Yesterday was all about changing your mind in Chicago. Scott Skiles changed his, talked to Jerry Reinsdorf and worked out a contract extension. The Cubs, meanwhile, are busy changing the minds of anybody foolish enough to think they actually had gotten good.
Losing two games in a row, to anybody, even if it is the snowbacks from Canada, isn’t that big of a deal. But the way the Cubs have lost the last two games? Let’s just say it doesn’t really breed confidence.
The Cubs returned to their “little leaguers don’t f#$% this much stuff up in one game” defense last night. It’s been a while, but it’s nice to see they haven’t forgotten their roots. The Blue Jays’ third run scored when Corey Patterson threw home, for no reason, with a runner not tagging up at third and hit the top of the screen, allowing the runner to walk home.
The Jays last two runs scored only after Will Ohman forgot to cover first base when Derrek Lee made a nice play on a ball smashed down the line, they also scored after Neifi went deep into the hole to field a ball that E-ramis had no chance of cutting off. Neifi wanted to throw to E-ramis for an easy tag play at third, but E-ramis was standing ten feet off the bag holding up his arms like he was in attendance at a bank robbery. Neifi threw the ball away.
We don’t even have time to get into how many chances the Cubs had to break the game open only to ground out weakly to somebody.
It’s two games, it’s no big deal. Blah, blah, blah.
Corey takes a deserved amount of crap. In fact, for as much crap as he takes, he probably actually deserves more. But the Cubs’ outfield as a whole has been tragically unproductive.
Todd Hollandsworth has, until maybe the last week been completely useless, and even in the last week he’s only been mildly useful. But let’s leave him out of this.
Which one of these guys is Corey?
Player A – .260 BA, .311 OBA, .444 SLG, .755 OPS, 8 HR, 34 RBI
Player B – .266 BA, .301 OBA, .436 SLG, .737 OPS, 10 HR, 20 RBI
Player C – .264 BA, .316 OBA, .500 SLG, .816 OPS, 5 HR, 20 RBI
You probably got it if you just went with your instincts and picked the one (B) with the lowest on base average.
But who are the other two stiffs?
A- Jeromy Burnitz
C- Jason Dubois
You’re not going very far with an outfield that’s that unproductive. Dubois is at least slugging at a decent clip, and he has hits in his last 13 starts. Burnitz’s 34 RBI aren’t completely embarassing, but not much else about his stats screams production.
Patterson’s been the least productive of the three, especially given the games played and at bats disparity between he and Dubois. But he hasn’t been THAT much worse than anybody. Which is the problem. You’re playing with three outfielders (regardless of which ones you pick off your roster, Hollandsworth and Hairston included) every day who are below average offensively. That makes it tough to score runs with any kind of consistency.
With the bullpen (even with last night’s effort included) somewhat stabilized, the infield as healthy as it’s going to be until Nomar’s groin reattaches itself and the starting pitching still teased by watching Prior and Wood play catch, there’s one area that is ready to be improved. And not by bringing Ben Grieve up from Iowa.
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Scott Skiles, in the end, did the sensible thing. When you’ve got a good job and they’re going to give you a raise, you can’t let a little wounded pride get in the way. It was completely absurd that he had to finish things up by negotiating with Jerry Reinsdorf face to face, but he did. And in the end, they reached a deal. It was important, because the Bulls are going to come back in 2005-06 almost exactly as they were constituted last year. They don’t have a first round draft pick (they traded it to Phoenix for Luol Deng), and their cap room doesn’t clear up until next offseason. They’ve got Eddy Curry’s heart problem to worry about, too. So they had to have their coach, and not just in a “ooh, this might be my last year” kind of way.
So their continued improvement is going to have to come from within. Changing coaches doesn’t make that easy.
I think I can fit Wellemeyer in for a Friday appointment once Dusty throws him out there for three innings today.
WHOO, SERGIO!!!!!!!!!1
Didn’t Rod Blago use the term “testicular verility?” Pro wrestler Mick Foley was the first person I ever heard use the term “testicular fortitude.” No big deal, just splitting hairs. Short, curly hairs.
Brown’s insane, as usual. The only good thing about this draft is the point guard.
KD, who ate crow, Skiles or Reinsdorf? Reading Smith and Mariotti, I have absolutely no idea what happened.
I am a serious pussy, but MLB enables people like me, and Mattie by not fining and suspending us.
Shouldn’t I have quit while I was ahead?
I am only 17! And Albie, he is only 24!… and if yoy belive that, I have some magic Dominican beans I can sell you.
If Pat and Ron call me a drunk again, I’m going to break this bottle of Cuervo over their heads.
After today, we’ll be 30-28.
What a surprise last night that Korey fucked up defensively and offensively in the same game? If you had to graduate from a baseball school before you turned pro, Korey couldn’t even get a GED.
Why does Jim Hendry keep torturing us with this kid? It’s obvious the outfield production offensively stunks. The defensive out there is never going to win you a game so get Korey’s great catches out of your mind. I’d say the only guy you’re stuck with is Burnitz. Other then that, Korey, Dubois, Hollandsworth, and Jerry the Lessor are all expendable.
That leaves who do you trade and get something for. I’d really like to think Dubois is going to work out into the future. You’re really not going to get much for Hollandsworth and you’ll even get less for Jerry the Lessor. That pretty much leaves Korey, who obviously isn’t working out after getting numerous chances to perform. It’s about equal to getting rid of Hawkins and positives will happen.
Really, can somebody tell me what good is it to have Korey Patterson? What does he really bring to this team? He doesn’t perform offensively, doesn’t do what’s good for the team which would be to bunt every fucking time up, isn’t consistent with his play defensively, can’t get on the bases to utilize the speed he has, and finally he has a pompous attitude that he actually is a good ballplayer. To me, that means it’s time to hit the road.
It’s definitely not going to hurt the Cubs getting rid of Patterson. There has got to be somebody out there Hendry can get that is a step above this worthless piece of shit. It wouldn’t take much.
FDAKF=Fuck Dusty And Korey Forever
Baker Basher
Skiles.
Even Phil Jackson stopped smirking and decided to deal directly (sans agents Musberger and Krause) when he was negotiating in 96 and 97).
Here’s a quick preview of what you can expect to see tonight
http://www.instawares.com/Black-Foam-Meat-Tray.W1002BLKGP.0.7.htm
I didn’t realize I was such a great baseball strategy. You must be a baseball PhD!
I can only hope Red is not there with Eric and Kelso to make fun of me today…..
Was anyone else uncomfortable listening to the Kasper-Brenly dialogue with Wood and Prior’s wives? It was almost as painful as watching clinically insane Tom Cruise geek out on Oprah.
Crash Davis, there is –no way– you watch me.
http://www.zjmtd.com.cn/data/photo/109.gif
I sound like a brain surgeon next to Heather Prior.
It’s not that Korey is bad. He simply doesn’t understand how to hit, and it seems like he doesn’t care to learn how to hit.
If Ron Santo of all people is calling for you to get some time on the bench, you know Korey’s days in Chicago might very well be numbered.
I’ve never quite while I’m ahead, I have quit while I’m ahead. Does that count?
“It’s not that Korey is bad. He simply doesn’t understand how to hit, and it seems like he doesn’t care to learn how to hit.”
So, he’s not bad, he just doesn’t understand how to be good and doesn’t want to get good?
Saw that in the dictionary as the definition of “putrid.”
No Cubs Live?
Lineups for today:
Blue Jays
Johnson, RF
Catalanotto, LF
Wells, CF
Hinske, 1B
Hill, 3B
Hudson, 2B
Adams, SS
Huckaby, C
Halladay, P
Cubs
Neifi!, SS
Korey, CF
Lee, 1B
E-Ramis, 3B
Walker, 2B
Dubois, LF
Hollandsworth, RF
Barrett, C
The Meat Tray, P
I’ve got Hally down for at least 8 Ks.
Korey – 2
DuBois – 3
Lee – 1
Holly – 1
Meat Tray – 1
Why do you call me a “Meat Tray”? Is there free food somewhere?
I never should have dumped Lindsay Lohan.
What’s the big deal about the Skiles contract? He did a good job. The team responds to him. He gets a 4 year deal with substantial remuneration. He signs it.
The Bulls weren’t low-balling him were they? He didn’t get an offer to coach the Cavs, did he?
Puh – it’s a non-issue. But it’s good to see the Bulls front-paging desipio twice in 2 days…