2010-11 Cubs Offseason: I, For One, Welcome Our New .196-Hitting Overlord

[PenPho]

Gross.

Really?
Even after this?

[Canadouche]

At least 87 walks each of the previous 4 years.  His slugging last year looks like an anamoly.  Despite a .407 SLG, he still had an OPS+ over 100.  His BABiP was .222 last year!

This deal seems more and more very unlike Hendry.  High reward, not too much risk.

I was ready to kind of hate this, but what the hell.  I positive.

His BABIP was one of the first things I noticed. His career average was .279 so I don't think we can expect a revert back to the norm at .300. Without looking at some of the peripherals that can better explain his BABIP it looks like he was an unlucky hitter next year who is sure to be struck with the luck of the Billy Goat next year and raise his BABIP up to .310 and then he'll have a wOBA of like .375 and then Hendry will sign him to a 5 year deal worth $95.35 million.

And I'm sure that was a run-on sentence but I don't give a fuck to go back and make it better

It was so weird how those opposing infielders just KEPT ON CATCHING his pop-ups!

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

The most noticeable change in Pena's numbers is a spike in his ground ball rate. Nearly 45 percent of his balls in play were hit on the ground, quite a jump from the 29 percent he hit in 2009 and his 36.9 percent career rate. His BABIP also took a dive in 2010, all the way down to .222 against a career average of .272. The difference might have been a blip, then– something that might even out next season?

Of the 2,483 pitches Pena has put into play during his career, 52 percent of them have gone to right field. Last year he pulled balls at about the same rate, but it was the types of balls in play that were the problem. Over 60 percent of the balls he pulled were on the ground, a nearly 10 percent increase from his career rate. Combined with some teams employing a defensive shift, it certainly can lead to an abnormally low BABIP. That's clearly going to have to change if he's going to succeed with the Cubs.

But none of this really concerns me. What we really need to worry about are his 24 postseason strikeouts. DOOOM!

I might be wrong, but I don't believe Canadouche was being serious.

I was serious in my concern about stoopid Cub fans booing Pena into oblivion, but strikeouts are better than double plays - except, perhaps, for when they occur looking in the 9th inning.

[Eli]

Gross.

Really?
Even after this?

I think Apex is just weirded out by semen.

[Kermit IV]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

[R-V]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

So was I. I think. I don't even know anymore. We should pick one day a month where we're all sincere.

[Canadouche]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

So was I. I think. I don't even know anymore. We should pick one day a month where we're all sincere.

You don't really mean that.

[Bort]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

So was I. I think. I don't even know anymore. We should pick one day a month where we're all sincere.

You don't really mean that.

This doesn't concern you.

[Canadouche]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

So was I. I think. I don't even know anymore. We should pick one day a month where we're all sincere.

You don't really mean that.

This doesn't concern you.

Ok - but why are we talking in italics now?

[Quality Start Machine]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

So was I. I think. I don't even know anymore. We should pick one day a month where we're all sincere.

You don't really mean that.

This doesn't concern you.

Ok - but why are we talking in italics now?

Back off, we let the "strikeouts are worse than double plays in the 9th inning" thing slide.

[Oleg]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

So was I. I think. I don't even know anymore. We should pick one day a month where we're all sincere.

[Canadouche]

Actually they weren't popups, they were groundballs, jerkstore.

I was just being snarky, anyhow.  It's Yeti, RV.  YETI.

So was I. I think. I don't even know anymore. We should pick one day a month where we're all sincere.

You don't really mean that.

This doesn't concern you.

Ok - but why are we talking in italics now?

Back off, we let the "strikeouts are worse than double plays in the 9th inning" thing slide.

Strikeouts looking. 

[PenPho]

As long as they're going to suck, I hope they suck with players I like.

Or a bunch of good, young prospects that come from trading all the guys I like.

[Internet Apex]

According to teh Score, Kerry Wood signed a 1-year deal to return to the Cubs. He turned down a two-year deal to pitch on teh South Side because he's not a piece of shit.

[Slaky]

According to teh Score, Kerry Wood signed a 1-year deal to return to the Cubs. He turned down a two-year deal to pitch on teh South Side because he's not a piece of shit.

It's never been more apparent than right now. He might hate winning, but he's no piece of shit.

[PenPho]

Considering Fukudome's bad contract only has 1 year left vs. two, this better not hai. 

The Giants and Cubs discussed a Rowand-for-Fukudome trade, said a BB source. A classic bad-contract, change-of-scenery deal.