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Better Know a Cub -- KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

Edgy MD Jun 02 2014 09:21 PM

Hi, we're the Cubs, losers of 4 of the last 10 and not getting a whole lot of respect. When they lose, they get spanked: 9-0 to the Brews and 11-1 to Pads are two recent scores. Whoever said champs are the teams that win the close ones didn't know what he was talking about. Champs squish teams like the Cubs. The Cubs are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field, so look for some ceremonial oddities, and maybe some throwback unis. Between obsessing over a high draft pick, celebrating a century of a baseball cathedral, and saluting Derek Jeter, there's a lot folks have to distract them from the uneven play of their club. HOW DARE A TEAM PROMOTE THEMSELVES! Anyhow, Wellignton Castillo, besides being a Spanish Citadel that fell to Britain in the Penisular War of the early 1800s (and who weren't they fighting then?) is also the Cubby catcher. Wellignton will give you the sort of catcherly numbers that a Cub team deserves. Enough power to tempt you into thinking there's more, but a lowish batting average and an even more disconcerting OBP. He's sort of been the Cubs catcher of the future forever, but catchers come along when they come along. Ask Todd Hundley. Anyhow, this guy won't kill you, but he can run into a pitch. Welly is coming off a tough lousy May, that has seen him get some rest. He wears a chinstrap beard and hails from the Dominican. Has a big head. Hey, who's that at first? Open your ears, jackass!

Zvon Jun 02 2014 09:35 PM Re: Better Know a Cub

At first base is Anthony Rizzo who has 10 dingers (28 RBI), two in the last week. Against the Brewers, Rizzo managed to make his mark with two home runs and four RBI over five at-bats. Rizzo was ejected from the fourth inning of Sunday's game against the Brewers after arguing balls and strikes. .267/.398/.465/.864. • 10th in NL in HR (10) • 2nd in NL in BB (38) He's 24 yrs old and we want to keep this man down. Whats on second?

Gwreck Jun 03 2014 11:10 AM KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

Know your 2014 Cubs: Now that we shipped Houston off to the American League, the Cubs have inherited the title of worst team in the league. 20-34 this year, and in a cruel twist of fate, also the worst record in the majors, even worse than the Astros. This is the first year of Rick Renteria's managerial tenure. The Cubs are again in rebuilding mode, having last had a winning season in 2009 and last making the playoffs in 2008, back when Lou Pinella was still managing the team. Despite playing in Chicago, all games this week are evening games. 8:05 EDT starts on Tuesday and Wednesday; 7:05 PM EDT start on Thursday. Pitching Matchups: We conveniently miss ace Jeff Samardzija and their second-best starter, Jason Hammel. Tuesday: Jake Arrieta (R) v. Wheeler Formerly of the Orioles and traded to the Cubs last year. In five starts this year, he's thrown 25 1/3 innings, with a 1.50 WHIP but a 3.20 ERA and 26 strikeouts. You may recall Arrietta giving up a grand slam to Ike Davis in 2012 at Citi Field, the last time the Mets faced him. Wednesday: Edwin Jackson (R) v. Matsuzaka Jackson in 30 years old but somehow the Cubs are his eighth major league organization. He led the National League in losses last year with 18. 3-5, 4.81 ERA this year in 11 starts. Throws lots of innings and strikes out a lot of players but also just gives up too many hits to ever be really effective. Thursday: Travis Wood (L) v. deGrom No relation to Kerry. Had a really good year last year (3.11 ERA, 1.145 WHIP in 200 innings). Struggling now (5.15 ERA and 1.376 WHIP in 65 innings). Got knocked out in the third inninng last Friday against Milwaukee after two strong starts in a row prior. Lineup: Only one guy in this lineup has seen his thirtieth birthday. C Wellington Castillo (R) 27 year old defensive catcher who doesn't hit much. Respectable .742 OPS last year; .672 so far this year. 1B Anthony Rizzo (L) Acquired from the Padres a few years back in a big trade and at age 24, developing into a good player. .742 OPS last year with 23 homers was ok, but he's already got 10 this year with an .864 OPS. 38 BBs to 40Ks. 2B Darwin Barney (R) Value is all in the defense as he can't really hit (lifetime OPS, now in his fourth full season, is .621). 3B Mike Olt (R) Key prospect from Texas in the Matt Garza trade. Had only 40 plate appearances in the majors before this year. Not hitting much (.162 average) but has 9 homers. SS Starlin Castro (R) Also age 24, and signed through 2020. Led the National League in at-bats each of the past 3 seasons. After a couple of promising seasons in 2011 (3.0 WAR) and 2012 (3.4 WAR), he really regressed last year, with a .631 OPS and a WAR of -0.6. Hitting better this year so far. LF Junior Lake (R) Had a decent (.760 OPS) half season with the Cubs last year before becoming s full-time starter this year. .718 OPS so far this year, with 6 homers. Good speed. CF Emilio Bonifacio (S) Cubs are Emilio's 6th major league team in his 8 years in the majors, having spent last year with Kansas City. Steals some bases, gets some hits, but no power. RF Nate Schierholtz (L) Oldest guy in the lineup; you probably remember him from the Giants. A good fourth outfielder but probably not a starter on most teams. .212-.270-.300 this year. Ex-Mets: None Ex-Cubs: [crossout:2bdlefx0]Kyle Farnsworth[/crossout:2bdlefx0] None

Edgy MD Jun 03 2014 11:10 AM Re: Better Know a Cub

Come on Cub Busters. Get in the game, here. On June 23, 1984, Ryne Sandberg hit a ninth inning homerun off of Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to tie the game for the Cubs against the Cardinals, doing their best to help the Mets cause. It would be a rare hiccup for Sutter in what was perhaps the best season of his career. The Cards went back up by two in the 10th, but with a depleted bullpen after his starter was chased early, Whitey Herzog stuck with Sutter, only to see Sandberg come up again with two outs and hit another game-tying homer. After the Cubs won the game in the eleventh --- erasing a Willie McGee cycle --- a shell-shocked Herzog would declare Sandberg to be the best ballplayer he had ever seen. After being reminded that he had seen plenty of Willie Mays, for instance, Herzog stuck by his opinion. In-his-prime Sandberg will not be playing second for the Cubs this week, but rather highly evolved dinosaur Darwin Barney. I don't want to say that Barney is what's wrong with the Cubs, but he's what's wrong with the Cubs. A former come of a prospect, the Cubs stand have stuck with him despite not getting immediate returns. I support that kind of coolheadedness. But with Darwin, well, he kind of gets worse every year. His OPS went from from .666 to .659 to .569 over his first three full seasons, and sits at an even .500 this year. Has enough pop to hit a mistake out of Wrigley Field, but that's about it. Don't throw him a lot of mistakes and let him get himself out. On defense, well, he totally outMurphed Murph a few weeks ago, entering the game late against the with Jeff Samardzija ready to walk off with his first win, when Darwin airmailed the relay on an easy double play ball. "I feel terrible," Barney said. "I think we all feel like we had chances. [Samardzija] went seven scoreless again. He's the best pitcher in the league right now. American League, National League, Japanese League, it doesn't matter. But he has won a Gold Glove, and if you listen to the Fielding Bible, he deserved it. It's all that keeps him in the lineup these days. We can talk Samardzija later. Darwin has gone .278 / .284 / .292 // .575 He did a little against us in 2011, but we were running the likes of Miguel Batista out there. Darwin summary: If you've got to face somebody with the game on the line, you can do worse than to face him, but try not to get into that situation. Darwin is 1/4 Japanese American, 1/4 Korean American, and half Hawaiian. He likes collecting records and exploring The Cave of the Unknown. Darwin and Lindsay Barney are adoptive parents. Now help me out. I Dunno's on Third.

TransMonk Jun 03 2014 11:18 AM Re: Better Know a Cub -- KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

My first Mets game was at Wrigley. Darryl hit 3 home runs. How could I not love this team?

Benjamin Grimm Jun 03 2014 11:24 AM Re: Better Know a Cub -- KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

I heard the third of those home runs on a little transistor radio while sitting in the waiting area at Penn Station.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2014 11:45 AM Re: Better Know a Cub -- KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

When I think of Mets/Cubs/ Wrigley/three HR's, I remember Tuffy. [fimg=444:f4c6q628]http://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/field/media/web1_dwight_gooden_web_1.jpg[/fimg:f4c6q628] [fimg=444:f4c6q628]http://l.yimg.com/os/en/blogs/sptusmlbexperts/tuffyrhodes716.jpg[/fimg:f4c6q628] [fimg=444:f4c6q628]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_chbnMGy0IXI/SdTcdollchI/AAAAAAAACf8/QNKdiPvZolU/s400/karl-tuffy-rhodes.jpg[/fimg:f4c6q628]

Edgy MD Jun 03 2014 11:51 AM Re: KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

Gwreck wrote: LF Junior Lake (R) Had a decent (.760 OPS) half season with the Cubs last year before becoming s full-time starter this year. .718 OPS so far this year, with 6 homers. Good speed. If anybody ever had a name that sounded like a Sunday catcher, it's Junior Lake. Clearly, this is the child of Junior Ortiz and Steve Lake.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 03 2014 04:17 PM Re: Better Know a Cub -- KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

I LOVE Junior Lake! During my summer there, I learned about what's really cool, thanks to Counselor Blake, and about standing up for myself, when we took on those snobs from Camp Bluekirk across the water in that big Capture-The-Flag montage. Also, I like to think I learned a little something about kissin', too-- I wonder what Sarabeth Riley and her auburn afro are up to now.

Fman99 Jun 03 2014 07:13 PM Re: Better Know a Cub -- KTE: Chicago Cubs (Jun 3-5)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I LOVE Junior Lake! During my summer there, I learned about what's really cool, thanks to Counselor Blake, and about standing up for myself, when we took on those snobs from Camp Bluekirk across the water in that big Capture-The-Flag montage. Also, I like to think I learned a little something about kissin', too-- I wonder what Sarabeth Riley and her auburn afro are up to now. Wow, this transported me into your frontal lobe and then I couldn't wipe the figurative goo off of my shoes.