Kevin Gregg

[CFOrfan]

If Pedro proves he can pitch well I would sign him and make Harden a closer. No joke. Won't happen but oh well.

And as for the 8 guys that were named who are "elite" closers. Fuentes and Wilson have 3 blown saves. Lidge has 6. Mike Gonzalez has 3. Nathan, Jenks, Broxton, and K-Rod have 2.

Gregg has 3. He is fine. Get off his back.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=45951:date=Jun 24 2009, 03:45 PM:name=CFOrfan)-->QUOTE (CFOrfan @ Jun 24 2009, 03:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->If Pedro proves he can pitch well I would sign him and make Harden a closer. No joke. Won't happen but oh well.

And as for the 8 guys that were named who are "elite" closers. Fuentes and Wilson have 3 blown saves. Lidge has 6. Mike Gonzalez has 3. Nathan, Jenks, Broxton, and K-Rod have 2.

Gregg has 3. He is fine. Get off his back.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I can remember at least once when he came in with more than a 3-run lead and promptly gave it up. Doesn't count as a blown save, but he didn't get the job done.

[Fella]

You guys keep throwing blow saves numbers out there so I think its fair to bring up that Gregg does have the most blown saves in all of baseball over the past 2 years.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=45953:date=Jun 24 2009, 04:07 PM:name=Fella)-->QUOTE (Fella @ Jun 24 2009, 04:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->You guys keep throwing blow saves numbers out there so I think its fair to bring up that Gregg does have the most blown saves in all of baseball over the past 2 years.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He blows dog.

[Fella]

I still think he would be a fine middle reliever or solid setup man, he just shouldn't be the guy we count on to get the last 3 outs.

That said, I'm not sure we have anyone better right now. Guzman is hurting, Marmol can't throw strikes and no way I want Heilman out there. We are stuck with Gregg for now.

[vitaminB]

<!--quoteo(post=45951:date=Jun 24 2009, 04:45 PM:name=CFOrfan)-->QUOTE (CFOrfan @ Jun 24 2009, 04:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->If Pedro proves he can pitch well I would sign him and make Harden a closer. No joke. Won't happen but oh well.

And as for the 8 guys that were named who are "elite" closers. Fuentes and Wilson have 3 blown saves. Lidge has 6. Mike Gonzalez has 3. Nathan, Jenks, Broxton, and K-Rod have 2.

Gregg has 3. He is fine. Get off his back.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I think Rich Harden could be nasty throwing only one inning. He could go back to throwing his slider again. I doubt he'd be willing to move during his contract year, but I like the idea. I don't think you even have to sign Pedro to make it happen. We have enough options in the rotation to make it work.

[johnr42]

Rivera posted a line of 1.40 era, .67 whip with a 97.5 save conversion rate last year. That sounds like a shutdown closer to me.


<!--quoteo(post=45883:date=Jun 24 2009, 08:01 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 24 2009, 08:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=45868:date=Jun 23 2009, 10:40 PM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 23 2009, 10:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=45863:date=Jun 23 2009, 10:21 PM:name=Runnys)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Runnys @ Jun 23 2009, 10:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=45858:date=Jun 23 2009, 09:32 PM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 23 2009, 09:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=45856:date=Jun 23 2009, 09:23 PM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ Jun 23 2009, 09:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Playoffs? With Gregg as a closer? Pshaw.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ok for fuck's sake, if the Cubs don't make the playoffs, it won't be because of Kevin Gregg. Gimme a fucking break.

There's about 2 lockdown closers out there and about 20 mediocre ones (the category Gregg falls into), there's gonna be about 6-7 teams in the playoffs with mediocre closers.
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I agree with the fact that if the Cubs miss the playoffs it will not be because of Gregg. However Ruby, your statement about the closers and playoff teams is ridiculous. As it stands right now the closers for the playoff teams would be:

Jonathan Papelbon
Mariano Rivera
Fernando Rodney
Frank Francisco/CJ Wilson
Brad Lidge
Ryan Franklin
Jonathan Broxton

The current WC teams in the NL would have Hoffman or Brian Wilson

I would take ANY ONE of those closers over Kevin Gregg. When healthy, Papelbon, Rivera, Francisco, and Broxton are as lock down as it gets. Lidge has had a tough time, but we cannot forget he did not blow a save at all last year. IMO, Gregg is worse that any one of those closers except maybe Rodney and Franklin.
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I'd suggest you look up some statistics.
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Ryan Franklin 17 saves, 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP - 60 games does not make one a shutdown closer - see career numbers
Broxton 17 saves, 2.29 ERA, 0.82 WHIP - yep, he's good
Hoffman 16 saves, 1.31 ERA, 0.77 WHIP - him too
Papelbon 16 saves, 1.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP - him three
Rivera 15 saves, 3.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP - Riveria is no longer a shutdown closer, hasn't been for a couple years
Francisco 12 saves, 0.44 ERA, 0.77 WHIP - 60 games does not make one a shutdown closer - see career numbers
Brian Wilson 19 saves, 2.94 ERA, 1.16 WHIP - 60 games does not make one a shutdown closer - see career numbers

You also completely left off 2 other guys from your list. If you actually think there's more than a couple (a hand full maybe) of legitimate shutdown closers in baseball, I dunno what to tell you. There's a few guys at the top and a whole bunch of guys in the middle and few teams without anyone they can call a closer. Is Gregg good? No, he's average . . . like almost every other team's closer.
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[veryzer]

rivera walked 6 batters last year. 6. all year. 6. he is indeed a shutdown closer.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Kevin Gregg has served up six home runs in his first 34 games for the Cubs, after giving up only three in 71 games last year in Florida.

"Look, you don't really like to see that out of your closers, I have to be honest," manager Lou Piniella said. "Usually when you give up home runs late like that, they end games."

The two most damaging home runs were Jeff Francoeur's game-tying, ninth inning homer June 2 in Atlanta and Ryan Raburn's game-winning, walk-off homer Tuesday night in Detroit.

"It's going to happen," Piniella said. "Look, I didn't say I'm contemplating making any changes, but I am saying that late in the game, you have to keep that ball in the ballpark if you want to have a lot of success in these shorter roles.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[rok]

What's scary is that Gregg's stats don't accurately reflect how mediocre he's been overall. Maybe he's peaked already and is now due to be shitty again like he was in April and May. And for most of the time that Gregg was effective, it didn't matter much to the team as we were losing a ton of games anyway because we couldn't score dick. This is where our offense needs to step in and provide a cushion for the pen, but they don't seem capable of that this season.

[offcolorpoetry]

It seems like he's better in non-save situations. He claims that he loves the one-run save situation, but it doesn't seem to love him.

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=46050:date=Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->What's scary is that Gregg's stats don't accurately reflect how mediocre he's been overall. Maybe he's peaked already and is now due to be shitty again like he was in April and May. And for most of the time that Gregg was effective, it didn't matter much to the team as we were losing a ton of games anyway because we couldn't score dick. This is where our offense needs to step in and provide a cushion for the pen, but they don't seem capable of that this season.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So, one bad game, after 2 successful months and he's peaked and will no longer be effective? Interesting.

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=46053:date=Jun 25 2009, 11:09 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 25 2009, 11:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=46050:date=Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->What's scary is that Gregg's stats don't accurately reflect how mediocre he's been overall. Maybe he's peaked already and is now due to be shitty again like he was in April and May. And for most of the time that Gregg was effective, it didn't matter much to the team as we were losing a ton of games anyway because we couldn't score dick. This is where our offense needs to step in and provide a cushion for the pen, but they don't seem capable of that this season.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So, one bad game, after 2 successful months and he's peaked and will no longer be effective? Interesting.
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Seems like he's only been good in the month of June. Maybe my perception has been wrong.

[vitaminB]

<!--quoteo(post=46054:date=Jun 25 2009, 12:13 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Jun 25 2009, 12:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=46053:date=Jun 25 2009, 11:09 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 25 2009, 11:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=46050:date=Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->What's scary is that Gregg's stats don't accurately reflect how mediocre he's been overall. Maybe he's peaked already and is now due to be shitty again like he was in April and May. And for most of the time that Gregg was effective, it didn't matter much to the team as we were losing a ton of games anyway because we couldn't score dick. This is where our offense needs to step in and provide a cushion for the pen, but they don't seem capable of that this season.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So, one bad game, after 2 successful months and he's peaked and will no longer be effective? Interesting.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Seems like he's only been good in the month of June. Maybe my perception has been wrong.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Kevin Gregg's only problem seems to be those nerdy glasses. They just don't intimidate anyone. Now, if he could grow some sort of distinct facial hair he might be on to something. Maybe a face tattoo.

[The Dude]

<!--quoteo(post=46076:date=Jun 25 2009, 12:37 PM:name=vitaminB)-->QUOTE (vitaminB @ Jun 25 2009, 12:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=46054:date=Jun 25 2009, 12:13 PM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Jun 25 2009, 12:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=46053:date=Jun 25 2009, 11:09 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 25 2009, 11:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=46050:date=Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Jun 25 2009, 10:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->What's scary is that Gregg's stats don't accurately reflect how mediocre he's been overall. Maybe he's peaked already and is now due to be shitty again like he was in April and May. And for most of the time that Gregg was effective, it didn't matter much to the team as we were losing a ton of games anyway because we couldn't score dick. This is where our offense needs to step in and provide a cushion for the pen, but they don't seem capable of that this season.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So, one bad game, after 2 successful months and he's peaked and will no longer be effective? Interesting.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Seems like he's only been good in the month of June. Maybe my perception has been wrong.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Kevin Gregg's only problem seems to be those nerdy glasses. They just don't intimidate anyone. Now, if he could grow some sort of distinct facial hair he might be on to something. Maybe a face tattoo.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He should get Ricky Vaughn's glasses.