C.C.

Papelbon - 1.61 ERA, 75 K/15 walks, .77 WHIP Dempster - 3.88 ERA, 48K/27 walks, 1.28 WHIP. But hey, at least his performance in situations arbitrarily defined by a meaningless statistic is only marginally worse than Papelbons! (Also, let's not mention the two tie games he entered and singlehandedly let get out of reach) I can't believe how comfortable people are with Ryan closing out games. I'm not arguing his numbers. I don't feel he is the best closer on the team, and when he's off, he is REALLY off, and allows more then just 1 run.. He allows the game to get into an unmanageable lead. Is that his fault? Yes. You're closer should in no way allow 5 hits, and 4 runs in one inning. but it happens. even to great ones. the best hitter on your baseball team shouldn't go 0-4, but that happens too. everyone has a bad game. I still don't think the Cubs have what it takes to hang in there for a playoff run this season.. I just see them fading over these final few weeks. Why not? Remember a week and a half ago how bad the Brewers were playing. Blowing game after game in heartbreaking fashion. Falling below .500! Now they are tied for 1st! This division sucks! Dude, I promise you we'll be there right until the very end and we will win this thing. Hang in there man!

Papelbon - 1.61 ERA, 75 K/15 walks, .77 WHIP Dempster - 3.88 ERA, 48K/27 walks, 1.28 WHIP. But hey, at least his performance in situations arbitrarily defined by a meaningless statistic is only marginally worse than Papelbons! (Also, let's not mention the two tie games he entered and singlehandedly let get out of reach) I can't believe how comfortable people are with Ryan closing out games. I'm not arguing his numbers. I don't feel he is the best closer on the team, and when he's off, he is REALLY off, and allows more then just 1 run.. He allows the game to get into an unmanageable lead. Is that his fault? Yes. You're closer should in no way allow 5 hits, and 4 runs in one inning. I'm going to reply to you one more time. Your anger is painfully misdirected. There is no reason to vent on Dempster for this one game or his 3 blown saves. He's done his job this year and has done it well. Steer your anger towards this pathetic-worthless-no power-offense. That's something to get pissed about.

If that's the case, then you are having a hard time trusting the pitching too then? No? youre missing the point like a fool who falls out of a boat at sea and misses the water. Nice.. If you feel you need your offense to score 6 or more runs a night to give your team a chance to win, then that's pretty sad. If that's the case, you don't trust your pitching. You're being silly. You'd like your offense to be consistent and we are far, far from that. Our pitching is fine...

I agree, but if the offense scores 4 and the opposition scores 3, and we are in the 9th inning, whose job is it to get those last three outs? Dempster...... And with that, I am not very comfortable.... Are you? I'm never comfortable no matter who is closing with a 1 run lead. Dempster has been good, it's just a bad day. It's Sept. 06 and we are still in the race with 24 games left. Get over what happened today and move on.

or as I just wrote in another thread, get mad at the guy who put dempster out there at the end of a 6-run win yesterday. He's pitched a lot lately, let's throw him out on the mound when anyone in the bullpen can finish the game off. I doubt fatigue was the problem...

Speechless. Just flat out speechless..

Dempster is not the problem! The bullpen is not the problem!!!! OUR OFFENSE IS THE PROBLEM! Sheez!

Yep, he's done a good job this year. Now it's up to his teammates to pick him up and score some runs in the 9th. Dempster - ERA after today 3.5+. SOs/IPs = 48/55 Marmol ERA 1.45. 77/56 Saves are misleading. Dempster gets hit hard and doesn't strike out enough guys to be a good closer which is why he is constantly in trouble even when he does get lucky saves. While I completely agree that saves are misleading, to say that Dempster gets hit hard is inaccurate. Coming into this game, opponent have put up a line of .197/.296/.275 against Dempster this season. Lets compare his ERA to others in the weak Central division. Marmol - 1.45 Izzy - 1.77 Lidge - 2.97 Cordero - 2.96 Eventually all those line smashes against him start to fall in. His ERA is out of whack with his other numbers. If anything, Dempster has been unlucky this season. Opponents aren't hitting for average or power against him. His control could be better, but you were wrong in saying he's been hit hard this year. If you want to say he's been hit hard by the Mets, that would be accurate. Hell, if you take away those two horrible games, his ERA would have been 1.84 coming into today. Ok, but the fact remains the organization keeps saying he is our closer of the future. Well he has proven he can get big league hitters out. We have a team built for the now, not the future. Thus why wouldn't we use him in that role now, when we have a legit shot to win the division. Because there is almost no role for Dempster if you take him out of closer. You can't put him in during the middle of an inning. Marmol is much more versatile than Dempster and can come in with runners on to get 1 out, while Dempster needs to come in with nobody on to be effective. So until Dempster is traded, he needs to be the closer and Marmol needs to come in with runners on to stop people from scoring. Oh so Dempster isnt a good enough pitcher to come in with guys on base and get out of it, yet you support him being our closer. Dempster has what 3-4 BS this year? He's been good this year in his role as is Marmol in his. The bullpen is not the problem of this team.

The Cardinals are charging, I know that. I would bet almost any amount of money that the Cardinals don't win this division. It'll be either the Brewers or Cubs. You want to make a wager? You seriously want to bet on the Cardinals? No I want the damn division to be over, but I don't mind taking your money. I will gladly pay if I am wrong. Put it this way if the Cardinals win it with their schedule, then they deserve it..

The Cardinals are charging, I know that. Look who their playing? St. Louis still has the hardest schedule of the three teams. Don't worry...We'll be fine!

The Brewers' next ten games are against the Pirates and Reds. This season is OVER. Yeah, all of our remaining games against the Pirates and Reds will make it impossible to beat them. Oh, and I forgot the Brewers great road record too...Man, we're toast! People need to seriously get a grip... I like that we play the Pirates, but I am also afraid knowing that we will face Gorzelanny and Maholm. Cards face Webb tomorrow and the Brewers are terrible on the road. We'll get that game back tomorrow. I still say we win this division by 3 games.

The Brewers' next ten games are against the Pirates and Reds. This season is OVER. Yeah, all of our remaining games against the Pirates and Reds will make it impossible to beat them. Oh, and I forgot the Brewers great road record too...Man, we're toast! People need to seriously get a grip...

NO! WE NEED MARMOL! 25/28 ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. MARMOL WOULD NEVER, EVER BLOW A SAVE! LOL! People need to get a grip.

Well that sucked, but eventually a closer will blow a save.

Yep, he's done a good job this year. Now it's up to his teammates to pick him up and score some runs in the 9th. Dempster - ERA after today 3.5+. SOs/IPs = 48/55 Marmol ERA 1.45. 77/56 Saves are misleading. Dempster gets hit hard and doesn't strike out enough guys to be a good closer which is why he is constantly in trouble even when he does get lucky saves. Lucky saves? Is this a stat? :roll: Yes, 25 saves with a 3.5 ERA. Yes, because a 3.5 ERA for a closer is terrible...Gimme a break!

Yep, he's done a good job this year. Now it's up to his teammates to pick him up and score some runs in the 9th. Dempster - ERA after today 3.5+. SOs/IPs = 48/55 Marmol ERA 1.45. 77/56 Saves are misleading. Dempster gets hit hard and doesn't strike out enough guys to be a good closer which is why he is constantly in trouble even when he does get lucky saves. Lucky saves? Is this a stat? :roll:

Not really...We haven't had a heartbreaker for a while now. We'll get'em in Pitt..

This day turned ugly real quick...Ug!

I don't think fatigue is a factor.

We were over-due for a loss like this. It happens!

Not even close we had a 5 or 6 run lead in that game.

Eventually you're going to be right, but he's done just fine. Closers blow saves sometimes. Part of the game.

I was just thinking that Dempster is bound to blow a save sometime. Damn.

Man, I can't watch this! I'll walk my Pug...

Ankiel has 8 homers already. Wow!