Brett Jackson went 3-4 with a triple and a SB. It was Jackson's 9th triple of the year and while has walk rate is down and his average is as well his slugging has stayed pretty consistent with his minor league career average. Vitters was 1-3 with a BB and continues to improve his walk rate.
Matt Cerda went 3-4 with a HR. Cerda has always had a very good OBP and there is a chance he could make it as a utility guy. Stuck worked 5.2 scoreless IP and Jeffery Antigua earned the save.
This was a stupid game. No comment
Micah Gibbs hit a HR. Who the fuck is Micah Gibbs you ask? Good question. PJ Francescon worked 5 scoreless innings striking out 2.
Hit another HR.
The Boise Hawks kick off their season tonight and I was excited to watch on milb.tv but I have softball tonight and a travel tourney tomorrow. Thats the price you pay to be a world class athlete.
Comments
Castro:
BerseliusQuote Reply
Weren’t both of those pitcher on the Cubs that year? Oh wait, I guess the Jays played the Cubs in ILP.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
well if his swing rate at pitches out of the zone wasn’t up I would tend to agree with him (dying laughing)
dylanjQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
From wikipedia on Reedz:
Johnson was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 17th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. In the minors, he was a Southern League All-Star in 2001 with the Tennessee Smokies, while hitting .314 with 13 home runs and 74 RBI.
I know minor league teams change affiliations, but it’s still kind of weird to see that.
joshQuote Reply
@ dylanj:
Yeah, but of course Sullivan writes it up salaciously, as if Castro is refusing coaching. All Castro seems to be saying is that he’ll adjust when the pitchers adjust. The shocking thing is that he seems not to realize that pitchers are already adjusting, while he’s still swinging away.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
MishQuote Reply
@ Mish:
Mine was “Batman.”
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Somehow I got “Two-Face”…I’m doing it wrong.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I want to punch Jeff Garlin in his doughy, triple-chinned face.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Mish:
Prince’s Batman name is Bat.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Was that the guy in the booth yesterday?
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Yeah…they posted the vid on MLB.com. The stretch was okay, but the interview was painful. You could tell that Len Kasper was in full “WTF” mode.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
If it is, I agree. He had to be the biggest douche I’ve ever heard in that booth.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
Yes. What a complete piece of shit.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Have you guys never experienced the joy of Jeff Garlin in the booth before? He’s just that painful every year, but they keep asking him back.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
He’s a Chicago-based celebrity. Like Vince Vaughn and John Cusack.
I think they should always have Bill Murray there, though.
Non sequitur…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The whole idea of being hopeful they trade someone like Soriano shows a level of ignorance that I don’t think anybody can comprehend. The Cubs are still going to be paying him so what difference does it make? You want him traded just because you don’t want to see him. Fuck you! (dying laughing)
mb21Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I’m not an adult and I’m not a child at heart. I’m also not in organic chemistry class.
I have no identity.
mb21Quote Reply
I forgot which SNL skit it was but Bill Murray made a cameo during a debate parody and asked if they could finally get the Cubs to win the World Series. The look on his face during that appearance was priceless.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ mb21:
I like how he then doubled down by welcoming Milwaukee to “enjoy” Aramis Ramirez.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
when can they bring up brett jackson and avoid super two?
gaius mariusQuote Reply
@ mb21:
What if you were simply on a rollercoaster?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
For those who missed Garlin’s Paul Sullivan imitation:
http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2012-articles/june/comedian-jeff-garlin-says-he-hopes-alfonso-soriano-gets-traded-on-live-tv.html
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ gaius marius:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/06/update-on-timeline-for-calling-up-prospects.html
Now!
But I’m sure they’ll wait.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ gaius marius:
I think they can bring him up any time now. But they have to wait on Rizzo, because he already has 86 days of MLB service time.
FWIW, I don’t think Jackson’s ready. He’s whiffing way too much.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ gaius marius:
I wrote this awhile back: http://obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/when-will-we-see-brett-jackson-and-anthony-rizzo.html
Basically, the first game after the all-star break UNLESS they were to call them up now and send them back down. That’s not likely to happen so look for them to be called up after the break.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I think they wait until there’s a 100% certainty they can’t be super 2s. May as well at this point.
mb21Quote Reply
As long as they have less than 86 days of service time this year they cannot qualify to be a super 2. That date is the first game after the break if I can count worth a shit. (dying laughing)
mb21Quote Reply
They gotta trade a couple guys first before they can call up Rizzo and Jackson, methinks.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ mb21:
You’re not a True Fan, mb. Don’t forget the 2007 Rockies. Or whatever year that was. (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I honestly don’t think Jeff knows shit about baseball. He’s never struck me in past interviews as someone who had any idea what was going on. Casual fan, at best. He always came across to me like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.
joshQuote Reply
i dont think we will see Jackson until Sept barring some injury outbreak
dylanjQuote Reply
He’s one of the big reasons I’m completely sick of the seventh inning stretch bullshit. John Cusak can at least name some Cubs of days past.
joshQuote Reply
josh wrote:
He always came across to me like he would rather get his drunk ass back to the bar
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ mb21:
I just hope someday I can ride the coattails of Conan O’Brien and Larry David to a career, so I can become morbidly obese and while away my days criticizing people who have more skill, desire and want-to than my disgustingly fleshy carcass could ever muster.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
If you wanted to see a better celebrity interview, MLB.com has a clip of the Royals guys interviewing Alice Cooper.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
rizzo’s on the 40 already, but jackson isn’t. so yeah, somebody gotta go.
gaius mariusQuote Reply
i expected a lot more discussion about my softball abilities than what I’ve seen so far. Focus!
dylanjQuote Reply
I’d be fine with trading Soriano if he was blocking a red-hot Jackson, but if Jackson still needs work, then whatever. Sori could probably stand to sit one day a week, though, to preserve his knee. Is anyone going to take him, even for free, with his knee obviously bothering him?
joshQuote Reply
@ gaius marius:
DFA Baker. Or Stewart. Or basically anyone in the bullpen.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ gaius marius:
I was thinking more of the “play every day” thing.
If Rizzo is called up he has to play 1B. That means they either trade LaHair or they stick LaHair in LF or RF and trade or release an OF. If Jackson also comes up then they have to trade another or demote Campana. So I think two pieces have to go before they call both up. Rizzo would be easier because they could just release Reed Johnson or demote Campana to give LaHair the playing time. I agree with DJ that Jackson doesn’t come up until September.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ dylanj:
Your new baseball pants are sweet:
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ dylanj:
If you call your shot tonight, please put it on Youtube.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Actually, yeah, that does fit. How did I miss that?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Yeah, they need to cut this shit out and just play a tape of Harry. Perhaps if we had some sort of jumbotronic device in centerfield where some sort of newfangled “video” could be “played” and the fans could sing along with “crystal clear digital image.”
I know, I know; real tinfoil hat stuff here on my part.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ dylanj:
I bought a new glove yesterday at Dick’s. Breaking that bad boy in right now.
Naah…Dick’s.
joshQuote Reply
Our Boise roster is pretty good this guy starts tonight- he’s huge http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=593507
dylanjQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Those pulled pork nachos at Harry Caray’s aren’t going to eat themselves.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
sadly MO sometimes you see shit like that in central KS slow pitch softball
dylanjQuote Reply
@ dylanj:
I can only imagine.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
rizzo will be a while on the service time, so for now maybe just demote campana and johnson and flank jackson with soriano and dejesus.
by the time rizzo comes up, lahair might be back to coming off the bench. or soriano goes under the knife and lahair inherits left.
i do agree that jackson fans way too much, but what is he really going to learn in triple a about that? if he ever learns anything — i’m not necessarily convinced that k rate is something that can be learned. his last 20 games down there are 315/354/616, bb% 6.1, K% 30.5. if you wait, imo it’s perhaps a normalization of his bb% to his career-to-date baseline 11-12%.
gaius mariusQuote Reply
mb21 wrote:
It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do, that defines you.
MishQuote Reply
most of the time though you just see chunky dudes in stupid jerseys with names like “ANARCHY” or “XPLICIT”
thats why I play for the Hesston Possums.
dylanjQuote Reply
@ Mish:
Is that a Batman quote? That’s a Batman quote, isn’t it?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Mish only speaks in Batman quotes.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ dylanj:
In college, our intramural team was called the Robot Weasels.
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Correct.
MishQuote Reply
Mish wrote:
dude, i’m completely going to drop this on my kids when they’re bitching about picking up toys.
gaius mariusQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I think Stewart hits the 60-day DL when Geo comes back, and gets nontendered this offseason. The trade was worth a chance, but it didn’t pan out. It’s not like Colvin was going to do anything.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Mercurial Outfielder wrote:
If you leave them out in the sun long enough, they might
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Maybe it’s Coors Field and his sporadic playing time but Colvin has a OPS+ of 119 so far. Still doesn’t walk and still strikes out a ton.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ dylanj:
These Hesston Possums?
You must have a helluva mascot!
SVBQuote Reply
SVBQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
he’s a true cub
dylanjQuote Reply
That’s what John Kruk said.
(and now back to summer vacation–which means crawling under the house to reroute some electric)
SVBQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
This should be DJ’s avatar, doncha think?
SVBQuote Reply
One…more…month…
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Preview up
http://obstructedview.net/previews/series-preview-boston-red-sox-31-32-at-chicago-cubs-21-42.html
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
i still want to believe. stewart has never had much of a contact%, but he draws walks decently and so he shouldn’t need a massive BABIP to get a survivable OBP. and with an ISO near .200, that’d be good enough. (he’s putting up a .134 ISO this year with a GB% of 56.5% — impressive!)
i’m even willing to toss out last year. the guy had a linedrive% of 11%. that’s little league. something wasn’t right.
this year his LD% is up to 16% anyway — and with a .270 BABIP he’d be hitting near .240 with a .330 OBP. that’s good enough — he’s been a 2 WAR player like that in the past. but his BABIP is .242 and so i think some bad luck may be playing a role. his swing% and K% is down, so it’s not like he’s hacking.
dunno. inclined to let him keep playing and see. but i’m getting soft.
gaius mariusQuote Reply
Micah Gibbs is a Texas boy and future MLB hall of famer. And when he gets called up I’m coming up to Chicago and kickin a few smartass writers butts for not recognizing it.
HosnegQuote Reply