Why the 2010 Milwaukee Brewers Will Suck
Editor’s Note: Yes, it’s that time of year again - the time for us to settle back into our protective bubble where the Chicago Cubs are destined for greatness, and every other team in the National League Central is bound for spectacular failure. If you’d care to check out last year’s fare:St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros. Already featured for 2010: Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros.
The 2010 Major League Baseball season is nearly upon us, and that means two things: (1) we’re all so deprived of real baseball action that we’re willing to treat meaningless Spring Training games like they’re the playoffs, and (2) the prognosticators are out in full force. Yes, every sports publication in the world puts out a season preview. Some are interesting, some aren’t. For the most part, folks just don’t have the time necessary to do the kind of in-depth preview that is going to be of any use to a reader that actually follows the team being previewed.
So most previews end up being pretty surface level, and boring. Well, we’re not going to do that here at Bleacher Nation. It’s much more interesting (notice how I subtly pat myself on the back?) to simply examine why the team currently sucks and is going to suck in 2010.
So enjoy - we’ll be previewing the suckiness (suckosity?) of the other teams in the National League Central over the next five weeks. Up next, Bud Selig’s favorite beer-swillers, the Milwaukee Brewers. Read the full preview on why the 2010 Milwaukee Brewers will suck, after the jump.
ShareNo Kiko Calero for the Cubs, Signs with Mets
The Chicago Cubs dabbled in the Kiko Calero trade for many a week this
offseason, eventually off-put by his past shoulder problems and
demands for a multi-year deal. So it’s no surprise that he ended up
going elsewhere - he’s reportedly
signed with the Mets.
What is a surprise, however, is that he signed on a minor league
contract. Clearly there are issues in his shoulder that his sub-2.00
ERA last year obscures. It remains to be seen how much Calero will get
if he makes the Mets, so it’s possible that he could still end up
raking in a chunk of change. Still, it seems unfortunate that the
Cubs, who keep popping up in rumors for right-handed relievers,
couldn’t make a low-risk run at him.
Why the 2010 Houston Astros Will Suck
Editor’s Note: Yes, it’s that time of year again - the time for us to settle back into our protective bubble where the Chicago Cubs are destined for greatness, and every other team in the National League Central is bound for spectacular failure. If you’d care to check out last year’s fare:St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros. Already featured for 2010: Cincinnati Reds.
The 2010 Major League Baseball season is nearly upon us, and that means two things: (1) we’re all so deprived of real baseball action that we’re willing to treat meaningless Spring Training games like they’re the playoffs, and (2) the prognosticators are out in full force. Yes, every sports publication in the world puts out a season preview. Some are interesting, some aren’t. For the most part, folks just don’t have the time necessary to do the kind of in-depth preview that is going to be of any use to a reader that actually follows the team being previewed.
So most previews end up being pretty surface level, and boring. Well, we’re not going to do that here at Bleacher Nation. It’s much more interesting (notice how I subtly pat myself on the back?) to simply examine why the team currently sucks and is going to suck in 2010.
So enjoy - we’ll be previewing the suckiness (suckosity?) of the other teams in the National League Central over the next five weeks. Up first, the home of Fat Elvis: the Houston Astros. Read the full preview on why the 2010 Houston Astros will suck, after the jump.
ShareThe Chicago Cubs 2010 Television Schedule
The Chicago Cubs have announced their broadcast schedule for the 2010 season, and it will feature the lowest number of games on WGN in a long, long time - just 58 games. And that, of course, does not include Opening Day, which will be on WCIU. The Cubs will be on Fox eight times, and ESPN at least twice. There are six games that could wind up on ESPN or WGN.
Enough summarizing, let’s check out the full schedule. The full Cubs TV schedule is after the jump.
ShareThe Cubs’ Offseason Sucked
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman threw together a list of the eight most disappointing offseasons in Major League Baseball this year, and - no surprise - the Chicago Cubs made the cut. In fact they came in at number two behind only the New York Mets, who at least added a big bat in Jason Bay. High praise, this is not.
It’s never going to be a great winter when the big goal is to undo the biggest move of the winter before. They did finally get rid of Milton Bradley but had to take Carlos Silva, poster of an impossibly bad 8.60 ERA last year and one of the worst pitchers in baseball since signing for $48 million over four years, in return from Seattle. Marlon Byrd’s acquisition allows them to move Kosuke Fukudome to right field, where he’s excellent, although Byrd isn’t exactly a Gold Glover in center. John Grabow was overpaid at $7.5 mil for two years, and Xavier Nady seems similarly fortunate to get $3.3 million (plus $2 million in incentives) given that he didn’t play after April last year and needed a second Tommy John surgery. But the bigger issues were beyond their control. Ted Lilly’s injury could be a big blow, and Alfonso Soriano proved to be even more untradeable than [Luis] Castillo. No matter, they remain very talented and still have an excellent shot to get back to the playoffs. Jon Heyman - SI.com.
Although I don’t agree with his assessment of the Xavier Nady signing, which I regard as the team’s best move this offseason, and his comment that Alfonso Soriano “proved” untradeable seems strange given the Cubs never endeavored to trade him (did they?), Heyman is spot on in the rest.
Heyman didn’t even mention the fact that the 2010 Cubs are down one very good starting pitcher in Rich Harden.
ShareThe Mets and A’s Might Be the Most Agressive in Pursuing Ben Sheets
Free agent starter Ben Sheets threw for several teams including the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the session was widely well-received. Sheets’ fastball hung around his normal range, and his breaking ball looked crisp. He’ll throw again next week for teams - if he’s not already signed.
For now, Buster Olney. has suggested that the New York Mets and the Oakland A’s may be in the best position to aggressively pursue Sheets, based on the perception that they have money remaining to spend.
The Mets have danced with a few free agent pitchers this winter, most recently Joel Pineiro, but the Angels actually took him home.
The Cubs are not completely out of it for Sheets, but if another team steps up with a “regular” contract offer - as opposed to a very low base salary, high incentive type deal - he’s very unlikely to be a Cub.
ShareThe Cubs Will Win This Year Because Marlon Byrd is a Nice Guy
Get ready to be overloaded with “addition by subtraction” type optimism pieces as we gear up for the 2010 Chicago Cubs season. The Cubs, apparently, are going to win eight to ten more games in 2010 simply by virtue of not having Milton Bradley on the team anymore. I question the statistical legitimacy of such a claim, but who am I to quibble with Lou Piniella - the guy who said it.
It’s no wonder the good-guy nature of newly signed outfielder Marlon Byrd — and clubhouse chemistry in general — was the undercurrent of the pre-convention media event Wednesday at Harry Caray’s downtown.
How important is it to new teammates that Byrd is a good clubhouse guy?
”As opposed to what? Who are you implying?” pitcher Jeff Samardzija said, smiling. ”You hear a lot about the clubhouse growing up as a kid, but you never really know going into it. But after being here for a couple years and understanding the dynamics of it, it means a lot.”
Especially after 5½ months of one underachieving, oversensitive outfielder grinding against the grain of a team already grinding through injuries and slumps.
Whatever Byrd might bring as a center fielder, it’s his reputation for a personality nothing like that of Bradley, his friend and former Texas Rangers teammate, that’s attracting more attention.
”Hopefully he’s a great guy. I’m sure he will be,” Samardzija said. ”That means a lot. When you’re on each other’s side and everyone’s on the same page, it means a lot. It makes going out and playing the game a whole lot easier.”
As opposed to what? Throwing helmets and tantrums so often your manager finally kicks you out of a game and calls you an unprintable name? Claiming umpires are out to get you? Eating your pregame meals alone in the trainer’s room? Taking yourself out of games? Refusing to pinch-hit and creating a dust-up over it with your hitting coach? Claiming that negativity within and around the organization is why the team hasn’t won a World Series in 100 years? Spending the final 15 games of the season at home because you’ve alienated and ticked off so many people that the general manager suspends you?
Piniella often downplayed the value of chemistry last season, deflecting Bradley’s drag on the Cubs. He used his Bronx Zoo collection of infighting Yankees of the 1970s as an example that friendships have little to do with championships.
But there’s no denying the shared focus on winning those Yankees had, regardless of their personal differences.
And there’s no denying the difference between that and what the Cubs went through last year. The Bradley saga — and by extension the chemistry problems — might have played out differently had he hit well enough and the Cubs stayed healthy enough to overcome the other issues and reach the playoffs.
But when asked about Byrd’s intangibles Wednesday, even Piniella said, ”There’s no substitute for having hard workers on the team and having good chemistry in the clubhouse.
”We’re going to start anew. I like the things we’ve done. We’re going to have a good ballclub this year. I’m looking forward to a team that will win this division again and give us another chance to move on and win the World Series.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
So I guess it isn’t merely the subtraction of Bradley that will lead to more wins. It’s the addition of a good clubhouse guy like Marlon Byrd. I’m sure it can’t hurt, but let’s hope he performs as well on the field as he does in the clubhouse.
ShareJoel Pineiro Might End Up Coming Cheap
The market for starting pitcher Joel Pineiro has been both slow to develop and seemingly thin. It’s hard to figure, given that his tremendous 2009 season was not necessarily an outlier - though you do have to go back a few years to find his previous great success.
Now, according to Ed Price the New York Mets are talking to Pineiro about a two year, $15 million deal - a far cry from the 3/30 he was seeking, and a deal identical to the one Jason Marquis just received.
If Pineiro can be had for 2/15, that’s the kind of offer the Chicago Cubs, who’ve been attached to a few Pineiro rumors, should consider.
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