4/20 Postgame thought thread

[Schwarber Fan]

-The Riot is back! He's becoming more patient and looking like a solid top of the order guy

-Reed Johnson is a great player. He always seems to do the right thing. I'm 100% fine with running him out there over Pie everyday.

-Ronny Cedeno has made an adjustment, much better ABs from him

-Hopefully today gets Aramis heated up

-The Pirates defense is laughable

-Dempster has looked awesome (with the exception of his 5th inning today)

-Murton needs to hit less ground balls and swinging bunts in order to get more playing time

-I haven't been this excited about the Cubs offense in a long time - and to think, there was no Kosuke or Soriano today

[ctcf]

-The Riot is back! He's becoming more patient and looking like a solid top of the order guy

-Reed Johnson is a great player. He always seems to do the right thing. I'm 100% fine with running him out there over Pie everyday.

-Ronny Cedeno has made an adjustment, much better ABs from him

-Hopefully today gets Aramis heated up

-The Pirates defense is laughable

-Dempster has looked awesome (with the exception of his 5th inning today)

-Murton needs to hit less ground balls and swinging bunts in order to get more playing time

-I haven't been this excited about the Cubs offense in a long time - and to think, there was no Kosuke or Soriano today

 

- He's playing over his head.

- See above.

- Hopefully, that way he can be SS when Riot comes crashing back to reality (I still refuse to believe he's "figured it out").

- If not it won't be long.

- Yes, very.

- Yes, hopefully he can keep the ERA under 4 for the season.

- Sure

- And, who isnt'!

[javy knows my name]

-The Riot is back! He's becoming more patient and looking like a solid top of the order guy

-Reed Johnson is a great player. He always seems to do the right thing. I'm 100% fine with running him out there over Pie everyday.

-Ronny Cedeno has made an adjustment, much better ABs from him

-Hopefully today gets Aramis heated up

-The Pirates defense is laughable

-Dempster has looked awesome (with the exception of his 5th inning today)

-Murton needs to hit less ground balls and swinging bunts in order to get more playing time

-I haven't been this excited about the Cubs offense in a long time - and to think, there was no Kosuke or Soriano today

-Are you implying that Ryan Theriot was ever good?

-He is a below average player and should not block Pie and absolutely should not lead off.

-Yes, he looks very good

-I believe it has. I hope he keeps walking, as well

-See Marquis last year

-Nothing Murton does will keep him out of Iowa this year.

-They have caught the "patient" bug. I hope it reaches epidemic levels.

 

Edited for truth purposes

[Schwarber Fan]

-The Riot is back! He's becoming more patient and looking like a solid top of the order guy

-Reed Johnson is a great player. He always seems to do the right thing. I'm 100% fine with running him out there over Pie everyday.

-Ronny Cedeno has made an adjustment, much better ABs from him

-Hopefully today gets Aramis heated up

-The Pirates defense is laughable

-Dempster has looked awesome (with the exception of his 5th inning today)

-Murton needs to hit less ground balls and swinging bunts in order to get more playing time

-I haven't been this excited about the Cubs offense in a long time - and to think, there was no Kosuke or Soriano today

 

-Are you implying that Ryan Theriot was ever good?

 

Theriot sucks, The Riot is good. :)

[UMFan83]

Lets just hope the Cubs can adjust when they play a team that can attack the strike zone with consistancy.

[waffle]

soooooo......

 

what was our runs per game before soriano Hopgate?

After?

Hum

[Guest]

The Cubs should play the Pirates way more often.

[Outshined_One]

soooooo......

 

what was our runs per game before soriano Hopgate?

After?

Hum

 

...I seriously hope this is sarcasm.

[CubmanPi]

-The Riot is back! He's becoming more patient and looking like a solid top of the order guy

-Reed Johnson is a great player. He always seems to do the right thing. I'm 100% fine with running him out there over Pie everyday.

-Ronny Cedeno has made an adjustment, much better ABs from him

-Hopefully today gets Aramis heated up

-The Pirates defense is laughable

-Dempster has looked awesome (with the exception of his 5th inning today)

-Murton needs to hit less ground balls and swinging bunts in order to get more playing time

-I haven't been this excited about the Cubs offense in a long time - and to think, there was no Kosuke or Soriano today

 

-We should watch some more non-pirates pitching before we get carried away with this train of thought

-Does his ridiculous misplay in center field not fall under the "always" umbrella? also, see first

-I hope it keeps up

-He's been quite satisfactory for not having been heated up yet. His patience has been unreal.

-This is probably the most important point to consider when looking at today's results

-Some would argue that the fifth inning was reminiscent of the Dempster we all feared when he received his starting role. Lack of control, very hittable, etc...

-He's the only anxious hitter on the team, and it really needs to stop soon

-Me too. but again, see first.

[Butterscup1679666578]

These next two two-gamers should be good tests for us. I won't be upset with 2-2, but 3-1 would be lovely.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

My thoughts:

 

The Reed Johnson bandWGN is going to fill up a bit too fast, but I have to keep reminding myself that he's not a Neifi. He was a good pickup whom we've got some better-than-expected results from.

 

The offense is really good. Not this good long-term, obviously, but really good.

 

The underperforming Cubs are just as numerous as the overperforming ones, so the hot start isn't too inflated.

 

The Cubs need to win at a .611 clip the rest of the season to reach 100 wins. While unlikely, I think that's within the upper regions where they project.

[Hacking Out Machine]

My thoughts...not that anyone asked.

 

1. I thought that a Soriano injury would probably help the offense for the time being. It has. Not that it will be a permanent thing, but Soriano, this year so far, has swung at absolutely everything that has been chucked up there. His approach has made him look like a poor hitter, not just someone who's in a slump. I'm still hoping that we'll eventually see the Soriano that made such good strides in plate discipline during his year in Washington. Until he does that, he's going to be helpful only if he hits 35 home runs. Again, i'm not saying the Cubs are better off overall without him, because he's likely to get hot, but if he stays with the same approach all year, maybe they are.

 

2. Here's hoping that Theriot has figured out how to elevate the ball. His relative patience at the plate had been negated by his inability to make pitchers pay for giving him pitches to hit, because he was just hitting hard one hoppers to the SS when he was ahead in the count. This little power surge, if real, might lead to more walks because pitchers can't just lay it in there for him. You can be patient until the cows come home, but if all you can do on a 3-1 count is hit a grounder(A la Matt Murton), you're not gonna walk.

 

3. Since I've been a serious Cubs fan, this is by far the most patient any Cubs team I have followed has ever been. 4th in MLB in walks! It's no coincidence that they are scalding the ball right now. Mr. Hendry...are you paying attention?

 

4. Geovany Soto is probably the biggest reason why this year's Cubs team is so much better offensively than last year's, comparatively. By that, I mean the upgrade at any one position from last season. His ability to work himself into good counts, and then capitalize by pounding the subsequent pitch or taking it for ball 4 is a revelation. Oh yeah, and the fact that the studly Derrek Lee showed up this year instead of the slappy one from last year has helped too.

[Lockes Eye Scar]

Soto is beginning to make me forget the Cubs were using Koyie Hill and Rob Bowen for a time last year.

[ctcf]

Soto is beginning to make me forget the Cubs were using Koyie Hill and Rob Bowen for a time last year.

 

Who are they?

[RedFlash]

Cedeno is definately a COMPLETE different hitter then the one we saw in 2006 and 07. THAT Cedeno had BA and OBP under .300 for both yrs, and was a combine 127:20, K:BB ratio. THIS Cedeno has a BA and OBP over .300 (with OBP over .400) and a K:BB ratio of 3:2. Is it a small sample size? Sure. But if you compare his current numbers, to the numbers he put up in AAA, then there not that far off, excluding slg. Has Cedeno "figured it out", or is this a product of a small sample size?" The optimis in me says Cedeno has started to figure it out. So I am going with that feeling. But seeing Cedeno starting to develop as a hitter, along with the "The Soto" development as a hitter, gives me some serious hope that Pie in time will turn it around.

 

If Reed continues to play as he currently is, I have no problem with keeping Pie as the 4th OF/defensive replacement, and let him continue to work with Piniella/Perry. Sending him down to AAA does nothing. Keeping Pie up, if for nothing else, his defensive abilities, will keep his confidence up. I could live with Johnson as leadoff/CF for the time being.

 

Which brings me to:

 

When Soriano returns, I think the Cubs have to hit him 6th. I honestly believe, unless it's broke, a lineup of Johnson/Theriot/Lee/ARam/Fukudome/Soriano/DeRosa/Soto is the best lineup the Cubs will have. (Sprink in starts by Fontenot and Cedeno) So, until it's proves it's broken, I think that's the lineup the Cubs should go with, upon Soriano's return.

[Jehrico]

-Reed Johnson is a great player. He always seems to do the right thing. I'm 100% fine with running him out there over Pie everyday while he has the hot hand.

[UMFan83]

Soto is beginning to make me forget the Cubs were using Koyie Hill and Rob Bowen for a time last year.

 

I would have been so pissed off if the Cubs lost the division last year because they insisted on keeping Soto in AAA.

[kylescubs23]

I think the biggest thing thats shows Cedeno has turned a corner are his at bats. He had 3 or 4 really deep counts this weekend, including falling behind 1-2 yesterday, working the count to 3-2 and then lining a single to right.

[UMFan83]

I think the biggest thing thats shows Cedeno has turned a corner are his at bats. He had 3 or 4 really deep counts this weekend, including falling behind 1-2 yesterday, working the count to 3-2 and then lining a single to right.

 

That 11 pitch at bat that started with an 0-2 count was a thing of beauty. I was really impressed with that AB in particular.

[jersey cubs fan]

The words "always seems to" create skepticism from me. Or at least they always seem to.

[apete6]

I think the biggest thing thats shows Cedeno has turned a corner are his at bats. He had 3 or 4 really deep counts this weekend, including falling behind 1-2 yesterday, working the count to 3-2 and then lining a single to right.

 

That 11 pitch at bat that started with an 0-2 count was a thing of beauty. I was really impressed with that AB in particular.

 

Agree on both counts. He looks like a completely different guy out there. Laying off the fastball over his head and trying for contact/foul balls on "pitcher's pitches" rather than trying to hammer everything on a 2 strike count. Hopefully Ronny is "getting it" and Felix is not too far behind.

[Fred Hornkohl]

I think the biggest thing thats shows Cedeno has turned a corner are his at bats. He had 3 or 4 really deep counts this weekend, including falling behind 1-2 yesterday, working the count to 3-2 and then lining a single to right.

 

That 11 pitch at bat that started with an 0-2 count was a thing of beauty. I was really impressed with that AB in particular.

 

Agree on both counts. He looks like a completely different guy out there. Laying off the fastball over his head and trying for contact/foul balls on "pitcher's pitches" rather than trying to hammer everything on a 2 strike count. Hopefully Ronny is "getting it" and Felix is not too far behind.

 

I agree that Ronny seems to have "turned a corner". Look at this progression of 6 game increments.....

 

Cedeno               P   PA  P/PA
03/31 - 04/06        7    2  3.50
04/07 - 04/13       54   11  4.91
04/15 - 04/20       51   10  5.10

overall            112   23  4.87

[CubInOK]

Fred, can you show Ronny's OPS during those 6-game incriments as well?

[Fred Hornkohl]

Fred, can you show Ronny's OPS during those 6-game incriments as well?

 

Here you go..........

 

Cedeno             AB    R    H   BB   SO     BA    OBP    SLG    OPS  BABIP    P   PA  P/PA     RC   RBI%
03/31 - 04/06       2    1    1    0    0  0.500  0.500  0.500  1.000  0.500    7    2  3.50    0.5  0.000
04/07 - 04/13       9    3    2    2    1  0.222  0.364  0.333  0.697  0.250   54   11  4.91    1.1  0.429
04/15 - 04/20       9    3    4    1    2  0.444  0.500  0.556  1.056  0.571   51   10  5.10    2.5  0.300

overall            20    7    7    3    3  0.350  0.435  0.450  0.885  0.412  112   23  4.87    3.9  0.353

[wekse]

thanks fred...the stats, as always, are great.