5/19 sox (Danks) @ Cubs (Dempster) FOX 6:15 PM

[Little Slide Rooter]

 

I still can't figure out why this shrugs off a difference of TWENTY LOSSES, but whatever.

 

Because bullpen performance has such a huge year to year variance in many cases and in his example, the pen is the issue.

 

More than that, when it comes to your overall record, a loss is a loss, but when evaluating a team as a whole, it's not necessarily the case. Like you said, a lot of the losses that came as a result of the bullpen blowing a quality start. Also, a pitchers duel in which you came up on the short end or a slugfest with the same outcome are very different than a blowout like today's. Yeah, we attempted a "fake rally" but at the expense of some dreg from the back of the pen. While a 20 loss difference is obviously a significant one, it's also important to evaluate what lead to each loss, thus figuring out exactly where to concentrate our resources. That's why you piece together a top of the line front office. Couple that with the fact that we have money, it's going to make it a lot easier to turn a 90-100 loss team into a contender a lot quicker then when you're the Pirates or Royals.

[Sammy Sofa]

 

I still can't figure out why this shrugs off a difference of TWENTY LOSSES, but whatever.

 

Because bullpen performance has such a huge year to year variance in many cases and in his example, the pen is the issue.

 

A 20 loss-variance?

[davell]

You don't think LaHair and Rizzo will both be in the lineup, right? Or at least you think the D cancels the O, if LaHair is in LF, correct? This alone is enough to where you WOULD have a big difference of opinion, with where we are at. Basically, I would think you're seeing the offense as much further away than what I do. Mostly just from a difference of opinion on LaHair.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yes, I'm optimistic about guys like Rizzo and even Jackson, but no, I still don't think LaHair is any kind of longterm solution, so yeah, I think the offense needs a lot of work.

[bcl412]

I don't understand the thinking that the bullpen is the Cubs only problem. The Cubs are the 5th worst team in the league in runs scored. The offense is still really bad. Even when they were playing well they couldn't score.

[Rizzo Smash]

I don't understand the thinking that the bullpen is the Cubs only problem. The Cubs are the 5th worst team in the league in runs scored. The offense is still really bad. Even when they were playing well they couldn't score.

Exactly. The problems with the bullpen is magnified because we never have a comfortable lead going into the late innings. The bullpen sucks no doubt about it but if this team scored runs, it wouldn't matter as much.

[mul21]

 

I still can't figure out why this shrugs off a difference of TWENTY LOSSES, but whatever.

 

Because bullpen performance has such a huge year to year variance in many cases and in his example, the pen is the issue.

 

A 20 loss-variance?

 

That's probably the extreme, but considering the pen has already given away 4-5 games in the first month and a half of the season, not completely out of the realm of possibilities.

[Sammy Sofa]

 

I still can't figure out why this shrugs off a difference of TWENTY LOSSES, but whatever.

 

Because bullpen performance has such a huge year to year variance in many cases and in his example, the pen is the issue.

 

A 20 loss-variance?

 

That's probably the extreme, but considering the pen has already given away 4-5 games in the first month and a half of the season, not completely out of the realm of possibilities.

 

Yeah, but it's not that cut & dry. Sure, the bullpen sucks, but you couple that with them too often having such a fine line to maintain more often than not because the offense can't score. Even if they weren't so bad they'd still be in a position too often where even giving up 1 run is too damaging. This is just too bad a team all around for me to to see improving the bullpen as accounting for such a dramatic swing.

[Little Slide Rooter]

You don't think LaHair and Rizzo will both be in the lineup, right? Or at least you think the D cancels the O, if LaHair is in LF, correct? This alone is enough to where you WOULD have a big difference of opinion, with where we are at. Basically, I would think you're seeing the offense as much further away than what I do. Mostly just from a difference of opinion on LaHair.

 

Personally, I'd like to see if we could get something like Travis Snider or Michael Taylor for LaHair. Nobody is going to be fooled into giving up top prospects or young players for LaHair, but a guy who's team seems about done with them but for us could possibly be a LF solution would be a respectable return.

[Guest]

Beat tweets:

 

Sveum expects to talk to brass about adding Rizzo in next few Weeks, possibly coinciding with DH games.

 

#Cubs Sveum: Bringing Rizzo in June has to be talked about but he has to play every day

 

Rizzo could be June call-up.(Sveum confirms.)

[Guest]

Beat tweets:

 

Sveum expects to talk to brass about adding Rizzo in next few Weeks, possibly coinciding with DH games.

 

#Cubs Sveum: Bringing Rizzo in June has to be talked about but he has to play every day

 

Rizzo could be June call-up.(Sveum confirms.)

I could see this coinciding with a DL trip for Soranio.