Baseball Toaster: Cub Town : Cubs-Diamondbacks Game 2 Chat

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Cubs-Diamondbacks Game 2 Chat

2007-10-04 17:50

by Derek Smart

As always, a new game means a fresh start. Time to dig down deep and pull even tonight.

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Comments (116)

Show/Hide Comments 1-50

2007-10-04 18:13:09

1. Sam DC

I'm scared of the Yankees/Indians thread, so maybe I'll just chill here for a while.

It's like being the first one to a movie, opening up the paper, putting your feet over the chair in front of you. Watching the slide show over and over and over.

If I can just keep from finishing my popcorn before the game.

2007-10-04 18:35:15

2. Derek Smart

I've altered my seating arrangements tonight, stretching out on the couch instead of the big leather chair. I do this because the Cubs lost while I was sitting in the chair last night and, clearly, the primary influence on the final outcome of Cubs baseball games is the geographic location of my buttocks.

2007-10-04 18:59:25

3. Sam DC

I can slide over to the other side of the couch if you have any concern about mine.

2007-10-04 19:00:30

4. Derek Smart

For anyone who wasn't watching the Yankees/Indians game when this was announced, Cubs/Diamondbacks is going to be on TNT until Y/I is over. Sadly, here in Chicago, this will pre-empt the final hour of 'A Time To Kill'.

2007-10-04 19:00:43

5. Sam DC

Isn't the big issue here switching around your beverage of choice?

Irish, maybe?

2007-10-04 19:02:59

6. Bob Timmermann

I guess it's time for me to cook up some dinner.

My nap ended at the right time.

2007-10-04 19:03:18

7. Jimi Shelter

I've switched chairs too. No imported beer either. I wish they had Old Style here in California. Let's go, Cubs!

2007-10-04 19:03:47

8. Derek Smart

3 I try to not be concerned about the location of others buttocks unless it directly impacts my personal space. ;)

2007-10-04 19:05:11

9. Derek Smart

5 I'm actually going with water tonight. Clearly good single malt scotch was not to the Baseball Gods' liking.

2007-10-04 19:06:26

10. Jimi Shelter

I envy you guys who can nap. I was tutoring at 6:45 am, and I still can't sleep in the afternoon.

2007-10-04 19:07:56

11. Phil Bencomo

And we're off.

2007-10-04 19:08:22

12. trainwreck

Doug Davis, the only professional athlete to come out of my high school.

2007-10-04 19:08:58

13. Bob Timmermann

10
My naps are dictated by my medication I take for epilepsy to a certain extent.

You're better off.

2007-10-04 19:10:17

14. Phil Bencomo

Ron's got it right on the radio: "We can't help this guy out!"

Don't swing at the junk.

2007-10-04 19:11:04

15. Derek Smart

There we go.

2007-10-04 19:15:38

16. Sam DC

So, after Barry and Manny (The Body) and Bilick, I gather we've learned:

Baseball: Steroids bad, shenanigans OK.
Football: Steroids OK, shenaningans bad.

Meanwhile, I'm just bummed about Marion Jones who has such a great smile.

2007-10-04 19:17:02

17. Xeifrank

Pre-Game win probabilities for the Cubs.

Dodger Sims Simulator: 54.40%
LV Hilton Sports Book: 55.56%

vr, Xei

2007-10-04 19:17:07

18. Derek Smart

That's three guys swing at Davis' breaking ball like it's not a breaking ball. Not a good sign.

2007-10-04 19:19:53

19. Sam DC

The setup in 16 was also supposed to include a reference to Shawne Merriman.

2007-10-04 19:22:48

20. trainwreck

Can't be walking Chris Young.

Or throw the ball 4 feet above the catcher's head for that matter.

2007-10-04 19:23:55

21. sporky

I'm going to miss most of the best game today to go to LAX. EEEEEagakrlajf.

2007-10-04 19:29:15

22. Bob Timmermann

At 8 pm, I will have to leave my HDTV to watch on the regular old TV because my DVR will be occupied taping lots of stuff.

2007-10-04 19:31:19

23. Phil Bencomo

What is it with lefty starters walking guys today? CC Sabathia handed out six today, and Lilly's already at two...

2007-10-04 19:31:24

24. sporky

Stupid busted DVR. sob.

2007-10-04 19:31:55

25. Derek Smart

It's official: they are trying to kill me.

2007-10-04 19:33:28

26. Bluebleeder87

Ron Darling said "California Angels" yesterday, I thought it was pretty cool/weird/... but He's a paid professional he should know better.

2007-10-04 19:35:25

27. Derek Smart

Thank you, Jeebus!

2007-10-04 19:35:27

28. El Lay Dave

19 Should have also included Vikings on boats.

Michael Vick is something else entirely different from steroids / shennanigans.

2007-10-04 19:36:10

29. Bluebleeder87

the new Lou Pinella commercial looks pretty good, I wonder who directed it.

2007-10-04 19:36:24

30. El Lay Dave

26 It's a snide Yale attitude!

2007-10-04 19:40:03

31. sporky

Lead-off line... technology?

2007-10-04 19:41:28

32. sporky

YESSS!!

2007-10-04 19:41:31

33. Bluebleeder87

They say words I didn't know excisted until I was 13 yrs+ :o)

yay, Cubbies!

2007-10-04 19:41:33

34. Phil Bencomo

Geovany!

2007-10-04 19:42:56

35. Derek Smart

Anyone wondering why a guy with only 80 MLB at bats under his belt is starting in the playoffs just got their answer.

2007-10-04 19:45:43

36. Bluebleeder87

My True Blue L.A. predictions seem to be lining up pretty good except for the Yanks but I'm sure they'll bounce back.

2007-10-04 19:46:28

37. sporky

36 - I may have jinxed the Cubs with mine.

(ducks)

2007-10-04 19:47:12

38. El Lay Dave

36 All my picks are undefeated going into this game.

Sorry Cub faithful, I picked against you.

2007-10-04 19:47:45

39. Phil Bencomo

Ron Santo explaining on the radio what's wrong with Lilly's bunting:

"Yeah, he goes like this!"

Oh, Ron, you clown, you.

2007-10-04 19:48:07

40. El Lay Dave

38 unwittingly redirects the rage of the crowd from 37

2007-10-04 19:48:30

41. Bluebleeder87

You gotta wonder what Cubbie fans think of the Soriano signing, long term, I hear he doesn't walk all that much so that can't be good to his OBP.

2007-10-04 19:49:05

42. Sam DC

I thought we dumped the Soriano that did that into the Anacostia early last year?

2007-10-04 19:50:30

43. Phil Bencomo

42 If only, if only...

2007-10-04 19:54:45

44. Sam DC

43 I think Soriano really benefited from working with Mitchell Page, last year's Nationals hitting coach who really preaches a careful, work to get your pitch, approach and who spent a lot of time getting Soriano to lay off those diving away pitches.

Sadly, he's had drinking problems and is now a roving instructor.

2007-10-04 19:56:06

45. Sam DC

Speaking of drinking . . . you and your water doing OK Derek?

2007-10-04 19:58:00

46. Phil Bencomo

41 He has his moments. There are times when he's hot enough to slug one out every at-bat. And then there are the days like today.

I shudder to think what he'll be like by the end of his way-too-long contract.

2007-10-04 19:58:45

47. Derek Smart

45 My water's fine. I'm a different story.

2007-10-04 20:01:29

48. sporky

Today must be high-pitch-count day.

2007-10-04 20:03:27

49. Bob Timmermann

SCY strikes.

2007-10-04 20:03:42

50. Derek Smart

I saw where Soto set up, and my first thought was, "That looks like a problem."

Show/Hide Comments 51-100

2007-10-04 20:04:00

51. fanerman

Argh!

2007-10-04 20:07:16

52. fanerman

Argh!

2007-10-04 20:07:25

53. Phil Bencomo

Double Argh!

2007-10-04 20:07:29

54. sporky

Somewhere, Vin is squee!ing.

2007-10-04 20:07:37

55. Bluebleeder87

Soriano looked horrible trying to catch that ball

2007-10-04 20:08:23

56. El Lay Dave

48 And HR day. That's the 13th in the three games. So far.

2007-10-04 20:08:47

57. RIYank

Oh yeah, I remember Ted Lilly.

2007-10-04 20:09:21

58. trainwreck

Can't believe he swung on 3-0.

2007-10-04 20:09:40

59. El Lay Dave

55 Jones?

2007-10-04 20:10:52

60. El Lay Dave

58 Eh. If not your cleanup hitter, then who?

2007-10-04 20:11:58

61. RIYank

At least there's the prospect of some more runs off Davis.

2007-10-04 20:15:07

62. El Lay Dave

All but two (of fifteen) runs in the Rockies/Phils game scored on extra-base hits.

All but four (of fifteen) runs in the Indians/Yankees game scored on extra-base hits.

All runs in this games, thus far, have scored on extra-base hits.

We Dodger fans simply do not recognize this form of baseball. Can it really be played this way?

2007-10-04 20:15:32

63. Bluebleeder87

Davis does it with smoke & mirrors (Livan also) the D-Backs are just mind boggling!

2007-10-04 20:15:47

64. sporky

Aww, Snyder and Doug have matching chin-strippy facial hair.

2007-10-04 20:16:04

65. trainwreck

60
Frankly, no one on the D-Backs.

2007-10-04 20:16:22

66. fanerman

53 And it wasn't a double post! =(

2007-10-04 20:16:50

67. El Lay Dave

65 Point!

2007-10-04 20:17:25

68. Derek Smart

66 Nor 'Talk Like A Pirate Day'

2007-10-04 20:24:59

69. Phil Bencomo

That was pretty.

2007-10-04 20:26:36

70. Derek Smart

Very. And I can't express how thrilled I am to see a half-inning from the D-Backs tonight that didn't take the life cycle of a credit card to complete

2007-10-04 20:28:00

71. Phil Bencomo

Now the offense needs to get going. Unfortunately, the almighty Geovany can only bat so many times.

2007-10-04 20:29:05

72. fanerman

71 But he's batting right now!

2007-10-04 20:31:50

73. Phil Bencomo

Even the strongest of men falter at times, if only for an at-bat.

;)

2007-10-04 20:32:54

74. sporky

Pouliot has his 2008 NL projected rosters up. All I can say is that he's a very imaginative fellow.

2007-10-04 20:39:39

75. Sam DC

So, it's OK to run anywhere in the playoffs?

2007-10-04 20:41:17

76. Bob Timmermann

You don't have to run inside the lane on that particular play. Ojeda's "baseline" is defined by how he's running. He just has to not go more than three feet out of that imaginary path, which I don't think he did.

The lane is just to protect fielders on throws to first.

2007-10-04 20:44:01

77. trainwreck

Did someone inject plate discipline into Chris Young?

2007-10-04 20:45:09

78. Phil Bencomo

Lilly looks done.

2007-10-04 20:47:10

79. Andrew Shimmin

77- He's always had reasonably good plate discipline, hasn't he?

Stephen Drew is like Jesus, but not in a sacrilegious way.

2007-10-04 20:47:34

80. Phil Bencomo

To the pen we go.

2007-10-04 20:48:18

81. trainwreck

79
He has a .295 OBP.

2007-10-04 20:55:37

82. Phil Bencomo

What a contrast to last night. This game ... is ... slogging ... onward ... so ... slowly.

2007-10-04 20:56:13

83. Bob Timmermann

If Wuertz comes in that can't be a good sign for the Cubs. He appeared in 50 Cubs losses, the most in the majors. Scott Schoeneweis and Rudy Seanez made late charges, but came up short (47 and 46).

2007-10-04 20:58:10

84. Andrew Shimmin

81- On top of a .237 BA. His major league career IsoD is .059, which is decent. His minor league career IsoD is .087.

2007-10-04 20:59:06

85. Andrew Shimmin

Eric Byrnes is a beautiful nut-case.

2007-10-04 20:59:40

86. fanerman

79 81 Would saying he has reasonable "patience" make sense?

2007-10-04 21:01:44

87. Ken Arneson

85 It's always beautiful until your nut-case forgets to step on home plate in a close playoff game.

2007-10-04 21:01:48

88. Andrew Shimmin

Bob, if you're out there, I'm sorry about falling down on the job, this afternoon. I was unexpectedly called away. Good thing bhsportsguy stepped up in the clutch.

I'm not sorry about renaming the cycle alert.

2007-10-04 21:03:57

89. Bob Timmermann

87
Missing home plate is so 2003. It's all the rage now.

2007-10-04 21:05:02

90. Andrew Shimmin

86- It would to me. Is there something I'm missing?

2007-10-04 21:05:45

91. fanerman

90 Well, is there a difference between "plate discipline" and "patience"? That's what I'm getting at.

2007-10-04 21:09:00

92. Andrew Shimmin

91- I think they're interchangeable. I guess plate discipline could connote something in addition to ability to take a walk (like P/PA?), but they both at least include walk taking.

2007-10-04 21:10:26

93. dkminnick

Aramis Ramirez looks like Adrian Beltre pre-2004. I'll bet even I could get him out with breaking ball down and away.

That is, if I had a prayer of being able to throw a breaking ball down and away.

2007-10-04 21:18:23

94. Andrew Shimmin

Young's tied for 75th among the 162 batting crown qualifiers in P/PA, with 3.83. For context, Juan Pierre is 153rd, with 3.4. Corey Patterson is dead least with (rounding) π.

2007-10-04 21:19:06

95. KG16

94 - so you're saying Nomar didn't qualify?

2007-10-04 21:22:43

96. Andrew Shimmin

95- That's correct. Although, his P/PA this year was the highest it's been since the year I graduated high school. At 3.34, he would have been 158th, if he'd qualified, displacing Pedro Feliz.

2007-10-04 21:23:40

97. KG16

96 - wow, because, really, you'd think his ratio would be somewhere around 1.3

2007-10-04 21:30:17

98. KG16

is it just me, or have none of these games been very compelling today?

2007-10-04 21:31:57

99. MC Safety

Augie Ojeda...Arizona's David Eckstein?

2007-10-04 21:32:08

100. fanerman

I have not been compelled.

Show/Hide Comments 101-150

2007-10-04 21:32:37

101. 3rd gen yankee fan

Hope you guys pull it together!

2007-10-04 21:43:59

102. Bob Timmermann

So far today:
Winners 30
Losers 10

2007-10-04 21:48:52

103. KG16

shouldn't the D-back's mascot be, you know, a D-back?

2007-10-04 21:51:34

104. Andrew Shimmin

103- It made more sense to have a bobcat mascot when the team played at the BOB. Also, people don't like snakes.

2007-10-04 21:53:24

105. KG16

It's never made sense to me that a team would take an animal as it's name and then have something different as a mascot... it'd be like the Cubs having a giraffe as a mascot. Or the Padres having a rabbi

2007-10-04 21:54:54

106. Bob Timmermann

105
The Rockies mascot is a dinosaur.

2007-10-04 21:55:37

107. Andrew Shimmin

Clearly, Daryle Ward is not done trying to destroy my dreams.

2007-10-04 21:59:02

108. KG16

106 - right, but that doesn't bother me much because they're named for mountains. The Phillie Phanatic doesn't bother me because, really what's a Phillie (other than a female horse)?

But the others, just seem strange

2007-10-04 22:30:45

109. LogikReader

Just be thankful the Dodgers don't have a mascot (yet).

Although..... one of our stupider fans got into a fight with the Giants' Seal Mascot during All Star Weekend.

2007-10-04 22:33:24

110. LogikReader

oops I'm sorry folks; I forgot I wasn't at DT still :|

I haven't chimed in about yesterday's pitching strategy yet. I can't fault Sweet Lou for going with his bullpen, but not pinch hitting for Z was a bit off.

Aw man, I hope the Cubs can come back...

2007-10-04 22:40:22

111. Bob Timmermann

The last two games today have bludgeoned everyone into unconsciousness.

2007-10-04 22:46:40

112. Andrew Shimmin

Tying run on deck.

2007-10-04 22:48:30

113. Bob Timmermann

I want to open up a New York Times tomorrow and read the result of this one:
"Chicago at Arizona, night game"

2007-10-04 22:52:50

114. Bob Timmermann

The NL West: It's .... something

2007-10-04 22:53:49

115. Bob Timmermann

Time of game: 3 hours, 44 minutes

2007-10-05 04:54:53

116. RIYank

I didn't hang here last night, but I'll just say:

Inexplicable. Cubs over Snakes was my Best Bet.

Hmmm. Try grabbing them right behind the head. Or use gloves.

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