8/30 Pirates (Kuhl) @ Cubs (Hendricks), 7:05 PM, WGN MLBN

[philosophizer75]

What a series opener. I might be biased here (definitely am), but the Cubs played better than the Pirates that entire game and I think the Pirates were lucky to have it go as long as it did. When the camera panned over the Pirates' dugout after the win, the collective downtrodden, indignant look coming from those poor saps tickled me fancy.

 

Next up, the rum chugging, jolly roger flying, bunch of wannabe Captain Jack Sparrow's throw out a guy named Kuhl. Kuhl climates aren't ideal for Pirates. DON'T THEY KNOW PIRATES LIKE IT WHERE ITS WARM?

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2016/06/27/20160626pdpiratesSports01.jpg

(admittedly, that is a pretty Kuhl picture)

 

He seems alright, no horrendous stats from what I see. Doesn't induce much soft contact, but hasn't seemed to have had to, despite a pretty low K%.

 

 

Moving on, we get to revel in the sheer delight that is watching Kyle Hendricks pitch. There's something to be said for power pitching and dominating, electric stuff, and that something is: I'd rather watch Hendricks toy with people without touching 91. I'm not saying its gonna happen, but wouldn't it be a good thing for all of baseball if someone (KYLE HENDRICKS) threw a Maddux this year? Dunno if anyone has yet, truthfully, but I think Kyle can do it.

 

http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/e6/4f/kyle-hendricks-031516-getty-ftr_p2kole0jikjr1qu9fsk7fr908.jpg?t=2068893323

That's the smug look of a smart, unimpressed, and superior man who is prepped and ready to school some fools in whatever it is he may be doing. In this case, being an Iowa-class battleship about to take on some dinky corsairs in their pathetic brig-class sailboat.

 

USS Hendricks

vs.

Jolly Roger's Wild Card Hopes

http://s3.amazonaws.com/production.mediajoint.prx.org/public/piece_images/289320/IMG_7222.jpg

 

We all know how this one goes.

 

Keep on rolling Cubbies.

Edited August 30, 2016 by philosophizer75

[Derwood]

This game is also on MLB Network, FYI

[philosophizer75]

Thanks, fixed the title.

[Bull]

I'll be watching on fox sports Pittsburgh. . We have moved from northeast suburbs of St. Louis to Beckley, WV. Somehow southern West Virginia is a blackout region for the Reds, Pirates and Indians. It's better than having to listen to cardinals announcers.

[Sammy Sofa]

Should be (Kuhl Klux Klam).

[Omar]

Cubs v. Kuhl

Name                PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO    BA   OBP   SLG   OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP missG
Kris Bryant          2  1 0  0  0  0   0  1  0  .000  .500  .000  .500  0  0   0   0         0
Willson Contreras    2  2 2  0  0  0   1  0  0 1.000 1.000 1.000 2.000  0  0   0   0         0
Jason Heyward        2  2 2  0  0  0   0  0  0 1.000 1.000 1.000 2.000  0  0   0   0         0
Anthony Rizzo        2  2 1  0  1  0   0  0  0  .500  .500 1.500 2.000  0  0   0   0         0
Ben Zobrist          2  2 1  0  0  1   2  0  0  .500  .500 2.000 2.500  0  0   0   0         0
Javier Baez          1  1 1  1  0  0   0  0  0 1.000 1.000 2.000 3.000  0  0   0   0         0
Jon Lester           1  0 0  0  0  0   0  0                          0  1  0   0   0         0
Addison Russell      1  1 0  0  0  0   0  0  0  .000  .000  .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Total               13 11 7  1  1  1   3  1  0  .636  .667 1.182 1.848  1  0   0   0         0
Has not faced: Dexter Fowler, Miguel Montero, David Ross, Jorge Soler and Matt Szczur & Has not faced pitchers: Jake Arrieta, Trevor Cahill, Aroldis Chapman, Carl Edwards, Justin Grimm, Jason Hammel, Kyle Hendricks, Mike Montgomery, Spencer Patton, Felix Pena, Travis Wood and Rob Zastryzny

 

Pirates v. Hendricks

Name                 PA AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO   BA  OBP   SLG   OPS SH SF IBB HBP GDP missG
Gregory Polanco      14 14  6  2  0  1   2  0  3 .429 .429  .786 1.214  0  0   0   0         0
Starling Marte       11  9  2  0  0  0   1  2  2 .222 .364  .222  .586  0  0   0   0         0
Josh Harrison        10 10  4  1  0  1   1  0  1 .400 .400  .800 1.200  0  0   0   0         0
Jordy Mercer         10 10  4  0  0  0   0  0  1 .400 .400  .400  .800  0  0   0   0         0
Andrew McCutchen      9  8  1  0  0  0   0  1  5 .125 .222  .125  .347  0  0   0   0         0
Francisco Cervelli    5  5  1  1  0  0   3  0  3 .200 .200  .400  .600  0  0   0   0         0
John Jaso             3  3  0  0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000  .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Sean Rodriguez        3  3  1  0  0  1   1  0  1 .333 .333 1.333 1.667  0  0   0   0         0
Jeff Locke            2  2  0  0  0  0   0  0  1 .000 .000  .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Jameson Taillon       1  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  1 .000 .000  .000  .000  0  0   0   0         0
Total                68 65 19  4  0  3   8  3 18 .292 .324  .492  .816  0  0   0   0         0
Has not faced: Josh Bell, David Freese, Eric Fryer and Matthew Joyce & Has not faced pitchers: Antonio Bastardo, Steven Brault, Neftali Feliz, Jared Hughes, Chad Kuhl, Juan Nicasio, Ivan Nova, Felipe Rivero, A.J. Schugel, Ryan Vogelsong and Tony Watson

[Banedon]

Who the hell is Kuhl???

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/8ffi4uE.gif

[Sammy Sofa]

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/f/f2/Kull_the_Destroyer_Vol_1_23.gif/revision/latest?cb=20080808113136

[sneakypower]

sometimes nothin' can be a real Kuhl hand

[Brian]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/LenKasper/status/770681118928449536[/tweet]

[David]

that's kind of weird to say since almost all of that is cutch.

 

(nevermind, i don't think he was comparing them that way, but it kind of looks like it since the cubs' scenario is that much better)

[Sammy Sofa]

I mean, I get what he's saying, but seems like there are better comparisons than the Pirates' actually pretty productively-costing OF, even with Cutch being dead.

[David]

I mean, I get what he's saying, but seems like there are better comparisons than the Pirates' actually pretty productively-costing OF, even with Cutch being dead.

 

no, see, i think you're misinterpreting it just like i did, which is fair when you look at our embarrassment of riches.

 

he's saying both are great values, i'm almost positive.

[Tim]

Based on his comments on the telecast last night, he's complementing both sets of guys as tremendous value.

[Sammy Sofa]

I mean, I get what he's saying, but seems like there are better comparisons than the Pirates' actually pretty productively-costing OF, even with Cutch being dead.

 

no, see, i think you're misinterpreting it just like i did, which is fair when you look at our embarrassment of riches.

 

he's saying both are great values, i'm almost positive.

 

That makes more sense.

[squally1313]

It also works out to a full lineup if you were to combine the two. Not sure if that was his intent either, but yeah, I don't think he was putting the two groups up in some sort of competitive way.

[philosophizer75]

Character limits are a bitch, but tossing in a "just" or an "only" would go a long way for that tweet.

[Omar]

maybe he should have made one of those white bg black text twitter/tumblr images to fully express himself

 

if you cant handle Len at his worst, you don't deserve him at his best

[philosophizer75]

Oh screw off, I have nothing bad to say about len. I enjoy him quite a bit actually. I'm just saying that using "just" or "only" in lieu of "about" would have made what I think he was saying more clear.

[Omar]

i was taking a jab at that marilyn monroe line that every girl has on her facebook quotes

[Ding Dong Johnson]

http://i.makeagif.com/media/11-19-2014/zEMBgw.gif

[soccer10k]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/LenKasper/status/770681118928449536[/tweet]

 

I enjoyed the one they mentioned during the first game of the Colorado series which was the Cubs starting lineup that day was earning less combined than 28 players this year (had to look up the exact number). I also don't know how that factors in signing bonuses and it doesn't include Dex's $5M buyout for next year.

 

Lineup was Dex, KB, Rizzo, Soler, Russell, Szczur, Contreras, Javy and Hendricks.

[Gmoney08]

Anybody know the pitching matchup Thursday night. I plan on grabbing tix and im out of sorts since Lackey went down.

[Omar]

Hammel and Samardzija

[Sammy Sofa]

Hammel and Samardzija