was usually too distracted to notice he messed up last year.
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***Chicago Cubs Thread*** (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter boubucarow
- Start date
mlbnfl
Footballguy
Friend of mine growing up we played little league ball on the same team for probably 4-5 years. Any thoughts on how hes looked overall? I know hes been hitless but havent been able to see the games at all in Florida so just wondering.
boubucarow
Footballguy
He has looked nervous at the plate so far. From what I know, he is a much more patient hitter than he has shown so far in those few at bats.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
Wrigley
Footballguy
Okay, you've got me.
Doctor Detroit
Please remove your headgear
Cubs fans>hi
Is James Russell going to get save opportunities in the near-term, will they only use Dolsi, or is it kind of fluid? I'm desperate for saves right now and am starting Russell so I'm just wondering if this guy has any short-term value. TIA.
Is James Russell going to get save opportunities in the near-term, will they only use Dolsi, or is it kind of fluid? I'm desperate for saves right now and am starting Russell so I'm just wondering if this guy has any short-term value. TIA.
Wrigley
Footballguy
Russell was said to be in the mix, but he's yet to get a chance.Looks like Dolis is the guy to own, at least in the short term.Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Wood didn't end up getting some chances........this situation screams stay away.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
Plus the fans love free gloves and hats.
Doctor Detroit
Please remove your headgear
Well based on what just happened, I'm gonna hold. I really needed that win too, ####.
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
And... we go to the bottom of the 13th. 
pantagrapher
Footballguy
Another fine start from Samardjza. Wish he could have gotten the win, but I understand why they took him out after five.
LaHair better figure out how to lay off breaking balls down and in. Brewers pretty much shut him down with that pitch, so I suspect he's about to see it a lot more.
LaHair better figure out how to lay off breaking balls down and in. Brewers pretty much shut him down with that pitch, so I suspect he's about to see it a lot more.
Sweetcan
Footballguy
Yes that is correct.
pantagrapher
Footballguy
Apparently, Svuem convinced Soriano to use a lighter bat a couple weeks ago.
pantagrapher
Footballguy
ditkaburgers
Footballguy
...with a SB too
boubucarow
Footballguy
Why is Sveum so bunt happy? There is almost no situation where Ian Stewart or Starlin Castro should be bunting, period. And when there are runners on 1st and 2nd, it is a particular bad decision to bunt with a non bunter.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
I'm 1/2 way with you here. Bunting Castro last night was moronic. The move got mocked by the Cardinals announcers for it and rightfully so. Anything you can do to take the bat our of Ian Stewart's hands is a good thing.
Wrigley
Footballguy
Watching the Cubs huh? Not a big fan of giving outs away
boubucarow
Footballguy
He apparently hasn't been watching the Cubs much. Stewart has probably put the barrel on the ball more than any Cub other than LaHair. He has been very unlucky so far.'Wrigley said:
pantagrapher
Footballguy
I agree with this. Stewart has looked OK at the plate. I'm not sure what his BABIP is, but it does seem like he's been hitting the ball better than his average shows.
ditkaburgers
Footballguy
.230 BABIP
pantagrapher
Footballguy
boubucarow
Footballguy
That makes 5 against the Cardinals.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
I laughed at a guy a few weeks ago after he offered me LaHair for Adrian Gonzalez straight up. 
pantagrapher
Footballguy
I love LaHair, but that's still an insulting offer.I laughed at a guy a few weeks ago after he offered me LaHair for Adrian Gonzalez straight up.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
.200 hitter with a GB rate north of 50%! By all means, let him swing away.
boubucarow
Footballguy
Continue to speak of things of which you have no clue.
Brady Marino
Footballguy
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
Please tell me what I should know then. He's a hack and an awful professional baseball player who hasn't had an OPS over .785 in the last 3 years in spite of playing 95% of his home games in Coors.If he wasn't wearing Cubbie Blue, you probably would be asking 'he's still in the bigs?' when his name was brought up.
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boubucarow
Footballguy
Ian Stewart currently has a 231 BABIP when his XBABIP based on his line drive, fly ball, groundout rates, etc... is around 337. In his two full seasons and career his BABIP was 12-20 less than his XBABIP. So let's say he should have a BABIP of 321 so far and let's assume for now that every extra hit would only be a single. What would his slash look like?271/341/426'Limp Ditka said:'boubucarow said:
If he wasn't wearing Cubbie Blue, you probably would be asking 'he's still in the bigs?' when his name was brought up.
Throw in a few doubles on his extra 8 base hits and he should be approaching a 800 OPS. Nothing tremendous but not the wasteland his surface numbers present.
Since you would not take my opinion seriously based on watching every Ian Stewart at bat this year. Here are the numbers that say he is very unlucky so far this season. It is true that he isn't hitting the fly balls that a middle of the lineup player should hit. But his likelihood to get a hit does increase due to the lack of fly ball so far.
Who knows what type of player he will look like at the end of the year? All I know is that he has been one of the Cubs three best bat on ball hitters so far this season and he doesn't have a sacrifice hit in his career. So far he has the lowest K rate of his career by nearly 5%. Is it a mirage or has his work with Rudy initiated a process that will make him a better overall hitter? Can he marriage the higher contact rate with a higher fly ball rate? I don't know but bunting with him with runners on 1st and 2nd was a bad gamble for Sveum.
pantagrapher
Footballguy
The guy is also playing some solid defense at third.
boubucarow
Footballguy
Aside from that maddening matador error that led to Marmol's meltdown, it has been great to watch Stewart pick em.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
When do we stop caring about lucky/unlucky and all of them there cybermetrics (Sveum's word, not mine)?
We're going on 8 consecutive months of him either being in AAA or being, at best, a .200 hitter. This is someone you take the bat out of the hands of, even if he's never laid down a bunt in his life, when the game dictates the need.
Why? Because bunting and funds are what they have preached since day one of spring training. And if he can't hit over .200, and can't lay down a bunt in a situation that screams for it, maybe he should be finding another line of work.
pantagrapher
Footballguy
Shouldn't you be off somewhere wringing your hands about Gordon Beckham?
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
Why? I understand a lost cause when I see one. I'm just trying to help others do the same thing.
boubucarow
Footballguy
We are looking at them because you won't take my word for it that Stewart has been a good hitter this year. My take was formed without looking at any numbers. Stewart has hit the ball hard more often than any Cub other than LaHair and has hit them right to people a lot. The advanced numbers were just evidence I found after the fact. The problem is that you don't understand that Stewart, if only by the way he has swung the bat this season, was a good option (for the Cubs in particular) to drive in a run from 2nd.
For the record, I was against both bunts we have talked about the second I saw the batters square. Using more statistics, dropping a successful sac bunt in that situation decreasing your "expected" runs in that inning. If you want only 1 run, a successful bunt seems to slightly increase your chances. However, the chance of scoring 1 run goes down more significantly if he doesn't execute properly. So, Stewart would have to be a good choice to execute a bunt and also be a worse hitter then the players following him. Neither was true. Throw in that the Cubs backup catcher (who runs as such) was at 2nd base on the play. I don't see how it was a good idea and don't see how you have already decided what Stewart is this season based on a small injury riddled sample size from last year and a small unlucky sample this year.
Now can you please tell me that Beckham has just been unlucky and he really is putting good wood on the ball consistently. I need him to hit.
pantagrapher
Footballguy
pantagrapher
Footballguy
Kerry Wood to retire Friday.
boubucarow
Footballguy
At least he retired where he wanted. He represents so many good and bad memories for Cubs fans. All of the promise and all of the dissapointment that created a fan base with more expectations. I am sure we all wish him well especially due to his charity endeavors. There is some good news. Robert Whitenack could have been on his way to Wrigley last year before TJ surgery ended his season in June. He has thrown 22 innings in Arizona and should be in the full season minors soon. He showed a hard sinker that lived in the low 90's, a slider, and good change up last year. He has good numbers in Arizona.Kerry Wood to retire Friday.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
Big 'N Tasty
Footballguy
Little more info for those that aren't watching?
Wrigley
Footballguy
DeJesus was trying to stretch a single into a double. Beckham is a little aggressive with the tag, having his momentum knock a safe DeJesus off the bag(kind of like a tackle)......getting a out callSveum was tossed arguing the call.
Big 'N Tasty
Footballguy
Man, these umps have been brutal this year. Thanks
boubucarow
Footballguy
#34
Man was he ridiculous before the injuries. The 20K game is my favorite Cubs memory.