Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (40-57) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (53-46)

In News And Rumors, Series Previews by andcounting149 Comments

The Cubs and Cardinals resume their rivalry while many St. Louis fans are still holding their brooms from last weekend, and not just the witches, maids, and crack addicts. The Cardinals convincingly and effortlessly swept the mini-Bears in a series in which they outscored the Cubs infinity to negative eight. If you want a meaningful, in depth assessment of both teams, I recommend you look at last weekend's preview submitted by Berselius. I'm just here to make up for the lack of inane nonsense this site has suffered through since my last post. So, let's see how the Cubs will manage to sweep this series while maintaining the Cardinals' league-leading run differential inefficacy.

Team Overviews

The Cubs are bad and the Cardinals are good. But if the Cubs' meager offense can somehow crack through the vaunted Cardinal rotation and into their beleaguered bullpen*, this series could go our way, by the power of Reed Johnson, bless thy gritty name. 

​Batman Preferences

David Freese hates the Dark Knight trilogy because of its woeful exclusion of his favorite villain. Alfonso Soriano likes big bats, but his stats don't lie.** 

Random Team Facts

Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster make Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster a Garza Dempster.

Mike Matheny eats pieces of shit like Ryan Theriot for breakfast.

The Cubs will sweep this series because Wrigley Field.

Go Cubs.

 

*for alliterative purposes#, bullpens are the only thing in baseball that is allowed to be beleaguered

#for alliterative porpoises, squeak, squawk, squack

**that is the worst thing ever written ever

 

Share this Post

Comments

  3. mikeakaleroy

    @ Rice Cube:
    LaHair, maybe, but I doubt he would do much to the value of the Cubs side of the trade…The Soriano part makes less than no sense, even if we eat all the money.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  4. mikeakaleroy

    The Cardinals convincingly and effortlessly swept the mini-Bears in a series in which they outscored the Cubs infinity to negative eight.

    Still chuckling.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  12. GW

    heard buster olney interviewed this morning, and while he didn’t talk about the cubs specifically, in an aside he mentioned that the cubs were much lower on zach lee than the general consensus.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  18. mikeakaleroy

    @ josh:
    There’s a keg fridge in the basement, and more beer in the beer fridge. Help yourself, and please take the dogs while you’re there.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  19. jtsunami

    Not watching the game, but Gameday leads me to believe Soto looked at the second pitch while Bryan LaHair tried to steal second.

    I would imagine it was supposed to be a hit and run. But Soto is Latin, so, ya know, he’s lazy.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  25. TheVan

    So the Cards scored infinity last weekend, and they’re going to score more than that this weekend. Not only are they good, they’re reinventing math.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  34. Mercurial Outfielder

    The Cubs are just trying to let the Cardinals score 10 runs so they can honor Santo, too.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  36. jtsunami

    Good thing we Travis Wood was left in to bat. Cards crushed him two times through the line up. 3rd times a charm!

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  43. Mercurial Outfielder

    @ GW:
    THoyer: How about Atlanta?
    Demp: Atlanta could work.
    THoyer: OK, we have a deal with Atlanta, tell your agent to give them a call.
    Demp: THERE IS NO TRADE.
    THoyer: How about LA?
    Demp: LA could work.
    THoyer: We might have a deal with LA. Have your agent contact them.
    Demp: What was that about Atlanta?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  47. GW

    btw, for those who haven’t been paying attention, ted lilly has been on the dl since may, and while he seems like he’s close to a return, there’s no guarantee for old guys with shoulder problems. one tweak and he’s not playing with any of his buddies for the rest of the season.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  75. GW

    @ GW:

    BA has the one with damn good numbers 9th in the system and the other guy 4th, so the latter must have good stuff/potential.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  76. mb21

    @ GW:
    Hellweg walks a ton, but Pena walks quite a bit too. Good year this year in AA, but he’s not terribly young (23). He walked 4.8 per 9 last year and over 5 the year before. Under 4 this year, but that’s concerning. Segura is a grade B, Pena a C+ and Hellweg is a throw in. About $10 million in value for Segura, $1.5 million for Pena. Total value close to $12 million.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  77. mb21

    Greinke is projected for about 2 more WAR (maybe a bit more). Brewers got a pretty good deal here. Neither pitcher probably amounts to anything, but Segura is an interesting prospect. According to Sickels some think he ends up back at 2nd base and if that’s true the value goes down obviously.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  78. mb21

    Also sounds like Segura is an injury waiting to happen.

    Baseball America on him

    Background: After a broken ankle in 2008 and broken finger in 2009, Segura stayed healthy and broke out in 2010 at low Class A Cedar Rapids. But the injury bug returned last year as he missed all but 52 games with a torn hamstring.

    Scouting Report: Segura matured as a hitter in 2011, demonstrating a willingness to use the entire field and a more patient approach that put him in hitter’s counts more frequently. His strength and explosive, quick-twitch actions excite evaluators almost as much as his short, direct swing. His bat is lightning-quick, and he could consistently bat .290 with as many as 20 homers at his peak because he hits all types of pitches. Scouts regard Segura as an above-average runner, though they qualify that grade by describing his body type as “heavy-legged” or “thick.” His arm also grades as plus, which prompted the Angels to move Segura from second base to shortstop last year. His hands and throwing accuracy probably won’t play at the position long-term. He has average range at both spots.

    The Future: Despite his injuries, the Angels protected Segura on the 40-man roster in November. He could play shortstop as he climbs to Double-A, but most scouts expect him to man the keystone in the majors, and no later than 2013—if he stays healthy.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  79. GW

    @ mb21:

    I’m a % guy. pena’s at 9% this year, which is not good, but not terrible. worse the last two years, but good in rookie ball/dsl. hellwig is 12% this year (bad), and it looks like a career best. coupled with his strikeouts being down, i wouldn’t be surprised if their positions are juxtaposed next year, even with the year of age difference.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  80. mb21

    Pena

    Background: Signed as a 17-year-old, Pena spent three years in Rookie ball and has pitched just four innings above Class A in five pro seasons. After he ranked second in the high Class A California League with 180 strikeouts last year, he earned a place on the Angels’ 40-man roster in November.

    Scouting Report: Pena always has shown plus velocity on his fastball and slider, but his shaky command has held him back. He sits at 92-94 mph with his sinker and touches 98 with his four-seamer, showing explosive life when he stays on top of the ball. He throws a hard, late slider at 82-86 mph, getting both called strikes and swings and misses. He flashes a fringy changeup in the low 80s but lacks consistent feel for it. Though he’s big and durable, Pena’s delivery features enough effort to prompt some scouts to project him as a reliever. He leaves too many pitches up and to his arm side, while he also jabs at the back of his arm stroke and often loses balance in his delivery, causing his arm to rush to catch up with the rest of his body.

    The Future: Pena can be nearly unhittable when his fastball and slider are working, but he’ll have to cut his walk rate (5.3 per nine innings in full-season leagues) to stay in the rotation. He’ll begin 2012 in Double-A.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  81. mb21

    @ GW:
    I like % too, but I was looking on BRef, which has more info that I’m generally interested in when it comes to minor leaguers. If I really want to evaluate them I’ll use %, but not the ones that FG uses. They do it wrong. (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  83. GW

    holy crap, apparently hellweg is 6′ 9″. no wonder the groundball rate is high. that’s what you call a natural downward plane.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  84. mb21

    Also, we have to expect Pena to regress toward his career percentage as he moves up. 23 in AA and struggling with command is nothing impressive. He doesn’t have much shot as a starter in my opinion. If I was running things in MIlwaukee, I’d move him to AAA and put him in the bullpen. That’s where his future is and unless the Brewers see something they think they can fix, I think he’s shown enough in his career to show he’s probably not going to have good enough control to get by at the big leagues as a starter. With the exception of this year he hasn’t been too difficult to hit either. Especially not with the fastball/slider combo he has.

    Still a really good deal for the Brewers though.

    By the way, I expected the Cubs to get a couple of Pena’s in a deal for Dempster assuming they send all the salary (that’s what I’d have expected last month anyway). Guys with upside, but probably a little older than you’d like at the level and certainly with some issues.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  85. GW

    his career rate is a little above 10%, and he has improved each of the past two years. k-bb is among the best in the texas league this year. i’d definitely give him a shot staying at starter.

    .mb21 wrote:

    By the way, I expected the Cubs to get a couple of Pena’s in a deal for Dempster assuming they send all the salary (that’s what I’d have expected last month anyway). Guys with upside, but probably a little older than you’d like at the level and certainly with some issue

    yeah, i was thinking two guys breaking out at hi-a, not so much aa guys.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  87. mb21

    @ GW:
    I expected a couple 23 year olds. I think I said as much several times.

    K-BB% is a great stat. I love it, but Carlos Marmol had a good K-BB% and I think we’d all agree he’d never have worked out as a starter.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  88. GW

    @ mb21:

    marmol’s walk rate was never in the 10% range either.

    hellweg is the guy i would worry about with the k-bb, with his 15%+ walk rate in hi-a last year masked by the silly strikeout numbers. if pena can keep it under 10%, that’s very tenable for a starter.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  93. Rice Cube

    The Cubs and Dodgers are discussing a deal of Dempster for Josh Lindblom, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, who isn’t sure what other players could be involved in the swap (Twitter links).

    Hmmm. From Delgado to a reliever, albeit a decent one.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  97. mb21

    Mamol’s walk rate was about 12% in AA a year younger than Pena with 3 years less experience pitching at the professional level. Both were fastball/slider pitchers with poor control. Marmol was ridiculously tough to hit in the minors and with the exception of this season Pena hasn’t been too tough. I think these two have a lot in common actually. Marmol could get the fastball up to 96, 97 as a starter, this guy a bit faster.

    It will be interesting to see. I was the one who has said that the Cubs should have given Marmol another chance to start so I can’t really say that and not say the same about Pena so I agree with GW here. I think what Marmol was doing in the minors was more impressive all things considered, but numbers are numbers.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  99. mb21

    I love this Dempster saga. I hope he’s not traded and I hope the Cubs re-sign him so this can happen next year. I hope it continues for as long as I’m alive. (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  101. mb21

    @ GW:
    He hasn’t been average throughout his career. Last year it was 12.1% in A ball. At the age of 23 he’s not going to improve all that much at this point. I do agree with you they should give him a shot to start. I was wrong at first, but odds are it won’t work unless his command this year is what we can expect going forward and even then it’s a stretch. There’s no risk giving him another year, but I’ll be surprised if he reaches the big leagues as a starter. At best he’s a work in progress, which is fine. Like I said, it’s what I expected to get for Dempster (a couple of them). The Brewers got him and another much better player.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  104. mb21

    @ GW:
    Yeah, but when you see guys with the kind of experience he had allowing so few hits you’re usually looking at an elite prospect. Obviously Marmol had command issues, but compared to Pena at the same age, I’d much much rather have Marmol. He was learning along the way because he’d never really done it and he was doing it well. Here’s a story for you. I was once told by someone who worked with Marmol for several years (both as a catcher and as a pitcher) that worst case scenario with him was that he’d become an unhittable reliever with command issues. It’s just so Cub that he became an unhittable reliever with control issues. (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  109. SVB

    There’s an interview up with the Smokies manager here if you want to watch it about Jae-hoon Ha. Bottom line: Ha got lucky.

    Crib notes for SK:

    concussion
    no dental problems
    teeth ok and able to eat
    out of hospital
    swollen face
    no stitches
    no timetable for return. Too early to know because the swelling has to go down and see how much pain there is and responses to impact tests to see how bad the concussion is.

    As noted earlier, Sczrur was called up. Pronounced “Sees” ? I couldn’t quite make it out.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  110. GW

    @ mb21:

    yeah, i went to a game that he started in 2006 and remember being pretty damn impressed, despite his numbers to that point. his filthy stuff was evident even then.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  120. GW

    @ SVB:

    I don’t know that it descends directly from the title as, for example, “tsar” and “kaiser” do, but I wouldn’t be too surprised.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  123. mb21

    @ GW:
    He was more unhittable than Zambrano who was awfully tough to hit at his best. I still get a kick out of Marmol achieving the worst possible scenario like that guy told me. Marmol was a guy by A ball I figured if he could cut the walk rate down would be an outstanding starter. There was reason to be optimistic since he’d just been converted too. Wasn’t likely. I knew that, but potential was there.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  134. mb21

    @ josh:
    As much as I’d like to see that, mostly for personal reasons, I think he’s probably in the right environment that he needs to be in. I would trust Thoyer to help him establish the necessary support system, but he’s probably better off where he is.

    Plus, it’s much more likely I’ll still be a Cubs fan if he doesn’t come to the Cubs. I can’t imagine what nasty things would be said about him by the fans the first time he has a bad month. You know, considering how sympathetic people are toward drug addicts and all.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  137. mb21

    @ Mercurial Outfielder:
    Yeah, I agree. I think the Angels gave up too much, but that’s under the assumption the Brewers didn’t send any cash in the deal. They didn’t, did they? I do agree with Keith Law in that the guys the Brewers acquired for Greinke have a much lower floor than the players they gave up to get him. I disagree with him that they got as much in return.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  140. Rice Cube

    I wonder how Zack Greinke would do as a Cub. People keep harping on his anxiety but I think it’s way overblown. It would probably cost way too much to sign him and it would probably also be useless since the Cubs would still suck on non-Greinke starts.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  141. josh

    @ Rice Cube:
    From what I read his anxiety issue was basically due to being burned out on baseball. He actually wanted to just quit because he was sick of the bullshit that goes along with being in baseball. The Royals GM convinced him to take some time off, talk to a psychiatrist, etc. He did and he claimed he regained his love of the game. I don’t really think it’s like an anxiety disorder or anything.

    That was what I read a couple of years ago anyway, who knows what the official line is now?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  146. Rizzo the Rat

    Chapman struck out the side again. He’s up to 93 in 50 innings. He’s pretty good at missing bats.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0

Leave a Comment