NL Central Pissing Match - 2010

[robmufan]

There is more concern about the SP than the RP. The bullpen will be fine...Hoffman, Coffey and Hawkins will hold it down.

Hawkins?

You mean the guy that sucked on the cubs? the giants? the yankees? and the astros?

I wouldn't put too much stock into him. 

[TallTitan34]

Fun fact:  The day the Marquette "Gold" decision came out, LaTroy was blowing the 2nd of his 3 straight blown games against the Brewers.

[MUfan12]

Fun fact:  The day the Marquette "Gold" decision came out, LaTroy was blowing the 2nd of his 3 straight blown games against the Brewers.

Ha! I remember that... I watched the announcement then hopped the bus to the ballpark. Wasn't it a bases loaded walk that won it for the Brewers in the ninth?

[robmufan]

Ha! I remember that... I watched the announcement then hopped the bus to the ballpark. Wasn't it a bases loaded walk that won it for the Brewers in the ninth?

One of the days was...yes 

[Ari Gold]

Ha! I remember that... I watched the announcement then hopped the bus to the ballpark. Wasn't it a bases loaded walk that won it for the Brewers in the ninth?

I remember that. A bunch of my friends skipped class that day to go to the baseball game. We loaded up my Pontiac safari station wagon full of food and got to the park as soon as the gates opened.
Gary Glover pitched, I thought we were screwed then...
I made fun of Fatty Helms as soon as he was put into the line up, and he homered.

[MUFC9295]

Chicago sportswriters even today are discussing the Cubs meltdown based on a 9-game winner Zombrano doing nothing more than last year and an aging Soriano adding no more value than last year as well.  Soriano on the bench by the All-Star break?  I do think the Brewers scrap into the wild-card as my optimism for a WS return continues in its 28th year.  But i've not heard such pessimism for the Flubs going into the season.

[JWags85]

Chicago sportswriters even today are discussing the Cubs meltdown based on a 9-game winner Zombrano doing nothing more than last year and an aging Soriano adding no more value than last year as well.  Soriano on the bench by the All-Star break?  I do think the Brewers scrap into the wild-card as my optimism for a WS return continues in its 28th year.  But i've not heard such pessimism for the Flubs going into the season.

I don't know if its pessimism as much as it is reality.  You have a team, that even without injuries factored in, kind of scraped through last year and then in the offseason, did little to get better.  Marlon Byrd is a marginal benefit and who knows if Xavier Nady will be healthy.  Add in another year of age to Derrick Lee and Ramirez and who knows.  All I can hope for is a slimmer and improved Soto, maybe rapid development of Starlin Castro and moving Theriot to 2nd, and then maybe another surprise.  I am a HUGE Cubs fan and excited for summer to come back to Wrigley, but that being said, my expectations are tempered, and thats probably a good thing for the time being.

[GOMU1104]

Good outing today for Zambrano.

[copious1218]

I'm less concerned with Z's outing than I am Samardzjia.  How did this kid make the squad?

[LON]

I'm less concerned with Z's outing than I am Samardzjia.  How did this kid make the squad?

Notre Dame nepotism?

[shiloh26]

I don't know if its pessimism as much as it is reality.  You have a team, that even without injuries factored in, kind of scraped through last year and then in the offseason, did little to get better.  Marlon Byrd is a marginal benefit and who knows if Xavier Nady will be healthy.  Add in another year of age to Derrick Lee and Ramirez and who knows.  All I can hope for is a slimmer and improved Soto, maybe rapid development of Starlin Castro and moving Theriot to 2nd, and then maybe another surprise.  I am a HUGE Cubs fan and excited for summer to come back to Wrigley, but that being said, my expectations are tempered, and thats probably a good thing for the time being.

The worst thing that could happen with this Cubs team would be to stay within "striking distance" at the trade deadline.  There is just no way this team makes the playoffs, and with the age on that roster, the Cubs need to get what they can for some of those older players. 

[MerrittsMustache]

I'm less concerned with Z's outing than I am Samardzjia.  How did this kid make the squad?

They made a big deal about drafting him and they paid him far more than a 3rd round pick was worth. Now they're stuck trying to defend the "hype" (for lack of a better term) that they created.

Big Z really wasn't as bad as his numbers show (though he definitely wasn't good). The Braves had 3 hits in the first inning that would have been outs if the Cubs had a SS and/or CF with any type of range. I wouldn't be surprised if Fukudome ends up back in CF with Byrd moving to RF at some point this season. Theriot is brutal at SS. I can't tell you how many times last season that balls got through for hits that most SS would have gotten to. Starlin Castro is going to be in Wrigley sooner rather than later. Theriot needs to be at 2B or, better yet, in another team's uniform.

[Skatastrophy]

Brewers v Cards series starts tonight.  I lucked out with some gifted 12th row seats.  Anyone else headed down to Miller Park to make fun of the Card's fan's unnatural love for Poo-holes?

[Benny B]

Somebody told me there was a pissing match going on here, but I'm not seeing much of it here... just a lot of nonsensical whining about the "best" teams in the crappiest division in baseball.

Perhaps the actual match is going to take place at the Wrigley Troughs.

[damuts222]

 As a Cubs fan I know that the pissing match starts and ends at Moises Alou's house.

[Lacrosse218]

They made a big deal about drafting him and they paid him far more than a 3rd round pick was worth. Now they're stuck trying to defend the "hype" (for lack of a better term) that they created.

Big Z really wasn't as bad as his numbers show (though he definitely wasn't good). The Braves had 3 hits in the first inning that would have been outs if the Cubs had a SS and/or CF with any type of range. I wouldn't be surprised if Fukudome ends up back in CF with Byrd moving to RF at some point this season. Theriot is brutal at SS. I can't tell you how many times last season that balls got through for hits that most SS would have gotten to. Starlin Castro is going to be in Wrigley sooner rather than later. Theriot needs to be at 2B or, better yet, in another team's uniform.

Samardzija was actually drafted int he 5th round and yes they gave him way too much money for a 5th rounder.

Yes, some of those hits were bloops that should have been gotten to, but you are completely false in your assumption that Fukudome will be moved back to CF, Byrd is a better CF and this allows Fukudome to go back to RF where his defense is better.  The signing of Byrd improved the CF defense and allowed Fukudome to go back to his natural position , thus making our outfield D significantly better this year compared to 2009. 

[copious1218]

As a Cubs fan I know that the pissing match starts and ends at Moises Alou's house.

+100.  Awesome.

[🏀]

Brewers v Cards series starts tonight.  I lucked out with some gifted 12th row seats.  Anyone else headed down to Miller Park to make fun of the Card's fan's unnatural love for Poo-holes?

9th row, bitch!

I lucked into some tickets as well. Trying to figure out which team to hate less...

[damuts222]

Samardzija was actually drafted int he 5th round and yes they gave him way too much money for a 5th rounder.

Yes, some of those hits were bloops that should have been gotten to, but you are completely false in your assumption that Fukudome will be moved back to CF, Byrd is a better CF and this allows Fukudome to go back to RF where his defense is better.  The signing of Byrd improved the CF defense and allowed Fukudome to go back to his natural position , thus making our outfield D significantly better this year compared to 2009.

 The Cubs always hype their draft picks, unfortunately. The Cubs draft picks generally get traded away before they make the big leagues or they never pan out. I would like to see the Cubs farm system become stronger, it has been weak for a good while now.

 I agree that Castro should come up as well, but I want to see Colvin play more even if he moves around in the outfield just to get him so pt.

[JWags85]

Samardzija was actually drafted int he 5th round and yes they gave him way too much money for a 5th rounder.

I was under the impression that they gave him a bunch of money so he would choose baseball over football, trying to woo him away from the NFL.  Not that I agree with that decision (never have been a fan), but that would explain the overpay.

[MerrittsMustache]

Samardzija was actually drafted int he 5th round and yes they gave him way too much money for a 5th rounder.

Yes, some of those hits were bloops that should have been gotten to, but you are completely false in your assumption that Fukudome will be moved back to CF, Byrd is a better CF and this allows Fukudome to go back to RF where his defense is better.  The signing of Byrd improved the CF defense and allowed Fukudome to go back to his natural position , thus making our outfield D significantly better this year compared to 2009. 

Thanks. I first thought it was the 5th round but that seemed way too late to give him the kind of money he got.

It wasn't an assumption, I said I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. Byrd just doesn't have much range for a CF. The outfield D might be better, but it was brutal last year so that's not saying much. Soriano and Bradley should both be primarily DHs and Fukudome was playing out of position, though he's not a bad CF. This year they still have a DH in left, but moved Fukudome back to right and have a below average CF. They upgraded the OF but it's still one of the weakest ones in the NL from a defensive perspective.

[Skatastrophy]

9th row, bitch!

I lucked into some tickets as well. Trying to figure out which team to hate less...

Hate the Brewers less.  The Cardinals and the Cubs have been back and forth as the  the Central Champs since 2001.  There's no reason to hate the Brewers more than the Cards until we get a little stronger.

Plus the Cards wear UW@Madison colors.  I, personally, find it easy to hate red

[🏀]

Hate the Brewers less.  The Cardinals and the Cubs have been back and forth as the  the Central Champs since 2001.  There's no reason to hate the Brewers more than the Cards until we get a little stronger.

Plus the Cards wear UW@Madison colors.  I, personally, find it easy to hate red

Alright, you sold me.

[muballer10]

Yes, I did come up that line myself. Thank you. As a life-long Cubs fan you have to develop a sense of humor or you'll lose your mind.

I looked into it and I stand corrected on the Brewers "young guys." Escobar and Gomez are young but McGehee (a Cubs cast-off) and Kottaras aren't as young as I had originally thought. Perhaps I should have replaced "young" with "inexprienced."

You have zero knowledge of the Brewers farm system. That is all.

[muballer10]

As much as it pains me, I don't think the Brewers are capable of much more than what they did last year.  Even if Randy Wolf and (one of my favorites) Doug Davis helps to shore up the pitching staff, that offense is far from balanced.  Braun and Prince are unbelievable, but the Crew is kinda counting on a healthy Rickie Weeks, a non-useless Carlos Gomez, an improvement year for Corey Hart, Casey McGehee to be the real thing, and Escobar to provide consistent hitting in his rookie year to balance out that lineup.  Too many contingencies for a team trying to make the playoffs, IMO. 

so in order to improve ones offense, they must make every position better than last year? They lost Cameron from last year (.260 BA) and Hardy (.225 BA).