vance_the_cubs_fan

I heart Wuertz!

What a craptacular inning...and it isn't over.

I'm not happy. The craptacular season demise has begun.

That is an ugly line-up. Hello, four game losing streak. :cry:

Come on, Vance. That's not nice. This person obviously doesn't want to be revealed for valid reasons. While this message board is the be all end all of everything that is good in everyone's life :D , it's hardly worth risking her job over. Let's leave it at that. sorry. :oops: I was just making a guess.

And even more from the notes.

More from the notes.

Game Notes

I guess you don't understand the business of baseball then. Just because all of you think Cuban is the solution and want him to buy to Cubs, it doesn't mean that MLB and the owners agree. He has no chance. Do you have inside information? If so please share. If not, your post is very presumptive. First off, anyone with baseball knowledge knows it is common sense that Cuban would not be allowed to purchase the club with the way he behaves. Second, yes I do have inside information for reason which I cannot reveal...like I like being employed. Are you a spy for the government? I love how so many new posters have such amazing and mysterious sources of knowledge. RedIvyCub's been a member since late 2003. Just because a member doesn't post a lot doesn't mean they don't have insight, information, or sources. For example, in the pre-NSBB days, I was a long-time lurker on cubs.com and (sometimes) espn. I had somewhere around 250 posts total in several years. I guess my comment was more a reaction to his condescending remarks such as, "anyone with baseball knowledge knows" and "I guess you don't understand the business of baseball then". Even if he has inside information, thats just annoying. Sorry, didn't mean to sound condescending in the least. Just trying to follow the vibe of this board. And I am not a HE...I am a she. I will have Bruce verify that I am not pulling anyone's leg sometime soon. I know you all trust him. Carrie, Is that you?

beginning? You want a good dose of worry? Look at the PAP leaders for the past couple of seasons. Do you have a link for that? See the stats page for Baseball Prospectus.

On that note, I'm hoping the new owner makes some changes in how that 7th inning stretch is done.

Z, Please don't suck like you did Opening Day. Love, Vance

beginning? You want a good dose of worry? Look at the PAP leaders for the past couple of seasons.

He was also abused in 2004 and 2005. (Third in PAP for 2005.) The cumulative effect of all that abuse at an early age has lead to the effects we see now. Is it really that hard to comprehend?

QFT

I've long grown weary of Steve Stone. According to Steve, everyone should genuflect in his direction. I'm sure he and Selig discussed things. I'm sure Selig said some things and Stone said some things. I'm just not certain that what Stone says really has any effect on what Selig or the other owners do. During the vote, I don't think the other owners are going to say, "Hey...you know Cuban (or someone else) has the money, but Stone doesn't think they'd be the right owner." Stone may believe he has that pull, but I don't. Reinsdorf, on the other hand, does. He's who worries me most. And furthermore, what does Cuban having been a Pirates fan have to do with a damn thing. It's not like Cuban is going to buy the Cubs and then trade our best players to the Pirates because he doesn't really want the Cubs to win. Someone really ought to slap Stone for making such an asinine comment.

It's not the amount of innings, but the amount of pitches. In 2003, Prior ranked third in Pitcher Abuse Points. Want to know who was first? That's right, Kerry Wood! And that was through September. It doesn't include Prior's post season starts that further put strain on his arm. You can read about pitcher abuse points here. So, it's much more than innings pitched. It's the way those innings were accumulated and the amount of pitches in those innings. Ok, let's go down that path. He has basically had one year when he pitched several games of 100+ pitches. Do you recall him going into the offseason in 03 with any significant injury? He pitched in October with no problem, and then had 5 months to rest. There was not a single event in which he blew out his arm, nor has any dr or diagnostic exam found anything structurally wrong, so where is the damage? If he was damaged by 03, why haven't they found anything of any significance over the last few years? There have been many pitchers who have had similar loads that Prior and Wood (for only one season) and did not fold up like a cardboard box. Wood, is a different story, his mechanics have caused big time issues, and he has caused damage over time. Prior, is another deal, and I don't buy 03 ruined him, and if it somehow did, he doesn't have the physical capability to hold up as a starter. He was also third in PAP in 2005 . I think it's highly probable that the abuse placed on Prior is the reason for his injuries. While there are pitchers who can take that level of abuse, it is a rare breed. Furthermore, the younger the pitcher when he experiences the high levels of abuse, the greater the chance for significant injury. And the injuries that result from abuse aren't always immediate. The stress and strain placed on the pitchers body early on often have a cumulative effect and damage the pitcher down the road.

It's not the amount of innings, but the amount of pitches. In 2003, Prior ranked third in Pitcher Abuse Points. Want to know who was first? That's right, Kerry Wood! And that was through September. It doesn't include Prior's post season starts that further put strain on his arm. You can read about pitcher abuse points here. So, it's much more than innings pitched. It's the way those innings were accumulated and the amount of pitches in those innings.

While Reinsdorf may have some influence, Stone will have ZERO say in who will be the new owner. He may have an opinion, but when it comes down to it, Stone won't have any sway with how things fall. His ego may lead him to believe he will, but he won't. Soul's question is a good one. I'm trying to remember the last time a potential owner was shot down. While there was some of that going on with the selection of the Nationals owner, that was a different circumstance since they were owned by MLB. I don't think local owner means diddly squat. While it might sound nice and sentimental, to think that an owner won't care about the team if he isn't local is a bit foolish.

Last night, I went to see the Braves play the Mudcats. Dan Smith was pitching for the Braves and Gabby Hernandez was pitching for the Mudcats. I was a little dissapointed as Campusano was not in the line-up for the Mudcats. If you like pitcher's duels, this was the game for you. The final score was 3-1 Mudcats. Hernandez looked pretty good. There were times, like the first inning, that he struggled with control. But his fastball sat at 92 mph most of the night and he touched 93-94 a couple of times. Smith pitched well, but was less than impressive. I only saw him hit above 90 twice. He was in the 88-89 range most of the night. Two Braves hitters made an impression on me. The first was the lead-off hitter Holt. He had two good hits and stole a base as well. Brandon Jones also looks to be a good hitter. It was only one game, but I was not all impressed with Pope by what I saw. Salty also hit a ball really hard and appears to have put his struggles from last season behind him. Devine pitched two innings for the Braves and hit 96 a couple of times on the gun. Devine has some nasty stuff. He'll make it back to Atlanta at some point. Futhermore, I got autographs from Hernandez, Salty, Jo Jo Reyes, Campusano, Pope, and Bret Carroll.

I can understand your position. All I'm saying is we can't deny that people with an inside perspective, on the type of owner that is likely to be approved, say that Cuban has no shot. Wasn't it Rosenthal that said the Cubs had signed Pudge Rodriguez a couple years back? I can understand that Rosenthal's information needs to be factored in, but I wouldn't take it as gospel. He's only human. He can be wrong too. Rosenthal is just one more name to put in the pot. Others have echoed his sentiments about Cuban's chances of becoming an MLB owner. Add Steve Stone to the list of those that think Cuban's chances are slim to none. And everyone knows Steve Stone is the authority on everything. Stone doesn't want Cuban in there because Cuban isn't one of the groups that has contacted Stone about being involved in some fashion.

Sullivan getting shut out by Z is pretty funny though.

Anyone want to buy a gray Prior road jersey?

I understand where Rosenthal is coming from. He may be right on target. And while Rosenthal does have inside sources, it still seems that this speculation. I think Colangelo if he can get the money together looks to be the most likely as he has rubbed elbows with the inner circle before. If Cuban wants a team, his best shot would be to put together a consortium that includes someone that would help prove his legitimacy to the other owners. The current Nationals group did this when they made Katsen president.

While there has been speculation that Cuban would not be approved, it is still that speculation. I'm still holding out hope that he will be the next owner of the Cubs.