Rational Discussion of the Cubs

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Here's a thread to discuss the Cubs rationally throughout the season. Please keep all pissing out of it.

I thought Derrek Lee would come back fully healthy this season and be a monster. So far that is true, I don't expect the numbers to be carried all season, but he may  threat the Crown again with a Gold Glove.

Aramis has been hustling and hitting for average thus far. His plate discipline has been stellar, hopefully this trend continues.

Theriot has been above serviceable as a SS so far this season. However, he will have a couple terrible months and really hurt us.

DeRosa again is starting to have a silent team MVP type season again. Playing anywhere he is needed is always a plus.

Fukudome looks to be aiming towards his Japan numbers. If he keeps this up, NL ROY is his. He leads the majors in pitchers per at-bat. A very good FA acquisition.

Soriano continues to prove he was a bad FA acquisition. His contract will hurt down the road as he continues to deteriorate. He'll still have decent numbers, but the majority of those will come when he hits .700 over a month with 20 HRS.

Reed Johnson has been another solid pick up. I hope he sticks in the lead-off spot when Soriano comes back.

[TallTitan34]

I agree with everything there except I don't think Fukudome is going to match his Japanese home run total.  The ballparks here are just bigger.  All of his other stats this season do seem to be on par with what he did in Japan.  Hopefully, he can keep it up once the league sees him some more.

[IAmMarquette]

Derrek Lee is off to the kind of start that makes every Brewers fan nervous. Looking like he did a few seasons ago when he was in the MVP running right up until the end of the year.

Fukudome was a nice pick up for you guys, no question.

What's up with your left-handed starters? They were excellent last year.

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What's up with your left-handed starters? They were excellent last year.

Looks like Lilly may have a case of the dead arm, I expect him to wind up on the DL if he doesn't perform well his next outing.

Hill is fragile, he gets himself far too worked up when his curve isn't getting him strikes. He got his first W the other day, hopefully that's a big mental boost for him.

[marquette09]

Where are the props for Soto?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I disagree about Ramirez "hustling," but you take the good with the bad with him...good tonight, that's for sure.

The strength of the Cubs -- and it's a huge strength -- is their stacked bullpen. It's what separates them from the rest of the division. With Zambrano and Dempster pitching well early, we'll need just one of the other starters to get back on track. I wouldn't mind seeing Leiber get a couple starts, but again, he's been fantastic out of the bullpen so far.

I fully expect that the Cubs are going to run away with the Central this year.
 

[robmufan]

100% agree with the Lieber comment.  I think if you were to put him in the rotation, he could win 8-12 games.  I think you wait on Marquis if you were to put Lieber in the rotation.  Keep the 2 lefties in the rotation, good or bad for now.

[Moonboots]

I'm a bit wary of how Hill looks early.  Given his frequent appearances on Baseball Tonight's 'That's Nasty' last season, I guess he really does rely on his curveball more than any pitcher probably should.  When it's not working for him, things get rough.

As far as Derrick Lee is concerned, if I were an opposing manager I wouldn't put anything near the plate at this point.

[robmufan]

How about the cubs becoming only the second franchise ever to win 10,000 games!!  Another stat I heard during the game yesterday (compliments of pat hughes) was that the cubs are the only franchise to never have their overall record go below .500, thats impressive!

[TallTitan34]

More impressive than the 10,000th win was Hill seems to be slowly turning his season around.

[jmayer1]

How about the cubs becoming only the second franchise ever to win 10,000 games!!  Another stat I heard during the game yesterday (compliments of pat hughes) was that the cubs are the only franchise to never have their overall record go below .500, thats impressive!

I think I would take the Cardinals 10 WS trophies any day of the week over that stuff.  Those 10 trophies are the second most in baseball, now that's impressive!!

Sorry to hijack this thread, I couldn't resist. 

In keeping with the title of the thread - Fukodome looks like the real deal and Lee looks really good this year.

[Henry Sugar]

I guess I'm most impressed by the plate discipline being shown by the Cubs, which has gotten fairly heavy coverage by the Chicago Tribune.  Fukudome leads the majors in pitches per at bat, and OBP by the Cubs is way up across the board.

It's getting routine to see several 8-9 pitch at-bats by all sorts of various players during games.

[TallTitan34]

Just wondering how you guys would feel about Samardzija pinch running in games where he isn't pitching.  Or I guess that could even be a way to bring him into the game as a double switch.

Usually I'd fear injury with a pitcher out there but the guy was going to be a first round NFL draft pick.  I'd say he's tough enough.

Plus I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the former wide reciever is faster than speedster Jason Marquis. 

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Just wondering how you guys would feel about Samardzija pinch running in games where he isn't pitching.  Or I guess that could even be a way to bring him into the game as a double switch.

Usually I'd fear injury with a pitcher out there but the guy was going to be a first round NFL draft pick.  I'd say he's tough enough.

Plus I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the former wide reciever is faster than speedster Jason Marquis. 

He got paid $10 million to pitch, not run.

[TallTitan34]

I understand that.  But say your down one in the 9th or extras and you have the tieing run on second.  You want some speed out there. 

I mean Jason Marquis is getting paid to pitch too (insert your own joke).  Maybe Lou is trying to run him into an injury.

[TallTitan34]

In all fairness to Marquis though, he has been an adequate fifth starter.  His last half dozen starts have all been quality starts I believe and he does keep the Cubs in the game.

I don't want him on the playoff roster but as a 5th starter I am fine with him.

[RawdogDX]

you could construct a senario where i would understand the logic behind it, but I don't think it's a good idea.  Lou would look like a real idiot if Samardzija chugged around the bases and then promptly gave up a big inning.

[TallTitan34]

Don't get me wrong, I was just saying it was a possible way to make a double switch.

I was thinking it would be more of a possibility on days where he was scheduled not to pitch after a few days of work.  It would be like adding an extra bench player.

[reinko]

Just wondering how you guys would feel about Samardzija pinch running in games where he isn't pitching.  Or I guess that could even be a way to bring him into the game as a double switch.

See Chieng Ming Wang...keep him off the basepaths

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Don't get me wrong, I was just saying it was a possible way to make a double switch.

Are you Dusty Baker?

[TallTitan34]

No Dusty Baker would mess up the double switch and bat out of order.

In the history of Major League Baseball a guy has batted out of order around 90 times.  I can't remember the exact number.  Dusty Baker has three of those under his belt.

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No Dusty Baker would mess up the double switch and bat out of order.

In the history of Major League Baseball a guy has batted out of order around 90 times.  I can't remember the exact number.  Dusty Baker has three of those under his belt.

However, he would clear up the confusion with a more confusing fishing parable.

[TallTitan34]

However, he would clear up the confusion with a more confusing fishing parable.

And throw some "magic dust" on the field.

[gjreda]

However, he would clear up the confusion with a more confusing fishing parable.

But would then refer to everyone as "dude" and thus cause more confusion while trying to clear up the original confusion.

[wadesworld]

Usually I'd fear injury with a pitcher out there but the guy was going to be a first round NFL draft pick.  I'd say he's tough enough.

It's not necessarily about toughness when it comes to injuries.  If you slide into a base or a catcher the wrong way and roll over your ankle (sprain it or worse) you're not going to be pitching for a couple weeks considering you have to push off of 1 ankle and all your weight transfers over to the other ankle.  I wouldn't risk pinch running with a pitcher.

[TallTitan34]

It's not necessarily about toughness when it comes to injuries.  If you slide into a base or a catcher the wrong way and roll over your ankle (sprain it or worse) you're not going to be pitching for a couple weeks considering you have to push off of 1 ankle and all your weight transfers over to the other ankle.  I wouldn't risk pinch running with a pitcher.

That's a good point.

[RawdogDX]

It's not necessarily about toughness when it comes to injuries.  If you slide into a base or a catcher the wrong way and roll over your ankle (sprain it or worse) you're not going to be pitching for a couple weeks considering you have to push off of 1 ankle and all your weight transfers over to the other ankle.  I wouldn't risk pinch running with a pitcher.

+1  well put.  Football you are much more taped up and you can continue to play on a sprained ankle.