What's the over/under on number of games before Big Z pounds Edmonds in the clubhouse?
What if this were the all-time coolest move by any GM? Let me explain. What if Jim Hendry said, "Yeah, I'll spend some peanuts to bring in my ace pitcher's arch rival just so that he can beat his ass one time in the clubhouse with no media or, for that matter, Cardinals present." What do you mean I'm placing way too much faith in Jim Hendry?
Back to reality: Jim calls this a "No-risk" move. Here is what you are risking:
1. Pissing off Alfonzo Soriano by sending his boy down to AAA when he didn't deserve it. I realize that no one is emotionally worried about Fonzi, but you better be. He plays better when he is having fun. Last 5 games: 11 for 23, 3 Al-Gonzo bombs and 8 RBI's. Him and Pie are boys.
2. The further development of Felix Pie. Will he really learn more at AAA or will he just see worse pitching and start that looping swing again to hit more jacks because that is what GM's and managers respond to?
3. Team chemistry. We have a team that looks like they all like each other. For instance, yesterday during Lilly's rough inning, he chased a slow grounder that ended up foul over towards first base. On his way back to the mound, we saw DLee slap him on the ass like, "Hey, let him hit this shit and we'll get you out of it." And that's exactly what happened. Just felt like a -we're in this together- type of ass slap I give my friends when we're in line at "La Bamba's" ordering burritos as big as our heads at 3am.
4. Zambrano's pitching hand. Here's to hoping he gives him the LEFT hook the first time Edmonds yanks his head for a bad K... during a Zambrano start in a tight game and the words start flying.
And we got all this for only $284,000? Hopefully guys like Marquis and DeRosa (who reportedly like Edmonds) can keep the peace. If not, clear the way. Z train's coming through! Choo-Choo!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Anybody Seen Any Ram? I'm Looking For A Ram...
Another 5-3 loss for the Cubbies when they had ample opportunities to win this ballgame... namely in the 9th inning. Everyone could see that there were too many errors, that the Randy-Jackson-sized strike zone benefited Cueto more than Dempster and that Fontenot was safe at home even if the ball did beat him there. I'm going to choose to focus on some of the good things we saw.
Felix Pie rebounded from a bad strikeout to have what I see as his best game of the season. He made an OUTSTANDING catch, he made good contact on a ball that sent Griffey's old, high ass back to the wall (I wish we could have seen him make another jumping catch... man did that make him look old. He's croseed that age where you know he is getting a couple fingers up that high ass every year, MOOOooon River!) and had a HEE-YYUUGE basehit to keep that ninth inning rolling. Nice work Felix. There's still hope you'll get your chance.
Ryan Dempster pitched well. He had the benefit of Fontenot and DeRosa kicking ground balls around behind him. I wonder what that interaction is like in the dugout after the first inning when you've penalty kicked your team to a 3-run hole...
I can hear our boy DeRo now, "Uh, sorry about that Ryan. I'll do my best not to strike out in a key situation tonight." Oops! Blew that one too! DeRosa needs a day off. I like him, whatever, He's slumping and needs a day. Nonetheless, Dempster had a decent game. 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 hits, 7 K's and only 1 walk. Before the game I was listening to Ron tell me that the walks had been Demp's lone issue so far. He did a good job finding the plate tonight, well, somewhere close to the plate considering he could have driven his truck through Wilke's strike zone even after a couple bong rips.
Our boy Geovany Soto gets moved up to the 5th spot and comes up with another big game. You just can't make a mistake against this guy. He hits fastballs like Ahmad Brooks hit female neighbors. Boom! Lights out. 435 feet later he's rounding the bases (which I enjoy watching by the way) and showing the rest of our veteran squad that the young Cueto wasn't unhittable.
Kerry Wood's breaking balls and fastball looked great. Some of those sliders? looked like frisbees coming in. He was going from 75mph to 96mph and that will come in handy down the road. Good job by him.
My "Where's Ronny Campaign" has been put on hold because Theriot keeps coming up with very good at-bats. I'll bet Cedeno sees some third base if ARam doesn't come back soon and some second base even if he does.
Alright, let's hope Ramirez is back because it's nice having some more pop in the lineup. If ARam does hit the DL, anybody against a lineup like this? If so, tell me what you would do.
1. Fuku
2. Theriot 2B
3. Lee
4. Soriano
5. Soto
6. DeRo
7. Pie
8. Cedeno SS
Have a good day. Go Cubs!
Felix Pie rebounded from a bad strikeout to have what I see as his best game of the season. He made an OUTSTANDING catch, he made good contact on a ball that sent Griffey's old, high ass back to the wall (I wish we could have seen him make another jumping catch... man did that make him look old. He's croseed that age where you know he is getting a couple fingers up that high ass every year, MOOOooon River!) and had a HEE-YYUUGE basehit to keep that ninth inning rolling. Nice work Felix. There's still hope you'll get your chance.
Ryan Dempster pitched well. He had the benefit of Fontenot and DeRosa kicking ground balls around behind him. I wonder what that interaction is like in the dugout after the first inning when you've penalty kicked your team to a 3-run hole...
I can hear our boy DeRo now, "Uh, sorry about that Ryan. I'll do my best not to strike out in a key situation tonight." Oops! Blew that one too! DeRosa needs a day off. I like him, whatever, He's slumping and needs a day. Nonetheless, Dempster had a decent game. 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 hits, 7 K's and only 1 walk. Before the game I was listening to Ron tell me that the walks had been Demp's lone issue so far. He did a good job finding the plate tonight, well, somewhere close to the plate considering he could have driven his truck through Wilke's strike zone even after a couple bong rips.
Our boy Geovany Soto gets moved up to the 5th spot and comes up with another big game. You just can't make a mistake against this guy. He hits fastballs like Ahmad Brooks hit female neighbors. Boom! Lights out. 435 feet later he's rounding the bases (which I enjoy watching by the way) and showing the rest of our veteran squad that the young Cueto wasn't unhittable.
Kerry Wood's breaking balls and fastball looked great. Some of those sliders? looked like frisbees coming in. He was going from 75mph to 96mph and that will come in handy down the road. Good job by him.
My "Where's Ronny Campaign" has been put on hold because Theriot keeps coming up with very good at-bats. I'll bet Cedeno sees some third base if ARam doesn't come back soon and some second base even if he does.
Alright, let's hope Ramirez is back because it's nice having some more pop in the lineup. If ARam does hit the DL, anybody against a lineup like this? If so, tell me what you would do.
1. Fuku
2. Theriot 2B
3. Lee
4. Soriano
5. Soto
6. DeRo
7. Pie
8. Cedeno SS
Have a good day. Go Cubs!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Heeee's Baa-aack!
Thursday marks the return of our favorite leadoff man and his bombs, his Al-Gonzo bombs! There are a ton of nay-sayers about Soriano batting leadoff, but I'm excited to see that big swing back in our lineup. He eats up fastballs and with the current state of our team patience, maybe, just maybe he'll feel some sort of responsibility to keep it going when he gets the more-popular-pitch-to-avoid-the-Al-Gonzo-bomb breaking balls.
Bright spot: I said that it would take me 6 starts to decide if Ryan Dempster was for real. I think I may have been wrong and that it will take 10, but man does he look good. This post is coming as the Cubs are up 19-5 in the bottom of the eighth of their recent Brewer thrashing that Dempster dealt. He had his splitter backing up like the dancing queen I saw in Harry Caray's Tuesday night. To right-handers it looked like it was going way off the plate - then in Zambrano-esque fashion it would slice back over the outside corner. Left-handers were on their way out of the box only to find themselves blindsided by an inside corner strike and an 0-1 count. Magical Ryan Dempster did it again and could easily be 5-0 or 6-0, but will gladly take his 4-0 I'm sure.
The ONLY downside of this game is that Ronny Cedeno once again proved he deserves to be our starting shortstop by walking twice and hitting a 3-RBI double. I will continue to be disappointed until he supplants the respectable, but low-ceiling'ed Riot.
Alright, come 4:30 tomorrow afternoon this town will be in an uproar... and it all depends on whether or not we can yell AL....GONZO! I take that back. I think most would be happy with an Al-Gonzo-Remove-My-Shin-Plate-And-Take-Your-Base-Walk. Good luck Soriano! Life is good as a Cubs fan... I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. "Go Cubs Go... Go Cubs Go... Hey Chicago whattya say?"
Bright spot: I said that it would take me 6 starts to decide if Ryan Dempster was for real. I think I may have been wrong and that it will take 10, but man does he look good. This post is coming as the Cubs are up 19-5 in the bottom of the eighth of their recent Brewer thrashing that Dempster dealt. He had his splitter backing up like the dancing queen I saw in Harry Caray's Tuesday night. To right-handers it looked like it was going way off the plate - then in Zambrano-esque fashion it would slice back over the outside corner. Left-handers were on their way out of the box only to find themselves blindsided by an inside corner strike and an 0-1 count. Magical Ryan Dempster did it again and could easily be 5-0 or 6-0, but will gladly take his 4-0 I'm sure.
The ONLY downside of this game is that Ronny Cedeno once again proved he deserves to be our starting shortstop by walking twice and hitting a 3-RBI double. I will continue to be disappointed until he supplants the respectable, but low-ceiling'ed Riot.
Alright, come 4:30 tomorrow afternoon this town will be in an uproar... and it all depends on whether or not we can yell AL....GONZO! I take that back. I think most would be happy with an Al-Gonzo-Remove-My-Shin-Plate-And-Take-Your-Base-Walk. Good luck Soriano! Life is good as a Cubs fan... I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. "Go Cubs Go... Go Cubs Go... Hey Chicago whattya say?"
Monday, April 21, 2008
Soriano's out, OBP is in.
There is a lot happening around Wrigley that deserves to be discussed. We'll start with the obvious:
How about this lineup without Alfonso Soriano? They are hitting with power AND manufacturing runs with hit and run plays, stolen bases and walks. Walks? You got it. Walks. Do you remember the first time you saw the youtube video of Joey Gathright jumping cars? You didn’t believe it. There was no way it was really happening. Well, that’s how I feel about the Cubbies taking walks. But you look at the stats, and sure enough they’re 4th in the league at taking bases on balls. Good for them. Who is the team’s lasik eye surgeon? Send me his number.
1 St. Louis 88
2 Toronto 86
3 Oakland 82
4 Chicago Cubs 81
5 Cincinnati 80
Also, the emergence of Ronny Cedeno and Ryan Theriot as options to hit out of the two-hole could be what makes everyone forget about Brian Roberts. Impossible you say? Maybe, but listen. If Lou continues to sit Pie (we’ll get to this later), and have Johnson leading off (I love the way he gets beaned at a Craig-Biggio-type rate), and Theriot or Cedeno can have a high enough OBP to stay in the two-hole, when Soriano returns he will be hitting 6th… which is the perfect spot. Under pressure, Soriano is as consistent as Larry Hughes’ 20-foot jumper. We have seen him fail hitting third and fifth, but what if Lou bats him 6th? He’ll have to check his ego, but contrary to popular belief, Soriano has never said he would do anything otherwise. He’ll still have Soto and DeRosa behind him and he’ll even have some ducks on the pond to knock in with his AlGonzo bombs. Heard it hear first… well, maybe. There may be some other J.O sitting around with limited baseball knowledge and a big ego suggesting the same thing. I bet you’ve never heard ‘AlGonzo Bombs’ before though! So here’s the lineup…
1. Johnson CF
2. Theriot SS
3. D. Lee 1B
4. Ramirez 3B
5. Fukudome RF
6. Soriano LF
7. Soto C
8. DeRosa 2B
That is the deepest lineup in the NL, hands down.
So all of this said, I’m in favor of getting the young guys (Pie, Cedeno) some more starts. Here is my thinking; Nobody is going to run away with the Central in the next two months (unless they play my lineup!). Pie could be a deciding factor come playoff time. If he does fulfill his potential, and somehow manages to “get it” over the next two months, he becomes a left-handed bat with some pop that can steal bases. Oh yea, and he is also their best defensive outfielder. If he doesn’t put on his big-boy pants by the All-Star break, you trade him in a package for a legit starter because somebody will be willing to give him another year.
Cedeno does appear to have matured in the batter’s box. His pitch recognition appears to have made leaps and bounds over the past season. The reason I want to see him more frequently is because I haven’t bought into Theriot yet. Considering Ryan’s limited range and subpar arm, 20 games is not enough for me. I think that Ronny should have been given a shot in Spring Training instead of shagging balls in center field while Theriot was in the land of lollipops and chocolate rivers.
Lot to marinate on. Let me know what you think, especially in regards to that lineup and playing the young guys. Let’s get two from those Mets!
How about this lineup without Alfonso Soriano? They are hitting with power AND manufacturing runs with hit and run plays, stolen bases and walks. Walks? You got it. Walks. Do you remember the first time you saw the youtube video of Joey Gathright jumping cars? You didn’t believe it. There was no way it was really happening. Well, that’s how I feel about the Cubbies taking walks. But you look at the stats, and sure enough they’re 4th in the league at taking bases on balls. Good for them. Who is the team’s lasik eye surgeon? Send me his number.
1 St. Louis 88
2 Toronto 86
3 Oakland 82
4 Chicago Cubs 81
5 Cincinnati 80
Also, the emergence of Ronny Cedeno and Ryan Theriot as options to hit out of the two-hole could be what makes everyone forget about Brian Roberts. Impossible you say? Maybe, but listen. If Lou continues to sit Pie (we’ll get to this later), and have Johnson leading off (I love the way he gets beaned at a Craig-Biggio-type rate), and Theriot or Cedeno can have a high enough OBP to stay in the two-hole, when Soriano returns he will be hitting 6th… which is the perfect spot. Under pressure, Soriano is as consistent as Larry Hughes’ 20-foot jumper. We have seen him fail hitting third and fifth, but what if Lou bats him 6th? He’ll have to check his ego, but contrary to popular belief, Soriano has never said he would do anything otherwise. He’ll still have Soto and DeRosa behind him and he’ll even have some ducks on the pond to knock in with his AlGonzo bombs. Heard it hear first… well, maybe. There may be some other J.O sitting around with limited baseball knowledge and a big ego suggesting the same thing. I bet you’ve never heard ‘AlGonzo Bombs’ before though! So here’s the lineup…
1. Johnson CF
2. Theriot SS
3. D. Lee 1B
4. Ramirez 3B
5. Fukudome RF
6. Soriano LF
7. Soto C
8. DeRosa 2B
That is the deepest lineup in the NL, hands down.
So all of this said, I’m in favor of getting the young guys (Pie, Cedeno) some more starts. Here is my thinking; Nobody is going to run away with the Central in the next two months (unless they play my lineup!). Pie could be a deciding factor come playoff time. If he does fulfill his potential, and somehow manages to “get it” over the next two months, he becomes a left-handed bat with some pop that can steal bases. Oh yea, and he is also their best defensive outfielder. If he doesn’t put on his big-boy pants by the All-Star break, you trade him in a package for a legit starter because somebody will be willing to give him another year.
Cedeno does appear to have matured in the batter’s box. His pitch recognition appears to have made leaps and bounds over the past season. The reason I want to see him more frequently is because I haven’t bought into Theriot yet. Considering Ryan’s limited range and subpar arm, 20 games is not enough for me. I think that Ronny should have been given a shot in Spring Training instead of shagging balls in center field while Theriot was in the land of lollipops and chocolate rivers.
Lot to marinate on. Let me know what you think, especially in regards to that lineup and playing the young guys. Let’s get two from those Mets!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Adios! Alfonso!
Oh Sori, that little skip didn't make you miss a routine pop-up. It made you miss two weeks worth. For the record, he actually strained the calf after he jumped/skipped (whatever) and landed. He did it when he planted his right foot behind him to head into the dugout (which he would have had to do anyway if he wanted to get his bat and helmet before he swung over some breaking balls).
Okay, I'm being much harder on him than I feel necessary. As long as our boy can come back 100%, I couldn't really care less. It's an opportunity that Lou will no doubt pass up to actually see what our young guys, Pie and Patterson at least, are capable of.
The Reds have a couple of good pitchers in their rotation at this point... Harang is good and Cueto has good stuff. Then there's Josh Fogg. If we need to get a guy like Pie going, why sit him against Josh Fogg? If he's going to 'figure it out,' isn't that more likely done against a slouch like Fogg than Harang?
Either way, go get'em Z!
Okay, I'm being much harder on him than I feel necessary. As long as our boy can come back 100%, I couldn't really care less. It's an opportunity that Lou will no doubt pass up to actually see what our young guys, Pie and Patterson at least, are capable of.
The Reds have a couple of good pitchers in their rotation at this point... Harang is good and Cueto has good stuff. Then there's Josh Fogg. If we need to get a guy like Pie going, why sit him against Josh Fogg? If he's going to 'figure it out,' isn't that more likely done against a slouch like Fogg than Harang?
Either way, go get'em Z!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Cubs vs. Phillies 04/13
A quick blog analyzing this game as it happens...
Currently in the bottom of the second inning, so far Jason Marquis has looked afraid to go after the big hitters in the Phillies lineup. He started the game with a nice strikeout against strikeout king Geoff Jenkings and has gone downhill from there. He's getting a surplus of flyouts which is not a good sign.
I was also just dumbfounded by Ryan Theriot's decision to attempt to bunt himself on and this is why. He had Fukudome on first and Blanco and Marquis hitting behind him. Let's say his plan works and gets him on first.... then what? You set up an RBI situation for Blanco? He's potentially the worst-hitter in the NL. Who by the way, just had his second mishap behind the plate in as many innings letting another runner advance.
Just had a terrible play in the field by Theriot, with his head. A slow groundball in which Ryan checked the runner going to third (who just ran in front of him in plain view) which costs him just enough time to let their 8th hitter beat out the throw. I'll take a large order of Ronny Cedeno, with a side of talent please. Marquis has a lot going against him today...
Marquis walks Werth to face Utley with the bases loaded... oh boy. And they squeak out of it with no runs scored! Well, that is not the way to win baseball games in the long run, but I'll take it right now.
There has been something wrong with this team and I have been having some trouble putting my finger on it. Well, these last few paragraphs summarizing two innings of road baseball do it for me. They are not playing solid baseball. In this shape, they are not poised to win anything. There are too many little mistakes. On top of that, the guy that could potentially be the weight that tips the scale in either direction is available as a lefty in the bullpen today... Rich Hill.
At the peak of my pessimism, our boys have put together a few base hits and tied the game, including a very smart send of Hank White home by Quade on a single to Burrell. Now they've taken the lead on a D. Lee double. However, with the way they look in the field, three runs will not be enough to win this game. But I guess that's why I'm sitting here in my Cubs shirt and hat day in and day out! Go Cubs!
Currently in the bottom of the second inning, so far Jason Marquis has looked afraid to go after the big hitters in the Phillies lineup. He started the game with a nice strikeout against strikeout king Geoff Jenkings and has gone downhill from there. He's getting a surplus of flyouts which is not a good sign.
I was also just dumbfounded by Ryan Theriot's decision to attempt to bunt himself on and this is why. He had Fukudome on first and Blanco and Marquis hitting behind him. Let's say his plan works and gets him on first.... then what? You set up an RBI situation for Blanco? He's potentially the worst-hitter in the NL. Who by the way, just had his second mishap behind the plate in as many innings letting another runner advance.
Just had a terrible play in the field by Theriot, with his head. A slow groundball in which Ryan checked the runner going to third (who just ran in front of him in plain view) which costs him just enough time to let their 8th hitter beat out the throw. I'll take a large order of Ronny Cedeno, with a side of talent please. Marquis has a lot going against him today...
Marquis walks Werth to face Utley with the bases loaded... oh boy. And they squeak out of it with no runs scored! Well, that is not the way to win baseball games in the long run, but I'll take it right now.
There has been something wrong with this team and I have been having some trouble putting my finger on it. Well, these last few paragraphs summarizing two innings of road baseball do it for me. They are not playing solid baseball. In this shape, they are not poised to win anything. There are too many little mistakes. On top of that, the guy that could potentially be the weight that tips the scale in either direction is available as a lefty in the bullpen today... Rich Hill.
At the peak of my pessimism, our boys have put together a few base hits and tied the game, including a very smart send of Hank White home by Quade on a single to Burrell. Now they've taken the lead on a D. Lee double. However, with the way they look in the field, three runs will not be enough to win this game. But I guess that's why I'm sitting here in my Cubs shirt and hat day in and day out! Go Cubs!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Payroll to Success?
Can an inflated payroll guarantee a world series? The freaking Yankees have a lot of banners......
NL Central average 84.8 million
Cubs: 118 million
Cards: 100
Astros: 88
Brew: 80
Reds: 74
Bucks: 49
NL East average 82.6
Mets: 138 million
Phillies: 102
Braves: 98
Nationals: 54
Marlins: 21
NL West average 80.2
Dodgers: 118
SF: 76
SD: 73
Colorado: 68
DBacks: 66
You can look at these numbers and draw your own conclusions... Here is what jumps out at me.
It doesn't take the most money to deliver a great product on the field. Take a look at Arizona for example. They have a remarkable top of the rotation... probably the best in the NL and potentially the best in the league which is a key factor in any playoff series.
And they are paying $66 million for their whole team!? If I was the GM of pretty much any other team I would be embarrassed by this. Then, as the DBacks were sweeping my team in the playoffs, I would be typing my resignation letter in case anybody realized the disparity. My questions are: Why are their scouts so far superior to others? Can't a ballclub essentially save themselves tens of millions of dollars by offering the best scouts and player development guys an extra half million to work for them? This sounds way too easy to actually work.
Also noticed that the Florida Marlins are the "Goodwill" of the NL. I guess I knew this before, but $21 million? There are 24 players in the league making more than $15 million this year on their own! 3 of those making more than $21 million... I could have named 2 of the 3. However, I did not know that if you combined the salaries of Florida's starting rotation, their bullpen, Hanley Ramirez, the rest of their infielders and all of their outfielders, they would be making $2.428 million less than... Jason Fucking Giambi. If that isn't a guarantee that payroll doesn't lead directly to success then I don't hate the Yankess.
Have a great day. Kosuke Fukudome makes me want to "Onani shimas." Take that to your Japanese dictionary.
NL Central average 84.8 million
Cubs: 118 million
Cards: 100
Astros: 88
Brew: 80
Reds: 74
Bucks: 49
NL East average 82.6
Mets: 138 million
Phillies: 102
Braves: 98
Nationals: 54
Marlins: 21
NL West average 80.2
Dodgers: 118
SF: 76
SD: 73
Colorado: 68
DBacks: 66
You can look at these numbers and draw your own conclusions... Here is what jumps out at me.
It doesn't take the most money to deliver a great product on the field. Take a look at Arizona for example. They have a remarkable top of the rotation... probably the best in the NL and potentially the best in the league which is a key factor in any playoff series.
And they are paying $66 million for their whole team!? If I was the GM of pretty much any other team I would be embarrassed by this. Then, as the DBacks were sweeping my team in the playoffs, I would be typing my resignation letter in case anybody realized the disparity. My questions are: Why are their scouts so far superior to others? Can't a ballclub essentially save themselves tens of millions of dollars by offering the best scouts and player development guys an extra half million to work for them? This sounds way too easy to actually work.
Also noticed that the Florida Marlins are the "Goodwill" of the NL. I guess I knew this before, but $21 million? There are 24 players in the league making more than $15 million this year on their own! 3 of those making more than $21 million... I could have named 2 of the 3. However, I did not know that if you combined the salaries of Florida's starting rotation, their bullpen, Hanley Ramirez, the rest of their infielders and all of their outfielders, they would be making $2.428 million less than... Jason Fucking Giambi. If that isn't a guarantee that payroll doesn't lead directly to success then I don't hate the Yankess.
Have a great day. Kosuke Fukudome makes me want to "Onani shimas." Take that to your Japanese dictionary.
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