CubinNY

Santo was annoyed too. I think he watches WGN instead of the game on the field. I love Ron.

A little more on the Iowa game. Hill hit Josh Phelps in the knee and it sounded sick. Jason Dubois is still a physical specimen and still cannot hit a curve ball. Matt Murton did a great job coaching 1st base.

I just have a few minutes until my class starts. I'm about as big a Rich Hill fan as anyone this side of Abuck. However, I just felt bad for him today. We got to the game early (1 pm start) so I got to see all his pitches. He would go through a stretch of about 6 or 7 close to or in the zone and then completely lose the zone for 3 or 4 pitches. He threw a fastball that went back to the back stop Rick Vaugh style and several 50 foot curve balls. Then when he'd have a good stretch his defense would let him down. Coye Hill made a terrible throw trying to pick a guy off and Bobby Scales (who the hell is he?) couldn't handle a little league two hopper. I don't know what is wrong with Rich but he looked unhitable and terrible and nothing in between.

I think The Cubs are going to be linked in one way or another with every available decent player on a losing team.

I'm going to try to get to the game by the 2nd or 3rd inning.

He played on the Cuban National Team when he was 15 or 16. He's pretty damn good.

I kind of think the Yankees will be sellers this deadline. I could see them moving Mussina and a few other pieces. Plus, I don't see how they have the chips to deal. They might be sellers at the deadline, but they are going to have a boatload of money coming off the books at the end of the year. They are going to be buyers in the off-season. If Darvish posts I cannot see any way that the Yankees will be out bid.

That sounds very high-falutin', like going to Oxford or The Sorbonne . I bet it's a cricket pitch with some batting cages. :wink:

He lost touch with a "reality" based world and wondered off somewhere. He also started a thread in social on time travel and aliens. link? I'll never be able to find it. It was rambling and incoherent for the most part. I think I was one of the very few who responded. I think my response something like, "Don't take the brown acid. The brown acid is bad."

He lost touch with a "reality" based world and wondered off somewhere. He also started a thread in social on time travel and aliens.

We should probably release him. This Steve Stone analysis just drives me insane, oh the teams through intense research realized that throwing breaking balls low and away is his kryptonite! It has been kryptonite for Soto for about a month, same for Lee, same for Soriano, but for his entire career. You can deny it, but it is true. They aren't working him inside and setting up the ball low and away (Steve Stone analysis), they are starting there and working further away. Soriano's last K yesterday was three feet outside. I think Soto will adjust. According to this all you ever have to do is throw breaking balls low and away and you'll be Steve Nebraska. I've noticed no change in the way Soto's being pitched from the beginning of the year. Then you haven't been paying close enough attention.

We should probably release him. This Steve Stone analysis just drives me insane, oh the teams through intense research realized that throwing breaking balls low and away is his kryptonite! It has been kryptonite for Soto for about a month, same for Lee, same for Soriano, but for his entire career. You can deny it, but it is true. They aren't working him inside and setting up the ball low and away (Steve Stone analysis), they are starting there and working further away. Soriano's last K yesterday was three feet outside. I think Soto will adjust.

Is Rich Hill scheduled to pitch against the Redbirds? I have class on Tuesday and Wednesday so if he does I hope it is Thursday. If not we may have to make a field trip to AutoZone Park. I'll just have to figure out how to make the students count something over and over at the game (The class is a research methods class).

Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver both waited nearly a year before signing with the Diamondbacks and Angels back when they were drafted. I don't think it's hurt either so far. Wasn't Vitters sick his senior year? He was good, then was sick, then was drafted (with the sickness used to explain his rather pedestrian performance), then sat out an entire summer. That's what I mean. Also Drew, Weaver, Weiters were college players. Why does college v. HS matter in that instance? Time not playing is time not playing, regardless of the competition you're coming from. Physical development (age) and practice, not to mention competition. There is a huge difference between a college junior and a high school senior (however, there are exceptions). To think otherwise is foolish. Anyway, the point is mostly moot as we'll never really know. All things being equal, I'd rather the player not waste a season of development time. Well, they're likely to be facing competition at their level. And you ignored the HS guys I mentioned (Heyward, Parker, Porcello). That doesn't mean that it's a good thing that Vitters meant a couple months of development, just that I don't see the correlation. Those three also were not injured/unhealthy their senior year. There probably isn't a correlation but judging from the information I've read Vitters is not that same player he was in the showcase games.

Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver both waited nearly a year before signing with the Diamondbacks and Angels back when they were drafted. I don't think it's hurt either so far. Wasn't Vitters sick his senior year? He was good, then was sick, then was drafted (with the sickness used to explain his rather pedestrian performance), then sat out an entire summer. That's what I mean. Also Drew, Weaver, Weiters were college players. Why does college v. HS matter in that instance? Time not playing is time not playing, regardless of the competition you're coming from. Physical development (age) and practice, not to mention competition. There is a huge difference between a college junior and a high school senior (however, there are exceptions). To think otherwise is foolish. Anyway, the point is mostly moot as we'll never really know. All things being equal, I'd rather the player not waste a season of development time.

Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver both waited nearly a year before signing with the Diamondbacks and Angels back when they were drafted. I don't think it's hurt either so far. Wasn't Vitters sick his senior year? He was good, then was sick, then was drafted (with the sickness used to explain his rather pedestrian performance), then sat out an entire summer. That's what I mean. Also Drew, Weaver, Weiters were college players.

I hope they all sign as soon as possible or tell the Cubs to bugger off. I think not signing early and sitting out the entire summer has hurt Vitters a great deal. No evidence to back this up, but unless evidence is presented to the contrary I'm sticking with my hypothesis.

I happen to think that it's more physical than mental too, but it didn't happen suddenly. Hill could have developed this problem at any point this winter. From the first day he showed up at spring training, he's been wild. 7 walks looks like a gaudy number, but he could have gotten there several times before. He walked 6 in 2 innings during a spring training game. He very well could have gotten to 7 walks in 2 regular season games if they had thrown him out there for 5 innings. From the time he left at the end of the year last year to the time he showed up this year, something has changed. I just wish we knew what that was. I think Hill developed the "problem" when Lou and Larry started monkeying around with him in ST.

How about Rebel Ridling

I don't get it either. I was more frustrated with Wood hitting Tiffee in a 1-2 count. Wood scares the hell out of me.

Anyone get the feeling that Fukudome didn't much care for Saito? Soto needs to adjust to the breaking pitches, and quick. Lee has look lost up there for the better part of a month. Dempster is really impressive (at least for the first 5 innings). Who would have thought that he'd do this well? Juan Pierre, hahahahahahahha!

Not a fan of Bob. In fact he cannot hold Stone's jock strap when it comes to giving insight into the game. As a color man he gives very little color. I like Len. He's actually better at color then Bob. Listening to Pat and Ron is a treat, every time. However, I think without Pat Ron would not have a job.

Great googly moggly I don't understand the Cubs. The major leagues are chalk-a-block full with fungible relief pitchers and the Cubs waste their first pick on one. Really? What gives?

I could tell the Lennon part was a joke, but I could also tell the part about needing to show emotion was serious. he doesn't need to...but it would be nice to see sometimes...it isn't an end all be all situation though... so...i stopped watching sports (and baseball in particular) after the marlins beat the indians in what was that 97? anyway...the part about hill being told to shut up by the manager...when did that happen...i started paying attention to ball again during the very tail end of 06... Not only was he told to shut up by management, he was demoted shortly afterwards to "work on his attitude". http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060521&content_id=1464636&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

They're all in Arizona for the draft.