Cubs Fans...

[NDdomer2]

as much as i loathe the cards i do hope he ends up with an org like them.

as for that game, it most likely won't be the last. when you have a career journeyman like ruggiano hitting clean up and playing a tough right field things like that are bound to happen.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

as much as i loathe the cards i do hope he ends up with an org like them.

as for that game, it most likely won't be the last. when you have a career journeyman like ruggiano hitting clean up and playing a tough right field things like that are bound to happen.

I'm a sucker for these kinds of things, but I don't think the Cubs are going to be struggling in another 2 years. This has been intentional losing. The payroll is really low and they've been stockpiling draft picks. Shark might be one of the first guys we re-sign with long-term winning in mind. Start spending a bit more and get in the top 10 in payroll by supplementing your home grown guys with 1-2 upper echelon free agents and you're back in business.

We're normally relying on the one or two high end guys in the system panning out (i.e., Corey Patterson, Ty Griffin, Earl Cunningham, Shawon Dunston...). If they don't, we're screwed. For the first time I can remember in the last 25 years or so, this system currently has about 7-8 high ceiling position players that are in that category.

We have another top 3 draft pick this year and will add another once we're terrible again for this current year. Then I think they'll start to make the push when they add Baez and Bryant to the lineup.

Then your line up looks like:

Bonifacio/Almora CF/2B
Castro SS/2B
Rizzo 1B
Bryant RF/LF/3B
Baez SS/2B
Olt 3B
Castillo C
Lake/Almora/Soler/Free Agent RF/LF

See what Ramirez can do in the pen, add Black, keep Strop around, add a FA or two, and the bullpen starts to look decent. Starting pitching has actually been pretty decent...Theo has continued to find diamonds in the rough that he has flipped for some good return.

For the first time since Theo was hired, I can start to see the way up.

Just my $.02.

 

[Irishnuke]

Fuck Garza. What a bitter prick.

 

[johnnycando]

Fuck Garza. What a bitter prick.

But, his advice is correct.

It sucked losing Aramis too.

Soriano I could give a shit when he left.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Holy crap, just caught the box score from last nights game. What a line for Rizzo...1 for 1 with a 2 run jack and 4 walks

 

[NDdomer2]

couple articles and quotes/stats after first month i want to bring over but pain ass on phone. will do tomorrow morning.

 

[Irishnuke]

Holy crap, just caught the box score from last nights game. What a line for Rizzo...1 for 1 with a 2 run jack and 4 walks

Dude has been getting on base a lot and seems like he's cut down on the strikeouts lately. Hope he can keep his average up. Might not be this year but he should be a 30/100 guy in the near future.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Dude has been getting on base a lot and seems like he's cut down on the strikeouts lately. Hope he can keep his average up. Might not be this year but he should be a 30/100 guy in the near future.

Biggest thing is that he's hitting .387 in 31 ABs against lefties with an OPS over 1.000. That's HUGE. Much more selective this year. That's going to help him to find pitches to drive...especially if there's a bit of lineup protection. Right now it's Castro behind him.

I think he's progressing exactly as he should for a kid his age. Not everyone (not anyone, actually) is Mike Trout.

 

[NDdomer2]

Revamped bullpen starting to pay dividends - Chicago Cubs Blog - ESPN Chicago

...extended a streak of scoreless innings to 14...
What matters is the youth and live arms the Cubs possess, both at the major and minor league level. It took a few weeks, but now we're seeing what that talent looks like. Maligned for a year and nearly a month, the bullpen might finally become a strength.

would certainly be welcomed

So far, so good for Rizzo and Castro - Chicago Cubs Blog - ESPN Chicago

Rizzo finished the month with a .407 on-base percentage, and Castro leads the team with 14 RBIs while raising his batting average to .308 after Wednesday's win.

The good news: Castro, Rizzo don't stink - Jon Greenberg Blog - ESPN Chicago

I went through March/April stats for both players over the past two seasons to check out the differences. Both are doing much better this season, to no surprise.

Through 26 games this season, Rizzo's slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) is .283/.407/.457. He has 26 hits (four homers, two doubles and one triple) with 18 walks and 18 strikeouts.

Through 26 games last season, Rizzo hit .224/.315/.531. He had 22 hits (eight homers, six doubles) with 11 walks and 27 strikeouts.

Last season, his BABIP (batting average, balls in play) was a meager .258.Rizzo's BABIP through one month is .310, and he has 11 more singles than he did at this point in 2013.

Now, how about Castro, who is trusting himself at the plate after organizational malfeasance and his own murky judgment sabotaged a season.

Through 26 games this season, Castro's slash line is .308/.339/.471. He has 32 hits (four homers and five doubles) with five walks and 13 strikeouts.

He wasn't awful last spring. In his first 26 games, he hit .277/.296/.420. Castro had 31 hits (five doubles, three homers) with three walks and 19 strikeouts. His season bottomed out later, but Castro looks more confident and comfortable all around. I think he's back to All-Star form, but it's early.

Ignore record: April wasn't a bad month - Chicago Cubs Blog - ESPN Chicago

 

[blueNDgold44]

Dude has been getting on base a lot and seems like he's cut down on the strikeouts lately. Hope he can keep his average up. Might not be this year but he should be a 30/100 guy in the near future.

Would certainly be nice, haven't seen that on the North Side since Aramis and D-Lee

 

[Fbolt]

it'll be another painful year but soon, I suspect, the Cubs will be contenders.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

The problem is their best prospects seem to scuffling in the early going. Bryant's line is great but he really needs to reduce his Ks. Soler is hurt again, Baez has been hurt and bad (his K rate is just awful in a small sample), Almora has been downright putrid and so has Pierce Johnson. CJ Edwards and Alcantara are doing well.

Sadly, I think Almora has been vastly overrated on prospect lists. He has no power potential and zero command of the strike zone. Good contact skills can only do so much when you don't draw walks (seriously, he has ZERO walks in almost 100 PAs) and have no power.

 

[Irishnuke]

Rizzo is getting it done again today. 2-2 with a HR and a walk and 3 RBIs.

 

[blueNDgold44]

He just got out for the first time in 8 straight plate appearances

 

[blueNDgold44]

Castillo with 3 doubles today, he has been en fuego lately

 

[bobbyok1]

Love, love, love beating the Cardinals!

"Startin' to come together Pepper, startin' to come together."

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=muU_80U_TWI

 

[blueNDgold44]

Great first start for Arrieta

 

[johnnycando]

Castro with a chance right now. Then he choked.

Thank gosh for that wild pitch.

 

[johnnycando]

Mother fucker. I hate the cardinals.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Frustrating 9th inning but I still really like where this team is heading. If Yadi wasn't a beast Rondon works his way out of a jam and the Cubs get to Rosenthal (major disappointment this season, IMO) in the 9th. Last season this game would have been over as soon as Hammel gave up the first 2 runs in the 2nd inning. I'm still optimistic this team can finish around .500 if it isn't completely dismantled at the trade deadline, which is probably 60-40 in favor of happening.

 

[Emcee77]

Woulda been nice to sweep this series with the Cards. Disappointing to go out like that, one of the young guns grounding out with the tying run in scoring position, but I'll take two of three from the Cards.

 

[irishfan]

Samardzija on the bump tonight. Hope he can keep that ERA under 2.00 for a couple more starts

 

[blueNDgold44]

The Shark is doing it all tonight

 

[irishfan]

Guy is the man.

Honestly, I hope he stays in Chicago. Ya, you guys suck right now, but guy would be a Chicago legend forever if he was the Ace on a Cubs World Series team in 5 or so years. Better than going to some random non-contender who throws him a lot of money when he's a FA

 

[Irishnuke]

Another wasted gem by Jeff. Some questionable decision making by Renteria as well. Travis Wood pinch hitting? Not batting for Jeff in the 8th. Pulling Wright after one hitter.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Best pitched game in baseball history happened 16 years ago today.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Best pitched game in baseball history happened 16 years ago today.

Totally correct. No walks...20 Ks...and 124(?) pitches...

Unreal.

 

[blueNDgold44]

What the hell happened tonight? 17 runs, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't score 17 runs the rest of the month. It was fun to watch tonight though.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Also I think it is hilarious that Mike Olt who is leading the NL in HR's (despite hitting under .200 but that's irrelevant) was just a throw in for the Matt Garza trade. That trade is looking more and more like a highway robbery every day.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Good news and Bad news for Samardzija today.

Good news is the Cubs scored three runs in the first five innings while Jeff pitched.

Bad news is the Cubs made three errors in that same time frame meaning that Jeff gave up four runs (only two of them earned).

I feel terrible for Jeff.