Brett
Brett Taylor is the lead writer at Bleacher Nation, and can also be found as Bleacher Nation on Twitter and on Facebook.
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- Cub greats robbed of Home Runs & other trivia May 20, 2013
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- Understanding Sabermetrics May 20, 2013
- Cubs Calendar - 5/20/2013 - Strikeouts. May 20, 2013
- 7 moves the Cubs can make to win a 2014 World Series May 20, 2013
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Latest Posts
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Yes: It Looks Like Albert Almora is Finally Headed to Kane County
20 May 2013
The Cubs' 2012 first round pick is recovering from a wrist injury, and appears good to go.
(33 Comments)
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BAM: Another Free $300 One-Day Fantasy Baseball Contest
20 May 2013
A fun way to keep the lights on at BN? And you can win money by playing one day's worth of fantasy baseball? Score.
(7 Comments)
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Lukewarm Stove: The Cubs Could Have the Best Starting Pitching Options on the Trade Market
20 May 2013
With Matt Garza and Scott Feldman surely on the block, the Cubs could be in the catbird seat in a weak market. Also, more on David Price's injury/trade situation.
(138 Comments)
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Reminder: Off-Day Q&A Happening Today on Facebook and Twitter (1pm CT)
20 May 2013
You have questions, and I have answers. Whether column B actually pairs to column A, well, that's what we'll find out.
(18 Comments)
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Ian Stewart Discusses Disappointment, the Iowa Cubs, and “Those” Three Days
20 May 2013
Stewart finally discusses what happened when he was formally demoted to Iowa.
(72 Comments)
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Travis Wood’s Margin for Error and Other Bullets
20 May 2013
As he demonstrated on a hanging changeup yesterday, it isn't large. Otherwise, he's quite good. Also an update on pitching prospect Josh Conway.
(40 Comments)
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Cubs Minor League Daily: Unacceptable!
20 May 2013
Only the jumbo pork tenderloin in Iowa is recognized as a competitor in a MiLB food contest. Come on, other Cubs teams. Also: your weekend update.
(33 Comments)
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Sorry for the vulgarity. As you can tell, I thought today’s game was a real stinker.
(Were I being serious, I would have obviously noted Samardzija rough outing, Soriano’s continued ridiculous hotness, and Ian Stewart’s second straight solid offensive game.)
The vulgarity seems necessary… No need to apologize.
That was a horrible game. Don’t know what else to say.
Nice EBS that sums up the game and season
Yip. Best EBS of the year.
Ugh, I am glad that I missed this game… I still like how Ascensio and Corpas are doing for us so far. Them, Russell and Camp are a solid foundation. Good for Soriano continuing this hot streak. He is playing 5-7 years younger (excluding the bum leg). And oh Shark… Sigh… Well, pitchers can’t always dominate. Hate losing to bad teams though…
Anyone else worried that the league is figuring out Samardzja?
Kinda, this can be good for him though. He can use this as a way to reinvent himself, like many great pitchers have done.
A little too early to be worried about that (as a long-term concern), but, in the short-term, absolutely. He needs to adjust.
Better idea- trade him quick while he still has any value. Hendry was 3 and 11 in the post season and only had one series win in 10 years despite a larger payroll than any team in his division. Any players still connected to him need to be moved ASAP. Any questions about his tenure can be answered by what the team and minor league system he’s left behind as accomplished.
Please Thedstien- trade Garza, Dempster and Shark before they’ve lost all value like Byrd, Soto and Marmol have. Hendry’s system was a house of cards.
I disagree! Hendry’s system was a “shack”( made over to look like a house) and fell like the house of cards you speak of. Remember, there was never a foundation. How do you build on that? The more I think about it, his system wasn’t even a “shack.” It was a tree house for kids!
Hendry started off very well with the acquisitions of Aramis, Lofton, D-Lee, Clement, but had some thuds like Pierre. The problem was what you pointed out and that was that there was no clear system on how to sustain their success other than spending on FAs. What gets me frustrated about the mindset of Cub fans this year is how high the expectations placed on the front office to turnaround the Cubs into contenders right away. My expectations are high, but I realize that the Cubs are not going to have any signs of consistant success for at least two more seasons. In that time, Rizzo should be at 1st, Jackson in RF, and Vitters/Lake at 3B with SS Castro and 2B Barney already in place should give the Cubs a very good young infield for years. The rotation is something that is harder to predict because of which way they go with Garza. If they keep Garza then I could see them looking at someone like Cole Hammels in FA which would give them a 1-3 of Hammels, Garza, or Shark. If they deal Garza then I could see them locking up Shark longterm building around him, what pitchers they get back in a Garza trade, and if they are able to trade Dempster. I’m beginning to believe and fear that the bullpen will become, in the eyes of the fan, how the fans clamor for help on the offensive line of the Bears. Success is going to come, but the front office has a huge mess to clean up from a roster and farm system standpoint. Isn’t that what fans have wanted for years: for someone to come along, blow the whole organization up, and start over?
yeah I think some wanted to blow up and start over. i think the main thing is that with Rizzo, jackson and vitters playing pretty well in Iowa that just gets fans wanting them in Chicago so much more. when you lose as many 1 run games as the Cubs have it just brings the anger out in some as they see what could have been
I agree, but I don’t think that most Cub fans understand economic impact of keeping Rizzo and Co in the minors in order to gain an extra year of financial control. A year extra of control is huge when you are talking about a team going through a complete rebuild.
Yup but some people on here just want to complain and get in arguments.
Exactly. I do hope that after the trade deadline they bring up vitters and jackson. Im guessing Rizzo will already be up. That way the Cubs have 2 months to see exactly what they have in those 2 going forward
I think the problems most fans have right now with the new “regime” is they actually tried to convince everyone that things can change “very quickly!”(Quote) But yet Theo turned around and said ” you can’t turn a big ship on a dime!”(Quote)
So your response is to whine and complain about everything? There has to be a better way to use your time.
I’m not complaining. But don’t tell me this is what I’m getting for dinner and then serve me something else!
Yes,yes I quess I really am complaining!
Yet now we are building a foundation and all you do is spread bile everywhere.
I think he just fell in love with his fastball today. He mentioned before the game that he was just going to challenge hitters today with Target field being so big. I’m not sure if he just didn’t have confidence in his other pitches or if he really felt that would work.
How about s
How about soriano? At this rate we will only have to eat 46 million
I have my fingers crossed that we only have to eat 35 to 40, although I am not sure thats gonna happen. At least we can get some half decent prospects this time…
I keep sayin’, Stewart looks really comfortable in the 9-hole.
I think we could make him real comfotable on the bench. Hell I’ll donate a pillow so he can rest his head!
How about a pillow for me, while you’re donating them?
Ha! Everybody on the 40 man roster wants one! I don’t have any left partner.(LOL)
Aw… I wanted a free pillow… lol (=
Joe’s consist train-wreck outlook makes me want to shoot somehting living. Thanks Joe, for all the optimism. Christ this shit’s getting old.
I don’t think I’m responsible for the Cubs record. Do you? I don’t have a train-wreck outlook as you put it. The “wreck” happened a while back. I’m moving on. So should you. I can’t wait for the changes that are coming.
Point being, no matter how bad the cubs are, I’ll never hate them nor overreact because Castro isn’t currently as good as Derek Jeter. No, youre not responsible for their record, never said you were.
If I hated the Cubs, I would not spend so much time on this site, and other Cubs sites, follow them for more years than you probably have lived, and research statistics you could probably care less about. If you read all my comments about comparing Castro to Jeter, I said he could be “BETTER.”
No need to insult my intelligence or expertise. Just made an observation based on your overall tone. I love you.
Additionally, every player over the past 15 years (aside from ManRam’s 165 RBi year) could’ve been better.
Mr Nose that was the best response I’ve read in response to his negativity.
Cant argue with “better” stats…youre much better off just letting it go, Mr Nose.
i totally agree with joe, this team is beyond horrible and while most of us didnt expect them to be much better, it is painful as a fan to watch the consistent bullshit results this team continues to put out there day in and day out. yes the future looks bright possibly, but most of us deal in the now and this team is nothing short of a major trainwreck in every facet of the game. put simply they flat out suck and are an embarassment to professional baseball. i certainly hope something turns around quick, but i know as a cub fan, optimism is hard to come by.
Noted, I appreciate the heads up.
O.K.. You’ve had your joke. Now tell us what your comment really means!
RY34 to focus on the “here and now” and complaining about everything is exactly the short sightedness that Cub fans have been doing for years and management and ownership would overreact and make horribly crippling moves. Now we have a FO that is working on a plan and has a vision for continued success but some fans continue to cry and moan because we are having a shitty season. WE ALL KNEW THIS! So why all the gnashing of teeth? Be patient and look for the growth and development instead of constantly complain.
Bingo
It’s not worth it brother, you’ll feel so much BETTER once you stop engaging negativity
There are some good things to take, honestly Brett. First there plan is kind of emerging. They did the bare minimum this offseason basically a couple of minimal two year patches and started at the core organization level with scouting and front office focusing almost entirely from day one on what they had underneath and the minor leagues. 22 pitchers later, a lot is emerging as of this draft. Second, I can be as negative as anyone, but there approach with Soriano is spectacular. They may not get much in terms of players or salary relief, but I believe they have through a brilliant plan put themselves in place to strike quickly and move him, appears to be a miracle. Third, I think as we look, if they can get what they want for some of the talent left, it looks more and more like they want to be in position to compete in 2014, that’s what seems to be emerging. Finally, I don’t think they started out to lose to lose, but unlike past regimes, rightly in my view, they seem to see the value of the 1st pic in 2013 and aren’t determined to do anything to stop the obvious momentum. Not fun to watch by any means, but certainly give where we are, and the obvious needs the right thing to do. In fact in doing the right thing shortly, I think they will be helping it along. In the last week to 10 days Ive been as optimistic, albeit the piss poor MLB performance about the direction it’s becoming obvious. My only caveat is creepy Crane hanging around, but increasingly I even think he’s meaningless.
Well said Mike F. Thanks for the positive contribution. I agree with you 100 percent.
This whole management hating thing needs to stop. I am not a naive person by any means, but these guys are doing the best they can in this situation. We are all Cubs fans, knock off the swearing at each other and the name calling.
Today I lost my house and everything I own because of the flooding down here in florida. I was hoping to see atleast the cubs win. But looks like I’ve lost everything today including a cubs victory. Really it cannot get any worse for me or the cubs at this point (well atleast they can call wrigley home still) so they’re one up on me.
Oh my God, I am so sorry. My prayers are out to you.
Sorry to hear that bro.
so sorry to hear that. Hope things start to turn around for you….
Thanks to y’all
Missed the game today. I still haven’t found out why SCastro was PH for by ACardenas in the 7th. Any thoughts?
Have not heard anything. I don’t think it’s anything to get excited about. I liked the move. Castro is in a bit of a funk. Cardenas is having his problems, but I can deal with it, as he was recently called up. Cardenas is better than the numbers indicate, in my opinion, as well as others. I liked the move. If your gonna do these kinds of things, this season is the time.
I think Cardenas can be a decent hitter at the major league level if he got some consistent playing time, but unfortunatly that is not going to happen.
Sure. Game’s out of hand and Castro hardly ever gets any rest. Might as well give him a couple innings off.
http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1214445-kerry-wood-says-wrigley-field-day-games-are-the-reason-chicago-cubs-never-win
In other shocking news: Kerry Wood Discovers that Sun Rises in East, Sets in West…
Kevin, just my opinion. sorry, don’t agree. he said that on Kap’s show. were day games the reason they didn’t win in 69, 84, 03/04, 07/08? the White Sox play night games, in Chicago and didn’t win in over 40 years. I’ve heard ex-Cubs say it’s talent. i’m a big Wood fan but on this one i don’t agree.
We can agree to disagree… BTW, Kerry Wood was just part of the story.
today was a rough one to watch. Management has a tremendous task ahead of them to clean up this big mess left behind by the old regime. At least we can witness the beginning of change at the end of the season.
The old regIme everyone complains about got the Cubs to the playoffs three out of six seasons.
I’m not a Hendry fan but he was the GM of the Cubs golden age of the last 70 yeas.
Theo and Co right now have a long way to go before they come close to matching Hendrys accomplishments.
But hey the team may still be the worst in baseball in 2 or 3 years and I don’t think many people will hold them accountable because they have a so called plan.
That could be the start of the uptick for the Cubs depending on what kind of talent they get out of the trade market this summer
I lasted through the fourth and had to turn it off. I couldn’t take it anymore.
I feel an abundance of trades coming soon
who goes where?
Once again….look at the AL Contenders and tell me who needs a DH?…
I just don’t see A) ANY salary relief on Soriano, other than 500,000 to a milllion and B) anything other than a C+ prospect…
ANGELS-NO, RANGERS-NO, WHITE SOX-NO, INDIANS-NO, TIGERS-NO, BLUE JAYS-NO,RED SOX-NO, YANKEES-REALLY LONG SHOT, RAYS AND ORIOLES-LONG SHOT
not trying to be negative but I just don’t see the demand..I hope I am wrong…
glad it’s not up to you so the front office would just be sitting around banging eachother.
Just heard on the radio that Detroit has the least production out of their DH in the league. May not amount to anything but there is a glimmer of hope.
Big Bertha here. When the Cubs lose, I eat. I used to be just Bertha.
Don’t you come around here, anymore.
And that is essentially where I differ. He can probably play out his contract as a DH and be a plus. I think the remainder of this season, looking at his recent play teams can see he can still hit 275 drive in some runs and hit some homers. I really believe we read to much into running him out into LF and counting on him to do as an everyday player or somehow show some glimpse. Won’t happen. But I dod believe has some value to an American league team looking for a bat cheap. Absolutely they have shown the value and talked him up brilliantly, it shows they know what they are doing.
And yes, I do agree with you he’s not going to bring much. If he’s healthy enough to do what we see, he should be healthy enough to bring back 3 Million over the life of that contract. On the upside as dh taking all 2 1/2 years into account he probably has a .260 35 homers at least for the entire period and would drive in 200 runs. He has enough left on a limited duty basis to do that. And his downside, is probably not zero as we all see it from an everyday basis, it’s probably something like .235 to .240 and 25 homers over the period. He’s got some pop left and ability as a dh and the saber metric folks can project it out. And yes, he’s probably a pretty good value for a team in contention like the Yankees or the O’s or almost nothing. And yes, I believe it’s a miracle given all the water over the bridge so to speak that they would get any relief or any kind of prospect if even a C+ one.
Mike F., Thanks for the positive note. It’s sometimes hard to see when the team is so bad, But I think Sveum has got to stop this righty and lefty thing. He needs to take Castro out and put him on the bench for a short time,maybe he can convince him to take a walk once in a while and that he doesn’t need to do everything. LaHair may not have the best numbers vs. lefties but let him face them. He’ll be a better player for it and keep Castro in the number 2 hole. The more Sveum juggles the lineup the more uncertain some of these players must feel.Hopefully we’ll see some improvement next year.
Just for the hell of it, I checked out Anthony Rizzo’s Minor League stats (the MLB stats were more brutal than I’d imagined).
Interestingly, it appears his batting has improved measurably from last year to this year, which may have something to do with the adjustment he was asked to make–shorten his swing, like LaHair did.
Here’s what I saw: his BA is significantly higher and his SO rate is significantly better. Seems a no brainer that these two could be related, and a shorter stroke could explain both. Not that there was anything wrong on paper with his last year stats, but in terms of transference to the MLB level, this development seems all to the good. Not surprisingly, his OBP is a bit higher as well, and his SLG hasn’t suffered from any adjustment he’s made–it’s also up.
I think that’s what everyone wants to see–not just a repeat of last year’s excellent performance, but measurable and sustained improvements. Hopefully that bodes well for his transition to Wrigley later this year.
Cubs are now “officially” the worst in baseball. Pudres won.
Soriano audition for AL DH going well..hope it works…every penny saved off his contract is a penny earned towards refurbishing/moving Wrigley sans taxpayer dollars
I turned on the radio and heard the Cubs were getting killed. Saw a nice Sox game on TV. Sale is a vary good pitcher.
what ur point? any other channel would have been better. Oprah would have been less torture.
Al, this is for Cubs Fan sorry bro! For North Siders not White Sux Fans
I’m a Cub fan but when your extended box score is diarrhea toilet paper I chose to watch an All Star pitcher.
You saw Sori hit a home run and I saw Dunn hit a grand slam to put the game away. Instead of making errors I saw a team take advantage of errors. Oh, and Konerko had an infield hit (?!).
It does not hurt my feelings if you want to watch garbage and then piss and moan about it.
hahahahaahahah he shit all over!!!!
I saw Esmil Rogers was DFA by Rockies .. Possible Cubs pick up? He’s only 26! Alot of upside? The problem is when he’s on he’s on i saw his Era bloom to 8.06.. But after Sharks start today the same Era LOL! Ok Theo Sounds like another pick up
Ok where do you think the Cubs do with Dempster, Garza, LaHair among others where do they go if you trade them
Joe I’m not sure what joke your talking about?
If I were born and raised a fan of turds, I think I’d still be able to find a reason to be positive about those same turds (i.e. shape, girth, …errr I won’t go any further, but you get my point.) cant help it.
You can also see past a few games or a single season.
Fa sho.