Jake Arrieta 2017 Salary Drive Sploogefest

[Tonker]

I also expect Bryant to get at least one vote, honestly, since he's arguably been more valuable to this team than Rizzo, at least according to Fangraphs.

I've wondered about this for weeks. Why is Rizzo getting MVP buzz when he hasn't even been the most valuable position player on his own team? I mean, he's obviously been fantastic, but why is there no similar talk for Bryant?

Probably because Rizzo has the better slashline (although the gap has narrowed) and also because Rizzo has carried the team most of the year, at times when others have slumped. Bryant's late season surge has been amazing and he'll end the year with the more valuable season, but I get anyone who has watched this team all year long touting Tony as the steady hand that's rarely faltered.

(advance apology for wading knee deep into stuff I'm not too knowledgeable on)

Here's what I don't get: Fangraphs has Rizzo with -10.6 defensive WAR. Now I get that even the absolute best defensive 1B are going to have a negative defensive WAR due to the relative lack of value for 1B defense compared to other positions. But Rizzo's number for this year is significantly worse than it was in 2013 & 2014 (both years around -4) and he ranks 15th out of 20 qualifying 1B. Just based on the eye test I feel like Rizzo has been better defensively this year than last and I don't understand how he could be ranked below league average. So my questions are: why does he rank so low this year, and would he be smoking Bryant in overall WAR if you insert last year's defensive numbers?

Well, despite all the showreel stuff and what is obviously an outstanding baseball brain, he's noticeably whiffed on a couple of picks in recent weeks.  I'm very, very happy to have Tony Ballgame at 1B for the Cubs, but a genuine gold glover makes those plays.

I'm not saying he should be a Gold Glover. I'm saying he's at least average if not above average defensively and I'm mystified why the Fangraphs measure says otherwise.

I know you're not, sorry if I made it sound like I thought you were.  I'd take it a little further, though, and say that if the stats show that Rizzo is defensively average, and maybe even a touch below, I'm not that shocked.  He makes some great plays, but he also misses the odd one.  And, bearing in mind what else he brings to the team, I'm completely fine with that.

[Saul Goodman]

If only Matthew Trueblood was the manager instead of that stupid dumb idiot Joe Maddon they would've won.  Matty's got some hot Anthony Rizzo takes on his Twitter now that I refuse to link to.

Rizzo has fallen in love with his swing and left the monster production of the first six weeks of the season far behind.

Not for nothing: Anthony Rizzo is now up to 500 PA and change of being a very ordinary (.860 OPS) first baseman. Good... But ordinary.

Folks, Anthony Rizzo is really, really good. It's a compliment that he's hit .265/.365/.495 for 120 games and could be better.

Is he "very ordinary" or "really, really good"?  I'm having a hard time keeping up with his brilliant mind.

[Saul Goodman]

Intrepid Reader: Matthew Trueblood

I dated this girl for a while. She was really a... nasty freak. She just loved to get down with sex all the time. It was like... anytime of day, she was like, "Yeah, let's go! I'm so nasty!" And I'd be nailing her and she'd be like, "Oh, you're nailing me! Cool!"

[Quality Start Machine]

Intrepid Reader: Matthew Trueblood

I dated this girl for a while. She was really a... nasty freak. She just loved to get down with sex all the time. It was like... anytime of day, she was like, "Yeah, let's go! I'm so nasty!" And I'd be nailing her and she'd be like, "Oh, you're nailing me! Cool!"

He's not 40 yet, is he?

[SKO]

Jaaaaake

[Eli]

He's a good baseball player.

[Canadouche]

He's starting to slip. He had a 0.42 ERA in August, in 42.1 innings. In 40 September innings, his ERA is 0.45. Teams batted .130 against him in August. They're batting 18 points better against him in September. With a trend like this, Arrieta is going to look extremely beatable in just 5 to 10 years.

[Bort]

Jesus Christ, this guy.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Jesus Christ, this guy.

[Quality Start Machine]

Jesus Christ, this guy.

He looks nothing like Paul.

[Eli]

Jesus Christ, this guy.

He looks nothing like Paul.

Which reminds me, what's that guy up to these days?

Just watched a bird take a poop into the birdbath, then turn around and take a drink from the birdbath. Coulda stopped him. Didn't. Watched.

https://twitter.com/PWT3/status/644530846641352704

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Jesus Christ, this guy.

He looks nothing like Paul.

Which reminds me, what's that guy up to these days?

Just watched a bird take a poop into the birdbath, then turn around and take a drink from the birdbath. Coulda stopped him. Didn't. Watched.

https://twitter.com/PWT3/status/644530846641352704

Bruce Wolf is one of his 47 followers.  WTF?

[Chuck to Chuck]

Semi-serious question: Why is Jesus frequently depicted with a shining heart?

[Bort]

Semi-serious question: Why is Jesus frequently depicted with a shining heart?

Some catholic nonsense. Every good Southern Babdist knows Jesus was a regular looking white dude.

[flannj]

Semi-serious question: Why is Jesus frequently depicted with a shining heart?

The Sacred Heart is a Catholic Devotion.
I should get struck by lightning for just typing that given how far I have fallen.