XZero771679666304

A lot of bad luck this series. A lot of just bad, but a lot of bad luck, too.

That was it.

I don't feel good about this matchup

Stupid reflexes

Few things are as frustrating as seeing one of our guys watch a meatball go by. [expletive] babip.

I'm not that worried about Soler. His recent struggles are frustrating, but we have seen him control the zone to great effect. It's not as if pitchers just figured out that they don't have to throw him strikes. I think that Jorge is probably just trying to do too much right now, and I expect that he will dial back the aggression at some point. As opposed to Baez, who has never displayed any real plate discipline.

Cubs.com. I quit posting there after the unfortunate business in October 2003, and after a brief sports hiatus, joined up here.

Cubs.com. I quit posting there after the unfortunate business in October 2003, and after a brief sports hiatus, joined up here.

That's amazing.

The DH doesn't magically get rid of bad hitters on the team. There's never going to be enough good hitters to fill the starting lineups of all the teams. The DH doesn't magically mean "ALL THE DONGS" either No, but it does means more dongs. And I seriously doubt that the #9 spot in the AL puts up comparable numbers with the pitchers' spot in the NL. AL #9 hitters have collectively OPS'ed about .150-.200 higher than NL #9s over the past several years. And since you're dong crazy, over the past five years, the Al #9s out homered NL #9s 699-447. Obviously, it's not a straight up comparison of #9 hitters. Adding the DH wouldn't just be pulling the best hitter off of your bench and inserting him into the lineup, it's allowing you to potentially go out and get an impact bat to replace your worst hitter, with no need to worry about position. I used to be in the camp that enjoyed the pseudo-intrigue that comes with NL baseball, but I'm completely over it.

It's not just unlikely, it's simply never going to happen. If the situation is balanced out, it will be when the NL adopts the DH.

Alex Gordon is so good defensively. Earlier he caught a liner on the run and then threw back across his body (from fairly deep in LF) and doubled the runner off at 2B. Then he makes a ridiculous catch, jumping into the crowd on the LF line. And he just looks so casual doing this stuff.

Wanting the DH in the NL has nothing to do with pitcher injuries. It has (at least for me) everything to do with making the game more fun to watch, and balancing the leagues. The "strategy" that the pitcher batting adds is a tedious formality, and anyone with half a brain watching these games can predict exactly what the managers are going to do in just about every scenario. And more offense = more fun. I think it's just a matter of time before the NL adopts it. You know the MLBPA would like it. Most viewers would like it, and that is good for MLB. I'm sure it will become an issue in negotiations in the very near future, and I hope people aren't obstinate about pretense and "tradition", delaying it for any longer than necessary.

Todd Frazier is a very strong man.

Did someone forget to plug in the microphones?

It takes no energy, hating the Sox is just like breathing. I despise them, but they don't vex me like the Cards do. I just truly despise the Cardinals, and I don't see the White Sox being relevant enough to the Cubs to care about. I was born and raised in the Chicago area, and was a freshman in high school for 2005, prime time to be heckled by the idiot Sox fans I went to school with, so this isn't me "not understanding" that bad Sox fans are annoying or something. I just had the hate instilled in me at a very early age; it was a "if you love the Cubs, you hate the Cardinals and the White Sox" rule. That was my early childhood indoctrination, and Hawk keeps the spite fresh for me. It doesn't have to make sense, it's sports fandom. And as much as I genuinely loathe the Cardinals, you have to admit this would be such a [expletive] way to lose your ace for the season. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. They receive more than their fair share of good fortune (on the field), but Waino rupturing his achilles (if that is what it turns out to be) coming out of the box on a pop-up would be some measure of karmic balance for some of their flying in the face of statistical probability. If it happened to Lester or something, people would be talking about how "Cubs" it was. Regardless, it would be good for us if Wainwright is out for an extended period, and I don't feel guilty for recognizing (if not reveling in) it.

I don't watch the NBA much, so I can't speak to that. But what I really can't stand are blatant homers, especially blatant homers who just aren't very good. Guys like Hawk, Al Hrabosky and even late career Harry Caray fall into this group. Guys whose place should be hidden on local radio (as Santo was). I know many people will disagree with me, but I think guys with as much "visibility" as major market TV broadcasters should maintain at least a modicum of professionalism (especially in this day and age, when just about every TV team is heard on national broadcasts at least occasionally). Of course, Hawk is the the absolute worst of the worst. Be appropriately biased, but attempt to keep it somewhat in check and display at least a shred of objectivity.

It takes no energy, hating the Sox is just like breathing. I despise them, but they don't vex me like the Cards do.

You can't defend the White Sox here, just where do you think you are? Screw them. And though I take great pleasure in anything that hampers the Cards, Wainwright is actually pretty likable. Too bad it couldn't have been Molina getting a severely infected neck tat or something.

HAHAHAHAH hawk is such an idiot. *yost calms sale down* "IF HE WAS TRYNA PROVOKE SALE HE OUGHTA HAVE HIS BEEEEHIND BEAT" i would love for somebody to just go up to the booth and cold [expletive] hawk right in the face. i think we'd all chip in for the fine and bail money. I would pay an exorbitant sum just to be able to sit adjacent to him and be allowed to mock/heckle him mercilessly.

I would think that if it were ruptured, he wouldn't have been able to walk off at all, but the sensation of being "hit" makes me think something popped, which sounds like a rupture. Who knows.

The Brewers are so bad. People talk about how they were in first place for so long last season, but don't seem to realize that it was because of a ridiculous start, and that they were mediocre-bad for at least 2/3 of the year. That team is in a bad way. From what I've read, their ownership doesn't seem to recognize the severity of their position, but if they have any sense, they'll fire sale this season. As much as I detest him (and as unlikely as it would be for them to trade him to the Cubs), Carlos Gomez would look nice in our OF. The regret over the Braun contract has to be pretty severe.

Because in hanging out in places like this, we forget that 99% of baseball (or any sport, really) "followers" are casual, meatball-y fans who don't have the time, interest and/or the capacity to invest any real thought in it. I will sometimes see someone in Cubs or another team's gear and start up a conversation, but invariably their knowledge pool is an inch deep. Even the most ignorant posters on this board are more knowledgeable than virtually any fan you'll run into. Of course, that's primarily because most people aren't huge losers who spend huge chunks of their free time delving into the details and nuances of a sport, but whatever. I have a couple friends who really know their stuff, but I don't bother with the rest.

Ventura is a loon. After he drilled Lawrie in the A's series, he was jawing and walking toward him. Lawrie would [expletive] murder most guys in the league in a fight, never mind a scrawny little [expletive] like Ventura. Chris Sale versus Ventura would be a fun match in the Kate Moss weight class, though. I imagine it will be his own teammates who end up putting him in check. I'd guess that if he keeps this up, they'll get sick of protecting him. And I have root for the Royals, because they're standing between the Sox and possible contention.

Then you're 7'5" He mixed up the 7 and the 2.