Mount Lou erupts

[ChiCubsfan0502]

It's about time and absolutely needed.

 

"I'm tired of seeing balls flying all over batting practice and when the damn game starts we don't do a thing. There will be no BP tomorrow or Wednesday and we'll see if that helps".

 

=D>

[David]

What's there to do?

 

There were balls flying (hard) all over off the Cubs bats today, they just landed in gloves.

 

This "eruption" for the media means nothing.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

What's there to do?

 

There were balls flying (hard) all over off the Cubs bats today, they just landed in gloves.

 

This "eruption" for the media means nothing.

 

If your read between the lines, I think he was calling out Lee and Ramirez. How can you not call them out (Especially Ramirez) at this point?

 

You have a number 3 hitter with 2 homers since June 1st, which is terrible. Then you have a 4 hitter who can't hit on the road.

[Guest]

What's there to do?

 

There were balls flying (hard) all over off the Cubs bats today, they just landed in gloves.

 

This "eruption" for the media means nothing.

 

If your read between the lines, I think he was calling out Lee and Ramirez. How can you not call them out (Especially Ramirez) at this point?

 

You have a number 3 hitter with 2 homers since June 1st, which is terrible. Then you have a 4 hitter who can't hit on the road.

 

Ramirez lined one to the wall. What should he have done, hit the ball hard enough to seer a hole through the left fielder's glove?

[David]

I'm pretty sure Lee and Ramirez were among the ones who crushed balls today.

 

Lee is OPSing like .950 in July. I'm not worried about him (or Ramirez, really, for that matter).

[CubbieBum]

What's there to do?

 

There were balls flying (hard) all over off the Cubs bats today, they just landed in gloves.

 

This "eruption" for the media means nothing.

 

you're right no way any of this gets back to the players

 

he's sending a message to the players to pick it up and refocus on hitting

[David]

What's there to do?

 

There were balls flying (hard) all over off the Cubs bats today, they just landed in gloves.

 

This "eruption" for the media means nothing.

 

you're right no way any of this gets back to the players

 

he's sending a message to the players to pick it up and refocus on hitting

 

Yes, lack of focus is what kept those balls from landing on the ground instead of in gloves.

 

That's the ticket!

[David]

If you're able to embrace sabermetrics and all the new types of analysis of baseball, you should also be able to accept that flukish things like stretches where teams don't happen to get hits with runners in scoring position are going to happen. You should be able to accept that when a hitter hits a ball hard and makes an out, he has done his job just as well as if the ball falls in. Hitters can't go out there and control where their hard hit balls land. You should also be able to accept that there will be games, sometimes stretches of games, where good teams look bad. It's the nature of baseball.

 

These short term freakouts are ridiculous. What matters is what the team does over the long haul. The big picture. That big picture = they are one of the best teams in baseball.

[CubbieBum]

What's there to do?

 

There were balls flying (hard) all over off the Cubs bats today, they just landed in gloves.

 

This "eruption" for the media means nothing.

 

you're right no way any of this gets back to the players

 

he's sending a message to the players to pick it up and refocus on hitting

 

Yes, lack of focus is what kept those balls from landing on the ground instead of in gloves.

 

That's the ticket!

 

Part of hitting is hitting it to where no one can catch it. As with just about anything luck plays a aprt but we have been way to consistent at flying out recently. I don't see how what Lou did can be wrong. When he blew up (in a much larger scale obviously) it worked and sometimes players midway through a season just start going through the motion and need to be told to refocus in some way. Happens at all levels and I'm going to trust the guy who's in the clubhouse everyday of when or if that time has come.

[questionmarkgrace]

I think that this points to a larger problem. Ramirez and Lee are way too streaky. Add Soriano to the mix and you have three of your your top four guys who flip the switch from week to week especially when facing good pitching. This is why we did bad in the playoffs last year. These guys couldnt turn it on when neccessary. I dont know how you fix the problem. But I can tell you from watching everygame that when lee does gets his hits they are more than often with out base runners in scoring position. Despite his seemingly good numbers his lack of timely hitting makes me dread his presence in the three hole. I dont know what if anything can be done about this through.

[questionmarkgrace]

on another note Hendry has mentioned Rios in the past

[Amie]

I think that this points to a larger problem. Ramirez and Lee are way too streaky. Add Soriano to the mix and you have three of your your top four guys who flip the switch from week to week especially when facing good pitching. This is why we did bad in the playoffs last year. These guys couldnt turn it on when neccessary. I dont know how you fix the problem. But I can tell you from watching everygame that when lee does gets his hits they are more than often with out base runners in scoring position. Despite his seemingly good numbers his lack of timely hitting makes me dread his presence in the three hole. I dont know what if anything can be done about this through.

 

 

Lou might start by sitting Lee for a day or too. Heck he brought Hoff up from AAA, he has great numbers against both RH and LH pitching, yet Lou has not yet used him. Hoff was swinging a hot bat, yet it is going to waste on the bend while we lose games. Put him in the line up, and give D Lee a day or 2 off. Same for Ramirez, he has looked terrible at the plate ever since he started with all the traveling. He's made 2 trips to the DR, 1 trip to NY, flown more then any of the other guys. For a guy with a slumping bat, that's not going to help.

 

These guys will swing at anything late in game lately. Lee needs to go down in the order for sure.

[badnews]

If you're able to embrace sabermetrics and all the new types of analysis of baseball, you should also be able to accept that flukish things like stretches where teams don't happen to get hits with runners in scoring position are going to happen. You should be able to accept that when a hitter hits a ball hard and makes an out, he has done his job just as well as if the ball falls in. Hitters can't go out there and control where their hard hit balls land. You should also be able to accept that there will be games, sometimes stretches of games, where good teams look bad. It's the nature of baseball.

 

These short term freakouts are ridiculous. What matters is what the team does over the long haul. The big picture. That big picture = they are one of the best teams in baseball.

 

Over the past 5 weeks they've been a .500 team.

 

Sorry, but this all sounds too much like Dusty excuse making. "We're just snakebit man."

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

I wonder if the eruption happens if Harden didn't pitch as great as he did.

[badnews]

I think it's how they've been losing. Getting one run off Brian Moehler isn't going to cut it. He's not bad but playoff pitchers are going to be better. Then 1 run off Wandy Rodriguez. Randy Johnson came into the game with an ERA over 5, you can't let him shut you down. Some guys here are talking about line drives but some of those weren't line drives to me, they were "warning track power" pop ups.

[CubinNY]

I think it's how they've been losing. Getting one run off Brian Moehler isn't going to cut it. He's not bad but playoff pitchers are going to be better. Then 1 run off Wandy Rodriguez. Randy Johnson came into the game with an ERA over 5, you can't let him shut you down. Some guys here are talking about line drives but some of those weren't line drives to me, they were "warning track power" pop ups.

 

You cannot just look at the name of a pitcher and say that "we should be this guy". Both Moehler and Rodriguez where hitting their spots as was Johnson. The Cubs aren't snakebit, they're slumping. It won't last.

[badnews]

Why can't I say that? They should be. Not being able to take out mediocre pitchers "hitting their spots" is what got the Cubs swept in the playoffs last year.

 

I haven't looked at the game log, but my general feeling (yes, yes, someone will prove me incorrect - I'm saying my general feeling on this) is that the Cubs are piling on against crap pitching (with the exception of Aaron Harang) and not doing it against better pitching. Now you say, that's what every team does but the Brewers put more of a hurting on Matt Cain than the Cubs did. I want to see the Cubs do what the Pirates did on Monday, just put on all-out-blitz on an elite closer like they did to Valverde.

 

What I'm saying is I'd like to see the Cubs put an ass-whuppin' on some good pitchers instead of simply showing off how well they beat up on Phil Dumatriat and Tom Gorzelanny earlier in the season.

 

The Brewers and the Cardinals have shown they can get to good pitchers it seems like. The Cubs, I don't know. The Cubs come up empty against the better pitchers in baseball and people just assume the Cubs will be facing all Bronson Arroyos and Brandon Backes in the playoffs.

[MasterBlaster]

Hitting isn't really the problem, Lou needs to find a way to get them taking walks again. I think the team forgot that you can walk to first base. They have no patience and are swinging at anything and everything, I was shocked that Randy Johnson didn't pitch the 8th inning last night, I thought he was going a CG for sure with his low pitch count.

 

And I'm very concerned about our horrid road record. If they don't figure this out then we aren't going to be enjoying a long run into the playoffs, it'll be a quicky like last October. I think the general buzz earlier in the year when the Cubs were flirting with a .500 road record, that they 'can't win on the road', it was silly to say that in May, but they are trending hard towards being losers on the road, it simply can't be laughed away anymore.

[Old Style]

This offense has been atrocious lately. A freaking embarassment.

[badnews]

In June the Cubs were 12th in runs, in July the Cubs are 23rd in runs, but hey the Cubs are 1st in the NL in runs still so nothing to worry about because things in May were good. Or something.

 

Meanwhile, St. Louis is 1st in the majors in team OPS away from home, and Milwaukee is 5th.

[Mizzou]

I'm sure he was just frustrated like we all were, but it's a weird time to make comments like that. The Cubs had so many hard hit balls that could've been hits. It was just a terribly unlucky game last night.

[soapy]

I'm sure he was just frustrated like we all were, but it's a weird time to make comments like that. The Cubs had so many hard hit balls that could've been hits. It was just a terribly unlucky game last night.

 

agreed. last night was frustrating more because balls that were hit hard (many) were right at defenders.

[fromthestretch]

I think that this points to a larger problem. Ramirez and Lee are way too streaky. Add Soriano to the mix and you have three of your your top four guys who flip the switch from week to week especially when facing good pitching. This is why we did bad in the playoffs last year. These guys couldnt turn it on when neccessary. I dont know how you fix the problem. But I can tell you from watching everygame that when lee does gets his hits they are more than often with out base runners in scoring position. Despite his seemingly good numbers his lack of timely hitting makes me dread his presence in the three hole. I dont know what if anything can be done about this through.

 

Your eyes have deceived you.

 

Lee's average is higher this season with runners in scoring position than it is with the bases empty. He hasn't hit for much power with RISP, but to say he doesn't get hits in that situation is false.

[hawkeyecub]

What's there to do?

 

There were balls flying (hard) all over off the Cubs bats today, they just landed in gloves.

 

This "eruption" for the media means nothing.

 

you're right no way any of this gets back to the players

 

he's sending a message to the players to pick it up and refocus on hitting

 

Yes, lack of focus is what kept those balls from landing on the ground instead of in gloves.

 

That's the ticket!

 

You're making this all about one game. The issue isn't about bad luck last night. It's that this offense hasn't been great for the last 1.5 months and hasn't been anything special on the road all year long. We've seen weak pitching the first four games after the break and the results have been terrible. It's reasonable to be frustrated and vent in this situation.

[soapy]

I think that this points to a larger problem. Ramirez and Lee are way too streaky. Add Soriano to the mix and you have three of your your top four guys who flip the switch from week to week especially when facing good pitching. This is why we did bad in the playoffs last year. These guys couldnt turn it on when neccessary. I dont know how you fix the problem. But I can tell you from watching everygame that when lee does gets his hits they are more than often with out base runners in scoring position. Despite his seemingly good numbers his lack of timely hitting makes me dread his presence in the three hole. I dont know what if anything can be done about this through.

 

Your eyes have deceived you.

 

Lee's average is higher this season with runners in scoring position than it is with the bases empty. He hasn't hit for much power with RISP, but to say he doesn't get hits in that situation is false.

 

But have the numbers watched every game?

 

I also don't understand what "seemingly good numbers" are.