Clem Fandango

This just in: Mike Trout is really good http://espn.go.com/mlb/blog/_/name/stark_jayson/id/9681372/mike-trout-edition-september-history-watch

That's basically giving Sveum a license to suck with no consequence. After all, no matter what he does, you can't really judge because the team isn't a contender yet. To me, the problem with this theory is that you might never become a contender, and part of that might be due to Sveum not getting the most out of the players he has been put in charge of developing into real difference makers in the major leagues. To me, Dale was brought here to get something out of what has been given to him. If he doesn't produce measurable progress on that front, he's got to be gone. I agree, to an extent. And I think next year is the deciding year. He was given a pile of hot garbage the first two years, and the FO knew it. Castro's regression is very concerning, though it has been noted it may have been due to the organization's attempt to adapt him to their new philosophy and him simply not being able to adjust. Who knows. But if Castro and Rizzo don't improve, while the team potentially adds key pieces (Choo/Ellsbury, Tanaka, etc.), and the team ends up being no better than they are this year, then yeah... something is rotten in Denmark. But I can't fault the guy too much when some of the key offensive contributors on his roster include guys like Donnie Murphy, Dioner Navarro, and Ryan Sweeney. 2014 is supposed to be the transitional year where the contender starts to take shape. If it doesn't improve, he's toast.

It's a crude measure, but here's the Cubs defensive efficiency the last few years: 2010: .702, 22nd 2011: .699, 26th **Sveum Hired** 2012: .709, 15th 2013: .721, 3rd Just looking at FG's team fielding stats (took me a while to find out how to set it up), looks like the Cubs are 10th in the majors in Defensive Runs Saved with 20. 5th in UZR, 6th in UZR/150, and 4th in Fld (whatever that is, can't find a definition of it). It would appear defense is pretty good. I believe Sveum should be given some credit for that. I still think calling for Sveum to be fired when it's been publicly acknowledged by our FO that they haven't given him the best team to win with is premature. We've known from day 1 this team wasn't going to win this year. Until the team is full of talent that's capable of contending for a playoff spot, then I'll reserve my personal judgement of his coaching ability. I think Sveum is the least of this teams problems. When the roster consists of legitimate difference makers who can, on paper, contend for a playoff spot and THEN the team fails... then you start to question his ability, but until the FO gives him the pieces he needs to contend, I'm not sweating much of what he does in regards to bunting with Donnie [expletive] Murphy or his handling of the bullpen. It's late in the year, it's September, it's a time for them to tinker and experiment with different players and situations.

Does anyone know how the team's defense has fared as a result of smart defensive positioning?

http://filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsC/4031-10931.jpg Touché

Except Samardzija and Wood weren't even considered prospects at the age of 25. If you have a pitching prospect... who is a consensus top of the rotation arm... coming up through your system... and he's not brought up to the major leagues AT ALL despite showing he has the ability to be successful... and he's left in the minors until he's 25 years old... something is not right with your front office. Samardzija and Wood were brought up before they were 25 and lost their prospect status. You are cherry picking players to prove your point when I'm very clearly talking about a Top 100 type pitcher who is considered a Top 100 type throughout his minors career and then never brought to the majors before the age of 25. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. And if it does, the pitcher probably doesn't pan out too well. It's a waste of value to do that. You said no one would pay $100 million for a 25 year old AAA pitcher with TOR potential. You're right, because they usually don't exist because they're already in the majors, and if they do they probably are covered in warts at that point and have questions about their ability to stick in a rotation. There are a few 25 year old TOR types in the majors right now... Clayton Kershaw, Mat Latos, Jhoulys Chacin, Mike Minor. These were all guys with Top 100 pedigress who made it to the majors BEFORE they were 25. If you left these guys in AAA until this year without calling them up, you'd be fired.

So does that means they both feel that Vogelbach is the best 1B prospect in the minors? Or just that he had the best season?

Not necessarily. There are a lot of different development paths. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=randy-johnson The Baseball Cube? That still exists?

Few things... 1) Wladimir Balentien just broke Sadaharu Oh's 49 year old single-season HR record of 56 home runs in Japan with roughly 3 weeks to spare in the season. 2) Vladimir Guerrero has announced he's officially retired form baseball 3) Todd Helton announced he's retiring at the end of the season.

Every one of Chris Davis' 50 home runs... reminded me of the montage WGN did when Sosa hit his 40th in 1996 http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=30583859&topic_id=10025018

This is seriously the worst analogy ever. Tanaka is nothing like a 25 yr old at AAA. He's a guy who has consistently gotten out hitters at a level much higher than AAA (see LaHair, Brian). It may not be ML equivalent, but it's a hell of a lot more indicative of future performance than AAA and with a much longer track record of doing it than anyone at AAA has. Nevermind the fact that if a pitcher has #2 starter upside and he's still being kept in AAA at the age of 25, the front office should be eradicated. Where were Wood and Samardzija at when they were 25?.....spending time in AAA. Blow up this front office! 1) Neither of them showed #2 starter potential in the minors, they developed into it at the major league level. 2) Samardzija was in AAA at 25 with a 4.37 ERA (4.28 FIP) splitting time between starter and reliever because the old regime didn't know what the hell to do with him it seemed. 3) Wood was in AAA at 25 for all of 7 games with a 4.57 ERA (3.76 FIP) and was called up out of necessity because a) Volstad was big stinky piece of [expletive] and had injury issues and b) Garza went down with an injury around the time Volstad returned. 4) If a pitcher is showing #2 starter potential at AAA chances are his his numbers and peripherals are going to suggest just that and in that situation you do NOT leave someone down there stewing in the minors until the age of 25 if he got there at a younger age. Wood and Samardzija's were nowhere close to suggesting that. They had back end rotation/long reliever stamped all over them. Samardzija was looking more like a future closer after his first successful stint in the majors. Tanaka is polished and ready for the majors. He has a skillset teams desire to have in their rotation. And all he costs is money. He's valuable. If you have someone in the system with the same skillset and age, chances are they're already in your rotation.

The Evolution of Baseball Video Games:

http://i.imgur.com/ImLH8.gif

Yeah, my mistake. You dogged it. You showed up in the search a lot though, never bothered to click through. My mistake for the slander. I'm lazy today.

And that makes me happier than a pig in [expletive]. Castro and Soto are the only ones I can remember in the last 10 years of having 2 or more years of legitimate value (3 WAR or more) that came up through the system. Just about every single person you named in that list has the potential to do just that and it's obliterating me with excitement.

Yeah the Cubs dodged a big bullet on that one

http://www.thelostogle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/donald-gibb-ogre-revenge-of-the-nerds.jpg

HUH????? Yuengling is a PA beer adored by ignorant PA residents and expats but it is terrible. Maybe they weren't Chicagoland residents then, but I seem to recall several people on this forum in the beer thread say things to the effect of "I was able to bring back a 12 pack of Yuengling from my trip to [wherever]!!!" or "My friend came and visited me and brought me some Yuengling!!!" or "Anyone know where I can find Yuengling?". Also I remember someone mentioning the locals in their town up north were going bonkers of Yuengling being available. EDIT: After a search it turns out that was pretty much just mjohnson saying all those things. Though I did see a smattering of Derwood and Castro's Spray Chart giving it some extreme love. And Rocket mentioned the Dayton locals going nuts over Yuengling. And nilodnayr insulting people who liked it for being in college.

This is seriously the worst analogy ever. Tanaka is nothing like a 25 yr old at AAA. He's a guy who has consistently gotten out hitters at a level much higher than AAA (see LaHair, Brian). It may not be ML equivalent, but it's a hell of a lot more indicative of future performance than AAA and with a much longer track record of doing it than anyone at AAA has. Nevermind the fact that if a pitcher has #2 starter upside and he's still being kept in AAA at the age of 25, the front office should be eradicated.

I lol'd

I lol'd

For the record I know Goose Island is probably on draft everywhere you go in Chicago for you locals, but down here it's considered a solid craft beer and lots of people enjoy it quite a bit. I'm sure that might be questionable to some Chicago natives, but at the same time if baffles me how moist some Chicagoland residents get over Yeungling, so... to each their own.

He also mentioned how he always thought it would be great to build a championship team from completely homegrown talent in Boston, and I think he saw the opportunity to do that in Chicago with a team that desperately needed a rebuilding process. The CBA made things more difficult for him. And the financial situation is probably a stick in the bicycle spokes of their budgetary desires, but honestly I think he loves the challenge.

Didn't know where to put this (or if it's being talked about elsewhere), but the Cubs are ending their partnership with Old Style and are going to be serving Goose Island starting next season. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/stew/chi-beer-changes-likely-at-wrigley-field-with-new-ab-deal-20130906,0,6277678.story I didn't know Goose Island was owned by A-B, but still... that's a nice improvement. I'd very much enjoy drinking a 312 during a baseball game with perfect weather.

Only 3 K's? Bust.