The Dreaded All-Star Break
I can't begin to explain how much I hate the All-Star break and it's three days of nothing I care about. That's even been stretched to four on occasion as they no longer mandatorily schedule a four-game set after the break. So we sit and twiddle our thumbs waiting for something exciting to happen as the Cubs plan how to make up either 3.5 games on the Cardinals or 5 games on the wild card in the last 76. Some stuff to discuss and think about it or ignore after the jump...
- Morally bankrupt for years, the Cubs may make it official ...oh, that's a financial bankruptcy filing. Supposedly some sort of legalese to facilitate the sale which does look more and more like it's going to go through rather shortly with the Ricketts.
- Pedro is flying to Philly to take a physical, presumambly to sign or maybe the doctors are really good in Philly.
- Ex-Cub manager Jim Riggleman has been named interim manager of the Washington Nationals, just in time for the dead-cat new manager bounce as the Cubs start off the second half against them. Wonderful. How worried is Stephen Strasburg's arm right about now?
- Muskat says the Cubs will make a run at recently released reliever B.J. Ryan once he clears waivers. She adds this brilliant commentary.
He'd be a good addition if Ryan can regain the velocity that made him a dominant reliever.
Rich Harden would also be a good addition if he could throw 95 mph again.
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#1 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
If TOR was willing to cut ties with Ryan, he must be DONE! Not horrible to take a flier on him though, but let's not expect anything out of him and not put him in high leverage situations for awhile.
#5 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Of course he's done, Toronto does not make mistakes.
You never heard of Reed Johnson again did ya?
;-)
#39 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
do the cubs need a 2-pitch fireballer with a 85mph fastball and no control?
#2 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
I so agree about the All-Star break. It seems to last for freakin' ever. You can tune in to the Home Run Derby and count how many times ESPN refers to Pujols as "The Machine" or you could shoot yourself in the head.
#3 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
It's Chris Berman's beautiful play by play of the derby that keeps me from watching..."back back back back back back back back back back back back back..." every fucking time. It's like commentary from a duck.
#4 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
the HR derby is retarded beyond belief....please change the rules and shorten it by at least an hour. I know they won't bring back the fielding skills after Larkin blew out his elbow that one year, but I'd love to see some other activities. A pitcher's HR derby would fucking rule and put the Futures Game on Monday afternoon.
Moving the draft to the All-Star break would be smart too...
As for rule changes, does anyone not think Hamilton deserved it last year? of course he did, this 3 round bullshit and not making it cumulative needs to end.
Make it two rounds, with top 4 advancing to second round and cumulative wins it...
#7 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Once player his a certain plateau they should just flick a few to opposite field and sit down. Stupid to keep hitting.
My other suggestion would be players should wear their team's mascot costume when hitting.
For the Cubs player in the derby they would have to wear Ronnie Woo Woos unwashed uniform after a July dh after it was stored in Sinatro's Festiva trunk.
#17 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Make it one round and have them hit golf balls with a nerf bat.
#16 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
I loved the All-Star Game when I was a teenager, rushing back from summer band practice to see how the Cub representatives did. 1969 was the high point, with the whole Cub infield plus Hundley on the team, Santo and Kessinger starting. NL won big, no thanks to any of the Cubs. Ominously, Koosman and Seaver were on the team, no Cub pitchers.
But that was a long time ago. Now it's just noise and cgi and blather and commercials. And, God help me, it determines home field advantage in the World Series. I love Brenly's take on the ASG; he rants about it several times a year: Either let the fans decide and make it a meaningless exhibition game again, or make it count and let the managers pick the teams and play to win. I actually prefer the former--I think MLB overreacted to the tie game a few years ago--but the latter would still be an improvement.
Of course, it's hard to get people to watch TV in July, so they hype the thing to death. Me, I ain't buyin'. Should be a few nice days in Chicago-- can cook out, go out on the nearby lake in our kayaks, read a book, sip a little good rye whiskey. See ya in Washington on Thursday.
#6 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Ryan was getting hammered by righties but if used correctly (which is doubtful that lou will do) i think he'd be a fine loogy.
#18 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Sounds exactly like Jimmy Gobble, who was misused in KC, then Ozzie didn't understand he's only a LOOGY, and now he was picked up by someone else last week if I recall. The Cubs had two chances to add him for the minimum this season and passed twice. And despite his 7 something ERA on the South Side this year, lefties hit only .226 off Gobble. It's amazing that in this golden era of statistics so many managers and front office people don't notice things like that. Gobble isn't a shut down lefty specialist, but he's not a bum, if used properly.
#8 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Harden threw 95 several times in Pittsburgh two weeks ago. It's the location of his stuff that is the problem.
#26 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
If he's throwing 95, it doesn't much matter where he throws it. Fastball up, change down, and occassionally do the opposite to keep them honest. Any location he gets horizontally is just a bonus. Try to keep that fastball in around the hands and let that change float out away, but he hasn't ever had a ton of ability to hit spots with any regularity.
He doesn't have very good control. Never really did when he was in Oakland, either. But, he was OK because the 96 or 97 gets by you in a hurry. That loses a lot of effectiveness when your fastball and change-up are seperated by 5 or 6 mph instead of 10 or 11. (EDIT: Yes, I know he can throw that change at like 79, but having a 88-79 repitoire is a lot different than having a 95-86 repitoire.) That, to me, has been by far his biggest problem this season.
However, I didn't see that start in Pittsburgh, nor any other start this season in which he threw that hard.
#32 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Pretty sure he hit 96 on the TV gun Friday.
His control is bad and he's leaving too many 88 to 91 MPH pitches, changes and fastballs, in the happy zone.
#36 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
The problem with Harden isn't his velocity so much as the difference in velocity between his Fastball and Change. Last year he generally threw the fastball around 93ish, but the change was a full 10 mph slower. Apparently this year the difference is more like 6-8 MPH, and that's why he isn't fooling as many batters.
#9 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
I know this is not ASG related, but as was mentioned in the last thread, I as well am slightly encouraged with MB's recent AB's. He indeed smoked a double off of Wainright, and if we were not last in the NL with RISP, who knows? Someone MAY have even driven him in considering there was only one out at the time.
As Lou keeps preparing us for: "If we don't start hitting - its gonna be tough..."
And in the WHAT THE FUCK?! department - for those of you watching at home - did Wells feed the same pitch twice to Ludwick? We were in the Upper Deck, and only knew it caught some nice plate.
Wells is a terrific surprise this year to me, but once in a game to the same guy PLEASE!
#10 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
first HR, was just a terrible belt-high fastball...
second HR, was just not far enough inside of where he wanted to get it....
#14 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Second one actually looked a hair inside on the TV replay. Obviously Wells was trying to jam him. Gotta give Ludwick credit for being quick. Wait,he's a Cardinal, never mind.
#21 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Yeah, he was ready for some inside heat on that 2nd homer pitch. He earned that one.
The first time he hit a homer, though, that pitch would have been difficult to not hit for a homer.
#27 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Alfonso Soriano thinks it's very easy to not hit that pitch for a homer.
#34 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Alfonso Soriano wouldn't have waited for a good pitch.
#11 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Wow, Mitre is still a prospect. Damn Hendry for trading him.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees...
#12 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
I always liked Mitre, couldn't stay healthy though...
#20 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Mitre's problem is his hair is made of shellac.
#25 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Clearly his most memorable moment was beating Halliday. I was all about Sergio Mitre for about a month.
#13 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Kaplan... Guess the Trib-Ricketts deal is done but they ARE NOT going to have a presser today. They'll let it get cleared through bankruptcy court and MLB first. I can't see this happening before the trade deadline if that little detail is even important at this point.
I can't help but wonder why any of this is news.
#15 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
I like the All-Star stuff because it allows me to get some crap done around the house without having to sit and actually WATCH it. I wait for Berman to shriek something that resembles a legitimate emotional outburst and I can glance at the TV to see what is happening.
Otherwise it is background noise.
It is pretty cool when someone gets locked in during the derby though. Josh Hamilton was just ridiculous last year.
#19 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Word. I have exactly 0 interest in the home run derby. Maybe if a Cub were in it I might have a little interest, but I still probably wouldn't watch it.
#30 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
I just hate the camera angles they use during the derby. They think that by getting on the field, 5 feet from the player they're giving us this great view, but from that close it's impossible to tell how hard a guy hit the ball. Popups initially look exactly like HRs. I'd rather have a further, wide angle view to actually see the trajectory and ball flight.
#22 Re: The Dreaded All-Star Break
Mitre's problem is his hair is made of shellac.
---
chitin, not shellac
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitin
...but that might be a bit existential
http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=15642
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