Outshined_One

yeah, that 2005 era of 4.51 is a spitting image of this year's 3.47. I think he was talking about personel... Still may not be true, just pointing that out. Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya have gone a long way in helping this club out. Ditto Chris Shelton coming out of nowhere at the beginning of the year. We'll see how they do down the stretch. Some of these guys have never played this many games before in a season.

Box Scores Iowa won 9-7 Box Score RF/CF F. Pie 3/5, 3 R, RBI, HR (8), SB (9) CF B. Coats 0/3, R LF L. Montanez 0/1, K 2B M. Fontenot 3/5, R, RBI, 3 2B (20), K LF/RF M. Restovich 1/4, BB, R, K 3B C. McGehee 2/5, 2 R, RBI C G. Soto 1/3, 2 BB, RBI, K SP R. O'Malley 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 5/0 K/BB, HR, 10-3 GO-FO RP C. Rapada .1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB RP D. Aardsma .2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1/1 K/BB, WP, 1-0 GO-FO RP M. Wuertz 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1/1 K/BB, 1-3 GO-FO West Tenn lost 4-3 Box Score 2B E. Patterson 1/4, BB, R, K, 2 SB (31) RF N. Jackson 2/4, BB, RBI 1B B. Sing 0/4, 3 K CF M. Negron 1/4 3B S. Moore 0/3, BB, K C J. Fox 0/3, BB, R, K PH B. Dopirak 1/1, RBI PH R. Lewis 0/1, K SP J. Mateo 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5/0 K/BB, 6-4 GO-FO RP E. Campusano 1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1/1 K/BB, 1-3 GO-FO Daytona lost 6-1 Box Score CF S. Fuld 0/4 2B J. Simokaitis 0/3, BB 1B M. Craig 0/4 RF R. Harvey 1/3, RBI, 2B (13) C J. Muyco 0/2, HBP SS J. Mota 0/2, BB SP D. Veal 5.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6/5 K/BB, HR, WP, 6-5 GO-FO RP A. Mendez 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, HR, 4-3 GO-FO Peoria lost 6-3 Box Score CF D. Gregg 1/4, RBI, SB (20) 3B R. Malone 1/3, BB, 2B (8) LF J. Valdez 0/4, Assist (Home) 1B R. Norwood 1/4 SS K. Reynolds 0/4, 2 K, E (6, throw) RF Y. Carter 2/4, R DH A. Garcia 2/4, 2 R, 2B (13), K, CS (1) 2B R. Chirinos 0/2, RBI, K SP S. Taylor 6 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 5/0 K/BB, 2 HR, 4-8 GO-FO Boise lost 11-3 Box Score CF M. Camp 2/4, R LF T. Colvin 1/4, RBI, K, E (1, fielding) 3B J. Lansford 1/4 1B R. Canzler 1/3, RBI, 3B (3) RF A. Joseph 1/4 DH DJ Lewis 0/4 C M. Mercedes 1/3, E (1, throw), PB (1) SP M. Billek 5 IP, 13 H, 7 ER, 1/0 K/BB, 8-6 GO-FO Mesa with an off day. OVERALL: 1-4

Hendry doesn't police the clubhouse. He's not paid to be a cop! *Gnaws on own arm*

Quick, trade a dollar for three quarters!

Nah, he's been playing over the last week or so.

It seems like going further back than that he's had a bit of a good run too. I like that his OBP is 103 points higher than his average.

Ehhhhhh...I may have gone a bit overboard in ripping him, since Dusty's usage patterns this year have seen him face more righties than lefties. However, his HR/9 in general and his numbers against right handers are disconcerting. He should only be used against left handers, needless to say.

Ohman's a mediocre loogy. The Cubs could find guys as good as him, if not better, in their own system.

Trax has his good stuff today, dude.

Rain delay.

More souvenirs for fans in the bleachers!

I'm Keith Hernandez!

bobby-coxer: what the hell just happened PeteOrria: I ... I don't know, I was just about to seque into a joke about The Silence of the Lambs and all of a sudden I'm staring at Dick Clark's brown eye. AChipOffTheOl'_erJones: It's TBS, whenever it rains they go the archives so it's either bloopers, James Bond movies, or WCW Saturday Night. AChipOffTheOl'_erJones: Just be thankful that we don't play for the Cubs. WGN cuts away from 9th innings to see how kids do at Bozo's Grand Prize Game.

My friend's comment was that Nady needed a fishing pole to reach 2B. I'm inclined to agree.

Actually, that's a common name for that part of the city.

Nady was way, way, way off the bag.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

So, are you saying we're going to trade Murton, Cedeno, and Wuertz to Seattle for Rafael Soriano, Clint Nageotte, Yuniesky Betancourt, and two minor leaguers? would you be surprised? Frankly, I'd expect him to throw Rich Hill into that trade for good measure. I was just trying to match up deals. ;)

So, are you saying we're going to trade Murton, Cedeno, and Wuertz to Seattle for Rafael Soriano, Clint Nageotte, Yuniesky Betancourt, and two minor leaguers?

Campusano struck out more batters in fewer innings and had a better WHIP and BAA (.180) at Peoria than Rapada at West Tenn (BAA: .194). He also handled his promotion to AA better than Rapada handled his promotion to AAA. Both were terrific, but I liked Campusano's performance better than Rapada's.

Box Scores Iowa won 6-4 Box Score CF F. Pie 0/4, K, HBP RF B. Coats 2/4, BB, R 2B M. Fontenot 1/3, BB, 2 R, RBI, HR (7) LF M. Restovich 1/4, R, K 1B M. Hoffpauir 0/3, BB, R, 3 K 3B C. McGehee 2/4, R, 4 RBI, HR (6) C G. Soto 0/4 PH L. Montanez 0/1 SP R. Wells 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6/1 K/BB, WP, HBP, 10-5 GO-FO West Tenn won 3-2 Box Score 2B/RF R. Lewis 0/3, RBI, E (5, fielding) CF M. Negron 0/3, BB, K RF B. Sing 0/3, K PH N. Jackson 0/0, BB 1B B. Dopirak 0/4, K 3B S. Moore 1/4, K, PO (1B) C J. Fox 1/4, R, RBI, HR (2), 2 K SP C. Shaver 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 7/2 K/BB, 3-5 GO-FO Daytona lost 2-0 Box Score CF S. Fuld 0/3, BB 2B J. Simokaitis 1/4, 2 K RF R. Harvey 1/4, K DH J. Muyco 0/0, 2 BB SS J. Mota 1/3, K SP R. Sotolongo 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 6/2 K/BB, 3-7 GO-FO RP G. Johnson 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1/1 K/BB, 1-1 GO-FO Peoria won 4-2 Box Score CF D. Gregg 1/3, BB, K, CS (11) 3B R. Malone 1/4, R, 2 RBI, 2B (7) RF J. Valdez 1/3, BB, RBI, K 1B R. Norwood 1/4, RBI, K SS K. Reynolds 1/4, 2 K, SB (6) 2B R. Chirinos 0/4 DH A. Garcia 1/3, BB, R SP M. Atkins 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5/1 K/BB, Balk, 3-10 GO-FO RP M. Avery 1 scoreless, 1 H, 3/0 K/BB Boise won 5-3 Box Score RF M. Camp 1/5, R, RBI, 2B (2) CF T. Colvin 2/4, R, RBI, 2 SB (2) 3B J. Lansford 1/4, K 1B R. Canzler 2/4, R, RBI, 2B (6), E (5, throw) DH E. Puello 0/4, 2 K 2B S. Clevenger 3/4, R, RBI, 2B (2), E (4, missed catch) LF DJ Lewis 2/4, 2 2B (8), K C M. Mercedes 2/4, R, RBI, 2B (5), K SP J. Pina 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3/2 K/BB, WP, 7-5 GO-FO RP J. Papelbon 3 perfect, 2/0 K/BB, 3-4 GO-FO Mesa won 9-3 Box Score SS V. Heredia 1/4, BB, R, K, SB (5), CS (4) L. Rosario 1/3, BB, 2 R, SB (2), HBP 1B L. Murphy 0/3, R, RBI, K, HBP PH/3B M. Gonzalez 0/3, BB, RBI PR W. Inoa 0/1, R CF D. Rundle 1/3, R, 2 K RF C. Andersen 1/4, K LF C. Gilbert 2/3, BB, R SP K. Kopach 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1/2 K/BB, 3 HBP, 7-2 GO-FO RP R. Hernandez 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2/1 K/BB, 2-2 GO-FO RP L. Holdzkom 1 scoreless, 1 H, 2/0 K/BB, 0-1 GO-FO OVERALL: 5-1

He still can play 3B, but Casey McGehee gets most of the time there. I'd like to see him called up and given a look when Walker is traded. He could end up being a pretty good bench guy.

Best Reliever of the First Half Once again, I'm evaluating only guys who are eligible for Rookie of the Year. I am also only counting guys who have pitched at least 30 innings as relievers this season. Unfortunately, this leaves out Michael Wuertz and Jeremy Papelbon from the running. I will discuss both briefly below. Candidates LHP Clay Rapada (AAA): 7 G, 4.2 IP, 5.79 ERA, 12 H, 0 HR, 3.21 WHIP, 4/3 K/BB (AA): 33 G, 43.2 IP, .82 ERA, 30 H, 1 HR, 45/10 K/BB, .92 WHIP, 21 SV Total: 40 G, 48.1 IP, 1.30 ERA, 42 H, 1 HR, 49/13 K/BB, 1.14 WHIP, .225 BAA, 21 SV RHP Thomas Atlee (AAA): 9 G, 12 IP, 5.25 ERA, 10 H, 2 HR, 6/10 K/BB, 1.67 WHIP (AA): 25 G, 43 IP, 1.67 ERA, 31 H, 2 HR, 33/11 K/BB, .98 WHIP, 2 SV Total: 34 G, 55 IP, 2.45ERA, 41 H, 4 HR, 39/21 K/BB, 1.11 WHIP, .199 BAA, 2 SV RHP Rocky Cherry Total (AA): 29 G, 46.2 IP, 1.93 ERA, 40 H, 3 HR, 46/14 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, .182 BAA, 2 SV LHP Ed Campusano (AA): 5 G, 7.2 IP, 4.70 ERA, 10 H, 2 HR, 13/1 K/BB, 1.43 WHIP, 1 SV (Low A): 26 G, 29.2 IP, 1.21 ERA, 16 H, 0 HR, 47/9 K/BB, .84 WHIP, 21 SV Total: 31 G, 37.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 26 H, 2 HR, 60/10 K/BB, .96 WHIP, .188 BAA, 22 SV RHP Adalberto Mendez Total (High A): 37 G, 49 IP, 1.84 ERA, 37 H, 1 HR, 57/12 K/BB, 1.00 WHIP, .201 BAA, 14 SV RHP Matthew Avery Total (Low A): 30 G, 46.2 IP, 1.16 ERA, 29 H, 2 HR, 47/21 K/BB, 1.07 WHIP, .172 BAA, 8 SV Analysis First off, I think shoutouts are in order for Jeremy Papelbon and Michael Wuertz, who would both be in contention for this award were they eligible for it. Papelbon has yet to give up a run during his stint in Boise, striking out 17 and walking 4 in 14 innings. Wuertz, on the other hand, would be a strong candidate for this award with his performance down in Iowa thus far. 35.1 IP, 1.78 ERA, 58/8 K/BB, and 2 HR is fantastic for a reliever. He's quite similar to Rich Hill at this point... Regarding the guys above, as you can tell, the Cubs have been quite well off when it comes to pitching in their system. The starters have put up some gaudy numbers and the relievers have followed in kind. While it is much harder for a guy to make it to the majors if he is largely a reliever in a team's system rather than a starter, a number of guys still can make it and succeed on that path. This group of guys is no exception; they have helped slam the door and hold leads with the best of them. Also, once again, the Cubs have stellar performances from guys at every level. Ron, you have been especially lucky considering how many of these guys have been in AA! It is incredibly clear that, from a pitching standpoint, the Cubs have pieced together a formidable group of starters and relievers this year. The Cubs have plenty of pitchers in this system who could blossom into major league-caliber players. These are some of the best guys from a terrific group of relievers Thus, it is with great pleasure that I bestow this award upon: LHP Edward Campusano Let's face it, he mowed down the competition at Peoria and earned a double promotion to West Tenn, where he is starting to settle in and re-establish himself. This award was easy to give considering his strikeouts and ability to miss bats. That's just snazzy, in my opinion. Here's hoping he keeps this up when he gets up to Chicago! :D Tomorrow, I'll be discussing risers and fallers. Should be fun times!

Sexy!

Pssssssssssst, Tobias. This is a snake-style draft. You get two picks in a row.