UMFan83

Holy crap, Jeff Suppan is still in the league?

Why? They haven't lost a game in forever. Sarcasm? Nope... 19 game winning streak so far (including playoff). So it's been awhile since the last time they lost. Raisin was being sarcastic, not you.

I think a big part of the appeal of Theo is putting together a competent organization from top to bottom. I don't know if or how the Cubs ran their organization before but reading about how he has a huge handbook to dictate how the organization will be run, what types of things to emphasize, and keeping it consistent throughout the system with the idea of developing better players with the ability to do the things that Theo has stressed. Obviously that stuff doesnt happen overnight, and you could probably argue how much that really changes things, but on paper it sounds like something our organization will benefit from. I have definitely worried about how the new CBA effects Theo's plan, as it seemed like the thing he did well was allocate a big portion of his budget towards the draft and international signings. Now the strategic and monetary advantage he's enjoyed is downgraded significantly. He says he'll just have to find the next strategic advantage he can exploit, but what if he cant? Or what if he spends significant time doing the wrong thing, thinking it is the next great advantage? I am still 100% behind Theo and I think its idiotic for people to sour on him 2 months into his first season. We all pretty much knew this team had a chance to suck, and regardless of how you feel about this strategy, if you were behind Theo in November, you should be behind him in May. Give the guy at least 2 years to prove that he is the boy genius he was in Boston.

Thanks. I don't have ESPN Insider so I couldn't read it. 20 sounds about right for Rizzo. I know he had Bundy #1. If I may ask, where were Bauer and Cole on his revised top 25? I'll just list his entire top 25: 1. Dylan Bundy, RHP, BAL (previously 11) 2. Jurickson Pofar, SS, TEX (7) 3. Manny Machado, SS, BAL (4) 4. Travis d'Arnaud, C, TOR (6) 5. Will Myers, OF, KC (13) 6. Taijuan Walker, RHP, SEA (24) 7. Gerrit Cole, RHP, PIT (10) 8. Trevor Bauer, RHP, ARI (21) 9. Shelby Miller, RHP, STL (5) 10. Jameson Taillon, RHP, PIT (15) 11. Miguel Sano, 3B, MIN (28) 12. Archie Bradley, RHP, ARI (19) 13. Tyler Skaggs, LHP, ARI (25) 14. Bubba Starling, CF, KC (15) 15. Christian Yelich, OF, MIA (48) 16. Zach Wheeler, RHP, NYM (27) 17. Francisco Lindor, SS, CLE (35) 18. Nick Castellanos, 3B, DET (37) 19. Julio Teheran, RHP, ATL (18) 20. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, CHC (36) 21. Oscar Taveras, RF, STL (53) 22. Danny Hultzen, LHP, SEA (30) 23. Nolan Arenado, 3B COL (26) 24. Mason Williams, CF, NYY (34) 25. Billy Hamilton, SS, CIN (64) He also mentions the following to watch for in his midseason update: Jackie Bradley, CF, BOS Matt Barnes, RHP, BOS Jonathan Singleton, 1B, HOU Zach Lee, RHP, LAD Aaron Sanchez, RHP, TOR Austin Hedges, C, SD Matt Davidson, 3B, ARI

Anyone mention that KLaw revised his Top 25 prospect list to account for the start of the season. He had Rizzo at number 20, up from 36 before the season started.

Why would they possibly do that? To "save the season"? If anything it makes it less likely.

Wow, I knew Castro wasnt walking but I didnt realize his OBP is now only 10 points higher than his BA. Pathetic.

My honest worry is this throwing to first crap goes further than that with him. I wonder if we are already there. It's happened to him lik 5-6 times this year.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/12623151-418/cubs-boss-tom-ricketts-works-to-douse-obama-political-firestorm.html Gotcha, I stand corrected on that point then. I thought the plan was still to do it all over the course of a calendar year and play at the Cell during that season.

Christ, then he's a [expletive] moron and I'm sorry they ever got him. "Built this team to bottom out?" Shooting for the #1 pick like this is basketball or football? What the [expletive]? This is how we've come to rationalize things? This is baseball; if you've got good scouting/a good front office/good talent evaluation you can easily make later draft picks work and then some. Of course I didn't expect them to be world beaters, but to try and justify like they want/tolerate/tried/whatever to be the worst team in baseball is ridiculous. I guess my post did specifically say he was trying for the number 1 pick, but I didn't really mean it in a sense that he was sabotaging the team in order to ensure it was terrible. But at the same time he was not doing much to prevent it. He replaced the 2 best power hitters on the team with Ian Stewart and LaHair and traded his best bullpen arm away. That's not to say that Theo wanted them to fail. If Stewart played up to the potential that Theo saw in him then its a win for the Cubs. But I highly doubt that Theo replaces Ramirez with Stewart if the team was expected to contend. Also bottoming out doesn't mean worst team in the league. Bottoming out with regards to the Cubs rebuilding project. Dumping contracts and/or waiting for big contracts to expire, replacing his most productive hitters with big question marks with upside, trading a solid bullpen arm because he's about to get expensive and his value as an asset has probably peaked, etc. If that results in the worst record in baseball and the #1 pick, then its a success for his long term plan.

Im guessing at a certain point this offseason Theo decided that it was pointless and harmful to do anything but try for the #1 pick. I remember reading something a couple of months after he came here that he was supposedly surprised at how the organization was in even worse shape than it appeared from the outside. I do think he made an honest run at Cespedes as was reported but at the end of the day, he decided it wasn't in the Cubs best interest to match Oaklands 4 year contract and have 2-3 years of that deal come during seasons that the Cubs will be terrible with or without Cespedes. Bottom line, I don't really think the organization is in worse shape than it was 2 months ago. It's become obvious that Theo built this team to bottom out this year and while they may be worse than even he anticipated, as long as they come out of the season with the number 1 pick, the season will be a success as it relates to his long term plan. I would probably expect an offseason similar to last year and a season similar to this one next year. Until the players the Cubs assemble through trades and the farm show significant improvement Theo wont go crazy with FA and acquiring high priced talent. This would seem to fit with the thought that the Cubs are bottoming out while the Cubs attempt to get funding to rebuild Wrigley. I could be wrong but I think Rickets ideally wants to renevate in 2013 and play in a renovated Wrigley starting in 2014. This would theoretically coincide with the Cubs rebuilding the farm system into a strength and the Cubs will be able to afford a much higher baseball budget with all the new revenue streams a new Wrigley will provide. I'm not sure if they are holding the payroll down just because the team is bottoming out or if the whispers about Rickets financial situation after buying the Cubs are true, but it seems to me that the Cubs plans to operate as a big market club again are tied into a renovated Wrigley and the additional money it will provide.

Ward doesn't belong on this list. Yes he does. Ward was an absolute monster in 2007 (when I assume this happened). No he doesn't. All those other names are worse than Mather hitting 3rd excepting maybe Fontenot. Nope it was actually 2008

Ehh...5.7

I don't know....who would you suggest? I think James Russell is our only reliever that's not terrible.

I swear every single one of our relievers has issues with control and has for several years. Can anyone name a reliever we've had since 2008 that had above average control? I'm sure there's one out there but I cant think of it off the top of my head.

lolz

Right and I'm not arguing the Hawks had the toughest road to the Stanley Cup, just that the Hawks didnt face a 'real threat' on the way to winning the Cup.

Last 6 games.......... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Total CUBS 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 Opponents 2 4 7 4 1 1 3 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 Last 7 games......... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Total CUBS 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 Opponents 4 4 7 4 1 1 3 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 Yeah I should have said 6+ because I'm including this game so far.

Wow. I'm trying to find more ways to describe the ineptitude.... The Cubs have scored just 5 runs over the last 50 innings where they are within 2 runs of the lead or closer (10 game span)

The Cubs have scored just 2 runs over their last 60 innings between innings 1-8, a span of 7 games. Of course even including the 9th innings, they've only scored 10 runs in their last 66 innings (over 7 games). That works out to 1.4 runs per game.

OK here were the 8 Western Conference playoff teams that year. What would be a harder route? 1. San Jose 2. Chicago 3. Vancouver 4. Phoenix 5. Detroit 6. Los Angeles 7. Nashville 8. Colorado Remember, San Jose, Vancouver and Nashville are not difficult and Detroit lost in 5 games to San Jose. So we're looking at Detroit going through Phoenix, Colorado and then Los Angeles being the hardest potential route?

OK thanks to baseball reference, selected 3 hitters since 2003: DeWitt (8) Fontenot (3) Montanez Fox Ward Cedeno O'Leary

The great Trinidad Hubbard once batted 3rd for the Cubs.

I'm sure you're correct. I can't help wondering if at any point in his career a coach or manager has taken Hill aside and told him, "There's no point in being a switch hitter if you can't hit for [expletive] from either side of the plate. Stop making an ass out of yourself." This isn't the same as your scenario, but I found it interesting that Koyie Hill has been intentionally walked 13 times in his career. Logic would suggest its because he hits in front of the pitcher, but Koyie Hill is pretty much like a pitcher. In fact there are probably several pitchers that have a better OPS than Hill's career .571 (and .547 in the last 3 seasons).

Kings vs. Devils it is. Kings/Rangers would have been sexier, but I've come to enjoy watching the Devils play as the postseason has gone on. A 6 seed and an 8 seed, just like they drew it up.