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Last updated 3-26-2024
 
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PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

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Alexander Canario
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Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

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Game 157 Recap: Cubs 2, Marlins 4

It Ain't Easy.

Box Score, Play by Play, Photos

W- Willis (10-15), losing quickly, "getting 'em tomorrow." L- Lilly (15-8), wide outside corners, getting ejected for talking to a teammate, the fight against high blood pressure, hypertension, and generalized anxiety disorders. S- Tankersley (1), the last threads of hope for Brewers fans. Cubs Magic Number: 4 
  • Brewers Magic Number: 8
  • Combined Games Left: 10
Things to Take from This Game 1. How did we let this guy beat us? Willis pitched 8 strong innings, and struck Soriano out three times swinging at mid-80s fastballs over the plate. Both pitchers were helped by a generous strike zone, but I still don't quite get how Willis dispatched with us so quickly, inning after inning. Only a long Monroe HR in the 8th kept us from being shutout 2. Some bloops and blasts in the 2nd Lilly didn't look too bad himself, with the big curve seeming to be his best pitch tonight, at sharp-but-not-dominant. He gave up a couple of weak bloopers to Willis and Ramirez, and a couple of shots to Uggla and Hermida, resulting in four runs in the second. Wuertz and Hart both looked quite strong in relief 3. Lack of Right-handed Pop off the Bench With an entirely right-handed lineup in against Willis, our first two hitters off the bench were Cedeno and Kendall. In the 9th, with Murton due to face right-handed Lee Gardner with two outs and representing the tying run, Piniella went to Floyd, which in turn brought in left-handed pitcher Tankersley. Floyd acquitted himself well against the lefty, but his lineout to deep left-center ended the game. 4. Loose Lips In the 9th, Derosa exchanged words with the home plate ump after a strike three call on a pitch that appeared to be well off the outside corner. The same pitch was called a strike on Ramirez, who later in the at bat flew out. On the way back to the dugout, he passed along some thought or another to Murton, within ear-shot of the umpire. Gets ejected. We'll have to hear the full story on this, later... Your not-yet-panicking details, below. (And the moment I type that, Bill Hall hits a three-run HR to make it a 7-1 Brewers lead. Nuts...) Game Recap Inning 1
  • Two quick flies to Hermida, who struggles to see the second one by Derosa, but winds up grabbing both of them.
  • Lee takes strike three looking, down the middle but at the knees.
  • Hanley Ramirez lines to Soriano to start the bottom of the first. Uggla with a lazy fly to Monroe.
  • Hermida lines an outside fastball the other way, off the left field wall. Cabrera up.
  • Soto goes out to chat with Lilly, which brings LouPa racing (er, "racing" out to see what's going on. Leads to an intentional walk of Cabrera on the first. Looks like the strategy is pretty clear: don't let Cabrera be the guy who costs us a title. Lefty Mike Jacobs up. (Odd that they don't have a right-handed bat protecting Cabrera?) Marlins announcers say that both Ross and Willingham are unavailable, so I guess that's part of it.
  • Can really hear the Cubs fans, they get into it with two strikes on Jacobs.
  • Jacobs K's on a nice hook, looking. No damage. Fans cheer.
Inning 2
  • After 12 pitches, Ramirez flies to left.
  • Nice sliding catch by Hermida on a sinking liner from Murton.
  • Soto bounces back to Willis.
  • Lilly gets Olivo looking on another big Lillyhammer.
  • Linden singles to left.
  • Heh. Marlins play 2003 Playoff highlights (pro-Marlins ones, of course) for the fans. Cubs fans boo.
  • Brett Carroll (WHO?!?!?!) singls just left of the second base bag, runners on 1 and 2 with 1 out.
  • Willis bloops one into shallow left. Bases loaded for Hanley Ramirez. 1 out. Ohhhhh boy.
  • Generous strike call on a fastball low, 1-1 count.
  • Takes a huge rip, foul next pitch straight down into the batters box. 1-2
  • Ramirez gets really badly jammed, ball floats just beyond the reach of Derosa as he runs out to right. One run scores. Agonizing couple of bloop hits just now
  • and the Marlins announcers invoke Bartman. It won't be the last time we hear it, folks.
  • Uggla flies to the warning track in right, sac fly, 2-0. Both runners advance, to 2 and 3. Hermida up. Need to stop this inning, right here.
  • Hermida ground-rule doubles, bouncing the ball into the stands off the right-center warning track. 4-0.
  • Cabera with about a 410 foot flyout to Center. Some real bloops and some real blasts this inning. How will the Ted Lilly Fan Club ever explain this one....
Inning 3
  • Strike three looking to Monroe
  • Theriot singles to left, first Cubs hit.
  • Lilly fails to get the bunt down, strikes out on a foul bunt.
  • Marlins annoncers say they like the Cubs best among the contending teams. "The best mix going on right now."
  • Soriano strikes out swinging on what appeared to be an 87 MPH fastball down the middle. This game isn't off to much of an inspiring start....
  • Marlins guy interviewing some embarassingly bad Harry Caray impersonator in the stands.
  • Olivo doubles off the top of the left field wall. Barely beats the throw to second.
  • And Lilly comes right back to K Linden on three pitches, last one looking at another big hook that paints the corner.
  • Carroll flies out to end the threat.
Inning 4
  • Leadoff walk to Derosa.
  • After a long AB, Lee GIDP, 5-4-3
  • Ramirez grounds to Hanley Ramirez. Bobbles it, spins while picking it up and fires to first, 1-2-3 inning.
  • Lilly makes quick work of Willis, Ramirez and Uggla.
Inning 5
  • Murton walks, but Soto GIDP 4-6-3, and Monroe grounds out 5-3 for another very fast half-inning.
  • Hermida bounces one off of Lilly's foot for a single, but Cabrera K's swinging on a curve, Jacobs flies out, and Olivo K's swinging at a fastball up and away, no harm done. (Other than my recap of this inning, which WordPress ate. Meh.)
Inning 6
  • Theriot with a leadoff single
  • Cedeno in to hit for Lilly? Hmm. Called out on a check swing at a ball in the dirt. Cubs fans not happy, I think with the call, not unhappy at Cedeno.
  • Soriano strikes out, this time waving through an 85 MPH fastball that again seemed to be up and over the middle. Good grief.
  • Wuertz in for the Sixth.
  • K's Linden on a check swing on a slider to start the inning.
  • Carroll K's swinging on a slider. 2 down.
  • Willis bounces 4-3 for another quick half-inning
Inning 7
  • Derosa lines out to right, Lee flies out to center, and in the blink of an eye, two outs.
  • Ramirez rolls one towards the middle of the diamond, Uggla grabs it, double-clutches, and fires it wide at first. E 4, Ramirez would have been out easily.
  • Murton lines to Hermida for another quick AB and quick inning.
  • H. Ramirez flies to deep left-center. 1 out to start the bottom of the seventh
  • Uggla with a routine roller to Theriot, 2 outs.
  • Hermida K's looking, two very nice innings by Wuertz.
Inning 8
  • Soto walks to lead off the 8th
  • There we go. Monroe launches one over the big scoreboard in left, a real shot of a 2-run HR. 4-2 Marlins, still no outs.
  • Cubs fans back into the game.
  • Theriot flies into the chasm that is left-center field, one out.
  • Kendall in to pinch-hit for Wuertz. Not a lot of right-handed options off the bat, when we start the all-right-handed lineup like tonight.
  • Kendall battles, almost drops a double in down the LF line, but finally grounds to third.
  • Soriano strikes out swinging. Again.
  • Kevin Hart in. Makes quick work of Cabrera and Jacobs.
  • Olivio doubles to center.
  • Hart K's Linden swinging to get out of the inning.
Inning 9
  • Kevin Gregg unavailable, Lee Gardner to try to close, instead.
  • Derosa K's looking on a pitch well off the corner. Lets the homeplate umpire know it was a ball. Ugh.
  • Lee hits a rolling curve through the hole, for a single. We get what we wanted, Aramis up as the tying run.
  • At least the ump is consistent, he calls that same ball that struck out Derosa a strike on Aramis. 1-1 count.
  • Goes to a full count, Aramis flies to Carroll in center.
  • Murton up, will likely stay in to face the righty, as otherwise the Marlins could bring in a lefty, Tankersly, and the Cubs would lack any reasonable right-handed bat to counter with.
  • Aramis now ejected, presumably for having words about the strike one call in his at bat as he walks back to the dugout. It looks like Aramis was talking to MURTON, when the ump ejected him!
  • Well, ok - instead of Murton vs. Gardner, righty vs. righty, Lou pinch hits with Floyd, bringing in Tankersly for a lefty vs. lefty matchup
  • Floyd has a good AB, but winds up making the final out on a well-hit line drive to the warning track in left-center. 4-2 Marlins win.
Parachat Recap Inning 1 Settling in. The Soriano Hop. Cabrera and Jacob's lines. Inning 2 Sony Vaio. The Transitive Property by which Dan O'Dowd = Bowl Scraper. The Jason Jennings trade. Hermida/Hermaphrodite. Domo Ariagato, Mr. Geovany Soto. Zito to Seattle rumors. Carlos Guillen to First rumors. The new MLB.TV commercials suck. Quotations that sound like Dusty on Ecstacy. Just who and what dies in this The Final Season movie? Good baseball movies. Groaning over the inning. The Bears. Inning 3 Can you tell which testicle you've hurt without looking/feeling? Nut-to-brain connection. How is Willis getting us out with this stuff? Lilly trying to bunt. The Harry impersonator. The game. Inning 4 Matt Murton's "Canon" The Marlins Aflac Trivia Q. What's WGN showing? "funniest Pets and People." The humor of people falling down. Live Death on TV as Entertainment, coming soon? Is it too soon to start freaking out? (Ed. Note - Yes.) Fantasy ball. Furry bunny rabbits. Alicia Keys. Little Kittens, Big Dogs, Moises Alou and R. Kelly Inning 5 Bizarre music lyrics. Brewers updates. Panic now that the Brewers are leading? The Beinfest interview. Minor league stats and major league success. www.tradeforpitching.com. porn jokes lurking in innocent statements. Inning 6 Marlins attendance. Cedeno pinch-hitting. The ridiculously brief Cubs half of innings. Odd things to do in Hawaii. Inning 7 Abortion-supporting Gay Witches for Rally Caps. Or something like that. Pizza. Pizzabortions. Is Murton playing too deep in right? Magic words like abbra cadabra, allakazaam, and asschasms. The Amazing Mumphry and A La Peanut Butter Sandwiches! Alcoholic bevereges. We really, really hate The Final Season ads. Inning 8 Feeling dirty rooting for the Cards tonight. Rally cries. Following the Cards/Brewers game. Go, Cubs, Go and Dying Cubs Fan songs. Driving in the rain with someone else's baby and killing a drifter while listening to Kellie Pickler debate Ron Santo. I think I might be blending discussion topics, here. Inning 9 Cheering on the cubs, debating the Floyd pinch-hitting call and the Ramirez ejection. What strange deity are YOU praying to for a 2-run homer? Disappointment.

Comments

this game was so crucial, the cubs looked really bad. wed is a must win for the cubs. if they don't win, then milwaukee must lose or its a 1 (yes, cubs fans) game lead with 4 games to go. (not at all insurmountable for the brewers) there is 'NO' reason why the cubs shouldnt take 2 of 3 from the lowwwwwly marlins! remember, we cannot count on SAN DIEGO as they are ,like st. louis, laying down. get out the rosary beads & pray......

Aramis' take as per the AP story: “I didn’t say that bad a thing,” Ramirez said. “I think he was hot already because we argued the whole game.”

I request the good Marquis for tomorrow. Can someone pass that along? With the good Marquis on the mound tomorrow, Cubs can win. Keep the faith, folks.

OK -- I have decided to go directly to full panic --- if the Brewers run the table........that would mean 4 more losses for the Padres....Cubs in as wild card? Looks like the Brewers are doing to the Cardinals what the Cubs did to the Pirates. Fair enough. One-game playoff would be in Chicago, right? Tough one -- Dontrelle gets lit up by the rest of the league but toys with the Cubs....the back-to-back bloops in the decisive 4-run inning were a reminder that luck plays a bigger part in baseball than any other sport. Not the Cubs day today.

Some season stats on Cardinals pitching, including tonight's game: The Cardinals have lost by 5 or more runs 38 times. They've lost by 10 or more runs 10 times. They've given up 10 or more runs 21 times.

Mark it down: Cubs and Brewers each win next two games. Cubs clinch on Friday when we win and Brewers lose.

I've said it before, I'll say it again...hot weather and Marquis do not mix well. We really need a good start though.

*Mark it down: Cubs and Brewers each win next two games. Cubs clinch on Friday when we win and Brewers lose.* Everytime someone posts something like this, the chances of the Cubs winning goes down more and more.

I'm flattered that noah thinks my predictions have some sort of impact on reality..... If only I could get Vegas to believe that, as well! T.

Lets not freak out. The D-train was in 05 mode tonight and Lilly had one bad inning. With Dunn out, There is no way that we do not win atleast 2 out of 3 in that series. MIL is going to atleast lose one to San Diego. Also we are atleast going to split with Florida because it is damn near impossible to beat the same team 10 times in a row. That equals at a minium the magic number of 4.

No. If we lost all 5 remaining games, that means the brewers would STILL need to win 2 of 5 remaining games to win the division outright. Not going to happen. If we win just one of our remaining 5 games, the Brewers would need to win 3 of 5 to win outright. If we win 2 of our remaining 5, they'd have to win 4 of 5 to win outright. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Actually the Brewers' magic number is 8 I think, for an outright win. Which makes me feel a lot better for some reason...10 combined games left and the Brewers need something good to happen for them in 8 of them. Not very likely. Right?

Think of it this way 433...Cubs have a 2 game lead in the division. That's a bigger spread than they've had for most of the past 6 weeks. Hold the lead by playing good baseball, win the division. Magic numbers, I think, make us think of the minimum the Cubs need to do to hang on, which then makes us think of how if they fail to do just that they'll blow it, which sends the average Cubs fan into a frenzy. Forget about it. Cubs win games, hold the lead, and they're in the playoffs.

And it helps to keep some perspective -- in 2003 our magic number was 3 on Saturday morning, the second to last day of the season. And that worked out pretty well.

433 - if the Brewers number is 8 (i was taking your word for it both the first time, and now the second time) then yeah, it's even MORE Not-going-to-happener. And yeah, perspective. Off the top of my head, I don't remember exactly which game it was, just that The Most Crucial Game of The Year (TM) was going to be pitched by Shawn Estes, who at that point had been certified by a variety of different metrics as owning The Worst Pitching Year In The Last 60 Years (TM). Jason Marquis pitching tomorrow is small potatoes....

Yeah, we're fine. On Sunday I mentally and emotionally accepted as fact that we would be in the playoffs, that I could sorta take this week off. After tonight I am scratching my head a little but still not concerned. Not yet...

This was our fault. We take the blame. We are fine, but our hubris cost us tonight. Sorry.

If we can't get into the playoffs, we probably weren't going do much there anyway. We're going to get there, and now maybe with Soto we can throw Reyes out.

Possible lineup for tomorrow (just what I think) Soriano Jones Lee Ramirez Floyd DeRosa Kendall Theriot No Monroe, Murton

I am not the least bit concerned about today's game or the 2 game lead with 5 to go....but it is very important that we maintain this 2 game lead going into the final weekend. Being on the road is a whole different ballgame, and if it comes down to a bad bounce here or there, homefield advantage is where it's at. If Cubs win tomorrow, Brewers need 8 of 9 remaining games to go their way to clinch outright, 7 of 9 just to tie. Let's get that win and keep the pressure on.

I’m flattered that noah thinks my predictions have some sort of impact on reality….. Just try talking about Z's ongoing no-hitter in chat and see what happens! Anyone else think Piniella is managing in Panic Mode? Intentional walk in the first? Besides the dubious strategy element, what kind of message does it send to the team? Too many quick hooks over the last 10 days or so, as well.

The Cubs play 162 "must-win" games. A game in April counts the same as a game in September. Just as in golf, you can't win the tournament on Thursday, but you can lose it. I like the Cubs chances; quite simply, it's better to be two ahead than behind. I saw nothing last night which leads me to believe the game was anything but a loss by an essentially .500 team against a good pitcher on a team with a few players better than the Cubs. The Cubs need to make hay against these next two Marlin lefties. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the obvious.

I'm officially 100% on board with video replay. The fucking umps are totally ruining the integrity of the game.

What strange deity are YOU praying to for a 2-run homer? As a Christian, I'm saddened I can't pray to Vishnu. As far as gods go, Vishnu is kick-ass.

#12 chifan- With Dunn out, There is no way that we do not win atleast 2 out of 3 in that series. all due respects, griffey and dunn were not the ones doing damage last week in chicago. griffey was 2-14 with 0 walks, while dunn was 1-9 with 4 walks. one can only hope the reds fans scalp all the tickets to cub fans, and g.a.p. becomes wrigley east for the weekend. * * * * * * * did the equipment people forget to pack the cubs' bats for this trip? sure hope the lack of hitting changes lou's mind about starting trachsel on thursday.

But that's totally different, Neal! That's hmm-hmms you're talking about! Ken Harrelson told me that we ALL, each and every ONE of us, has a sacred duty to defend the hmm-hmm.... Sacred duty............

THIS IS GETTING SERIOUS NOW I've laid in a supply of Yuengling Lager bombers, plus a fifth of whiskey. Shot and a chaser during every game, plus (hopefully) enough leftover for any necessary "sorry drowning" or else carryover for postseason drinking.

...and as far as I'm concerned LouPa has a TOTAL free pass to do wtf he wants with respect to managing this week! This season's results earn him that right, if you put credence in manager having an impact on the team. If the players got us here despite his actions (the contrarian argument) then continued stellar play on the field would obviate his need to intercede anyway.

Dave, If the Cubs win out, they're still going to be underperforming my expectations. Certainly not all of that is Lou's fault, but exonerating him from being stupid because Carpenter and Rolen were hurt doesn't make much sense in my book either. Neal Norre Farimagsgade Kobenhavn Trapped expat in a BLUE (shouldn't Democrats be red states?) COUNTRY.

Let's all give thanks that the Brewer 'pen blew those games on Saturday and Sunday -- otherwise, we'd be tied.

Actually, BillyBucks, if the Brewers had won on both Saturday and Sunday, we would still be ahead by one game. But your point is well-taken nevertheless. Thankfully, the Brewers have the same bullpen now that they did then. I'm not panicking yet. I'm saving that for tomorrow.

I'm an idiot, BillyBucks was correct in #34. Sorry, BillyBucks. (And I might adjust my panic schedule now.)

I don't see why walking the ONLY power hitter they have in the middle of their lineup in the first inning is managing in panic mode,

Bill Wirtz is dead. This is a very sad day for his family and hockey fans in Detroit, St. Louis, Nashville and Columbus. Too bad I turned in my Hawks Card for Team Hockeytown a long time ago. I can't ever switch back but today I will be tempted. Don't worry about today, guys - Wirtz passes, Rex benched ... good things always happen in threes.

Wikipedia is out of control when its bio of Alfonso Ribeiro, Carlton Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, has more information than its bio for Bill Wirtz. That said, the Blackhawks may now finally be able to move into the modern era of hockey.

"I don’t see why walking the ONLY power hitter they have in the middle of their lineup in the first inning is managing in panic mode" Well, if you go buy their splits assuming Lilly is an Average left hander (which we know he's not) and assume a single scores a run from 2nd, but a double wouldn't score Cabrera from 1st you get expected runs for Cabrerra of about .45 and Jacobs of about .42. Which is great... except you also make it about 17% more likely that the 6th hitter comes to the plate in that inning and depending on what's occurred before then, his expected runs are going to be pretty high too, high enough to cancel your marginal advantage (3/100ths of a run) you got by ducking Cabrera. Then you have the other bad outcomes - four unecessary throws by the pitcher, telling your Ace he can't be counted to make an out, and your hitters that you're really concerned about giving up a run in the first inning, turning over the lineup more quickly which increases your chances of facing Ramirez, Uggla and Cabrera for five times in the game. That, is why you don't intentionally walk guys in the first.

I disagree. They've got two good players. Hanley and Cabrera. Can't let either guy be the guy to beat you. Cabrera's a lot more likely to hit a donger there than piece-of-shit Mike Jacobs is. I also disagree that your telling your pitcher that he can't get somebody out. The pitcher understands that the risk is higher with a player of his caliber. No reason to let yourself get beat. Pitcher wants to win as bad as the manager does. Would you not walk Cabrera in the seventh or the eighth if your starter was still in there? And thanks for explaining why not to walk a guy in the first inning, but you said nothing about panic mode, which was your original point.

Wes, This is panic mode: "telling your Ace he can’t be counted to make an out, and your hitters that you’re really concerned about giving up a run in the first inning, " Even if people like you and Lou can't grasp the strategic implications, you still don't want to send that message to your team. Ever heard of the concept of 'playing loose'? When Soriano was having those 87 MPH fastballs blazed by him last night, I didn't think he looked very relaxed. Why is that? Well one reason is becaue in the first inning of the game his manager let everyone know a 2 run lead was going to be huge, and they had a four run lead! Panic mode. I can't find a site that lists IBB's by inning, but the Cubs have issued 21 in the first 6 innings of a game and 24 in the 7th + on the season. In a division with Pujols, Fielder, Braun, Griffey, Dunn and Berkman for the most part batting in the first inning everytime we play them, I think it's safe to say that the MO has not been to issue intentional walks early in the game when those guys are up. But it was last night. Why is that? Panic. Would you not walk Cabrera in the seventh or the eighth if your starter was still in there? I am pretty much always against intentional walks that occur before the ninth inning. There are some situations, I guess, where they would be OK in the 8th, but if Lilly is intentionally walking someone in the 8th, odds are he's being relieved next batter anyway.

And I told you, from personal experience, this: "I also disagree that your telling your pitcher that he can’t get somebody out. The pitcher understands that the risk is higher with a player of his caliber. No reason to let yourself get beat. Pitcher wants to win as bad as the manager does." Ignore that if you want. But it's fact. Look, it's just a difference in strategy. You might think it's wrong, and I might think it's right. But you keep the insults of my intelligence to yourself, jerk-off. Alright?

#33 "Neal Norre Farimagsgade Kobenhavn" Seriously?

I can just say that I will be in panic mode until the final out that seals the division title for the Cubs, if that ever happens. Then, I will enter panic mode about the Cubs in the playoffs.... each round of it... and so on...

Whoa - cool off men! ~*grabbing Wes by the jersey and slinging him to the ground*~ oops, was that the sound of your ACL shredding? sorry.

Booooo to panic. Consider believing on your team, and having fun while you do it. It's your choice if you want to be miserable during the most exciting time for Cubs fans in 4 years.

Ignore that if you want. But it’s fact. From what I have seen watching baseball for 30 years is that some pitchers are OK with intentionally walking batters, but the majority of them are not. Where are you getting your 'facts' from? This isn't Sammy Sosa or Barry Bonds circa 2001 we're talking about. Seriously? sure

I'll drink to Andy's post: We have no control over the outcome of the next 5 days of baseball. None. What we do have control over, are our emotional and intellectual responses to the next 5 days. I'm choosing to enjoy the best ride we've had in 4 years. ~insert best ride in 4 years joke, here~

You're right there Real Neal, some guys are and some guys aren't. And from what I've seen, being on the mound and being in clubhouses for the last 15 years, is that a relatively smart pitcher like Ted would understand that situation. He wants to get out of the inning just about as anybody else. You can argue about whether or not it's the correct way to play the percentages, which I don't care to. But I personally believe it's the better way to avoid a big crooked number. The situation is the same at any level (like in lower level milb, which is where my experience is). The numbers are the same, so I think you approach the strategy the same. Whether your facing a a guy with 900 OPS in the appy league or in the big leagues, you should use the same strategy. I'd never put up four fingers to a guy who has bigtime problems controlling his emotions (like Z), Those guys think it's some kind of knock on their ability as opposed to neutralizing their best player. And no, you're not talking about Bonds, or Pujols, or Sammy. But he's still a great power hitter. And I'd really hate to leave the first inning down 2-0 because Ted hung his curveball to him. Is being 2-0 better/worse than the message it sends with the other team's ace on the mound? Well, I just don't know. Hermida doubled, and he scores on a single either way. Whether it comes from Cabrera or it comes from Jacobs. Cabrera more than likely isn't going to score on a Jacobs double. The only way he'd score was on a Jacobs homer, I think it's worth the risk. Again, just my opinion. Yours is different. You'd go after Miggy and have faith in your pitcher. His 964 OPS is something I wouldn't mess with unless absolutely necessary.

Well, that's eight in a row for Florida. We might be better off forfeiting the next two and just try to sweep the Reds with a well-rested staff.

I’m officially 100% on board with video replay. The fucking umps are totally ruining the integrity of the game. Well... even if they HAD video replay, the wouldn't replay balls and strikes, which was the biggest issue last night. As for the intentional walk, it is just a bit relevant that the count was 2-0 before the decided to intentionally walk Cabrera. Why face Cabrera after two unintentional balls when you can face the left hand hitting Mike Jacobs instead?

Wes, All you ever do is remind everyone that you are a pitcher. Ok, we get it, you pitched. Get over yourself. Please just give an opinion or insight without the constant reminder that you......pitched. Get over yourself.

In #39, Indiana JJ quoted Piniella to the effect that the rotation is up in the air after today. Which I interpret to mean Hill tomorrow, Zambrano Friday and Lilly, if the race is not over, Saturday on three days' rest. This sends the message that the pennant is there for the taking now. I wouldn't call it panic mode, I'd call it proactive mode. Lou doesn't plan for extra innings and he's not planning for Sunday. The players better be proactive, too, because the Cubs have a deep bench and if he tried, Lou could find guys who are comfortable playing for first place in the final week. The Cubs had three hits yesterday, so there were a lot of oh-fers. Lou is not going to sit around while people try to get over the willies.

Please just give an opinion or insight without the constant reminder that you……pitched. Get over yourself. Well... when others pretend they have an idea of what a pitcher thinks in a certain situation, it is probably relevant Wes actually was a pitcher.

Transmission wrote: We have no control over the outcome of the next 5 days of baseball. None. What we do have control over, are our emotional and intellectual responses to the next 5 days. I’m choosing to enjoy the best ride we’ve had in 4 years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Trans, are you a closet epiphenomenalist? I prefer Cartesian dualism because it allows me to believe that if I think and worry hard enough, perhaps, just perhaps, I *can* affect the outcome of the game. And, yeah, I took last night off.

I would take a split for our beloved Cubs over the next two days. With Marquis and Trachsel likely going, I don't think we should expect more than that on the road. Unfortunately, i just don't see the Brewers losing the next two games with Viilanueva and Gallardo going at home. If that is the case, The Cubs would have a 1 game lead going into the weekend (last 3 games). And yes, I would be VERY nervous.

dave wrote: Well… even if they HAD video replay, the wouldn’t replay balls and strikes, which was the biggest issue last night. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Somewhat off-topic, but with video technology like Questec, which MLB uses to "review" ball and strike calls by umps, and ESPN's similar "K-Zone", I believe that we will see all ball and strike calls become automated in the next 10-20 years. It is a completely objective test as to whether the ball crosses the plate at the correct height.

Well… when others pretend they have an idea of what a pitcher thinks in a certain situation, it is probably relevant Wes actually was a pitcher. So he constantly reminds us.

Maybe I'll take tonight off. According to Schroedinger's Box Score, the Cubs will not have won or lost tonight's game until I check the paper tomorrow.

I'm becoming rather nervous about the Trachsel start. I'd like to think he could come up big, Estes-style (or, hell, Trachsel-style circa 1998), but in a world where Lilly gives up ringing doubles to Miguel F. Olivo, it's hard to be confident in anything. Anyway, anybody think there's any chance Piniella shuffles the rotation to include Marshall or perhaps Hart? I know Marshall very much fell out of favor, and that Hart is less than a proven commodity at the major league level. But wouldn't it be nice to see some livelier stuff out there against these very dangerous fish?

Lou could find guys who are comfortable playing for first place in the final week. The Cubs had three hits yesterday, so there were a lot of oh-fers. The only starters who didn't reach base via hit or walk yesterday were Soriano and Ramirez. Do you really think that they aren't comfortable playing for playoffs, that Lou would bench either of them, or that anyone else on the Cubs bench would outperform them if they were playing instead?

The only starters who didn’t reach base via hit or walk yesterday were Soriano and Ramirez. But Bleeding... they didn't all have hits. I am sure some one in the minors could have been called up that would have gotten a hit.

My gosh, reading these comments I would think the Cubs have lost 5 in a row. Wait until after tonight...if the lead is 1, then start to panic.

All you ever do is remind everyone that you are a pitcher. Ok, we get it, you pitched. Get over yourself. Please just give an opinion or insight without the constant reminder that you……pitched. Get over yourself. I love you, too. I've got a great story about the Northwoods League that you just HAVE to hear.

And if everybody didn't tell me what pitchers do and what pitchers think, I wouldn't bring it up, hotshot.

Well, Boo, you're entitled to your opinion and so are others. I don't care if Wes reminds us everyday for the rest of eternity that he was a pro pitcher. I WANT to hear his perspective on these issues more than I want to sift through all the sabre-metrician's mindlessly numbing emails debating the probability of differences of .3 run. You think Lou gives a crap to consider every statistical probability? His team is fighting for a playoff spot and he's using every bit of experience and tactic to win. I'm pretty sure he considered Lilly's feelings and then did what he felt he needed to do to give the Cubs the best chance of doing just that. Thank you Wes, for your insight on this.

I agree with GA (#77). One of my favorite things about this site is the level of expertise on various subjects, such as AZ Phil's and the minor leagues/roster rules, our resident doctor and his medical expertise, Wes and his pitching experience, etc.

All I have to say is some MF's best be walkin' me 'cause I'ma go yard against some foo's. In Dusty We Trusty!!!!

Thank you, Andy. I also agree with Wild Thing that that's what keeps me coming back to this site almost daily. I've learned more about the Cubs minor league prospects this season that the last 10 years of reading Baseball America.

Well Craig, I pity those fools who walk you, cause if they throw you strikes, well, let's just say I think that last night's homer was your one and only as a Cub.

I'll say this before I put this whole deal to bed. I'm sorry it bothered you, Boo. Didn't realize it's that big of a deal. You probably could have handled that a lot less offensively than you did, but I've done that a time or two myself around these parts. Including earlier in this thread. I do still get a lot of "oh yeah, well what the heck do you know?" about the whole deal, so I just head it off at the pass. It isn't about me knowing more than you, because I probably don't. It's not about calculators and Baseball Prospectus for me. I'm a simple minded, corn fed, raised on a farm, Indiana boy. I don't think that makes me ignorant or "unable to grasp strategic implications" (Big ups to Real Neal). I just view baseball as a much simpler game than everybody else. I'll walk that guy because I've seen it work a lot more than I've seen it backfire. Nothing to do with potential runs scored or any of that other stuff he posted that makes my face hurt. I post on this blog 1) because it's one of the few things on the internet that holds my interest and 2) I think it's important for fans to understand the inner workings of teams and players. Sad to say, there's a bit of a rift there. The 3 hours a night you turn on Len and Bob doesn't tell you everything you need to know about the guys on the lineup card. You can watch every pitch of the 2007 season and still not know everything because the baseball clubhouse is this mysterious place where stupid shit happens. It seems to me that a lot of the time in the message board community, baseball players are just a variable with AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS tacked on at the end of their name. And I'm just trying to provide some of inner workings on pitching. Not many numbers involved in that. No stepping on toes intended.

The only starters who didn’t reach base via hit or walk yesterday were Soriano and Ramirez. Well, DeRosa was oh for three batting second, with two second-inning popups that fell tantalizingly out of his reach. Maybe Murton should have caught them. Somebody could have. It was the pitcher, after all, hitting a high pop up to short right. I'm just saying, competition is good. It keeps everyone on their toes. There's no competition for first, third or left, but everywhere else, yes. The competition is intensified this week. Lou is not going to sit back and say, We're just not hitting. He'll be more proactive than that.

Well said Wes. By the way...after one season of little league, my coach gave me ball that said: "Joe H Best Hitter". Unfortunately, no one told me not to slide into first base, which I did almost every time. (It seemed faster). So there's that.

I think the "calculators" agree with Lou here. All of MLB hits like Albert Pujols after a 2-0 count, .293/.516/.495. 2-0 has the highest percentage of HR in 2007 (5.57%)*, and it isn't close. I thought that was a great move, especially with two out and given the hitters due after Cabrera. If anything, this tactic should be more common. * I fail to see how raising these points detracts from enjoyment/knowledge of the game. It isn't like broadcasters are pointing this sort of thing out.

Yeah, not to get all "Kumbaya" on everyone, but I really like the community of people that come to this site nearly every day. We have a very broad mix of people with different viewpoints, and expertise, and it is valuable to have a site like this. I found this site in spring training, and have learned more this year than ever before about MLB and the Cubs.

You just said, Wes, what I've been trying to say off and on all season. This is a GREAT game, and it's played with real people with real human frailties and real emotions. And if you've played this game at a competitive level or managed, it's a lot more complicated than looking at splits and OPS when the crap hits the fan.

I love you guys *with teary eyes*. The Joe... you sure as hell are not getting my bud light.

Keep on postin', Wes! I dig it and I think most everyone else does too. By the way, what did you throw Boo when he "went yard on you in T-Ball"? [scratches head]

fwiw Jacobs has hit lefties quite well this year. 294/333/500 seemed like we hit a lot of balls right at people and they hit a lot of ducksnorts just out of reach. We weren't going to win 11 in a row to end the season anyway. Some palooka named Dan Barone tonight and JJ, Kendall and Floyd will have to dust off their bats.

Well... actually, now that I think about it... if I had a god-awful bud light, I would probably give it to anyone who asked.

Wes was a pro pitcher?! kewl! How about a link to your page at TheBaseballCube?

Get the palooka. FWIW, about every 4 months there seems to be a great hemming and hawwing to the effect of "what has happened to TCR, it's totally gone down the tubes because of XYZ, yadda yadda." To echo some of the kumbaya stuff up above, I think that TCR's community, right now, is probably healthier than I ever remember it being since I started reading and participating in... ugh. what was it, maybe 2002? ~jinx~

That’s ugly enough that I’d lose all credibility around here, cwtp. :) What credibility? :)

*With Dunn out, There is no way that we do not win atleast 2 out of 3 in that series.* There is no way the 1984 Cubs don't win at least one of those games in San Diego. There is no way that ball goes under Durham's glove. There is no way the 2003 Cubs don't win one of those last two games with Stud 1 and Stud 2 pitching. There is no way that A. Gonz doesn't turn that DP, he's the most sure handed fielder the team has! There is no way...blah blah blah. Anyone who says "there is no way" the Cubs do this or don't do that has obviously not watched this franchse very long. Not to say that this team is the same as any other or the past is any indicator of future events, but to say anything is locked down is just asking for karmic smackdown.

The Playoffs Have Begun! In the playoffs, if you play over .500, you move on. If you don't you go home. That is basically the positon the Cubs are in right now with 5 to go. It is remarkable how one game -- really, two consecutive bloop hits -- can change the feeling from giddy to panic. But, there you go.

C'mon Wes. How could you lose credibility? I pretty sure most of us here would love to see our names on the baseball cube website.... The closest I got was doing sports radio (not to brag, Boo...I'm just sayin'.)

"It is remarkable how one game — really, two consecutive bloop hits — can change the feeling from giddy to panic. But, there you go." This is how it is going to be until the Cubs play their last game of the 2007 season. This will continue into the post season SHOULD they get into said post season. We were pretty squirrely in 2003 but things have amped up just a bit since then.

Yahoo blurb.... Bill Plaschke, of the Los Angeles Times, reports Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti is more open to trading some of the team's younger players in order to acquire veterans this offseason, according to sources with the team. The player most mentioned to be moved is OF Matt Kemp. They feel the team needs more leadership from veterans if they are to contend. JJ's a veteran!!!!

Ahem, Let me just clarify here, because there's obviously some confusion. No disrespect intended to Wes. 1. Having played baseball to a certain level doesn't necessarily make you more knowledgeable about about what makes a winning baseball team. Of the best GM's and managers in baseball history, how many were great baseball players? Call it the Joe Morgan principle. 2. Extrapolating personal experience to decide what someone else would think in a certain situation can interesting, but not always accurate. 3. I actually didn't turn on the game until halfway through the atbat, so I didn't know that Lou only told him to walk him after being down 2-0, which makes it not so bad. Olvio was 4-8 with 3 HR's in his career against Lilly, so I still think it's better to face Cabrera with a guy on than risk Olivia with the bases loaded or a couple on and one in.

I actually didn’t turn on the game until halfway through the atbat, so I didn’t know that Lou only told him to walk him after being down 2-0, which makes it not so bad. Olvio was 4-8 with 3 HR’s in his career against Lilly, so I still think it’s better to face Cabrera with a guy on than risk Olivia with the bases loaded or a couple on and one in. ------------------------------------------------------------------ I don't know if you know this, bhere were three more batters after Cabrera before Olivo was to hit. If he batted in that inning, we would've had deeper problems that walking Cabrera intentially with a 2-0 count and 2 outs.

I don’t know if you know this, bhere were three more batters after Cabrera before Olivo was to hit. No... Jacobs hit after the IBB to Cabrera, and Olivo was on deck.

Lemme get this straight...the Dodgers are looking to make their team *older* because they need "more leadership from veterans if they are to contend"? The Dodgers of Jeff Kent, Nomar, Luis Gonzalez, Derek Lowe, David Wells, Jason Schmidt, and Esteban Loaiza? Wow, talk about opening the door even further in SoCal to the Angels. Tell you what, Mr. Colletti, we'll give you Jacque, we'll exercise this wonderful pay-per-PA contract option for Cliff Floyd for ya, and we have this simply marvelous and experienced veteran back-up catcher Henry Blanco (because look at what that kid Russell Martin "leadership" got you this year...jack squat). And all we want are those two young yokels without leadership skills, Matt Kemp and Tony Abreu. Oh, and the Billingsley kid sucks too.

Yeah, I would definitely investigate what the Dodgers want for Kemp. So, he doesn't get along with Jeff Kent... Does anyone?

No… Jacobs hit after the IBB to Cabrera, and Olivo was on deck. -------------------------------------------------------------------- My bad. I'm wrong. For some reason, I thought Olivo batted 7th or 8th. He's usually down there...

Cubs are 10-3 in their last 13 games (since Monday the 10th) and have outscored opponents 68-45. The Brewers are 8-7 since Monday the 10th, outscoring their opponents 78-55. Not a lot of confidence from people after last night's loss, but we have been playing pretty good baseball over the past 2 weeks. Mets are up 2 games and are 4-6 in their last 10 games and Padres are also up 2 games with a 5-5 record in their last 10.

Of the best GM’s and managers in baseball history, how many were great baseball players? Great players don't make good managers, in my opnion. And there's reason for that. Having superstart talent doesn't help you learn very much. Everything's too easy. You don't learn stuff like a guy who has to work harder for it. Good players do, though. I think guys like Scioscia, Hargrove, Piniella, Guillen, Alou are good managers. Even the Bob Melvins, Bob Brenlys, or Joe Torres of the world weren't that terrible of players That's way different than any HOFer. There's no reason to waste time learning stuff. You're good enough to not waste time with that. GMs aren't paid to decide when to walk guys, when to squeeze, or when to decide if their pitcher is toast. They're paid to find talent. A lot of people in the message board community would be GREAT general managers. Hell, I'd take 40% of the guys here over any GM in baseball. You've got to understand and grasp statistics, which many players don't. I guarantee you there are fewer than 5 big leaguers who know what their VORP is. Or what their win share is. GMs need to understand that stuff. 2. Extrapolating personal experience to decide what someone else would think in a certain situation can interesting, but not always accurate. It does it similar situations. When you've got a runner on second, a great hitter at the plate, and a poor one behind him, the situation is the same. I think a manager should should play his cards the same in similar situations. Consistency.

Ha... DLee is on ESPN 1000 right now, and was just asked about the losing streak to the Marlins. His incredulous response: "We have lost 8 straight games to the Marlins?!?!" His tone of voice was great - he didn't believe it. He had no idea, and he was shocked that this was the case.

While I don't think it's common to issue an IBB in that situation in the first inning, I do think it's relatively common to pitch around a guy early in the game...Other teams have done that to Ramirez numerous times recently. Once Lilly fell behind 2-0, they decided not to dick around or risk a wild pitch, so they put him on. A complete non-issue in my book. I think the team is capable of understanding what the manager is doing in that situation and it's not going to make one ioda of difference in how they approach the rest of the game.

"Padres are also up 2 games with a 5-5 record in their last 10." Padres up 1 game over Colorado (WTF?) and Philly. One out away from a 3 way tie, if not for the 2-0ut homer to put the Padres ahead. There is a lot of steakiness in the league these days...both directions.

Wes was a pro pitcher?! kewl! He was? I can't think of anyone named Wes or Wesley from Indiana who played pro ball as a pitcher. Don Larson, Bob Rush for the old timers, Benes Brothers, Bullington, Ron Reed, Mike Dunne have all made it. Blasko or my former coach Dave Wood, (6th round pick Cubs 1972) never made it to the bigs. Hmm, Wes Whistler, White Sox farmhand is from Indianapolis, but he's still active in AA Birmingham.

Oh, I think we were f***** the minute I scored three tickets to game 3 of the NLDS. I won the ticket Lotto to the World Series in 2005 as well. Cardinals vs. White Sox in St. Louis. Good seats too!

I'll say that the Dodgers were the most underachieving team of 07... On another note, I'm not going to panic...yet!

He was? I can’t think of anyone named Wes or Wesley from Indiana who played pro ball as a pitcher. Wes isn't my given first name. It's the name I prefer, though.

Wes, and a poor one behind him This is where you're confused. Just because you haven't heard of Jacobs doesn't make him a poor hitter. 294/333/500 is not a poor hitter.

Am I the only one who has been trying to search The Baseball Cube for pitchers who were born in Indiana?

I've got Mike Jacobs at 274/327/474. Sure those are Jacobs' #'s v. left, but Cabrera's #''s against left 363/490/699. It was meant more as a comparative term.

Well, while half of the board searches Baseball Cube for Wes...can I just interject that this might be the most-discussed IBB ever in the history of TCR? It was the first inning, folks. No runs scored. I'm tempted to start talking about Gregg Maddux if only to change the subject.

Wes are you a BSU alum? I know Bullington and he's a Reds fan so Wes isn't BB. Are you Justin Wechsler?

I’m tempted to start talking about Gregg Maddux if only to change the subject. Uh Oh. You spelled Greg wrong. Beware of the wrath of Chad!!!!!!!

Wes... if you won't tell us your name, how about your birthday, birthplace, high school, social security number, etc?

Am I the only one who has been trying to search The Baseball Cube for pitchers who were born in Indiana? I'm just circling through my mental rolodex for P's from Indiana. I follow our state and college programs pretty closely so I'm intrigued. I've already thrown the more well known names, the rest I can think of are all still in the minors like J.Parker, Ben Snyder, Niesel, Wechsler is out with arm problems and given the last name that seems close, but Justin hasn't made it to the bigs.

Gregg Maddux? Who the fuck is that guy? You mean former Oriole closer Gregg Olsen or perhaps Met Über prospect Gregg Jeffries?

This reminds baseball version of 20 questions I used to play with my Dad. I'll go first. American or National League?

While I am curious to see Wes' baseball stats, do we really need to know? Some of us have already seen and heard Wes jumping up and down like a little girl in one of the funniest clips of recorded broadcasting I have seen. That was quite a sharing moment. Can't we leave it at that?

"He had no idea, and he was shocked that this was the case." during derosa's 5-for-5 he was asked simply "remember the last time you did that?" his answer...just as simple yet refreshingly unsurprised in tone..."yes."

DLee shocked ~shocked, I say!~ hmmm, makes me think he doth protest too much. Conspiracy theories?

From ESPN 1000: Line up for tonight: Soriano Theriot Lee Floyd ARam DeRosa Jones Kendall Marquis

that hard to believe someone connected to baseball (even in the past, even if only associated with lower levels) would be on the net contributing? yeah, schilling was a geek and he shows his geeky ways, but almost anyone 25 or under pretty much grew up around an online connection and in online social groups for most of their out-of-family social lives. the next gen of 20-year olds coming up into the game will be even more visible, too. hell, we cant be too many decades away from guys who will be future talents getting their own web/blog in highschool/college to prepare for their future public presence. we're already seeing it and its no longer because some agent told them to do it...its cuz the internet is a familiar means of communications for many facets of their lives as it is.

btw...aside from the "rollers" a lotta baseball guys are normal and/or boring. depending on schooling and how they were treated by peers while in school, they can also act like they're still in highschool. for every mike marshall and steve stone type you got a lotta "regular joes" plodding away trying to make it to the show. me playing guitar hero and taking it to far is just me being a stupid nerd...zumaya does it and its cute/funny cuz its just so damn "human" and normal.

so...is blanco dead or what? what's going on with his health? how hobbled is he? we dont even see him pinch hitting in situations you might have brought him in to do so.

so…is blanco dead or what? No... he just isn't very good (and possibly not very healthy).

I don't like spliting up Lee and Ramirez, but I don't like batting all the lefties together and all the righties together. I would probably hit Jones second rather than Floyd cleanup, but it's not going to make me call for Pinhead's head.

"Who is having a hard time believing it Crunch?" well, some of the "wes outting" seems to be a game in nature...harmless. some are asking him to straight up prove himself in a not very veiled way. and im sticking myself in the middle of it cuz im a dick like that...and im bored...and this is the internets...mmm internets. actually, i just wanted an excuse to write a sociology piece. :(

Sammy hit #609 today, looks like he would have easily had a 30/100 season if he played full-time even with an ugly BA and OBP.

Fair enough. I like monologues. This seems to a bit of deja vu. Didn't we go through this last year when somebody referenced their credentials? There was about a day in which everyone name-dropped their own degrees. Can't remember the instigator of it though. But as an accredited doctor of clownology, I can say with authority that it is all a bit ridiculous. Deal with it...we're all pretentious. At least all my fellow graduates in graduate school were. Did I mention that I went to graduate school? You're impressed aren't you? It wasn't really in clownology, though I would be much cooler if it was.

mike winters (that ump in the bradley situation) suspended rest of year...bradley no discipline.

Did I mention that I went to graduate school? You went to seminary. I am not sure that counts! :)

I'm sure several people here are curious to see if Wes is exaggerating, but in my case I just wanted to see if his run had occured within the last 5 or so years because in that case it's very possible our paths have crossed either in state tourneys, college, or whatever or could have even possibly been teammates.

we deal in information and opinions here. your assumed role/status in the eyes of others carry weight. even if it makes no sense or there's not a fair conclusion to make it still holds, on whole. al from BCB carries a lot more professional-opinion weight from a lotta people cuz he goes to games even though with modern TV replay and other such crap the TV viewer is probably in a better position to hand out observations of what theyre seeing. wes being a former pitcher talking about anything pitcher related carries weight because of his assumed "expert" status. hell, to us...and its justified, imo...AZPhil is quite an expert on low-level baseball and reporting back his scouting. we give him a level of expert status that varies from person to person, but he's still viewed as a very valid source of information. some people think im a dickhead windbag, some people think i'm not that bad...without getting specific, that's part of my role here as viewed by others.

It's nice to see MLB finally make a statement to the umpires that they don't have a 'Free Asshole for Life' license. Now if we can just start getting a few more guys who can call balls and strikes accurately and consistently...

Wes Wancaster = HUGE LOL And may I gently but seriously request that we NOT put in serious work at identifying anybody who does not wish to be identified. We all have different levels of comfort with how much info. we want splashed across the internet.

dave…you were my favorite. Hehe. Well I have a BA in Biblical Studies, so I don't have much room to talk! :) that’s part of my role here as viewed by others. My role is to: - Make fun of Chad - Be with Johann's mom - Piss off VA Phil :)

"We all have different levels of comfort with how much info. we want splashed across the internet." gimmie the user name and $100...i'll get you what you want besides a SS# (that's $500). hah. :)

Ha ha dave has a degree in B.S. Your roles, are equal important. And might I say, Johann's mère isn't easy to satisfy.

I work for the Chicago Cubs; So I am really getting a kick out of most of these replies. Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about. But trust me…. You don’t. I think you just want to make yourself sound smart, when in reality you don’t know what you are talking about. This is how bad info gets passed around. If you don’t know about the topic….Don’t make yourself sound like you do. Cos some Cubs fans believe anything they hear.

Wes Wancaster? =================== I laughed out loud at this. And yeah, sorry I spelled my name wrong earlier.

Yeah, trans. I agree. Everyone on this site should have full control over how much others know about them. This should be a site where everyone feels completely comfortable to interact, without everyone else trying to to find out their identity.

Thanks nohit, for that very general attack. Everyone/No one has really been put in their place. What!? You work for the Cubs!? My pants just got tight.

Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about. But trust me…. You don’t. What are you referring too? Most of this thread has been about panic, an intentional walk and Wes' identity.

"Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about. But trust me…. You don’t." well then use your power for good and correct some of the crap. that's how this "thing" works.

Some of you guys are very good at making it sound like you know what you are talking about. But trust me…. You don’t. ------------------------------------------------------------- That's a pretty broad statement... ================================= This is how bad info gets passed around. --------------------------------------------------------------- Example, if you can provide one? You can't use Jason Schmidt 3/44 either....

Relax guys. It's an old cliche. Google some of the phrases (leaving out the Cubs bits). Seemed fitting in this thread, that's all.

Okay, so by claiming he works for the Cubs, and telling everyone that they don't know what they're talking about, nohit has officially made himself the "Authority". From now on, it isn't true unless nohit says it. And of course, we should all pray that he grace us with his presence so that we can bask in the glow of his omniscence.

ha...what's the source of that? never seen it, but its all over the net almost word for word. seems to be very popular on blogs. viral...

seems to be a meme/cliche that popped up on the Fark forurms as far as a quick/dirty websearch can bring. ...at least its not a 4Chan thing...oh thank god its not. ps, if you try to find out what 4Chan is dont do that at work. imagine randomness without rules being run by sociopaths.

Perhaps we would all have gotten a laugh out of it if we were still 3 games up instead of sweating tonight out?

I appreciate the interest, fellas (and potentially ladies). I really do. It's one of the cool thing about doing that. Even if you never saw AA, people think it's coolest thing in the world. And if you want to ask me questions about what I saw and what it was like, I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. You can email me at [email protected] But, to be honest, I'd rather not have my numbers out there for everybody to see. It's just something I'm not proud of. As well as I pitched in high school and beyond, I just flat played like crap after I went to the next level. I don't really like to talk about it very much and I don't like having to answer questions about why I knew so much about pitching, yet couldn't get any results. Might sound like I'm making it up or that I'm covering something up, and if that's what you think, then it isn't any skin off my back. I'm not here to prove anything or validate anything, I'm just here to talk baseball.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.