Random Cubs Musings

[Little Slide Rooter]

@JoeStrauss: The Cubs are tracking for 100+ losses.

 

That's oddly impressive. It seems like most mediocre or bad teams at least stumble into a period of sustained success.

 

The Cubs prefer to wait until after their E# hits 0.

[Little Slide Rooter]

“It’s unfortunate where we’re coming to the point in the game where this (126 pitches) is news,” Samardzija said. “It shouldn’t. It should be the other way around. Why did this guy only throw 75 pitches and then come out of the game after five innings?”

 

Don't know when Shark went all gritty and old school, but managers and GM's tend to love that kind of talk.

[neely crenshaw]

Sums up the Cubs-Sox series

Gordon Beckham(pre-series stats .167 .231 ob%,.453 ops, 0 hrs)

3 game stats= 6 hits,3 runs,4 rbi, 2 hrs

Cubs 3 game stats=12 hits,5 runs,5 rbi, 1 hr

just an awesome display vs pretty sad pitching

[KingCubsFan]

“It’s unfortunate where we’re coming to the point in the game where this (126 pitches) is news,” Samardzija said. “It shouldn’t. It should be the other way around. Why did this guy only throw 75 pitches and then come out of the game after five innings?”

 

Don't know when Shark went all gritty and old school, but managers and GM's tend to love that kind of talk.

Where have you been? He's always spouted this kind of stuff.

[jersey cubs fan]

“It’s unfortunate where we’re coming to the point in the game where this (126 pitches) is news,” Samardzija said. “It shouldn’t. It should be the other way around. Why did this guy only throw 75 pitches and then come out of the game after five innings?”

 

Don't know when Shark went all gritty and old school, but managers and GM's tend to love that kind of talk.

Where have you been? He's always spouted this kind of stuff.

 

Yeah, that is par for the course.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Here's a list of players who, during the 2012 season, received at least 100 PAs or 30 IP from the Cubs, who were not inherited by Epstein and Hoyer:

 

Rizzo, Valbuena, DeJesus, Mather, Stewart, Wood, Maholm, Volstad, Camp, Corpas, Dolis.

 

Rizzo and Wood were the result of fairly significant trade value commitments.

 

Other than them, what do we have to show for all that playing time just two years later? A decent utility infielder and Angel Guzman Part II (via trade of Maholm).

 

That just doesn't seem like a particularly good success rate.

[Guest]

Here's a list of players who, during the 2012 season, received at least 100 PAs or 30 IP from the Cubs, who were not inherited by Epstein and Hoyer:

 

Rizzo, Valbuena, DeJesus, Mather, Stewart, Wood, Maholm, Volstad, Camp, Corpas, Dolis.

 

Rizzo and Wood were the result of fairly significant trade value commitments.

 

Other than them, what do we have to show for all that playing time just two years later? A decent utility infielder and Angel Guzman Part II (via trade of Maholm).

 

That just doesn't seem like a particularly good success rate.

They haven't really tried to get MLB ready players though.

[jersey cubs fan]

Here's a list of players who, during the 2012 season, received at least 100 PAs or 30 IP from the Cubs, who were not inherited by Epstein and Hoyer:

 

Rizzo, Valbuena, DeJesus, Mather, Stewart, Wood, Maholm, Volstad, Camp, Corpas, Dolis.

 

Rizzo and Wood were the result of fairly significant trade value commitments.

 

Other than them, what do we have to show for all that playing time just two years later? A decent utility infielder and Angel Guzman Part II (via trade of Maholm).

 

That just doesn't seem like a particularly good success rate.

They haven't really tried to get MLB ready players though.

 

I vaguely remember a time when near-MLB ready prospects was a thing that was considered the focal point, but I don't think that lasted.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I just mean that even digging through the trash bins, I'd expect a good front office to hit more often than that.

[Guest]

Dolis was already in the system.

[Guest]

Someone refresh my memory, how much of Zambrano's contract did we clear in that deal for Volstad?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Someone refresh my memory, how much of Zambrano's contract did we clear in that deal for Volstad?

 

It was a financial wash, I believe. We ate all of it except for how much Volstad was due to make, give or take a few hundred thousand.

[jersey cubs fan]

Someone refresh my memory, how much of Zambrano's contract did we clear in that deal for Volstad?

 

It was a financial wash, I believe. We ate all of it except for how much Volstad was due to make, give or take a few hundred thousand.

 

But they did get to write off the cost of that lunch.

[DiamondMind]

As a team our K:BB ratio is 2.92. that is really really really really really abysmal

 

there has to be some snarky comment here too about theo valuing the ability to take walks so high, and his team categorically failing at it

 

we are close to dead last in contact % as a team at 77.2%, 2nd to last in weighted on base at .285

[Andy]

there has to be some snarky comment here too about theo valuing the ability to take walks so high, and his team categorically failing at it

 

we are close to dead last in contact % as a team at 77.2%, 2nd to last in weighted on base at .285

The Cubs have made precious few offensive signings of anyone who is known for patience (David DeJesus and Valbuena are the only ones I can think of). I'm not sure why that is, but I'm hoping they're doing a better job of teaching it in the minors.

[DiamondMind]

Kalish had a .366 OBP in the minors, and of course he's not come close to replicating that so far with us. That's just one example. I want to blame someone for this, who should I? The only people on this team that can take a pitch are Rizzo and Valbuena. It really concerns me that a lot of our minor league guys K/BB ratios are awful too. Everyone loves Baez for example but his career K/BB is 254/61. I dont care how much raw power or whatever he has, that is a recipe for total and absolute disaster. This is so cliche but we need to start teaching people in every level the ability to be patient at the plate, it has a domino effect to every facet of the game.

[Guest]

As a team our K:BB ratio is 2.92. that is really really really really really abysmal

 

there has to be some snarky comment here too about theo valuing the ability to take walks so high, and his team categorically failing at it

 

we are close to dead last in contact % as a team at 77.2%, 2nd to last in weighted on base at .285

 

My back of the envelope math might be off, but after tonight the Cubs should be 6th in the NL in BB%.

[Guest]

games like last night makes me think the Cubs are not so bad. Then they rattle off three stinkers. But really, I don't think they are as bad as their record.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

pythag is 15-18 after the blowout.

[UMFan83]

OK it was cute keeping bonifacio at the top of the lineup when he started hot, but we all knew he'd eventually suck and he has.

 

Last 22 games: .221/.280/.279/.559

[Hairyducked Idiot]

pythag is 15-18 after the blowout.

 

Did it just go down after a 12-5 win?

[SouthSideRyan]

Nah we were 14-18 before

[Gilby]

OK it was cute keeping bonifacio at the top of the lineup when he started hot, but we all knew he'd eventually suck and he has.

 

Last 22 games: .221/.280/.279/.559

 

We have so many shitty hitters that I can't really get mad at Renteria about lineups. Valbuena, Castro, and Rizzo are the guys who should be towards the top/middle and they all pretty much have been all season.

[Guest]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2014/05/08/chicago-cubs-baseballs-next-powerhouse/

[SouthSideRyan]

Instead, think of Jon Daniels and the Texas Rangers. Daniels became the general manager of the Rangers in 2005 and soon after rebuilt the team by discarded expensive, older players (Mark Teixeira, Adrian Gonzalez, Chris Young) for younger players (Neftali Feliz, Alvis Andrus, Akinori Otsuka) and the Rangers invested heavily in their farm system.

 

Forbes talking about sports is the blurst