Illini Iceman

Stfu you nerd to a guy with 20k posts is a poor start on this board This post makes me nostalgic for Cubs.com. "I swear I'm not a troll"! Isn't that the first thing they teach you in troll school? I can't believe you guys are actually biting on this. "I'm a huge cubs fan and if you saw my pajama's you definitely know that for sure." That is golden.

jerks p.s. and you guys say i'm living in the past? what about this guy. :glare: Instead they should just put a video of Bud Selig screaming "How dare you promote my sport?!?!?! I will crush any further attempt to show people how exciting baseball can be without express written consent - which I will never give!!!! Bwahaha, bwahaha".

Honestly, I don't know how much I agree with the idea that a player with a high K rate has a lower chance of getting on base than a player with a low K rate. When you think of guys who K at monstrous rates like Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn, then compare them to the Juan Pierres of the world, that sort of data tends to run counter to the idea that strikeouts hinder your ability to get on base more than some other factor. no, i was just saying that if a guy strikes out a certain number of times, then manages to halve that rate while keeping all other things the same, he'll get on base more. but, that requires that all other things are the same, and i don't know if that is necessarily the case. When you dramatically lower your K rate, all other other things are never going to stay the same. Corey wasn't/isn't K-ing as much because he's slapping more. Definatley haven't seen that. The thing I have noticed more now than his time with the Cubs is he has been getting ahead in the count a lot more. You have been able to make that conclusion after watching a whopping 42 AB's, huh? I am guessing that in his over 2000 AB's with the Cubs he had a couple 42 AB stretches where he got ahead in the count at a higher rate. But eventually.......

Is it just me or does it seem like the Cubs always face the opposing team's best starters? Why can't they ever have a series start against a 4th or 5th starter?

He was new to a league, and had the best year of his career. Hes nowhere near a number 2, and hes been getting hit badly. So, just to clarify, you think the Cubs are stupid for making a knee jerk reaction based on a couple starts with Hill but are you are now doing the same thing with Lilly?

In the link it indicates they will just push back his next start while he works out some issues in the bullpen. They will move up Zambrano's next start since they have the off day then slot Hill back in the next time though. OMG - they are ruining this kid by trying to get his mechanics fixed!! And Piniella is quoted as saying Hill has a ton of talent - how can he get a away with ripping one of his players like that - it is uncalled for!!! The guy has pretty much struggled all through the spring with his command. It's not like he only had one bad start. I don't see what is wrong with giving him time before his next start to work with Rothschild on getting himself straightened out. I don't think there is much doubt that if Marquis has another bad start Piniella will be taking about replacing him with Lieber in the rotation. Implying that he is somehow untouchable is a bit of a stretch.

So when Upton put up a line of .221 BA / .283 OBP /.364 SLG in 140 AB's last season shouldn't that mean by this logic that the D-Backs should have given up on him and sent him back to AAA to reinvent himself since he never was going to make it?

Yes, this. We need a knee jerk emoticon around here - until then this one will have to suffice: :roll: Why is pulling Lilly any more knee jerk than pulling Hill? Compare the two: Rich Hill: 9 IP, 7 H, 7 BB, 7 K, 5 R, 5.00 ERA. Ted Lilly: 8.1 IP, 12 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 9 R, 9.72 ERA. In 2005, Lilly has a 5.56 ERA. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could be bad this year. It's no more kneejerk to want to pull Lilly than it is to pull Hill. In fact, based on two starts, Lilly should be the one pulled. Frankly, I wouldn't pull either one. But I find it funny that everyone assumes Lilly's struggles are a fluke while Hill is doomed and needs to go to AAA. Define "everyone" because actually I haven't seen anyone anywhere say that.

By hustling?

That's because playing next to Jeter all season he absorbed some of Jeter's overflow clutchiness but by now it has all worn off.

Janet Reno.........boy I'd like to!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trading Marmol wouldn't make this bullpen stink. The Cubs have the luxury of selling high on a player like Marmol and still having a competitive or better bullpen. Greene's numbers are dragged down by playing half of his season in the cavern that is Petco. Look at his splits. His away OPS was .840 last year. .863 the year before that. Get him out of Petco and into a place like Wrigley and his numbers overall will soar. He's a serious power threat, especially for a SS, and he plays excellent defense at a position where we could use it. Plus, as opposed to Marmol's one inning every other game, he'll play almost every game. If you can use a reliever as a package to get a young, excellent everyday player like Greene, you do it. If it's Marmol for Greene straight up then yes you probably do it but not with all the other guys you listed. Why again would the Padres even consider trading Greene? His name gets brought up a lot here but I must have missed the rationale for a contender with a young quality shortstop wanting to trade him.

Do some people not realize there are sites on this crazy thing called the world wide web that give recaps of games, box scores, video highlights and such?

No matter what your perception was of how Fukodome handled lefties in spring training (and I think it may be a bit flawed) there is NO WAY the Cubs are having Fukodome platoon with any one. He isn't talking about things that the Cubs would actually do. He's talking about things that they SHOULD do. And platooning Fukudome with Murton is not one of them.

No matter what your perception was of how Fukodome handled lefties in spring training (and I think it may be a bit flawed) there is NO WAY the Cubs are having Fukodome platoon with any one.

Thanks for the head's up. Anyone else care to declare they won't be posting in this thread? It is important information for us all to know.

Eyre is expected to start the season on the DL. Marshall and Pignatiello are both being given the opportunity to win that bullpen spot to start the season. However, Len read a quote by Lou today that said the spot is Sean's if he pitches well. Carmen has been lights out this Spring, but I think Lou feels Sean is ahead of him in the pecking order. One could argue that it's better to send Sean to AAA to keep him stretched out as a starter. I doubt he'll be able to get enough innings, to maintain anything near a starters stamina, in the bullpen with Lieber slated as the longman. It seems to me that Pignatiello's repertoire more closely fits the role Eyre is leaving vacant... Of course, this could all be moot if Marquis is traded in the 11th hour. edit: Cubs.com I think Pignatiello would do a better job in the loogy role until Eyre gets back than Marshall and seems to me it is more useful to keep Marshall starting at AAA so he is ready to step in to the Cubs rotation if needed. Only reason I can see that they would keep Marshall in the pen over Pignatiello is if they feel they owe it to him to give him a big league spot so they don't want to demote him to AAA.

And why give an outright release to Reed Johnson so you can put Buck Coats on the 25 man roster?

This is meaningless. Well, duh. Based on your theory Ping only likes Theriot better because he is the white guy.

How about Jeff DaVanon? Never heard of him. Is he any good? http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/857360,eyrecubs032308.article

Man Indiana sure played well in the tournament. And the fifth and sixth place teams, Ohio State and Minnesota, had good showings as well. Oh wait...... Maybe they would have done OK if they had put them in instead of garbage like Baylor and South Alabama.

Man up and do what? Hold MacPhail's family hostage until he agrees to deal Roberts? No, man up and and walk away if MacPhail is jerking him around. You realize that we don't HAVE to get Roberts, right? You realize that the Earth will still exist if we walk away, right? What self respecting GM goes after a player for 3 months and a week before opening day still is being jerked around? Now look at what we have, a distraction and still no Roberts. For this to still be going on is pathetic. There is absolutely no reason for this to still be going on. Good GM's don't get dicked around like this. They give a final offer and walk away. Did the Red Sox humor the Twins for 3 months when they asked for Ellsbury and Lester? No, they told them they could have one or the other and walked away. Did the Yankees get jerked around for 3 months when the Twins asked for Hughes and Kennedy? No, they told the Twins to eat it and pulled the original offer off the table while they were at is. As badnews has said, that's how sane organizations handle things. Not to mention those teams were even bidding against other teams. We're not even competing with another team for Roberts services anymore, we're just getting jerked around. It reminds me of a dude getting cheated on by his girl, still wanting to be with her, and then waiting anxiously for his cell phone to ring so he can find out if she still loves him or if she wants to be with the new guy she's banging. Grow a sack and act like a man. You're right, it's stupid for me to expect a negotiation to not go 3 months and create a distraction right before the season starts. I'm completely unrealistic for expecting that. DexterMorgan: Man, all you gotta do is find a girl that looks just like her, nail her, and then dump her, man. Get her of your mind. Lloyd Dobler:I got a question. If you know so much about women, how come you're here at like the NSBB message board on a Saturday night completely alone drinking beers with no women anywhere? DexterMorgan: By choice, man.

I agree, the Cubs need to identify and give more chances to players that are getting younger instead of wasting their time on guys like Hill that are not. Name a player that is getting younger. Name one. Yeah, sub 4 era, 28 years old, why waste time with a pitcher like that? What a ridiculous statement. OMG, you're right, I can't name any player that is getting younger! And now that I think about it not even any human on the planet getting younger! Thanks for explaining that to me. Or maybe that was my point. Next time I will try one of those cute little eye rolling smilies and you might catch on.

No, that will just be the Rays being the Rays (cheap as usual and making a financial decision over a baseball decision). It really is a very similar situation. History says Dusty will send down young players so he can start vets. And in this case he did it again. History says the Rays will send down young players that are good enough to make the team so they can delay starting their arbritration / FA clock and save money long term. And in this case they are going to do it again. Fans of neither team should be surprised by the decisions because it is consistent with the track record of Dusty and the Rays. There's a distinct difference between cheapness and being financially responsible. A team like the Rays can't be throwing away that much money, unless doing so greatly increases their chances for the playoffs this year, but that remains a longshot. Sure, and the Rays qualify as cheap. They keep stockpiling their talent in the minors and not starting the arbritration clock using the "we aren't ready to make the playoffs yet" theory you support. Guess what, with the Red Sox and Yankees in their division you are going to be waiting a long time for a big opening to make the playoffs. In the meantime you alienate your already weak fan base by not putting the best team on the field. It is a losing philosophy.

I agree, the Cubs need to identify and give more chances to players that are getting younger instead of wasting their time on guys like Hill that are not.