Outshined_One

Aybar + McPherson + Santana would be an intriguing deal for Ramirez, imo.

If there's a glut of starters and concern for the bullpen, why not piggyback some starters? Heck, if Guzman and Marshall are health concerns, wouldn't it make sense to tag team them in order to reduce their workload and give them much-needed experience all at once?

Box Scores Iowa won 12-11 Box Score CF F. Pie 1/6, RBI 2B M. Fontenot 2/4, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI, 2B (26) LF/1B M. Restovich 2/5, R, 5 RBI, HR (18), K, Assist (2B) 3B C. McGehee 1/2, 3 BB, 2 R, K, E (8, fielding) RF C. Boats 1/4, BB, K C J. Reyes 0/1, 4 BB, 2 R PH M. Hoffpauir 1/1, RBI PH/LF L. Montanez 1/1, 2 R, RBI SP R. Wells 4 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 1/3 K/BB, HR, 4-7 GO-FO RP W. Chavez 1 hitless/scoreless, 2/1 K/BB, 0-1 GO-FO West Tenn lost 6-5 Box Score CF C. Walker 0/4, 2 K 2B E. Patterson 1/3, 2 BB, R, 2B (22), K, SB (36) 3B S. Moore 2/4, BB, R, RBI, E (17, fielding) 1B B. Dopirak 1/4, BB, R, 2 RBI, HR (1), 2 K LF M. Negron 0/2, 2 BB, R, 3 SB (7) C J. Fox 2/4, R, RBI PH R. Lewis 1/1 PH B. Sing 0/1 SP C. Shaver 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 6/0 K/BB, WP, 5-6 GO-FO RP L. Holdzkom 1 scoreless, 2 H, 2-1 GO-FO Daytona with an off day. Peoria lost 8-6 Box Score CF D. Gregg 1/4, BB, 2 R, K, SB (24) 2B R. Malone 1/5, R, 2 RBI, 2B (11), K LF J. Valdez 3/5, RBI, 2B (20) 1B R. Norwood 1/5, RBI, K SS R. Chirinos 0/3, BB, R, K C M. Reed 1/3, BB, R, 2B (11), 2 K RF Y. Carter 2/4, 2 RBI, 2 2B (6), 2 K SP J. Yepez 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4/2 K/BB, HR, 2 WP, 5-6 GO-FO Boise lost 7-1 Box Score CF M. Camp 0/4 3B J. Lansford 1/4, K, E (5, fielding) LF T. Colvni 0/4, R 1B R. Canzler 1/4, 2B (12), 2 K RF A. Joseph 1/4, 2B (10), RBI, E (1, fielding) DH DJ Lewis 0/4, 2 K 2B S. Clevenger 1/2, BB SS P. Lopez 1/3 SP M. Billek 5.1 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2/2 K/BB, 10-3 GO-FO Mesa with an off day. OVERALL: 1-3

We can match that, but it wouldn't be worthwhile. I really like Tejada and think he could still help this team for the near future, but if Angelos doesn't want to accept Aybar and Santana for him, the kind of package he would accept likely would decimate almost any farm system.

Elbert + LaRoche for Aramis plz.

You mean the way the Cardinals beat his brains in today? :D That outing just upped his trade vale enough to make dealing him worthwhile, imo. :D If Rammy is indeed going to opt out, I want Ryan Braun or Andy LaRoche for Maddux if at all possible.

Clearly, he decided to go after more than one heckler. ;) Also, in past games where the weather was like this (heat warning today!), typically players from the Cubs come out with hoses and use them on the fans in the bleachers. It's a surprisingly good way to cool down.

Neifi, Pagan, and Mabry? It's like some sort of dream come true!

Even better than Jay Bruce? Yikes!

Zambrano for Young, Dukes, and Upton? I...really don't know how I'd feel about that deal. Those three guys clearly have their share of makeup problems, but they are also three of the best positional prospects in baseball. Ideally, they could form a young core that could make this team an offensive powerhouse for years to come. If the organization can keep them out of trouble, they could all turn out to be spectacular. Man, I'd have a hard time walking away from that deal. Granted, the D-Rays would probably only trade Dukes for Zambrano, but since we're talking hypothetically, I don't see much harm in it.

If Jake Peavy didn't have that shoulder injury hanging over his head, I'd be all for a deal involving him. :D Anyone know what happened to Cesar Carrillo? I thought he contracted the dreaded Tommy John Disease, but can't find anything for certain. If his injury is something he can fully recover from in the next year, I'd be quite interested in having him in the organization.

So, Navin and I were having a discussion about some of the minor league guys and we noticed a pattern with a number of position players originating in the Cubs' system (Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Ryan Harvey, Tyler Colvin). During times when they're slumping and putting up low averages & power numbers, their walk totals are typically above their career line. Yet, during hot streaks, their averages and power go through the roof while the number of walks they take decreases by a noticeable degree. Is this true of baseball in general? Or is it a result of the organizational philosophy in terms of the players they seek out and/or their coaching methods?

Fun day in the Cubs' system despite the 3-3 outcome!

Strange as it sounds, Harvey's pretty much putting up really similar to the numbers he did last season in Peoria, save for doubles, stolen bases, and caught stealing. There's part of me that worries about how much the Cubs have adjusted his game since last season. The numbers he put up were pretty good in the power department, but really frightening in the BB and K departments. I haven't seen much change in those areas of his game this season, based on the numbers and what I've been hearing. It's weird watching a lot of these guys in the Cubs' system. When they get hot, they hit the ball much better and take fewer walks. Colvin, Pie, and Harvey all come immediately to mind in that regard. Yet, while slumping, their walk numbers increase while their average and power numbers take a hit. I wonder if it's an organizational thing or just true of most guys in baseball...

Box Scores Iowa lost 6-4 Box Score CF F. Pie 1/5, RBI, K, Assist (3B) 2B M. Fontenot 1/5, R 3B C. McGehee 0/3, BB, K LF M. Restovich 2/4, R, 2B (21), 2 K 1B M. Hoffpauir 1/4, RBI C G. Soto 1/3, HBP RF B. Coats 1/3, R, RBI PH L. Montanez 1/1 SP J. Williams 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1/4 K/BB, HR, 9-6 GO-FO RP D. Aardsma .1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0/1 K/BB, 1-0 GO-FO, E (1, throw) RP C. Rapada 1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 0-1 GO-FO West Tenn won 5-4 Box Score CF C. Walker 1/4, BB, R, 2B (16), K 2B R. Lewis 2/4, R, 2B (12) 3B S. Moore 0/3, BB, 2 K 1B B. Dopirak 2/4, R, 3 RBI, 2 2B (11) RF B. Sing 1/4, RBI, 2B (6), 2 K PH E. Patterson 0/0, BB SP S. Gallagher 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 5/3 K/BB, HR, WP, 9-3 GO-FO RP I. Pavlik 1.1 scoreless, 1 H, 2/0 K/BB, 0-2 GO-FO RP T. Atlee .2 hitless, 1 ER, 1/2 K/BB, 1-0 GO-FO RP E. Campusano 1.1 scoreless, 1 H, 1/1 K/BB, 0-2 GO-FO Daytona lost 4-0 Box Score CF S. Fuld 0/4, 3 K SS J. Mota 1/4 RF R. Harvey 1/4, 2B (18) C J. Muyco 2/3 SP B. Petrick 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3/1 K/BB, 2 HBP, 9-5 GO-FO Peoria lost 11-2 Box Score CF D. Gregg 1/4, R, K 3B R. Malone 2/4, RBI, K LF J. Valdez 1/4 1B R. Norwood 0/3, K 2B R. Chirinos 0/1, BB, K, HBP DH A. Garcia 1/4, R, 3B (2), K RF Y. Carter 0/4, RBI, K, E (3, throw) SS K. Reynolds 0/3 SP T. Blackford 2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 1/1 K/BB, 2 HR, 4-1 GO-FO Boise lost 7-5 Box Score RF M. Camp 2/5, R, E (3, throw) CF T. Colvin 1/4, R, RBI, 2 K 3B J. Lansford 1/4 DH R. Canzler 1/4 LF DJ Lewis 2/4, R, 2 RBI, HR (3) 2B S. Clevenger 2/3, BB, 2 R, 2B (6), 3B (1), E (8, fielding) 1B E. Puello 1/4, RBI, 2 K, CS (1), E (5, fielding) PH M. Mercedes 0/1, RBI SP A. Francisco 4 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1/2 K/BB, 5-5 GO-FO RP J. Papelbon 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6/0 K/BB, HR, 1-2 GO-FO Mesa lost 2-1 Box Score LF W. Inoa 0/4, 4 K CF D. Rundle 2/4, R, RBI, 2B (2), HR (1) C C. Perez 1/4, K, Pickoff Throw (2B) 3B M. Gonzalez 1/4, 2 K 1B L. Murphy 0/3, 2 K SS F. Tirado 0/3, K 2B C. Valentin 1/3 SP G. Cuevas Novas 2 scoreless, 2 H, 2/0 K/BB, 3-0 GO-FO RP A. Albuquerque 2 hitless/scoreless, 2/1 K/BB, 0-4 GO-FO RP B. Taylor 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3-2 GO-FO RP R. Hernandez 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0/1 K/BB, HR, 1-4 GO-FO OVERALL: 1-5

Wasn't it Baylor who did that?

A pitcher with a low K/9 can succeed as long as he has a good BB/9 and good HR/9. Wang's pretty much doing exactly that. Limiting the baserunners and the homers makes life easier on a guy who doesn't strike out very many. That said, Wang is likely going to be a 3/4 starter over the course of his career.

I'm going to keep ripping Novoa. He seems to do well when that happens.

Walker was just giving us an excuse to work a few "Neifi sucks" comments into the game thread. Neifi sucks. OK, what did I miss? Walker changed his jersey in the clubhouse and accidentally put on Neifi's #13. He had to run back in and do a quick change.

Roberto Novoa AGAIN?! He friggin' sucks!

What the crap is that thing on Speizio's face?

He probably thought the coach was too drunk to make the call. Considering Chris Speier is back coaching at 3rd , I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

Marmol running through the stop sign was among the funniest things I've seen this season. It was like watching a train wreck.

Cubs seem to have the most success against pitchers who try to get ahead early in the count, so you may be onto something. Also, the fact that Pujols has sucked against the Cubs so far this season has helped that endeavor greatly.

9 pitches, 6 hits. Cubs baseball!