4/19 Cubs (Samardzija) @ Marlins (Nolasco) 11:40 CT WGN

[C.C.]

Manager needs to go. What a freaking stiff.

[bukie]

Yes, that's the primary issue. The manager doesn't have enough fire.

[neely crenshaw]

Ok, everything in that unreadable blob of strawman is wrong.

 

Read the actual information given, brush up on basic sentence structure, and try again.

 

They are not sentences, they are simple statements. This is a message board not an English paper. (These are sentences)

I will bullet my thoughts so that you can quit looking for something to be an @$$ over.

 

* OPS in this few games is a ridiculous stat as it can change in one swing

* The current Cub lineup has a OPS in the mid 600's, If they a had 1 HR and 1 2b (as a team) they would be above last years level without Rameriz, Fukudome or Pena

* For an individual batter over 30-40 at bats, a Home run in your next at bat can bring your OPS up 100-150 points

* For instance, if Soriano hits a HR in his next at bat, he will raise his slugging 109 points bringing OPS up to .650

* 2-4 with a couple of extra-base hits would bring his OPS to .667

* I don't know if Vitters will be an answer, I do know that Stewart can not be the 3B in 2 years

* I also know that no one else is close to being ready at third

[Soul]

We keep losing. This makes me sad.

[neely crenshaw]

"Ok, everything in that unreadable blob of strawman is wrong"

Actually it's not.

* Soriano is is hitting .250, his career average is .274 but that is brought way up by his years with NY and Texas. His last 3 years with the Cubs he has .244, .258 and .241. I would tend to say his stats say he is hitting about where he will all year.

* Soto hit .228 last year, .280 the year before but .218 the year before that. To me it is not a far cry to say he'll hit .230ish this year. He is hitting .125 so far, but with 32 at bats 2 more hits would have him right at last years stats. Is it really a far cry to think that Soto might go 9 for his next 32 bringing that sparkling average up to the 220 range? If he did would that make him a huge difference in our offense?

*Stewart has a career BA of.235 coming off .153 last year. He has never hit .260 in a season. He has hit 20+ HRs Once. Best stat I can give you is he hits a home run every 23 at bats, which if he got 500 (which never has) He would hit 21 HRs.

* As for the bench? Talk about small sample size. With pinch hitting being so large an amount of at bats right now of course their BA is down. Then again look at our bench.

* We are a rock solid 3-11.

* There simply is not a single stat that you can use that says that anyone will hit much better than they are now. We can hope. Heck maybe Stewart will hit 300 with 30 bombs and you can say I knew it all along but there is nothing that says any of that will happen. Truth is if he hit .235 with 15-18 hrs that would be as good as expected. With his improved defense over Rameriz that wouldn't too bad BUT if your 4 hitter hits .250 with 25 hrs (his cub averages), and your 5th hitter hits .235 with 18 hrs you have an absolutely awful offense.

* Don't want to be negative but there is no upside to this team. The upside is if some of the untested young players prove they can actually play - That's it. If we are contenders in 2-3 years, Dejesus, Byrd, Stewart, Soto, Soriano, Johnson, Mather, Baker aren't on the team.Barney and LaHair probably aren't everyday players.

[gocubs2118]

Batting average? 1998 called, they want their stats back.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I bet Neely was pissed that we didn't give Juan Pierre an extension.

[CincyCubsFan]

I bet Neely was pissed that we didn't give Juan Pierre an extension.

 

With Juan Pierre a single is basically a double. Speed doesn't slump.

[Sammy Sofa]

What "general view of the board" is he disagreeing with?

[dfnowak]

Ok, I didn't see the game today. How did Samardzija look? Is he back to the old Samardzija from yesteryear? Or, was today's outing just a blip on the radar?

[Little Slide Rooter]

* Don't want to be negative but there is no upside to this team. The upside is if some of the untested young players prove they can actually play - That's it. If we are contenders in 2-3 years, Dejesus, Byrd, Stewart, Soto, Soriano, Johnson, Mather, Baker aren't on the team.

 

Even if we're not contenders in 2-3 years none of those guys are on the team.

[neely crenshaw]

* Don't want to be negative but there is no upside to this team. The upside is if some of the untested young players prove they can actually play - That's it. If we are contenders in 2-3 years, Dejesus, Byrd, Stewart, Soto, Soriano, Johnson, Mather, Baker aren't on the team.

 

Even if we're not contenders in 2-3 years none of those guys are on the team.

 

That's my only point. They're bad, and They're stats say they won't do much better unless lightning strikes. As for 1998? It is completely absurd to use OPS when you talking about 30-40 at bats. As I said one swing of the bat could raise that stat 150 points or more. Yes, Soriano and Soto will hit their HR's but at this point of the season if Soriano would have hit ONE HR this season his OPS would be pushing .700, exactly how many games more games would that have won us?

I am not even really upset with the team, I am OK with the process but when some "know it all" posters try to say that some of these guys will be markedly better this season and I am crazy to say they won't because their OPS is low right now and that will come up and magically make us better. Using OPS at this point of the season is like using a pitcher's ERA right now to decide if he's any good. It's probably the best stat long term but is too skewed by a single game or even inning to trust that it's going to be any indication of what type of pitcher they are going to be.

Too many of you are sounding like Sox looking for any reason to prove that their players is going to be good because he has on the uniform. Just because Theo took a shot on them does not mean they are going to become a great player for us.

[jersey cubs fan]

As for 1998? It is completely absurd to use OPS when you talking about 30-40 at bats. As I said one swing of the bat could raise that stat 150 points or more. Yes, Soriano and Soto will hit their HR's but at this point of the season if Soriano would have hit ONE HR this season his OPS would be pushing .700, exactly how many games more games would that have won us?

I am not even really upset with the team, I am OK with the process but when some "know it all" posters try to say that some of these guys will be markedly better this season and I am crazy to say they won't because their OPS is low right now and that will come up and magically make us better.

 

This is some incredibly stupid nonsense.

[SouthSideRyan]

Batting average is good because one game doesn't change it at all.

[bukie]

Mr. Crenshaw, what you just wrote is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent responses were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this board is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

[Fred Hornkohl]

If you kids are not gonna play nice, we're just not gonna let you out for recess anymore.

[woodchip2153]

If you kids are not gonna play nice, we're just not gonna let you out for recess anymore.

 

he called him Mr.