Cubby-Blue

Is Theo Epstein's Super Sabersonic Scouting Search Engine working yet?

2012-06-03T20:49:39-05:00

Man, I sure hope that thing is working.
Monday (thru the 6th) is the first draft for Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McCleod.
As Cubs, I mean.
Those guys and their scouts and their machines and all that.

Here's the latest I could find on the Theo/Bloomberg Sports computer thingy.
I have to admit, I never really have paid much attention to the baseball draft.
But I'll check out these draftees.
Who knows - they may turn out to be historically important (no negative thinking there - historically important in a GOOD way).
Here's a mock draft from May 10 in Baseball America.
Those guys say the Cubs'll go for a high school kid out of Florida named Albert Almora (video).
Apparently, this is not a deep draft.
So it'll also be interesting to see what ends up happening with the newly free agented Jorge Soler.

Okay, 3 straight wins in San Francisco by the wrong team.
Sunday's score Cubs zero Giants 2.
Cub starter Travis Wood looked kind of amazing, by the way.
I've been dreading the loss of Sean Marshall, so if Wood turned out to be an actual starter for real?
Under Theo-control for years to come?
Freaking awesome.

Okay Theo, turn on that Super Sabermetric Scouting Search Engine and find us a future Andre Dawson.

Lastly, you can find this illustration in the latest issue of VINE LINE.

Uniforms from 1912 didn't help: Giants 2 Cubs 1. (cartoon gif)

2012-06-03T11:19:01-05:00

Well, a much better start time for Chicago Cub Fan viewers, just um...the same kind of the-Cubs-can't-hit results.
It's like whoever the starting pitcher is takes away the Cub bats.
Matt Garza looked better than he has in weeks, but the Cub D was shaky, bad baserunning, yada yada.
Gotta hope the Cubs don't get swept today.
Why?
Because I'm selfish and it's gorgeous out and I'd prefer to listen to a Cub victory starting at 3:05 today on the radio while I do lawn crap, that's why.

Tomorrow is draft day and Jorge Soler is suddenly a legal free agent, so lets hope Theo Epstein and his gang of computer dudes can fulfill their promises of brilliant team building.

Too Little and Too Late show up at every Cubs game.

2012-06-02T11:43:23-05:00

Man, if you were a Cub Fan unlucky enough to stay up til the end of last night's Cubs v Giants game, the joke was on you.
Cub bats suddenly woke up in the 9th only to fall one run short of tying the game.
But don't feel all alone if you watched, because Toolittle and Toolate have shown up at numerous Cub games this season.
It's like there's some Cub aversion to scoring off whoever the starting pitcher is, last night's being Madison Bumgarner.
Who no-runned the Cubs for 7 innings.
And what may be the biggest Cub winning streak of 2012 came to a not-unexpected end.
Cubs 3 Giants 4.
Whatever.

Lotsa drama going on with Hawk Harrelson and his umpire-hatin' ways.
He had to have a scolding from the Commish even!
You know I'm no fan of Harrelson, but it's got nothing to do with this last umpire bashing.
I just think he's annoying and horrible.
But I've heard Bob Brenly call out an ump, even this year.
And when he did it I thought, "You're right, that umpire sucks."

I totally hate the prospect of cameras and replays making all the calls in my favorite game - I've always thought that a bad call now and then is part of the stuff that happens in a ballgame.
But if I were in charge of the World Umpire's Association or whatever the ump's organization is called, I would cease with the behind-closed-doors policy.
I'd make the grading of umpires public, like regular baseball stats, and guys who continually stink would get tossed and replaced by new ones.
Simple as that.
You'd think that just as a matter of self-preservation, the head umpire guy would figure out that the future is bleak for their whole industry unless they put out a better product.
The automobile industry had to figure that out.
Hell man, EVERY industry is having to figure that out.
Plus, I can't stand not really having a leg to stand on when I argue with someone who wants cameras to make every call.
Because umpires have been sort of awful for awhile now.

What else is awful?
This story involving Aroldis Chapman's girlfriend or whatever she is.
Face eating cannibals.
My breath.

But here was something way better:
My agency, DDB, had afternoon performances in the lobby by Langhorne Slim

And the fabulously talented Meiko, who was also pretty and pretty funny in addition to being awesome.

Okay so that links to a pretty girlie song, but still...kinda cool, right!

Who were the 2 "high-ranking" Cubs sources for the Starlin Castro trade rumor? (cartoon gif)

2012-06-01T10:03:09-05:00

Balderdash.
That's all I gotta say.

Darwin Barney and his giant bat (cartoon gif)

2012-05-30T22:51:41-05:00

Come ON.
If we're lucky, we'll get about 5 minutes of Cubs Fabulousness this season, and that was about 6 seconds of it.
Even the most jaded and sarcastic of us had to find some serious joy in Darwin Barney's fantastic walk-off homer yesterday.
Roll around in it.
Feel it with your fingers.
Get it in your hair.
That's joy.

I wasn't there and I saw none of the game, but I heard it was blowing straight in.
And Darwin Barney hits one out?
With two out in a tie game in the bottom of the 9th and a sweep on the line?
NO FREAKING WAY MAN!
Cubs 8 Padres 6.
Okay it was against the most-injured team in baseball, and they're probably not that talented with nobody injured, but still.
Ryan Dempster got a hit and an RBI, but goes only 13 outs and gives up all 6 of the Padres' runs.
And remains winless.
Ouch.
Steve Clevenger returns from the DL and please oh PLEASE Baseball Gods let him go injury-free the rest of the season.
He acted as if he hadn't been missing for weeks, going 2 for 4 with a double, 2 RBIs and scoring once.
Soriano didn't get a hit but he walked twice.
Joe Mather does nothing and they have him in the 3-hole, but man what can you do with this team?
Well, I'll tell you what you can do:
Crack a frosty cold one and say cheers Cubs.
They deserve it.
And you over there...Darwin Barney: 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored?
That's a mighty big bat, buddy.
Thanks for the happy blip.