The reverse pennant race - the chase for the 2007 #1 pick

[Brian]

DARN YOU RICH HILL!!!!!!

 

*Shakes fist menacingly*

 

please send him to AAAA Jim

[NCCubFan]

I'm too excited about Hill's recent performances to get upset about losing ground today. They have plenty of pitchers capable of pitching a stinker and making up the ground lost today. I can't help but root for Hill, because every gem he pitches gives us more hope for the future.

 

They'll just have to suck it up and come back tomorrow. Maybe a well-pitched game from Zambrano, but with an offensive slumber and a bullpen collapse, is what the doctor ordered. :D

[Outshined_One]

Losers in the Fecal League chase today: Kansas City, Chicago, Pittsburgh

 

TB has overtaken the top spot!

[NCCubFan]

At least that means the Cubs only lost a half game on first place despite winning.

 

Time to get back on the losing track.

[NCCubFan]

Cubs fall a game further behind both Tampa Bay and Kansas City. Three and a half games behind Tampa Bay, three behind Kansas City.

 

Chances of a 100-loss season now appear to be slim and none. They'd have to go 1-11 the rest of the way to achieve that. Rich Hill alone should be good for two wins. It looks like the Cubs will have to settle for bad but not quite bad enough.

[Vinestal]

I guess I could live with the 3rd pick, we might have a guy slip to us for signability reasons that would have otherwise been a #1 guy.

[Iceblink]

We worked hard to pass Pittsburgh. We're trying to give the #3 pick back to them, but they don't appear to have the moxie to come get it.

 

However, Pittsburgh now goes to LA and to SD. KC will shortly have 10 straight against Minny & Detroit.

 

Tampa gets Baltimore (yay) and then 4 against the Yankees (boo), who'll hopefully get their division clinched ASAP (magic number : 4) and play rookies against Tampa.

 

What's your predicted order with 2 weeks left?

 

I think it'll stay like it is, though I'm worried about Pittsburgh catching us and taking back the #3 pick. KC could very well get slammed by Minny & Detroit and take over #1 again. Detroit has been crappy the last month or so, but it still seems like a long shot for KC to be anything better than 5-5 against those two.

[NCCubFan]

It's looking to me like it's shaping up as two battles: Kansas City vs. Tampa Bay for the 1st pick and Pittsburgh vs. the Cubs for 3rd. I'll be happy with holding off Pittsburgh. I see Kansas City regaining the top spot from Tampa Bay, since Kansas City plays against playoff contenders the rest of the way while Tampa Bay has the series against Baltimore.

[NCCubFan]

Pittsburgh wins and falls a game further back. Everybody else loses and maintains the status quo. Tampa Bay has now lost nine straight; they may be tough to catch.

[NCCubFan]

Since the Cubs appear to be on the verge of a top 5 draft pick, I thought it would be interesting to look back and see who the Cubs have drafted in the past when in the top 5. Here's a breakdown, by draft position, of Cubs first round draft picks when in the top five positions since the draft started in 1965:

 

#1 overall pick

1982--Shawon Dunston (SS)

 

#2 overall pick

1967--Terry Hughes (SS)

1981--Joe Carter (OF)

2001--Mark Prior (RHP)

 

#3 overall pick

1984--Drew Hall (LHP)

1998--Corey Patterson (OF)

2000--Luis Montanez (IF)

 

#4 overall pick

1975--Brian Rosinski (OF)

1987--Mike Harkey (RHP)

1995--Kerry Wood (RHP)

 

#5 overall pick

1966--Dean Burk (RHP)

[RammyFanny]

Since the Cubs appear to be on the verge of a top 5 draft pick, I thought it would be interesting to look back and see who the Cubs have drafted in the past when in the top 5. Here's a breakdown, by draft position, of Cubs first round draft picks when in the top five positions since the draft started in 1965:

 

#1 overall pick

1982--Shawon Dunston (SS)

 

#2 overall pick

1967--Terry Hughes (SS)

1981--Joe Carter (OF)

2001--Mark Prior (RHP)

 

#3 overall pick

1984--Drew Hall (LHP)

1998--Corey Patterson (OF)

2000--Luis Montanez (IF)

 

#4 overall pick

1975--Brian Rosinski (OF)

1987--Mike Harkey (RHP)

1995--Kerry Wood (RHP)

 

#5 overall pick

1966--Dean Burk (RHP)

 

Thanks for that.

 

As long as we are in the top 3, i'll be happy. Alot of things can change from now to then, but one of Price, Weiters, or Brackman sounds good to me.

[NCCubFan]

Tampa Bay wins tonight, Cubs and Kansas City lose, Pittsburgh still in progress (left coast game). Tampa Bay and Kansas City are now tied; Cubs gain a game on the lead.

[Iceblink]

Pittsburgh with 5 wins in a row. You'd think after so many years of perfecting this race, they'd know how to finish strong.

 

Rich Hill tries to keep screwing us up tomorrow night.

[RichHillIsABeast]

If it wasn't for Rich Hill, we'd have the #1 pick by now. :x

[NCCubFan]

Kansas City has regained first place with a one game lead over Tampa Bay. The Cubs are now 4.5 out, and Pittsburgh is 6.5 out. I think it's down to Tampa Bay vs. Kansas City for the top two picks and the Cubs vs. Pittsburgh for 3rd and 4th (which should still give the Cubs a good player).

[radarluv1]

Kansas City has regained first place with a one game lead over Tampa Bay. The Cubs are now 4.5 out, and Pittsburgh is 6.5 out. I think it's down to Tampa Bay vs. Kansas City for the top two picks and the Cubs vs. Pittsburgh for 3rd and 4th (which should still give the Cubs a good player).

 

clutch effort last night in kc. redman's era was 243.0 for the outing, which had me wondering if that was the worst outing ever? i guess era's = infinity has already been done. definitely an all league periformance anyway.

[CubinNY]

I think the Cubs are going to have to be content to be the reverse NL Champion. That's quite an accomplishment in itself. I fully expect Hendry to look for the strong links and do his best to diminish them so next year the Cubs can get all the way to the bottom.

[NCCubFan]

Dempster took one for the team today and gave away what looked like a Cub win to keep at least a two game lead over Pittsburgh.

[Guest]

Dempster took one for the team today and gave away what looked like a Cub win to keep at least a two game lead over Pittsburgh.

He's clearly the person on the team most in synch with this program.

[wvcbxl]

He's clearly the person on the team most in synch with this program.

 

Or one of the posters here. :joker:

So, fess up, which one of you is Dempster?

[WindyCity]

I think the Cubs are going to have to be content to be the reverse NL Champion. That's quite an accomplishment in itself. I fully expect Hendry to look for the strong links and do his best to diminish them so next year the Cubs can get all the way to the bottom.

 

If you think about it, being the worst team in the National League is basically being the worst team in baseball. The Cubs deserve the #1 pick just for that!

[NCCubFan]

The Cubs are now mathematically eliminated from the #1 draft pick. If the Cubs lose out and Kansas City wins out, Kansas City would still be a game ahead of the Cubs.

[NCCubFan]

The best the Cubs could do now is tie Tampa Bay for the second worst record (and I believe I read earlier in this thread that Tampa Bay has the tie-breaker advantage over the Cubs). Their lead over Pittsburgh for third place is now down to one half game, so they may not even wind up with the worst record in the NL.

[RammyFanny]

Pitt will probably lose tonight.

 

Damnit Bynum and Blanco.

[Iceblink]

We've let Pittsburgh back in this race. I was worried about KC and that 10 game stretch of Minny and Detroit. They're 1-6 against them after losing 2 to the Angels. That's how you finish, folks.