The Anthony Rizzo DongFest Thread

[Yeti]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

It was kinda my thing at one time: http://www.desipio.com/messageboard/index.php?topic=7226.msg205973#msg205973

I don't apologize, nor do I stand by my statements. It was a dark time had by all

[Slaky]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

[SKO]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

[R-V]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

[SKO]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

[SKO]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

[PenFoe]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

I'm just glad that you were able to shoehorn in a Derrek Lee reference, since it's been a whole 48 hours.

[SKO]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

I'm just glad that you were able to shoehorn in a Derrek Lee reference, since it's been a whole 48 hours.

Look if I compare any one of these assholes to Derrek Lee in a positive way your answer should be "yes, this, more of this" and nothing else, champ.

[R-V]

Also, has Rizzo beefed up? Granted I did not watch much Cubs baseball last year but he seems like quite the meatsteak this year.

[Slaky]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

I'm just glad that you were able to shoehorn in a Derrek Lee reference, since it's been a whole 48 hours.

Look if I compare any one of these assholes to Derrek Lee in a positive way your answer should be "yes, this, more of this" and nothing else, champ.

When did someone say we talk about Derrek Lee too much here? I know he was a little whiny at the end when we were coming off the high of having a good team and we all cared enough to get REALLY mad the Cubs. But goddamn it he was so good.

I didn't really even think of the comparison but I do remember Lee opened his stance up early in his Cub career and became a guy you couldn't even pitch to anymore. Rizzo isn't quite there but he's still so young.

[SKO]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

I'm just glad that you were able to shoehorn in a Derrek Lee reference, since it's been a whole 48 hours.

Look if I compare any one of these assholes to Derrek Lee in a positive way your answer should be "yes, this, more of this" and nothing else, champ.

When did someone say we talk about Derrek Lee too much here? I know he was a little whiny at the end when we were coming off the high of having a good team and we all cared enough to get REALLY mad the Cubs. But goddamn it he was so good.

I didn't really even think of the comparison but I do remember Lee opened his stance up early in his Cub career and became a guy you couldn't even pitch to anymore. Rizzo isn't quite there but he's still so young.

I think it's safe to say this is just another example of Pen being wrong for America.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

I'm just glad that you were able to shoehorn in a Derrek Lee reference, since it's been a whole 48 hours.

Look if I compare any one of these assholes to Derrek Lee in a positive way your answer should be "yes, this, more of this" and nothing else, champ.

Looking forward to Rizzo's time as a Marlin and playing against the Cubs in October.

[SKO]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

I'm just glad that you were able to shoehorn in a Derrek Lee reference, since it's been a whole 48 hours.

Look if I compare any one of these assholes to Derrek Lee in a positive way your answer should be "yes, this, more of this" and nothing else, champ.

Looking forward to Rizzo's time as a Marlin and playing against the Cubs in October.

If you don't think a Rizzo trade to the Marlins is increasingly likely you haven't been paying attention

[Slaky]

Going back to the beginning of this thread by accident I think it's important we never forget that Yeti said he would suck, Apex called him Adam LaRoche, and Eli once worried about Slaky being too pessimistic.

I think I was down on Rizzo in the early days. I don't think I ever saw him becoming the guy he is now. He's actually terrifying at the plate just by virtue of how he looks. He's got a Bonds thing where he's just daring the pitcher to throw in on him. And he'll turn that sucker around and deposit it where even the shift can't save em.

I love him the most.

In all honesty did anyone ever realistically project Rizzo to be this guy? I thought were all basically in for a nice decade of .270/.350/.470 with about 25 homers a  year. So...y'know, Adam LaRoche. And after last year wouldn't we have all taken that? Then one day Rizzo woke up and decided he was just going to destroy lefties this year and holy shit

Among qualified 1B:

2nd in HRs
4th in ISO and wOBA
7th in BB%

His BABIP is sitting a totally sustainable .297 and he's no slouch defensively. If he keeps it up we're looking at a 5 win player who will be paid $5 M the next two years and $7 M the two after that. Ridiculous.

Yeah nothing about his turn this year seems unsustainable. He was due for a bounceback anyway since as we noted over and over last year his BABIP was bad and another of other factors meant he suffered some bad luck, but then it looks like he's just honestly made adjustments and gotten better at turning on inside pitches, which has led to him suddenly destroying lefties after struggling against them the first two years. A lefty 1B who hits righties well and lefties even better? Oh my stars.

DPD but it reminds me a little bit of when Derrek Lee went off in 2005. He came to the Cubs in 2004 as a guy that supposedly liked the ball outside where he could get full extension, so teams worked him inside. Then one offseason he made adjustments and changed his stance to where he could turn on the inside pitches better, and went from a guy who hit .266 from 1998-2004 to a guy who hit .310 over the next five years.

I'm just glad that you were able to shoehorn in a Derrek Lee reference, since it's been a whole 48 hours.

Look if I compare any one of these assholes to Derrek Lee in a positive way your answer should be "yes, this, more of this" and nothing else, champ.

Looking forward to Rizzo's time as a Marlin and playing against the Cubs in October.

Climb a mountain and roll down it

[Quality Start Machine]

Not sure if defensive stats prove this out, but he sure looks like a guy who covers ground around 1B like Lee did.

The infield of 2015 and beyond will make us all permanently engorged.