brfahey
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Everything posted by brfahey
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Just wanted to take a pulse. It strikes me that Barrett is a below average defensive catcher to whom the starters seem reluctant to throw. Lots of missed pitches and passed balls. Lazy footwork at times behind the plate. He is a pretty good hitter. He has good-looking offensive numbers and even good RISP numbers but often seems to tense up in those men on base situations. Also he seems to tense up in tight situations on the field (Philadelphia, throwing the ball down the left field line against the Reds earlier in the year, mishandling a lot of throws from the outfield on plays at home). Finally, last year he let his personal problem with Oswalt become a big issue which triggered the Astros run. In short, I don't think he's a real plus to this team particularly playing the position he does. Is it a coincidence that the pitching has been very uneven since his arrival? I think we are far better off having a catcher whose defense comes first. Barrett seems ripe for a switch to a less challenging position. I just don't wnat to see him mis-handling the staff for another year.
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Agreed. They should all get fired. That's probably the move to make. I didn't mean to make this a fire Rothschild thread; I was just surprised at the lack of criticism he has received in the media. It shouldn't surprise me given the single digit IQ of the media, who generally have to be told what the story is and then they all follow that.
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I may have missed a discussion but here goes. A guy who seems to be escaping criticism (and has since he arrived several years ago) is Rothschild. There seems to be little development and growth of the pitchers as pitchers. Prior arrived as a fully realized starter. But no growth at all with Wood, the bullpen has been very uneven and the staff as a staff does not throw strikes consistently. The staff has no identity as a staff like Atlanta's (pitch to the outside corner). I probably wouldn't be writing this if I hadn't heard more than once (from Stone pre-sour grapes, and from Hughes and Santo) that Rothschild is one of the best in the business. Just surprised that he and the hitting instructors for that matter have taken little or no flak.
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7/29-D'backs(Vasquez) at Cubs (Prior) 1:20 CT, WGN
brfahey replied to LetsPlayTwo's topic in Fred Hornkohl Game Thread Forum
Great win, but it doesn't mean the offense doesn't stink most of the time. Four runs in two games. WE are lucky to have won the one game. The secret was we never got a man to third in the ninth. We need a confident situational hitter. it's pretty bad when one of the top two orthree hitters on the team in terms of confidence is a guy who was in Double-A a month ago. -
7/29-D'backs(Vasquez) at Cubs (Prior) 1:20 CT, WGN
brfahey replied to LetsPlayTwo's topic in Fred Hornkohl Game Thread Forum
Looking at things logically instead of making a knee-jerk reaction is a loser's mentality? THE EXACT SAME THINGS WERE SAID THE LAST TWO YEARS! I'm convinced that some people just simply don't understand that this is a 162 game season. Our offense is hot and cold, we'll bust out of it and go on a tear for a week or so like we have all year. If that's logic, then the answer is yes. -
7/29-D'backs(Vasquez) at Cubs (Prior) 1:20 CT, WGN
brfahey replied to LetsPlayTwo's topic in Fred Hornkohl Game Thread Forum
My God is that a loser mentality. If we knew how to hit a sacrifice fly we be up about four or five games in the wild card race. We have now scored a total of two runs in 17 innings against a bad pitching staff. Another runner stranded on thid with less than two outs. Let's stop trying to put a good face on this offense. It stinks. If we don't hit home runs we don't score same as last year. No one learns about trying to extend at bats. Look at Blanco's home today; that was the 11th pitch of the AB. A lot of these guys don't battle at the plate some times. Perez, Walker and Hairston go out on the first pitch way too much. Stop saying it's not that bad. It is. -
Thats because he's a good guy, and one of the team leaders. By the way, you better not be ragging on Mark Grace. Why not? A good player whom the media anointed as a great player because he was one of their buddies. And he felt the need to bad-mouth the Cubs when they decided to stop paying him 5 or 6 mil per year for 12 HRS and 70-75 RBIs. Those are lead-off man numbers and this guy hit third or fourth his whole career with the Cubs. Enough Mark Grace already.
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It's not a problem to speak your mind. But why always to the media? he's quoted more than Lee or Ramirez. I tend to think guys who always seem to be quoyed are self-promoters (see Grace and Schilling). I'm pretty sure the media goes to him and asks him questions, and he doesn't go up to them just to say what he feels. It's not Todd's fault that reporters chose to use his quotes. Maybe Lee and Ramirez get asked the same amount of questions, Todd just happens to have answers that are more quote-worthy. How boring would it be if all the players just said "Good game, we'll be back out there tomorrow." The boredom level in my life is not dependent upon quotes from ballplayers. I could care less if any of them were ever quoted. The game is on the field. The less talking the better.
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It's not a problem to speak your mind. But why always to the media? he's quoted more than Lee or Ramirez. I tend to think guys who always seem to be quoyed are self-promoters (see Grace and Schilling).
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I am not saying Walker is the problem, but... he is a bit of a moth to the camera/microphone (see Mark Grace). KInd of sick of hearing him speak for the team. he seems to be the go-to guy for a quote And in case no one has noticed he can be a bit of a dog hustle-wise when he hits ground balls. Just thought to mention these points
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Could it be possible that the reason Blanco's Starter's ERA is so much is lower is that he has primarily caught Mark Prior this season? Obviously, that's not going to account for all of it because Prior missed a number of starts this year but I think that has a big factor in it. Agreed. I always thought catcher's ERA was a pretty useless stat. Blanco doesn't have any magical game calling skills and Blanco's defense hasn't really impressed me all that much this season. When Prior is really on his game, a one armed midget could catch him and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. I disagree. The telling number under your analysis would be Prior's ERA when caught by Barrett v. when caught by Blanco. I don't think the difference is all Prior. The staff meltdown games seem to come with Barrett at catcher (yesterday, last game in Atlanta). I understand that the pitchers are as responsible as the catchers but there is something to this, I think.
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Thanks for the info. That ERA discrepency is striking. I think, not based on these numbers alone, that Barrett is a poor receiver and defensive catcher. Never seems to hang on to a throw from the outfield. Lots of wild pitches which could be scored as passed balls. His bat is pretty good. I think he should think about a position change.
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Does anyone know the Cubs record in games started by Barrett vs. the record in games started by Blanco and/or the staff's ERA with each?
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I think Barrett aggravated his shoulder injury calling for an 0-2 fastball down the middle to Andruw Jones.
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I said yesterday and I'll say it again. Someone needs to pay for this embarrasment with their job(s). Baker, hendry and MacPhail need to apologize to the fans and at least one roster move involving a position player needs to made. The losing is bad enough but the feeling there are no consequences for it is worse.
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Where's that poster from yesterday who was telling me that the Cubs swinging at first pitches and early in counts was being aggressive. The first four innings today are exhibit #5646464 as to why our offense stinks. This bum is averaging about 10 pitches per inning.
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(In my opinion) 1-4, 4 LOB is just as bad (if not worse) as 0-4, 2 LOB. I have no idea what that means. Last night Corey went 0-4 and left 2 on base. Neifi did get a hit, but in the process of going 1-4 he left 4 on base. I don't understand how Patterson gets singled out as the "worst offender" BY looking at the numbers over the entire season that's how. Does Neifi have more hits than strikeouts? Does Patterson? What more do you need to see? By the way, Patterson is not the only offender, just the worst. Perez and Barrett are killing this team as well.
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(In my opinion) 1-4, 4 LOB is just as bad (if not worse) as 0-4, 2 LOB. I have no idea what that means.
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For all intensive purposes the game was already over at that point, but thanks for singling him out. It's not like he hit into a triple play with the bases loaded in a 1 run game. Why was the game over? Because everyone had given up already? The Braves scored four runs in the fifth after two were out. Patterson gets singled out because he is the worst offender.
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Swinging at the first pitch is being aggresive and obviously they've scouted these pitchers to know that you should swing at the first good pitch. That is what Brenley was saying last night. Forget the fact that they were facing a converted relief pitcher who wasn't used to throwing a lot of pitches. They have been swinging at the first pitch all year and putting themselves in bad counts. Check out the pitch counts of the opposing pitchers compared to the Cubs pitchers. We never let a pitcher get himself in trouble. I am reluctant to quote Santo but he's right when he says that these guys are afraid to hit with two strikes. If being aggressive was a good thing in and of itself Corey Patterson would leading the league in hitting.
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Perez playing at all is a problem. Why the hell was Cedeno recalled? Perez is part of the swing at the first pitch crowd that is killing this team.
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I cannot believe the Cubs are going to insult all of their intelligent fans by making no moves before tonight's game. Someone needs to pay with their job for the embarrassment of the last two nights. If either Perez or Patterson start this game it is a travesty. Patterson should not see the light of day again this season. Anybody else stay up late and see his last at-bat last night? Couldn't wait to make an out and have the game end. If the same lineup is trotted out there tonight it proves not only that the Cubs stink but that they are not attempting to get better. Thise Cub fans who actually care about winning deserve much better.
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7/5 Cubs (Maddux) @ Braves (Colon) 6:35 PM CSN
brfahey replied to otis89's topic in Fred Hornkohl Game Thread Forum
Calling all Corey apologists: please tell us all how it's Baker's fault that he done nothing in the 7-hole tonight. Why this guy is not permanently on the bench until he's traded is a mystery. His lack of production is so predictable it's a joke. This guy stinks, period. Not otmention what apparently were two misjudged balls in center tonight. He is a symbol of all that is wrong with this team. -
Where do we draw the line? Is it Baker and his coaches and they're inability to get the team to play good fundamental baseball or is it Hendry's recently poor decisions in acquiring the talent that can play that type of game? Personally, I think it's both. There's a good chance we can fall to 4th place within our division by the end of the week. That's not good. I find it amazing that I began this thread as a criticism of the performance of some of the players on this team and it gets back to being either Hendry or Baker's fault. This team is the same team it has been all year, ie the one Hendry assembled and the one Baker has to work with. This team stinks right now because players aren't performing. Period. Quit making escuses for these guys. Barrett is not new to the catching position. Patterson doesn't hit, no matter where he is in the lineup. Etc. This team failures are ones of performance and execution.
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What's most disturbing about these numbers is the fact that the guys at the bottom of the offensive numbers are regulars (Patterson, Perez and Barrett). With these three and the pitcher, we are giving the other team 12-14 outs (4+ innings) before the game even starts. No wonder the team can't score.