TWIB #5: 1 May - 7 May

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I know they're in better position than a lot of teams that figure to be contending as the season wears on, but there's still some cause for concern. You know I often look for you to fine the silver lining, so if you'd like to give it a shot, here goes:

 

- Pierre's OBP

- Jones in a non-platoon situation

- The middle of the pen

- The backend of the rotation

 

I figure Aramis will get things going, since he was this bad until near the end of May last year. But there's still the case of the 1-2 guys setting the table. Cedeno got off to a fast start, but his numbers don't suggest he should keep that up.

 

At any rate, it may be early, but this figured to be the chunk of the season where the Cubs should ideally stock up on wins, since things get considerably harder once June rolls around.

[Hawk 34 0]

The Cubs might be 14-11, which wouldn't be grounds for concern with most clubs but when you have to keep pace with the always tough Astros and Cardinals and the Reds annual hot streak, it's not good to have the holes that Bruiser just mentioned.

 

By the time things get "turned around" they might be looking at a difficult uphill climb.

[Guest Smues]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/268740_mbok02.html

 

The Mariners latin players told Hargrove they were going to honor the oneday boycott. That's pretty funny. And it made me realize if the Mets players honored the boycott the team would consist of like 3 people.

[devo 0]

Hey, let's be fair now. Given their current 25-man roster, the remaining team would be ten people. Just enough to field a team and have a pinch hitter available.

[naiwf 0]

The Nats are playing with the left field line, back to back doubles which were fair by a combined total of maybe 3 inches give them an early 1-0 lead.

[DMann2003 0]

How far do the Reds need to go into this season to not be considered a 'fluke' and stop hearing commentators wax on about waiting for the other shoe to drop?

[Hawk 34 0]

How far do the Reds need to go into this season to not be considered a 'fluke' and stop hearing commentators wax on about waiting for the other shoe to drop?

 

Go into september with a realistic shot. Reds aren't strangers to hot starts and they usually fizzle out in mid august.

[naiwf 0]

Soriano nearly hit a ball to the moon just now. This Maine kid is getting rocked (4 hits allowed, 3 2B and Soriano's HR), 3-1 Nats Top 3, but it could be much worse.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

How far do the Reds need to go into this season to not be considered a 'fluke' and stop hearing commentators wax on about waiting for the other shoe to drop?

 

I would think they'd have to make it past the All-Star break, and into the later months. We are a long way from September at this point. Remember, the Orioles got off to a red hot start last year and they ended up being a bad, bad team.

[vivalaultra 0]

Hey, Invader, I assume you're watching the 'Stros-Brewers game. Is Sheets sick or something? He looks kinda haggard, and our announcers just said that he was coughing and shit during his warm-ups and he just...looks out of sorts. If he's sick...yeesh, what a break.

 

After the second inning, I would say that something is wrong with Ben Sheets. He allowed five straight hits...one a near grand slam to dead center to Adam Everett, and then an RBI single to pitcher Nieve. He looks bad. I guess the Astros aren't good for his health. After his first start in Houston last year, he had to be put in Methodist hospital for about a month with that inner ear problem thing.

[Guest Felonies!]

The Cubs have this stupid notion that having speedy guys is going to parlay into more runs

"Team speed? For Christ sake, you get fucking goddamn little fleas on the fucking bases, getting picked off trying to steal, getting thrown out, taking runs away from you. You get them big cocksuckers that can hit the fucking ball out of the park, and you can't make any goddamn mistakes."

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I hadn't heard about Sheets being sick. I think he looks fairly normal, but yeah, he's definitely not putting on a command performance at the moment. I think basically he hasn't found his "groove" yet this season.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Well, Sheets just got pulled in the 3rd inning. Ouch. Astros lead 6-2. You could tell Yost didn't want to do that, but it's the right move in this case. Just an unusually bad outing from Sheets tonight. Hopefully the bullpen can pull through and keep the Brewers in the game.

[vivalaultra 0]

Yeesh, something's wrong with him alrite. He faced 16 men in the first 2 1/3 and the 'Stros hit about .700 off him. What a break for the 'Stros that we didn't have to face Cappy and now Sheets is outta the game. However, with the Brewers lineup, I'm not sure our 4 run leads gonna be enough to win the game on.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The Orioles Bullpen is absolutely horrible. They had a 5-0 lead and they've let Toronto cut it to 5-2. 1 more inning before Chris Ray can come in, ugh.

[treble 0]

Seems like every other out the Jays are making is a fly ball to the warning track.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Tejada and Hernandez both hit 2 Run HRs in the same exact spot in the bullpen (both caught by the bullpen catcher).

[Guest Smues]

Braves comeback to beat the Rockies 5-4. Three game winning streak after losing 5 in a row. Hurrah.

[vivalaultra 0]

'Stros are up on the Brewers 8-4 going into the bottom of the 8th. Rookie Fernando Nieve pitched seven innings...he gave up three homeruns, but retired 14 in a row at one point and struck out seven, so...I'd say it was a pretty good outing. And Bill Hall, in his first career start in center field made the most spectacular catch I've seen in a while. Seriously, watch Baseball Tonite. Since the Yanks/Sox were postponed, they might show it in a highlight package.

[Mik 0]

I'm about as optimistic of a fan as you're going to find, but I have to admit that even I am having a hard time watching all of the Marlins games... already.

 

It doesn't help that one of my favorite players has been on the DL almost all season (Hermida) and that Joe Girardi makes some absolutely baffling decisions (since when is Matt F'N Herges an everyday guy?).

 

It's gonna be a long year.

[Hawk 34 0]

I'm about as optimistic of a fan as you're going to find, but I have to admit that even I am having a hard time watching all of the Marlins games... already.

 

It doesn't help that one of my favorite players has been on the DL almost all season (Hermida) and that Joe Girardi makes some absolutely baffling decisions (since when is Matt F'N Herges an everyday guy?).

 

It's gonna be a long year.

 

Not to mention that eventually Florida will crack and ship Willis away.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'm about as optimistic of a fan as you're going to find, but I have to admit that even I am having a hard time watching all of the Marlins games... already.

 

It doesn't help that one of my favorite players has been on the DL almost all season (Hermida) and that Joe Girardi makes some absolutely baffling decisions (since when is Matt F'N Herges an everyday guy?).

 

It's gonna be a long year.

It's almost a crime what Florida is doing this year. There have been some nice performances so far from Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, and Randy Messenger, but the team as a whole is a mess. The defense is awful. The myth about the 1962 Mets is that they were fun to watch despite the losses. It's not.

[Guest Felonies!]

Dusty Baker has explained why the Cubs are batting .192 as a team against southpaws:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wait for it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We don't have any left-handed batting practice pitchers for day games, dude. If we had a lefty throwing BP, then they'd have more experience facing lefties."

 

First of all, WHAT THE FUCK IS GLENDON RUSCH BUT A LEFT-HANDED BATTING PRACTICE PITCHER?!? If you're desperate, have HIM do it! Obviously, the skill is in demand, so maybe it almost justifies his insane contract to do that on the side. He seriously cannot find anyone, ANYONE, who is left-handed and can throw batting practice in the morning? This is absolute insanity. Just get some kid from Loyola or UIC or something. What kind of a bullshit excuse is "we can't find a left-handed batting practice pitcher for day games"? What's this clown trying to do, vindicate Al Campanis?

[Hawk 34 0]

Dusty Baker has explained why the Cubs are batting .192 as a team against southpaws:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wait for it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We don't have any left-handed batting practice pitchers for day games, dude. If we had a lefty throwing BP, then they'd have more experience facing lefties."

 

First of all, WHAT THE FUCK IS GLENDON RUSCH BUT A LEFT-HANDED BATTING PRACTICE PITCHER?!? If you're desperate, have HIM do it! Obviously, the skill is in demand, so maybe it almost justifies his insane contract to do that on the side. He seriously cannot find anyone, ANYONE, who is left-handed and can throw batting practice in the morning? This is absolute insanity. Just get some kid from Loyola or UIC or something. What kind of a bullshit excuse is "we can't find a left-handed batting practice pitcher for day games"? What's this clown trying to do, vindicate Al Campanis?

 

I was hoping to find out that he was a lefty himself for all the comical irony but alas, he's a damn righty. Anyways, that statement probably doesn't even rank on the top 25 "most illogical comments from Dusty Baker"

[Vampiro69 0]

A surprising thing took place in baseball yesterday. The Minnesota Twins won a game! If the Twins can win another game then we would have a winning streak!

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I'm not sure why Dusty getting a contract extension is even up for consideration. My god.

[Vampiro69 0]

Dusty Baker is a horrible coach. I honestly believe that he ruined the arms of Prior and Wood. Plus with some of the racist comments he makes are inexcusable. I believe that if a manager like Gardinhire said what he did, the league would be in an uproar.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Well, Barry Bonds and the Giants are coming to Miller Park for two games starting tonight, with Bonds two away from Babe Ruth's record. I expect a lot of booing from the Milwaukee fans. Maybe someone will run onto the field and take a swipe at him?

[Hawk 34 0]

Dusty Baker is a horrible coach. I honestly believe that he ruined the arms of Prior and Wood. Plus with some of the racist comments he makes are inexcusable. I believe that if a manager like Gardinhire said what he did, the league would be in an uproar.

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't Wood already have a history of injury trouble before Dusty came around?

[Guest Felonies!]

Well, Barry Bonds and the Giants are coming to Miller Park for two games starting tonight, with Bonds two away from Babe Ruth's record. I expect a lot of booing from the Milwaukee fans. Maybe someone will run onto the field and take a swipe at him?

That'd require people to be at the game. I've been watching you guys on FSN North, the attendance is terrible sometimes.

 

I'm far from a Dusty fan, but even with his 2003 overworking of the aces, I'm reluctant to put him on the hook for their burnouts. He's on the hook for a lot of shit, but not that. Wood has always been fragile, and his mechanics are bad. With Prior, I'm wondering if maybe he's just kind of soft. Low threshold for pain. His mechanics aren't so bad that he's constantly shelving himself like Wood. Maybe he just doesn't know how to pitch through pain like the elite seem to do. Or I might be wrong, and he really does have serious injuries right now. It just seems like he's a little too fragile. As for Zambrano's slow start, I didn't wanna say it, but maybe it was the WBC. Haven't ERAs been up among WBC starters so far? I know Freddy Garcia's ERA has been up. Maybe it's because he had to lose so much weight that he isn't himself. Earl Weaver mentioned that Tim Stoddard dropped like 50 pounds in the winter and was too weak, so he had to put some back on. Zambrano's downfall hasn't been strength, however, it's been finding the strike zone, so I dunno.

 

But hey, how about Sean Marshall?