Ricketts, Shark And (What Else?) Peavy News: Cubs vs. Astros Preview, Wednesday 9/2, 1:20 CT
by Al Yellon on Sep 2, 2009 11:30 AM CDT
in Game Threads
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PrintTom Ricketts was at last night's game. He shook hands with Lou and Koyie Hill, and I'm glad he got to see a solidly played win. Let there be many more of these. (Maybe we should get Ricketts to come to every game, if he isn't planning on doing that already.)
So while we prepare for what (we hope) is a series win over the Astros, here are a few baseball notes to pore over this morning:
- If you think the Cubs are having a tough go at things, it can always be worse elswehere. Check out several other teams that have had losing years for a long time. And what Bill James has to say about why that happens.
- From USA Today: Paul White on major leaguers with college degrees -- some with majors you might not have guessed.
- Yet another Jeff-Samardzija-is-the-future article.
- Gee, what a surprise: Jake Peavy might get shut down for the year. NOW are you glad the Cubs didn't trade the farm for him? And, Carlos Torres will start Thursday's game at Wrigley for the White Sox.
- Some photos and a tour of Target Field, the Twins' new roofless home that will open next spring. It says here that the Twins are giving up a huge home-field advantage and will likely be playing in adverse weather conditions for at least April, and part of May.
- 37 years ago today, the Cubs' Milt Pappas threw a no-hitter, but came within one pitch of a perfect game. And he still can't stand the call plate umpire Bruce Froemming made that he felt robbed him of the perfecto.
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Felipe Paulino started the year in Houston's rotation and made three starts, all of which were decent. Then, for some reason, Cecil Cooper sent him to the bullpen. After three relief appearances -- one of which was a horrendous 0.2 inning, 4 ER outing against the Cubs on May 7, which included a HR by Alfonso Soriano -- he was back in the rotation. That turned out, um, badly -- seven starts, 7.59 ERA. Back in the pen he went; this is his first start since August 4.
Ted Lilly has won nine games this year. Three of them are vs. the Astros; he gave up four homers to them in Houston in his first start of the year on April 8, but has allowed only 17 HR in his 21 other starts, and overall this year is 3-0, 3.06 vs. Houston. This will be his first start vs. the Astros in Chicago in 2009; the three others were all in Houston. Astros hitters are hitting .195 (43-for-221) vs. Ted.
The Cubs and Astros are cable-only today, CSN Chicago and FSN Houston. For other games today see the MLB.com Mediacenter.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Astros site The Crawfish Boxes.
Overflow comment threads will post today at 2:15 pm, 3:15 pm and 4 pm CDT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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First or Wild Card, that is the question
Go Cubs
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
They should pound this Paulino guy
However, knowing the Cubs of the last month…he’ll 3 hit them.
Scott Bora$ is satan.
by Canadian Cubs Fan on Sep 2, 2009 11:45 AM CDT reply actions
3 HRs and I won't mind too much, assuming the Astros score less
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
They showed Tom
in the crowd several times last night. Crane Kenney was seated beside him.
Pitch well today Ted!
Recipe for Disaster;
C'mon Cubs, hurry up and blow this so I can relax.
by Bluekoolaide on July22, 2009 3:08 PM CDT
are you left handed?
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Salvage the home stand
with a win today and tomorrow.
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
The Twins are so dumb.
That’s all I can say on that subject. After living in Minnesota for over 15 years and still having my family in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, they are just plain stupid for not putting a roof on that thing.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
No kidding
At least make it retractable. They live there. Even if you ignore the lousy weather in April, think about rain in August. Or if it’s 90 and 90% humidity.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Sep 2, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Not only that, but
the Twins draw fans from a very large area geographically. If I’m a Twins fan in, say, Dickinson, N.D., I’d like some assurance the game will be played before I drive 500 miles to Minneapolis.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Sep 2, 2009 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions
+1
I had a ticket for the Cubs game rained out in Atlanta. I did see the Cubs and Braves the night before. It is frustrating to play $30+ plus for a ticket, drive a long distance, and have a game rained or snowed out. In th minors, I’ve driven 140 miles to North Little Rock just to have a game rained out. That wasn’t so bad because I only paid $6 for the ticket in the first place, and I ended up exchanging it for a ticket to a game later on in the season that I saw. 140 miles isn’t exactly 500 miles. The Twins should have gotten a stadium with a retractable roof.
"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray
+1
Take a cue out of Milwaukee, and build one with a retractable roof.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Peavy being shut down (or not) doesn't really
have much to do with the Cubs reported attempts to acquire him. He injured his ankle on a fielding play in SD, and to a shot off his elbow during a rehab assignment. If it was his shoulder or a pitching-related injury, you could say the Cubs dodged a bullet, but there’s no reason to think he would have sustained either of those injuries had he been traded to the Cubs.
"Enough foreplay- let's get crackin'"- Fred Garvin
Looks like a HR porch in RF, eh?
The old Twins survived at the old Met. These Twins will thrive. You could argue it’s just as cold in Chicago. The nice summer nights will make the winter memories fade.
That seems to be the case at Wrigley Field.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Sep 2, 2009 12:19 PM CDT reply actions
They never drew 1.5 million at the Met...
and that was with some great teams in the 60’s. They had nine seasons where they drew under a million. They’d better do better than that sort of “survival” at their new yard.
(To be fair, their attendance was mostly above league averages during the Met years.)
The Twins drew 1.4 million the year they went to the WS
and led the AL in attendance that year. The fans will come if they play well.
"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse
DOME LEADING OFF!
awesome! Rest for Riot and Rami.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Rest?
It’s the last 32 games of the season. What are we saving them for?
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
For the 24 games we still need to win.
I ain’t givin’ up until it is mathematically over.
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
I think we're gonna need to win 2 times as many games as we lose the rest of the way...
to take the wildcard. That seems like a tough task. I’m gonna try to keep my expectations low so I don’t get hurt as much.
by aznsensation on Sep 2, 2009 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Have you watched Riot play lately?
he sucketh.
I presume Rami is getting the day off he didn’t get because Baker was hurt.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Riot is Tired
because for the last month his back up sucketh…..maybe if Hendry could have sent Miles out on the rehab stint instead of Blanco then Lou could have actually rested Theriot once or twice
by Crazy Uncle Lou on Sep 2, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't disagree
but now that Blanco is back, Riot can get a day off.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Didn't Theriot do this last year, too?
"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse
Interesting that Soriano isn't playing
More knee problems?
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
I was listening to WGN720 yesterday before the game...
they were interviewing Soriano about his knee injury. He told them that he was hurting for like 3 or 4 months and he didn’t say anything thinking that it would go away. That totally pissed me off. You’re getting paid millions of dollars and you’re hurting the team playing injured. Why would you not let the medical staff know about the injury? I already hated Soriano, but it just made me hate him more.
by aznsensation on Sep 2, 2009 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions
I would call this ignorance on Soriano's part...
… and not malicious and/or intentional negligence. He might be earning sh*tloads of money, but I doubt that he has received, what we would consider, a good education. I would think that Cubs organisation is more to blame than Soriano himself.
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
I find Soriano's decision frustrating...
…but it doesn’t make me hate him. He just thought he could play through it. He was wrong. Let’s hope he learns from the experience.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
The medical staff
did know. They were treating him. Al had this in either the pregame writeup or the recap last week. They must have decided he needed to play with Aramis being out so long. I get upset with him at times but I don’t hate him.
Recipe for Disaster;
C'mon Cubs, hurry up and blow this so I can relax.
by Bluekoolaide on July22, 2009 3:08 PM CDT
I was going to say
it feels like the timeline is a little hazy here. When did the staff know, I wonder…
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions
If the Cubs really knew he was injured, then it sounds almost like iniquitous disregard for his long term health.
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
I truly believe
That Ramirez getting hurt panicked Lou and Hendry to the point where they decided 75 percent of Soriano was better.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
Yeah, 75% of horsebleep output was better than...????
"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse
The only other explanation is that he had his own doctor doing it
If he didn’t say anything to the team, but was still treated.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
That is very possible.
Recipe for Disaster;
C'mon Cubs, hurry up and blow this so I can relax.
by Bluekoolaide on July22, 2009 3:08 PM CDT
But not good for the player or the team.
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
If that's true... that's bad
BUT… baseball players are closer than families during the season. I refuse to believe Pinella didn’t notice anything.
I still stick by the “Nope… don’t see nothing!” approach by Pinella and Hendry.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
He still struggled
running last night. He should not have been in there last night.
Recipe for Disaster;
C'mon Cubs, hurry up and blow this so I can relax.
by Bluekoolaide on July22, 2009 3:08 PM CDT
YES IT WAS OBVIOUS....
That when he ran it wasn’t easy . Looking back on the season now you have hot the nail on the head . They were in the panic mode but the doctors did no one a favor . Did They ??
I like having Dome leading off, i like having Fox in the lineup.
But i don’t like not having Ram in there.
Ramirez needs a day off
I’d rather have him play against the White Sox than today, if I had to choose.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Sep 2, 2009 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Blanco is back!
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
Soto must have really
pissed somebody off. Day game after a night game and Hill is catching. Ouch.
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
Lou has already said
that Hill is his starting catcher for the rest of the season.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions
I got the impression
that Soto felt Lou was making the right decision about that.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090831&content_id=6717834&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
I like the switch, but not having Fonty at 6.
but lets see if Lou keep Dome at leadoff for tomorrow or if its just because he’s giving Riot a day off.
Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton
Not crazy about Blanco batting second.
Maybe he can bunt Dome over if Kosuke gets on base.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I'll bet you a dollar
that’s exactly what Lou’s thinking. I might have flipflopped Baker and Fonty in that lineup, but the really game-changer might be putting Hill in the 2 hole and Blanco 8th.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions
That's a bold idea...
…though I could never envision Lou batting the catcher second.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I guess
I don’t understand what it matters. If they’re a better hitter, then hit them there. I suppose Hill isn’t going to be the speedy baserunner the way Blanco is, but your baserunning skills are secondary to ball-hitting skills…
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Ha, I thought of him, too.
Maybe – he certainly could have (and probably did) earlier in his career. I’m too lazy to look up whether he ever batted second with the Cubs.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Indeed, Kendall hit in the two-hole 3 times in 2007.
August 15, 25 & Sept. 28. Those were the only three times he hit second all season.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
Interesting.
Didn’t he lead off during his glory days in Pittsburgh?
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Yeah, it has been the spot he's hit in most often for his career.
He’s led off 8 times this year for the Brewers. And we think it’s bad having Soriano lead off…
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
Weird.
He obviously doesn’t have the speed anymore, but even his OBP isn’t that great this year (.335).
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
That's why I haven't gone all apeshit about the lineups.
The Cubs have had poor offensive performances from C, SS, 2B, at times 3B (when Ramirez was out), RF, and even LF. I think that vast majority of us would have preferred Fukudome leading off, but I believe the thought was that at least Theriot can usually get on base at a respectable clip, so to help offset the lack of Ramirez and the lack of productivity from C and 2B, a relatively productive Fukudome hits fifth.
Piniella simply couldn’t hide all of the holes in the lineup.
"Enough foreplay- let's get crackin'"- Fred Garvin
Dome leading off,
Blanco at SS……woohoo.
Recipe for Disaster;
C'mon Cubs, hurry up and blow this so I can relax.
by Bluekoolaide on July22, 2009 3:08 PM CDT
I would have rather seen,
Fuld play left and Fox at third, then move Baker over to 2nd while keep Fonty out of the lineup.
Fox isn’t great at third but the offense would have made up for it. Fuld over Fonty.
Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton
I really wish
ReJo could get back on his feet.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Whats his eta?
Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton
Cubs.com says
“unknown”.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fantasy/wsfb/news/injuries.jsp#team112
He took batting practice on the 25th.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Caption:
Lee: 5… 5 dollar… 5 dollar foot loooonnggg
by GoCubbies34 on Sep 2, 2009 12:35 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Wow.
Only 26 players with 4-year degrees in the Bigs? That’s fairly shocking.
Milton Bradley: My New Favorite Cub
Not really, if they are good enough to make it in the big leagues,
they would have known that for sometime and concentrated on baseball instead of pursuing a degree.
Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton
Put it this way
if you’re drafted in high school and given the choice of making a lot of money or spending the next 4 years getting a degree, which do you choose?
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Sep 2, 2009 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Why?
This is a sport where you can be drafted out of high school and immediately sent to work in a Rookie League. If you’re good, you’re at AA or event AAA by the time you’re 22 and if you’re great, you’re in the bigs by then, making good money. Even the league minimum is in the upper 5-10 percent of the average household income.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
And that's not the only reason it's not surprising...
Two further reasons:
1) a very large percentage of baseball players are from Latin America, where they are generally recruited at 16-18. The opportunities for a 16 year old Latin American kid are probably a lot better in the minors than in their home country.
2) for high school kids who DO choose to go to college, the draft system generates a further incentive to leave early. Those players then become draft eligible again after their junior year. At that point, the majors are a lot closer to reality.
Along with your reason, those are the main reasons why it shouldn’t be surprising how few college degrees are in baseball.
Baseball is a summer game
meant to be played outside. I find these domes, even retractables, make for a very stale and non-baseball-like atmosphere. Dealing with weather is part of the game.
I applaud the Twins for doing the right thing.
I agree, but
summer in Minneapolis is from late May through early September. There could be a lot of postponements.
I have been promised a ticket for opening day 2010 up there. I just hope six layers of clothing are enough to handle it.
Hmmm
The average high In April for the Twin Cities is 57 degrees, for May 70 degrees, for September 71 degrees, October 58 degrees. For Chicago the average high in April is 59 degrees, for May 70 degrees, September is 76 degrees, October 64 degrees.
Not to mention
the high cost of a retractable roof. The days of a blank check from the public for sports stadiums are over, at least for the time being.
If you like Selig's handling of the steroid issue, you'll love his choice for next Cub owner.
+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
by Jody Jody Davis on Sep 2, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Or you could have just said....+10 novemdecillion
Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton
Lilly deserves a big W today
the guy has an ERA well under 2.00 for his three starts in August and he had no victories—unbelievable! The Cub bats need to give him support.
Time for a big victory. Go Cubs!!
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
-- Dan Quayle
Caption
D-Lee: I’m telling you. That fish was this big!
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
you sure he's talking about
his fish?
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 2, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Is this his fish?
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
Jump Time
You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
The farm?
Gee, what a surprise: Jake Peavy might get shut down for the year. NOW are you glad the Cubs didn’t trade the farm for him? And, Carlos Torres will start Thursday’s game at Wrigley for the White Sox.
Missing fact in your brief comment, Peavy was doing well in his rehab with an eye on a start this week when he took a liner off his elbow. That’s of course hard to plan around.
And finally the Sox hardly gave up the farm for Peavy.
"People shouldn’t bust your chops just because you’re a Sox fan on a Cub board — but I know it happens. FWIW, I think sites like this are more interesting when fans of other teams join in the conversation." by Shanghai Badger on Mar 13, 2009
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