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Everything posted by jaxxradio
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Re: Starlin Castro promoted (!)
jaxxradio replied to UMFan83's topic in MLB Draft, International Signings, Amateur Baseball
A very deperate move by a very desperate organization..he should have been sent to Triple-A to gauge his progress against more seasoned players. -
I'm gonna throw this out there since nobody has thought of it.. could this horrible move have been made by Mr. Ricketts himself? The guy is the owner and he can basically do whatever the heck he wants to do.. I doubt this is the case, but since nobody has thrown it out there...
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Re: Starlin Castro making decision tough on Chicago Cubs
jaxxradio replied to sneakypower's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
Why would anyone think this kid is good enough to play for the Cubs right now? He hasn't hit a home run above A ball, has 31 games of experience above A-ball and didn't exactly set the world on fire with his defense in 2009 ( 39 errors total, .950 in Double-A, .933 in High-A). Don't get me wrong, Castro is going to be a good player, but he needs to start the season in the minors, preferably in Double-A where he can take advantage of the warmer weather..put up great numbers there and move up to Triple-A. -
I beg to differ..it has everything to do with fundamentals. I agree that the timing is bizarre, but the Cubs player development philosophy over the last eight years or so has been to get every player fundamentally sound (that includes the art of bunting). You also have to understand that wins and losses mean very little in the minors, which is probably why he has/had his cleanup hitters laying down bunts every now and then. The other thing everyone needs to understand is the fact that Sandberg wouldn't be managing this way in the majors. His managerial style would be alot different..I can guarantee you that Lee or Ramirez wouldn't be laying down a bunt with guys on base. So then if you admit they wouldn't do it in the majors, why would they be working on it in the minors? I will admit Lee or Ramirez won't be bunting anytime soon.. but there isn't a player in the Cubs system that comes remotely close to Lee or Ramirez offensively, so I won't admit that anybody else other than these two wouldn't work on bunting in the majors.
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I beg to differ..it has everything to do with fundamentals. I agree that the timing is bizarre, but the Cubs player development philosophy over the last eight years or so has been to get every player fundamentally sound (that includes the art of bunting). You also have to understand that wins and losses mean very little in the minors, which is probably why he has/had his cleanup hitters laying down bunts every now and then. The other thing everyone needs to understand is the fact that Sandberg wouldn't be managing this way in the majors. His managerial style would be alot different..I can guarantee you that Lee or Ramirez wouldn't be laying down a bunt with guys on base.
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I'm on the fence with this one, but I will say this: Sandberg isn't interested in winning games as a minor league manager, he's interested in getting his players ready for the majors. Like it or not, bunting is part of the game (albeit a very small part, pardon the pun) and getting his players to consistently lay down a bunt is part of the process of becoming a more complete major league player. It used to drive me nuts to see it when I was in West Tenn, but quickly realized that wins and losses in the minors mean nothing compared to getting players fundamentally ready for the majors.
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It's about time Von got to the big leagues again.. He will do a solid job for the club.. alot of the guys had him in the minors and love his laid-back approach, which is in complete contrast with Perry's aggressive attitude over the last month and change..
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IMB..I can believe it. I did alot of HS play-by-play a while back and saw a number of kids meltdown after a playoff game. It's even more emotional when the team is playing for someone like the coach you mentioned. You don't see many of the pro athletes "lose it" on the field after a game..but I remeber seeing Wade Boggs and Marty Barrett cry in the dugout when the Mets beat Boston in the 1986 World Series.
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I hate going into a clubhouse after a loss that ends the season. It's like going to a funeral for a family member. Tom Hanks was full of crap when he said there's no crying in baseball. I've been known to shed a few tears myself..I knew I shouldn't have watched Oprah last off-season..
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Just because Soriano is smiling three days after his team got eliminated from post-season in no way, shape or form makes him someone who doesn't care about his job. I know 99% of you don't get the priviledge to go into a clubhouse after a game..if you did..you would see the anger felt when a team gets eliminated from post-season. You would see grown men crying because they didn't get the opportunity to win a championship. Please don't take what I am saying as "There goes Ron again rubbing it in our faces that he gets to do this." That's not why I am posting. What pisses me off more than anything else as a broadcaster is when a "fan" starts talking crap about a players lack of commitment or lack of emotion..they show it in the clubhouse..they show it in the privacy of their own home..but they DON'T show it in front of you fans for whatever reason. Maybe they don't show it in front of the fans as a message that its okay.. life will go on..honestly, I don't know. What I do know is that I have seen my share of tears shed in a clubhouse when a team's season ends abruptly. It ain't pretty.
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David.. I'm not saying he would "retire" everybody if he didn't show emotion.. I'm just saying that Zambrano needs to be better poised on the mound when things don't go his way.
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South Side.. I am not talking about just unearned runs.. this isn't a black and white issue. I am talking about prolonging an inning because of emotion. Z does that more than any other pitcher in the game. Unearned runs are the result of poor defense. The Cubs played pretty solid defense this season, so Z probably didn't give up a ton of unearned runs.. but I will guarantee you that he prolonged a number of innings when the defense made an error.. because he can't forget about the mistake and concentrate on getting the next batter out.
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A pitcher is supposed to be able to keep his cool and get out of trouble when his infield or outfield has screwed up. Now I will admit that Zambrano had horrible defense behind him in game two, but he had an opportunity to get out of trouble and couldn't do it because he let his emotions get the best of him. Z's emotions have always gotten the better of him when things don't go as planned in the field, and as a result the inning gets longer and more runs score.
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David..it's called picking your team up..he doesn't do it..having said that, I wouldn't trade him unless I got good value in return. I'd deal him for Peavy without blinking twice..as well as Hamels, Billingsley, Beckett and Webb.
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I'm not throwing him under the bus..I'm just stating fact..when was the last time you saw Z get out of a jam that included poor defensive plays?? In game two, it was Z that gave up the run scoring double to Martin. I realize the guys on base were as the result of poor defense.. but again..a pitcher has to prevent the snowball from turning into an avalanche..he didn't do it in game two and has rarely, if ever, shown the ability TO do it.
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Soriano needs to be taken out of the leadoff spot. If he refuses, trade him for what you can get and wash your hands of him. The Cubs are also in desperate need of a LH slugger to sit between Lee and Ramirez. That lineup is too heavy with right-handed hitters and that was one of the many reasons why I was concerned when LA proved to be the first round opponent. One of the other things I would do.. and I know it's not going to be popular.. but I would deal Zambrano if the price was right. I have never thought this guy was an ace and he proved it yet again in the post-season. While the defense did let him down..the bottom line is as a pitcher, you have to make sure the snowball doesn't turn into a fullblown avalanche. Z has never been able to harness his emotions when the routine plays aren't made. That's when the pitcher needs to pick up his team..and very rarely have I ever seen Zambrano do that.
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When does a 3.34 ERA constitute as being a "playoff choker?" Maddux record is 11-14 with a 3.34 ERA in thirty-two games pitched (thirty as a starter) in the post-season. Given the fact that he pitched against the opposition's #1 or #2 starter, a 3.34 ERA is by no means a "playoff choker." He didn't get much offense..there's a big difference between the two. As for Torre being outmanaged.. the Yankees had ZERO starting pitching the last three post-season appearances.. and were beaten by better teams in the 2001 and 2003 World Series.
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I would have much rather faced Philly. I am more than confident that the Cubs can score more runs on the Phillies pitching staff than LA.. plus, Charlie Manuel does a better job of voicing Boomhower on King of the Hill than he does managing. The other reason why LA is a crappy first round draw is Joe Torre and his post-season presence. Torre doesn't get out-managed very often.
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Not every team has more than one starter who can turn it on against this Cubs offense. In fact, there is only one team in the NL playoffs that has more than one starter capable of "turning it on" against the Cubs offense. Other than Cole Hamels, there isn't a pitcher on the Phillies starting rotation that could shut this Cubs lineup down. Now that Ben Sheets is out for the year, CC Sabathia is the only Brewer starting pitcher that could shutdown this Cubs lineup. The Dodgers have three starting pitchers that can potentially shut this lineup down in Lowe, Billingsley and Maddux (while he isn't the Greg Maddux circa 1995, he has been known to get it done when it matters). There isn't a team in the National League that worries me more than LA.
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That's what concerns me about facing LA in this series USSoccer..LA has the type of pitching that can shut anyone down when they are on. I was hoping the Cubs would face LA in the NLCS because it would be alot easier to beat this type of team in a best of seven series. With this series as a best of five, Lowe and Billingsley could be on their A game and give LA a 2-0 lead..of course the same could be said for Dempster and Zambrano. I just hope the Cubs can hit in the clutch and Aramis doesn't go 0-12 like he did last year. I agree with SF and SD being offensively deficient, but not Colorado. The Rockies got some offense..
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This is going to be a much tougher series than alot of people think. LA has top notch pitching..their infield D just got a whole lot better with Furcal back in the mold and their offense has dramatically improved with Manny and Casey Blake in the lineup. Pitching, defense and timely hitting wins championships. If the Cubs get all three, Wrigleyville will be the scene for the biggest party known to mankind. God I love post-season baseball...
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There is a very REAL chance the Cubs play LA in the NLCS. I think the post-season is going to look like this: NY (wild card winner) vs. Chicago Philly vs. LA AL post-season will probably be: Boston (wild card winner) vs. LA Chicago vs. Tampa Bay (God, that looks WIERD typing that, let alone saying it)
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Difference Between A Curveball And A Slider?
jaxxradio replied to Ski's topic in General Baseball Talk
As a radio announcer who has struggled mightily with the two pitches.. I can tell you this: If a pitcher throws both pitches, the slider is the one with more velocity. An average slider is 83-86, while an average curve is 78-81 (these numbers are based on a guy with a 90 mph fastball). You would think that I could tell the difference between the two from the radio booth.. thats one of MANY reasons why I ain't in the big leagues.. -
Howard isn't even the MVP of his team, Utley is. Albert will probably win the award, but Manny deserves some consideration. Without his presence in the lineup, the Dodgers don't come close to post-season.
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The "Intrigued by Welington Castillo" Thread
jaxxradio replied to TruffleShuffle's topic in Cubs Minor League Talk
Sorry to be the guy who has to tell you guys this... Wellington Castillo hurt his thumb at Pringles Park during the Smokies series with the D'Jaxx. He saw a hand specialist in Chicago yesterday. There is a really good chance he has a fractured or broken thumb. The kid has talent.. solid defensively and calls a really good game. The kid I was really intrigued with was Lansford. If you put him in the Majors (obviously he wouldn't hit a lick in the show right now), he would be a top three defensive 3B in the game.