For Baseball Fans...

[Davian93]

http://baseball.bornbybits.com/php/combined_tool.php (2007)

http://baseball.bornbybits.com/php/2008_tool.php?pit=0&bat=429667&type=-1&result=2&count=-1&r_spd=1&spd=-1&r_brx=1&brx=-100&r_brz=1&brz=-100&l_b=0 (2008) (http://baseball.bornbybits.com/php/2008_tool.php?pit=0&bat=429667&type=-1&result=2&count=-1&r_spd=1&spd=-1&r_brx=1&brx=-100&r_brz=1&brz=-100&l_b=0)

The above links are awesome tools developed by a Mr. Josh Kalk and contain all the information you could ever want on Hitter/Pitcher matchups, situations, graphs of each pitch from both seasons and results etc etc. I cannot imagine the amount of time it took him to compile and analyze it but I am grateful taht he did...and more importantly that its a free tool.

I recommend checking them out.

[Terez]

Go Cubs!

[Marie Curie 7]

Baseball season's underway
Well you better get ready for a brand new day.

Hey, Chicago, what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today.

They're singing...
Go, Cubs, go!
Go, Cubs, go!

Hey, Chicago, what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go!
Go, Cubs, go!

Hey, Chicago, what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today.

They got the power, they got the speed
To be the best in the National League
Well this is the year and Cubs are real
So come on down to Wrigley Field

We're singing now...

Go, Cubs, go!
Go, Cubs, go!

Hey, Chicago, what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go!
Go, Cubs, go!

Hey, Chicago, what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today.

----------------------

They play this song (by Steve Goodman) every day at the end of the game at Wrigley Field when the Cubs win (except yesterday when the PA system went out...I was there and it was a fun 11th inning win on a HBP.) :)

I'm sort of scared, though...it's too early, so something's bound to happen. Maybe they'll wait to blow it with two outs to go till the World Series or something. :)

[irerancincpkc]

Speaking of baseball, I'm excited about my Pirates playing tonight. The Yanks are in town for the first time since the 60's World Series, when we beat them in the final inning of game 7 with Mazeroski's HR. I hope we crush them! :D

[Yuri33]

I'm not into baseball, but as one of the resident Chicagoans here I thank all of you for your support of our lovable losers :)

[pops taer]

But it is fun to actually see the Cards and Cubs both up there scrapping for something other than just bragging rights.

[Marie Curie 7]

There's nothing better than Cubs vs. Cards over the July 4th holiday weekend! Should be fun, huh Pops? Go Cubbies! :)

[tanaww]

Hee hee... We've actually been to two Twins games in the Dome this year. On 6/1 vs. the Evil Empire and 6/29 vs Milwaukee. On both dates great things happened: The Twins won and the Yankees lost. If I am the link for this, I wish I had season tickets!

Win TWINS!

[pops taer]

and it has been a dandy matchup so far. Although, the Cards should have won 2 games so far. Marie, did you see the so called strike calls late in the game against Glaus? Now the Cards had other chances they didn't capitalize on but those so called strikes were ridiculous. An umpire wanting to show his authority I guess. Oh well. Anyhow, the Cubs/Cards games are always a war. Lot's of fun. Actually better than a Yankum's/Red Sox game.

[Marie Curie 7]

I didn't see those strike calls on Glaus in game one, but I hate when umpires exert their influence on the game when it's not necessary. But it has been a fun series so far...Cubs vs. Cards always is, whether the teams are battling for first place or not. :) And I think we have three more series between the teams to look forward to after this. :D

I was happy with the reception that Jim Edmonds got on Friday night, too. That was classy....

[Ozymandias]

You guys should feel lucky Derek Jeter isn't on the Cubs or Cards. The amount of crap they give him is unbelievable. In the first installment of the Subway Series, the 2nd base umpire actually called him safe on a stolen base attempt... despite the fact that his pathetic try at a slide left him 3 feet short of the bag.

And don't even try throwing a ball on the corner of the plate... unless its a fastball down the middle, you have no chance at throwing a strike. Jeter crowds the plate worse than anyone in baseball, and when you throw on the inside half of the plate he throws himself back like he was thrown at, and gets the call. Its no wonder he has so many hits... he's handed EVERYTHING on a silver platter, at least for the last few years.

[RogueSavior]

*rubs his thumb and index finger together*

Any requests, Ozy?

(That's the world's smallest violin, for those unfamiliar with the gesture)
________
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[Ozymandias]

Not really... the Mets took the season series (hahaha Yankees got swept at home in the Stadium's final Subway Series) from that overrated piece of trash and the motley crew he calls a team, and they're more likely to make the playoffs than the Yankees...

So I'm actually pretty happy.

[irerancincpkc]

How about CC Sabathia going to the Brewers? The NL Central's going to be crazy here. Just wish my team was in on the action. If we had any type of pitching... :D

[Marie Curie 7]

Sabathia should be a great acquisition for the Brewers, obviously. If Ben Sheets stays healthy the rest of the year, they should be a formidable opponent in the NL Central. Based on the way things seem to be lining up, it seems like the top two teams from the NL Central will make the playoffs, with one as the Wild Card.

The Cubs have been treading water the past couple weeks with Zambrano and Soriano both on the DL, but they were at least able to maintain their lead. Zambrano is back now, and if he and Soriano stay healthy the rest of the way, the Cards may be the odd team out.

[GonzoTheGreat]

Baseball isn't a real sport anymore. After this edition, it'll be thrown off the Olympic schedule.

[Zaela Sedai]

all that mattters is how you play after the allstar break....

That All Star team is like all Cubbies and Sox LOL

[Davian93]

Sabathia should be a great acquisition for the Brewers, obviously. If Ben Sheets stays healthy the rest of the year, they should be a formidable opponent in the NL Central. Based on the way things seem to be lining up, it seems like the top two teams from the NL Central will make the playoffs, with one as the Wild Card.


Their bullpen still sucks horribly...if they get a decent reliever(i.e. Brian Fuentes), the Brewcrew will be very dangerous in the 2nd half.

[tanaww]

Yeah, the whole team looked terrible against the Twins when I saw them. But maybe Sabathia will help at least a little.

[Davian93]

Matt Laporta (and 3 prospects) was a high price for 3 months of Sabathia but I gotta give it to their Ownership for showing the fans that they care about winning now. Its more than can be said of the Phillies ownership who only care about the bottom line.

[irerancincpkc]

Or the Pirates ownership, who trade anyone anyone is good so they won't have to pay them...

[Ozymandias]

Phillies ownership doesn't care about the bottom line (or not more than any franchise).

They're just not good and don't have the ability to get better. They never could have landed Sabathia. They barely have enough for a B list pitcher. They have a high payroll, its not a matter of spending... they just don't have the talent to do anything.

My initial prediction that the Mets win the division by about 5 games will come true.

[Davian93]

Ozy: The Phillies play in the 2nd largest market that only has 1 team (after Houston), have a new stadium that sells out (94% capacity on the year, on pace for 3.4 million fans), have a billionaire as part of their ownership (John Middleton) and have a middle of the pack payroll. They simply don't care about anything but being just competitive enough to sell tickets. Time after time after time they refuse to spend a little extra when it would put them over the top.

[Ozymandias]

Ozy: The Phillies play in the 2nd largest market that only has 1 team (after Houston), have a new stadium that sells out (94% capacity on the year, on pace for 3.4 million fans), have a billionaire as part of their ownership (John Middleton) and have a middle of the pack payroll. They simply don't care about anything but being just competitive enough to sell tickets. Time after time after time they refuse to spend a little extra when it would put them over the top.

I disagree. They've shown a willingness to sign players who will help them. They have a big payroll... pushing 100 million. They're trying to make smart decisions that result in profits and results. What is it you wish they had done differently? They didn't have the prospects to get Sabathia. Their farm is barren after that terrible Garcia deal.

They make midseason moves which they think will help... like Lohse last year. I expect they'll pick up another pitcher this year too. They just don't have the core talent in the rotation to be consistently good. They have Hamels, and a bunch of fill-ins.

Where was it you wanted them to spend extra?

[Davian93]

They have a big payroll... pushing 100 million.

That's middle of the pack these days. They are 13th overall in payroll despite being a big market club. http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/salaries

They should have at least made some attempt at getting a starter over the winter. They shouldn't have signed retreads like Adam Eaton when they do spend money. They should bust slot in the draft like the Tigers, Red Sox, and Yankees do to get top prospects. They should be willing to go after top Latin prospects like Inoa instead of having an entire Latin prospect budget that is less than half of the 4.5 million the A's (a very small market team) gave him. I love the Phillies but they don't really care about winning it all.

On Sabathia, I agree that the Phillies didn't have the prospects and that is simply because they refuse to spend in the draft and they always have. Its the same as when they gave away Abreu for magic beans or shipped out Schilling and Rolen back in the late 90's rather than contend. The Phillies act like a small market team when they are anything but one. There is no reason they can't compete with the Cubs and Dodgers when it comes to prospects. Their excuse when Lohse came crawling back this spring was that they had already signed Feliz to a deal and were out of money at 98 million. Give me a break.

[Ozymandias]

That's middle of the pack these days. They are 13th overall in payroll despite being a big market club. http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/salaries

They should have at least made some attempt at getting a starter over the winter. They shouldn't have signed retreads like Adam Eaton when they do spend money. They should bust slot in the draft like the Tigers, Red Sox, and Yankees do to get top prospects. They should be willing to go after top Latin prospects like Inoa instead of having an entire Latin prospect budget that is less than half of the 4.5 million the A's (a very small market team) gave him. I love the Phillies but they don't really care about winning it all.

On Sabathia, I agree that the Phillies didn't have the prospects and that is simply because they refuse to spend in the draft and they always have. Its the same as when they gave away Abreu for magic beans or shipped out Schilling and Rolen back in the late 90's rather than contend. The Phillies act like a small market team when they are anything but one. There is no reason they can't compete with the Cubs and Dodgers when it comes to prospects. Their excuse when Lohse came crawling back this spring was that they had already signed Feliz to a deal and were out of money at 98 million. Give me a break.

The Philadelphia Phillies are a business, like any other. They have a bottom line. They try to win within the confines of that. Almost all teams operate this way. They gave away Abreu because he was not a fit for that team... it freed up the salary needed to sign Howard and Utley, and removed a clubhouse cancer. They've tried to win throughout the years... not everyone can be the Yankees and Red Sox (and Mets).

They've made some poor choices, and gotten unlucky. There was no reason to sign Lohse in the offseason... they had Hamels and Myers, who they expected to be among the best 1-2s in the league, and then a couple of slot fillers behind them who would have sufficed. Myers imploded... not Gillick's fault.

They signed Brad Lidge. And Chad Durbin, I believe. Two crucial moves to your success, right there. They replaced Abraham Nunez at third. No, they didnt make a huge splash, they didn't need to... not everyone can sign Johan Santana.

Quite frankly, they've acted exactly as they should, given their financial situation and organizational depth.

[Zaela Sedai]

They've tried to win throughout the years... not everyone can be the Yankees and Red Sox (and Mets).



Dont forget the Twins ;)

[Ozymandias]

Dont forget the Twins ;)

Well, Dav, if you want perspective, Zae has it for you. Carl Pohlad is the biggest skinflint in baseball.

The Phillies fall in the upper-middle portion of spenders and movers in baseball. As in... 10-15. When you think of two NY teams, two LA teams, two Chicago teams, Boston... they're actually fairly active for their position on the market.

[Davian93]

As a Phillies fan who watches them come "just short" time after time...it doesn't quite feel that way, Ozy.

[Ozymandias]

Dav... you've played with the Braves for 15 years, who had an amazing team... don't complain about not beating them. You shouldn't have won last year either... just be happy you made it in over a better Mets team.

The Phillies have never had the talent to be more than an also-ran. Thats the long and the short of it. And there are no quick fixes for that kind of situation. Its not a question of management, or not caring rather; you've just made stupid trades or moves which have denied you the one crucial piece you need to get to the next level. They went nowhere with Abreu or Schilling... and if the had kept them, they likely wouldn't be where they are now. The club needed an attitude change, and dumping Abreu got it for them.

Trading Gavin Floyd for Freddy Garcia is the kind of thing killing the Phils... not a lack of desire to win.

[Davian93]

Trading Floyd for Garcia wasn't a bad idea in itself. Trading Floyd for Garcia without a physical was the mistake. Floyd wasn't gonna make it as a Phillie.

So the Cubs traded for Rich Harden....great.:mad:

[RogueSavior]

Correction, Dav.

The Cubs STOLE Rich Harden and left a bunch of their also-rans in his place. Nobody's afraid of a bunch of guys hitting .200.
________
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[Davian93]

Correction, Dav.

The Cubs STOLE Rich Harden and left a bunch of their also-rans in his place. Nobody's afraid of a bunch of guys hitting .200.

How they got the A's to "throw-in" Chad Gaudin is beyond me. I didn't realize how popular Matt Murton is.

Granted knowing the Cubs luck Harden will break his arm on a line drive in his next start but they suddenly got alot better.

[Zaela Sedai]

The chance of Harden finishing the season is slim to none. He's been in the league what... 3-4 years? And I don't think he has a full season under him.

And the Cubs luck never helps LOL

[Davian93]

The chance of Harden finishing the season is slim to none. He's been in the league what... 3-4 years? And I don't think he has a full season under him.

And the Cubs luck never helps LOL

6 seasons and 6 trips to the DL. Not exactly the best track record. The pitcher Sean Gallagher that they gave up is a top prospect but its a good trade for them if Harden is healthy for the playoffs. Zambrano/Harden/Dempster/Lilly is a tough top 4.

[Ozymandias]

First off, Harden isn't worth as much because its like the 11th miracle of Passover if he plays a full season.

And lets not rugh to judge. How many freakin times have we seen Billy Beane do something stupid, only to end up looking like a genius. How similar does this look to the Mulder trade? Oft-injured pitcher with great stuff traded for what looks like some run down, b level prospects... except those prospects turn into Dan Haren and the star never plays again.

[Davian93]

First off, Harden isn't worth as much because its like the 11th miracle of Passover if he plays a full season.

And lets not rugh to judge. How many freakin times have we seen Billy Beane do something stupid, only to end up looking like a genius. How similar does this look to the Mulder trade? Oft-injured pitcher with great stuff traded for what looks like some run down, b level prospects... except those prospects turn into Dan Haren and the star never plays again.

I think it was a good trade for both sides involved. Beane got a couple guys who can contribute now and a catcher who could be very good in a few years.

[Marie Curie 7]

That All Star team is like all Cubbies and Sox LOL
Yeah and though it's pretty cool that so many Cubs made it, I totally hate when it's so lopsided like that. Nothing much you can do when the fans vote, though. Fukudome probably shouldn't have made it, but he got a big internet vote from Japan. Soriano is on the DL, and he probably won't be able to play, though he's said he'll attend the game.

Their bullpen still sucks horribly...if they get a decent reliever(i.e. Brian Fuentes), the Brewcrew will be very dangerous in the 2nd half
True, the Brewers bullpen isn't so good, but they had the 3rd best record in the NL (just behind the Cards) without Sabathia, so anything that Sabathia can give them is a plus. And since Jeff Suppan just went on the DL, it's even more important that they got Sabathia.

Matt Laporta (and 3 prospects) was a high price for 3 months of Sabathia but I gotta give it to their Ownership for showing the fans that they care about winning now. Its more than can be said of the Phillies ownership who only care about the bottom line.

Maybe it was a high price, but Sheets is a free agent at the end of the year, and even though the talk is that Sabathia wants to sign with a California team, I've heard speculation that the Brewers might try to sign Sabathia over Sheets if they only have enough money for one big signing.

The Cubs STOLE Rich Harden and left a bunch of their also-rans in his place. Nobody's afraid of a bunch of guys hitting .200.
Murton and Patterson were hitting ~ 0.290 and ~0.320 in limited action this season (about 40 ABs). Murton is a decent player with a little power, and Patterson has a little speed, so they may be able to contribute with the A's, but there was no room in the Cubs' outfield for them, so it was no great loss. Jim Edmonds, who everybody thought was washed up, has been a pleasant surprise, and Reed Johnson was a decent acquisition, so there's a pretty good platoon in center field. And with Soriano (when healthy) and Fukudome at the corner outfield positions, Murton and Patterson are out of luck (and some people still think that Felix Pie is the centerfielder of the future). Even with Soriano hurt, it's better to switch Mark DeRosa into the OF and play Mike Fontenot at 2B.

Sean Gallagher may turn into a decent ML pitcher, so the A's may have picked up a starter for the future. And Josh Donaldson, the minor league catcher, certainly wouldn't have seen much play in the majors for the Cubs any time soon given that we have Geovany Soto for (hopefully) many years to come. :) I saw Donaldson play in Peoria (class A affiliate) a couple weeks ago, and he was struggling.

6 seasons and 6 trips to the DL. Not exactly the best track record. The pitcher Sean Gallagher that they gave up is a top prospect but its a good trade for them if Harden is healthy for the playoffs. Zambrano/Harden/Dempster/Lilly is a tough top 4.
Yeah, it's a bit of a gamble with Harden, but there are other possibilities to fall back on if he gets injured, and if he doesn't....I like our chances even more now. :D