similarities between the cubs this yr and the brewers in 08

[loukycub]

both seriously challenge/d for the division

both had larger than life pitchers (z vs. cc)

both have aces with injury issues (sheets vs. harden)

both call miller park home

 

both have serious bullpen issues that will be a hinderance all year long. it may be early, but that is the serious glaring weakness that i don't think is going to get addressed very easily aside from marmol. i know its early but i have absolutely no confidence in anyone in the bullpen other than marmol and we can't use him in the remaining 153. everyone should know by now what their roles are by now and none of them are executing. i think the difference will be that this team can win games 8-6 or 7-5. our offense is diverse enough to not completely rely on long bombing teams like the brewers did. it also appears that no one else in the division has gotten that much demonstratively better. however i have deep concerns that our bullpen is going to start affecting our hitters at the plate or our starters negatively in a very short time.

 

/rant

/dons flame retardant suit for the comments to follow

[UMFan83]

Last year's Brewers didn't even have a Marmol. At least we have that.

[SouthSideRyan]

And our offense is better and we don't ever have to send Jeff Suppan to mound.

[imb]

similarities between this year's cubs and the vietnam war

[rocket]

IT'S THE 10TH GAME

[Sammy Sofa]

OH LAWDY WE IN FOR IT NOW.

[manbearcub]

similarities between the cubs and the michigan state spartans

[NCCubFan]

similarities between the cubs and the michigan state spartans

They both play in a state that borders on Lake Michigan.

[Cynosure]

both seriously challenge/d for the division

both had larger than life pitchers (z vs. cc)

both have aces with injury issues (sheets vs. harden)

both call miller park home

 

both have serious bullpen issues that will be a hinderance all year long. it may be early, but that is the serious glaring weakness that i don't think is going to get addressed very easily aside from marmol. i know its early but i have absolutely no confidence in anyone in the bullpen other than marmol and we can't use him in the remaining 153. everyone should know by now what their roles are by now and none of them are executing. i think the difference will be that this team can win games 8-6 or 7-5. our offense is diverse enough to not completely rely on long bombing teams like the brewers did. it also appears that no one else in the division has gotten that much demonstratively better. however i have deep concerns that our bullpen is going to start affecting our hitters at the plate or our starters negatively in a very short time.

 

/rant

/dons flame retardant suit for the comments to follow

 

1/4

[Little Slide Rooter]

both play baseball

both wear uniforms

both have 25 players

both play in the midwest

both have a guy named Ryan on the team

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Hooray! We're winning a playoff game this year!

[weis21]

Hooray! We're winning a playoff game this year!

\:D/

[weis21]

IT'S THE 10TH GAME

Seriously! On Baseball Tonight (I know, consider the source...) they were talking up all the "division leaders" and whether teams like the Cubs should be worried. Nevermind the fact that they actually still have a winning record. It's ridiculous. It's like trying to predict how worried an NFL team should be after week one.

[javy knows my name]

IT'S THE 10TH GAME

Seriously! On Baseball Tonight (I know, consider the source...) they were talking up all the "division leaders" and whether teams like the Cubs should be worried. Nevermind the fact that they actually still have a winning record. It's ridiculous. It's like trying to predict how worried an NFL team should be after week one.

Not sure what's up with your sig, but I'm pretty sure it offends me.

[weis21]

IT'S THE 10TH GAME

Seriously! On Baseball Tonight (I know, consider the source...) they were talking up all the "division leaders" and whether teams like the Cubs should be worried. Nevermind the fact that they actually still have a winning record. It's ridiculous. It's like trying to predict how worried an NFL team should be after week one.

Not sure what's up with your sig, but I'm pretty sure it offends me.

http://deadspin.com/5213674/someone-thinks-that-east-carolina-should-update-its-logo

 

C'mon, I thought it was funny.

 

If it's really offensive, sorry I'll remove it.

[Warren Brusstar]

I know there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the bullpen, but let's not jump off a bridge.

 

FWIW,

 

the 2008 bullpen had a composite ERA of 4.16

the 2009 bullpen currently has an ERA of 3.77

[soapy]

I know there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the bullpen, but let's not jump off a bridge.

 

FWIW,

 

the 2008 bullpen had a composite ERA of 4.16

the 2009 bullpen currently has an ERA of 3.77

 

but it doesn't feel like 3.77, whatever that's supposed to mean.

[TruffleShuffle]

I know there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the bullpen, but let's not jump off a bridge.

 

FWIW,

 

the 2008 bullpen had a composite ERA of 4.16

the 2009 bullpen currently has an ERA of 3.77

 

bullpen ERA is a pretty bad stat.

[CubbieGager]

I know it's a very small sample size, but could someone give us the BB/9IP by the bullpen last year, compared to the first part of this year?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I know it's a very small sample size, but could someone give us the BB/9IP by the bullpen last year, compared to the first part of this year?

 

Last year it was 3.37, this year so far it's 5.80.

[Smack]

IT'S THE 10TH GAME

Seriously! On Baseball Tonight (I know, consider the source...) they were talking up all the "division leaders" and whether teams like the Cubs should be worried. Nevermind the fact that they actually still have a winning record. It's ridiculous. It's like trying to predict how worried an NFL team should be after week one.

Not sure what's up with your sig, but I'm pretty sure it offends me.

http://deadspin.com/5213674/someone-thinks-that-east-carolina-should-update-its-logo

 

C'mon, I thought it was funny.

 

If it's really offensive, sorry I'll remove it.

 

I forwarded it to my boss, he's an ECU grad and loved it.

[SweetZombieJesus]

hey someone had to do it.

[UMFan83]

I know there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the bullpen, but let's not jump off a bridge.

 

FWIW,

 

the 2008 bullpen had a composite ERA of 4.16

the 2009 bullpen currently has an ERA of 3.77

 

but it doesn't feel like 3.77, whatever that's supposed to mean.

 

Probably because we aren't scoring as many runs as last year. I have no way to prove this, but I would bet that a lot of that 4.16 was given up in mop up work with leads over 3 runs. How many leads over 3 runs have we had this year...2?

[weis21]

IT'S THE 10TH GAME

Seriously! On Baseball Tonight (I know, consider the source...) they were talking up all the "division leaders" and whether teams like the Cubs should be worried. Nevermind the fact that they actually still have a winning record. It's ridiculous. It's like trying to predict how worried an NFL team should be after week one.

Not sure what's up with your sig, but I'm pretty sure it offends me.

http://deadspin.com/5213674/someone-thinks-that-east-carolina-should-update-its-logo

 

C'mon, I thought it was funny.

 

If it's really offensive, sorry I'll remove it.

 

I forwarded it to my boss, he's an ECU grad and loved it.

haha, awesome. No other complaints thus far, guess it stays.

[Northsider]

both seriously challenge/d for the division

both had larger than life pitchers (z vs. cc)

both have aces with injury issues (sheets vs. harden)

both call miller park home

 

both have serious bullpen issues that will be a hinderance all year long. it may be early, but that is the serious glaring weakness that i don't think is going to get addressed very easily aside from marmol. i know its early but i have absolutely no confidence in anyone in the bullpen other than marmol and we can't use him in the remaining 153. everyone should know by now what their roles are by now and none of them are executing. i think the difference will be that this team can win games 8-6 or 7-5. our offense is diverse enough to not completely rely on long bombing teams like the brewers did. it also appears that no one else in the division has gotten that much demonstratively better. however i have deep concerns that our bullpen is going to start affecting our hitters at the plate or our starters negatively in a very short time.

 

/rant

/dons flame retardant suit for the comments to follow

 

You took off the suit?

 

And agreed that the bullpen is scary right now, but I think it's got enough talent (Heilman, Guzman, Patton) that Rothschild will have it in much better shape control-wise by the end of the year, which should solve the problem.