The Voice of Reason

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.

you never mention it when he does save games Yes I do. Numerous times.

How many times do I have to tell you guys that Dempster sucks and he shouldn't be closing games.

Yep. Our big 3 are the only ones who have more on the team this year. (Barrett had 9 if you want to count him.) Couldn't the Cubs have been "jerks" and claimed Ankiel off waivers when the Cards sent him down despite Ankiel's claims he wouldn't play for anyone else?

ARam already has one HR against Beimel. Make it 2.

No he doesnt suck, he can hit, but he shouldnt be starting I agree. He is starting because we don't have Aram in the lineup today. There are better options But Ward is a much better base runner.

Yeah, the missed opportunities (Ward) in the first inning area big now, since the Cubs offense can't seem to do much else. Ward got picked off first??? Oh well, I guess that happens from time to time to great base stealing threats. :roll: It gets better it was by the catcher with a runner on 2nd, and a walk followed which would have made it bases loaded 1 out. That figures. What was Ward trying to do, taunt the catcher like little leaguers do?

Yeah, the missed opportunities (Ward) in the first inning area big now, since the Cubs offense can't seem to do much else. Ward got picked off first??? Oh well, I guess that happens from time to time to great base stealing threats. :roll:

Yeah, we know he is big. I dunno what the Brewers are thinking here. they must be desparate. Think they'd take Eyre off our hands? :wink: Not that desperate.

We ARE ND! They're the most over-hyped over-ranked team almost every year since Knut Rockney. Valid point - both are over ranked - see their recent bowl records against good teams.

Is App St supposed to be competent this year, or did they just play way over their heads for a big game? Or did Michigan just suck that badly? (never cared much about college sports, but have friends who went to app st) APP ST IS A DIVISION 1AA(NOW CALLED DIV 1), MICHIGAN IS THE 5TH RANKED TEAM IN THE COUNTRY HENNE JUST THREW 46 YARD PASS TO MANNINGHAM, THEY ARE ON THE 20 WITH 6 SEC LEFT. OMG THEY BLOCKED THE FG!!! THIS HAS TO BE THE GREATEST GAME EVER, AND I COULDNT SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE BIG TEN!!!!!!! APP ST WINS Let the Big Blue crying begin. I love it. :lol:

Is App St supposed to be competent this year, or did they just play way over their heads for a big game? Or did Michigan just suck that badly? (never cared much about college sports, but have friends who went to app st) APP ST IS A DIVISION 1AA(NOW CALLED DIV 1), MICHIGAN IS THE 5TH RANKED TEAM IN THE COUNTRY Michigan has been over ranked more than any team in the history of college football. They no match for a good SEC or Pac team team with speed and evidently Appachian St.

six of the Cubs first seven batters yesterday hit the ball on the screws. Wandy is so lucky. Oh great, now we're comparing our closer to Wandy. Is his ERA and Walks ratio as high as Dempster's?

3 hard hit balls > two outs = classic lucky Dempster.

Neither do I he sucks. Most overated closer in baseball. Way to waste Marmol Lou. I see another lucky cheap save for Dempster coming.

Not really any good way to handle this. How about the players are allowed to be picked up after week 2 of the season with the worst team going first etc. Doing it after week 1 may encourage some teams to tank that week on puropose.

So you want Dempster going 2 innings last night in a tie game and Marmol coming in to face the 9-1-2 hitters with a 2 run lead? I'd want my best relief pitcher pitching the ninth (and eight inning if necessary). Marmol has a 1.47 ERA and threw 22 strikes out of 29 pitches last night. Dempster has a 3.29 ERA and only threw 9 strikes out of 21 pitches. He doesn't have the control or strike out enough guys to be a good closer. A so-called closer walking a guy with the bases loaded - that's ridiculous. I don't care how many cheap saves he gets. That ground ball goes a few more feet to ARam's left and the Brewers win the game. I think you're just defending him because you like his first name. You'd be wasting his value. Your best reliever should pitch in the tighest of spots. That is mostly in the 6th, 7th, or 8th, when the starting pitcher or middle reliever gets in trouble and you need to get through the heart of the order. The closer starts almost all his innings with nobody on, so you can afford to give up a runner. When a guy comes in during the 8th with men on and nobody out, you need your stud reliever. If Marshall goes eight innings today and runs out of gas with the Cubs up by one, Lou better use Marmol instead of Dempster. I hope not. Marmol shouldn't pitch today after pitching 2 innings yesterday. And yes, that is the one situation where the closer being the most dominant pitcher is a good thing. How many times does a starter go 8 full innings anymore though? Not very often. Number of innings is irrelevant. Marmol threw eight more pitcher than Dempster. A team can be up one or two runs in the ninth without a starter pitching eight innings.

So you want Dempster going 2 innings last night in a tie game and Marmol coming in to face the 9-1-2 hitters with a 2 run lead? I'd want my best relief pitcher pitching the ninth (and eight inning if necessary). Marmol has a 1.47 ERA and threw 22 strikes out of 29 pitches last night. Dempster has a 3.29 ERA and only threw 9 strikes out of 21 pitches. He doesn't have the control or strike out enough guys to be a good closer. A so-called closer walking a guy with the bases loaded - that's ridiculous. I don't care how many cheap saves he gets. That ground ball goes a few more feet to ARam's left and the Brewers win the game. I think you're just defending him because you like his first name. You'd be wasting his value. Your best reliever should pitch in the tighest of spots. That is mostly in the 6th, 7th, or 8th, when the starting pitcher or middle reliever gets in trouble and you need to get through the heart of the order. The closer starts almost all his innings with nobody on, so you can afford to give up a runner. When a guy comes in during the 8th with men on and nobody out, you need your stud reliever. If Marshall goes eight innings today and runs out of gas with the Cubs up by one, Lou better use Marmol instead of Dempster.

So you want Dempster going 2 innings last night in a tie game and Marmol coming in to face the 9-1-2 hitters with a 2 run lead? I'd want my best relief pitcher pitching the ninth (and eight inning if necessary). Marmol has a 1.47 ERA and threw 22 strikes out of 29 pitches last night. Dempster has a 3.29 ERA and only threw 9 strikes out of 21 pitches. He doesn't have the control or strike out enough guys to be a good closer. A so-called closer walking a guy with the bases loaded - that's ridiculous. I don't care how many cheap saves he gets. That ground ball goes a few more feet to ARam's left and the Brewers win the game. I think you're just defending him because you like his first name.

Marmol should be closing and Mr. (my stats are padded with lucky saves) Dempster should be pitching before Howry.

Because the Brewers bullpen never blows a lead. :roll:

Why in the world would they take out Suppan with their bullpen troubles. Especially after only throwing 82 pitches.

Brewers in third place! ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha, ha, ha! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wanna bet?

More info from St. Louis writer's post.