David

ERA+ of 171 and a 0.900 WHIP. Man, was he lights out or what? That he was. I remember having an argument with one fan who was adamant about W-L being the most important pitcher statistic. I tried to get him to concede the point by comparing Johnson that year (2004) to Sean Estes (who went 15-8 with a 5.84 ERA that year). He just said that Johnson was a .500 pitcher and Estes was a winner. I wanted to pull my hair out.

I sure don't. At least, not until he shows that the first couple months of this year were, indeed, an aberration. I want his .226/.261/.281 line nowhere near the top of the order.

Thanks. There's at least some reason for optimism there, I guess.

I might've missed it in this thread, but has anyone looked into the stats to see if there's any explanation for Kendall's sudden drop off the first two months of this year? Does his BABIP indicate anything as far as bad luck? Why is his IsoD down? Is it just some crazy major variance that he's bound to bounce back from? I always remembered Kendall as the consummate OBP guy. This year is just such a huge difference from the rest of his career in that regard. It's hard for me to pin it just on his age/decline when he's only 33 and had a nice year just last year.

Didn't Ramirez go in the Josh Beckett deal?

Randy Johnson 2004

I know that's what they've been doing. I've been extremely pleased with it lately (aside from any time they bring in Eyre). I was just making the point in response to his about the bullpen roles.

Get satellite?

Back on track? The bullpen has been amazingly effective for about a month. Dempster coming back to pitch his one inning (rarely with inherited runners on) when they have a lead in the 9th isn't going to make much of a difference. He's an average pitcher who has had success at times. By back on track, I mean get everybody pitching where they're supposed to be pitching. I wasn't denying that they have been good. Understood. I just don't really buy into the whole defined roles (setup, closer, etc.) in the bullpen thing. Use your best pitchers when you really need the outs and use your less talented guys when you can maybe afford to give up a run or two. Just my opinion.

Back on track? The bullpen has been amazingly effective for about a month. Dempster coming back to pitch his one inning (rarely with inherited runners on) when they have a lead in the 9th isn't going to make much of a difference. He's an average pitcher who has had success at times.

I don't think I could possibly care less about any player returning from injury than I do about this. Well, maybe Blanco or Crapturis...

Giants tough?

Definitely one of the most (if not for sure the most) talented Cubs teams I've seen. That team should have ripped through the league after the trade deadline And the most depressing thing looking back at the end of '04 is the starting pitching. Zambrano and Prior were unhitable. Rusch was even pitching out of his mind... but that bullpen :( I remember listening to a game against the Reds from September '04. Prior was flirting with 20K for the first half, kind of lost steam with the K's near the end but ended up with 16 or 18. Gave up a solo home run somewhere in the later innings and left after 9IP with a ND, and of course the Cubs lost it in extras. EDIT - Just looked it up, it was his last start of the year, sept. 30th, so I think the season was all but officially dead at that point. 9.0IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1HR, 1BB, 16K Sosa had a solo HR Kearns had the HR against Prior Javier #$%^&^ Valentin doubled in the winning run.... Adam Dunn (who set the major league strikeout record for season that day) And a Rusch start where the only offensive support he got was a solo home run... that he hit. I remember that Prior game. That was the last time in a while that Prior actually pitched like Mark Prior. Ahh, the good ol days... :cry: Damn you and your cursed arm Mark Prior! Actually, he looked pretty much like himself in 2005 until the incident with the line drive. :cry:

I think I've seen enough of Gordon Whatever-meyer to determine that I don't like him. Hell, I haven't liked him since that spring training game when Len and Bob had him on.

I was at game five of the 2003 NLDS in Atlanta. I'm not jealous. As was I. Nor am I.

Ya, I was right there with you. Thinking about the same game.

I'm pretty sure he's trying to illustrate how stupid the W statistic is by pointing out that 'Z' pitched lights out and didn't get a win, while Howry was pretty much a disaster tonight and got one. EDIT - But he did get a W last time out, so I don't know.

YESSSSSSS

We lose. Soriano's a gutless choking dog with runners on.

Now it's a real fake rally.

HOW IS HE ONLY ON 2ND??? THERE WERE TWO FREAKING OUTS

With a ball or a towel? OMG a towel joke. Hilarious!!!!!1111111one

LOL at being worried about Aramis because he "looks old" but is producing and feeling good about D-Lee who looks great but has only 6 HR at the end of June.

Ahhh, I'm sure he's just making it up too. :wink: It's not like he's reporting anything. He just basically gave his opinion/analysis of the situation as fact.

I thought the stat was that the Cubs won like 3 out of 11 and still gained ground on Milwaukee.