don’t believe we’ve done so with Fielder. Apparently many executives think he’ll sign with the Cubs. I’m not optimistic about it, but it’s worth looking at anyway. CAIRO projects 4.4 WAR while Oliver projects 4.0. Let’s split the difference and go with 4.2 in …
How I learned to stop worrying and love the big contract
Alfonso Soriano‘s contract was an idiotic move that sank the Cubs into an economic impasse. I’d like to congratulate myself officially for expressing that sentiment for the 1 billionth time. While the confetti falls and the celebratory fireworks explode, I just want to point out one problem with that notion that fuels so many protests from those who think acquiring …
Getting to Know: Ian Stewart
Name: Ian Stewart Position: Third Base (probably) Batting Order Position: I’d put him no higher than 7th, but we’ll see. Bats/Throws: Left/Right Opening Day Age: 27 (It will be his birthday!) Uniform Number: His most recent 9 is currently taken by Blake DeWitt and his original 24 is Marlon Byrd. I’m thinking he’ll be picking a new number. Is Ian Stewart …
How does losing Pujols and Fielder affect the Cardinals and Brewers?
The short answer to this question is that it doesn’t affect them that much. If the Cardinals were willing to spend $22.5 million on Pujols (10 year, $225 million offer) they still have that $22.5 million available to spend on free agent talent. If a win costs $5 million in 2012, that buys 4.5 wins. Pujols was projected to be …
Albert Pujols Goes to Play For Angels Team That Hardly Ever Plays the Cubs
The news this morning really couldn’t be much better. Albert Pujols will most likely finish his career in the American League West, where his damage to the Cubs will be minimal. He will, however, still be able to torment the Houston Astros. Now all we need is for Fielder to sign with the Mariners. Oh, and some starting pitching …