Spring Has Sprung 2010

[Internet Apex]

Who Is John Gaub?

Paul's hero.

[Yeti]

I've been kind of anxious for this: Organizational Ranking

Current Talent

Future Talent

Also:

This is what happens when a team signs a free agent at or around his current market value, but then pays him that same rate years and years into the future, as if the player is a baseball version of Richard Alpert, impervious to the effects of aging.

[Saul Goodman]

I've been kind of anxious for this: Organizational Ranking

Current Talent

Future Talent

Also:

This is what happens when a team signs a free agent at or around his current market value, but then pays him that same rate years and years into the future, as if the player is a baseball version of Richard Alpert, impervious to the effects of aging.

Wha-?

Up the middle, Ryan Theriot's slick glove work and decent offense make him a good, if not breath-taking option at shortstop.

[Eli]

Up the middle, Ryan Theriot's slick glove work and decent offense make him a good, if not breath-taking option at shortstop.

UZR says Theriot is a good defensive shortshop, so the nerds at Fangraphs take it as the truth.

[SKO]

I was driving across the Centennial Bridge here in the Quad Cities and out the passenger side window I saw them getting the local minor league park in shape for the upcoming season, and god damnit, I was excited for baseball season. Right after that initial wave of enthusiasm all of the familiar criticisms came flooding back and I started worrying about the back of the rotation, the lack of experience (and probably talent) in the bullpen, the aging of Ramirez, Lee, Soriano, etc. and you know what? Fuck it. Baseball season is two weeks away. I'm slapping on the optimism and saying that it's the year. All they need is about 20 career years and this team is a fucking lock to win it all. I've got all of July and the rest of the year to be pissy and grumpy, but damnit, I'm too young to be as bitter as Huey and too likeable to be as pessimistic as Chuck. I managed to convince myself that a team with Mark Clark starting a playoff game could win a World Series, why can't I do the same now? So fuck y'all. Bring on the crack of the bat, James Earl Jones, Eddie Vedder sap and play ball.

[Internet Apex]

I was driving across the Centennial Bridge here in the Quad Cities and out the passenger side window I saw them getting the local minor league park in shape for the upcoming season, and god damnit, I was excited for baseball season. Right after that initial wave of enthusiasm all of the familiar criticisms came flooding back and I started worrying about the back of the rotation, the lack of experience (and probably talent) in the bullpen, the aging of Ramirez, Lee, Soriano, etc. and you know what? Fuck it. Baseball season is two weeks away. I'm slapping on the optimism and saying that it's the year. All they need is about 20 career years and this team is a fucking lock to win it all. I've got all of July and the rest of the year to be pissy and grumpy, but damnit, I'm too young to be as bitter as Huey and too likeable to be as pessimistic as Chuck. I managed to convince myself that a team with Mark Clark starting a playoff game could win a World Series, why can't I do the same now? So fuck y'all. Bring on the crack of the bat, James Earl Jones, Eddie Vedder sap and play ball.

I have tickets to like 10 games this year and leave for Arizona in the morning. Yet, I haven't been less excited about a baseball season since 1995 after the strike. In those days I was a soon-to-be high school graduate with no college plans. I'd recently been arrested and kicked off the baseball team right before the season started. All I cared about was my girlfriend, getting chiefed with my friends, listening to Wu-Tang and watching New York Knicks basketball. My life is completely different now. In the past 15 years I've worked my fucking ass off to get into the position I'm in now. I'll have the resources and the proximity to truly enjoy this season the way I always dreamed I would during those dark days between the corn and the beans with an outlook less promising than the prophecies of Nostradomous. What happened along the way? Did I change? Fuck no. The 2008 playoffs happened and then last year happened and now I'm just kind of done. The emotion, the love, the angst. Meh. I'm that guy now. Just give me a beer and a seat in the sun. I'll look at some titties and forget who plays second for every team in the league.

Go Boilers though.

[Yeti]

Up the middle, Ryan Theriot's slick glove work and decent offense make him a good, if not breath-taking option at shortstop.

UZR says Theriot is a good defensive shortshop, so the nerds at Fangraphs take it as the truth.

Well his Range Runs Above Average has been just below zero for the last couple of years and this year it went up to 5.7. And yea, his UZR was good in 07 and 09 (Average in 08). He may be a complete PANK at times but I'll accept that he's not as horrible of a SS that we all have assumed.

[Bort]

Up the middle, Ryan Theriot's slick glove work and decent offense make him a good, if not breath-taking option at shortstop.

UZR says Theriot is a good defensive shortshop, so the nerds at Fangraphs take it as the truth.

Well his Range Runs Above Average has been just below zero for the last couple of years and this year it went up to 5.7. And yea, his UZR was good in 07 and 09 (Average in 08). He may be a complete PANK at times but I'll accept that he's not as horrible of a SS that we all have assumed.

I've never thought Theriot was horrible. But I have thought settling for Theriot when better options exist on earth is horrible policy.

[Armchair_QB]

I was driving across the Centennial Bridge here in the Quad Cities and out the passenger side window I saw them getting the local minor league park in shape for the upcoming season, and god damnit, I was excited for baseball season. Right after that initial wave of enthusiasm all of the familiar criticisms came flooding back and I started worrying about the back of the rotation, the lack of experience (and probably talent) in the bullpen, the aging of Ramirez, Lee, Soriano, etc. and you know what? Fuck it. Baseball season is two weeks away. I'm slapping on the optimism and saying that it's the year. All they need is about 20 career years and this team is a fucking lock to win it all. I've got all of July and the rest of the year to be pissy and grumpy, but damnit, I'm too young to be as bitter as Huey and too likeable to be as pessimistic as Chuck. I managed to convince myself that a team with Mark Clark starting a playoff game could win a World Series, why can't I do the same now? So fuck y'all. Bring on the crack of the bat, James Earl Jones, Eddie Vedder sap and play ball.

I have tickets to like 10 games this year and leave for Arizona in the morning. Yet, I haven't been less excited about a baseball season since 1995 after the strike. In those days I was a soon-to-be high school graduate with no college plans. I'd recently been arrested and kicked off the baseball team right before the season started. All I cared about was my girlfriend, getting chiefed with my friends, listening to Wu-Tang and watching New York Knicks basketball. My life is completely different now. In the past 15 years I've worked my fucking ass off to get into the position I'm in now. I'll have the resources and the proximity to truly enjoy this season the way I always dreamed I would during those dark days between the corn and the beans with an outlook less promising than the prophecies of Nostradomous. What happened along the way? Did I change? Fuck no. The 2008 playoffs happened and then last year happened and now I'm just kind of done. The emotion, the love, the angst. Meh. I'm that guy now. Just give me a beer and a seat in the sun. I'll look at some titties and forget who plays second for every team in the league.

Go Boilers though.

This is exactly like my situation.

Well except for the fact that I didn't play baseball high school, have never been arrested, don't know what chief'd means, don't know who wu-tang is and don't live close enough to Chicago to get to 10 games a season.

But other than that, yeah, I'm just like you. The 2008 playoffs were  like a kick in the bag with a hobnailed boot and last year was a year long car wreck. I've barely paid attention to what's been going on this spring. I'm sure I'll watch but I just feel "meh" about this ballclub. I can't even work up the energy to be pissed about the two smurfs starting in the middle of the infield.

[Bort]

I do admit something snapped in my after 2008. But I'm going to give it the old college try*this year.







*Pay attention for the first few weeks, then start skipping games to get drunk, then drop out for a year.

[SKO]

I do admit something snapped in my after 2008. But I'm going to give it the old college try*this year.







*Pay attention for the first few weeks, then start skipping games to get drunk, then drop out for a year.

If 2008 wasn't a giant kick in the gonads, well, you don't have gonads. All I'm saying is I'm done pissing and moaning. Of course they're going to suck. Perhaps they won't. It's never stopped me from swallowing the Opening Day bullshit before, so here I go. Once more unto the breach bla blah.

[Bort]

I do admit something snapped in my after 2008. But I'm going to give it the old college try*this year.







*Pay attention for the first few weeks, then start skipping games to get drunk, then drop out for a year.

If 2008 wasn't a giant kick in the gonads, well, you don't have gonads. All I'm saying is I'm done pissing and moaning. Of course they're going to suck. Perhaps they won't. It's never stopped me from swallowing the Opening Day bullshit before, so here I go. Once more unto the breach bla blah.

Hey, I'm there for at least a few weeks!

[Pre]

don't know who wu-tang is

You're missing out.

[Slaky]

don't know who wu-tang is

You're missing out.

Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin' to fuck wit.

[Bort]

don't know who wu-tang is

You're missing out.

Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin' to fuck wit.

Everyone needs to bring the motherfuckin' ruckus at least once.