- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Catching up wtih the Cubs after 1st series win
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:10 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:10 am
Took an entire month but the cubs finally won a series...against the cards no less so that was nice.
We all know this team is bad, but are they where you thought they'd be? Anything encouraging or discouraging?
Junior Lake continues to frustrate me. One day he looks like an above average major leaguer...the next day he is swinging at breaking balls that soriano would laugh at.
while i expected both RizzOBP and Castro to bounce back, this quickness with which they've done it has been a delight. Couple that with how selective Rizzo is at the plate and his ability to go the other way (a bit) and even lay down a bunt makes me grin.
Hammel looking like a good sign and flip guy.
We all know this team is bad, but are they where you thought they'd be? Anything encouraging or discouraging?
Junior Lake continues to frustrate me. One day he looks like an above average major leaguer...the next day he is swinging at breaking balls that soriano would laugh at.
while i expected both RizzOBP and Castro to bounce back, this quickness with which they've done it has been a delight. Couple that with how selective Rizzo is at the plate and his ability to go the other way (a bit) and even lay down a bunt makes me grin.
Hammel looking like a good sign and flip guy.
8
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:19 am to piggidyphish
Rizzo ballin
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:20 am to piggidyphish
quote:
Took an entire month but the cubs finally won a series...against the cards no less so that was nice.
Not just this. They beat Wainwright and Wacha no less.
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:24 am to piggidyphish
Rizzo and Castro are having good years, but I was so frustrated last night when they didn't convert a single run off bases loaded with one out.
Castro K'd on two terrible pitches way outside the strike zone and that was very discouraging.
I'm still amazed at no Mike Olt. Valbuena had a nice game at the plate last night, but he should be playing 2B with Olt at 3B.
Castro K'd on two terrible pitches way outside the strike zone and that was very discouraging.
I'm still amazed at no Mike Olt. Valbuena had a nice game at the plate last night, but he should be playing 2B with Olt at 3B.
This post was edited on 5/5/14 at 10:26 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:33 am to piggidyphish
Cubs should have won that game last night
Terrible pitch late in the game when the bases were loaded
Terrible pitch late in the game when the bases were loaded
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:41 am to Walt OReilly
quote:
Cubs should have won that game last night
I'm not really a fan of running rondon out there for the 4th day in a row. I put that on renteria.
Posted on 5/5/14 at 10:44 am to piggidyphish
Emiliooo
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:11 am to cheesesteak501
Look on the bright side, they don't have the worst record in baseball
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:18 am to piggidyphish
quote:But Rondon is his best reliever at the moment.
I'm not really a fan of running rondon out there for the 4th day in a row. I put that on renteria.
This post was edited on 5/5/14 at 11:19 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:22 am to The Sad Banana
quote:
But Rondon is his best reliever at the moment.
No doubt about that. I just don't like putting that much work on him, and i also would have liked to have him availble for white sox this week.
I'm also really impressed with wesley wright.
This post was edited on 5/5/14 at 11:23 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:24 am to piggidyphish
quote:
We all know this team is bad, but are they where you thought they'd be?
Record wise considering Villanueva had to start for the first month while Arrieta rehabbed? Yeah, really not that bad at all. They had several games where saves were blown by a horrendous Jose Veras and then another blown save by Strop. If Rondon had been the closer since day 1 (wouldn't have ever happened) the Cubs would be close to .500 right now.
quote:
nior Lake continues to frustrate me. One day he looks like an above average major leaguer...the next day he is swinging at breaking balls that soriano would laugh at.
I agree he swings at some really bad pitches, but in my opinion so what? Before his pinch hit at bat last night, he was hitting .250 and that is with incredibly inconsistent playing time and a few pinch hit at bats. That .250 average is better than Ruggiano, Sweeney and Schierholtz. I get that Nate is expected to pick it up but my point is that in his limited playing time he has done better than or as well as every outfielder on the roster except Bonifacio.
Lake his significantly better tools than both Sweeney and probably Kalish as we saw with his game winning homerun on Saturday against Wacha. He is going to go through up and down spells, but I would still rather have his tools in the lineup than Ryan Sweeney. Lake can hit a homerun, bunt for a hit and then steal second. Lots of nice tools.
I will also say that his BABIP is close to .500. That means he's usually getting hits when he makes contact. If he would play more, I believe he would be able to cut down on the strikeouts because he wouldn't be pressing as much and he will learn the strike zone and will learn how pitchers are going to throw to him. He's got a learn he can learn.
quote:
while i expected both RizzOBP and Castro to bounce back, this quickness with which they've done it has been a delight.
These 2 look unbelievable this year. Look like different baseball players. Rizzo's ability to hit LHP this year has me pretty excited.
This post was edited on 5/5/14 at 11:31 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:27 am to The Sad Banana
quote:
Rizzo and Castro are having good years, but I was so frustrated last night when they didn't convert a single run off bases loaded with one out. Castro K'd on two terrible pitches way outside the strike zone and that was very discouraging.
I agree, very frustrating to not score there, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was discouraging. Lynn is a good pitcher. He made the pitches he needed to in order to work around that. Castro and Rizzo have both been great this year and put together a very encouraging month. I would like to see them convert every RBI opportunity, but I know that's not realistic. I don't get discouraged from one lousy at bat (even though Castro had a couple in the game last night).
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:29 am to The Sad Banana
quote:
I'm still amazed at no Mike Olt. Valbuena had a nice game at the plate last night, but he should be playing 2B with Olt at 3B.
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:32 am to PurpleAndGold86
quote:
he was hitting .250 and that is with incredibly inconsistent playing time and a few pinch hit at bats. That .250 average is better than Ruggiano, Sweeney and Schierholtz
Yea but before his big day last week wasn't he striking out like 45% of the time.
Comparing him to other platoon type outfielders doesn't relieve me of my concerns. There is no doubt that he can, and maybe should (although if he is going to become better i'm actually for the plan to protect him from tough righties like lance lynn) play for this cubs team because this team is terrible. My concerns and the questions he's failing to answer are can he do it when there should be real competition for a spot, especially when you consider that he is being protected from tough pitchers. And i do understnad that's a double edged sword...how can he get better if he doesn't play, or those numbers are atrotcious and he's not even facing tough righties.
all in all i'd say my opinion on him is the exact same...which player will he grow into. In typical cub fan fasion i'll hope for the best, but expect the worse.
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:38 am to piggidyphish
I wish Lake would stop swinging out of his shoes. Every HR I've seen him hit has come on controlled swings. He's going to be a good hitter if and only if he can become a smarter ballwatcher.
P&G addressed my displeasure with Rizzo and Castro not converting that RBI opportunity. I was more let down by Rizzo in that he couldn't make better contact. Castro actually took an outside pitch to the opposite field for the final out, so I can't be mad at that. But Rizzo had the key AB in that sequence with the bases loaded and one out.
P&G addressed my displeasure with Rizzo and Castro not converting that RBI opportunity. I was more let down by Rizzo in that he couldn't make better contact. Castro actually took an outside pitch to the opposite field for the final out, so I can't be mad at that. But Rizzo had the key AB in that sequence with the bases loaded and one out.
This post was edited on 5/5/14 at 11:39 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:39 am to piggidyphish
quote:
Comparing him to other platoon type outfielders doesn't relieve me of my concerns.
Well all I can do is compare him to those guys since that's all that is on the Cubs roster at this time.
quote:
My concerns and the questions he's failing to answer are can he do it when there should be real competition for a spot, especially when you consider that he is being protected from tough pitchers.
I don't agree with this comment at all. He has 3 homeruns on the season and 2 of them have come against Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha (2 of the best pitchers in the National League).
My only point in the comparison is that he is putting up better numbers than all of the other outfielders despite striking out so much like you said. So I don't really care whether he is striking out or grounding out to shortstop. I still believe he should be playing everyday to see what the Cubs have him and if he can be a part of the future. I really don't care if this is a terrible team (I don't even really think it is) my point also was that he has better tools than any outfielder on the entire roster so why not run him out there?
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:44 am to The Sad Banana
quote:
I'm still amazed at no Mike Olt. Valbuena had a nice game at the plate last night, but he should be playing 2B with Olt at 3B.
Olt is probably the biggest disappointment so far for me.
Don't get me wrong, I think he should play every single day with Valbuena at 2B, but I would have thought he would have a much better average at this point than he does. I get that he isn't playing much and he is probably pressing a lot when he does play similar to what Rizzo and Castro did last year (they didn't lack playing time, they were just pressing everyday). The opposite field power has been very nice, but I would like to see him be able to get on base a little bit more often when he does get out there.
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:45 am to PurpleAndGold86
quote:
Well all I can do is compare him to those guys since that's all that is on the Cubs roster at this time.
Yea but we're talking about the future of junior lake...or at least I am.
quote:
I don't agree with this comment at all
Ok...but the knock on lake has always been inconsistent contact would hold him back. I'm not saying the guy can't mash. I'm saying he frustrates me becuase you can see the flashes of talent...like you described above, then you see a 41% k rate.
I don't think there is really a question as to if renteria is trying to protect lake right now. He is. We can argue as to if it's his detriment or not, but otherwise why wouldn't he be run out there every day. Because as you said, the other platoon guys aren't any better. You mention wacha and waino from this weekend...but look at teh righty/lefty splits. lance lynn has the biggest split there and that's the game he sat.
I don't care if junior lake playes on this team or not...it's a bad team that will have a bad season. I want to know if he can improve and be more than a platoon outfielder.
This post was edited on 5/5/14 at 11:51 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:50 am to piggidyphish
quote:
but the knock on lake has always been inconsistent contact would hold him back
I get that and I agree with it. But my point is while striking out almost half the time, he is still putting up respectable numbers for a guy in his first full season in the big leagues.
quote:
I don't think there is really a question as to if renteria is trying to protect lake right now. He is.
You can call it that if you want, but he is rotating everyone in and out and seeing what he has. It isn't just Lake and Olt. The whole lineup has been musical chairs all season except for Welly, Rizzo and Castro.
He has still played against top notch RHP. Led off against Wainwright in St Louis and hit a homerun. Played against Michael Wacha and had 3 hits and the game winning homerun.
quote:
I want to know if he can improve and be more than a platoon outfielder.
Really all I have been getting at is this. All I have said is that I think he should be playing everyday and it isn't just because the team isn't going to make the playoffs. His numbers deserve the playing time and the only way to know if he is good or not is if he plays everyday. Not 3 days a week.
This post was edited on 5/5/14 at 11:52 am
Posted on 5/5/14 at 11:56 am to PurpleAndGold86
quote:I really don't care about his average that much, but I know that I can't say that and expect people to take me seriously when I rag on Barney so much. It's just that Barney only offers defense.
Olt is probably the biggest disappointment so far for me.
Don't get me wrong, I think he should play every single day with Valbuena at 2B, but I would have thought he would have a much better average at this point than he does. I get that he isn't playing much and he is probably pressing a lot when he does play similar to what Rizzo and Castro did last year (they didn't lack playing time, they were just pressing everyday). The opposite field power has been very nice, but I would like to see him be able to get on base a little bit more often when he does get out there.
Anyway, I think for a young player like Olt, he needs to play. I don't know what you learn about him by playing him sporadically. The Cubs didn't trade Garza to Texas for nothing. Let's see what this Olt guy can do. It's not like I care about if the Cubs win or not this year, but I do care about seeing progress.
Page 1 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News