Back in my baseball playing days I played third base most of the time. I hated third base. If it didn’t come with four or five at bats attached to it I’d have bagged baseball entirely and spent my summers like the kids on the “OC”, you know driving around in dad’s sports car, trying to score some meth from the 30 year olds who hung out with the high school kids and throwing keggers at our summer house.
OK, dad didn’t have a sports car and we didn’t have a summer house, but there were plenty of 30 year olds who hung with the high school kids, one even married one of the teenagers, but we won’t go into that. Anyway, late in my baseball career I managed to fall off of my bike and tear my hands up so bad that I couldn’t play third base. I got shifted to left field where it wouldn’t be such a big deal that the skin on my hand looked like Phyllis Diller’s neck. Eww.
I loved left field. You didn’t have to worry about every righthanded batter lining one off your teeth or your nuts. You didn’t have to stand some 70 feet from home plate in case the 6’4, 250 pound “kid” decided to bunt with nobody out and a four run lead. You could just hang out in the outfield and obsess over your at bats. I still feel cheated that I learned how cush the outfield was so late in my career.
Anyway, the only thing better than hanging in the outfield during a game was hanging in the outfield during batting practice. Our centerfielder was lefthanded and though I batted lefthanded, I was a righthanded thrower. We used to swap gloves in BP to see if we could catch balls with the other hand.
Where is this going?
I think Sammy Sosa took Todd Hollandsworth’s glove to right field yesterday.
Maybe Todd’s glove looked bored. It was probably laying there in the dugout and hadn’t been used in like three weeks, so Sammy took it out there. He probably figured with Kerry Wood pitching as well as he was that he wouldn’t even need a glove.
He was mistaken. But then, on both of his misplays he didn’t get a glove on either ball, so what the hell? Can’t blame Sammy for having a little fun, I suppose.
The Cubs have gone 2-2 since the break and should be 4-0. As I find myself saying on a daily basis, “This is a helluva way to win a pennant.”
At the end of our CubsLive! thread from Friday’s Brewers loss, BC wrote the following.
Six facts about Dusty Baker:
1. Threw Mark Prior 118 more innings in 2003 than Prior did in 2002, his first season in the pros. Prior was injured before the season even began and now there is some chance he will not pitch again in 2004.
2. Kerry Wood injured for around two months this season in the first season after his first season with Baker managing.
3. While the Cubs have allowed nine less runs than the Cardinals to lead the majors in least runs allowed, the Cubs have scored 56 less runs. And this has happened even though Moises Alou, Michael Barrett, and Corey Patterson have had better than expected offensive performances this season. How is this possible? Seriously, this defies normal reasoning. The Reds have given up 110 more runs and scored only 7 more and, yet, the Reds are only one game worse than the Cubs!
4. Dusty Baker is 17-19 in the postseason lifetime. His one World Series appearance ties him with managing gods like Bobby Valentine, Jim Fregosi, Roger Craig, Bob Brenly, and Bruce Bochy. One time is one less than Mike Hargrove for crying out loud! And he had to beat the Yankees one time to do that!
5. Dusty Baker is 1-6 in his last seven postseason series-deciding games.
6. Dusty Baker went 88-74 in his first year in Chicago. Don Baylor went 88-74 in his second year in Chicago. Baker got applauded for his team’s performance, although 88 wins would not have won any other division or either wild card.
BC, you ignorant slut. Let’s take them one at a time.
1. Threw Mark Prior 118 more innings in 2003 than Prior did in 2002, his first season in the pros. Prior was injured before the season even began and now there is some chance he will not pitch again in 2004.
In 2002, Prior made 19 starts and averaged 6.1 innings per start. In 2003 he made 30 starts and averaged 7.0 innings per start. In 2002, Prior didn’t make his season debut until May 22 and pulled his hamstring on August 31, ending his season.
2. Kerry Wood injured for around two months this season in the first season after his first season with Baker managing.
Kerry Wood missed an entire season, his first season after his first season. Dusty was managing the Giants. Is that his fault, too?
3. While the Cubs have allowed nine less runs than the Cardinals to lead the majors in least runs allowed, the Cubs have scored 56 less runs. And this has happened even though Moises Alou, Michael Barrett, and Corey Patterson have had better than expected offensive performances this season. How is this possible? Seriously, this defies normal reasoning. The Reds have given up 110 more runs and scored only 7 more and, yet, the Reds are only one game worse than the Cubs!
This does not defy normal reasoning. It’s called picking one stat to “prove” your point. Of your three examples, only Barrett has had a better season than expected. Corey’s has been worse, Moises’ is now pretty much in line with what he did last year (more homers, lower OBA and about the same RBI-wise). The Reds’ got off to a good start with better than expected pitching. That has since come to a grinding halt.
If we’re going to pick one stat to prove a point, let’s pick the one designed to prove this very thing. Using the expected wins and losses (based on the very stats BC was spouting) the Cubs record “should be” 53-38 (instead of 49-42), and the Reds’ should be 41-51 (instead of 48-44). Interestingly, the Cardinals are at their Pythagorean number of 57-34. What does this mean? The Cubs should play better the rest of the way, the Reds worse and the Cardinals should be expected to play the same.
4. Dusty Baker is 17-19 in the postseason lifetime. His one World Series appearance ties him with managing gods like Bobby Valentine, Jim Fregosi, Roger Craig, Bob Brenly, and Bruce Bochy. One time is one less than Mike Hargrove for crying out loud! And he had to beat the Yankees one time to do that!
This completely dumbassed argument could also be used to point out that since 1946 the Cubs are 9-16 in the postseason and Dusty has six of the nine wins.
5. Dusty Baker is 1-6 in his last seven postseason series-deciding games.
The Cubs are 1-9 in their last 10 postseason series-deciding games. Dusty has the only win.
6. Dusty Baker went 88-74 in his first year in Chicago. Don Baylor went 88-74 in his second year in Chicago. Baker got applauded for his team’s performance, although 88 wins would not have won any other division or either wild card.
Baker may have been applauded for his team’s performance because he took over after the Baylor-Kimm regime had taken the Cubs to a new low in 2002. Baker’s Cubs may have gone 88-74, but they also were 19-7 in September to get to the playoffs and they won the first postseason series in Chicago baseball history since 1917.
Braves “fans” who are dissatisfied with Bobby Cox can mount an even better argument about postseason ineptitude, but the proof is that Cox’s teams make the playoffs every year. In the NL only Dusty Baker’s teams and (gasp) the LaRussa mullets can even come close.
There are some things wrong with the Cubs. The manager’s not one of them.
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Many of you have noticed that the Lemon of the Moment feature on the front page is gone and been replaced by “Ask Andy”. By popular demand you can now send me questions on anything, the Cubs, the Bears, Britney’s acne scars, British art flicks, whatever, and every so often I’ll pick the best ones and answer them right here. You can mail your questions to askandy@desipio.com.
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Dave van Dyck says that if the Cubs have any hopes of still repeating in the Central, now would be a good time to start.
For the first time since April 7, the Cubs infield will consist of Derrek Lee, Mark Grudzielanek, Alex Gonzalez and E-ramis Ramirez. That’d be nice if Gruddy and Alex were actual upgrades over Todd Walker and Ramon Martinez.
The Franchise’s arm is still sore. If he wants to wait until he’s pain free, we’ll see him in April.
Geoff Jenkins pulled one out of his ass yesterday. He’s a good player, and he strikes out enough, and gets hurt often enough to be a perfect Cub!
Jurassic Carl is back!
The Bulls are knee deep in Deng.
Brian Urlacher and Rosey.
Alex is ready! He’s ready to hit .240 and strike out every four at bats!
The Wizard of Roz says Prior’s elbow is going to fall off. He also will print anything anybody sends him. He proved that when he printed something Chuck e-mailed him, though, didn’t he? The list of reasons why the Cubs shouldn’t trade for Nomar is laughable. It’s almost like BC wrote it. Oh, and Roz finishes with a Kaseberg gem. Blah.
Peter Gammons on whether or not the Unit will be traded.
I’m sure this is Dusty’s fault, too.
The Unit’s agent says he’s not likely to be traded.
Carl Pavano and Armando Benitez expect to be traded by the Marlins.
Peter Vecsey on the Knicks and on Kobe and Jim Gray. I saw that Kobe interview with Jim Gray on SportsCenter and Kobe needs to be beaten. They should show the jury pool that interview to see just how much he can lie and not even break a sweat. Kobe’s an evil person.
Michael Lewis is going to write a sequel to Moneyball. Moneyball’s a great book, and I’m surprised at how few people in baseball actually “get it.” I think Lewis went to great pains to point out that the A’s went with players with high on base percentages, not because that’s the only way to play baseball, but because it’s a tangible skill that can help you win games and is undervalued. The A’s were looking for a way to get as many wins as possible for as little money as possible. They don’t “hate” scouts, they just think scouting has be more accountable. You can’t miss on 60 of 61 draft picks, but since the one you get turns out to be Mike Piazza declare your draft a success. That’s all.
I’m sure this is Dusty’s fault, too.
Britney’s never looked better!
Kirsten Dunst (who has no boobs) demanded her character’s breasts be reduced in the Spider-Man 2 video game. I saw Spider-Man 2 this weekend, and it’s good. Here’s what troubled me. From scene to scene Kirsten can go from hot to below average. You’d also think that somebody getting $6 million a movie could get some orthodonture.
America’s finest news source says that the serial-killer community is rocked by some recent serial killings.
The problem with Dusty is not the fact I think most of his decisions ever are wrong (they aren’t) or that his "Swing for the three-run homer" approach is wrong (It isn’t when you actually get people on base).
The problem with Dusty is the fact that you can set your clock to the fact that for every nine innings there will be at least one baserunning, defensive, or executional mistake. Now, all teams have these sort of mistakes (Heck, Edgar Renteria was thrown out at third base with two outs with Scott Rolen due up just a couple days ago), but with the Cubs you know it’s coming. And with the margin of error the Cubs have with their lineup (read: none), these are the sort of mistakes that lead to losing more close games than the Cubs should. See the Pythagorean record for the Cubs Andy put up, it’s four games better than the actual record.
Simple mistakes don’t hurt differently than the big ones, but if you make enough of them over a season they start really costing you.
I think the point, BC, was that you listed your reasons for the Cubs losing as: "Six facts about Dusty Baker:"
I’ve been to one more World Series than you. So sit on it, Potsi.
HEY!
Former Dodger Mike Marshall (the pitcher, not the moody outfielder) thinks Prior’s "perfect mechanics" are crap.
But can anybody make any sense of what the hell he’s saying?
http://www.dailyherald.com/special/prior/
The guy who wrote the article was on the radio yesterday morning, and Marshall seems like he’s pretty bitter. For one thing, he hates both Larry Rothschild and Tom House. He feels that both of them contributed to him being blackballed by MLB. The other point was that Marshall has taught his "system" to a number of guys, only one of which made it to the majors (he was cut by Tampa Bay-Marshall says because Rothschild was there).
And with the margin of error the Cubs have with their lineup (read: none), these are the sort of mistakes that lead to losing more close games than the Cubs should. See the Pythagorean record for the Cubs Andy put up, it’s four games better than the actual record.
But that’s wrong, too. The reason that the Expected Standings (Baseball Pythagorea if you will) were created was to show over time how the most important of all baseball results were runs scored and runs allowed.
Most teams will finish astonishingly close to their Expected W-L record every year. The fact that the Cubs are underperforming theirs and that the Reds are overperforming theirs will likely take care of themselves by the end of September.
The reason is that managers can’t screw it up, or help it. The fact that the Cardinals have scored more runs than the Cubs and given up more isn’t because of Tony LaRussa or Dusty Baker. It’s because of the players.
You can say that the Cubs should have more wins given the runs they’ve scored, but how can you know that?
Here’s the thing, does a bad manager get his team to score more runs in their blowout wins? Is that why you can score more runs and win less? No.
Just like one-run game records mean nothing.
The Cubs can lose a game like they did on Friday 3-2. Or they can lose one that they trailed 6-2 in the seventh and then lose 6-5. They didn’t do anything to "blow" the game, they just couldn’t catch up.
It probably makes more sense this way. Say the Cubs are up 8-3 in a game and they give up four in the ninth and win 8-7. That’s a one-run game that they one. They probably didn’t play well but they won it. Then there could be a game in which they do everything right. They play good defense. They get guys in from third with less than two outs. The bullpen doesn’t implode, but they lose 4-3.
It’s just like Chip Caray’s "meaningful" stat that the Cubs have scored 142 of their 273 (or whatever it is) runs on homers. So what? He thinks it means everything. It means nothing. The Cubs are league average in on base percentage and average with runners in scoring position. They hit more homers than almost every other team in baseball. That’s why they score more runs on homers. But you can’t tell Chip that. And giddy up, he’s going to break out that stat over and over and over.
Andy, I know we can go back and forth on this one, but let’s take a look at yesterday’s game to give you an example of what I’m talking about…
Let’s forget that defensive miscues gave the Brewers two runs they probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Let’s focus on the Cubs’ offense.
In a 4-2 game, the Cubs twice got runners at second with nobody out. Now, it’s not guaranteed teams should score in this situation. But, the Cubs didn’t score either time. That situation is a scoring-favorable situation. The Cubs need to take advantage of those situations, and it seems like they don’t do it very often.
What I guess I want to see is more "Small Ball". There is no shame in bunting someone over or hitting a grounder to the right side with a runner at second and nobody out. Now, I don’t want this team to be as bunt-happy as Baylor’s teams were, for an example, but the offense seems to struggle so often that we really have to work on getting one run in. Even if it means we don’t get a three-run homer occasionally.
Yesterday’s game had five mistakes (Sammy’s two miscues, Alou’s baserunning play, and the two situations with runners on second I just noted). In my opinion, Alou’s baserunning play can’t be linked to anything run-wise because he was only on first. But, the other four situations each allowed a run to score or a run not to score separately. Just correcting two of the four situations would have resulted in a tie game. The Cubs seem to have a close game every day. Making an error or not moving someone over can be a killer every day. Making sure these things don’t happen even 1 out of 3 times they could with this team could add up to 3 to 5 wins, and we might very well need those wins at the end of the season.
I know you don’t seem to agree with me, and that’s fine. This team is still in good position for the Wild Card. We probably won’t catch the Cardinals, but if we can just do the small things a little bit better we should be able to get in the playoffs.
Defensive miscues? C’mon buddy. It makes all the sense in the world to dive for a ball.
With nobody out.
And winnning by only one run.
And nobody on base.
And the batter being one of the fastest players in the league.
Buddy.
Here’s the thing about Alou being doubled up: If he was actually half-alive, and not the fading-into-retirement-before-our-very-eyes rotting corpse that he has so suddenly become, then he would have been on second base when he singled. He looped one over third base toward the left-field corner; Jenkins had to run about 130 feet to get to it, and Grandpa Moises can only get one base out of it.
(BTW, this is really a team problem, as they are so friggin collectively lead-footed, they look like a 16" softball team, but I digress).
Then On Ramirez’ shot, had Alou been on second already, he’d only need to go half-way, and still score had Jenkins not caught the ball. And, when Jenkins DID catch the ball, then Moises would be on second, with one more opportunity (which, of course probably means nothing; as D. lee would have flailed at a 2-0 pitch out of the strike zone and popped out like he did in the first inning, but–again–I digress). But, because Alou is so goddman old and slow, he was not only stuck on first base to begin with, but had to roll the dice and take off when Aramis hit the ball so he could, in fact, score.
Kirsten Dunst doesn’t have boobs? What do you call the things you can see in all their loveliness in a variety of setting when you click my name?
Seriously though, she had a fine-looking pair a few years ago. Did she get them lopped off or something since? Were they falsies that she had taken out?
Screw the Cubs, Sox, and Iraq — it’s her rack we need to investigate!
B.C., the thing that dictates the style of baseball a team plays is roster makeup, not the style of the manager. The Brewer’s don’t choose the play "small ball", they have to, because that is all they are capable of doing. It’s just the type of players they have. The only way Podsednik, and Counsell, and all the others can be semi-useful major league players is to slap at the ball and run like hell. The opposite is also true. You can’t make players like Sosa, Alou, Ramirez, and Lee try to slap the ball the other way to move runners along, because that’s not what they’re good at doing. Even if you could, I don’t think you’d want to, because in the long run, you are going to diminish the overall damage they could accomplish. The Cubs have outscored the Brewers this year 413-383. No matter how much Chip and Stoney want to fawn over the Brewers’ offense and the way they hustle and play the game, they still are not as good as the Cubs. Over time this will become apparent. In fact, it is already apparent, as the Cubs are 2.5 games in front of the Brewers despite what they have done to the Cubs over 7 head to head games.
Don’t worry guys, all our offensive troubles will be solved by my return to the lineup.
stech,
I agree that you can’t ask Sammy, Moises and Ramirez to bunt every time they come up with runners on, but they still should be expected to play solid fundamental baseball. Example: man on third, less than two outs, Sammy swings for the fences and strikes out, when almost any ball in play scores a run. That is not asking Sammy to do something he can’t, it’s just asking him to be unselfish – big difference.
You also MUST have the fundamentals from the supporting cast, like Gruddy, Walk, Corey, Barrett and Martinez – which we are not getting.
I just want to be loved.
Sam Me, do the HR hop with one or more of us on base and we’ll give you some love when you come back.
yer a man after my own heart, but please be advised that those lovely ripples in the time-space continuum in front of Kirsten Dunst is, in fact, temporary and unnatural.
She stuffs. Big time.
First, Dusty’s love affair with Grud has to end. Walker is clearly a better offensive player (something the Cubs are currently lacking). The defensive difference is negligible at best. I don’t see Walker winning a Gold Glove any time soon, but he’s not as bad as his advance billing made him out to be. I don’t mind Grud playing against the occasional lefty, but Dusty has to put Walker in the lineup the majority of the remaining games.
Next, the "moving patterson around in the line-up" has to end. No more battibg hin third. He does not do enough things offensively on a consistent basis to put him in an RBI spot. The game Friday was lost because Corey was in the 3-hole (and Matt Clement didn’t step off when Hall was 3/4 of the way to second base).
I’d like the 3-4-5 to be Sammy-Ramirez-Lee. Alou can bat sixth, Corey seventh, and Barrett or Gonzo can flip between 2 or 8.
Kirsten is SUCH a priss!! She wears falsies everywhere she goes. Grow some balls, Miss Priss, and go under da knife…like ME!
I agree with Dave. What has Grud done, really, since LAST May?
I drove in the third run in Game 6, you ungrateful fat bastard!
What have I done since last May?
Last September was kind of an important month, remember?
Well, I hit .359 with a .395 on base average, drove in 16 runs and scored 12 times.
I would have had a better run of it in the playoffs if I hadn’t jammed my shoulder with a game saving play behind The Franchise that Friday night in Wrigley against the Braves, too.
The biggest difference defensively between Grud and Walker is that Grud turns the DP about as well as any 2B in the league, this helps the pitchers get out of trouble, but still may only make an effect in every 5th game.
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#23, beware, expect some hate mail from Dave O’Brien over the Alqonquin Roundtable thing.
Check my managerial career Pythag standings, buddy. My teams have consistently outperformed them.
I still don’t get why you call my broadcast team an "Algonquin Roundtable."
I haven’t been to Algonquin in years, although I have been trying to get the gig to do play-by-play for Jacobs High School girls basketball games.
Hey, I turned some DPs for Greggie on Saturday, #22. Plus, remember when I was in the lineup every day and we weren’t losing all the time? I miss that.
So long, Cubbies. We’ll always have that Saturday against the White Sox!
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-040719cubsbits,1,7231108.story?coll=cs-home-headlines
"That is not asking Sammy to do something he can’t, it’s just asking him to be unselfish – big difference." – #13
Since when is being unselfish something that Sammy can do? Seriously, this isn’t a terrible offensive team. It has been terrible since July 2nd, which just happens to be the day they lost E-Ramis. Getting him back is what will improve the offense, not groundballs to second base instead of strikeouts.
"Getting (Ramirez) back is what will improve the offense, not groundballs to second base instead of strikeouts."
You can score a lot more ways if you are third base with one out instead of on second base with one out.
Walker, I miss you in the lineup, too.
Nice slam, Andy.
By the way. You’ve printed stuff that I wrote that I *didn’t* e-mail to you.
Put that in your hooka and smoke it.
I don’t know what the big deal is.
It’s not like I’ve never taken one in the ass.
"You can score a lot more ways if you are third base with one out instead of on second base with one out. "
No shit, BC.
Insight like that must be why you’re a big shot columnist.
#34, I said that in order to try to prove my point about moving runners over and playing more "Small Ball".
Obviously, guys like Sosa, Alou, and Ramirez shouldn’t be asked to bunt. But guys like Grudz, Gonzalez, and Patterson should.