Now that the first half of the 2011 season is in the books, I thought I’d toss out to you some random, interesting, and ultimately embarrassing numbers from the Chicago Cubs’ season.
12 – Cubs’ games back in the NL Central
18 – Cubs’ games under .500
7 – Cubs’ games ahead of the Houston Astros for the worst record in baseball
2 – Number of wins Cubs have against the Astros in six games
5.29 – ML worst starting pitcher ERA
77 – Number of Cubs’ ML-leading errors
223 – Number of walks the Cubs took (ML worst)
349 – Number of walks the Cubs gave up (ML worst)
9 – Number of wins the Cubs managed in 39 games started by someone not named Dempster, Zambrano, or Garza
12 – Number of Cubs who spent time on the disabled list in the first half (which number doesn’t include Carlos Pena, Aramis Ramirez, and Ryan Dempster, all of whom also missed a little time with various ailments)
9.33 – James Russell’s ERA as a starter
1.47 – James Russell’s ERA as a reliever
5 – Number of times James Russell was trotted out to start
.105 – Tyler Colvin’s batting average for the Cubs in 2011
.922 – Reed Johnson’s team-leading OPS
.822 – Carlos Zambrano’s third-place-on-the-team OPS
10, 4 – Number of homers by Alfonso Soriano in April, and then in May, June, and July, combined
0, 19 – Number of homers by Carlos Pena in April, and then in May, June, and July, combined
2 – Number of homers by Koyie Hill, as many as Starlin Castro and Jeff Baker, and just one fewer than Marlon Byrd and Kosuke Fukudome
10 – Team-leading number of steals (tied) by Starlin Castro in 381 at bats
10 – Team-leading number of steals (tied) by Tony Campana in 76 at bats
2.79 – Chris Carpenter’s ERA
1.97 – Chris Carpenter’s WHIP
3.48 – Jeff Samardzija’s ERA, bettered only by (of those qualifying) Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Marmol
51.2 – Bullpen-leading innings thrown by Jeff Samardzija
5th – Not just the Cubs’ current place in the NL Central, but also the place this season’s pre-AS break winning percentage ranks for the Cubs in the last 50 years (as in, it’s the Cubs’ 5th worst winning percentage at this point in the year in the last 50 seasons)
2,000 and 4,000 – Amount average attendance at Wrigley Field is down by from this time in 2010 and 2008, respectively
104 – Nope. Not going to say it.
Yes, but…
1 – the number of awesome new Cub sites that are now my Cub-home
That’s something, right?
51.2 … *sigh*
If only Samardzija would have gotten through those innings without giving up a run. At least then we’d have something to celebrate this season.
100% agree with Caleb. Finding BN is the only bright spot for me in this dismal season.
Wow. You weren’t joking about the embarrassing part… The last number made me chuckle, in a morbid sort of way.
Is it sad that I pictured “the counts” voices while reading each of the stats? “Oneeeeeeee ah ah ah ah.”
I did the same thing… “ha ha ha”
Time to start selling, Jimbo.
I agree 100% with Fishin Phil and Caleb. This site truly has been the lone bright spot of this pathetic season along with the hope and increased potential that Hendry and Quade will finally be fired. Based on these stats, this has got to be one of the WORST seasons ever in all of professional baseball. It is one thing to be really bad at a couple of things, but based on this assessment, the Cubs pretty much SUCK at everything collectively. Thank god there are only 70 games left to this morbid season.
Thanks, guys. Even if the future isn’t looking so bright for the Cubs, the sky is the limit at BN. Well, if not the sky, then, like, a really glamourous McDonalds.
I agree with the sentiments above. Keep up the great work Ace!
Ha! Is it a coincidence that we’ve all found BN this season and now the Cubs suck balls?
just staggering
Bleacher nation the absolute best web site for us Cub fans to vent..thanks Ace
I agree with everyone: This site has been a God send for sure. Im getting all my Cubbie fan friends in Tennessee to visit the site. For this being such a shitty season, this site has been very informative, whitty, and not to mention theraputic. Its good to share the frustration with such great Cub fans.
Thanks, JJ. Everyone, take a lesson from James: your life will be greatly enriched if you share Bleacher Nation with all of your friends, and COMMAND them to come here.
Wait. Did I say your life would be greatly enriched…?
Hey my life is enriched already. I play for the NFL, the NBA, and was the alter ego to the deceased rapper, “Pimp C.” This site is just the cherry on top. But there are a good amount of Cubbie fans in throughout Tennessee. One could blame this on WGN. Lord knows I didnt want to be a Braves fan either. I thank being baffled at Harry Carey as a young kid. Crazy.
What part of Tennessee do you call home JJ?
What part of Tennessee do you call home JJ?
Im from a small town right in the middle of Nashville and Knoxville, its called Cookeville. Are you familiar?
I am. Actually used to do a lot of business (land and home financing) in that area. I’m in Memphis currently. Not without it’s faults but this is home (my roots are in the Delta).
Agreed! It’s the only place to get accurate Cubs news from an actual fan.
I can also be a lemming. But I have to say this is now my go-to site for Cubs stuff. I will be happy to say I was here back then when the glorious day arrives and we all celebrate you-know-what.
Me too, and so is this team, ran right off the cliff.
You just jinxed us for another 100 years. Jerk.
That was only a 2011 reference and besides the curse of the lemming is cyclical followed by a rebuilding phase. Should only last a year or so.
so we’re 9-30 in games not started by Zambrano, Garza and Dempster.. and those 3 haven’t even been that good this year.. wow. sprinkle in the walks stats and terrible fielding and I’m surprised we’ve won more than 10 games this year.
the way we have played thus far, i will consider it a moral victory if end up finishing with less than 100 losses; however, i am putting my money on 100+.
Thanks, Ace, for using numbers to translate the “why” to the Cubs’ upper management for the “what” they’ve seen in the first half. One thing- when you get Randy Bush’s job, please don’t put too much stock in the W.A.R. stat (which is the only number that saber provides which is a bunch of shit.) Seriously, this team needs someone who understands numbers.
Anyway- out of all the stats provided, the only one that doesn’t make sense is Carpenter’s ERA to WHIP. Are you saying he should be a starter or get dumped ASAP. Please explain and keep up the good work.
Thanks, Bric. As for Carpenter, I wasn’t really saying too much other than pointing out how unbelievably about of whack the numbers are. The ERA says he’s great, but the WHIP says he’s God-awful. Just found it interesting.
In response to the out-of-whack numbers for Chris Carpenter — I’ve never thought that ERA was a good measurement for mid-relievers. They often come into an inning to get a couple guys out with runners on base. If the runners score they count toward the previous pitcher, so they can give up a lot of important runs without any negative effect on their ERA. WHIP, average against, holds, and runs against seem like more accurate gauges of effectiveness.
… and keep up the great work! This is also my new go-to site for accurate Cubs info, numbers, analysis, rumors, and the occasional entertaining opinion.
…the stats point to one conclusion….Cubs hopeless….Castro’s Allstar play epitomizes season….Pinella would not have tolerated Castro’s or Cubs play and by June1 would have benched or sent down 5 or more including Castro….need another beer….
You’re right, Sweet Lou probably would have benched Castro, which is just another reason that I’m glad that he’s not part of the team any more.
I can’t wait for the Bear’s season to start. This is the most unlikeable Cubs team since those horrible teams in the 50s and early 60s.(remember the college of coaches}?.
This team is more “likeable” than the 2009 Cubs team. The 2009 Cubs was a team that even it’s mother would loathe. They woefully underperformed despite having the makings of a playoff team and appeared to be malcontents.
LOL @ the Bears. Go Colts!
BN is my absolute go to site and I want to share it with my friends but I sound so smart when I quote the Series Preview!
Ha. I guess that’s supposed to be the idea…
Dude, you are now entering the “cult icon” phase. I wandered into a massive Ace-lovefest.
Love that Z is #3 in OPS…frickin hilarious. I also think you should have assigned the number “9″ to Hendry, as that cat-daddy keeps coming back from the dead.
[...] afternoon Brett posted a thorough By the Numbers summary of the first half of the season and it’s definitely worth taking a look at. It does [...]