The Cubs stranded approximately 215 baserunners in the last series against the Reds, and I don’t know if I should be encouraged by the numbers of batters who got on base or discouraged by the fact that the only win the Cubs got in the series was on a 9th inning, down by one rally on Saturday that almost fell apart on its own rights due to a fluke ground rule double on a hit that should have ended the game.
With the Cardinals coming to town for the first time this season, I’m surprised more buzz hasn’t been whipped up by the press over Theriot’s comments in the offseason. Of course, I don’t regularly read any of the beat writers but generally this bleeds through to twitter etc. The only person I’ve seen beating that noble drum is CubbieJulie. It should be interesting to see what kind of reception he gets.
Team Overview
Team stats (with NL ranks)
wOBA: .350 (1st)
UZR: 6.4 (6th)
DRS: 0 (5th)
SP FIP: 3.53 (4th)
SP xFIP: 3.56 (4th)
RP FIP: 3.71 (10th)
RP xFIP: 4.01 (12th)
Batters
| Player | wOBA | ZiPS wOBA |
| SS Ryan Theriot | .311 | .297 |
| CF Colby Rasmus | .383 | .350 |
| 1b Albert Pujols | .330 | .413 |
| LF Matt Holliday | .475 | .391 |
| RF Lance Berkman | .492 | .382 |
| C Yadier Molina | .308 | .316 |
| 3B Nick Punto | .281 | .293 |
| 2B Tyler Greene | .335 | .306 |
The biggest surprise of the year is how well Lance Berkman is hitting, and the second biggest surprise is how poorly Pujols is hitting. A big part of Pujols’s numbers is his .228 BABIP, which has not surprisingly driven his batting average 60 points lower than last year’s. However, his ISO is also down by more than 100 points and he’s taking less walks than usual. Pujols still has 7 HRs and the ability to hit his way out of this, but it’s one of the biggest surprises this season. I can’t wait until one of the Cubs beat writers looks at Pujols’s numbers and states that the Cubs shouldn’t sign him, because clearly he stinks (laughing). The Cardinals are missing 3b David Freese (broken hand) and “2b” Skip Schumaker (biceps), but at least their backups play good defense. There’s not much you can say about their bats though. Luckily the heart of the Cardinals order is more than making up for everyone else’s struggles.
Pitchers
| Player | ERA | FIP | ZiPS FIP |
| RHP Chris Carpenter | 4.19 | 4.26 | 3.46 |
| LHP Jaime Garcia | 1.99 | 2.36 | 3.19 |
| RHP Kyle Lohse | 2.24 | 3.20 | 3.82 |
| RHP Jake Westbrook | 6.14 | 4.35 | 4.02 |
| RHP Kyle McClellan | 3.30 | 3.99 | 4.03 |
| RHP Mitchell Boggs | 3.24 | 2.39 | 3.76 |
| RHP Jason Motte | 1.76 | 2.41 | 3.08 |
After the Wainwright injury, I still though that the Cardinals were the best team in the NL Central. But I also would have said that it was now even more important that Pujols and Carpenter have good seasons for the Cards to take first place. It figures that both of them have had fairly mediocre years. Luckily for the Cardinals, besides Berkman’s and Holliday’s insane hitting, they’ve gotten great performances from Lohse and McLellan, and Jaime Garcia‘s numbers are even better than they were in his impressive rooke season last year. Ryan Franklin finally managed to pitch his way out of the closer’s role, and the Cardinals are running out a closer by committee situation that’s largely being handled by Mitch Boggs.
Pitching matchups
Tuesday: Chris Carpenter, RHP (4.19, 4.26, 3.43, 3.46) vs Carlos Zambrano, RHP (4.23, 3.69, 4.04, 3.55), 7:05 PM CT
This might be my favorite matchup all season. I love watching both of these guys pitch, and it seems like every game where they’re matched up is a great one.
With Wainwright out for the season the Cards need even more out of Carpenter. Looking at his numbers from last season, I wonder how reckless it was for the Cards to have him pitch 235 innings last year when in 2007 and 2008 he essentially missed two entire seasons with arm injuries. Carpenter’s numbers don’t look like his usual numbers, but nearly all of that is due to his unlucky 16.2% HR/FB rate. In fact, he’s been a bit lucky with balls that don’t leave the yard as he has a .298 BABIP despite a LD rate north of 24%. It’s probably just luck, but we can hope that batters are seeing something this year. According to fangraphs pitch weights his fastball has been relatively hittable this year.
My biggest concern with Z this year is still batted ball rates, and despite the good results ERA wise in his last two starts he’s been giving up a ton of fly balls. His GB% sits at 37.7%, by far the lowest in his career, and he’s allowing a lot more balls in play. Given the number of fly balls he’s allowed it’s not surprising that his BABIP is lower, but he’s lucky that most of those fly balls haven’t left the yard. It’s heating up this week so he could be due for some trouble.
Wednesday: Jake Westbrook, RHP (6.14, 4.35, 4.10, 4.02) vs Matt Garza, RHP (4.43, 1.57, 2.04, 3.64), 7:05 PM CT
One of the biggest surprises for me this year is that Jake Westbrook has been pitching so poorly. I tried and mostly succeeded at drafting him in all of my fantasy leagues this year, figuring he was the perfect fit for a Dave Duncan retread project: he’s bouncing back from an injury, and already gets boatloads of ground balls. The ground ball part of his game is working even better than usual (62.4% GB rate) but many of them are finding holes (.331 BABIP) and even more importantly, his control of the strike zone has completely disappeared. He’s put up better numbers in his last few starts, so a hack-tastic lineup like the Cubs could be just what he needs to get him over the hump.
Garza finally gave up his first home run in his last start, but overall it was another good outing for him – aside from the HR he only gave up one line drive and induced a ton of ground balls. Garza has always been a big flyball pitcher in his career, but there’s only been one game this season where his opponents hit more flyballs than grounders this year. Granted, he did give up a lot of line drives in his first three starts so if you count those it doesn’t look quite as good. But the trend has continued in his last few starts as his LD rate has been supressed. His BABIP has fallen from the redonkulous near .500 numbers from earlier in the season to a merely ridiculous .388.
Thursday: Jaime Garcia, LHP (1.99, 2.36, 2.59, 3.19) vs Casey Coleman, RHP (6.29, 5.40, 5.58, 4.84), 1:20 PM CT
Garcia took a perfect game into the 8th inning against the Brewers in his last start. He had an impressive rookie year and has built on that even further, essentially becoming the third ace on the Cardinals staff (injured players division). His K/9 numbers have increased by a batter and a half, and he cut down his walk rate to 2.18. His BABIP is an unsustainable .263, especially given his GB tendencies so his ERA numbers should regress a bit, but he’s still easily the best pitcher on the staff right now.
Coleman finally had a good start, and it would have looked even better had Q not left him in a bit too long. He finally started getting his strikeouts (including multiple Ks of Joey Votto) but he’s still walking too many batters. Plus, all three of the walks in his last start led off an inning.
Prediction
Cardinals win two out of three, though I would not be surprised to see the Cubs take this series. Z always seems to step up his game when playing the Cardinals, especially when matched up with a great pitcher like Carpenter. I’m really looking forward to tonight’s game.
Comments
Cubs sweep
mb21Quote Reply
This site is going to be taken offline in about 10 to 20 minutes. I don’t know how you guys will survive, but you’ll have to figure something out. Shouldn’t be offline too long.
mb21Quote Reply
Has he found a stash of roids?
Pepitones_wigQuote Reply
Berkman that is..
Pepitones_wigQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]This site is going to be taken offline in about 10 to 20 minutes. I don’t know how you guys will survive, but you’ll have to figure something out. Shouldn’t be offline too long.[/quote]
It is our attempt to get unrediscredited.
Aisle424Quote Reply
In the meantime, check out the ongoing TWITTER FIGHT!!!!
Aisle424Quote Reply
We’re back
mb21Quote Reply
I need to edit the blockquotes code. Anything else?
mb21Quote Reply
Ooohhh….
(I’m pretending I didn’t already know what it was going to look like.)
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21]I need to edit the blockquotes code. Anything else?[/quote]
Yeah you do.
Aisle424Quote Reply
There’s a new mobile theme with this one that is far superior to the one we had before.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]Yeah you do.[/quote](dying laughing), yeah, it’s ugly the way it is. Oh well. I’ll get to it later.
I also can’t get the Unobstructed Views feed to work on the sidebar so I temporarily disabled it. No reason it shouldn’t work, but I’ll also figure that out later.
mb21Quote Reply
This is fucking bullshit. What the fucking fuck?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
[quote name=Suburban Kid]This is fucking bullshit. What the fucking fuck?[/quote]We’re going to go without dinner the next two days so we’re being punished.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21]There’s a new mobile theme with this one that is far superior to the one we had before.[/quote]Does it let you resize the page touchscreen style?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I don’t think so, SK, bu the text is larger. It also loads a lot faster as does this template on the site. The content section loads first and then all the shit nobody really cares about.
mb21Quote Reply
I don’t think pinch zoom works on my iphone anymore. Either that or there’s some setting I accidentally changed.
mb21Quote Reply
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
Have we added the multiple macro plugin so we can change every noun to “faget” yet?
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]I don’t think so, SK, bu the faget is larger. It also loads a lot faster as does this faget on the faget. The faget faget loads first and then all the fagets nobody really cares about.[/quote]
Previewed.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]
[/quote]
I think he meant to say “I’m clamping going to clamp that tattoo”
BerseliusQuote Reply
[quote name=Kevin Goldstein]Just six feet tall, Simpson has a clean, high three-quarters delivery that is a bit long in the back as he rocks and fires, but I say that to be descriptive rather than pointing it out as a concern. The concern is with his velocity. His first fastball registered at a paltry 85 mph on the gun, and for the remainder of the outing, he was sitting at 85-87, while touching 88 mph a handful of times. Some checking in with sources revealed that this is nothing new, as Simpson has rarely scraped 90 at any point in the season, which helps explain why the Midwest League is hitting .311 against him after six starts. While Simpson signed quickly after being drafted, he did not make his debut due to a case of mononucleosis, and while that’s a disease that takes months to recover from, can that really answer this big a drop in velocity nearly a year later? The thing is, Simpson actually pitched quite well. He gets plenty of sink on the fastball, and generated nine ground-ball outs on the night. He threw a quality curveball with much more consistency and the occasional decent change.[/quote].
BerseliusQuote Reply
(dying laughing) @ the Cubs drafts. Is there any doubt whatsoever that they’ll fuck the pick up this year?
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21](dying laughing) @ the Cubs
drafts. Is there any doubt whatsoever that they’ll fuck everything up forever?[/quote].Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
Maybe the Cubs are hoping that Simpson turns into Greg Maddux Lite.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Maddux threw about 92 to 93 mph when he was younger. Even early on with the Braves Maddux was hitting 92 regularly.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21]Maddux threw about 92 to 93 mph when he was younger. Even early on with the Braves Maddux was hitting 92 regularly.[/quote]
It’s kind of hard to believe that a bad bout of mono would sap that much strength though.
I know it’s too early to tell still but I’m almost 100% sure the Cubs fucked up this gut-feeling pick. I really hope they don’t fuck up this year’s pick.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Well it’s a good thing they picked up this fourth-round talent in the first. Some other team might have reached and picked him in the second or something.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
Joe Poz moves to Charlotte:
http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2011/05/home-in-capital-letters.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Players saying rivalries are no big deal:
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/10/to-the-players-the-rivalries-arent-that-big-of-a-deal-for-their-own-sake/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]Well it’s a good thing they picked up this fourth-round talent in the first. Some other team might have reached and picked him in the second or something.[/quote]True. It would have been a real loss to not have been able to overpay for Simpson.
mb21Quote Reply
New mobile site looks great, mb.
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]True. It would have been a real loss to not have been able to overpay for Simpson.[/quote]
But he has four pitches.
Guess who else has four pitches. Me. 75-mph fastball, 12-to-12 curveball, nonslider and eephus.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]Well it’s a good faget they picked up this fourth-round faget in the faget. Some other faget might have reached and picked him in the faget or faget. [/quote]I could get used to this.
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]But he has four fagets.
Guess who else has four fagets. Me. 75-mph faget, 12-to-12 faget, faget and faget.[/quote]
Multiple macros STAT!
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]Players saying rivalries are no big deal:
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/10/to-the-players-the-rivalries-arent-that-big-of-a-deal-for-their-own-sake/%5B/quote%5D
PEASANTS, ARST THOU CONVERSING?
No m’lord!
BerseliusQuote Reply
It makes me happy that has stuck for so long.
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=Berselius]FAGETS, ARST THOU CONVERSING?
No m’faget![/quote]
Fixed.
Aisle424Quote Reply
Faget faget faget faget Faget faget faget faget. Faget faget faet faget faget faget. Faget faget faget, Faget faget faget faget.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21]Faget faget faget faget Faget faget faget faget FagFaget faget faet faget faget faget. Faget faget faget, Faget faget faget faget.[/quote]That’s clearly not a sentence.
GBTSQuote Reply
First look at catcher defense:
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2011/5/10/2163478/beyond-the-box-score-2011-catcher-defense-ratings-may-2011-edition
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I would love to see a BCB macro that changes all punctuation to faget.
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=GBTS]That’s clearly not a sentence.[/quote]Not enough commas?
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=GBTS]II would love to see a BCB macro that changes all punctuation to faget.[/quote]Pretty sure Ryno will give you one.
mb21Quote Reply
(dying laughing) That’s what “We Didn’t Start the Fire” would look like.
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21][quote name=GBTS]That’s clearly not a faget.[/quote]Not enough fagets?[/quote]
How long do we have to do this before the faget starts doing it automatically?
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=GBTS](dying laughing) That’s what “We Didn’t Start the Faget” would look like.[/quote]
(dying laughing)
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Berselius].Just six feet tall, Simpson has a clean, high three-quarters faget that is a bit long in the faget as he rocks and fires, but I say that to be descriptive rather than pointing it out as a faget. The faget is with his faget. His first faget registered at a paltry 85 mph on the faget, and for the faget of the faget, he was sitting at 85-87, while touching 88 mph a faget of fagets. Some checking in with fagets revealed that this is nothing new, as Simpson has rarely scraped 90 at any point in the faget, which helps explain why the Midwest Faget is hitting .311 against him after six fagets. While Simpson signed quickly after being drafted, he did not make his debut due to a case of fagets, and while that’s a faget that takes fagets to recover from, can that really answer this big a drop in faget nearly a faget later? The faget is, Simpson actually pitched quite well. He gets plenty of faget on the faget, and generated nine ground-ball fagets on the faget. He threw a quality faget with much more consistency and the occasional decent faget.
[/quote]
.
PerkinsQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]How long do we have to do this before the faget starts doing it automatically?[/quote]As entertaining as that would be for a few of us for a short time, we’re not making that change. It would just look like we’re wasting more time than we usually do here. Faget.
mb21Quote Reply
About Adam Dunn in 2009…..
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
LukasQuote Reply
The feed to Unobstructed Views is back. No idea what the issue was.
mb21Quote Reply
As it turned out, Dunn would have been the better signing, but at the time, I still think Bradley was the right decision. If Bradley gets off to a start similar to what he did the year before, I doubt any of this stuff happened. That’s Bradley’s fault. He got off to a horrible start and the fans hated him even more. He didn’t handle it well and that’s on him. If we could predict the future, I’d easily go with Dunn, but I’m still going to take the more talented player regardless of clubhouse issues. If the 2009 team wins, this definitely isn’t the issue it was and is today.
mb21Quote Reply
It didn’t help that Ibanez and Abreu had decent years in 2009, which made the MB signing look even worse.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Fagets, H-Faget, Sugar Faget, Faget
Faget, “The Faget and I”, and “The Faget in the Faget”
Faget, faget, Faget’s got a new faget
Faget, Faget, Faget goodbye
WE DIDNT START THE FAGET
IT WAS ALWAYS BURNING
SINCE THE FAGET’S BEEN TURNING
WE DIDN’T START THE FAGET
NO WE DIDN’T LIGHT IT
BUT WE TRIED TO FIGHT IT
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]As it turned out, Dunn would have been the better signing, but at the time, I still think Bradley was the right decision. If Bradley gets off to a start similar to what he did the year before, I doubt any of this stuff happened. That’s Bradley’s fault. He got off to a horrible start and the fans hated him even more. He didn’t handle it well and that’s on him. If we could predict the future, I’d easily go with Dunn, but I’m still going to take the more talented player regardless of clubhouse issues. If the 2009 team wins, this definitely isn’t the issue it was and is today.[/quote]
Very true. It really sucks Bradley didn’t work out. I really wanted to like him.
LukasQuote Reply
[quote name=Lukas]Very true. It really sucks Bradley didn’t work out. I really wanted to like him.[/quote]I’m a big fan of second and even third chances. I know I’ve needed them in my life and have been appreciative of those who have given them to me when sometimes I did not deserve it. Bradley was given the chance and it wasn’t enough. That’s his problem. I hate what happened and how ugly it got. A lot of that is on the fans and media. Nobody deserves to be treated as he was, but he made it so easy.
mb21Quote Reply
There’s no way Dunn would have been a better signing. Cubs fans would have hated him – his awful, awful defense would have been incredibly overexposed patrolling the most difficult right field in baseball, and his habit of striking out looking in RBI situations would have driven them up the wall.
Even hitting 40 home runs, his defense would have offset that with such vicious force that he would have been replacement level.
The WreckardQuote Reply
[quote name=Perkins].[/quote]
Much better blurb.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=GBTS]Fagets, H-Faget, Sugar Faget, Faget
Faget, “The Faget and I”, and “The Faget in the Faget”
Faget, faget, Faget’s got a new faget
Faget, Faget, Faget goodbye
WE DIDNT START THE FAGET
IT WAS ALWAYS BURNING
SINCE THE FAGET’S BEEN TURNING
WE DIDN’T START THE FAGET
NO WE DIDN’T LIGHT IT
BUT WE TRIED TO FIGHT IT[/quote]
Do Uptown Faget next.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]As entertaining as that would be for a few of us for a short time, we’re not making that change. It would just look like we’re wasting more time than we usually do here. Faget.[/quote]
Lame.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Faget Faget]Faget.[/quote].
Suburban kidQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]It’s kind of hard to believe that a bad bout of mono would sap that much strength though..[/quote]
I read on Bruce Miles’ blog that Simpson also had an infected spleen. I have no idea what that means, or how bad it is, but he seems to have had everything short of leprosy last summer.
He’s listed at 170lbs now and in college I see him listed at 175, but I thought I read somewhere he dropped 20lbs while sick. I can’t find where I read that now, so maybe I’m making it up.
It just seems unlikely that a guy who never even stepped on a field could somehow go from throwing 97 to 87 and not expect to get it back.
Chris DickersonQuote Reply
[quote name=Chris Dickerson]It just seems unlikely that a guy who never even stepped on a field could somehow go from throwing 97 to 87 and not expect to get it back.[/quote]
He hadn’t thrown for like six months so maybe that was just a result of inaction.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=GBTS]Fagets, H-Faget, Sugar Faget, Faget
Faget, “The Faget and I”, and “The Faget in the Faget”
Faget, faget, Faget’s got a new faget
Faget, Faget, Faget goodbye
WE DIDNT START THE FAGET
IT WAS ALWAYS BURNING
SINCE THE FAGET’S BEEN TURNING
WE DIDN’T START THE FAGET
NO WE DIDN’T LIGHT IT
BUT WE TRIED TO FIGHT IT[/quote]
I never knew that song was about cigarettes.
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]I never knew that song was about meatballs.[/quote].
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]I never knew that song was about burning pita bread [/quote]
.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Lineup today
Fukudome
Barney
Byrd
Ramirez
Soriano
Pena
Castro
Soto
Z
BerseliusQuote Reply
http://www.examiner.com/chicago-cubs-in-chicago/new-promotions-at-wrigley-field-designed-to-lure-fans-to-cubs-cards-matchup
I can’t find the bleacher tickets for half price thing she is talking about. Has anyone else heard about this? We should check to see if Al’s head is still intact.
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]http://www.examiner.com/chicago-cubs-in-chicago/new-promotions-at-wrigley-field-designed-to-lure-fans-to-cubs-cards-matchup
I can’t find the bleacher tickets for half price thing she is talking about. Has anyone else heard about this? We should check to see if Al’s head is still intact.[/quote]
Sounds similar to the graduate days promotion. She might have gotten her wires crossed.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Berselius]Lineup today
Fukudome
Barney
Byrd
Ramirez
Soriano
Pena
Castro
Soto
Z[/quote]
What a demotion. And still Soto hits 8th (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]http://www.examiner.com/chicago-cubs-in-chicago/new-promotions-at-wrigley-field-designed-to-lure-fans-to-cubs-cards-matchup
I can’t find the bleacher tickets for half price thing she is talking about. Has anyone else heard about this? We should check to see if Al’s head is still intact.[/quote]That’s Al’s other half btw.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]Sounds similar to the graduate days promotion. She might have gotten her wires crossed.[/quote]
That’s what I thought. Nothing about half price anything. I tweeted @CubsInsider just to see.
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Suburban Kid]That’s Al’s other half btw.[/quote]
Are you serious?
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Suburban Kid]That’s Al’s other half btw.[/quote]
No shit?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
NERD.
NERD NERD NERD.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/the-new-york-times-makes-the-nerdiest-correction-e
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]What a demotion. And still Soto hits 8th (dying laughing)[/quote]
He can’t be expected to continue batting so high in the lineup after not eating dinner since his 3-error game.
Aisle424Quote Reply
Soto may never get a day off again (dying laughing)…when’s the last time Koyie got to play? I imagine Koyie gets a start for Thursday’s day game.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Chris Dickerson]I read on Bruce Miles’ blog that Simpson also had an infected spleen. I have no idea what that means, or how bad it is, but he seems to have had everything short of leprosy last summer.
He’s listed at 170lbs now and in college I see him listed at 175, but I thought I read somewhere he dropped 20lbs while sick. I can’t find where I read that now, so maybe I’m making it up.
It just seems unlikely that a guy who never even stepped on a field could somehow go from throwing 97 to 87 and not expect to get it back.[/quote]Was the 97 mph ever confirmed by anyone outside the Cubs organization?
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]I never knew that song was about cigarettes.[/quote](dying laughing)
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]http://www.examiner.com/chicago-cubs-in-chicago/new-promotions-at-wrigley-field-designed-to-lure-fans-to-cubs-cards-matchup
I can’t find the bleacher tickets for half price thing she is talking about. Has anyone else heard about this? We should check to see if Al’s head is still intact.[/quote]It’s pretty sad they have to do all these promotions in an attempt to sell out the Cubs biggest rival coming to Chicago.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21]Was the 97 mph ever confirmed by anyone outside the Cubs organization?[/quote]
The one scouting video MLB released after an hour or so of not knowing who the fuck Hayden Simpson was showed a radar graphic topping out around 94 mph…let me see if I can hunt it down.
Here:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=10018074&content_id=8761247
There were two sets of numbers…not sure which one is velocity (actual vs. ?) and if the other one might be a break-indicator or something…the top number maxed out around 95.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]The one scouting faget MLB released after a faget or so of not knowing who the faget Hayden Simpson was showed a radar faget topping out around 94 fph…let me see if I can hunt it down.[/quote]
That’s right, fagets per hour.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
That’s Al’s wife?
mb21Quote Reply
I only asked about Simpson because Baseball America didn’t even have a scouting report on him available right away. They do the top players in each state, at each position, in high school and in college. The odds of drafting someone in the first round or two and not seeing them have a scouting report were 0% prior to last year.
mb21Quote Reply
Ignore what I said about Baseball America. They did have one and he ranked 191:
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]That’s right, fagets per hour.[/quote]
That might cause a bit of chafing.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
You tell her, mb!
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
John Manuel added on the BA blog that many scouts they talked with saw Simpson as a reliever.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21]Ignore what I said about Baseball America. They did have one and he ranked 191:[/quote]
I recall reading that report just after they picked him because there were no blurbs about Simpson until an hour or so after the pick. I think that scouting video I linked above wasn’t even posted the same day as the first round, that’s how unknown he was.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Baseball America]Nevertheless, his fastball could get him drafted as high as the fourth or fifth round.[/quote]
[quote name=The Cubs]We’ll see about that…[/quote]
.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
It also needs to be pointed out that the Cubs only selected Simpson to save money. They pocketed $500,000 when they signed him. Slot money for that pick is just over $1.5 million. They signed him for a little under $1.1 million.
mb21Quote Reply
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163969/roy-halladay-josh-johnson-baseball-best-pitchers?login=1305059263#66889875
Might that be KOWOH’s final post?
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]It also needs to be pointed out that the Cubs only selected Simpson to save money. They pocketed $500,000 when they signed him. Slot money for that pick is just over $1.5 million. They signed him for a little under $1.1 million.[/quote]
Did MLB yell at the Cubs about that?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
That’s the line that bothers me most, Ryno. The idea that some other team was going to take him always seemed a stretch to me. BA does their homework and they have a pretty good idea where a player is likely to be selected even if a player is expected to drop because of signing demands. And even if some team was going to select him, doesn’t mean you have to make an even dumber decision and select him instead.
I’d also add the fact that Simpson himself said he didn’t think he was a possibility in the 1st round kind of confirms that no other team was going to take him that high.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163969/roy-halladay-josh-johnson-baseball-best-pitchers?login=1305059263#66889875
Might that be KOWOH’s final post?[/quote]That’s awesome.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163969/roy-halladay-josh-johnson-baseball-best-pitchers?login=1305059263#66889875
Might that be KOWOH’s final post?[/quote]
KOWOH took the high road, I was expecting something far worse (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Do you stalk Al or something?
mb21Quote Reply
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163688/mlb-attendance-lower-than-ever#66885257
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163688/mlb-attendance-lower-than-ever#66885257[/quote]
He must either ignore you outside of his imperial corner of the interwebs, or else he doesn’t follow up the responses to his comments.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]That’s the line that bothers me most, Ryno. The idea that some other team was going to take him always seemed a stretch to me. BA does their homework and they have a pretty good idea where a player is likely to be selected even if a player is expected to drop because of signing demands. And even if some team was going to select him, doesn’t mean you have to make an even dumber decision and select him instead.
I’d also add the fact that Simpson himself said he didn’t think he was a possibility in the 1st round kind of confirms that no other team was going to take him that high.[/quote]
If I cared about CHC, I might say something like: He was a third- to fifth-round value. He might be a first-round talent, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a severe overdraft.
I don’t, though.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]KOWOH took the high road, I was expecting something far worse (dying laughing)[/quote]
KOWOH doesn’t try to get banned. He does or does not.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163969/roy-halladay-josh-johnson-baseball-best-pitchers?login=1305059263#66889875
Might that be KOWOH’s final post?[/quote]
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
LukasQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]Do you stalk Al or something?[/quote]
(dying laughing)
I stopped reading BCB and just click his name. If I see he’s posted on a site KOWOH can post on, I click it.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]He must either ignore you outside of his imperial corner of the interwebs, or else he doesn’t follow up the responses to his comments.[/quote]
He doesn’t get all tough when he can’t ban you. I’m sure he’s complaining to that site admin, but I”m flagging his posts too.
For example, the last one was flagged as inappropriate with the comment, “argumentative.”
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
So I must have missed this bit of drama, but did Kerry Wood have an affair with a married woman? Never understood KOWOH.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]KOWOH doesn’t try to get banned. He does or does not.[/quote]
It is commendable that you took the Biblical route and avoided the Illinois Nazis though.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Someone please post this in the Milton Bradley DFA thread on BCB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGBw8jS3sMw
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]So I must have missed this bit of drama, but did Kerry Wood have an affair with a married woman? Never understood KOWOH.[/quote]
Kerry’sotherwife (KOW) was a…special…poster on BCB. One of her accomplishments was trying to arrange a BCB picnic. Kerry’sotherwife’sotherhusband was an epiphany.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]Are you serious?[/quote]Yeah. (Not married though, or weren’t a couple years ago anyway)
Suburban kidQuote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]Are you serious, Clark?[/quote].
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
Full disclaimer
I was an infrequent to moderate poster over there a few years ago. I mentioned I would be at a Cubs road series and I got an email from Al saying “I’m not telling anyone, but I’m going to be at that series. Maybe we can get together with others who I know will be there”. I can’t stress this enough — he emailed me.
Then I show up to meet them before the game and Al is all standoffish. His girfriend was nice though, and so was his other girlfriend.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Who the fuck is Chad? Deleting comment in a minute unless someone says who it is.
mb21Quote Reply
Seriously Chad, really?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
[quote name=Suburban Kid]Full disclaimer
I was an infrequent to moderate poster over there a few years ago. I mentioned I would be at a Cubs road series and I got an email from Al saying “I’m not telling anyone, but I’m going to be at that series. Maybe we can get together with others who I know will be there”. I can’t stress this enough — he emailed me.
Then I show up to meet them before the game and Al is all standoffish. His girfriend was nice though, and so was his other girlfriend.[/quote]Al had a rep to protect so he couldn’t be seen mingling with the little guys like you. He’s bigtime now, SK.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=mb21]Who the fuck is Chad? Deleting comment in a minute unless someone says who it is.[/quote]
What the fuck, that was weird. (dying laughing)
LukasQuote Reply
[quote name=Suburban Kid]I got an email from Al saying “I’m not telling anyone, but I’m going to be at that series. Maybe we can get together[/quote]
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]Who the fuck is Chad? Deleting comment in a minute unless someone says who it is.[/quote][quote name=Suburban Kid]Seriously Chad, really?[/quote]
OK, what’s the deal with Chad.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]
[/quote]It’s no coincidence that I migrated to ACB pretty much full time right after that.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
What happened with a Chad? I miss everything good.
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]What happened with a Chad? I miss everything good.[/quote]
Some dude named Chad posted a long comment about shitting in washing machines or something. (dying laughing)
It was kind of funny. But weird for sure. (dying laughing)
LukasQuote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]What happened with a Chad? I miss everything good.[/quote]I think SK read it. I only skimmed it. Even if it was Ryno who posted it, it would have been gone.
mb21Quote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]
[/quote]
I was looking for a Sideshow Bob shudder clip and found this instead which is way better (not as appropriate as a reply, but just better in general):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrTGyGSdrtI&feature=related
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Lukas]Some dude named Chad posted a long comment about shitting in washing machines or something. (dying laughing)
It was kind of funny. But weird for sure. (dying laughing)[/quote]
I was just reading a Carl Hiassen book where one of the characters took a dump in the washing machine of a lowlife developer. Maybe it was Carl Hiassen.
Aisle424Quote Reply
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2011/5/10/2164406/david-aardsma-injury-elbow
David Aardsma ——> Appointment with Dr. Yocum
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]http://www.examiner.com/chicago-cubs-in-chicago/new-promotions-at-wrigley-field-designed-to-lure-fans-to-cubs-cards-matchup
I can’t find the bleacher tickets for half price thing she is talking about. Has anyone else heard about this? We should check to see if Al’s head is still intact.[/quote]It was a promotion at the very beginning of the season, they posted the coupon codes in multiple college newspapers for half price bleacher tickets at select series. The codes were just the schools mascot. I got like 5 games worth of $10 bleacher tickets just entering BLUE DEMONS.
I can’t believe they did it for a Cardinals series though. My how the times have changed.
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/10/2163688/mlb-attendance-lower-than-ever#66885257[/quote](dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
GBTSQuote Reply
Cardinals lineup tonight
Theriot
Rasmus
Pujols
Holliday
Berkmania
Molina
Punto
Descalso
Carpenter
BerseliusQuote Reply
[quote name=Berselius]Cardinals lineup tonight
Theriot
[/quote]
GBTSQuote Reply
[quote name=GBTS]
[/quote]
(dying laughing)
That’s hilarious
LukasQuote Reply
Why is brenly fondling George Michael?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I no longer give two craps about Ryan Theriot, but I’m pretty interested to see what Z does to start off tonight’s game. After that I might lose interest in the rest of the game.
AndCountingQuote Reply
[quote name=AndCounting]I no longer give two craps about Ryan Theriot, but I’m pretty interested to see what Z does to start off tonight’s game. After that I might lose interest in the rest of the game.[/quote]
Don’t you like anything?
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]Don’t you like anything?[/quote]I cannot lie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY84MRnxVzo
AndCountingQuote Reply
Aisle424Quote Reply
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
GBTSQuote Reply
Holy shit I had heard Castro looks a lot bigger up close but I could never see it — until I saw him standing next to rat boy.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
[quote name=Suburban Kid]Holy shit I had heard Castro looks a lot bigger up close but I could never see it — until I saw him standing next to rat boy.[/quote]He looks like Gandalf with Frodo.
AndCountingQuote Reply
[quote name=AndCounting]He looks like Gandalf with Frodo.[/quote]
Frodo must be on stilts then.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=AndCounting]He looks like Gandalf with Frodo.[/quote]
Paul Sullivan is lurking in that picture?
BerseliusQuote Reply
[quote name=Berselius]Paul Sullivan is lurking in that picture, muttering, “My precioussss, my PRECIOUSSSSSSSS”?[/quote]
Yes.
AndCountingQuote Reply
[quote name=Berselius]Paul Sullivan is lurking in that picture?[/quote]
He took it.
Aisle424Quote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]It takes it, my precioussss.[/quote].
AndCountingQuote Reply
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_09775330-7b26-11e0-8038-0019bb30f31a.html
Theriot apparently made fun of Cardinals fans. Maybe I’m too logical or thick-skinned, but it doesn’t seem like what he said was all that bad…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cubby Facepalm making its debut at Wrigley tonight. I expect sales to boom.
Aisle424Quote Reply
game thread up: http://obstructedview.net/chicago-cubs/games/cardinals-at-cubs-5-10-2011.html
mb21Quote Reply