7/21 Cubs (Harden) @ Phillies (Blanton) 6:05 CDT, WGN TV

[pitchcs]

I was on schedule to take over after the next loss and that was last night. Add photos if desired, I don't have time.

 

Harden (6-6, 5.06)

 

vs.

 

Blanton (6-4, 4.44)

 

Hopefully Fox will be behind the dish tonight and hopefully I can leave the stadium without hiding my face.

Go Cubs!

[Prizefight]

Feel free to call me out on this one later...

 

 

Cubs win by 4 tonight.

[jersey cubs fan]

Harden on 4 days rest against this lineup in Philly. Color me scared.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I trust road-evening Harden, and surely we can touch up the master of mediocrity Joe Blanton.

[Roast]

Why are there two start times?

[Prizefight]

Why are there two start times?

 

Central and Eastern Start Times.

[Roast]

Why are there two start times?

 

Central and Eastern Start Times.

Ahhh, gotcha. To avoid confusion we generally would just put "6:05CDT" or something.

 

Thanks for clarification.

[jyoung55]

Why are there two start times?

 

Central and Eastern Start Times.

 

How about we stick to one time and label it which time zone that one time reflects?

 

I thought it was going to start at 6:05 unless that interferred with Soriano's WWE event and then it would start at 705.

[dew1679666265]

This could be good news.

 

Fukudome's Japanese hitting coach, Kyosuke Sasaki, is expected to join the Cubs Monday in Philadelphia, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. ''We're going to put him in uniform and let him observe, and if need be, he can work with Fukudome all he wants,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ''He's got our blessing.''

Spin: Sasaki, who has a longtime relationship with Fukudome, worked with him in the offseason and visited Chicago in May for some more work. Fukudome credited Sasaki for helping him get off to a strong start this season.

 

per Rotoworld

[CliftonHanger]

Raul Ibanez 2008 numbers: .293/ .358 OBP/ .837 OPS/ 23 HR/ 110 RBI

Milton Bradley 2008: .327 /.446 OBP/ .999 OPS /22 HR/ 77 RBI

 

They both sign 3 yr. deals. Bradley's worth 30mil, Ibanez's worth 31.5 mil.

 

RI 2009: .315/ .374/ 1.048 / 25/ 68

MB 2009: .239/ .372/ .741 / 6/ 21

 

 

 

Who's the better deal?

[Prizefight]

Raul Ibanez 2008 numbers: .293/ .358 OBP/ .837 OPS/ 23 HR/ 110 RBI

Milton Bradley 2008: .327 /.446 OBP/ .999 OPS /22 HR/ 77 RBI

 

They both sign 3 yr. deals. Bradley's worth 30mil, Ibanez's worth 31.5 mil.

 

RI 2009: .315/ .374/ 1.048 / 25/ 68

MB 2009: .239/ .372/ .741 / 6/ 21

 

 

 

Who's the better deal?

 

Great post. However, I don't think the stats though were even the big concern with Milton. It was the injury bug and crazy pills that he takes that were most fans concerns.

 

If you are just looking at stats, you can certainly say Jim got a good deal. One of the biggest problems is that we signed Milton and cast him to be something he's not. He was/is a high OBP/OPS guy who can't hit from left side. While we brought him in to 'get more left handed and drive in runs' If we advertised him as a table setter type for DLee, Ramy, SotoI really think the perception would be fairly different.

[Sammy Sofa]

Raul Ibanez 2008 numbers: .293/ .358 OBP/ .837 OPS/ 23 HR/ 110 RBI

Milton Bradley 2008: .327 /.446 OBP/ .999 OPS /22 HR/ 77 RBI

 

They both sign 3 yr. deals. Bradley's worth 30mil, Ibanez's worth 31.5 mil.

 

RI 2009: .315/ .374/ 1.048 / 25/ 68

MB 2009: .239/ .372/ .741 / 6/ 21

 

 

 

Who's the better deal?

 

They're both pretty iffy deals. Obviously, the Phillies are loving theirs right now a LOT more, but it's a long shot that Ibanez keeps playing at or near this level for the duration of his contract.

 

I think the correct answer over both is "Adam Dunn."

[dew1679666265]

Raul Ibanez 2008 numbers: .293/ .358 OBP/ .837 OPS/ 23 HR/ 110 RBI

Milton Bradley 2008: .327 /.446 OBP/ .999 OPS /22 HR/ 77 RBI

 

They both sign 3 yr. deals. Bradley's worth 30mil, Ibanez's worth 31.5 mil.

 

RI 2009: .315/ .374/ 1.048 / 25/ 68

MB 2009: .239/ .372/ .741 / 6/ 21

 

 

 

Who's the better deal?

 

They're both pretty iffy deals. Obviously, the Phillies are loving theirs right now a LOT more, but it's a long shot that Ibanez keeps playing at or near this level for the duration of his contract.

 

I think the correct answer over both is "Adam Dunn."

 

Yeah, I would have been more in favor of Ibanez in the offseason, but he'll be 40 by the time his contract ends. He could continue to produce at a high level throughout it, but it's certainly no sure thing.

[bcl412]

Raul Ibanez 2008 numbers: .293/ .358 OBP/ .837 OPS/ 23 HR/ 110 RBI

Milton Bradley 2008: .327 /.446 OBP/ .999 OPS /22 HR/ 77 RBI

 

They both sign 3 yr. deals. Bradley's worth 30mil, Ibanez's worth 31.5 mil.

 

RI 2009: .315/ .374/ 1.048 / 25/ 68

MB 2009: .239/ .372/ .741 / 6/ 21

 

 

 

Who's the better deal?

 

They're both pretty iffy deals. Obviously, the Phillies are loving theirs right now a LOT more, but it's a long shot that Ibanez keeps playing at or near this level for the duration of his contract.

 

I think the correct answer over both is "Adam Dunn."

 

If we had Dunn instead we probably would lead the division by 3 or 4 games at least.

[coldsteel]

I wonder how Lou's hitting tutorial with Milton is going? I hope they are enjoying the experience and getting a lot done.

[RedFlash]

If we had Dunn instead we probably would lead the division by 3 or 4 games at least.

 

And if Bradley wasn't in a season long slump, the Cubs would be in 1st by the same amount of games if not more. This "if" game brings on more frustration then anything. Bradley is a good hitter, so I don't know what it is, but my guess is Bradley wanted to impress Cubs fans from the start (trying to justified the contract) and did things he wasn't capable of doing, and it snowball from there.

[SouthSideRyan]

I like Adam Dunn like most red-blooded Americans, but Bradley's defensive/baserunning advantage over him is rather large. I'm not going to tell you Bradley's been better than Dunn this year, but assuming 120 healthy games from Bradley at a reasonable regression, I think I'd take Bradley.

 

ETA: Talking about the '08-'09 offseason

Edited July 21, 2009 by SouthSideRyan

[CliftonHanger]

Raul Ibanez 2008 numbers: .293/ .358 OBP/ .837 OPS/ 23 HR/ 110 RBI

Milton Bradley 2008: .327 /.446 OBP/ .999 OPS /22 HR/ 77 RBI

 

They both sign 3 yr. deals. Bradley's worth 30mil, Ibanez's worth 31.5 mil.

 

RI 2009: .315/ .374/ 1.048 / 25/ 68

MB 2009: .239/ .372/ .741 / 6/ 21

 

 

 

Who's the better deal?

 

Great post. However, I don't think the stats though were even the big concern with Milton. It was the injury bug and crazy pills that he takes that were most fans concerns.

 

If you are just looking at stats, you can certainly say Jim got a good deal. One of the biggest problems is that we signed Milton and cast him to be something he's not. He was/is a high OBP/OPS guy who can't hit from left side. While we brought him in to 'get more left handed and drive in runs' If we advertised him as a table setter type for DLee, Ramy, SotoI really think the perception would be fairly different.

 

 

Then why don't we forget about the whole "we need to be more balanced" (which is horse poop anyway) and have Milton just shed the whole switch hitter thing. We can platoon him with Hoff/ Fox when we face a lefty and let Bradley hit the righty's. He's batting .333 from the right side with a modest OBP of .400. WHy cant we just slide him in the 2 hole and make him into an "on-base guy" instead of an RBI guy, (which he never was in the first place.)

[Prizefight]

Raul Ibanez 2008 numbers: .293/ .358 OBP/ .837 OPS/ 23 HR/ 110 RBI

Milton Bradley 2008: .327 /.446 OBP/ .999 OPS /22 HR/ 77 RBI

 

They both sign 3 yr. deals. Bradley's worth 30mil, Ibanez's worth 31.5 mil.

 

RI 2009: .315/ .374/ 1.048 / 25/ 68

MB 2009: .239/ .372/ .741 / 6/ 21

 

 

 

Who's the better deal?

 

Great post. However, I don't think the stats though were even the big concern with Milton. It was the injury bug and crazy pills that he takes that were most fans concerns.

 

If you are just looking at stats, you can certainly say Jim got a good deal. One of the biggest problems is that we signed Milton and cast him to be something he's not. He was/is a high OBP/OPS guy who can't hit from left side. While we brought him in to 'get more left handed and drive in runs' If we advertised him as a table setter type for DLee, Ramy, SotoI really think the perception would be fairly different.

 

 

Then why don't we forget about the whole "we need to be more balanced" (which is horse poop anyway) and have Milton just shed the whole switch hitter thing. We can platoon him with Hoff/ Fox when we face a lefty and let Bradley hit the righty's. He's batting .333 from the right side with a modest OBP of .400. WHy cant we just slide him in the 2 hole and make him into an "on-base guy" instead of an RBI guy, (which he never was in the first place.)

 

I really doubt Jim/Lou are going to platoon a guy who the team spent 30 million on. More likely they'll tell him to just hit righty(his natural side) before they platoon based on the starting pitcher.

 

I actually subscribe to Dan Bernstein's belief about regression/progression to statistical means in situations like that. You have to keep throwing Bradley out there and let him figure it out. He has enough of a career sample to know last year wasn't a fluke ( cough mike fontenot cough).

[hossdriver]

What, nobody wanted Abreu?

 

I think picking up Ibanez was going to cost the Cubs a draft pick? He was 37 years old and showed nowhere near the potential that his reality has brought to the table...

 

That being said, Milton led the WORLD in OPS in 2008...

 

Adam Dunn, while a beast in power and OBP (especially at Wrigley Field), carries a career ~.245 batting average and closet full of buffoonery in the OF.

 

Abreu was the SMART choice, playing 150+ games a year since (I think 1997), with good power, speed, average, and defensive ability. His asking price (at the time of the Bradley signing) was about $5-6M more per year... The Angels 'Madoff' like Bernie...

[laurens]

Adam Dunn, while a beast in power and OBP (especially at Wrigley Field), carries a career ~.245 batting average and closet full of buffoonery in the OF.

 

I"m sorry, I stopped reading after that.

[TruffleShuffle]

Abreu was the SMART choice, playing 150+ games a year since (I think 1997), with good power, speed, average, and defensive ability.

 

abreu sucks defensively.

[jersey cubs fan]

Abreu was the SMART choice, playing 150+ games a year since (I think 1997), with good power, speed, average, and defensive ability.

 

abreu sucks defensively.

 

And Bradley is a DH.

[jb10194]

LINEUP

Johnson

Theriot

Lee

Ramirez

Fukudome (RF)

Soriano

Fontenot

Hill

Harden

[CubColtPacer]

I had a feeling Lou might go for the combination of defense from Johnson and gamble on the fact that Johnson has absolutely destroyed Blanton in a tiny sample of at-bats:

 

5 for 10, 2 2B's, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 K, .500/.545/1.000