I went over to Keith Law's blog to see if he had any draft info and I couldn't look past the first article.
Candidates for demotion and promtion
So I figure Keith Law is going to rip to shreds the idea that Anthony Rizzo and/or Starlin Castro would be sent to the minor leagues based on their performance so far. Nope.
Rizzo's stat line this season is heavy on secondary skills; he's walking, and hitting for power, but not making much contact or hitting for average, with a very low BABIP (.171). For most hitters, I wouldn't be concerned with a lower-than-normal BABIP or contact rate in a small sample. In Rizzo's case, however, the Cubs appear to have altered his swing, getting his hands loaded lower and farther back than last year so that he's swinging more up through the ball, which should generate more power but would absolutely reduce contact and lead to more popups, all of which is true so far.
If Rizzo was batting .300/.315/.350 this paragraph doesn't get written, but since his average is so low, and god forbid a player's stats be heavy on secondary skills, this is apparently a big deal.
To Law's credit, he does say this at the start of the article, but I'm not sure it makes up for the other part.
Neither guy is lighting the league on fire, but threatening them with a demotion to the minors seems a little draconian, and maybe a sign that the manager's a little in over his head.
Was he able to fully raise his arm during his last home run trot?
By the way, what exactly does Cody Ransom bring to this team again? Bringing him in seems like a bit of a head-scratcher to me, he’s got no upside nor does he have the ability to help in the short term. Maybe he learned a buncha dick jokes from Kevin Millar or something. (Also, how do you feel if you’re Darwin Barney slotted in at #8 behind him?)
uncle daveQuote Reply
http://youtu.be/e1zvhJRIM7M
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ uncle dave:
Tons of power. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
Shut me right up. (dying laughing)
uncle daveQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
(dying laughing)
WaLiQuote Reply
I totally saw this coming with Ransom.
Actually, he has more total bases tonight than I expected he’d have in his cubs career.
dmick89Quote Reply
I smell a cycle (if they can get him to the plate four times).
uncle daveQuote Reply
This team (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
TOOTBLAN BONANZA!
uncle daveQuote Reply
Fucking a
WaLiQuote Reply
Wow, Rizzo.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
nice game for carl newhouse
GWQuote Reply
Man, Cozart as looked like trash this series
MylesQuote Reply
Castillo ahora tiene el sombrero de oro.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Victory is within grasp! It all come down to the Cubs’ bullpen!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Never mind, it looks like Villanueva’s going to try to complete the game. good strategy.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This ump is pretty terrible.
MylesQuote Reply
OK, bullpen time.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Marmooooooooooooooooooooooooooool…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Blown save!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
One pitch, one blown save
MylesQuote Reply
Gotta just laugh.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oscMRuLPo4E
uncle daveQuote Reply
The Cubs now have 3 saves in 9 opportunities.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Really? They’ve been that good? Who knew?
dmick89Quote Reply
He blew that save before I could even make a snarky comment about it.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
If you can’t laugh at this you don’t have a sense of humor.
dmick89Quote Reply
Is Cody Ransom due up I’d this game goes to the 10th? (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
shawndgoldmanQuote Reply
Huh. Marmol doesn’t seem to have his best control today.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
It’s as surprising as the offense only scoring 2 runs.
dmick89Quote Reply
These guys are so bad they won’t even extend the simple dignity of blowing the game only once. “Fuck you, we’re going to extras just so we can blow it then. We may even blow it a couple more times just to make sure you get the point. Double freedom rockets in your face, asshole.”
uncle daveQuote Reply
MLB At Bat notification just told me that the Reds beat the Cubs 3-2. Good to know.
dmick89Quote Reply
Whose turn is it to blow a save?
dmick89Quote Reply
So.
Darwin Barney.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
uncle daveQuote Reply
Are any of the prospects candidates to join the bullpen anytime soon? Any of them?
shawndgoldmanQuote Reply
That was a grindy-ass run.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Marmol for the vulture win?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
Mother nature is being called in from the pen, apparently.
shawndgoldmanQuote Reply
Rough night for Rizzo.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
epic tootblan.
shawndgoldmanQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
He has power. Announcers are always raving about how many homers he hits in batting practice.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ shawndgoldman:
Not really, which explains Gregg and Loe being added to the roster.
dmick89Quote Reply
Kevin Gregg!
dmick89Quote Reply
Upton is now up to 11 homers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Can Cody Ransom pitch?
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs relievers were 1 for 2 in save opportunities in this game, improving their save percentage for the season.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Oh, and that was Barney’s first ever road homer.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
And Marmol leads the Cubs in wins.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Garza broken again? Gordo says Garza had dead-arm.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Marmol leads the team in wins.
GBTSQuote Reply
Echo.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Check this out. It is totally NOT Cubs related.
http://rubenvandervleuten.com/AtoB.html
What happens to your package in the post office.
SVBQuote Reply
(dying laughing), Kevin Fucking Gregg.
Glad that I had dozed off while Marmol shit the bed.
BerseliusQuote Reply
So I joined Twitter. Not sure why. But I did.
SVBQuote Reply
@ SVB:
I feel like this was highly illegal.
GBTSQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
I agree (although this seems to be a non-US package). Not to mention the package looks a bomb.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
To be fair, Marmol was put in a ridiculously tough save situation, with the tying run already in scoring position and less than 2 outs.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
New shit http://obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/jot-cubs-minor-league-recap-4-23-13.html
dmick89Quote Reply