05/06 Cincinnati (Volquez) @ CUBS (Garza), 1:20 CDT, WGN TV

[Bull]

http://redlegrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bilde.jpg Volquez 2-1, 5.67 ERA

 

 

 

vs.

 

 

 

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Matt+Garza+Chicago+Cubs+Photo+Day+3Cj6CrRPglel.jpg Garza 1-3, 3.96 ERA

 

 

win again. that would be nice.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Bull

[Derwood]

Volquez has a 21.00 ERA in the first inning

[erik316wttn]

The dude traded for Josh Hamilton vs the dude traded for Sam Fuld.

[Sammy Sofa]

Man, Fuld sure sucks again.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Man, Fuld sure sucks again.

 

Yeah, looks like it. Too bad, if there are 2 non Cubs out there that Im really rooting for, its Fuld and Prior. OT: whats going on with Prior? It says hes only played in 4 games so far between the Yanks A+ and AAA teams. Is he hurt again?

[SouthSideRyan]

Man, Fuld sure sucks again.

 

The culd of Fuld disappeared rather quickly.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Does Garza have a lazy eye or is it just the picture?

[MWV]

Its true. His right eye never hustles.

[CubmanPi]

That explains the ridiculous BABIP he has allowed. It's not just a fluke after all.

[pitchcs]

Fukudome, rf

Barney, 2b

Castro, ss

Ramirez, 3b

Soriano, lf

Byrd, cf

Pena, 1b

Soto, c

Garza, p

 

Thinking about grabbing a ticket today, some decent stuff for $8-$25 on Stubhub. Great weather.

Edited May 6, 2011 by pitchcs

[Little Slide Rooter]

Todays lineup:

 

Kosuke RF

Barney 2B

Castro SS

Aram 3B

Soriano LF

Byrd CF

Pena 1B

Soto C

Garza P

 

Looks pretty good on paper, anyway.

[Prizefight]

At least for a couple weeks until the Soriano/Fuk cooldown happens, I wouldn't be totally against a

 

Castro

Barney

Fukudome

Ramirez

Pena

Soriano

Soto

Byrd

Garza

[Sammy Sofa]

Why do we want Quade to keep batting people displaying not nearly enough power in the #3 spot?

[PrimeTime]

Soto should be batting way higher. Castro is in a slump right now, so I don't think he should be batting #3. Hopefully it snaps out of it today

[Prizefight]

Why do we want Quade to keep batting people displaying not nearly enough power in the #3 spot?

 

 

Well, I agree first off.

 

But, I just don't know who I'd like to see consistently hitting there especially since Quade says Ramirez is the only constantly in the lineup at the 4. Not Byrd, not Pena...what would you like to see?

[otis89]

Man, Fuld sure sucks again.

 

Yeah, looks like it. Too bad, if there are 2 non Cubs out there that Im really rooting for, its Fuld and Prior. OT: whats going on with Prior? It says hes only played in 4 games so far between the Yanks A+ and AAA teams. Is he hurt again?

 

Prior's currently on the DL with a strained groin.

[Sammy Sofa]

Why do we want Quade to keep batting people displaying not nearly enough power in the #3 spot?

 

 

Well, I agree first off.

 

But, I just don't know who I'd like to see consistently hitting there especially since Quade says Ramirez is the only constantly in the lineup at the 4. Not Byrd, not Pena...what would you like to see?

 

Soto. Or even Soriano while he's this hot power-wise. If Pena is still looking improved through the weekend I'd put him there. Put someone there who is an actual threat to do some damage with a single swing.

[CubColtPacer]

At least for a couple weeks until the Soriano/Fuk cooldown happens, I wouldn't be totally against a

 

Castro

Barney

Fukudome

Ramirez

Pena

Soriano

Soto

Byrd

Garza

 

Fukudome is in a mini slump right now. 2-21 with 7 K's.

 

3 singles hitters at the top of the lineup is a little too much for me (at least Fukudome has been a singles hitter so far this year). That's really the main problem with Barney at the top-he's fine as a 2 hitter but it causes problems for setting the rest of the lineup. You want Castro up near the top and Fukudome is a natural top of the order hitter (plus you don't want to have Fukudome and Pena too close to each other in the order).

 

The question is, if the hitters are so interchangeable, do you rely primarily on people being hot? If that was the case, Soriano, Soto, and Byrd would be moving up right now while Castro, Fukudome, and Ramirez would be moving down in the lineup. But I don't know if you want to make wild swings in the lineup based on a week or two of results especially when they could so quickly reverse.

[Little Slide Rooter]

At least for a couple weeks until the Soriano/Fuk cooldown happens, I wouldn't be totally against a

 

Castro

Barney

Fukudome

Ramirez

Pena

Soriano

Soto

Byrd

Garza

 

Fukudome is in a mini slump right now. 2-21 with 7 K's.

 

3 singles hitters at the top of the lineup is a little too much for me (at least Fukudome has been a singles hitter so far this year). That's really the main problem with Barney at the top-he's fine as a 2 hitter but it causes problems for setting the rest of the lineup. You want Castro up near the top and Fukudome is a natural top of the order hitter (plus you don't want to have Fukudome and Pena too close to each other in the order).

 

The question is, if the hitters are so interchangeable, do you rely primarily on people being hot? If that was the case, Soriano, Soto, and Byrd would be moving up right now while Castro, Fukudome, and Ramirez would be moving down in the lineup. But I don't know if you want to make wild swings in the lineup based on a week or two of results especially when they could so quickly reverse.

Is Fukudome in a mini slump, or is he being Fukudome? We've seen this before, he starts out looking like a superstar, then the bottom drops out and he becomes awful before he ultimately stabalizes at decent-good.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yes, the "bottom drops out" for his .272 .379 .392 .771 career May line.

 

People can never seem to agree when Fukudome has his "bad months." The common idea is that he falls off after April, but it's actually June and September that have been his worst months by far.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Yes, the "bottom drops out" for his .272 .379 .392 .771 career May line.

 

People can never seem to agree when Fukudome has his "bad months." The common idea is that he falls off after April, but it's actually June and September that have been his worst months by far.

 

I know, traditionally, its been the "June Swoon", but what a lot of people dont understand, which I know you do is that he doesnt become worthless after the hot start, rather he becomes a solid, productive player aside from an awful June, and to be honest, the past few years, I havnt paid too much attantion to much of anything that happens in September in relation to the Cubs. The problem is, some of those ugly strikeouts...I wont use the term, but when he does it, it makes him look worse than he is.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yeah, there's been the long established meme that he's a vastly overpaid player who is worthless after April, and the average dimwitted Cubs fan isn't going to realize anything else with the end of Fukudome's time as a Cub in sight.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Much of Koukses problem is the massive hype that surrounded him coming in. I remember some people selling him as a hybrid of Ichiro and Hideki Matsui. Others billed him as a .280/.400/.450 guy with 20 home runs a year.

[Prizefight]

 

But, I just don't know who I'd like to see consistently hitting there especially since Quade says Ramirez is the only constantly in the lineup at the 4. Not Byrd, not Pena...what would you like to see?

 

Soto. Or even Soriano while he's this hot power-wise. If Pena is still looking improved through the weekend I'd put him there. Put someone there who is an actual threat to do some damage with a single swing.

 

 

If Quade considers Pena at 3, I rather have him more Ramirez to 3 and Pena 4th. Doubt that'll happen with his Ramirez is batting 4th decree

 

I threw Fuk at 3rd temporarily because his May stats are typically pretty solid as you've mentioned.

 

I'm worried about the pitches Soriano would see if he were batting 3rd. He's absolutely murdering fastballs this year according to fangraphs. I think he'd see even less than he already does if he's that high in the lineup

 

No problem at all with Soto 3rd.

[Sammy Sofa]

 

But, I just don't know who I'd like to see consistently hitting there especially since Quade says Ramirez is the only constantly in the lineup at the 4. Not Byrd, not Pena...what would you like to see?

 

Soto. Or even Soriano while he's this hot power-wise. If Pena is still looking improved through the weekend I'd put him there. Put someone there who is an actual threat to do some damage with a single swing.

 

 

If Quade considers Pena at 3, I rather have him more Ramirez to 3 and Pena 4th. Doubt that'll happen with his Ramirez is batting 4th decree

 

I threw Fuk at 3rd temporarily because his May stats are typically pretty solid as you've mentioned.

 

I'm worried about the pitches Soriano would see if he were batting 3rd. He's absolutely murdering fastballs this year according to fangraphs. I think he'd see even less than he already does if he's that high in the lineup

 

No problem at all with Soto 3rd.

 

Right, Aramis is the ideal option but apparently Quade isn't ever going to do that so I'm just acting like it's not a possibility barring significant injuries to key players.

 

Fukudome is solid in May, but not power-wise, and his power is even less apparent this year than the last three.

 

I agree, Soriano isn't the ideal option, but since #3 seems to be a rotating cast why not slot Soriano in there while he's murdering home runs left and right and then move him out when he's cold? Better than trotting Byrd or Baker out there.