4-12-10 postgame thread: Chicks dig the longball!

[erik316wttn]

Pretty good outing today. Hoping Lee isn't out more than a game or two, if at all.

[Keener98]

Good win, nice to see the teams power surge continue. Hopefully Lee is ok, but I feel pretty confident with Nady at 1st for a few games if needed.

[Mark Priors Calves]

I like winning!

[Old Style]

I like winning!

:good:

[TruffleShuffle]

i feel sorry for you people who get wgn if the cubs keep playing that God-awful song all year.

[dew1679666265]

Positive news.

 

X-rays on the thumb proved negative, meaning there was no fracture. Lee should be back in the lineup on Wednesday or Thursday.

[Soul]

Now I'm going to have to listen to this horrible song everyone's talking about.

[GvilleCub]

I like winning!

 

I like winning. I hate Dempster. I hate the contract he signed after 08. He’s really nothing more than a slightly above average pitcher whose career year in 08 outwitted Lou the Great (not a hard thing to do) into not using his best pitcher over the course of September AT ALL during the playoffs.

 

To a left-handed batter, Dempster is nothing but a drum. His five year numbers going from 09 back thru 05:

BAA- .281/.243/.259/.310/.278

WHIP – 1.55/1.29/1.53/1.97/1.97

 

For his career (over 1600 IP, not a small sample size) his BAA/WHIP against lefties is .281/1.73.

 

I’m sure Dempster apologists will say he was just coming back from the injury in 05 and 06, but he’s not nor ever will be an elite pitcher. When he struggles with his command against lefties, he’s no more than mediocre. Given his track record, his career year in 08 is understandable since it’s about the only time he’s ever been half competent against them.

 

Props to Byrd for having a nice day in front of the home fans on his first try. If your $10 mil pitcher can't hold a 4 run lead for 2 innings, why is he on the team as a reliever?

[Guest]

I like winning!

 

I like winning. I hate Dempster. I hate the contract he signed after 08. He’s really nothing more than a slightly above average pitcher whose career year in 08 outwitted Lou the Great (not a hard thing to do) into not using his best pitcher over the course of September AT ALL during the playoffs.

 

To a left-handed batter, Dempster is nothing but a drum. His five year numbers going from 09 back thru 05:

BAA- .281/.243/.259/.310/.278

WHIP – 1.55/1.29/1.53/1.97/1.97

 

For his career (over 1600 IP, not a small sample size) his BAA/WHIP against lefties is .281/1.73.

 

I’m sure Dempster apologists will say he was just coming back from the injury in 05 and 06, but he’s not nor ever will be an elite pitcher. When he struggles with his command against lefties, he’s no more than mediocre. Given his track record, his career year in 08 is understandable since it’s about the only time he’s ever been half competent against them.

 

Props to Byrd for having a nice day in front of the home fans on his first try. If your $10 mil pitcher can't hold a 4 run lead for 2 innings, why is he on the team as a reliever?

 

 

Dempster has been very good for two years now and has been well worth the money paid to him. He's off to a strong start at doing the same in 2010.

 

 

I had forgotten how much I liked our lineup against LHP this year. They just going to torment LH starters.

[imb]

what a bizarre attack on dempster. he's been very good for us.

[Little Slide Rooter]

what a bizarre attack on dempster. he's been very good for us.

 

What kind of worthless pitcher gives up a home run to a bum like Ryan Braun? Release him at once.

[RynoRules]

No kidding. Dempster has actually earned his money. If you want to attack bloated contracts you have several other targets that make a lot more sense.

[Guest]

what a bizarre attack on dempster. he's been very good for us.

 

I can't wait for rants on how DLee and ARam have been complete wastes of money also.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Dempster has been very good for two years now and has been well worth the money paid to him. He's off to a strong start at doing the same in 2010.

 

 

I had forgotten how much I liked our lineup against LHP this year. They just going to torment LH starters.

 

I was thinking the same, the cubs will be fun to watch vs. LHP. I think once they get going this offense will be fun to watch as a whole. The bullpen is really the only thing in question...

 

Anyone else think Tracy looks lost at the plate?

[gflore34]

Thought Len was a little over the top with his Cardinals are stacked rhetoric, has he taken a close look at their pitching staff? It's pretty damn far from stacked.

[TruffleShuffle]

Thought Len was a little over the top with his Cardinals are stacked rhetoric, has he taken a close look at their pitching staff? It's pretty damn far from stacked.

 

like it matters. they have dave duncan so i'm sure there will be another joel pineiro who puts together a big year (and then gets paid to stink next year by someone else).

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Thought Len was a little over the top with his Cardinals are stacked rhetoric, has he taken a close look at their pitching staff? It's pretty damn far from stacked.

 

Just wait until the schedule shifts and the back 3 in their rotation catch a good team. The Cardinals right now are the best team in the central but they are far from a lock. If either Gorz or Silva continues to pitch well the Cubs rotation will be deeper than anyone in the central.

[Butterscup1679666578]

i feel sorry for you people who get wgn if the cubs keep playing that God-awful song all year.

 

What song is this? I watched the game on mute today at work.

[J.R.]

If either Gorz or Silva continues to pitch well the Cubs rotation will be deeper than anyone in the central.

 

http://www.altergroup.com/alter-care-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/071011_nobel_roosevelt_vmed12p_widec.jpg

 

Don't forget.

Edited April 13, 2010 by J.R.

[TruffleShuffle]

what a bizarre attack on dempster. he's been very good for us.

 

yeah. obviously it would be nice if dempster were better against lhp and he does lose control of his fastball sometimes, but he's pitched like a good #2 starter, which is basically what he's being paid. he's not making sabathia money ($23m), santana money ($22.9m) or halladay money ($20m) because he's not as good as them, but he's in the next tier. if you're going to get mad at someone, get mad at zambrano. he's the one who's paid like an ace and hasn't pitched that way.

[TruffleShuffle]

i feel sorry for you people who get wgn if the cubs keep playing that God-awful song all year.

 

What song is this? I watched the game on mute today at work.

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/len-and-bob/2010/04/cubs-2010---the-baseball-project.html

 

complete ear rape

[Cubs Fan Dan]

That song is crap

 

 

Much better song, but a couple of years old.

[TruffleShuffle]

side note on dempster, before you talk about 2008 being some remarkable performance that was completely out of line with anything he's ever done, please note that his 2009 was basically the same year but with less luck. his babip was unusually low in 2008, his HR/FB rate lower than normal, his LOB% was pretty high. in 2009 he had a lower BABIP against by .020 even though his LD% was lower and he induced more pop-ups. maybe it's a factor of worse defense last year or maybe it's just bad luck, but neutralize things and he was pretty much the same pitcher each year.

[Peoriaman]

Yeah, there are lots of guys to go off on before Dempster. That was a weird one.

[GvilleCub]

what a bizarre attack on dempster. he's been very good for us.

 

yeah. obviously it would be nice if dempster were better against lhp and he does lose control of his fastball sometimes, but he's pitched like a good #2 starter, which is basically what he's being paid. he's not making sabathia money ($23m), santana money ($22.9m) or halladay money ($20m) because he's not as good as them, but he's in the next tier. if you're going to get mad at someone, get mad at zambrano. he's the one who's paid like an ace and hasn't pitched that way.

 

I'd quibble with you and say that Dempster is a high #3 starter in the best of circumstances, as opposed to a number 2, but you're right, Zambrano is the one pitcher on the staff who really is not earning his salary. Still, if Dempster is a number 2 or 3, he has to go out and dominate weak offenses consistently (and that Milwaukee team is a mess even with Casey '"ex-Cub" McGehee starting out strong). Let's see what he does with another weak offense in Houston this weekend.