4/17 - Cubs (Wesneski) vs A's (Muller): 8:40pm CT Marquee

[Brock Beauchamp]

Yet another late-night game. The Cubs should expect to play in front of a raucous crowd of three to four hundred people in the dumpster fire of a stadium called the Colisseum, o.Co, Network Something or Other, Overstock.com, or whatever shameless corporate entity has the intestinal fortitude to affix their name to the current Oakland A's franchise.

[Bertz]

Hopefully Hayden can have a good game.  The pitch modeling data is unmoved on thinking he's a star, so hopefully he just needs to beat up on a team to get his swagger back.  Although for as bad as Oakland is their offense has been okay thus far its the pitching that has been nightmarish

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I was honored to go to a game there in 2019. What an absolute dump that place is.  I paid ahead for parking at like $19 and found out it was "free parking night" when I arrived.  I showed the security guy my parking pass at the gate, and he just laughed and pointed me toward another guy.  They felt bad I got ripped off so they let me park as close as you can possibly get to the stadium without being in left field.

The only other highlight was them playing clips from The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience between innings.

[cl smooth]

the worst stadium i've been to. just concrete and fencing. and a random mural of the 1989 oakland a's team with jerry garcia painted above some concession stands. 

[soccer10k]

The A’s drew a total of 11372 fans for a weekday series against the Indians earlier this year. Can’t remember ever seeing announced attendances in the 3000’s before at MLB (excluding Covid related limitations).

[UMFan83]

So I see the Cubs are 14th in Athletic's new power rankings.  Don't worry the power ranking weirdo is not coming back.  The reason I'm bringing it up is because I noticed 4 of their 5 series so far this year have been against teams ahead of the Cubs in their power rankings, Brewers (4), Dodgers (9), Rangers (T-12), Mariners (T-12).  They've gone 7-5 in those games. Good stuff

[Bertz]

26 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

So I see the Cubs are 14th in Athletic's new power rankings.  Don't worry the power ranking weirdo is not coming back.  The reason I'm bringing it up is because I noticed 4 of their 5 series so far this year have been against teams ahead of the Cubs in their power rankings, Brewers (4), Dodgers (9), Rangers (T-12), Mariners (T-12).  They've gone 7-5 in those games. Good stuff

Yeah it's really encouraging.  Even for the things where you can pick nits like them missing deGrom, they are balanced elsewhere (getting both Burnes and Woodruff, getting both Castillo and Gilbert).

I think you mentioned a week or two back about being able to break this early season into blocks. and that's how I've been looking at it too.  There's a hellish stretch that starts in mid-May that goes

@ Twins

@ Astros

@ Phillies

Vs. Mets

Vs. Reds

Vs. Rays

@ Padres

I think if they come out of that still at or at least approximately at .500, I'll be pretty much all in.

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Yeah it's really encouraging.  Even for the things where you can pick nits like them missing deGrom, they are balanced elsewhere (getting both Burnes and Woodruff, getting both Castillo and Gilbert).

I think you mentioned a week or two back about being able to break this early season into blocks. and that's how I've been looking at it too.  There's a hellish stretch that starts in mid-May that goes

@ Twins

@ Astros

@ Phillies

Vs. Mets

Vs. Reds

Vs. Rays

@ Padres

I think if they come out of that still at or at least approximately at .500, I'll be pretty much all in.

If the Cubs are close to .500 after that stretch, they should be all in. Yikes. That's brutal.

[UMFan83]

I’m sorry but calling out the A’s as terrible in the header link to the game thread is just asking for trouble. 

[Cubs2023]

5 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

I’m sorry but calling out the A’s as terrible in the header link to the game thread is just asking for trouble. 

Regardless of the outcome, they are terrible though!

[UMFan83]

Wesneski holds the A’s to 1 run in the 1st

[UMFan83]

PWiz!

[champaignchris]

Wisdom on quite the heater. 

[Cubs2023]

Just now, UMFan83 said:

PWiz!

Wizzed on that thing! My goodness.

[UMFan83]

Wesneski really struggling out there despite only giving up 1 run so far.   2 IP, 4 hits, several very loud outs.  Hasn't walked anyone yet though, so thats positive.

Edited April 18, 2023 by UMFan83

[Cubs2023]

1 minute ago, UMFan83 said:

Wesneski really struggling out there despite only giving up 1 run so far.   2 IP, 4 hits, several very loud outs.  Hasn't walked anyone yet though, so thats positive.

The last two outs of that inning were terrible pitches. He’s struggling big time right now.

[Brock Beauchamp]

49 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

I’m sorry but calling out the A’s as terrible in the header link to the game thread is just asking for trouble. 

Yeah, I thought about that but ultimately, a spade needs to be called a spade. And the A’s are HORRIBLE. 

[UMFan83]

It's making me laugh so hard that they are advertising a Tony Kemp poster giveaway right behind home plate.

[UMFan83]

What a terrible strikeout call on Wisdom, but I guess I can't complain too hard after yesterday.

Damn how was that not a HR for Bellinger?  He murdered it....cant believe that was only a double.

[Irrelevant Dude]

That's really dumb.

[UMFan83]

wtf Madrigal.  Should be benched for running that stop sign.

[Omar]

So sick of listening to Sutcliffe. Thank god for the radio audio option on MLBTV. 

[Omar]

4 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

Damn how was that not a HR for Bellinger?  He murdered it....cant believe that was only a double.

That outfield wall extending up vertically in the deepest part of the park. 

[Omar]

I can see why this is the worst team in the league. Sweep these bums. 

I see curse words don't switch to horsefeathers anymore...

Edited April 18, 2023 by Omar

[Ding Dong Johnson]

The Tony Kemp poster should be an oral history of his effort on the Gomes single.