9/6: LA (Lowe) at Cubs (Marquis), 1:20 pm CDT; CSN

[98navigator]

Good one today Cubs. I'm not sure the Cards or Brewers will ever lose again, so good luck.

 

The Brewers' next ten games are against the Pirates and Reds.

 

This season is OVER.

 

I know. We still have to play the Padres, Mets, Phillies, D'Backs...

 

Nevermind. We play the Pirates and Reds too.

 

Cubs record against the Reds: 5-7

Cubs record against the Pirates: 4-5

 

Yeah, that's a playoff team right there, folks.

 

You should change your name to Pollyanna. It would suit you.

 

The Cubs will have every opportunity to end the year with winning season records against both of those teams... Being 16 games under .500 on the road (Brewers) isn't playoff worthy either and neither is having a starting rotation patched together with duct tape (Cards) but one of these teams will win (and it might as well be the Cubs).

 

Blown saves happen (it was just Demp's third of the season). For every bad thing you can say about the Cubs there are more for the Brewers and Cardinals. We'll see how the Brewers do on the road; 13 of their remaining 23 games are away from MIL. We'll also find out how the Cards cope without any more off days for the rest of the season. Eventually, that pitching staff is going to fall apart completely (especially with the starters leaving after 2-3 innings).

[illiniguy]

It's funny how some people just don't realize that this is what it looks like when 2-3 mediocre teams are battling it out to win a bad division.

 

But yea, the season is over with a month to go. Those other teams just got a whole lot better because we lost today.

The Cardinals are charging, I know that.

 

I would bet almost any amount of money that the Cardinals don't win this division.

 

It'll be either the Brewers or Cubs.

You want to make a wager?

 

You seriously want to bet on the Cardinals?

No I want the damn division to be over, but I don't mind taking your money. I will gladly pay if I am wrong.

 

What kind of odds do you want?

Brewers win no one gets anything. Cards win you pay me. Cubs win I happily send you money. The ammount is up to you.

 

I was going to give you 2-1 and just take the Cubs and Brewers, but that works for me, I guess.

 

How's $50 sound?

works for me.

[CubColtPacer]

Dempster's been great. This was overdue.

 

It just blows it had to come in a game like this.

 

Yep, he's done a good job this year. Now it's up to his teammates to pick him up and score some runs in the 9th.

 

Dempster - ERA after today 3.5+. SOs/IPs = 48/55

 

Marmol ERA 1.45. 77/56

 

Saves are misleading. Dempster gets hit hard and doesn't strike out enough guys to be a good closer which is why he is constantly in trouble even when he does get lucky saves.

 

While I completely agree that saves are misleading, to say that Dempster gets hit hard is inaccurate. Coming into this game, opponent have put up a line of .197/.296/.275 against Dempster this season.

 

Lets compare his ERA to others in the weak Central division.

 

Marmol - 1.45

Izzy - 1.77

Lidge - 2.97

Cordero - 2.96

 

Eventually all those line smashes against him start to fall in.

 

His ERA is out of whack with his other numbers. If anything, Dempster has been unlucky this season. Opponents aren't hitting for average or power against him. His control could be better, but you were wrong in saying he's been hit hard this year. If you want to say he's been hit hard by the Mets, that would be accurate. Hell, if you take away those two horrible games, his ERA would have been 1.84 coming into today.

Ok, but the fact remains the organization keeps saying he is our closer of the future. Well he has proven he can get big league hitters out. We have a team built for the now, not the future. Thus why wouldn't we use him in that role now, when we have a legit shot to win the division.

 

Because there is almost no role for Dempster if you take him out of closer. You can't put him in during the middle of an inning. Marmol is much more versatile than Dempster and can come in with runners on to get 1 out, while Dempster needs to come in with nobody on to be effective. So until Dempster is traded, he needs to be the closer and Marmol needs to come in with runners on to stop people from scoring.

Oh so Dempster isnt a good enough pitcher to come in with guys on base and get out of it, yet you support him being our closer.

 

Yes, because Dempster is a good pitcher. He just needs a little leeway of nobody on base. That allows him to throw his junk at the batter-if he walks 1, it's not a big deal because the other hitters usually get themselves out.

 

Think of it this way-at best, Marmol would be 27/28 saves (it's asking too much for anyone to be perfect). That's a 2 game difference from Dempster. If Dempster was coming in all the time in Marmol's spot with runners on, there would be a lot more than 2 games that would have been lost.

[illiniguy]

Dempster's been great. This was overdue.

 

It just blows it had to come in a game like this.

 

Yep, he's done a good job this year. Now it's up to his teammates to pick him up and score some runs in the 9th.

 

Dempster - ERA after today 3.5+. SOs/IPs = 48/55

 

Marmol ERA 1.45. 77/56

 

Saves are misleading. Dempster gets hit hard and doesn't strike out enough guys to be a good closer which is why he is constantly in trouble even when he does get lucky saves.

 

While I completely agree that saves are misleading, to say that Dempster gets hit hard is inaccurate. Coming into this game, opponent have put up a line of .197/.296/.275 against Dempster this season.

 

Lets compare his ERA to others in the weak Central division.

 

Marmol - 1.45

Izzy - 1.77

Lidge - 2.97

Cordero - 2.96

 

Eventually all those line smashes against him start to fall in.

 

His ERA is out of whack with his other numbers. If anything, Dempster has been unlucky this season. Opponents aren't hitting for average or power against him. His control could be better, but you were wrong in saying he's been hit hard this year. If you want to say he's been hit hard by the Mets, that would be accurate. Hell, if you take away those two horrible games, his ERA would have been 1.84 coming into today.

Ok, but the fact remains the organization keeps saying he is our closer of the future. Well he has proven he can get big league hitters out. We have a team built for the now, not the future. Thus why wouldn't we use him in that role now, when we have a legit shot to win the division.

 

Because there is almost no role for Dempster if you take him out of closer. You can't put him in during the middle of an inning. Marmol is much more versatile than Dempster and can come in with runners on to get 1 out, while Dempster needs to come in with nobody on to be effective. So until Dempster is traded, he needs to be the closer and Marmol needs to come in with runners on to stop people from scoring.

Oh so Dempster isnt a good enough pitcher to come in with guys on base and get out of it, yet you support him being our closer.

 

Yes, because Dempster is a good pitcher. He just needs a little leeway of nobody on base. That allows him to throw his junk at the batter-if he walks 1, it's not a big deal because the other hitters usually get themselves out.

 

Think of it this way-at best, Marmol would be 27/28 saves (it's asking too much for anyone to be perfect). That's a 2 game difference from Dempster. If Dempster was coming in all the time in Marmol's spot with runners on, there would be a lot more than 2 games that would have been lost.

I understand the point you are trying to make. I just don't think Dempster is a very good pitcher at all. I think he has had a lot of luck this year and last year is more what we should expect from him.

[Faceman]

Cardinal fans erupt in cheers after the score was shown that the Dodgers took the 6-4 lead.

 

Makes me sick.

Earlier they made fun of a heavy set gentleman in cubs gear. They are a classy organization no doubt about it.

 

The organization did?

The announcers did. After the camera man pulled him aside from everyone else.

 

Cards fans take a beating at Wrigley - I'm not sure that anyone can claim their team doesn't have dirtball fans.

 

Go Illini.

[illiniguy]

Cardinal fans erupt in cheers after the score was shown that the Dodgers took the 6-4 lead.

 

Makes me sick.

Earlier they made fun of a heavy set gentleman in cubs gear. They are a classy organization no doubt about it.

 

The organization did?

The announcers did. After the camera man pulled him aside from everyone else.

 

Cards fans take a beating at Wrigley - I'm not sure that anyone can claim their team doesn't have dirtball fans.

 

Go Illini.

I really don't think our announcers single them out and call them losers.

[Faceman]

Cardinal fans erupt in cheers after the score was shown that the Dodgers took the 6-4 lead.

 

Makes me sick.

Earlier they made fun of a heavy set gentleman in cubs gear. They are a classy organization no doubt about it.

 

The organization did?

The announcers did. After the camera man pulled him aside from everyone else.

 

Cards fans take a beating at Wrigley - I'm not sure that anyone can claim their team doesn't have dirtball fans.

 

Go Illini.

I really don't think our announcers single them out and call them losers.

 

One of the Cards announcers called a Cub fan a "loser?"

 

Your hatred is pretty strong. Let it go already.

[illiniguy]

Cardinal fans erupt in cheers after the score was shown that the Dodgers took the 6-4 lead.

 

Makes me sick.

Earlier they made fun of a heavy set gentleman in cubs gear. They are a classy organization no doubt about it.

 

The organization did?

The announcers did. After the camera man pulled him aside from everyone else.

 

Cards fans take a beating at Wrigley - I'm not sure that anyone can claim their team doesn't have dirtball fans.

 

Go Illini.

I really don't think our announcers single them out and call them losers.

 

One of the Cards announcers called a Cub fan a "loser?"

 

Your hatred is pretty strong. Let it go already.

Hey I just bet 50 bucks on your team. But, the ex pitcher announcer for the cardinals is a jackass. About as unprofessional as it gets.

[CubColtPacer]

Ankiel just doubled in 2 more.

 

Here is his current line:

 

.358/.408/.765

[C.C.]

Ankiel just doubled in 2 more.

 

Here is his current line:

 

.358/.408/.765

 

Speechless. Just flat out speechless..

[PossumBoy9]

Cardinal fans erupt in cheers after the score was shown that the Dodgers took the 6-4 lead.

 

Makes me sick.

Earlier they made fun of a heavy set gentleman in cubs gear. They are a classy organization no doubt about it.

 

Best fans in baseball :roll:

 

What's this have to with Hrabosky commenting on some Cubs fan who put himself in front of a camera in the concourse?

[Roast]

Well crap.

 

I was at todays game. I went and stood outside that peep-hole nonsense in right field and some guy who was inside walked by and gave me a free ticket so I watched the game from the left field bleachers. That ending sucked hardcore. Also, despite all soriano's heroics: WTF. He didnt so much as MOVE on that foul ball that fell over on the bullpen mound.

[Mizzou]

I hate Rick Ankiel. If I knew how to get cocaine, I'd buy some and then go give it to him so he could become a coke-head that sucks at baseball again.

[Omar]

I hate Rick Ankiel. If I knew how to get cocaine, I'd buy some and then go give it to him so he could become a coke-head that sucks at baseball again.

 

Just ask Josh Hamilton.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Im not saying the Cubs will make the playoffs, Im not saying they wont. I am saying that if they do, this series is pretty much how the 1st round gos.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cardinal fans erupt in cheers after the score was shown that the Dodgers took the 6-4 lead.

 

Makes me sick.

Earlier they made fun of a heavy set gentleman in cubs gear. They are a classy organization no doubt about it.

 

The organization did?

The announcers did. After the camera man pulled him aside from everyone else.

 

Cards fans take a beating at Wrigley - I'm not sure that anyone can claim their team doesn't have dirtball fans.

 

Go Illini.

I really don't think our announcers single them out and call them losers.

 

Has anyone broken it to them yet that no only do they have no days off left, but thy still have series' vs. the D Backs, Phils, and Mets while we're battling the dregs of the NL Central? They dont have much to celberate. While we lost a series to a damn good team, they only tied one of the worst teams in the league. They should have at least been in a 3 way tie for first.

[Omar]

Ankiel just doubled in 2 more.

 

Here is his current line:

 

.358/.408/.765

 

Speechless. Just flat out speechless..

 

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bgoodsel/post911/aflac.jpg

[Andy]

To put Ankiel in perspective, Ryan Braun is having probably the single greatest rookie campaign in the history of baseball, and Rick Ankiel's OPS is higher than Braun's.

[KyHen]

To put Ankiel in perspective, Ryan Braun is having probably the single greatest rookie campaign in the history of baseball, and Rick Ankiel's OPS is higher than Braun's.

Put it this way: Braun has done that over 365 at-bats, Ankiel has produced in 81 at-bats. Sample size will skew things like that.

 

For example:

In 67 at-bats in 1998, a 26-year-old by the name of "Shane Spencer" hit 10 home runs, sporting a 1.321 OPS in that timespan.

 

What Ankiel is doing is not unprecedented.

[Derwood]

let's hope this is just Chris Shelton redux

[chuckywang]

Are the Cubs the only team in the league that realize that the Cards are a crappy team? Sheesh, they shouldn't be winning this much.

[Andy]

To put Ankiel in perspective, Ryan Braun is having probably the single greatest rookie campaign in the history of baseball, and Rick Ankiel's OPS is higher than Braun's.

Put it this way: Braun has done that over 365 at-bats, Ankiel has produced in 81 at-bats. Sample size will skew things like that.

 

For example:

In 67 at-bats in 1998, a 26-year-old by the name of "Shane Spencer" hit 10 home runs, sporting a 1.321 OPS in that timespan.

 

What Ankiel is doing is not unprecedented.

I know he's doing it in 81 ABs, I was just mentioning it.

 

I don't think we're as mad about Ankiel because it was supposedly unprecedented as we are about the fact that what he is doing was so motherfreaking predictable.

[KyHen]

I don't think we're as mad about Ankiel because it was supposedly unprecedented as we are about the fact that what he is doing was so motherfreaking predictable.

As predictable as Mulder's 6 ER's?

As predictable as Maroth's 1.2 IP start?

[Andy]

I don't think we're as mad about Ankiel because it was supposedly unprecedented as we are about the fact that what he is doing was so motherfreaking predictable.

As predictable as Mulder's 6 ER's?

As predictable as Maroth's 1.2 IP start?

You mean the 1.2 IP start that you won?

 

You mean the Mulder that's coming off a huge-ass layoff? Pitchers who get injured for a long time sometimes don't do well immediately? Huh, how about that.

 

(Sorry for my tone, I'm in a bitter mood toward baseball at the moment)

[haltz]

Ryan Braun is having probably the single greatest rookie campaign in the history of baseball

Rate-wise, he's right with (or a just touch ahead by OPS+) Mize, Williams and Pujols. If he slips down the stretch this changes, and considering the fact that Pujols and Williams had close to 700 PA, I would say that he's probably not.