third eye

God I hope they can take the lead this inning. I don't want to have to root for a bad outing from Kerry.

Yeah, I just don't see much the Cubs can do. I'd like to see Soriano given a couple days off but that's about it. Yeah, has he completely gotten over the nagging leg injury from earlier this year? Even if it is not a physical issue, he just needs to step away for a day or two.

Wasn't able to see the game today - did Soriano and Fukudome look as bad as their final lines? I'd love to see them both get a bit of time off, but I don't know who fills those spots in the mean time. Oh, and thank you Riot. =D>

Yesterday's lineup was comprised of half of the regulars from an awful RBI Baseball team (offense at least - Nolan Ryan was the only reason to choose them). I would prefer to face them again...

Yesterday's lineup was comprised of half of the regulars from an awful RBI Baseball team (offense at least - Nolan Ryan was the only reason to choose them). I would prefer to face them again...

I've heard a bunch of radio chatter over the last few days about the slotting rules mentioned at the begining of the article - specifically as it relates to Strasburg. It sounded to me like these were guidelines that may even be on going away soon. What's the real story there? Also, I'd love to see this expanded beyond the first round. It would provide a much better perspective on player development rather than talent recognition in the first round, where there is frankly a greater consensus anyway.

Yeah, his peripherals mostly support what he's been doing. The only thing that is way out of line would be his LOB%. It's at 80 percent now, which isn't sustainable. Even his BABIP (.278) is at a reasonable number. But still, if he keeps pounding the strike zone and mixing it up, he could be a solid starter for a long time. His first start is the only one I remember him consistently working out of self-created jams. I wonder how much closer to the mean that number would be excluding his first start.

eww that win felt gross and unsatisfying. I think I need a shower.

Verdad. Do you have the bullpen performances relative to Zips?

Verdad. Do you have the bullpen performances relative to Zips?

Any weight change prompts speculation -- if he had shown up looking waifish & having lost more weight from last season, 'roid speculation would also be strong. It wouldn't surprise me either way. While this wouldn't absolve him of any suspicion, the minor league testing policy is much more extensive than MLB's isn't it? If the 2007 season were the start of it, wouldn't he have been much more likely to be caught then? The weight loss seems the more likely reason for his improved performance to me, but maybe I'm just being a homer.

This team, in its current state, is not good. I'd replace "bad" with underperforming. There will be some regression (up) by the offense, the starting rotation will be fine, but it definitely needs bullpen help. I think it's absolutely insane to think this team is going anywhere this season. I said a month and a half ago, this team was a 75-80 win team. Aramis is not going to come back and mash the ball. The bullpen is horrible, Wells will not pitch like this all season, Soriano sucks, Theriot is coming back to earth, and so is Fuku. Soto is proving with every game that last season was an abberation and not the norm, Bradley sucks when he's on the field (which isn't very often). Zambrano is now deciding he doesn't need to catch the team flight, after getting suspended for 6 games, Piniella keeps making boneheaded decisions, we have gaping holes at this current time at 2nd, 3rd, catcher, RF, and the ENTIRE bullpen. The list goes on and on. It's June - two months into the season. When do you finally sit back and say - "this team sucks"?? Now is the time to say that. I'll say it when players are producing to their career norms or normal trajectories, the offense still sucks at creating runs and the pitching staff still sucks at preventing runs. The bullpen was a question mark coming into the season, and it has taken a worse turn than expected. It is legitimately terrible. I'm not ready to say that about the offense quite yet, and I'm definitely not ready to say that about the rotation. Given the injuries and underperformances thus far, the fact that the team is still at .500 leaves me with plenty of reason to believe it will remain in contention, individual maddening losses notwithstanding. But as I said, changes need to be made for the bullpen for this team to not finish middle of the pack. This team is 1-19, or something like that, when scoring under 4 runs. How does a team win, that CANNOT win the close pitching favored game? The offense is terrible right now. If you think Aramis is going to come back and mash the ball after a 4-6 week layoff from seperating his shoulder, then you are sadly mistaken. What do you have to base Soto's numbers off of? The one year in the minors and one season in the majors where be played well? Look up his numbers from August through October last season - I bet they weren't anything to write home about. Fontenot has done nothing in the majors. What makes you think he'll suddently find it? Fuku started like this last season, and started to tail off right around now. I see the same pattern developing. Soriano - If he doesn't hit a homer, he's striking out.. Theriot is slumping pretty bad right now. Lee has picked it up a bit lately (thus being the only real bright spot on the team, outside of Wells). The bullpen is in shambles. The starting rotation is our only real bright spot right now, and how lomg do you think it'll hold that way? How long do you think it'll be before Zambrano combusts, wait - that's already happened. How long till Harden sees the DL - wait - that's also already happened. How long till Dempster proves 2008 was an off (by off I mean good) year, which isn't the norm? I mean c'mon! how long do you continue to make excuses for EVERYONE who is slumping? I don't need to make excuses for anyone. You made the point yourself. Plenty of key players are slumping. If you think their numbers at the end of the year will look exactly like they do right now, then great, you'll have a 75 win team on your hands. Soto may or may not rebound. A lot will depend on whether he can get healthy/back in better shape over the course of the season. He is certainly a risk, but there is very little chance he will end the season with the rate stats he has now. I do still expect Lee to end up at an .800-.850 OPS, not great shakes for a 1B, but not a disaster. Soriano is below an .800 OPS right now after a prolonged slump. Do you really want to bet he won't improve on that significantly? Bradley, while an injury risk has NEVER performed this poorly, and he has really started to hit well over the last week. I'd be shocked at anything less than an .850 out of him when the year is done. Aram won't come back and hit as well as he did before getting injured, but you can bet that he will outproduce his replacement in the lineup (Miles, not Fontenot). If you really believe the offense will perform exactly as it has throughout the year, then great. I don't. The bullpen is what could make or break the season.

Sadly Kerry Wood's year has not been anything to write home about, so I don't see how you can guarantee different results.

This is an inspired game thread start, in a retrosexual way. :good: I hope the team's performance warrants the effort.

This team, in its current state, is not good. I'd replace "bad" with underperforming. There will be some regression (up) by the offense, the starting rotation will be fine, but it definitely needs bullpen help. I think it's absolutely insane to think this team is going anywhere this season. I said a month and a half ago, this team was a 75-80 win team. Aramis is not going to come back and mash the ball. The bullpen is horrible, Wells will not pitch like this all season, Soriano sucks, Theriot is coming back to earth, and so is Fuku. Soto is proving with every game that last season was an abberation and not the norm, Bradley sucks when he's on the field (which isn't very often). Zambrano is now deciding he doesn't need to catch the team flight, after getting suspended for 6 games, Piniella keeps making boneheaded decisions, we have gaping holes at this current time at 2nd, 3rd, catcher, RF, and the ENTIRE bullpen. The list goes on and on. It's June - two months into the season. When do you finally sit back and say - "this team sucks"?? Now is the time to say that. I'll say it when players are producing to their career norms or normal trajectories, the offense still sucks at creating runs and the pitching staff still sucks at preventing runs. The bullpen was a question mark coming into the season, and it has taken a worse turn than expected. It is legitimately terrible. I'm not ready to say that about the offense quite yet, and I'm definitely not ready to say that about the rotation. Given the injuries and underperformances thus far, the fact that the team is still at .500 leaves me with plenty of reason to believe it will remain in contention, individual maddening losses notwithstanding. But as I said, changes need to be made for the bullpen for this team to not finish middle of the pack.

This team, in its current state, is not good. I'd replace "bad" with underperforming. There will be some regression (up) by the offense, the starting rotation will be fine, but it definitely needs bullpen help.

I'm operating under the assumption that a trade will be made for bullpen help here. There is no way a team with this much of an investment in this season stands pat in that department. Hendry has a spotty record in the relief department, but that is partly a function of the players that fill that role. The question will be how much he gives up, and frankly, how lucky the team is in the results the trade delivers.

Listening to the Mariners post-game, all of the hitters basically said he had them guessing the whole night. Obviously the Mariners have a crappy lineup but it still sounded like the performance was more about him than about them - spotting the fastball and being able to throw the curve for strikes in any count. I am in the camp that says he doesnt need a third pitch to be successful. It does sound to me like there has been a correction of a mechanical flaw, and I wish him well. Can someone remind me what the circumstances were around the trade? The Cubs were out of options with him, right? They didn't have the ability to wait out his rehab?

There might be something to that, but if you look at most of the prolific power hitters of this era, you'll find a ton of strikeouts scattered among them. Guys like Albert Pujols and Aramis Ramirez are more the exception than the norm. There was a study done on I want to say The Hardball Times awhile ago that looked at the correlation between power hitters and strikeouts. The general finding from the study was that an increase in home run hitting tended to lead itself to an increase in strikeouts. I'll post it if I find it. I think it's difficult to compare HR hitters across eras in that way, too. Pitching and hitting have changed so much over the years. Yes, and you also can't compare counting stats with rate stats here (not to mention development/age). Not shocking that his "breakout year" in terms of HR was at age 26-27. But he still showed plenty of power before then. His SLG was higher in the strike shortened 1994 season than in his 56 HR season. Yes, his highest HR total was also in his season with the most SO, but it was also the season with the most plate appearances he had seen to that point. Additionally, that was the year there was a ton of hype around him chasing 60HR, so it wouldn't surprise me if his K rate went up over the course of the year (greater focus on hitting HR). Not saying this means Griffey was clean for sure, but your assertion is a stretch.

soriano and sandberg. Nice. You had to figure there was a catch to that question somewhere.

My guess too, though I thought Kent might have gotten injured for half a season at some point to break the streak. How long has Utley been at it (before I check BR)?

Even with his weak arm, he made it pretty close. McGehee's got catcher speed. I didn't think it was all that close, but for some reason I thought McGehee had decent speed. My bad.

Yeah, he doesn't have a good arm. But he did make a great pick, and I don't think a strong arm would have made that play either.

7.1 surround and HD is the the way to go. Hard to watch without it now.

So I guess I said I wasn't all that psyched for the regular season, but damn did I just jump around screaming after that play. I'm all in again.