Silver Slugging Z

I'm surprised no one has posted this yet (or I'm too blind to find it on the site!)

about 2 years ago ak123 18 comments 1 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Less batting practice next year

And more anger management, please.

by lswaidz on Nov 14, 2009 3:02 PM CST reply actions

I get your point,

but geez-you must be hard to please. :)

"Fasten those seatbelts"-Pat Hughes

by katie casey on Nov 15, 2009 12:09 PM CST up reply actions

I just think the Cubs brass KNEW that Z was focusing too much on being a better hitter after the no-hitter last year and just did NOTHING about it… he forgot that he’ll win many more games with his pitching than he ever will hitting solo home runs after he’s given up 4 or 5 runs already. How many times this year in Z games did we get excited when he made it 4-1 or 3-1 or something…? I’d MUCH rather have him go 0-90 in a season at the plate and win 15-20 every year than hit .300 with 5 home runs and go 10-10.

by lswaidz on Nov 15, 2009 2:03 PM CST up reply actions

The problem is

This year, many of Z’s wins were because he hit the go ahead run or got an RBI…

by ak123 on Nov 15, 2009 2:42 PM CST up reply actions

Then someone should point out to him the number of games we lost due to his lack of pitching focus

We may lose a game or two because we don’t have his bat, but we’d win plenty more if he could put his pitching talents to proper use.

by madcow256 on Nov 16, 2009 11:24 AM CST up reply actions

That'd be kinda hard to quantify, though, wouldn't it?

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 16, 2009 2:48 PM CST up reply actions

It should be relatively easy to point out how many dollars he's making and how many wins he's had

Even in the games he’s won with his bat, he might have still won without the hit if he held the opposing team to a run or two less.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that when he’s pitching the 9-hole is more than a gimme for opposing pitchers. But I would settle for him being a .250 hitter with some pop in exchange for him giving us a relatively consistent pitching line for the season. I don’t think it’d be too much to ask for him to take a little less BP to do some core exercises.

by madcow256 on Nov 17, 2009 8:22 AM CST up reply actions

How 'bout the same the amount of BP and some core exercises?

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 17, 2009 2:06 PM CST up reply actions

I'd take that too

Maybe he can cut out some internet time.

by madcow256 on Nov 17, 2009 3:34 PM CST up reply actions

Most likely only award given to Cubs this year

And this is the first comment on the thread. I’m not surprised one bit but its still sad…

by ak123 on Nov 15, 2009 12:47 PM CST up reply actions

Silver Sluggers for Pitchers

are like awards for the best farts in church.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Nov 15, 2009 2:33 PM CST reply actions

Yeah totally bro

A pitcher’s hitting doesn’t help their team at all. Any runs produced by a pitcher are fleeting and dissipate into thin air, leaving only embarrassment behind. So that is a great comparison.

by Wreckard on Nov 16, 2009 9:58 AM CST up reply actions

Help them do what?

Phillies somehow scraped their way to two NL pennants with only one pitcher — Cole Hamels in 2008, who hit more than .220 (min. 25 PA)

One homer by a Phillies pitcher in TWO YEARS.

For the 2007 Rockies, one pitcher (Aaron Cook) hit .238. Everyone else below .200

The 2006 Cards, generally a team whose pitchers do good things with the bat (as opposed to the swing-for-Peoria stuff that Zambrano does and gives all you guys boners) had Mulder at .280 and Marquis at .218.

Since the Silver Sluggers were given in 1980, only two of them have gone to guys whose teams won the World Series — Fernando in 1981 and Glavine in 1995.

They are there to pitch. Pitchers hitting is not necessary to success and in the case of Zambrano, who has injured himself while hitting, it is a detriment.

Other teams somehow manage to survive with poor hitting pitchers. I’m sure the Cubs would muddle through.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Nov 16, 2009 10:47 AM CST up reply actions

You see, in baseball you win either by preventing runs or scoring runs

More likely some combination of the two. Pitchers get far more opportunities to prevent runs than to create runs, so their ability to pitch is certainly far more important (otherwise Micah Owings would be a useful player).

But to suggest that their ability to hit is completely irrelevant to the success or failure of their team is pretty laughable, not to mention provably false.

Since the Silver Sluggers were given in 1980, only two of them have gone to guys whose teams won the World Series — Fernando in 1981 and Glavine in 1995.

Only 2 of the 58 catchers who’ve received the award won a World Series. By your measure then, I guess we should consider hitting irrelevant to a team’s success? After all, that’s an even smaller percentage of winners than there are for the pitcher position.

by Wreckard on Nov 16, 2009 11:03 AM CST up reply actions

Um, yeah, I'm not seeing the comparison here...

…not that I’m going to spend much time thinking about it.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 16, 2009 10:11 AM CST up reply actions

But... you're right

that was an incorrect comparison.

Silver Sluggers are like awards for the best acting in a porno. It’s an award for something completely unrelated to why they are really there.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Nov 16, 2009 10:52 AM CST up reply actions

Well, that's debatable in a league that has not implemented the DH.

But, seriously, why is it mutually exclusive? Can’t a good pitcher also be a good hitter if he is so blessed? Does he absolutely have to foresake that hitting ability to become a better pitcher?

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Nov 16, 2009 11:13 AM CST up reply actions

Good to see all the love for our guy

I think even if Z were to win 20 games and the Cy Young people would complain that he didn’t win 21 and get all the first place votes.

Congrats Z, you raise your value each season with your excellent bat (for a pitcher) and I can’t wait to see him have another season hitting .300 soon.

Just say no to players named Aaron on the Cubs.

by nji232 on Nov 15, 2009 11:14 PM CST reply actions