Cubs Show Power With Five Extra-Base Hits, But Wrigley Power Goes Out And So Does Winning Streak
by Al Yellon on May 27, 2010 7:30 AM CDT
in Chicago Cubs Recaps
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PrintOK, there's your variation on the obvious headline that says "lights out on Cubs winning streak" after a fire a few blocks from Wrigley Field forced a shutdown of the power grid nearby.
The lights went out just around the time it was getting dark at the ballpark, forcing an 18-minute delay. Tom Gorzelanny actually pitched better after the delay; his pitch to Blake DeWitt had just crossed the plate for ball four when the lights went out. After the delay ended, he retired the next six Dodgers in a row.
It's unfortunate, then, that Lou left him in to throw the sixth inning trailing 5-2; Gorz then gave up hits to the first three LA hitters in that inning, and by the time it was over the Dodgers had an insurmountable 7-2 lead on their way to a seemingly interminable 8-5 win over the Cubs last night.
Gorzelanny, in what seemed like an endless postgame news conference, kept answering the same questions over and over, but did mention he didn't think he deserved to go to the bullpen. In general, his performance this year would bear that out -- his 3.66 ERA is decent, his 1.35 WHIP not overly high, and he has allowed only two home runs in 51.2 innings. But he said he'd do whatever was necessary for the good of the team, and it seems most likely it will be Da Gorz headed to Da Pen when Carlos Zambrano returns to the rotation sometime next week.
While you can't blame Mike Fontenot for last night's loss, his presence at third base likely cost the Cubs two runs in the second inning. He launched a throw toward Derrek Lee on a Russell Martin ground ball that would have been a routine out for most ordinary major league third basemen. It would have ended that inning with no damage and the Cubs still trailing 3-0 after Gorz's rough first inning -- maybe that would have allowed the Cubs to mount an earlier comeback.
Instead, that led to a pair of unearned runs and a 5-0 deficit. Lou, please: forget the lefty/righty matchups at 3B. Jeff Baker is your backup third baseman. If Aramis Ramirez still isn't ready to play -- Baker has to play every day.
Fontenot made partial amends with a leadoff double in the last of the second and later scored; the Cubs sneaked to within 7-5 after Xavier Nady's pinch homer in the sixth and a three-run outburst in the seventh off a pair of Dodger relievers. But Jonathan Broxton was then summoned and was lights-out (ha! I had to make at least one lights-out remark, right?), and James Russell allowed a solo blast to Casey Blake, and the Cubs' winning streak was over. Credit to Jeff Stevens, and yes, even Bob Howry, for keeping the game close until the ninth.
This cubs.com story says this is the third time this has happened:
On June 24, 2003, there was an outage in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. That delay lasted about 15 minutes. On May 6, 2003, the Lakeview neighborhood had a power outage and the lights went out at Wrigley for another Cubs-Brewers game, this time in the ninth inning. That stoppage lasted 15 minutes as well.
I recall, but don't have a specific date for, another outage sometime in the mid-1990's that was caused by a similar issue that resulted in last night's plunge into semi-darkness: a nearby fire that caused a transformer in the neighborhood to blow. You'd think the Cubs would want to have the lights on some sort of system that would prevent local blackouts from blacking out the ballpark too. The funniest thing about the whole incident last night was the enormous number of flashes from cell cameras going off when the lights went out -- it was reminiscent of all the flashes going off when the very first pitch of the first scheduled night game on August 8, 1988. Or, like this whimsical art piece made by Scott Mutter in the early 1980's (I have it hanging on the wall in my home office), pre-lights, imagining what Wrigley Field might have been like if fans lit up the game with powerful flashlights:
The Cubs can still win this series this afternoon (game preview will post at 11:30 am CDT) -- that's always the goal, especially against good teams: win series. Onward.
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If Aramis Ramirez still isn’t ready to play — Baker has to play every day.
If Aramis Ramirez still isn’t ready to play, he should be DL’ed and Chad Tracy should be called up.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
by Clutch16 on May 27, 2010 7:44 AM CDT reply actions 3 recs
Len and Bob ...
were talking about that last night. Something tells me Aramis will be at third on Friday, or Tracy will be.
This is why the handling
or Chad Tracy has been so baffling. He was signed for one reason I believe: to backup at third. Sure Fontenot is raking the ball, but Tracy should be on the roster.
I was surprise Gorz was brought out to pitch the 6th, yes he has settled in a bit, however the pen had Monday off, Tuesday only Marmol threw, that is why I thought the pen would be brought in. Oh well.
Get the win today, that is the key. This has to be a 4-2 week.
Fontenot is raking the ball
And should have been starting last night. At second base.
Theriot’s OPS gets lower and lower with each day (now at .658), and his 2 DP’s crushed any chance we had of a comeback late in the game. Even in his good seasons he tired by the end of the year. Give Fontenot some starts at 2B against RHP for the good of Theriot and the good of the team as a whole.
And DL Ramirez already. Give Tracy a shot to prove himself on our team. Late in the game we were hamstrung into giving Koyie Hill an important AB because the bench was empty other than a gimpy Ramirez. I wasn’t a fan.
Well, better than Game 2 at the Phillies
Where we had an important AB and sent a gimpy Ramirez up anyway
They're both pretty bad
If Ramirez isn’t going to play, put him on the 15-day DL retroactive to May 22nd. That’s only 10 more days if we want him back as soon as possible, which I’m not so convinced we do (until he demonstrates he’s feeling better and seeing the ball at the plate again).
More proof that Lou is detached and uninterested.
Quote from Paul Sullivan article:
Ryan Theriot began the day with a .267 on-base percentage in May, and had not drawn a walk since May 1.
“I haven’t paid too much attention to it,” Piniella said. “Are the numbers down a little bit?”
Piniella seemed stunned to learn of Theriot’s lack of walks, calling it “unbelievable.”
“Really? How about that?” he said. “He hasn’t walked since the first of May? That is surprising. I wasn’t aware of that.”
Seriously?? The manager isn’t aware of how one of his players is performing in a key category? Time to go, Lou. Time to go.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I read that first thing this morning
It made me shake my head. What does he do on a day-to-day basis that he gets so detached from how his team is performing?
The quote
"I haven’t paid too much attention to it,"
… that alone should be enough for a firing. What upper level executive would put up with one of his key hires “not paying attention” to a significant measure of performance?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I think the only way Lou gets fired ...
is if he says something MB-esque like how he understands why the team hasn’t won in 100 years.
I’m not defending Lou, but I don’t see Hendry firing him — and I really don’t see it happening unless a good successor is available. And I think the Cubs (correctly) don’t view Sandberg or Maddux as options.
Too bad.
Because we have a manager who isn’t managing.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I don't know if I'd go THAT far.
We have a manager who’s clearly not 100 percent invested.
I'd say, again...
… that a manager who had “not been paying attention” to one of his starting players’ key statistics, could be described as “not managing”.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
It's a semantic argument.
But I know what you mean. I’d like him gone, too. But other than giving Alan Trammel the keys for the next four months, I don’t see a decent option. Bringing Sandberg in now would make him the next Bruce Kimm or JIm Essian.
Hardly.
Big difference between bringing in a Hall of Famer who’s a popular former Cub, than Kimm (who we all knew was interim) and Essian, who was … well, just seemed like a strange dude.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Sure, they're different people.
But the situations are similar — both Kimm and Essian were the AAA managers who took over midseason after a veteran manager got canned. Kimm was well-regarded as a AAA manager (though I have no idea regarding Essian).
Now, the 2010 Cubs are better than the 2002 Cubs, and Sandberg might be a better manager than Essian and Kimm. But Ryno shouldn’t start his MLB managing career with a cleanup job — which is what would happen if he were brought in now.
In terms of Kimm...
… I don’t think there was ever any thought that he was going to be the manager in 2003. Essian — like I said, strange dude and strange situation, and that was almost 20 years ago, a different era.
Bringing Sandberg in now might just work. I’m not really a fan of Trammell taking over, but geez, as Santo might say — Lou is appearing increasingly clueless.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
No argument (really) on Lou.
I can’t think of a single instance where a AAA manager was brought up and helped a team make the postseason. The ’03 Marlins-type examples usually involve a veteran guy like McKeon.
And I’m not sure you’re right about Kimm. I remember hearing how he had promise beyond AAA. Maybe it was unlikely that he would have been at the helm in ’03, but managing the awful ’02 team down the stretch (probably) sealed the deal.
I can’t think of a single instance where a AAA manager was brought up and helped a team make the postseason. The ’03 Marlins-type examples usually involve a veteran guy like McKeon.
And a young team that could use a crusty old guy to kick a little ass. The Cubs are not a young team
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
That's the other important distinction.
McKeon got a young Florida team to focus.
Point taken.
However, I don’t think you can dismiss Sandberg just because he’s a “Triple-A manager”.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
very good
perhaps the Cubs need someone younger to bring in new ideas and a new spark
Sipping the Kool-Aid since 1982 - Kinda
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119
I don't see the problem with Trammel as an interim
If he spends any effort studying team performance before filling out a lineup card or calling in a relief pitcher, the team should get a little better. If he winds up taking his morning stroll across Lake Michigan and the team wins the division, fine, make him the permanent manager. He would deserve it, no matter how fondly we all remember Sandberg.
But I don’t think the team should equate letting Piniella enter early retirement with having to immediately call Sandberg up to the major league club.
Maybe Lou is just playing brain games with the media,
but I’m afraid that seems unlikely.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
I'd yell some more about Piniella's favoritism here
But it’s been done to death. While trotting the same damned lineup out there day after day saves valuable time, it leads to playing slumping guys every single damned day.
Everybody needs a breather every now and again. Hell, I was whining about Lee not getting any rest a couple of days ago. Now that he seems to be breaking out of his slump a bit, I doubt he’ll see any bench time ’til the ASB.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
"I haven't paid too much attention to it"
Words cannot express how stupid of a statement that is. You haven’t paid attention to how your players have performed IN THE LAST MONTH? This guy’s a clown.
Look, I already told you
I deal with the g*****n reporters so the players don’t have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Elia's firing
Wasn’t Lee Elia fired for saying something similar? He was asked about a player that had gotten some key hits in a game vs. the Cubs, and said he hadn’t read the scouting report on the player. He was fired the next day.
"They found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry
Lou has always been detached.
He would of made the same quote 2 years ago if it was the case.
Now does that make it an excuse for his lack of knowledge? No. But it’s the same Lou.
I’ve always thought Fontenot and Theriot should platoon at second.
Maybe next year is finally our year.
Lou you are old and senile.
That is appalling.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
Why is everybody picking on Lou!
Who cares about such stats as walks and OBP!
Especially from your leadoff man!
Theriot gets paid to hit not just to get on base! Come on guys, back off a little!
Dusty Baker didn’t care about these things, so why should Lou?
ya
walks are useless things that just clog up the bases…now a strikeout is something you can appreciate
Sipping the Kool-Aid since 1982 - Kinda
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119
Just like Dusty says, walks clog the bases!
Much rather have a good old fashioned K! At least show that you are up there to swing the bat! Don’t stand there like a 5 year old waiting for a walk!
Lou knows walks don’t move batting averages and is trying to help the Theriot!
TJ11,
there’s going to be a whole generation of BCBers raised on the belief that you’re actually a homer Cubs fan. Keep it up.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
Laughing
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
I too am laughing!
At those who do not see the Cubs winning at least the division!
Lou is going to get Manager of the Year!
JH is going to get GM of the year for the fine work he did building the Cubs pen!
Extentions for everyone!
A DL stint
would also give Rami an “excuse” to go to AAA for a game or 2 and play with his swing before he comes back. Would save him some humility and maybe help him get some timing back. Either way, I agree that the 2nd base platoon w/ fonty & riot needs to happen.
"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." -Yogi Berra
We could switch him with Sandberg for a few days.....
Then we would appreciate Lou more because all of the moves Sandberg would make would give us too much to talk about.
Despite yesterdays balckout (pun intended), I am confident we will take the series today!
Eamus Catuli
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
Proof reading should also be intended...
Despite yesterday’s blackout, I am confident we will take the series today!
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
i think thats what happened
with Cowboy Joe West in the Sox game yesterday
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 8:09 AM CDT up reply actions
Technical Balk-Out
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
I was thinking more of a title like
“Lights fading on Gorzo’s Starting Role, literally and figuratively”
And no mention of Theriot’s terrible throw home with (I believe) nobody out at the time?
Thanks for the reminder
I’ll cut Riot a very tiny amount of slack for that one. Howry was falling off the mound in front of him, and screened him a bit on that throw. Not that there was anything good about that toss, but it can’t be easy to have a big ol’ stork flailing away in front of you when you’re trying to locate your target. And rushing a throw that didn’t really need to be rushed…
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
I'd preferred the easy out at 1st and then contest the run if you have time
At that point, with runners on 2 and 3 and nobody out, you need to start making outs
Definitely agreed
And it would have saved one run right then and there. I’m not absolving Riot of any sin here – the wrong decision was made and he followed it up with terrible execution. But once the (wrong) decision had been made, he had to work around Howry’s stumbling crap to try and get it to the plate.
Why the hell can no pitcher come out of his motion in a position to field a batted ball anymore?
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
In some throwing motions, it can take
a couple MPH off your FB to end in a position to field. Some guys must think that its worth the trade off.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
Well, Howry can't afford to lose any more velocity on his "heater"
But even the banes of our existence (soft-tossing lefties) look like they’re about to eat grass after every pitch these days.
/So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
just have them train with
Maddux then…
Sipping the Kool-Aid since 1982 - Kinda
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119
Agreed
but you probably don’t change the entire throwing motion when they are in the bigs, just so that they can field their position. This is the kind of thing that has to be done in Little League…
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
Since you were at the game Al, you couldn't know of the broadcasting issues that occurred
The Dodgers’ announcers lost their power as the ballpark did, but WGN TV and radio stayed on the air for the duration. As the Dodgers took the field in the 4th, WGN TV’s broadcast went out, so we were treated to the dulcet tones of Pat Hughes over a “technical difficulties” title card. WGN-TV’s broadcast made it back to air just before the end of the 4th, but experienced some choppy audio for about half an inning, and their pitch speed reporting was MIA until after the 7th inning stretch.
I’m not sure what power backup facilities Wrigley has, but obviously they have something there. It’s obviously not enough to keep the lights on, but WGN’s radio and TV broadcasts were unaffected during the blackout.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
On the radio archive, there is a roughly 30 second gap shortly after power went off.
Otherwise, it does appear that the radio broadcast went out just fine.
I believe the problem with the lighting was, that the bulbs need to be cooled before they are restarted, so if the power switch takes more than several milliseconds then darkness will occur. I read somewhere today, that Wrigley Field does have any alternative power supply.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
The TV feed never dropped
It went half-dark as ball four was called, and then full dark as DeWitt trotted to first. Also, the lights in the broadcast booths never went out. It was kinda funny when they showed the Dodgers’ announcers – they knew they were off the air, so they were just sitting around their booth frustrated.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
BTW: On the TV archives, you can see that some lights and displays stayed alight
( or relit very quickly), which would also indicate some form of power backup scheme at Wrigley Field.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
There are
… natural gas generators on-site. You can hear them fired up for testing some days before the gates are opened.
by bourbon_and_branch on May 27, 2010 8:22 AM CDT up reply actions
Which doesn't solve the problem of the lights
They need constant power or a cool-down period before they can be relit. I just don’t know where you’d put the batteries to keep them on until you could switch to generator power.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Diesel and natural gas generators need a longish time to power up,
and usually the power up period is bridged using batteries. Sometimes the switch over does not go as smoothly as it should. This has caused us real problems at work (German Sports TV among other things) a couple times.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
Here is some background information about the lighting at Wrigley Field
http://www.chmindustries.com/pdf/CHM_SPORTS_Catalog_Aug07.pdf
and from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_halide_lamp this:
If power is interrupted, even briefly, the lamp’s arc will extinguish, and the high pressure that exists in the hot arc tube will prevent restriking the arc; with a normal ignitor a cool-down period of 5–10 minutes will be required before the lamp can be re-started, but with special ignitors with specially designed lamps, the arc can be immediately re-established. A warm lamp also tends to take more time to reach its full brightness than a lamp which is started completely cold.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
I never saw the "technical difficulties" placcard.
I was watching on Ch.9, not the superstation. Wonder what that was all about—the local station was OK and the national broadcast wasn’t.
Weirdness
Did you get L&B’s call or P&R’s?
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
I had Len and Bob throughout. No loss of audio or video.
They did show a couple of replays of the lights going out from the robotic cameras, which lost power. But there was no “Pat on TV Show” here.
Fontenot shouldn't be starting at 3B...
he should be starting at 2B. Seemingly, the only reason Theriot continues to play at 2B everyday is because he’s “earned it.” Well, no, he hasn’t. Fontenot is better at baseball than Theriot is, especially against RHP. Theriot has been really bad this month (which, of course, Lou had no idea of). He shouldn’t be in the lineup.
by kanderber on May 27, 2010 8:10 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
+1
Until Theriot proves otherwise, he’s “earned” no better than a 50/50 or so split at 2B with Fontenot, with the occasional spot start at SS if Castro needs a day off. I’d even be in favor of a straight up platoon, although I’m guessing Lou wouldn’t do that to one of his favorite players.
+17
You are 100% correct. One of the biggest problems with Theriot over the years he’s been a starting player is that he wears down with no days off. He has started 43 of the 47 games so far and played the entire game in 41 of those.
How about a day off for him, Lou?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
add to the fact that Fontenot has a much higher wOBA and it gets even easier
I talked through this in a fan-post here the other day. As of the start of this series, Fontenot had a wOBA of .335 vs .298 for Theriot. That is significant out performance. It puts Fontenot right at league average with Theriot well behind it. Theriot’s will have only gotten worse over the past couple of days.
Fontenot is simply a better offensive player and contributes more to the team than Theriot. I don’t see a significant difference in their fielding abilities at 2B either.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
this is so dead-on
It’s why I was suggesting that the Cubs try to trade Theriot for a reliever. Theriot won’t be back at the end of the year, Fontenot/Baker will be fine as a replacement AND it allows a roster spot for Tracy.
I may be completely wrong about this
but it really does seem that Lou has his favorites and displays them worse than my 5th grade teacher. He’ll run guys that he likes ragged or plays them at the wrong position or, in A-Ram’s case, sends them out to play even though something is very obviously wrong, yet guys like Jeff Baker and Scott Eyre (back-in-the-day), for reasons unknown to us, end up in his doghouse and wind up riding pine for weeks without getting used. Again, I may be wrong about this, but after watching Fonty airmail that throw (and moreso after the ensuing double) I couldn’t help but think that.
Theriot is definitely a Lou favorite.
But I think most managers do this.
I prefer when the managers pick the guys who are good.
Or demonstrate they’re capable of the workload being a favorite entails.
I don't disagree.
Theriot’s a tough case, though. He’s not playing that badly, he’s just not playing that well.
The Ramirez situation is baffling, though.
When 2010 Aramis and the backup catcher are the two guys who are hitting worse than you are
I’d say he’s playing fairly badly. His defense at 2B is the only thing keeping his WAR above 0 (currently at .1 right now).
It’s not as if we have no other option – Fonenot has had a great season behind the plate, and a good one in the field too.
a shame for Gorz
as his development as a starter is not only important for this season but next season when he should enter camp as a candidate for the 4th-5th spot again
Its probably what needs to be done right now though with Silva throwing as well as he is and deep into games. I too believe Silva’s strong start will inevitably fade and i’d have a short leash with him, but until then I think Gorz has to go to the pen
Ideally you’d be trying to trade Silva to a team like the Nationals (replacement for Marquis the innings eater) and sell him as a cheaper option to Oswalt. Heck I’d try to package Theriot and Silva + Cash for some mid level prospect just to clear the roster space and some salary to allow for development
By doing something like that you then create the Baker/Fontenot platoon again at 2B and have a potential opening next year for Darwin Barney if he continues to hit as a utility man. You also free up a rotation spot for this year for Gorz/Cashner/Jackson and allow them to serve as your 4-5-6 next year
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 8:14 AM CDT reply actions
Silva's an innings-eater?
IP per game this year: 6, 7, 6, 7, 5, 5, 6.1, 6, 5.1
That ain’t trending up…
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
thats what i get
for going off memory rather than looking it up
although to be fair hes been taking out earlier than he probably should have been in some of those games
either way, I think you can tag team Gorz with Silva for now and if Silva starts to decline as most expect flip-flop them
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 8:24 AM CDT up reply actions
Silva could have thrown six innings on Sunday.
He had thrown only 81 pitches before he was pulled.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
With some stiffness
He’s had to come out of a couple of games with stiffness or soreness now. Hasn’t prevented him from making his next start, mind you, but it’s a little alarming.
Maybe he should start working out with Demp.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Dempster is often seen doing morning runs around the ballpark.
Can you see Silva doing that?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Silva does morning waddles around the breakfast table?
Disclaimer: I really like Silva and the way he has played, but love poking fun at people of girth, such as my self.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
That's my point
If Silva can’t go more than 81 pitches without soreness, that sounds like a conditioning problem.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Maybe
Silva is the best for the pen. I dont know the stats but i dont recall him giving up alot of runs early in games. good middle relief possibly?
Oh wait, lou doesnt know what that is.
"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." -Yogi Berra
In 2010 he's been much better the first time through the lineup (.597 OPS) than afterward
His career numbers show a similar trend.
I’ve heard a number of people say that they aren’t sure his arm is well conditioned to pitch on short rest though. Not sure if there’s any truth to that though.
That's my thought, too
Silva’s per-inning splits:
Inn. ER oppBA
1 1 .219
2 1 .188
3 3 ..212
4 6 .378
5 7 .308
He’s a strong starter, but doesn’t fare nearly as well the second and third times through the order. Sounds like a long reliever to me.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
This doesn't filter out relief pitching, but here are the NL splits by inning
From http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/split.cgi?t=p&year=2010&lg=NL
1st – 4.38 ERA, .730 OPS
2nd – 3.88 ERA, .737 OPS
3rd – 3.81 ERA, .709 OPS
4th – 4.48 ERA, .794 OPS
5th – 4.74 ERA, .773 OPS
Given that most teams construct their lineups with the best hitters near the top and the worst near the bottom, I think the better way to evaluate this rather than by inning is by number of times through the lineup:
1st time – .707 OPS
2nd time – .739 OPS
3rd time – .778 OPS
Good question
But I was just looking at simple numbers. He’s pitched 5 innings in all 9 of his starts, so ER/IP = ERA/IP in this case. The alarming jump in oppBA after the 3rd inning is my jumping-off point for saying he’s better early.
NL averages:
Inn. ERA oppBA
1 4.38 .255
2 3.88 .258
3 3.81 .251
4 4.48 .278
5 4.74 .274
Not nearly as big a jump from the early innings to the later ones.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
What's a long reliever?
Never seen one.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
Agreed
An innings eater goes 7 or 8 IP most outings, not 5 or 6. If the pen has to pick up 4 innings of the game for you, that’s hardly “eating innings.” This phrase (like the phrase “quality start”) has been seriously mis-used recently.
"They found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry
Innings eater
Fergie Jenkins – 325 IP in 1971 – Innings Eater
Wilbur Wood – 377 IP in 1972 – Innings Eater
Carlos Silva – can’t pitch more than 80 pitches without soreness, comes out after 5 – not an innings eater.
"They found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry
At least he's not a Death Eater
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions
7 or 8 innings per outing = "ace"
The only reason a pitcher would average that much per outing is if they were usually dominating.
“Inning eater” = 180-200 innings/year from the #5 guy in your rotation, or just enougth that the manager doesn’t have to completely blow up the bullpen when the back end starter(s) pitch.
The Nationals are not taking Silva as an inning eater
unless a lot of cash goes along and if that is required why should the Cubs do it?
to free up flexibility
The Cubs owe Silva somewhere around 18.5 million more or so, if they send 10 million over + Theriot they clear off 8.5 from Silva and somewhere around 6 from Theriot
The Nats would get a depth at MI which they need and an innings eating starter which they also need for just about 14 million over the next 2 years.
For The Cubs that’s an extra 14.5 Million of payroll for two unnecessary players that you ALREADY have the depth in the system to replace
Then you move Gorz back into the rotation bring up Jackson to fill Silva’s role in the pen, have Cashner in waiting to provide more depth in the pen. Jackson/Cashner serve as your 6th starter if you have injuries and Barney is waiting in AAA to fill the Utility infielder role with Fontenot/Baker platooning
all the while you have an extra 14.5 million to work with AND 2 more roster spots and haven’t hurt the roster appreciably
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 8:28 AM CDT up reply actions
If the trade would be possible
I’d be all for doing this. We lose our SS backup, although we could probably survive a few more games of Fontenot there. If Castro gets hurt, we have Barney waiting in the wings as well.
That said, I’m not entirely sure the Nats do this.
i'm not sure they do either
but if they’re inquiring on Oswalt… who will cost an extra 30+ million over the next 2 years AND cost prospects
they could be enticed at adding an innings eater + MI depth just for pure salary relief
i’d certainly lob a couple phone calls in though and my demands would be basically nothing in return
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 8:33 AM CDT up reply actions
I wonder if the Nationals might bite on that...
I think it might still be a bit early for anyone to trade for Silva, but if he pitches like this for 2 more weeks, I think you might find some takers. I 100% agree that dumping Silva for salary relief makes sense when you consider that we have at least 3 cheap in-house replacement options waiting in the wings. As far as Theriot, I wouldn’t be so sure that the Cubs want to pay him whatever he will earn in arbitration next year. The fact that they were willing to go to arbitration rather than settle this year indicates to me that they don’t necessarily view him as highly as some here think they do. Especially with the emergence of Castro as a top-of-the-order threat, Theriot should look expendable to any objective observer.
by JSB on May 27, 2010 11:05 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Forgot to add
As far as Silva’s contract, if the Cubs eat $10 million of the $18 million owed, then considering free agent prices, $8 million dollars for 1 1/2 seasons of Silva isn’t necessarily unpalatable to a team that has startig rotation needs.
by JSB on May 27, 2010 11:08 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I agree with your overall point here, but
Theriot is on a 1 year contract and is only making $2.6 million this year. You would free up the pro-rated portion of Theriot ($1.8mm or so?) and the $18mm or so from Silva that he has left. If we ate $10mm of that, you would have about $10mm freed up for the remainder of this year and next year.
Theriot may not be re-signed this off season, though anyway.
Source for contract info.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
i was assuming Theriot
would be offered arb2
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by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions
Oh man!
I hope not!
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
if not
why wouldn’t they be shopping him right now?
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions
Piniella and Hendry love him
But Hendry loves Wood, too. Don’t be too certain.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions
i was going to reply with
wood required an extension
but realized we could’ve offered him arb too
still the comedic value warrants the post
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
A Wood post, at that.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions
I set 'em up
You knock ’em down
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions
There is an interesting point evident in your analysis that gets missed around here
For the Cubs right now, “rebuilding” may look more like an NBA or NFL team clearing cap space that the things low budget MLB team do. The lack of an active offseason was partly due to being up against the salary budget the Rickets set, and actions to improve the team in the future may be aimed as much as clearing budget as acquiring young talent in trades. Unlike a team like the Pirates, once a big salary is moved, the Cubs’ payroll limits are high enough they have the option to jump back into another high salary if the new player can improve the team. (Whether you trust Jim Hendry to manage this process is a separate question.)
So, if the team is looking to move some of the 8-figure salaries, the talent received in return is almost incidental. I think the minor leaguse system will be built through $ spent on scouting and player development, rather tthan acquiring near-MLB propects in exchange for players being traded.
Wrigley Field...
… should have some method of power generation that would not result in an 18-minute delay when something like this happens.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
It was the lights. They don’t take kindly to “hot” starts.
by bourbon_and_branch on May 27, 2010 8:24 AM CDT up reply actions
Those lights (and every other powered device) suck a lot of juice
You’d probably have to replace the batting cages with batteries to assure uninterrupted power until a genny could spin up. And then your generator would only be good as long as it had fuel.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Are LEDs capable of providing the same
quality of light for night game play? I know that they can for street lighting, but not aware whether they can for a ballpark.
You're going to struggle to find LEDs that can put out that light and live for a while
The higher wattaged LEDs need some good cooling around them, LEDs + Heat = No no.
I would think that the LEDs would still be very, very expensive.
OTOH, LEDs are highly efficient.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
Especially because you need "white" light in a stadium
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
By default it has more "blue" to it
Which people interpret as more white.
Without going into a long discussion about semiconductor and optical physics,
there isn’t really such a thing as a continuous spectrum (white light) LED. The so called white LEDs are either a combination of more than one monochromatic LED (e.g. Red,Green, and Blue) in the same package or LEDs being used to energize phosphor, which then emits something close to white light.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
When discussing upgrades to Wrigley in the future
I would hope that making Wrigley more green is on the agenda. Actually, a lot of ballparks, especially domed ones could benefit greatly from solar panels and even wind turbines. Think of all the panels you could put on a domed stadium, and for open air parks, like Wrigley, think of all the panels that could be placed on top of the park. I’d be willing to bet they could run that place cheap and efficiently, and not worry about power outages, if they went green.
www.facebook.com/craighudak
by Craig in South Bend on May 27, 2010 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions
Without getting into the political aspects of it
Don’t be too sure about that. The country of Spain would like to have a word with you.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
I don't know much about facilities management, but
I can tell you that a generator that would power such intense lights would need be housed in a monstrous facility. Those lights are mighty powerful and suck quite a bit of juice.
Not to mention
To prevent any power loss at all, you’d need some monsterous batteries or else run the generators on stand by while the lights are running. Otherwise you’re back at square one.
Tracy is only hitting .455 for AAA Iowa
since his demotion. I agree, get a set 3rd baseman, I like Font’s bat in lineup no his glove at 3rd.
Already reported Cashner and his 0.95 ERA to the Iowa bullpen TODAY. Where does that leave Gorz if Cashner comes up. Could there be a trade on the horizon? Nice problem but geez we’re log-jammed!
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
I didn't agree with him being demoted.
But who goes down? I think Tracy needs to be on this team with the numbers he has/is putting up and the fact Rami can’t hit his weight.
"I don't know what the big deal about Crackerjack is"
by theGraceyslumpbuster on May 27, 2010 8:37 AM CDT up reply actions
No need to send anyone down
If Rami is placed on the DL
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
If Ramirez goes to the DL, Tracy gets called up.
If Cashner gets called up, Jeff Stevens probably goes back to Iowa. Problem solved!
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I like this
www.facebook.com/craighudak
by Craig in South Bend on May 27, 2010 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions
Exactly
and what better time to see if he can put it together than now. Rami on the DL lets Tracy play for a week and if he cant perform up with the big club, than why are we keeping him anyway?
"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." -Yogi Berra
Because Lou's back-up vs. RHP
can’t make a routine play from 3rd.
"I don't know what the big deal about Crackerjack is"
by theGraceyslumpbuster on May 27, 2010 8:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Stranded Runners The Real Story
Aside from the lights going out, and Gorz struggling, the real issue was, again, the Cubs inability to come through in the clutch. In the bottom of the 3rd, when Fonty got hit with the bases loaded, and NONE OUT, they were down 5-2, and could have been right back in it, but they got nothing. Ditto 1st & 3rd one out in the 2nd, and Baker on 3rd one out in the 7th.
Castro and Hill had particlularly bad nights in that regard. They could have won last night…but I guess you can’t win them all!
Scott Bora$ is satan.
by Canadian Cubs Fan on May 27, 2010 8:21 AM CDT reply actions
Castro could probably use a day off.
That said, I think he and Colvin were just baffled by Billingsley’s cutter, and I think it messed up Castro for the rest of the game. As for Hill, he DID have a hit … and he’s not on the team for his bat.
Billingsley absolutely owned our youngsters
At least Colvin drew a walk. Castro had no clue at all after that first K
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Last night might not have been the best time to start Tyler.
I know that runs against a lot of sentiment around here, but Byrd probably would have been a better choice. I can’t remember if Kosuke did anything last night, but I would have started Colvin in right.
Fukudome was 1-for-5.
Byrd was 0-for-2 after he was inserted into the game in the 7th. That particular lineup switch wasn’t the issue last night and I didn’t have a problem with it.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Dome finally recorded a hit against Billingsley in the 6th
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
We drove by the ballpark just after the lights went back on.
It was kind of eerie, but kind of fun. Some places were dark, like the el station and Sports Corner, and the traffic signals were down, but the south side of Addison looked okay. A lot of the homes on the north side of the street looked dark, except for that religious grotto just west of the ballpark on Addison. It glowed!
One of Lee Elia's 15%
The first house west, across the alley from McDonald's with all the landscaping and birdbaths.
There’s what looks like a large religious installation right in front of the house. I’m pretty sure it’s religious. It has all these lights lining it and they were on and glowing in the darkness.
One of Lee Elia's 15%
by waiting4cubs on May 27, 2010 8:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Oh.
I’ll have to take a look sometime. I rarely go to that side of the park.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I was in the bathroom when the lights went out.
Let me tell you folks, that was some scary stuff.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
When people use the term pitch black...
…that is what they are referring to. Luckily I was close to the exit.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Didn't have your cell phone with you?
Handy flashlight, right in your pocket
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
I did have it on me.
But I couldn’t think straight. I panicked. Intense situations will do crazy things to you man.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
I lived through a couple of hurricanes
And a power grid that would fall over with any wind gusts over 40 MPH. Having the lights go out suddenly, even in an awkward situation, is no longer a reason to panic anymore. That’s just me, though. YMMV.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Yeah, but it's the bathrooms at Wrigley!
Hurricanes don’t have anything on that.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Intense situations will do crazy things to you man.
Especially with a couple of beers in your system? :)
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
It wasn't the beers in my system I worried about.
It was the beers in the other 40 guys systems that had me startled haha.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
...and let's leave that right there.
This could degenerate in a hurry. :)
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
Yeah, that's sufficient reason to want out of that room
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Stranded runners in scoring position
Is starting to get on the ridiculous side.
After Baker’s blast off the wall didn’t get out of the park I remember thinking, well he won’t score now.
3 for 15 with RISP. Bad.
Castro, the kid definitely has talent but despite Fontenot scoring in the 2nd on Gorz’s single, Castro needs to be looking to hit the ball to the right side, stuf like that is huge. I understand he has all the talent in the world but just got the basics down, someone needs to work with him on that.
"I don't know what the big deal about Crackerjack is"
by theGraceyslumpbuster on May 27, 2010 8:47 AM CDT reply actions
Castro's pretty good about hitting the ball to the opposite field.
He just couldn’t handle Billingsley last night. That’s not an excuse, but I doubt Castro’s ever faced a cutter like that before.
Castro
I admit to not watching every pitch of every game, but I haven’t seen him hit the ball hard in a while. Most of the recent hits I’ve seen him get have been on the lucky side (grounders that the third baseman just missed, etc.)
"They found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry
I understand
But still I would like to see them try and get the kid to bunting too. He is fast, we all know that. Make him even more dangerous if he isn’t already a great bunter.
"I don't know what the big deal about Crackerjack is"
by theGraceyslumpbuster on May 27, 2010 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Totally agree regarding bunting.
The Cubs as an organization are stupid on that. But Castro’s fundamental, generally, look good.
I agree
He has damn good range, his throws are a bit iffy but those will come soon enough. I think he has a bit of trouble with off speed pitches that start on the outer half of the plate and break down into the Left handed hitter’s box, but that will be worked out too.
"I don't know what the big deal about Crackerjack is"
by theGraceyslumpbuster on May 27, 2010 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions
The sad part in the inning we had the bases juiced and Castro up
he took a first pitch meatball and swung at all the garbage. Just sayin.
"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse
no, you're right
I’m just saying that, fundamentally, Castro is pretty solid.
He really seemed out of control last night
Swung so hard at one pitch that his helmet came off
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions
looked like
Fukodome on that pitch. And it killed me to see him take that fastball down the middle on the first pitch of that at bat and then flail at the unhittable stuff.
"They found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry
Yes, it was disappointing
Maybe more so because it’s the worst he’s looked by far.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Actually, watching it over again via reply later,
I don’t think that it was that he swung hard, just that he was COMPLETELY fooled by the pitch and tried to alter his swing to reach way out for the pitch to get something on it. He looked way overmatched in that AB. One of the first times this year that I have seen that.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
The Cubs are undefeated
when Castro bats second. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
I know, I know, the Cubs would of lost the game regardless.
Maybe next year is finally our year.
I'd like to see Castro get a day off today.
I’m all for playing him, but he could use a break here and there. Might as well have it be the day game after night game, with the big series coming up this weekend.
The problem is...
… if you do that, that probably means Fontenot at SS.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
If Theriot himself had a day off from time to time
He would be an ideal candidate to back up Castro for the occasional off day.
Yes because the Cubs have two reserve infielders...
neither can play SS, only one can play 3rd but usually the other one is played there, their best reserve 3rd baseman is in AAA and the only other player on the roster who can SS is firmly entrenched at 2nd even though he has done nothing to show he deserves it.
by rlpete on May 27, 2010 9:13 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
But with Jeff Baker we have 6 outfielders!
7 if you count Sean Marshall :)
Sounds like a team that does a lot of winning
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by Craig in South Bend on May 27, 2010 10:09 AM CDT up reply actions
Not necessarily...
You could always just start Theriot at SS and Baker/Fontenot at 2B. I thikn a day off would be good for him.
I have that same Mutter art piece hanging in my home.
About every fifth person that sees it asks, “Is that REAL?!”
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
They are obviously not scoreboard-watchers
With any picture of Wrigley from that angle, my gaze immediately goes to the scoreboard. In real life, there are a huge number of details on the board. No artist’s rendering ever recreates them all.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
art work
One correction, Al. I’m thinking that art work can be no earlier than 1987, because it includes 3660 N. Lake Shore Drive in the background (the 40-story high rise between Addison and Waveland). That building was under construction in the summer of 1987 – I remember it well because I saw it every day as a camp counselor in Montrose Harbor park.
"They found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry
1987
I checked the copyrite at the bottom of the photo, and though the words are very small, it does look like 1987.
"They found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry
It certainly wasn't later!
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm pretty sure that the ballpark elements are from an actual photo
IIRC, the artist took a picture during a game and worked the effects in.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on May 27, 2010 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions
Yes, that's exactly how I remember it described at the time it was done.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Dodgers announcers
Did anyone else watch the game on EI last night?
I couldn’t deal with their announcing. It wasn’t that they were terribly bad but I thought both men sounded almost identical. I hadn’t the most difficult time being able to tell the two voices apart.
I couldn’t tell if they were responding to each other or their own thoughts.
It sounds like Gorz is going to the pen.
What a great move by the Cubs to get their highest paid and best pitcher back in the rotation. How dare they put him in the pen where he does not want to be!
We saw how well he pitched when he found out he gets to come back. We need to to keep him happy at all costs! Lou knows the pulse of this team and is making amends for one of the very few mistakes he has made and putting Z back where his highest paid pitcher should be. The other pitchers may not be happy about it and may have better stats, but Z makes the most money and the Cubs know this!
Finally things are as they should be with the Cubs!
by TJ11 on May 27, 2010 9:36 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I LOL'd and rec'd you.
While some are tired of your positivity schtik, it still makes me chuckle.
Scott Bora$ is satan.
by Canadian Cubs Fan on May 27, 2010 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
What really upset me about last night's game...
…was in the bottom of the third with the bases loaded and Lou let Gorz bat for himself trailing by 3. At that point in the game, he’d already given up 5 runs and was not very sharp. I was sitting there thinking, man this is a chance to make this a game, why not pinch-hit for Gorz, and use our long reliever? Oh yeah that’s right, we foolishly allowed him to pitch in a simulated game on Monday, instead of “stretching him out” as a long-man. Sure enough we didn’t score there and that ended up being the difference in the game.
Also, I have no problem playing Fontenot, he’s been hitting well. But play him at second! He really isn’t a 3B, and Theriot has been brutal lately, he’s turned into 2007-DLEE with all the double plays, we could’ve gotten a rally going against Broxton but sure enough Theriot grounded into his second DP of the game, he needs a few days off.
I didn’t look at the box score yet, but it seemed Hill left about 10 guys on base, give me Soto. And Byrd’s two at-bats were pretty brutal last night as well.
On a positive note, D-Lee is looking good at the plate again.
Put Gorz in the pen temporarily. His numbers as a starter have been good, and find a way to trade Ted Lilly, who really hasn’t been very good this season. And should not be brought back next season. A smart GM would keep a 27-year old cost controlled lefty over and aging overpriced one who is a free agent beyond this year, but that may be asking too much.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
Interesting idea
I hadn’t thought about dealing Lilly. Despite his 1-4 record, he would still have some cache, and would free up some salary for another move at the deadline. I know people here love him on a level with Chuck Norris, but with guys like Cashner and Jackson at the AAA level ready to move up, I wouldn’t bring him back either.
Scott Bora$ is satan.
by Canadian Cubs Fan on May 27, 2010 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions
I believe Lilly's got a No-Trade Clause...
…So it could be tough to do. But, if we are not in contention, he may listen. They guy would suit a team like San Diego or the Dodgers even (he’s a fly ball pitcher, they have big pitcher’s parks). I feel he needs more time to show some life, would likely be dealt at the deadline. The Twins could also be a possibility.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
Yes.
NTC for Lilly
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
post fail.
NTC for Lilly. I would see if I could move him too though. I like this idea.
"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray
There are two (possibly three) Cubs who should be traded before Gorzo:
Theriot, Lilly and (if possible) Fukudome.
Trading Theriot should be a top priority. He won’t be back with the Cubs next year, he has some value and he doesn’t have an NTC. Dealing him would allow Fontenot and Baker to platoon at second and allow the Cubs to call up Tracy.
Lilly should be next, because he won’t be back either, he’s relatively expensive AND he has some value.
Trading Kosuke now would be the ideal time, because we all know he will fade in the second half. His value will not be higher until next season. And dealing him would allow Colvin and Nady to platoon in right.
no one's taking Fukudome
he’s got a NTC he’d likely enact not to be thrown into a new city and he’s got another 12 million or so owed to him next season
the guys you try to trade are
1. Ryan Theriot
2. Carlos Silva (+ a lot of cash to offset the next yr commitment)
3. Marlon Byrd
Those are three guys without NTC’s that you can reasonably talk about trading and all 3 could have value to other teams. Admittedly Silva’s value would be the least on that list but if you throw in enough money to cover some of the contract you can trade him as a back-end rotation innings-eater type. While everyone assumes big time regression his xFIP is 4.20 this year, that’s fine for a 5th starter.
Byrd you trade because he’s the most marketable asset given his ability to play 3 OF positions, his skill, and his contract. By trading him you create an open OF spot to give Colvin a chance and then you have Fukudome coming off at the end of 2011 to have another OF spot free.
Of course you probably only trade Byrd if you’re not focused on contending this season, which the Cubs probably aren’t willing to do.
While trading Fukudome might be a nice idea, I think between getting him to agree to it and getting another team to take on his hefty contract the next 1.5 years, I think its unrealistic
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, you might be right about Kosuke.
I won’t get into how I feel about Kosuke and his contract because it’s such a divisive subject — he helped the Cubs get more patient at the plate in 2008! he’s a great defensive outfielder! — but you’re right, he’s probably not going anywhere.
But I think I’d rather trade Lilly than Silva. Not because I think Silva is better than Lilly, but because the cost of trading Silva (we’d have to eat a lot of his salary) and the likely meager return wouldn’t really be worth the trouble.
Regarding Byrd … I don’t see it happening. First of all, I think the Cubs (rightly) dig the fact that he’s so well liked at Wrigley, both by the fans and the other players. He’s a very good player AND I think the Cubs like that an African-American player is not the new boo target. It’s good PR after the Bradley mess.
The PR alone wouldn’t be enough of a reason to trade him, though.
Lilly's NTC
is as big of a hurdle than the money you’d have to throw at SIlva, in my opinion
I understand your points on Byrd, just from an organizational standpoint if you’re trying to improve yourself for the future and give Colvin a chance, he’s really you’re only out
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Even if we're out of it...
… and we could tell Lilly: “we’re not re-signing you next season”, we can trade you to LA, San Diego, Minnesota, NY Mets? He may waive it.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
i think the problem is the "we're out of it"
mindset
its the same reason i doubt they’ll trade byrd, i don’t see this group waving a white flag even when its apparent they should
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't see the Cubs
moving Byrd, but I like the idea, he is move-able, because he costs little and is (was?) producing. I just don’t see the Cubs trading him, he’s been giving us a DeRosa-esque season thus far, minus the part about playing multiple positions, but he’s batted anywhere from 2 to 7 in the lineup and has been a leader on a team that needs one.
I’m with elgato in prefering to trade Lilly over Silva. I think teams would rather have Lilly anways and we wouldn’t have to chip in as much cash with Lilly as with Silva, and who knows, we could even get a decent return on Lilly if he performs well over the next month or so?
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
Yes! I agree with you, Theriot should be traded,
there are teams who need the middle infield help see: Washington, Baltimore. I would love to see Fukudome gone as well, as its about to be June and he turns into pumpkin once that happens. But I feel it be a tall order, we’d have to take on a big contract in return. Any chance Boston would take him for Lowell straight up?
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
lowell
that’s a really interesting idea, probably the best Fukudome trade idea i’ve heard
the big problem there is it would kill their flexibiity for next year since they’d have Ellsbury, Cameron, Drew, Fukudome, Hermida all under contract
because of that i think they’d shy away even if it would help them a lot this year
follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com
by DartmouthCubsFan on May 27, 2010 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, I know...
Fukudome is the type of high OBP good fielding, left-handed outfielder the Red Sox seem to like, I know they’re loaded there though. But Cameron and Ellsbury have been absolutely terrible in CF for them, it’s possible, but unlikely. We could take Hermida back in a Lowell-Fukudome+ a prospect trade, and keep him around as first base insurance in case Lee doesn’t come back next season?
I realize $ would be the problem here, but it would be a trade that could help both teams this season.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
I guess, Hermida has never played 1B, I was thinking of Mike Jacobs,
but at 6’3 222, it could be worth a shot.
"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella
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