The rant and vent thread

[Clapp]

The irrational bitching pussy thread. What SOI is all about these days. These always look great at the end of the year.

[cigar]

<!--quoteo(post=41894:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The irrational bitching pussy thread. What SOI is all about these days. These always look great at the end of the year.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] I am not giving up yet. I just want something to cheer about. Off to a good start tonight.

[veryzer]

<!--quoteo(post=41894:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The irrational bitching pussy thread. What SOI is all about these days. These always look great at the end of the year.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


GET YOUR POSITIVITY OUT OF MY THREAD!

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=41894:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The irrational bitching pussy thread. What SOI is all about these days. These always look great at the end of the year.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, around 20 of the 25 baseball seasons that I can fully remember in my lifetime didn't exactly consist of glorious turnarounds, so I'm not sure what you mean by "always"....... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=41939:date=Jun 3 2009, 08:27 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Jun 3 2009, 08:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41894:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 06:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The irrational bitching pussy thread. What SOI is all about these days. These always look great at the end of the year.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, around 20 of the 25 baseball seasons that I can fully remember in my lifetime didn't exactly consist of glorious turnarounds, so I'm not sure what you mean by "always"....... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well recent history with pretty much the same team at least. The things being thrown around are purely idiotic, it's laughable. It's turning into NSBB. TRADE LEE! BENCH SOTO FOR GOOD! This isn't how you turn things around.

This team is still by far the most talented team in the division. They've just played like pure ass, and are still on pace to win about 85 games. Things can only get better for this team.

And tonight's win was -huge-. Fuck yesterday, we just beat Derek Lowe. I wrote this one off as a loss coming in, just wanted to hopefully get 1. THAT's why last night pissed me off so much, because I didn't think we could win tonight.

[Brock]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->BENCH SOTO FOR GOOD!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Piniella gave Geovany Soto the day off and said if Koyie Hill plays well the next couple of days "he basically can write his name in the lineup a little bit more."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=41712:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM:name=Coach)-->QUOTE (Coach @ Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->We should have taken advantage of last year's career seasons.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All of the career seasons? Soto and Fontenot in their first chances to get playing time, Dempster, and Theriot. That's who had career years. 4 players.

Lee, Aramis, Soriano, and Zambrano were our 4 most important players coming into the season, and they all performed worse than we thought they would.

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=41956:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41712:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM:name=Coach)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coach @ Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->We should have taken advantage of last year's career seasons.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All of the career seasons? Soto and Fontenot in their first chances to get playing time, Dempster, and Theriot. That's who had career years. 4 players.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
DeRosa and Marmol too.

[Baron]

<!--quoteo(post=41957:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:46 PM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 3 2009, 09:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41956:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41712:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM:name=Coach)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coach @ Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->We should have taken advantage of last year's career seasons.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All of the career seasons? Soto and Fontenot in their first chances to get playing time, Dempster, and Theriot. That's who had career years. 4 players.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
DeRosa and Marmol too.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Although in 20 fewer innings, Marmol was better (unhittable) the year before.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=41954:date=Jun 3 2009, 08:42 PM:name=Brock)-->QUOTE (Brock @ Jun 3 2009, 08:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->BENCH SOTO FOR GOOD!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Piniella gave Geovany Soto the day off and said if Koyie Hill plays well the next couple of days "he basically can write his name in the lineup a little bit more."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Hill's earned more playing time, but "benching" Soto would be absolutely foolish. If he's still hitting .216 in July and it's clear he won't get out of the funk, then fine, but you don't give up on him just yet. He just hit .278 with a .376 OBP in May, that's the hitter he was last year, aside from the power of course. He's hitting a lot of high flyballs and pulling the ball too much. The power will come. You can't give up on a 26-year-old catcher that was an All-Star just a season ago because of one bad month. If you bench him now, that can screw him mentally for a long time.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=41957:date=Jun 3 2009, 08:46 PM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 3 2009, 08:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41956:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41712:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM:name=Coach)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coach @ Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->We should have taken advantage of last year's career seasons.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All of the career seasons? Soto and Fontenot in their first chances to get playing time, Dempster, and Theriot. That's who had career years. 4 players.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
DeRosa and Marmol too.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not counting DeRosa because he's not on the team. Marmol was better the year before.

[Brock]

<!--quoteo(post=41956:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41712:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM:name=Coach)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coach @ Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->We should have taken advantage of last year's career seasons.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All of the career seasons? Soto and Fontenot in their first chances to get playing time, Dempster, and Theriot. That's who had career years. 4 players.

Lee, Aramis, Soriano, and Zambrano were our 4 most important players coming into the season, and they all performed worse than we thought they would.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Can't say I agree on any of those, except maybe Lee. The rest did about as well as what was to be expected, at least for me.

[Brock]

<!--quoteo(post=41959:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:50 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 09:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41954:date=Jun 3 2009, 08:42 PM:name=Brock)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brock @ Jun 3 2009, 08:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->BENCH SOTO FOR GOOD!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Piniella gave Geovany Soto the day off and said if Koyie Hill plays well the next couple of days "he basically can write his name in the lineup a little bit more."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Hill's earned more playing time, but "benching" Soto would be absolutely foolish. If he's still hitting .216 in July and it's clear he won't get out of the funk, then fine, but you don't give up on him just yet. He just hit .278 with a .376 OBP in May, that's the hitter he was last year, aside from the power of course. He's hitting a lot of high flyballs and pulling the ball too much. The power will come. You can't give up on a 26-year-old catcher that was an All-Star just a season ago because of one bad month. If you bench him now, that can screw him mentally for a long time.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm with you, just thought it was a relevant bit of info that I just read.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=41961:date=Jun 3 2009, 08:51 PM:name=Brock)-->QUOTE (Brock @ Jun 3 2009, 08:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41956:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 09:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41712:date=Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM:name=Coach)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coach @ Jun 3 2009, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->We should have taken advantage of last year's career seasons.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All of the career seasons? Soto and Fontenot in their first chances to get playing time, Dempster, and Theriot. That's who had career years. 4 players.

Lee, Aramis, Soriano, and Zambrano were our 4 most important players coming into the season, and they all performed worse than we thought they would.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Can't say I agree on any of those, except maybe Lee. The rest did about as well as what was to be expected, at least for me.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ramirez's lowest OPS as a Cub was .913, it was .898 last year. He hit for much less power than any season as a Cub.

Soriano played in 109 games. His previous low was 135. He had an .876 OPS, the 2 years before that were .911 and .897.

Zambrano had a 3.91 ERA and pitched the lowest amount of games since he's been a starter for the Cubs. He all of a sudden couldn't strike guys out anymore.

Lee had a .823 OPS. He had a .913 the year before.

I don't know, maybe I'm just optimistic but I expected about all of them to perform about like they did the previous few years.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=41962:date=Jun 3 2009, 08:52 PM:name=Brock)-->QUOTE (Brock @ Jun 3 2009, 08:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41959:date=Jun 3 2009, 09:50 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Jun 3 2009, 09:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=41954:date=Jun 3 2009, 08:42 PM:name=Brock)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brock @ Jun 3 2009, 08:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->BENCH SOTO FOR GOOD!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Piniella gave Geovany Soto the day off and said if Koyie Hill plays well the next couple of days "he basically can write his name in the lineup a little bit more."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Hill's earned more playing time, but "benching" Soto would be absolutely foolish. If he's still hitting .216 in July and it's clear he won't get out of the funk, then fine, but you don't give up on him just yet. He just hit .278 with a .376 OBP in May, that's the hitter he was last year, aside from the power of course. He's hitting a lot of high flyballs and pulling the ball too much. The power will come. You can't give up on a 26-year-old catcher that was an All-Star just a season ago because of one bad month. If you bench him now, that can screw him mentally for a long time.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm with you, just thought it was a relevant bit of info that I just read.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Gotcha, it was. At this very moment, I agree, Hill's played better and probably give us the better chance to win right now. But you have to be looking long term, Soto's <i>arguably</i> the most important player to the future of this franchise looking down the road. It's hard to find a young catcher that can hit and play solid defense out there. It's frustrating as hell. He's driving me nuts, but we've gotta deal with it. Some guys will respond fine to a benching for a bit and figuring it out in AAA, but what if he doesn't? I just think it's a risk not worth taking this early on.