The Heavens smiled upon me yesterday. There was no Iowa game.
Jackson Generals 0 @ Tennessee Smokies 6
Arismendy Alcantara has been really cold lately. He went 0-4 with a SO, and over his last ten he's .195/.250/.341. Against lefties this year he is batting just .615 OPS. Christian Villanueva went 2-4 with a 2-run HR. Justin Bour, making up for lost time, went 1-3 with a walk and 2 RBI. The other multi-hit game was Rafael Lopez, who went 2-4 with a run scored.
Kyle Hendricks dominated once again, allowing 5 hits and 1 walk in 8 scoreless innings. He struck out 6, and handed it to Zach Rosscup who has an even lower ERA on the year (2.05 to Hendricks' 2.17). There's no reason I can think of to keep Hendricks in AA, he clearly isn't challenged at the level. His home ERA this year is 0.38 (2 ER in 48 innings). His ERA in night games is 1.79. His ERA falls every month. It's time to call him up and give him half a season at AAA, with a chance of making the back end of the rotation in 2014.
Daytona's game was postponed.
Chicago Cubs 5 @ Milwaukee Brewers 4
Starlin Castro got a hit in his first PA back after the benching and finished the day 2-5 (with a rather awful looking strikeout). Anthony Rizzo had a walk, a single, and a double (his 22nd of the year). I thought to myself, "Rizzo must be close to the league leaders in doubles this year." He's tied for 9th, but Manny Machado has 36 DOUBLES THIS YEAR, 10 more than second place (Yadier Molina). I wish we had Manny Machado instead of Starlin Castro. Ryan Sweeney continues to make the most of his playing time, with a 1-4, BB, HR day. Brian Bogusevic went 2-4 with a walk as well. Even Darwin Barney had a double. Luis Valbuena went 2-4 with a walk. Only real down note was the 0-5 day of Nate Schierholtz, who probably should find a good real estate agent in New York City.
Scott Feldman gave a workmanlike performance in this game, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits (1 HR), with no walks and 3 strikeouts. I think the Cubs need to aggressively trade him before he turns into a pumpkin. James Russell, Carlos Villanueva, and Kevin Gregg all pitched in for a win, though Gregg made it very interesting in the ninth.
Beloit Snappers 5 @ Kane County Cougars 4
I almost forgot how to spell Gioskar Amaya, it's been so long since I've had anything nice to say about him. Amaya had a HR and a single in a 2-4 day. Albert Almora was 1-5 and his average is now down to .356. Dan Vogelbach had a great day, with the rare triple singles, single double, and single walk. Jeimer Candelario pitched in with a run-scoring double, and Brad "Who?" Zapenas was 2-3 with a double, run scored, and RBI as well.
Jose Rosario allowed 4 in 3.2 innings, and that's all I have to say about that. Justin Amlung had an uncharacteristically great relief performance, with 3.1 scoreless, hitless innings where he also had 6 strikeouts. Armando Rivero blew it with a home run allowed in the 8th to put the game from 4-2 to 5-2.
Hillsboro Hops 3 @ Boise Hawks 4 (7 innings)
The Hillsboro Hops have the coolest logo in all of sports. I'd rather they be our affiliate. Jacob Hanneman went 2-4, and was the only player to reach base twice. He also stole his first base. Right now, this team is difficult to get excited about.
James Pugliese had 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned). He struck out 4, walked 2, and allowed 5 hits. CMP got the win with 2 scoreless innings.
Hillsboro Hops 3 @ Boise Hawks 2 (7 innings)
Jacob Hanneman wasn't as good this game, going 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. The Hawks had 2 XBH, a double each from Yasiel Balaguert and Lance Rymel. David Bote went 3-4.
Paul Blackburn allowed no earned runs and got the loss in 5 innings. That's because he allowed 3 unearned runs, off of 4 team errors (including his own). He allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and punched out 8. Tyler Bremer pitched 2 innings of relief and was sick-nasty. He allowed no hits, no walks, and struck out 5.
DSL Orioles2 @ DSL Cubs 1
VSL Mariners 3 @ VSL Cubs 7
AZL Athletics 5 @ AZL Cubs 6
Erick Leal, one half of the Tony Campana trade, started for Arizona. He went 5 innings and allowed 1 hits, 1 walk, and no runs. He struck out 7 and is actually a fringy prospect. The also have the excellently-named Giuseppe Papaccio, drafted in the 18th round this year. Papaccio went 3-4.
Comments
Alcantara has struggled of late, but his numbers are still damn good when you consider his age and level. Well, they’re good even if you don’t consider that.
I agree completely about Hendricks.
dmick89Quote Reply
http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs-talk/aramis-ramirez-marmol-needs-fresh-start-away-wrigley
BerseliusQuote Reply
I’ll see Alcantara tonight, assuming the game doesn’t get rained out. Too bad we didn’t go last night, sounds like Hendricks was dealing.
BerseliusQuote Reply
I wish Fangraphs had player ages listed on their team stats or leaders pages.
dmick89Quote Reply
Of course I being Ryno. I figuring the name alone giving me away.
Gerund PerryQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Players just keep talking about what a bunch of shitbags populate that crumbling, urine-soaked relic, and the mouthbreathing fanbase just keeps denying such is that case. No doubt Ramirez will be savaged for these remarks, but it’s just another piece of evidence to add to the growing mound of evidence which shows that Wrigley Field is home to one of the worst home crowds in all of sports. It is a poisonous place.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Soler ——-> stress fracture in left shin, out 4-6 weeks
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I was blown away by the home crowd at Giants games last week. Great fanbase.
It’s too easy to write off bad/racist/whatever fans as a few bad apples.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I like the first comment.
(dying laughing) If Ramirez did that, i want more guys who (dying laughing)lygag doubles into singles. I’ll take a lot of them.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
Agreed on both counts. Wrigley isn’t the worst (that honor probably goes to an Italian soccer club), but it’s right up there.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Mercurial Outfielder wrote:
You forgot a letter
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
The Yankees are in the lead by a wide margin both for pitchers and fielders.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Landmarks Commission approves everything but the signs. Which means they approved nothing because without the revenue from ad signage, there’s no money for the other shit.
If it’s being done correctly and above-board, it’s not being done by the city government of Chicago.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
And they haven’t had a single game from A-Rod or Jeter yet. Amazing.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Is it wrong to feel schadenfreude from the Yankees’ free agent signings in years past coming back to haunt them?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
No, but you’d also have to recognize the disaster that Theo left behind in Boston and how quickly and efficiently it was cleaned up.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Seriously, I don’t know why the Cubs just don’t move to a new ballpark. Announce that you’re leaving Wrigley and let other locations bid to build a ballpark and give you everything you want.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
new comments:
fucking idiots.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
@ EnricoPallazzo:
Cubs fans make it so easy make fun of them.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ EnricoPallazzo:
When you have a broadcaster constantly spouting the same shit from the booth, it’s no surprise the fanbase internalizes it.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
Yeah, but where can you find another team as crazy as the Dodgers? They took on their long-term liabilities and it isn’t even paying off in the short-term.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
True that. At least Jeeter and A-rod gave them a couple of rings.
joshQuote Reply
@ EnricoPallazzo:
Wasn’t he the team leader in RBIs for like 3 years? Didn’t the great Ron Santo himself dub Ramirez “Mr Clutch”?
joshQuote Reply
It’s funny. Just last night I was listening to the radio broadcast and Pat & Keith warned that Aramis was a dangerous hitter with RISP.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo wrote:
They being the reason I leaving.
Gerund PerryQuote Reply
Rosemont Cubs sounds nice
MylesQuote Reply
@ Myles:
I’ve said it before, but I’m 100% behind this idea. I’d prefer a more southerly suburb for selfish reasons, and because the O’Hare traffic is right over Rosemont.
joshQuote Reply
Ramirez led the Cubs in RBI from 2006-2008. In all 3 seasons, he was the only player to have 100 RBI.
For his career, he has an .819 OPS with 2 outs, a .901 OPS w/ RiSP, and .806 OPS w/ RiSP & 2 outs, an .875 OPS in Late & Close situations, and a .891 OPS in High Leverage situations.
Aramis Ramirez is basically the definition of a clutch player.
Too bad Bob Brenly got paid to poison the fans against him.
Mercurial OutfielderQuote Reply
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Mercurial Outfielder wrote:
Fixed.
I used to be a fan of all Chicago sports. Beginning in October of 2003, Cub fans completely turned me around. Less than five years later (going on my eighth year now), I began to root against every Chicago team simply because I want to see Cub fans misery. Constantly.
RynoQuote Reply
Myles wrote:
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
how many 3B did the cubs have between santo and aramis? i want to say it was like 87. i am curious to see how the ramirez haters behave in 2025 when we have shuffled through 50 or 60 luis valbuenas*.
cubs fans are the biggest reason that i don’t really care about baseball as much anymore. well, that and losing.
*2012 version
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Never had a clutch hit…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT3CVyY5nR0
(dying laughing) Doesn’t even include the one I was looking for.
RynoQuote Reply
Here’s a few more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy5Wsjx5PSI
RynoQuote Reply
Here’s the one that immediately came to mind:
http://youtu.be/4kWmUCDXjZA?t=3m4s
edit: 3:04
RynoQuote Reply
@ EnricoPallazzo:
It’s difficult to give a shit about baseball this year for sure. I can’t even follow other teams anymore. I get so sick of the same tired cliches and bullshit strung out day after day. Similar problem in other sports. I think the only reason I can glean any enjoyment out of football is because I avoid all news and fan commentary on the sport like the plague. Also, because Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer are awesome radio commentators.
joshQuote Reply
Am I the only one who remembers our shot at contention in 2009 being instantly flushed down the toilet when Aramis got hurt?
joshQuote Reply
@ Ryno:
Is that the Colorado game when they came back from 9 down?
joshQuote Reply
I just find it to be an interesting dynamic in Chicago that some of the most productive Cubs in the last 10 years or more always seem to leave on bad terms. Ramirez, Soto, Sosa, Barrett, Zambrano, Dempster.
EdwinQuote Reply
josh wrote:
Fixed.
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
@ Edwin:
Cub fans, meet my friend cognitive dissonance.
RynoQuote Reply
@ WenningtonsGorillaCock:
I had hopes for 2009. I think we’d have been competitive if not for that. Then again, I didn’t have you jerks back then to tell me different.
joshQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Must have been written by
BerseliusQuote Reply
I wonder what the Brewers equivalent of #Cubes is
BerseliusQuote Reply
josh wrote:
Abandon all hope ye who enter OV
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
@ josh:
He wasn’t hurt. He was just too lazy to play. It’s all his fault.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Edwin:
oh man are you gonna feel stupid when you realize that you left out ian stewart
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
@ EnricoPallazzo:
My shame knows no bounds. I just hope Ian doesn’t take it personally and start tweeting about it.
EdwinQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
(dying laughing) I loved Allison in that show. She became one of my favorite tv characters.
dmick89Quote Reply
Pat: “Cubs are on the verge of winning thiszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…”
That last part might have been just me, not sure.
joshQuote Reply
Wait, Matt Garza had a multi-hit game? And he didn’t strike out once?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Starlin also had a nice game.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo wrote:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/BigFlax/cubs_third_basemen
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Dammit, drove all the way to the smokies game and it was called on threat of rain. Nothing coming on the radar.
Berselius37Quote Reply
@ Berselius37:
where there’s smoke….
GWQuote Reply
@ GW:
There’s the possibility of rain?
dmick89Quote Reply
Ended up being kind of a moot point anyway, we ended up having to dash back to Knoxville because my friend’s wife had to take a neighbor to the hospital, so we had to get back and watch the kids.
BerseliusQuote Reply
GWQuote Reply
Alcantara? I’ve been calling him Alacantra this whole time.
JQuote Reply
@ J:
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/reading
RynoQuote Reply
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ GW:
@ Berselius:
Seriously though, I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping Garza and extending his contract. Obviously we want to trade him if the price is right, but I think he is a better pitcher than Jackson and him and F7 wouldn’t be a bad 1/2 for the next couple years.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Plus I do enjoy seeing Garza enthusiastic about the team while sitting in the dugout. He’s fun to watch.. especially when he throws the ball 3 rows into the stands.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I’ve come around on keeping Garza. The pitching in the minors leaves a lot to be desired so if the Cubs are going to contend any time soon, they’re going to have to get some pitchers. May as well get one you’re familiar with and can probably get a bit under market value.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
Yeah, this. The Cubs could also hang the threat of giving him a qualifying offer over his head when negotiating a deal. Given his past year he’d be especially sensitive to the risk of taking a one year deal, no matter how good the money.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
They should put a de-escalator clause into his contract based on the number of throwing errors each year (dying laughing).
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
But think about how much he could bring back in a trade!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Jim Callis @jimcallisBA
#Cubs will sign him, but might be last 1st-rder to get done. @chrislowy: Is Bryant the next? #mlbdraft
dmick89Quote Reply
I think the Cubs should consider any trade offer, but I just don’t see Garza bringing a great deal in return.
dmick89Quote Reply
Slammed at work, JOT will be late if it comes at all
MylesQuote Reply
http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/06/28/obsessive-matt-garza-trade-watch-sources-say-no-extension-coming/
BerseliusQuote Reply
http://wgntv.com/2013/06/26/spelli-94bound/
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
@ Berselius:
That’s disappointing, but the fact that there are so many potential trade partners is exciting. I’ll miss Garza though, he seems a good fellow.
Rice on iPadQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
WHY DOES JIM DESHAIES HATE CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD HAVE THE FACE OF JEEBUS BURNED INTO THE OUTFIELD LIKE THE CARDINALS DO
uncle daveQuote Reply
Myles wrote:
If you don’t have it up by the time I get home from work in about two hours or so, I’ll write one up.
sitrick2Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
I’m not sure what he thinks “skein” means.
Maybe it works as “big tangled mess” or something. It threw me.
joshQuote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
Intrepid Cubs beat reporter, Nick Cafardo, is reporting a potential competitive market for Garza:
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Yeah, I would figure any team would be looking to trade for him then extend him.
joshQuote Reply
Aisle424 wrote:
Looking into my crystal ball, 2 weeks from today…
JonKneeVQuote Reply
It’s about now when dmick or B stepin and tells us how much Garza is worth for the rest of the year and what we can expect to get, right?
Personally I’m for trading him to someone that has a bad contract and taking the contract to extract higher value.
I don’t see a fit with the Phillies though.
mobile svbQuote Reply
@ mobile svb:
I put together a spreadsheet with all the cubs and their current projections to do just that. The problem was after I got the info, I was in too much pain to do anything else the rest of the day. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Z got pulled from his AAA start with an injury.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Better late than never: new shit
sitrickQuote Reply
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