4.14 postgame - Kosuke comes through

[MWV]

Lou said after the game when asked about an 8th inning reliever he had a good idea but cannot share it til later.

 

Im thinking Silva may slide into that role. Not sure if it is a good idea though.

A trade? Frasor did blow another save a few nights back vs. the Sox. If Cito Gaston is anything like Lou, Frasor's days as a Jay are numbered...

[Sammy Sofa]

I really wish we had another reliable pen arm. I like our starters and our offense should be good enough. But it's tough to win when there just aren't any reliable bridge guys.

 

There are. Lou doesn't know how to use them.

 

Caridad, for example, would be very useful when our starter has just given up a slam and we're now down by 10.

 

I sincerely hope they're not that short sighted regarding him. Giving up on young pitchers because they initially struggle in the bullpen isn't going to help the team.

[Andy]

I really wish we had another reliable pen arm. I like our starters and our offense should be good enough. But it's tough to win when there just aren't any reliable bridge guys.

 

There are. Lou doesn't know how to use them.

 

Caridad, for example, would be very useful when our starter has just given up a slam and we're now down by 10.

 

I sincerely hope they're not that short sighted regarding him. Giving up on young pitchers because they initially struggle in the bullpen isn't going to help the team.

No matter where they struggle it's not healthy to give up on them - look at Marmol. He sucked as a starter in 2006, and the last four years he's been the most unhittable pitcher in baseball.

[Sammy Sofa]

No matter where they struggle it's not healthy to give up on them - look at Marmol. He sucked as a starter in 2006, and the last four years he's been the most unhittable pitcher in baseball.

 

Right. Caridad has a decent chance of being useful out of the pen. They just need to work through these growing pains.

[CubmanPi]

I saw a little blurb in a recap about Soriano being lifted after a couple of defensive miscues. What happened?

[XZero771679666304]

I saw a little blurb in a recap about Soriano being lifted after a couple of defensive miscues. What happened?

 

He couldn't pick up the ball after a double by Weeks which allowed a run to score, and he misplayed a ball off the wall badly, allowing extra bases to be taken.

[Sammy Sofa]

I saw a little blurb in a recap about Soriano being lifted after a couple of defensive miscues. What happened?

 

He couldn't pick up the ball after a double by Weeks which allowed a run to score, and he misplayed a ball off the wall badly, allowing extra bases to be taken.

 

Wait, wait, wait, wait...he didn't allow a run to score off the Weeks hit. Yes, it allowed Weeks to turn his easy double into a triple, but the two guys already on base were scoring based on where the ball was hit regardless of whether he picked it up right away or not.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Sammy Sofa

[Irrelevant Dude]

I saw a little blurb in a recap about Soriano being lifted after a couple of defensive miscues. What happened?

 

He couldn't pick up the ball after a double by Weeks which allowed a run to score, and he misplayed a ball off the wall badly, allowing extra bases to be taken.

I am typically quick to criticize Soriano, but I didn't think today was a terrible defensive day by his standards. Sure he misplayed the ball off the wall, but that is a mistake that outfielders do make occasionally and it isn't on the same level as dropping routine fly balls. His being removed from the game wasn't a direct result of any defensive misplays. He would have been removed in the double switch whether he had made an error or not.

[XZero771679666304]

I saw a little blurb in a recap about Soriano being lifted after a couple of defensive miscues. What happened?

 

He couldn't pick up the ball after a double by Weeks which allowed a run to score, and he misplayed a ball off the wall badly, allowing extra bases to be taken.

 

Wait, wait, wait, wait...he didn't allow a run to score off the Weeks hit. Yes, it allowed Weeks to turn his easy double into a triple, but the two guys already on base were scoring based on where the ball was hit regardless of whether he picked it up right away.

 

 

Yeah, I'm not so sure about that. Between how long he took to get to the ball and then dropping it once he did, I think he gave Bush a much, much better chance to score at the very least. IMO, if Sori gets to that ball quickly and gets it to the IF, the runner doesn't score from first.

 

I'm not a Sori hater, but it was a bad play for multiple reasons.

[XZero771679666304]

I saw a little blurb in a recap about Soriano being lifted after a couple of defensive miscues. What happened?

 

He couldn't pick up the ball after a double by Weeks which allowed a run to score, and he misplayed a ball off the wall badly, allowing extra bases to be taken.

I am typically quick to criticize Soriano, but I didn't think today was a terrible defensive day by his standards. Sure he misplayed the ball off the wall, but that is a mistake that outfielders do make occasionally and it isn't on the same level as dropping routine fly balls. His being removed from the game wasn't a direct result of any defensive misplays. He would have been removed in the double switch whether he had made an error or not.

 

Personally, the misplay off the wall didn't bother me too much, either. It was a bad play, but one you see fairly often. The ball can bounce in odd ways off the dead ivy.

[Sammy Sofa]

I saw a little blurb in a recap about Soriano being lifted after a couple of defensive miscues. What happened?

 

He couldn't pick up the ball after a double by Weeks which allowed a run to score, and he misplayed a ball off the wall badly, allowing extra bases to be taken.

 

Wait, wait, wait, wait...he didn't allow a run to score off the Weeks hit. Yes, it allowed Weeks to turn his easy double into a triple, but the two guys already on base were scoring based on where the ball was hit regardless of whether he picked it up right away.

 

 

Yeah, I'm not so sure about that. Between how long he took to get to the ball and then dropping it once he did, I think he gave Bush a much, much better chance to score at the very least. IMO, if Sori gets to that ball quickly and gets it to the IF, the runner doesn't score from first.

 

I'm not a Sori hater, but it was a bad play for multiple reasons.

 

I completely disagree. Nobody is getting that runner out or holding him to 3rd based on where that ball ended up unless the OFer is incredibly fast, agile (ie - an exceptional fielder) and has Soriano's cannon of an arm, and even then it would be iffy.

[bhogg]

how many 18 million dollar players get taken out on a double switch?

[bukie]

If anything, it was the bad bounce off the wall that allowed Bush to score. Soriano's slow reaction just made it so any play wouldn't have been close.

[Guest]

If anything, it was the bad bounce off the wall that allowed Bush to score. Soriano's slow reaction just made it so any play wouldn't have been close.

 

One of the hardest balls to field is the one that isn't moving. Soriano took his eye off the ball as it had basically came to a stop. Not sure if the runner scores if he fields it cleanly, probably not. He was up against the wall, and it would have been tough creating the leverage to make a strong throw to the relay man.

[Guest]

remember when latroy hawkins was actually pretty good for the cubs and most fans irrationally hated him?

 

it's not a coincidence that his worst "clutch" stats have come in seasons where he entered the game in higher-leverage situations. he's always been a good setup man and a poor closer. it's dusty's fault that he kept being used as a closer even though he had a track record of flopping in those situations. and it's the mediocre offense's fault that he kept facing one-run leads when he entered games. but as a fan, it's difficult to not get angry with a reliever who keeps blowing games.

 

Yeah. Most of the anger needed to be directed at Dusty for continually putting him in save situations when he clearly didn't like or excel at it. And instead of just letting him do what he came to Chicago to do in the first place (set up), when he failed time and again in the closer's role, they traded him to the first team that showed any interest. Stupid.

[Irrelevant Dude]

how many 18 million dollar players get taken out on a double switch?

It's called playing the percentages. It's what smart managers do to win ballgames.

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wr6RQ1OrNEQ/SoOnaFWucLI/AAAAAAAAA0g/6VHHTFVLe08/s400/Mr.Burns.baseball.jpg

 

But seriously, I give the Cubs credit that they are trying to do what is best for the team and not handling Soriano with kid gloves.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

So how did Randy Wells look?

http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/mlb/players/65/28943.jpg

[inari]

So how did Randy Wells look?

http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/mlb/players/65/28943.jpg

 

Finally someone knew what I meant.

[BCVM22]

http://home.comcast.net/~bcvm22/cubs/4142010.mp3

[cubsfan5150]

So does Kosuke's studly April spin him into a good season, or can we expect another steep decline throughout the season?

[SouthSideRyan]

Lou said after the game when asked about an 8th inning reliever he had a good idea but cannot share it til later.

 

Im thinking Silva may slide into that role. Not sure if it is a good idea though.

 

I'm certain that's a terrible idea.

[Sammy Sofa]

So does Kosuke's studly April spin him into a good season, or can we expect another steep decline throughout the season?

 

Kosuke last April:

 

.338 .461 .592 1.052

 

May:

 

.277 .415 .415 .830

 

July:

 

.307 .392 .534 .926

 

August:

 

.287 .398 .506 .904

 

He was pretty bad in June and September, but it's not like he fell off of a cliff after last April for the rest of the year

[Soul]

how many 18 million dollar players get taken out on a double switch?

It's called playing the percentages. It's what smart managers do to win ballgames.

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wr6RQ1OrNEQ/SoOnaFWucLI/AAAAAAAAA0g/6VHHTFVLe08/s400/Mr.Burns.baseball.jpg

 

But seriously, I give the Cubs credit that they are trying to do what is best for the team and not handling Soriano with kid gloves.

 

Of course, but that doesn't really answer his question.

 

Sure Lou should make the right call to win ballgames, but that doesn't mean it doesn't say anything about Soriano and his contract, which is the (ever continuing) point when it comes to Fonz.