Opening Day 2011 - Pirates @ Cubs

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:22am

It's Christmas time for baseball fans and Santa's delivered the lowly Pirates to the Cubs. Of course, the Cubs went 5-10 against one of the worse teams I've ever seen play baseball last year, so the Cubs have that going for them. Don't forget to join the fun during our t. Folks come and go throughout the game so if you hang around for awhile, someone is usually sure to pop in.

LF Tabata RF *Fukudome
2B #Walker SS Castro
CF McCutchen CF Byrd
1B *Overbay 3B Ramirez
3B *Alvarez 1B *Pena
C #Doumit C Soto
RF *G. Jones LF Soriano
SS Cedeno 2B Barney
P Correia P Dempster

Undoubtedly Correia is going to throw a shutout today, but generally you have to laugh at a team employing a guy for Opening Day with a career 4.57 ERA and a 4.91 ERA over the last three years, the last two being in Petco Park.

My division predictions after the jump...

AL EAST

  1. Boston Red Sox
  2. New York Yankees
  3. Baltimore Orioles
  4. Tampa Bay Rays
  5. Toronto Blue Jays

AL CENTRAL

  1. Minnesota Twins
  2. Detroit Tigers
  3. Chicago White Sox
  4. Kansas City Royals
  5. Cleveland Indians

AL WEST

  1. Oakland A's
  2. Anaheim Angels
  3. Texas Rangers
  4. Seattle Mariners

WILD CARD: NY Yankees

NL EAST

  1. Philadelpia Phillies
  2. Atlanta Braves
  3. Flordia Marlins
  4. New York Mets
  5. Washington Nationals

NL WEST

  1. Colorado Rockies
  2. Los Angeles Dodgers
  3. San Francisco Giants
  4. San Diego Padres
  5. Arizona Diamondbacks

NL CENTRAL

  1. Milwaukee Brewers
  2. Cincinnati Reds
  3. Chicago Cubs - 85 wins
  4. St. Louis Cardinals
  5. Houston Astros
  6. Pittsburgh Pirates

WILD CARD: Atlanta Braves

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Cubs Game Preview
2011 Predictions

Comments

Submitted by JohnT  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 10:28am  
Maybe starting Correia is the Pirates idea of an April Fool's joke.

Submitted by Mike Wellman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:28am  
happy new year!

Submitted by Ryno  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 1:38pm  
:)

Submitted by The Real Neal  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 12:57pm  
I'll really be surprised if the Brewers with the division - they just don't have any depth. If one of seven guys is out for more than a couple of weeks, they're going to have trouble, and it's not like their farms system can provide replacements or guys to trade for reasonable proximity of any of their stars. As a GM of the Brewers, going for it like he has in Weeks' and Fielder's FA year seems like it makes sense. I bet they have sold a lot of tickets, but no pun intended, that team seems like a house of cards.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 1:19pm  
Didn't Weeks sign an extension? UPDATE: Weeks did sign an extension during ST. 4 years, $38.5 million, plus an option year. Signed through 2014.

Submitted by Ryno  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 1:39pm  
That's a bargain. Weeks must like fried cheese curds.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:21pm  
My favorite picture of Rickie Weeks: http://onemansausagefest.com/wp-content/uploa... Safe for work

Submitted by The Real Neal  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:13pm  
Not sure if I like it to tell you the truth, he's got a history of suckage and getting hurt. Not saying it's a bad deal, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that way. Trading your 2nd basemen of the future, I guess, limits your options.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:17pm  
They way he's gaining weight (HGH?? or eating? It looks more like a massive off-season muscle gain)...he looks like a future 1b.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 1:35pm  
WGN's new stat graphics look nice but the fonts are way too small, very difficult to read, even on an HDTV.

Submitted by Brick  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 1:41pm  
GameDay revamped pretty severely. Looks nice.

Submitted by Jumbo  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 5:48pm  
Agree

Submitted by navigator  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 1:47pm  
all of them... http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php... consensus has it: Cubs 4th, White Sox 1st elsewhere: Matt Holliday having appendectomy today

Submitted by Ryno  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:07pm  
Barney hasn't really evolved as a base stealer. *rimshot Commence eye rolling.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:11pm  
Barney needs to wear his purple dinosaur suit when he's on the bases, it will distract the pitcher.

Submitted by The Real Neal  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:14pm  
You missed the irony of his first hit on the season.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:15pm  
I saw it, he slipped out of the box, then was thrown out stealing. I blame Tom Ricketts.

Submitted by The Real Neal  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:33pm  
Yes, before the Nomaresque escape from the batter's box, he hit a soft liner in front of a foolishly deep playing right fielder, then was caught stealing. It was like an episode "Ghosts of Cubs Infielers Past".

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:36pm  
LOL. Speaking of Nomar he was doing the Cards-Pads game for ESPN yesterday and got to criticize Theriot.

Submitted by Ryno  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:34pm  
I'm not watching the game or listening to the radio broadcast, so yes, I probably missed it. I'm just following along on Yahoo! Fair warning, though, I have several other eye-rollin' Darwin jokes to crack before the season is over.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:37pm  
darwin hits a single. darwin grounds out in the infield. there's 90% of what you can say about him. the other 10% can praise his D.

Submitted by Mike Wellman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:25pm  
think we need astro-ivy for april games...

Submitted by Mike Wellman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:28pm  
the vinny's beverage depot guess the attendance game may not be such a slam dunk this year...

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:37pm  
If you're going to walk Cedeno at least drill him in the head.

Submitted by Ryno  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:43pm  
Hah!

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:38pm  
WGN has a new microphone hanging over the field, you can hear the rocks in Cedeno's head rattling as he runs the bases.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:40pm  
And Dempster has lost his control.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:44pm  
Dammit Dempster.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:45pm  
sigh...

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:46pm  
Mark Riggins fault

Submitted by Mike Wellman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 2:57pm  
dempster winless vs. bucs last year i think...neil walker?

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:05pm  
0-3, 6.88 era vs Bucs last year.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:06pm  
Walker hit three HRs against Cubs last year, off Lilly, Mateo and Diamond. It was Walker's rookie season as a Cub killer.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:08pm  
Looks like Walker was 3-4 last year vs Dempster. BR added pitcher stats by home plate umpire this year under their splits (unless I didn't notice that last year).

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:01pm  
Quade leaves Dempster in, throwing mid-80's fastballs with no control. Take him out before the Pirates drive in that 5th run. Damn.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:07pm  
He walks Jones on 5 pitches. The only strike was an 84 mph fastball over the heart of the plate that Jones stared at. Now rocks for brains is up. Dempster throwing harder to Cedeno, knows this is his last batter. K's Cedeno, who promptly stares at Dempster while a random pigeon shits on Ronnie's head.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:08pm  
We'll be glad we had Carlos Pena defer half his salary once Dempster is on the 60 day DL!!!!! I hate being a cubs fan. It's like being a Royals fan with deeper pockets and worse management.

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:15pm  
Before the ab to Cedeno, the way Dempster was walking around behind the mound after most pitches the last two innings, and his decline in velocity, I was wondering if he's hurt.

Submitted by Tito  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:16pm  
Ah, the ol' Opening Day doom and gloom. I sense a Manny Trillo post in 3...2...1...

Submitted by Ryno  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:17pm  
This game is a must-win.

Submitted by The Real Neal  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:35pm  
Wait til the game is over, so he won't be proven wrong.

Submitted by Mike Wellman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:18pm  
so much for the hike & group hug on top of camelback mountain in february...

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:23pm  
So we've learned today that Mike Quade is either an idiot or blind. How the F##k! does he let Dempster come back out for the 7th? What's the goal here, to make sure we have no chance to come back in this game? Goal accomplished.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:24pm  
Why did Dumpster pitch the 7th? Were the last 2 innings of crap not enough of a sign that he was losing it?

Submitted by Paul Noce  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:29pm  
Puzzling. Last year Quade seemed to have a quick hook for pitchers, taking them out at the first sign of trouble, which was refreshing compared to Lou having to be woken up to make pitching changes after the fact.

Submitted by Mike Wellman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:24pm  
'you know steve, salazar spelled backwards is razzle-ass...'

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:35pm  
win

Submitted by Mike Wellman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:31pm  
114 PITCHES!?!

Submitted by Ryno  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 3:36pm  
So... the honeymoon is over?

Submitted by Mike Vail  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:14pm  
I can hear Ronnie now...."Oh Noooooooooo!" btw Rob G. I am banned or something? wuzza?

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:17pm  
banned from what? if you mean Parachat, try another browser, I had issues getting in with Firefox 4, but Safari worked. Not sure what the problem is...

Submitted by Mike Vail  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:35pm  
I figured it out. I am blaming: 1)Theriot 2)Libya 3)Godzilla

Submitted by Dr. aaron b  on Sat, 04/02/2011 - 1:36am  
4) Barrett

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:12pm  
So the only thing I can guess from this game is that Quade bet the Pirates to win?

Submitted by George Altman  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:16pm  
Shark walks two straight to load the bases with one out.........do you think Hendry had the 'Silva' conversation with Ricketts about Samardzija too?

Submitted by JoePepitone  on Mon, 04/04/2011 - 1:27am  
Naw, Samardzija just walks back into the dugout after the inning-saving DP line-out and says, "Well, I did MY job!"

Submitted by Horatio  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:17pm  
Game summary for home team: no power, no walks, pitching serves up multi-run homers. Yep, sounds like the Cubs.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:33pm  
no XBH's today impressive, most impressive

Submitted by Eagon  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:36pm  
At least the game was reassuringly familiar, they're just easing us into the season

Submitted by Horatio  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:41pm  
Agree - this was the archetype for all future Cubs games. I especially liked how Ramirez stretched to make contact with the ball in his last AB (tried to pull the low and away pitch to boot), virtually assuring that the ball would be weakly grounded to SS and end the game. Well done.

Submitted by The Real Neal  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 8:13pm  
He was doing that last year too. Aren't hitter supposed to get smarter as they get older?

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 10:12pm  
Depends on which teams they're playing for. I don't have stats for this though, so don't call me on it.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Sat, 04/02/2011 - 12:04am  
highlight doesn't look that low and away to me, looked more over the plate and down, but Hanahran does throw 97 with nice movement

Submitted by The Joe  on Fri, 04/01/2011 - 8:24pm  
Durn, slept through game one. Looks like the Cubs did too, so that's ok. Go cubs. fart.

Submitted by Jumbo  on Sat, 04/02/2011 - 5:36am  
What an awful start to the season. I did laugh while driving home, though. Cedeno hit a weak pop fly to center to end the inning. Pat Hughes issued the closest thing he could to a bitch clap by saying (in a questioning tone), "Ronnie Cedeno, the number 8 hitter, swinging on 3-0 with two outs."

Submitted by Ryno  on Sat, 04/02/2011 - 9:34am  
Yeah, seriously. He's on another team and still pissing me off by doing this weird shit like swinging on 3-0

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