Outshined_One

at least for caridad, that umpire did a reasonably good job: http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfx/index.php?month=4&day=9&year=2010&game=gid_2010_04_09_chnmlb_cinmlb_1%2F&pitchSel=534428&prevGame=gid_2010_04_09_chnmlb_cinmlb_1%2F&prevDate=49 That's actually pretty nifty. However, I think it helps prove my point. I'm going to focus on this chart, which charts Caridad's pitches to RH hitters. MLB Play by Play in the bottom of the 8th, specifically the Johnny Gomes AB is what I'll be looking at. If you look at the chart, there are two strikes called on the outside corner on 1st and 2nd pitches, including the first pitch that was a decent bit outside the zone. Those were the first two pitches of the Johnny Gomes AB, which had Gomes down 0-2. I think the problem for that particular sequence was that there was an expectation that Caridad could get away with working the outside corner and getting certain outside pitches called strikes. Unfortunately, I think Caridad and whoever was calling that pitch had an expectation that Caridad would continue getting that call, which turned out to be an incorrect assumption. For whatever reason, I don't think anyone on the Cubs' side got the picture until Stubbs went yard. The ump corrected himself and ended up calling that corner correctly following strike one to Gomes, don't get me wrong. Caridad shouldn't be complaining about it. However, I can see how Caridad thought some of those pitches should have been called strikes.

as if it wasn't bad enough that he blew the game and constantly whined about pitches that WEREN'T strikes.... he has to run his mouth some more after the game. those weren't strikes, you goon. It'd be one thing if the umpire simply didn't call any of those pitches strikes, but the ump actually was pretty inconsistent with his outside corner with right handed hitters. A handful of those were actually called strikes and a few of the closer ones were called balls. Caridad was clearly pissed off about it on the mound. Now, granted, whoever kept calling for the fastball on the outside corner should have taken the hint. Any time he threw a fastball against a RHP, it went to that spot. Stubbs picked up on that and waited for the FB on the outer half, which he inevitably got. It would have been nice to see Caridad move that pitch around the plate, but for whatever reason, that didn't happen. It was like watching Kyle Farnsworth versus Julio Franco all over again. Unfortunately, we don't know if that sequence was on Caridad, Hill, Rothschild, or someone else. It'd be nice to know who to blame for that.

So, what should the Cubs do with the young guys in the bullpen who've had early struggles?

http://www.sportsocracy.org/imgs/panic_button.png

Can VDN be fired immediately following this game?

Kind of sucks that the NJ Nets are securely in the #1 spot in the Draft Lottery. Otherwise they'd have a good reason to lose.

This is awesome.

Apparently, it's okay for Courtney Lee to hug Derrick Rose on his way to the basket.

There were a bunch of hard hit balls that went right to Cubs fielders, but Silva kept in the zone, worked fast, and didn't walk anyone. He looked halfway decent. He might have left because of an injury, but no one's quite sure.

I don't think a random collection of Cubs fans on an internet forum have the ability to affect Cubs games by posting or not posting pictures of the Duke men's basketball team. They don't? Derrek Lee is a huge UNC fan.

The Bulls are going down in flames. Awesome.

There were rumors that the BCS was evaluating the MWC for a possible BCS auto-bid. If things shift around enough, the MWC could find themselves courting a number of teams that would really help their case.

Did Soto miss the flight to Cincinnati? What was Chad Tracy doing there?

Figures. Oh well.

Neither team wants to win!

OH MY GOD.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.

I have a feeling this board's going to explode regardless of what happens in Soriano's AB.

Of course he did. He's one of the worst umpires in the game and seems to have it out for us. How did Bucknor cost us? He's at 3B. The only call he made against the Cubs' was Colvin's check swing strike.

Seems Cordero's not getting that corner, either. GO LEE!

Eat me, CB.

The first two were called strikes, then I think his 6th or 7th one was. The ump was inconsistent with that corner. That said, he needs to learn how to actually locate it in other spots when he's not getting that call.

YOU ARE NOT GETTING THAT CORNER. STOP IT.

Looked like he might have been injured. And Votto Ks again. :-))