Hairyducked Idiot

loljk kid is sick, no Wrigley trip today.

If I'm reading that right, it went something like this: Wittenmeyer: Can you deny that it will take six years to get the TV money? PTR: I can't say anything right now, we'll know more about the TV deal by the end of the year. Wittenmeyer rushes off to write lead about how it might be six more years and PTR didn't deny it.

Hamilton was just a PR today, and he got caught stealing. It may not last because SSS, but this is funny.

In the bullpen by the end of the year.

@#%@%#, I was watching Iowa after watching Tennessee early.

Nothing he does in the first 20 PAs at any level really count.

Rubi Silva with a heckuva diving catch to save Edwards from a bloop single.

http://mlblogsvineline.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cubs_logo_reasonably_small.jpg (1-3) vs. http://www.beerleaguer.com/.a/6a00d834515b5c69e201310f393624970c-800wi (2-2) Starting pitching matchup http://itsalwayssunnyindetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cliff+lee1.jpg Cliff Lee 1-0, 14.40 ERA vs. http://www.bluegraysky.com/images/samardzija_knows.jpg Jeff Samardzija 0-0, 0.00 ERA Weather forecast 46 degrees, sunny Since this is my game thread, I thought I'd get us started with some fun facts and storylines to get the discussion rolling. Fun Facts Yesterday marked the 200th loss for the Cubs under Team President Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer, who have now presided over the team being 128-200 (.390). I haven't bothered to check, but I'm pretty sure that's the fastest 200 losses of any regime in Cubs history. Our trio of redemption hitters (Mike Olt, Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo) have combined to start the year 5-for-42 (.119). Olt is making contact on just 54% of his swings, compared with Brett Jackson's career mark of 64%. Since Tom Ricketts took over the team after the 2009 season, the Cubs payroll has dropped from from $144m to $97m (Cots' figures). The Cubs have spent fewer days above .500 i that time than any other team in baseball. No team employing Jed Hoyer or Theo Epstein has won a playoff game since 2008. The Cubs have not won a playoff game since Game 4 of the 2003 NLCS. They are on a 9-game playoff losing streak. They lost those games by a combined score of 57-21, with all of the losses being by multiple runs. During that playoff losing streak, the Cardinals are 40-35 in playoff games, winning 2 WS and a total of 10 playoff series. The Cubs have won 3 playoff series in franchise history. This will be my first trip to Wrigley since 2002 (this game: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200204110.shtml), so I will not be able to bring my particular brand of fun to this game thread when the game is ongoing. So have fun and be safe. * - edit to fix mistake, h/t to treebeard

Only in spirit

Aim smaller, kid. You can't just step into the big leagues.

Castro 2-for-17 Rizzo 2-for-17 Olt 1-for-8 Baseball is the worst.

If any expectations aren't met, that just proves that the expectations were too high given what they inherited. And also it's The Plan not to meet them.

Pfft, if 30 MLB teams are so smart, why don't they post here more?

Seriously, Redszone's "How much is Billy Hamilton's speed worth" conversations were some of my favorite of the offseason. Their answer: However many it needs to be to get to the win total we want.

I hear it down here talking to my Cubs fan friends. I'm not against trading Castro in theory, but how about we don't dump him at his all time low value? I say this and they still clamor on, about Castro and about Theo being worthless. Understanding that you don't just trade guys because you don't want them anymore is one of the major hurdles to becoming an acceptably intelligent sports fan.

Maybe they just don't think he's very good and only have him up as a lefty-masher infield reserve.

I thought it was reasonably playful/funny.

Crushes HR on 11th pitch of tough AB

Iowa announcers inexplicably fascinated with the idea of a catcher catching a foul tip for a K.

Baez K

Would we rather it be injury or attitude? Which to hope for?

Just for nostalgia's sake, Brett Jackson brettjacksons

DeVoss RBI triple Villanueva leadoff 2b

I'm having that "hang around .500 until reinforcements arrive" dream again.

I'm taking Javy over the field. Someone let me know how Bryant does.