Fecal League Tracking 2013

[Sammys Boombox]

Tanking isn't going to happen in MLB because immediate impact players in the draft are so rare.

I couldn't disagree more. With the new CBA, there are more incentives for teams to tank and they will continue to do so unless changes are made to the system. You can't just look at draft position. A team's record also impacts their amateur draft budget, international draft budget, and protected pick status for Type A free agents.

 

Theo said that if you don't make the playoffs you're better off finishing in the bottom 10 and that if it came a point in the season where they knew they would not compete that we would see another sell off and an awful finish. We did.

[RammyFanny]

Well, we're officially going to be 4th or 5th. Should be tied with the Twins assuming they don't come back late. We've got the tiebreaker.

[A New Era]

Tanking isn't going to happen in MLB because immediate impact players in the draft are so rare.

I couldn't disagree more. With the new CBA, there are more incentives for teams to tank and they will continue to do so unless changes are made to the system. You can't just look at draft position. A team's record also impacts their amateur draft budget, international draft budget, and protected pick status for Type A free agents.

 

Theo said that if you don't make the playoffs you're better off finishing in the bottom 10 and that if it came a point in the season where they knew they would not compete that we would see another sell off and an awful finish. We did.

 

This is the right way to do it. I would rather end up with pick #4, CJ Edwards, Mike Olt, Neil Ramirez ++ than the #15 pick and Garza for the rest of the year on a faint hope of competing.

[Sammys Boombox]

Tanking isn't going to happen in MLB because immediate impact players in the draft are so rare.

I couldn't disagree more. With the new CBA, there are more incentives for teams to tank and they will continue to do so unless changes are made to the system. You can't just look at draft position. A team's record also impacts their amateur draft budget, international draft budget, and protected pick status for Type A free agents.

 

Theo said that if you don't make the playoffs you're better off finishing in the bottom 10 and that if it came a point in the season where they knew they would not compete that we would see another sell off and an awful finish. We did.

 

This is the right way to do it. I would rather end up with pick #4, CJ Edwards, Mike Olt, Neil Ramirez ++ than the #15 pick and Garza for the rest of the year on a faint hope of competing.

 

That is the point. The right way to do it under the current CBA is to tank when it is obvious you will not be close to competing and have players that are worth more than a sandwich pick that you do not plan on having around the next time you compete. They should take away the incentive to tank games after some cutoff point (such as the trade deadline). It could severely affect the competitiveness in late season games when certain teams are trying to make the postseason. It also makes for dreadfully awful baseball for many teams for extended months. That cannot be good for the game overall.

[TruffleShuffle]

That is the point. The right way to do it under the current CBA is to tank when it is obvious you will not be close to competing and have players that are worth more than a sandwich pick that you do not plan on having around the next time you compete. They should take away the incentive to tank games after some cutoff point (such as the trade deadline). It could severely affect the competitiveness in late season games when certain teams are trying to make the postseason. It also makes for dreadfully awful baseball for many teams for extended months. That cannot be good for the game overall.

 

after the trade deadline, there's really not a huge incentive to tank. moving up a few spots in the draft isn't very important in baseball, certainly not like it is in (for example) basketball. and every major professional sport has some incentive to tank, whether it be to increase chances in the lottery (nba) or making the draft order simply the reverse order of finish.

 

the much bigger reason to "tank" and not finish 15th is because it makes far more sense to turn an asset like garza into edwards, olt, ramirez and grimm than it does to win another two games the rest of that season, and still miss the playoffs.

[CubsWin]

Most likely it doesn't make a difference whether you pick 4th or 5th, but it can. We won't know how many "elite" prospects or where the 1st tier in prospects drops off until next May. If the Cubs pick 5th and there are clearly 4 elite prospects in next year's draft, then this whole tracking of the draft pick thing takes on a greater significance. We just can't know that yet.

[davell]

If we want 4, we need to get swept, because the Twins are doing their damndest to lose.

[WrigleyField 22]

Baseball adds two playoff spots: Incentive to tank increases.

 

Sorry I'm not seeing it and since the new CBA I'm not seeing some huge increase in bottom dweller sell offs. There do seem to be a few more buyers though.

[CubsWin]

Magic number for the 4th pick is 2 with 2 to play.

[A New Era]

Cubs lost, Twins lost. It's gonna go down to the last game, god dammit.

 

Only silver lining is we win in a tie. But still a possibility with a win and a twins loss, we lose the 4th pick.

[davell]

Shark has been completely useless the entire 2nd half: no doubt in my mind he throws a gem tomorrow to finish the season on "a high note " costing us 4.

[Guest]

Shark has been completely useless the entire 2nd half: no doubt in my mind he throws a gem tomorrow to finish the season on "a high note " costing us 4.

 

Second half xFIP of 3.68.

[davell]

Shark has been completely useless the entire 2nd half: no doubt in my mind he throws a gem tomorrow to finish the season on "a high note " costing us 4.

 

Second half xFIP of 3.68.

I love advanced stats, but he's sucked. Unlucky somewhat? Maybe a bit. But he's walking more guys and getting hit hard. Just not a fan of his season, at least to what I was thinking it could be.

[TruffleShuffle]

Shark has been completely useless the entire 2nd half: no doubt in my mind he throws a gem tomorrow to finish the season on "a high note " costing us 4.

 

Second half xFIP of 3.68.

I love advanced stats, but he's sucked. Unlucky somewhat? Maybe a bit. But he's walking more guys and getting hit hard. Just not a fan of his season, at least to what I was thinking it could be.

 

his second half line drive percentage is lower than the first half. his walk rate was up half a walk per 9 innings though.

[CubsWin]

There are 4 possible outcomes to the Cubs and Twins games today. Both teams lose, both teams win, the Twins win & the Cubs lose or the Cubs win & the Twins lose. Only the last scenario winds up with the Cubs picking 5th instead of 4th. That might lead one to believe that the Cubs have a 75% chance of picking 4th. Um, no.

 

The Twins have Scott Diamond who is terrible and has been even worse recently going up against Ubaldo Jiminez who is good and has been even better recently. If Cleveland wins, there in the wildcard. They have every reason to win.

 

The Cards would have had Joe Kelly pitching for them today, he of the big fastball and low ERA, except they decided to make a last minute change to a pitcher who has given up more hits than innings pitched, has a WHIP of 1.56 and has walked more than he's struckout.

 

I'd put the Cubs chances of picking 4th next June at 50/50.

[mul21]

There are 4 possible outcomes to the Cubs and Twins games today. Both teams lose, both teams win, the Twins win & the Cubs lose or the Cubs win & the Twins lose. Only the last scenario winds up with the Cubs picking 5th instead of 4th. That might lead one to believe that the Cubs have a 75% chance of picking 4th. Um, no.

 

The Twins have Scott Diamond who is terrible and has been even worse recently going up against Ubaldo Jiminez who is good and has been even better recently. If Cleveland wins, there in the wildcard. They have every reason to win.

 

The Cards would have had Joe Kelly pitching for them today, he of the big fastball and low ERA, except they decided to make a last minute change to a pitcher who has given up more hits than innings pitched, has a WHIP of 1.56 and has walked more than he's struckout.

 

I'd put the Cubs chances of picking 4th next June at 50/50.

 

It's not like the Cards have nothing to play for. They need to finish ahead of the Braves for home field because the Braves hold the tie breaker. I have a feeling they'll put forth a good effort today.

[mul21]

That is the point. The right way to do it under the current CBA is to tank when it is obvious you will not be close to competing and have players that are worth more than a sandwich pick that you do not plan on having around the next time you compete. They should take away the incentive to tank games after some cutoff point (such as the trade deadline). It could severely affect the competitiveness in late season games when certain teams are trying to make the postseason. It also makes for dreadfully awful baseball for many teams for extended months. That cannot be good for the game overall.

 

after the trade deadline, there's really not a huge incentive to tank. moving up a few spots in the draft isn't very important in baseball, certainly not like it is in (for example) basketball. and every major professional sport has some incentive to tank, whether it be to increase chances in the lottery (nba) or making the draft order simply the reverse order of finish.

 

the much bigger reason to "tank" and not finish 15th is because it makes far more sense to turn an asset like garza into edwards, olt, ramirez and grimm than it does to win another two games the rest of that season, and still miss the playoffs.

 

Another big reason to tank is to get a protected pick and not have to give up your first rounder, especially if you think you're close to competing and are likely to go after a FA with a qualifying offer attached.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

So the Cubs have a "tiebreaker" over the Twins for the 4th pick if they end up with the same record? Why?

[davell]

So the Cubs have a "tiebreaker" over the Twins for the 4th pick if they end up with the same record? Why?

Worse record in 2012.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

So the Cubs have a "tiebreaker" over the Twins for the 4th pick if they end up with the same record? Why?

Worse record in 2012.

 

That's... weird.

[davell]

So the Cubs have a "tiebreaker" over the Twins for the 4th pick if they end up with the same record? Why?

Worse record in 2012.

 

That's... weird.

You like a coin flip better, because I don't see a lot of options that make more sense.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Was going to suggest a Hell in a Cell match with Theo Epstein vs. whoever runs the Twins.

[ctcf]

Looking like a safe bet right now.

[Vinestal]

Well we win the 4th pick! hooray Id have rather picked first but I guess I'll settle for 4th its better than 5th. lol

[CubsWin]

At the unofficial start of the Fecal League (August 1st, right after the trade deadline), the Cubs were picking 6th. They leapfrogged the Brewers and the Twins to finish 4th. That about the worst possible finish and best possible draft pick Cubs fans could have hoped for. The Cubs flirted with performing so horribly that they could have caught the White Sox for the 3rd pick, but the Cubs couldn't suck enough to compete with a 9-game losing streak the Southsiders put together at the beginning of September.

 

So, the 4th pick it is. We've managed to ring out the last bit of drama out of a fairly dramaless season. Now comes all the draft prospects lists and speculation and the long wait for college and high school spring baseball to pick up again.