Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (62-81) at New York Mets (70-73)

In Series Previews by berseliusLeave a Comment

Have the Cubs even played the Mets this year? I can’t remember (laughing). Apparently the Cubs took two out three from them behind strong performances from Demp and Z.

Team Overview

Cubs Mets
wOBA .315 (8th) .322 (5th)
UBR -11.4 (16th) 1.0 (8th)
UZR -9.1 (10th) -44.5 (16th)
SP FIP 4.23 (12th) 4.12 (10th)
RP FIP 3.87 (9th) 3.91 (12th)

Wow, UZR hates the Mets. DRS has them at -32, with only the Cubs worse than they are (-47).

Pitching matchups

Friday: Casey Coleman, RHP (6.61, 4.77, 4.86, 5.16) vs Mike Pelfrey, RHP (4.68, 4.52, 4.55, 4.11), right now

I thought that Pelfrey was much better this year, but it looks like he’s just been kind of meh. Luckily he doesn’t have to worry too much about giving up runs with the Cubs offense, who had the bases loaded with one out in the first and failed to plate anyone.

Saturday: Randy Wells, RHP (4.86, 5.05, 4.37, 4.13) vs Chris Capuano, LHP (4.63, 3.98, 3.71, 3.79), 12:10 PM CT

A few starts ago I wondered if RAndy Wells was finally back. After a shitty two and a half months following a DL stint, Wells has had four solid starts in a row, including a complete game against the Giants high-A quality offense, and he’s striking out batters at a better clip. On the other hand, he did not get nearly as many ground balls as classic Randy Wells typically would. Four games is a useless sample size anyway (laughing). I’d be interested to hear if the scouts/pfx guys have noticed any changes in the past few weeks.

Capuano has basically been out of baseball since he went down with an elbow injury at the end of 2007. He underwent TJS and it took a long time to get his stuff back. He put up solid numbers late in 2010 with the Brewers, and has been even better this year with the Mets. He always seems to own the Cubs whenever he pitches against them.

Sunday: Matt Garza, RHP (3.52, 2.97, 3.16, 3.90) vs Miguel Batista, he’s still in the majors?? (3.92, 4.76, 5.61, 5.16), 7:05 PM CT

Watch out Jaime Moyer, Batista is coming for you. Though at least Moyer had some justification for teams to keep putting contracts in front of him. Most of that 4.76 FIP that Batista has posted this season was as a reliever, which shows how lousy of a season he’s had. He’s the hammer you use in case of emergency to break the glass that gets you the real hammer you use in case of emergency.

Prediction

Cubs sweep one for Santo, because why the hell not (laughing)


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Comments

  1. Rice Cube

    Luckily he doesn’t have to worry too much about giving up runs with the Cubs offense, who had the bases loaded with one out in the first and failed to plate anyone.

    Shut you right up.

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  2. Aisle424

    [quote name=fang2415]Hmm, I wonder what’s on over at OV today. Probably some cutting-edge analysis of prospects and novel statistical insights on how the team might rebuild under new leadership!

    FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-[/quote]
    I guess I can always revive the Pic of the Day with a spoiler of the score.

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  3. mb21

    Eh, those movies all came out before I was born and I still loved the shit out of them as a kid, as did all of my friends, and my brother, and all of his friends, and my younger cousins, etc. etc.

    Fair enough, but what kids of the younger generation had seen them or even wanted to? The odds of those movies being seen by even 5% of kids under 15 or 20 was slim to none if it weren’t for the new ones. And I’d bet most of them wouldn’t even have liked them without the prequels. In fact, I don’t think most of them even like them with the prequels. I’ve tried to argue with my nephews about which ones are best and I won’t hear anything about episode 1-2-3, but those are their favorites. Not even close. Kids under 15 right now couldn’t have cared less about Star Wars were it not for the prequels. That so many even watched them is due to Lucas making them.

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  4. Rice Cube

    [quote name=Aisle424]I guess I can always revive the Pic of the Day with a spoiler of the score.[/quote]
    The default assumption is that the Cubs are losing.

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  5. mb21

    [quote name=Aisle424]I guess I can always revive the Pic of the Day with a spoiler of the score.[/quote]I wonder what happened to those pic of the days. Most of the best articles on OV were from that series.

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  6. Aisle424

    [quote name=mb21]I wonder what happened to those pic of the days. Most of the best articles on OV were from that series.[/quote]
    I got simultaneously busy and lazy.

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  7. binky

    I don’t know about speeding up every game, but what about pitching change limits? It would have speeded up this game. three pitching changes in a regular game, 1 pitching change per inning, except for injury or extra innings.

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  8. binky

    [quote name=mb21]Fair enough, but what kids of the younger generation had seen them or even wanted to? The odds of those movies being seen by even 5% of kids under 15 or 20 was slim to none if it weren’t for the new ones. And I’d bet most of them wouldn’t even have liked them without the prequels. In fact, I don’t think most of them even like them with the prequels. I’ve tried to argue with my nephews about which ones are best and I won’t hear anything about episode 1-2-3, but those are their favorites. Not even close. Kids under 15 right now couldn’t have cared less about Star Wars were it not for the prequels. That so many even watched them is due to Lucas making them.[/quote]It’s totally selfish, but I don’t give a shit. I’d rather they died and were buried. Kids can have their Yu Gi Oh and their other bullshit. Let me have my goddamn Star Wars.

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  9. Rice Cube

    [quote name=josh]They can even have the prequels. Why’s he have to fuck up the old ones?[/quote]
    If he tweaks it, he gets to sell another version on DVD and make more money.

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  10. mb21

    [quote name=josh]It’s totally selfish, but I don’t give a shit. I’d rather they died and were buried. Kids can have their Yu Gi Oh and their other bullshit. Let me have my goddamn Star Wars.[/quote]You still have your Star Wars. The other generation has their Star Wars. The prequels didn’t make the original movies any worse just as Rocky 36 didn’t make the original any worse. I guess that’s what I don’t understand about the whole issue, but like I said, I don’t care enough about Star Wars to even care about it. (dying laughing)

    The Silence of the Lambs was a fantastic movie. The 2 prequels didn’t change that (only one of which I bothered to see). The Star Wars you saw as a kid are still the exact same. Sure, there are some slightly altered versions. As I said earlier, given a choice to watch some VHS version or a Blu Ray version, I’ll take the Blu Ray version on my tv and surround system any day.

    I think this is similar to the people who think that CDs ruined music. They prefer the old album sound, but I’d much rather put in a crystal clear CD. That’s just me.

    I don’t think it’s a situation in which we can’t have both trilogies. At the very least, the recent trilogy turned on an entire generation to movies they’d have never watched and that, in my opinion, is a good thing.

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  11. ACT

    This reminds me of people who think that musicians/music groups should retire/disband because their music isn’t as good as it was in the 1960’s.

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  12. GW

    [quote name=ACT]This reminds me of people who think that musicians/music groups should retire/disband because their music isn’t as good as it was in the 1960’s.[/quote]

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  13. mb21

    Even imagining what an album sounds like I picture myself skipping work and relaxing in the recliner with 40 ounce Busch Lite and smoking a big fat joint.

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  14. Rice Cube

    (dying laughing)
    (dying laughing)
    (dying laughing)

    Theriot walked to load the bases. Pujols cranks a two-run double. Guess who TOOTBLANs at home plate to send the game to extras?

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  15. ACT

    Rare bullpen fail for the Bravos there. Pujols is almost to .300, though his OBP is still below his career norms (thanks to Holliday and Bergman “protecting” him).

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  16. ACT

    [quote name=Rice Cube](dying laughing)
    (dying laughing)
    (dying laughing)

    Theriot walked to load the bases. Pujols cranks a two-run double. Guess who TOOTBLANs at home plate to send the game to extras?[/quote]Not a double, actually:
    http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19027289
    To be fair, if Theriot didn’t run, Pujols would have been dead to rights. Uncharacteristically bad baserunning by Sir Albert there.

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  17. fang2415

    [quote name=Aisle424]I guess I can always revive the Pic of the Day with a spoiler of the score.[/quote](dying laughing)
    I don’t like anything.

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  18. josh22

    [quote name=mb21]You still have your Star Wars. The other generation has their Star Wars. The prequels didn’t make the original movies any worse just as Rocky 36 didn’t make the original any worse. I guess that’s what I don’t understand about the whole issue, but like I said, I don’t care enough about Star Wars to even care about it. (dying laughing)

    The Silence of the Lambs was a fantastic movie. The 2 prequels didn’t change that (only one of which I bothered to see). The Star Wars you saw as a kid are still the exact same. Sure, there are some slightly altered versions. As I said earlier, given a choice to watch some VHS version or a Blu Ray version, I’ll take the Blu Ray version on my tv and surround system any day.

    I think this is similar to the people who think that CDs ruined music. They prefer the old album sound, but I’d much rather put in a crystal clear CD. That’s just me.

    I don’t think it’s a situation in which we can’t have both trilogies. At the very least, the recent trilogy turned on an entire generation to movies they’d have never watched and that, in my opinion, is a good thing.[/quote]No, you can’t get the originals. Lucas has buried them under ten tons of shit.

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  19. binky

    I loved the originals. I watched the prequels. They made me hate Lucas. They were like a highlight reel of all that was bad with the originals. They forced me to sit there and think about it endlessly. He stole my pure enjoyment by creating a shitfest. It’s genius, in a horrible kind of way.

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  20. mb21

    [quote name=josh]I loved the originals. I watched the prequels. They made me hate Lucas. They were like a highlight reel of all that was bad with the originals. They forced me to sit there and think about it endlessly. He stole my pure enjoyment by creating a shitfest. It’s genius, in a horrible kind of way.[/quote]I’ve obviously never been as much of a Star Wars fans as you guys. I thought they were great movies for their time, but I’d be surprised if I liked any of them at this point. That’s partly why I don’t want to watch them.

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  21. Rice Cube

    I watched the Red Letter review for Episode I last night and while it was enjoyable, I am left to wonder why the narrator sounds like a deranged Beavis.

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  22. Mish

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I watched the Red Letter review for Episode I last night and while it was enjoyable, I am left to wonder why the narrator sounds like a deranged Beavis.[/quote]It was deliberate but you should adjust. The Phantom Menace review is the weakest of the three (in terms of entertainment) but necessary for watching the subsequent ones.

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  23. Aisle424

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I watched the Red Letter review for Episode I last night and while it was enjoyable, I am left to wonder why the narrator sounds like a deranged Beavis.[/quote]
    I think he sounds like Jame Gumb. The real one, not Ryno’s alter ego.

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  24. Berselius

    [quote name=mb22]I’m watching the Iowa game and I see that the Cubs are playing. (dying laughing)[/quote]
    I’m enjoying this Wisconsin game (dying laughing). Up 35-0 depite both lines not looking great today.

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  25. mb22

    [quote name=Berselius]WTF is going on with Iowa?[/quote]They’re not that good this year, b. I thought they were more likely a 7 win team with the potential to win 8. Based on these two games I’m thinking it’s more like a 6-6 season.

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  26. binky

    I see the plan today is to let the Mets win later in the game. That’s a good idea, because it makes it more exciting for New York.

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  27. Berselius

    [quote name=josh]I see the plan today is to let the Mets win later in the game.[/quote]
    Mike Quade decided this before Spring Training

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  28. binky

    [quote name=Berselius]Mike Quade decided this before Spring Training[/quote]It’s the vision for the team. It’s all in the pamphlet.

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  29. Berselius

    [quote name=Recalcitrant Blogger Nate]so iowa stats gets that piece of shit corn trophy?[/quote]
    They got rid of the trophy after everyone hated it. I think the winner gets a metric ton of Cookie’s BBQ sauce.

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  30. mb22

    [quote name=Berselius]I didn’t think they would be great, but thought they’d be good enough to handle Iowa State[/quote]The fact Iowa isn’t all that good and that Iowa State seems to play their best against them, I’m not surprised. I actually thought Iowa was going to lose today though the score was a lot closer than I though. I was expecting it to be Iowa’s first loss by more than 7 since Christ was a child. Instead, it’s just another game they could have easily won, but didn’t.

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  31. mb22

    [quote name=Berselius]They got rid of the trophy after everyone hated it. I think the winner gets a metric ton of Cookie’s BBQ sauce.[/quote]I think they just used the old trophy. The newer trophy they did was retarded, but who cares? It’s a trophy. (dying laughing) It means a hell of a lot more to the players than any trophy any team I root for earns.

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  32. mb22

    [quote name=GBTS]They should force Iowa to accept that corn trophy after that game.[/quote]Iowa has ANF (America Needs Farmers) on their helmets and I’m pretty sure they have had or maybe even still do on their uniform. It’s not surprising that the trophy would in some way represent Iowa farms. The issue I had with the trophy was that they tried to create some stupid-ass scene when they should have just stuck with what’s important to Iowa (the state). One of Iowa’s trophy games it the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. it’s a big fucking pig, but it represents the bet the Iowa and Minnesota governors made with one another in 1935.

    During the 1934 game one of the few black players in college football (Ozzie Simmons) was given a beat down by Minnesota. Simmons had to leave the 1934 game because of injury, which was intentional. The following year the Iowa governor made a comment that shit would not be tolerated and that if the officials didn’t call it, the people in the stands would do something about it. It was probably one of the first times a black athlete had not only the entire support of his fans, but the entire support of a state. Minnesota didn’t like the threat and to lighten the mood the governors bet a pig. Minnesota won and got an Iowa pig.

    As stupid as a fucking pig trophy is, that story is makes it an awesome trophy. I don’t give a shit what the trophy looks like as long it makes some sense.

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  33. ACT

    I don’t know. The balk rule is one of the more infamously obscure rules in baseball. If I had my way I’d change it to something more intelligible.

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  34. ACT

    [quote name=Rice Cube]Tales of the Rays’ demise may have been premature.[/quote]Kind of amazing how well they’re doing considering how many players they lost in the offseason, not to mention the injury/off-year from their best player (Longoria).

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  35. ACT

    Tomorrow’s Rays/Sox matchup looks tasty (Shields/Lester). I hope mlb.tv shows that as the free game instead of doing what they usually do and picking the boringest matchup imaginable (e.g., Pirates/Marlins).

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  36. josh22

    [quote name=Rice Cube]So at what point does the lefty pickoff move become a balk? Do the umpires enforce the rule consistently?[/quote]No. It’s supposed to be if his first step is toward home, but with that move there, his first step is back, so he could easily change direction if he saw the runner breaking. I don’t know how you’d steal off him. I guess the thought is that if he’s thinking and gearing up to throw home, it’ll be obvious if he changes his mind, but that doesn’t always seem to be the case.

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  37. mb21

    [quote name=ACT]I don’t know. The balk rule is one of the more infamously obscure rules in baseball. If I had my way I’d change it to something more intelligible.[/quote]The rule is fairly clear. You can’t cross the rubber with your front front except to throw to 2nd base. You have to “step ahead” of throw (whether it’s to the plate or a base). In other words, you can’t step one way and throw another. If your bring your fingers to your mouth while on the mound and a runner is on base, it’s a balk. What I’m assuming you think is unclear is the part where it’s a balk if a pitcher makes a move associated with his pitching, but throws to a base.

    I don’t have a problem with that. There are too many different styles to have a one size fits all rule. The problem is that we hear announcers tell us what the balk is when it is not.

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  38. mb21

    [quote name=josh22]No. It’s supposed to be if his first step is toward home, but with that move there, his first step is back, so he could easily change direction if he saw the runner breaking. I don’t know how you’d steal off him. I guess the thought is that if he’s thinking and gearing up to throw home, it’ll be obvious if he changes his mind, but that doesn’t always seem to be the case.[/quote]The rule itself has nothing to do with first move. As for the leg going back, it can go back all the way to the rubber, but not past it without it being a balk.

    I look at that play by Capuano and I see that he clearly stepped ahead of his throw. The question is whether or not there was a move associated with his delivery and I didn’t watch the game and don’t remember Capuano so I don’t know.

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  39. mb21

    [quote name=Berselius]B1G had a winning record last night, if you can believe it (dying laughing). Did you see the ND-UM game MB?[/quote]Yeah that was a crazy game. It was fun watching a team that realized you can win games late in the 4th quarter.

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  40. ACT

    [quote name=Rice Cube]AL and NL wild card races may become interesting if today’s events were sustainable.[/quote]I was thinking the same thing. Both second-place wild-card contenders completed 3-game sweeps against the first-place wild-card contenders.

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  41. Recalcitrant Blogger Nate

    Does anyone think that LaHair could be league avg. if given a full-3/4 of a season of PA?

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  42. mb21

    I was thinking about writing something over the last week about something my brother told me. The problem is that I’ve written something along those lines before from things I’ve been told. Anyway, my brother is friends with a longtime (and current) NFL player and this guy told him that the difference in talent between the best and worst player on a team is ridiculously small. He said the difference in statistics absolutely do not represent the difference in talent. I know football is different than baseball, but I’ve also heard something similar from someone I know.

    There are two things I take away from this. First, the amount of respect between the players, even the best and the worst, is tremendous. The best players recognize the difference in talent between them and others is tiny and therefore they have to (and we know they do this) continue to work as hard or harder than the others. Second, the idea of a true talent level or true skill level as we understand it is absurd. What we are instead referring to is a true statistical level or true statistical production.

    Anyway, I just thought I’d post that in a comment since I can’t really figure out how to turn it into an article.

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  43. mb21

    [quote name=Recalcitrant Blogger Nate]Does anyone think that LaHair could be league avg. if given a full-3/4 of a season of PA?[/quote]I think he could be close to league average. Somewhere around there.

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  44. binky

    [quote name=Recalcitrant Blogger Nate]Does anyone think that LaHair could be league avg. if given a full-3/4 of a season of PA?[/quote]Maybe slightly above average just in terms of power. That could be wishful thinking.

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  45. Rice Cube

    [quote name=josh]Runner on third no outs, you HAVE to let Garza swing there. Even if he GIDP, you score a run. That’s perplexing.[/quote]
    Bunts are the devil.

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  46. ACT

    [quote name=josh]Runner on third no outs, you HAVE to let Garza swing there. Even if he GIDP, you score a run. That’s perplexing.[/quote]MGL’s chapter in The Book found otherwise.

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  47. binky

    [quote name=ACT]A GIDP would actually have been worse than the sac bunt (in terms of run expectancy).[/quote]This is why I’m not a manager, I suppose. Also: utter lack of professional baseball experience.

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  48. Rice Cube

    [quote name=josh]This is why I’m not a manager, I suppose. Also: utter lack of professional baseball experience.[/quote]
    I think it’s a game theory thing if you’re deciding whether to bunt or not in the 6th inning. Too early to just play for one run, but at the same time, you’re up 3 and don’t really need to blow the game open. I just have an irrational hatred of all things bunt so I would’ve had Garza swing away (dying laughing)

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  49. binky

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I think it’s a game theory thing if you’re deciding whether to bunt or not in the 6th inning. Too early to just play for one run, but at the same time, you’re up 3 and don’t really need to blow the game open. I just have an irrational hatred of all things bunt so I would’ve had Garza swing away (dying laughing)[/quote]It just seemed like for this game, one run would have made a difference, but it’s easy to let emotions control your decisions, which in the long run isn’t going to pay off. I guess.

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  50. binky

    [quote name=ACT]Cubs blow a 3-run lead for the third game in a row.[/quote]At this rate, I think I’m going to bet against them winning the World Series. The Bears, on the other hand, are going all the way.

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  51. ACT

    But what really makes me sick is the thought of the ESPN announcers having orgasms when some NY Mets hero drives in the winning run. Ugh.

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  52. binky

    [quote name=ACT]But what really makes me sick is the thought of the ESPN announcers having orgasms when some NY Mets hero drives in the winning run. Ugh.[/quote]This is why I can’t bear to slap down good money for cable. I’d rather just listen to Pat and Keith.

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  53. mb21

    [quote name=Chris Dickerson]http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/6265#new

    It’s fairly amusing that those spam posters have made it behind the Daily Herald pay wall.[/quote]I can’t read it because there’s this dumbass pay wall there. That just cracks me up.

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  54. mb21

    [quote name=josh]This is why I can’t bear to slap down good money for cable. I’d rather just listen to Pat and Keith.[/quote]Breaking Bad is more than worth the cost of cable.

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  55. ACT

    [quote name=josh]This is why I can’t bear to slap down good money for cable. I’d rather just listen to Pat and Keith.[/quote]ESPN games are free on the internets.

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  56. ACT

    Quade intentionally walks a batter with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Then he brings the infield in, preventing the double play. Ugh.

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  57. Rice Cube

    [quote name=ACT]Quade intentionally walks a batter with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Then he brings the infield in, preventing the double play. Ugh.[/quote]
    Shut you right up. Almost.

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  58. mb21

    [quote name=ACT]Seriously, what was Quade thinking bringing in Samardzija?[/quote]But Samardzija has been awesome this year!

    I don’t know, ACT. As we’ve said before, if there’s anything that stands out about Quade being a bad manager it’s his misuse of the pitching staff . That goes for the starters and relievers.

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  59. ACT

    If there was a double play at first, it might have shut me up. Actually, if they played at dp depth, they may have turned 2 and we’d be out of the inning.

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  60. Rice Cube

    [quote name=mb21]I know someone was asking about it recently, but Breaking Bad is now available for streaming on Netflix.[/quote]
    I feel like I should be watching this.

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  61. mb21

    [quote name=Rice Cube]I feel like I should be watching this.[/quote]You should. If you start right now you could be through season 3 by about midnight tomorrow. Then you could just torrent season 4.

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