I recently started watching the first season of ‘Homeland.’ I’m up to episode six, and I can see what it won all of those awards. It’s kind of like ’24,’ but more realistic. Of course, it’s stretched out over many days, and no one screams, “Damn it, Chloe!” But it’s still really good.
- By the power of Tidrow, the Giants took down the Cardinals last night in mighty fashion – the Cards were never even really in the game. Just one week ago, we were staring down the possibility of a Yankees/Cardinals World Series, and the world almost spun off its axis. But now it’s the Tigers and the Giants, and have no rooting interest whatsoever. Good work, Tigers and Giants.
- Perhaps the best part of the Giants’ win is that now, when folks talk about the last team to lose a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, it will be the Cardinals and not the Cubs.
- Matt Cain finally did hit Matt Holliday, possibly in retribution for Holliday’s dirty takeout slide of series MVP Marco Scutaro in Game Two. But the HBP came in Game Seven (nearly a week later) of an already-over game. Cain says it was inadvertent (it came on an 0-2 pitch), and maybe it was. If it wasn’t, I simultaneously think it was the right move, and a weak one.
- The World Series starts tomorrow night at 7pm CT. While you wait with bated breath, here’s a look at the World Series throughout popular culture over the years. It’s a fun reflection.
- Doug Padilla’s positional review of the 2012 Chicago Cubs (with an eye toward 2013) is winding down, and he looks at the bench situation. It, like so many other positions, is ugly – and it only got worse when a number of those bench bats became starters for stretches of the season. Dave Sappelt and Tony Campana look like decent bets for the bench in 2013, but other internal options won’t be determined until Spring Training at the earliest. And even Sappelt or Campana could be bounced by a signing or trade.
- The Cubs gave a special tour of Wrigley Field to “Wounded Warriors” yesterday.
- Also, did I mention that the Cardinals blew a 3-1 series lead to the Giants in the NLCS, culminating in a 9-0 whoopin’ last night? …
It was the right one and the best one…the Giants said:
I agree.
He did it when it didn’t cost the team anything.
And if the Giants had never taken the lead? It never would have happened. That’s what I mean by weak.
If it wasn’t the playoffs and if they weren’t facing elimination for the majority of the series, I’m sure it would’ve happened much sooner. I don’t really perceive it as weak. It would be flat out dumb to do it when it may cost your team a chance at playing in the World Series just because you wanna follow the old-school baseball rules and look tough. That said, beating the Cardinals 9-0 after coming back from 3-1 is probably pay back enough.
It would have happened, some time, some place – it’s just more delicious in a Game 7 victory. Even if it would have come next season, there was no way the Giants weren’t going to plunk him.
What Ace calls weak, I like to refer to as “smart and deliberate”. Not only did it not cost the Giants anything, it was the figuarative salt in the wound. A huge gaping, choking-away-three-games-and-a-World-Series-appearance-wound.
It also makes it nearly impossible for Bud to do anything to Cain.
It’s the perfect crime.
“Excellent,” spoke Matt Cain deviously while tapping his fingertips together.
Lovely, ha ha ha!
Homeland is badass. I watched episode 1 of season two lastnite …wow
did Ronnie woo woo have a kid?? that video looks kinda similar, I guess the tradition will now continue
Padilla calling LaHair a “quality option off the bench” is a bit of a stretch. Maybe he tuned-out after the all-star break and only saw LaHair’s season-ending walk-off.
Yeah. I certainly didn’t want to list LaHair as a future bench option.
Matt can take this Holliday to perfect his sliding techniques.
Really? Campana? He of the .607 OPS? Barf.
Cheap, serviceable defenders who can play all three OF positions (you could debate RF) and are among the best base-runners in all of baseball tend to make perfect bench players. It works a lot better on a contender, but he’s got as good a shot at starting the year on the bench with the big club as does Sappelt.
“Serviceable” defender is … charitable. He’s a 25th-and-a-half man, at best — a luxury for a good team.
We can debate at the margins, I suppose, but I definitely would throw up a roadblock at calling him a “luxury” on a good team – he’d be exactly the kind of piece that a good team would desperately want late in the season and in the playoffs.
No, that’s exactly what I meant. He’s a luxury a good team can afford to have, but his skill (yeah, singular) is relatively unimportant for a mediocre-to-bad team.
I can’t dispute that. But you gotta use him/show him off if you want one of those good teams to want him.
I just don’t think Campana’s a guy anyone is willing to give up much for. Does he have some value as a guy that can come in and steal bases late in a playoff game? Yes. But I think even calling him a good defensive replacement is charitable. His arm is really weak and by all accounts he takes poor routes to the ball.
If Campana’s the 25th man on the team next year, I don’t particularly care because the Cubs are going to be awful. But to get any sort of value for Campana he’d have to show the ability to put up at least something approaching a .700 OPS for an extended period of time. Even if he put up a .680 with a .290/.350/.330, he’d have some value. But I don’t think he’ll ever walk or hit enough to do that.
But with Jackson (rightfully) looking like he is going to start the year back in AAA, the Cubs have a lack of outfielders (including a starting center or right fielder, depending on where DeJesus plays), and they shouldn’t be spending money on their 5th OF.
“I just don’t think Campana’s a guy anyone is willing to give up much for. Does he have some value as a guy that can come in and steal bases late in a playoff game? Yes. But I think even calling him a good defensive replacement is charitable. His arm is really weak and by all accounts he takes poor routes to the ball.”
Yes, “good” would be charitable. That’s why I called him “serviceable.”
Also …
“Even if he put up a .680 with a .290/.350/.330, he’d have some value.”
He wouldn’t just have “some” value with that line, he’d be a borderline All-Star.
But I agree with you: he ain’t putting up those numbers any time soon.
ya, a .350 OBP would make him a starter with that speed
We should all start the Mather or Campana debate again!!!
The pop culture article was cool but not without error.
’34 was StL – DET. ’32 was ChN – NYY.
Just Sayin’…
The correct answer to “Mather or Campana” is “None of the above.”
“Mather or Campana … and remember, death is not an option.”
When there’s no other basis to decide, I’ll root for the baseball team over the designated-hitter ball team every time.
With Delmon Young, Feilder, and Cabrerra the Tigers look more like beer league softball
Carrie Muskat @CarrieMuskat
James Rowson will be #Cubs hitting coach in 2013 and David Bell was named new 3rd base coach
Not surprising about Rowson…especially with Magadan unavailable.
I always feared that David Bell was going to be a Cub.
Cubs were one of the few teams he missed. I remember Cardinals, Giants, Mariners, and Phillies, but I’m sure I’m missing some. Plus he’d been a AAA manager for the Reds.
Doug Padilla @ESPNChiCubs
Randy Bush signs new 3-year deal to remain assistant GM.
Busy day for the Front Office. But now I’m really wondering what Brett heard about a FO departure…most of the speculation was around Bush leaving.
Doug Padilla @ESPNChiCubs
Head Trainer Mark O’Neal will step down from his post but stay with the organization.
It’s like the Cubs were saving all these moves for the first off day…
When looking at tony campana, i think that it is important to keep in mind the jeff baker trade. we got some value from a player that really shouldn’t have had a whole lot. when teams feel like they have a shot to win it all, they maybe likely to give up too much for some speed off the bench. too me, i think that he is worth sticking with on a bad team to maybe pick up a young arm at the deadline. And as it has been discussed, it is not like he is blocking anyone from coming up.
Did I miss something? When did Holliday get beaned? Was it the final game? I have that one recorded I’d like to see that just to hear the fan reaction.
nvmd just read
. Sometimes I read the comments first. So what inning was it?
5th-6th-7th
It was the 6th I just watched it. Poor guy, looks a bit like he was crying inside. It might be my spiteful imagination but I’m gonna pretend that’s what happened.