Re: 5/20 Idiots (Dempster) @ Phillies (Blanton) - 12:05 CST, WGN

[Prizefight]

You'd swear the Cubs just lost something like 38-2 to the Royals with some of the reactions to a game like this.

 

+1

 

Yea, it was a winnable game but we split with Philly. Showed some timely hitting and heart to come back and tie it up.Last week at this time everyone would have been elated with a split here.

 

4-1 in our last 5 games. :-))

[PrimeTime]

WOW. braves won it. Grand slam.

[Sammy Sofa]

Holy crap. Now THAT'S worth some wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[UMFan83]

I think the "what has he done for me this week" reactions that people have towards players who have carried teams for years and given their fans tons of happy memories is one of the biggest things I hate about sports.

 

I don't know if this happened a lot in the past, but it seems like it's happening with more frequency these days.

[UMFan83]

Best team in the NL

[jersey cubs fan]

I think the "what has he done for me this week" reactions that people have towards players who have carried teams for years and given their fans tons of happy memories is one of the biggest things I hate about sports.

 

I don't know if this happened a lot in the past, but it seems like it's happening with more frequency these days.

 

As far as Ramirez is concerned, there's a certain segment of the population that never got any enjoyment out of his time here, they hated him when he was good. So it's not like they turned on him, they just finally found justification for their hate.

[lumafia]

I think the "what has he done for me this week" reactions that people have towards players who have carried teams for years and given their fans tons of happy memories is one of the biggest things I hate about sports.

 

I don't know if this happened a lot in the past, but it seems like it's happening with more frequency these days.

 

That is a normal human reaction that takes place in many more places than just sports. Work, marriage and friendships have an element of that as well. The difference is that it is frustrating in sports when a guy is making a gazillion dollars to do it, and he sucks.

 

That being said, I like Aram and I hope he turns it around. I still believe he came into the season unprepared because of some unkown personal reason. I could be wrong, but nothing other than an injury could really explain it.

[Z38Cubs]

So for the 2nd day in a row, Lou uses Grabow to pitch to the Phillies lefties instead of Marshall? WHAT THE [expletive] IS WRONG WITH HIM??!!

[Little Slide Rooter]

Even after out modest 3 game win streak vs. the Pirates and Rockies, there was no part of me that expected to go into Philly and pull of a 2 game sweep vs. the best team in the NL. Still when you lose a game as frusteratingly as this one, its hard to swallow. First off, Lou has to realize that Grabow belongs in no high leverage situations. If Lou is a lab rat, then Grabow is an electrically charged hunk of cheese. Hes going to get shocked every time, and if hes smart, he'll stop going after it. If hes not smart, he'll keep getting shocked. Secondly, the fake rally was awful. great ABs from Soriano and Fontenot, follwed 3 of the worst ABs by Castro, Ramirez, and Soto. OK, the Ramirez AB was pretty good until he swung at a pitch that was 7 feet outside. This team is definitely looking better this past week, even this game was good until the end, but still you cant lose these types of games.

 

And is there anyone left who wants to argue that Aaron Miles was a worse signing than Grabow? Miles may have been comically inept, but as a utility infielder, theres only so much damage he can do. Grabow, on the other hand can single handedly lose games, and hes damn good at it, something very difficult for even the most inept utility infielder to do.

[Sammy Sofa]

And is there anyone left who wants to argue that Aaron Miles was a worse signing than Grabow?

 

Who gives a [expletive]?

[cheapseats]

And is there anyone left who wants to argue that Aaron Miles was a worse signing than Grabow?

 

Who gives a [expletive]?

 

FWIW, Grabow hasn't come close to doing as much damage as Miles did. He'll need another two or three months.

[Sammy Sofa]

And is there anyone left who wants to argue that Aaron Miles was a worse signing than Grabow?

 

Who gives a [expletive]?

 

FWIW, Grabow hasn't come close to doing as much damage as Miles did. He'll need another two or three months.

 

Yeah, that was the point I made to WSR earlier, but didn't here because it's such an asinine, pointless debate to rehash again. He keeps saying Grabow was just a backup infielder, but thanks to Aramis' injury and Fontenot sucking he played WAAAAAAAY more than someone in that role ideally would. Lou doesn't actually have to use Grabow whereas the Cubs were pretty much S.O.L. with Miles since it was essentially him or Scales.

[TruffleShuffle]

Miles may have been comically inept, but as a utility infielder, theres only so much damage he can do.

 

when a utility infielder gets 170 PAs and is epically bad, he can cost the team 1.5 wins, as miles did last season.

[Little Slide Rooter]

And is there anyone left who wants to argue that Aaron Miles was a worse signing than Grabow?

 

Who gives a [expletive]?

 

FWIW, Grabow hasn't come close to doing as much damage as Miles did. He'll need another two or three months.

 

Yeah, that was the point I made to WSR earlier, but didn't here because it's such an asinine, pointless debate to rehash again. He keeps saying Grabow was just a backup infielder, but thanks to Aramis' injury and Fontenot sucking he played WAAAAAAAY more than someone in that role ideally would. Lou doesn't actually have to use Grabow whereas the Cubs were pretty much S.O.L. with Miles since it was essentially him or Scales.

 

But that doesnt really have as much to due with Miles as a signing. You make it sound as though Aramis getting hurt and Fontenot being bad were the fault of Aaron Miles, the player or the contract. MIles should have been a utility middle infielder, nothing more. In a similar sense, Grabow is where he is because of the Guzman injury. Now the Guzman injury was of no fault to John Grabows bad pitching or bad contract, however, it forced Lou to use Grabow as a set up man. Grabow was signed as a 7th inning guy, which makes the $8 million contract even worse. No, Lou doesnt have to use Grabow, but on the other hand, there were other oprions than Aaron Miles, for instance, Ray Durham may very well have happily signed for fairly cheap.

[Sammy Sofa]

And is there anyone left who wants to argue that Aaron Miles was a worse signing than Grabow?

 

Who gives a [expletive]?

 

FWIW, Grabow hasn't come close to doing as much damage as Miles did. He'll need another two or three months.

 

Yeah, that was the point I made to WSR earlier, but didn't here because it's such an asinine, pointless debate to rehash again. He keeps saying Grabow was just a backup infielder, but thanks to Aramis' injury and Fontenot sucking he played WAAAAAAAY more than someone in that role ideally would. Lou doesn't actually have to use Grabow whereas the Cubs were pretty much S.O.L. with Miles since it was essentially him or Scales.

 

But that doesnt really have as much to due with Miles as a signing. You make it sound as though Aramis getting hurt and Fontenot being bad were the fault of Aaron Miles, the player or the contract. MIles should have been a utility middle infielder, nothing more. In a similar sense, Grabow is where he is because of the Guzman injury. Now the Guzman injury was of no fault to John Grabows bad pitching or bad contract, however, it forced Lou to use Grabow as a set up man. Grabow was signed as a 7th inning guy, which makes the $8 million contract even worse. No, Lou doesnt have to use Grabow, but on the other hand, there were other oprions than Aaron Miles, for instance, Ray Durham may very well have happily signed for fairly cheap.

 

Wait, what? How does the role he was signed for have nothing to do with his signing? He was signed to be the guy who could step in when an infielder needed to be spelled or if they were hurt. That doesn't mean he had to be a world beater or even really that good, but he was a horrendous player throughout his career with the exception of one year where he was barely passable as a player. It was a terrible signing from the instant it happened. The tortured logic you're applying to somehow explain how Grabow's signing was worse just doesn't fly at all. Grabow actually had a history of being a serviceable reliever. In no way did he merit the deal he got, but expecting him to be THIS bad simply wasn't realistic at all, and he has a reasonable chance to rebound at some point over the contract if they hold onto him. Aaron Miles is just hideously bad at baseball. He always has been.

 

God, this is a stupid debate.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Sammy Sofa

[Little Slide Rooter]

I still say that Grabow was worse, but I respect you arguement for Miles being worse. Still the lesson to be learned is that when it comes to those kind of role players, your better off either promoting from within or waiting until later in the offseason when similar players become available either as unsigned FAs or other teams DFAng them or trying to trade them. for a lot cheaper instead of pouncing on them like their some kind of crown jewel.

[The Hot Dog Guy]

I know I am late to the party, but I see a lot of this being put on Grabow (not just on the posts I read here, but around)

 

Grabow sucks, but giving up a run in that spot against such a great team is not that bad. What is bad is letting Jose Contreras shut you down when you get runners on first and third (btw, did anybody feel lucky to get in that spot. It looked to me like Soriano never watched the ball as he headed towards second. If that ball carries just a bit more, its a DP).

 

Equally as bad? Kosukes throw. He double clutches it and throws a bit up the line. Not that bad until you realize its up the first base line, not the third.

 

A loss that leaves us with a bad taste in our mouth, but a split with the Phillies is not that bad in the end.