April Impressions

[Mephistopheles]

~ Kevin Gregg sucks.

~ Our bullpen sucks head to toes.

~ Ryan Dempster isn't very good.

~ KF probably is.

~ Fonte seems to be a high 700s low 800s 2B legitimately, but no 3B.

~ Milton Bradley makes KW look like Cal Ripken, Jr.

~ Geovany Soto apparently forgot how to hit.

~ Derrek Lee apparently turned into Aaron Miles on May 1st, 2008.

~ We're not more than a 90 win team at best.

[Soul]

My main April impression so far:

 

 

It's a looooong way to go before the start of Bears training camp.

 

*sigh*

[Mephistopheles]

And your September impressions will be:

 

It's a looooong way to go before the start of Cubs spring training.

 

*sigh*

[Little Slide Rooter]

 

Id take a 90 game season at this point in a heartbeat and hope its good enough to backdoor into the playoffs.

[soapy]

hahaha...we're already praying for a backdoor into the playoffs?

 

10-10. Went .500 for a month last year (12-12 in September) and somehow still managed 97 wins. I'm not saying they're surely a 95+ win team, but they don't need divine intervention to win the division.

 

90 win team at best?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Its just frusteration here. We have a legitamately good team on our hands, and they just keep getting hurt, and half the guys that arent hurt arent producing for crap. Nobody in the division even comes close to our pitching staff. We just need some stability and we need it now. If Lee, Soto, and Fontenot can stabilize as .800 OPSers, Ill be satisified, as the rest of the bunch should be able to take it from there. The 2 crappy games and 1 offensive explosion each series just wont do.

[GhostRunner]

frusteration

No offense, but could you please stop doing this? Nearly every post you make has this word and you continue to misspell it, which is pegging my OCD meter.

 

It's frustrating, frustration, frustrated. And now, ironic.

[UMFan83]

I agree its right to discuss this at this time, but this discussion is going to look silly when we're 20 games over .500 in July

[Little Slide Rooter]

If thats what happens, Ill be more than happy to look silly.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I agree its right to discuss this at this time, but this discussion is going to look silly when we're 20 games over .500 in July

 

This discussion, including your post :), happens with every team with big expectations that starts slow.

 

Some of them don't turn out all right. There's no guarantees, even though I agree it's the most likely scenario.

[Mephistopheles]

hahaha...we're already praying for a backdoor into the playoffs?

 

10-10. Went .500 for a month last year (12-12 in September) and somehow still managed 97 wins. I'm not saying they're surely a 95+ win team, but they don't need divine intervention to win the division.

 

90 win team at best?

 

i had them as a 92 or 93 win team going into the year, lee's regression and dempsters regression takes five or so off. i had already incorporated a KF rebound.

[UMFan83]

hahaha...we're already praying for a backdoor into the playoffs?

 

10-10. Went .500 for a month last year (12-12 in September) and somehow still managed 97 wins. I'm not saying they're surely a 95+ win team, but they don't need divine intervention to win the division.

 

90 win team at best?

 

i had them as a 92 or 93 win team going into the year, lee's regression and dempsters regression takes five or so off. i had already incorporated a KF rebound.

 

You had a Fukudome rebound but you didn't account for a regression by Dempster?

[Mephistopheles]

a ~4.00 RA regression for Demp. I'm thinking that's a little optimistic now.

[Derwood]

The team simply isn't fun to watch

[JonnyRed]

Sure hope May is a lot better!

 

Go Cubs!

[Bull]

I think Dempster is good, but no where near as good as last year.

Soto will have a Sophomore slump all year, but not to this extent. I think he rebounds, but not nearly to the levels of expectation around here.

Gregg will improve.

Fukudome will continue to excel (though obviously not at this rate)

Lee will rebound eclipsing last years numbers.

Bradley will be just fine.

 

I believe in "protection" (I know, not a popular belief here) to the extent that having all the pieces in place benefits everyone. Most hitters will do better in a good line-up than in a poor one. There are obviously exceptions.

[Sammy Sofa]

Soto will have a Sophomore slump all year, but not to this extent. I think he rebounds, but not nearly to the levels of expectation around here.

 

What does this even mean?

 

The "expectations" for Soto right now are generaly somewhere around "please don't be awful."

[NotSoSober]

Soto will have a Sophomore slump all year, but not to this extent. I think he rebounds, but not nearly to the levels of expectation around here.

 

What does this even mean?

 

The "expectations" for Soto right now are generaly somewhere around "please don't be awful."

 

Pretty sure he's talking about the manlove for Soto from last year. Where people would quote Geo 10 times. Fickle fans, very fickle. I can't wait to see these guys after Kosuke goes in a slump. Read the game threads, KF is a monster, once he goes 2-20, he'lll be a bum, and Fox should play RF, with Bradley beeing sccotted over.

[Sammy Sofa]

Soto will have a Sophomore slump all year, but not to this extent. I think he rebounds, but not nearly to the levels of expectation around here.

 

What does this even mean?

 

The "expectations" for Soto right now are generaly somewhere around "please don't be awful."

 

Pretty sure he's talking about the manlove for Soto from last year. Where people would quote Geo 10 times. Fickle fans, very fickle. I can't wait to see these guys after Kosuke goes in a slump. Read the game threads, KF is a monster, once he goes 2-20, he'lll be a bum, and Fox should play RF, with Bradley beeing sccotted over.

 

And yet again, people have reason to be critical or wary of Soto so far this year. This about as slumpy as a slump can get, if it's even that. He's had the weight struggles, the issues with his hand when batting and now the shoulder troubles. Offensively he might as well not even be in the lineup and now also defensively he's playing below adequate levels.

 

Most here clearly did not expect Soto to repeat last year, but this is waaaaaaaay below expectations. It has little to do with being "fickle."

[Little Slide Rooter]

Soto will have a Sophomore slump all year, but not to this extent. I think he rebounds, but not nearly to the levels of expectation around here.

 

What does this even mean?

 

The "expectations" for Soto right now are generaly somewhere around "please don't be awful."

 

Pretty sure he's talking about the manlove for Soto from last year. Where people would quote Geo 10 times. Fickle fans, very fickle. I can't wait to see these guys after Kosuke goes in a slump. Read the game threads, KF is a monster, once he goes 2-20, he'lll be a bum, and Fox should play RF, with Bradley beeing sccotted over.

 

And yet again, people have reason to be critical or wary of Soto so far this year. This about as slumpy as a slump can get, if it's even that. He's had the weight struggles, the issues with his hand when batting and now the shoulder troubles. Offensively he might as well not even be in the lineup and now also defensively he's playing below adequate levels.

 

Most here clearly did not expect Soto to repeat last year, but this is waaaaaaaay below expectations. It has little to do with being "fickle."

 

Its not like hes knocking the ball into some hard outs. Its bad plate appearence after bad plate appearence. He just looks bad at the plate.

[Backtobanks]

Soto will have a Sophomore slump all year, but not to this extent. I think he rebounds, but not nearly to the levels of expectation around here.

 

What does this even mean?

 

The "expectations" for Soto right now are generaly somewhere around "please don't be awful."

 

Pretty sure he's talking about the manlove for Soto from last year. Where people would quote Geo 10 times. Fickle fans, very fickle. I can't wait to see these guys after Kosuke goes in a slump. Read the game threads, KF is a monster, once he goes 2-20, he'lll be a bum, and Fox should play RF, with Bradley beeing sccotted over.

 

And yet again, people have reason to be critical or wary of Soto so far this year. This about as slumpy as a slump can get, if it's even that. He's had the weight struggles, the issues with his hand when batting and now the shoulder troubles. Offensively he might as well not even be in the lineup and now also defensively he's playing below adequate levels.

 

Most here clearly did not expect Soto to repeat last year, but this is waaaaaaaay below expectations. It has little to do with being "fickle."

 

Its not like hes knocking the ball into some hard outs. Its bad plate appearence after bad plate appearence. He just looks bad at the plate.

 

Brenley has pointed out that Soto seems to be playing through some nagging injuries. His hand injury has eliminated all of his power and his shoulder injury has hurt his throws on stolen bases. I thought Lou was going to sit him for a few games, but he played yesterday.

[wvcbxl]

Brenley has pointed out that Soto seems to be playing through some nagging injuries. His hand injury has eliminated all of his power and his shoulder injury has hurt his throws on stolen bases. I thought Lou was going to sit him for a few games, but he played yesterday.

 

If that is the case, he should be DL'd untill healthy enough to produce, and one of the guys at Iowa called up - Chris Robinson seems to have had a good start the year there.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I believe it's Steve Stone who always says if you look at the career stats on the back of a veteran players baseball card, you can pretty much expect something similar for the current season. Thats all fine and dandy when it comes to Derrek Lee and Milton Bradley, who I think will be OK. Unfortunately, when it comes to guys like Soto and Fontenot, who dont have that kind of established track record, you really dont know what to expect from them. If May comes to a close, and these 2 are still struggling, it could be time to try and make a deal, preferably for a middle infielder with a solid bat.

[soapy]

Soto obviously made a pretty huge leap in 2007 (in both AAA and the majors), but I don't think you can call two full seasons of fantastic production a fluke. It may not be reasonable to expect Soto to do what he did the last two years, but I'm not worried he's going to OPS .417 all season either.

[SouthSideRyan]

I believe it's Steve Stone who always says if you look at the career stats on the back of a veteran players baseball card, you can pretty much expect something similar for the current season.

 

That's really stupid.