Random Cubs Musings

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Another gem:

 

We get a lot of questions from people asking how difficult is it to survive another year when we’re not starting the year as favorites or contenders on paper.I guess I understand those questions from afar. But they leave me scratching my head because this is the best morale — organizational morale — I’ve ever seen in the minor leagues. And, to a certain extent, throughout the entire organization.

 

"Guys, why would we be sad? Everyone's happy about the minor leagues. Oh yeah, I guess there's the other part, too."

[Andy]

Another gem:

 

We get a lot of questions from people asking how difficult is it to survive another year when we’re not starting the year as favorites or contenders on paper.I guess I understand those questions from afar. But they leave me scratching my head because this is the best morale — organizational morale — I’ve ever seen in the minor leagues. And, to a certain extent, throughout the entire organization.

 

"Guys, why would we be sad? Everyone's happy about the minor leagues. Oh yeah, I guess there's the other part, too."

"Our morale is so high as we continue to put up historically awful performances in the only area that counts."

[neely crenshaw]

I in no way think we can contend, not even if we have career years from many guys. I do feel better about the start of this season. Maybe it's because we can see how close Baez and Bryant are, or maybe its because we have a few more guys on the team that may actually be there long term.

I am interested to see how Wood and Castillo follow up last year. I am hoping for a turn around from Shark, Rizzo, and Castro..none of those things are out of the question. I have hoped for Lake and Olt. Hopefully at least one proves to be a player. Then of course how soon the other guys get the call.

I predicted 70 wins, which is just a bit more than I predicted last season but unlike last year, as disappointing as the record may be, at least we have a few more entities to watch.

[Guest]

Wait...did we know that Roast is a Cubs blogger?

 

http://midwaymadness.com/author/jbradley/

[dcvalpo]

Wait...did we know that Roast is a Cubs blogger?

 

http://midwaymadness.com/author/jbradley/

 

Classic Roast construction...

 

And though, for the Cubs, this will be another year when we must accept early on that this will not be a World-Series-contending season, I expect things to be significantly better – or at least more interesting – than they have been over the last two seasons.

[Banedon]

http://i.imgur.com/Y7qW3aN.jpg

[imb]

http://i.imgur.com/Y7qW3aN.jpg

 

what a gorgeous [expletive] park, jesus christ

[Sammy Sofa]

http://i.imgur.com/Y7qW3aN.jpg

 

what a gorgeous [expletive] park, jesus christ

 

Yeah, I miss being able to go to it more often. Easily my favorite place to see a baseball game. You can park right across the river and walk over the bridge and it's just [expletive] perfect.

 

Meanwhile the Cubs get to come home to Fart City.

[Guest]

Wrigley is pretty [expletive] gorgeous from that angle too.

 

It's on the inside (be it the concourses, under the upper deck, clubhouses, or what have you) where it gets [expletive] on

[Sammy Sofa]

Wrigley is pretty [expletive] gorgeous from that angle too.

 

Eh. Partly it's because of how much I've come to hate the rooftops and largely because the stadium is facing the wrong way to have the skyline visible it just seems sort of...blah. PNC could literally not be more perfectly placed, so it's pretty unfair to really compare any stadium's location to it.

[Guest]

One of the greatest things about PNC is the outfield bleachers and how they built it to allow air to flow. I love that the didn't try to make it a 45,000 seat stadium.

[Guest]

 

John Arguello ‏@CubsDen 3h

Worried about Rizzo? Top NL LH hitters Heyward, Bruce, Cargo, & Headley have gone a combined 0 for 23 with 14 Ks vs. Liriano. Votto 2 for 10

 

Was going to post this Tweet because of the stats against Liriano and instead wound up loling at him missing the painfully obvious sarcasm in the reply.

[Guest]

Eric Fisher ‏@EricFisherSBJ 8m

The #Cubs w new facility in Mesa averaged 14,254 per spring game, have 11 largest single-game crowds in Cactus or Grapefruit Lg history

[Sammy Sofa]

Eric Fisher ‏@EricFisherSBJ 8m

The #Cubs w new facility in Mesa averaged 14,254 per spring game, have 11 largest single-game crowds in Cactus or Grapefruit Lg history

 

http://replygif.net/i/1484.gif

[rawaction]

http://i.imgur.com/Y7qW3aN.jpg

 

what a gorgeous [expletive] park, jesus christ

 

Yeah, I miss being able to go to it more often. Easily my favorite place to see a baseball game. You can park right across the river and walk over the bridge and it's just [expletive] perfect.

 

Meanwhile the Cubs get to come home to Fart City.

 

Yeah, it's wonderful. Why the football stadium wasn't built with a similar view, I'll never know (and it has a college-style open endzone end).

[SouthSideRyan]

Yeah, you'll all be sorry in 2018.

[Sammy Sofa]

Yeah, you'll all be sorry in 2018.

 

Yeah, by then the Wrigleyville crimewave will have progressed to murders.

[SouthSideRyan]

Worst part about these constant articles. "The Plan" being written in capitals like it's a holy text or something.

[champaignchris]

In the wake of the Cubs fantastic 0 for 11 with RISP yesterday...

 

Can anyone explain why the Cubs have been so awful with RISP in 2011-2012-2013?

 

I mean other than the fact that we've had bad hitters. They've been even worse with RISP.

 

The statistical analyses have shown that over time there isn't supposed to be a big statistical difference between batting with RISP and overall. Basically, you're just as good/bad a hitter with RISP as without. Across the leagues the numbers bear this out. BA has stuck right around .253-.255 with RISP and overall since 2010.

 

But the gap between the Cubs performance with RISP and overall has been so pronounced and for such an extended period that there's got to be something else going on. Right?

 

.232 to .256 in 2011

.231 to .240 in 2012

.218 to .238 in 2013

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

But the gap between the Cubs performance with RISP and overall has been so pronounced and for such an extended period that there's got to be something else going on. Right?

 

.232 to .256 in 2011

.231 to .240 in 2012

.218 to .238 in 2013

 

http://i.imgur.com/EDZc8Fn.jpg?1

[Guest]

Pitchers trying harder against bad hitters?

[davell]

One, I don't give a flying [expletive] if we had won 73-80 games in either 2012 or 2013. Two, we're unfortunately not owned by the Guggenheim Group, therefore buying ourselves out of this [expletive] wasn't a real option. Three, we're 0 for my lifetime. If it takes a couple of shitty seasons, where we basically tank, to get better players for future, I don't give a [expletive]. One championship. That's what I want. If it takes sucking to do it, I don't [expletive] care.

[Vinestal]

One, I don't give a flying [expletive] if we had won 73-80 games in either 2012 or 2013. Two, we're unfortunately not owned by the Guggenheim Group, therefore buying ourselves out of this [expletive] wasn't a real option. Three, we're 0 for my lifetime. If it takes a couple of [expletive] seasons, where we basically tank, to get better players for future, I don't give a [expletive]. One championship. That's what I want. If it takes sucking to do it, I don't [expletive] care.

I'm on board with you... I don't think spending money would have made the difference with this team we'd have just been middle of the pack instead of bottom. I don't love losing but I've always been of the opinion that I'd rather completely suck than be mediocre.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

One, I don't give a flying [expletive] if we had won 73-80 games in either 2012 or 2013. Two, we're unfortunately not owned by the Guggenheim Group, therefore buying ourselves out of this [expletive] wasn't a real option. Three, we're 0 for my lifetime. If it takes a couple of [expletive] seasons, where we basically tank, to get better players for future, I don't give a [expletive]. One championship. That's what I want. If it takes sucking to do it, I don't [expletive] care.

 

Three offseasons, a mid-level payroll. If that's not enough to get Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer past an 80-win cap, then are they really all that good?

[Guest]

60 minutes sports is going to be doing a piece on the Ricketts family

 

 

Danny Ecker ‏@DannyEcker 9m

The @60minSports piece on the Ricketts family and the Cubs will run tomorrow night at 8pm CT on Showtime.