Cubswin11

We should be down like 4-5 runs right now with the way we have played so far, time to get some runs boys the Reds are trying to keep us in it.

Frustrating game so far

If someone can show me a worse position player in MLB than Aaron Miles, I will show you a liar

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, memories. I liked how Len called it the Sammy Sosa Mike Fontenot trade and Hairston was involved, when at the time it was the Sosa for Hairston and some minor leaguer nobody ever heard of.

In regards to you talking about adding 15 MPH to your fastball, that really isn't that hard if you were really dedicated and had a program you followed from a young age (middle/high school). I played baseball with a guy in HS when I was a Sophomore, the guy was a Junior, he probably consistently threw 65-72. In the offseason between Junior/Senior year he worked out everyday on a throwing program (long toss, weighted balls, lifting, throwing simulated games, etc) and his senior year he came out and was consistently throwing high 70's and could get it up into the mid 80's when he needed to. That was after less than 8 months of being on a throwing program, think if he had gotten more serious about conditioning his arm in say 7th/8th grade or even as a Freshman? He probably could have been throwing high 80's low 90's consistently by the time he was a senior.

I think they should announce that anyone in the stands planning on having children, or that already have small children, should force them with all of their might to make them left handed because that's how much you can suck and still make millions of dollars. I was just saying, if I'd known then what I know now I'd have spent hours at a time working on my pitching when I was younger. If I threw 15-20 mph faster I'd be making 450K/year right now as a pitcher. I ask my dad the question all the time why he didn't force me to do things lefthanded when I was little. I mean seriously all you have to be able to do is throw mid-high 80's with an average secondary pitch just to get noticed by a MLB team and you could at least find a spot in the minors somewhere.

I think they should announce that anyone in the stands planning on having children, or that already have small children, should force them with all of their might to make them left handed because that's how much you can suck and still make millions of dollars. It's got to be easier to learn to throw left handed than, say, write left handed, doesn't it? Neil Cotts is Exhibit A

I think they should announce that anyone in the stands planning on having children, or that already have small children, should force them with all of their might to make them left handed because that's how much you can suck and still make millions of dollars.

Carlos Marmol is really good at throwing baseballs

Yeah there is really no reason for him to be on the team anymore. His only job is to get lefties out and he comes in, in a 5 run game, and faces two lefties and gives up a hit and throws 4 straight balls that aren't even remotely close to the zone.

Marmol really Lou? Really?

Neil Cotts wishes he was as good as Bob Howry, and that's saying something

At least Lee is hitting the ball hard, in the air, to LF?

Don't worry Marmol is warming up for the 8th...

Manny Parra currently throwing batting practice in Philly. 4-1 Phillies end of the 1st, Phillies bat around the order.

If Bradley isn't going to play today why not just drop the appeal and serve the friggin 2 games and come back Thursday? Also looks like we should get this in, from 7-10 the % of rain is 50%, 45 %, 55% and 40% so we might get hit with a scattered shower once or twice but it doesn't look like there is really any heavy stuff that will stop the game.

I really don't want Harden going tonight Lou should just start Guzman.

When you think about it we really don't have a "3" hitter. We have guys with too many questions to just out right give someone the role. Lee- Has been the 3 hitter since Lou has been here, but has gotten worse every year from a production stand point Bradley- Puts up 3 hitter numbers but isn't healthy enough to be in the lineup everyday so someone else is going to have to bat 3rd for at least 1/4 of the games Soto- Slow start this year and because he is a catcher he can't be in the lineup everyday so again someone else will be batting 3rd for 1/4 of the season Ramirez- Hasn't hit for as much power the last 2 years (or that much more than Lee, 53 HR .518/.549 SLG compared to Lee's 42 HR and .462/.513 SLG) as he has shown in the past, can be "streaky." Fukudome- Not a power hitter (probably will never hit over 20 HR), isn't proven and has not sustained success for an entire season, yet. Lee has been our 3 hitter the last two years when we have won 85 and 97 (best record in NL) games. We are off to a good start, 7-4, with guys missing time and we clearly haven't played to our potential yet. So I think until we go on a prolonged losing streak or a month or so of bad baseball I don't think we see change in the 3 spot for two reasons. One because we have won the division and made the playoffs the last 2 years with Lee batting 3rd and two because there isn't another guy on the team that is a clear favorite over Lee in the 3 spot.

They're going to compete all year. That division will be fun to watch. I think the wild card comes from the east this year, as well. I have little doubt that they won't compete, but I don't think they are much better than a 88-92 win team. Their rotation is going to make or break them (like most MLB teams) they have a lot of young guys with only a couple years, if any, in MLB so it should be interesting to see how they hold up once they start approaching 170-200 IP down the stretch. They got guys like Johnson and Sanchez who have both had pretty big injuries and I could easily see them wearing down or not making the adjustments once the league adjusts to them.

The Nats are an absolute travesty of a organization. Because of that I don't know how much to put into the Marlins 11-1 start (6 games so far), I know the have a good rotation, decent bullpen and a powerful offense, but you can't ignore that 6 games are against the Nationals. I fully expect the Nationals to EFF up something with Strasburg, either not signing him, not even drafting him, dragging out negotiations, etc.

Is there really no AL team willing to give up anything of value for what is obviously a major league ready bat? God I wish he could even remotely play decent defense at any position. What position(s)? Do they got him playing down there?

IDK, if Soriano will but someone probably will before the end of the game today. LaRussa will then go on to make some slimeball comment after the game about how it wasn't on purpose even though Pujols getting hit yesterday was intentional, which it wasn't. Marmol threw a pitch that was 81ish MPH which clearly isn't his fastball and was obviously a slider/curve that never took the break, not to mention the situation of the game where nobody in their right might would intentionally hit a batter to put the tying run on base. If Marmol wants to hit someone on purpose he is going to throw his fastball in the mid 90's to do some damage and not some dead duck breaking ball that doesn't break.

Umping has never interested me. I would say my "dream" MLB job, other than being a player, would be being a bullpen catcher. I would think that would be a great job you travel with the team, probably get to know a lot of the guys, and play catch for a few innings every day. I have asked before but nobody has ever really answered. What does it take to be a bullpen catcher? Minor Leaguers that didn't make it, but the MLB club likes? Are there "tryouts"? Do you need to have a "in" with someone?

Yeah Vizcaino/Guzman/Marmol probably should have been out there.