Riding The Pine
"Coach woulda put me in the fourth quarter, we woulda been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind."
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If I learned anything in Meteorology, it’s always hottest near the surface. The only way to escape the Heat is to go UP.
(Source: getbangedon)
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Questions Leading into Cubs Convention 2012
With the 27th annual Cubs Convention taking place this coming weekend, a lot of talk surrounds the Cubbies after a whirlwind of moves made by Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. Many questions linger: will Matt Garza be Cub come Spring Training? Will Kerry Wood get the contract he’s been asking for and rejoin the Cubs? Are the Cubs improving? As of today, the answers seem to be yes, but there is still much to do under the JedStein regime.
What to do about Matt Garza?
Although the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers were reportedly “down the road” in trade talks for Garza, both teams have attempted to clear the air of that rumor. The presumed deal would be Garza for a package built around top pitching prospect, Jacob Turner. Detroit claims they would be hard-pressed to trade Turner for Garza straight up, let alone a package and Epstein says he has only been weighing options at this point. However, Epstein has always kept negotiations close to the jacket. If anything, this is more a case of both owners trying to drive up the value of their own assets.
Regardless, Garza is a great option to build a rotation around for the future as he is only 28, so if the deal doesn’t go down, there’s no worry Epstein’s end. By the looks of it, this trade only goes down if Epstein can will over Jacob Turner and prized third base prospect, Nick Castellanos.
The Cubs rotation, as it stands would be comprised of Garza, Dempster, Maholm, Wood, and Volstad/Wells/Samardzija/Sonnastine. The talent and, more importantly, the depth in the pitching staff while, not overwhelming, is certainly nothing to scoff at. They’re young and have the ability to have break out seasons. The common theme on this staff is a low FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching), a metric stat that is more telling than ERA as it accounts for poor fielding and overall bad luck.
Is Kerry Wood coming back?
He better be. He’s a fan favorite and it would only be fitting for him to retire as a Cub. Hoyer and Epstein want him on the team too, and even if Wood doesn’t fit their future plans, the new ownership understands Wood means a lot to the organization as a veteran leader and a ticket seller. Even with rumors swirling about Wood talking to the Phillies, Hoyer has offered Kerry a “substantial raise” so expect Kerry Wood to be in a Cubs uniform come Spring Training. He announces his decision Friday, not so coincidentally, the day the Cubs Convention begins. Wouldn’t having a long time face of the franchise announce he’s coming back be a great way to start off the festivities?
Is Alfonso Soriano leaving?
The biggest mistake of the Jim Hendry era is going to be extremely hard to move based on his contract and decrease in production. However, the front office is surely doing it’s best to move Soriano to open up space for upcoming talent like Cubs’ top prospect, outfielder Brett Jackson (same goes for Marlon Byrd, although he would be much easier to move and could probably reel-in better prospects due to a reasonable contract). The Cubs are even willing to eat most of Soriano’s 3 year/54 million dollar contract to get the deal done. Chicago has talked with numerous AL teams looking for a DH, and at this point, the top candidate is the Baltimore Orioles.
JedStein was able to deal Zambrano, for some useful talent, and plan on working their magic once again in the case of Soriano. If Hoyer can do that, and that’s a big if, vote Hoyer for GM of the year.
Have the Cubs improved?
Well, no, not in the typical sense. The North Siders have committed to a total rebuild under the new ownership, and the amount of attrition from the Cubs 2011 roster has been substantial. Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena are gone, Sean Marshall and Andrew Cashner have been moved in the name of the rebuilding, and the Cubs biggest headache has been alleviated by, somehow, sending Carlos Zambrano to South Beach, all in the name of “building a strong foundation for sustained success” as Theo Epstein would say.
(On a side note, while moving Zambrano was the right thing to do, and Chris Volstad is by no means a Plan B, in losing the headcase, we lost one of the greatest raw talents of this generation. He was once thought to put Hall of Fame numbers, could throw lefty faster than Tim Wakefield, and if he was a position player, would probably hit 25 homers a season. It’s a shame that he may never live up to his true potential, but I wish him the best and hope Ozzie Guillen is the key to keeping Big Z in check.)
It’s all addition by subtraction at this point however, because in losing the key assets from the Jim Hendry era, a new culture of balance and promising youth is being formed. A new philosophy of building a team from within has been instilled and a depleted farm system is being filled with future talent as well as numerous fliers and sleepers.
The Cubs have acquired a power-hitting, first baseman of the future in 22-year old Anthony Rizzo (instead of acquiring Prince Fielder, a move Jim Hendry may have jumped on). The pitching staff has been filled with southpaws and youth, who may seem underwhelming, but may be due for breakout campaigns based on their metric stats (look up: Wood, Travis. Maholm, Paul. Volstad, Chris.) As for the less notable acquisitions like third basemen, Ian Stewart, pitcher Andy Sonnastine, and many of the minor league acquisitions, Epstein may be throwing darts with these, but some of these darts are bound to stick. If they do, the Cubs will have a solid foundation to build on when they’re ready to compete down the road.
The one thing that has assuredly gotten better since last year are the coaches, and this is most important in building a strong foundation. Dale Sveum, former Brewers’ hitting coach (you know, the guy who brought up Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder) takes over as the head coach and that can only be an improvement from Mike Quade. Chris Bosio, former Brewers’ pitching coach (you know, the guy who coached Yovanni Gallardo and Zach Greinke) has also made the move. This newly acquired, young talent is in good hands.What to expect?
Although the Cubs World Series bound, at the very least, the Cubs are exuding something they haven’t in a long time, and that’s a feeling of promise. Expect that feeling to get stronger as Epstein and Hoyer continue retooling this team. If everything, and I mean everything, works out for the Cubs, we see a .500 season, and based off what Epstein did in Boston, and what Hoyer did for the Padres last season, well that could be a possibility. If not, we see the first steps towards building a winning franchise, and at this point, thats all someone who bleeds Cubbie blue can ask for.
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Sports and Shit: Bay Area Football and Shoes
Many scenarios faced my sister, Anduena, who recently moved from Chicago to the Bay Area. How will I find people, what’s the cheapest way to travel from place to place? what’s up with all these huge ass hills? Where were the Full House opening credits shot because I really want to go for a picnic?
All these obstacles were overcome smoothly, but apparently there was a snag in the road. Somewhere along the line, the 49’ers could not captivate her the same way the Bears had. “Football season is happening, so who do I cheer for?”
Thus the issue. While the Oakland Raiders are from two different cities, they are literally a bridge a way from each other. Just as a Chicagoan becomes a Cub or a Sox fan, a Bay Area resident picks sides as well. There is no in between, you’re one or the other and you embrace the side you pick with open arms and defend them to the bitter end.
While my sister is an avid sports fan, she is still a female and thus a discussion of shoes was also necessary to fully understand what the Bay Area football teams are all about.
San Francisco 49ers: Like the Cubs they draws the die hard, middle class fan base. Bland as can be if it wasn’t for their attitude, however, that doesn’t mean much when you’ve had a winning history. however, The glamour has been lost as they’ve failed to live up to expectations. The Joe Montana-Jerry Rice years are well over and out of mind for the most part. Any success in the past has been overshadowed by disappointment. However, they’re much more likely to win than the Raiders are and are usually favored to do well in the division but not go much further than that. They’re the safe pick in this case. They’re about doing well and putting a season together.
The Shoe:They may not be the freshest pair of kicks, but hey, they do the job. Good for business, but no ones gonna tell you “thats a sweet pair of shoes,” just as no ones gonna say the 49ers are an impressive team. They meet expectations, they don’t exceed and there’s little to get excited about.
Oakland Raiders: Excluding that one year of delectable Rich Gannon goodness. The Raiders don’t have much. Perennial losers that show no signs of rebuilding due to making absolutely awful draft picks based on nothing but hype (JaMarcus Rusell, I’m looking at you), the Raiders have one thing the 49ers dont. Swagger. Even when a franchise quarterback have the worst rating in the history of the NFL, its done with stease. The Raiders are swag from head-to-toe. No thats not an expression, I’m talking about their uniforms. Long story short, the outside perception is that the Raiders are a team of the most gangster, swagged out superstars who do what they want.
The fans are what really make it though, because no matter what, The Black Hole boasts the loud and the rowdy. The intensity, the intimidation, the guys who wear black and silver costumes of the pro wrestler Road Warriors (before the WWF changed to the WWE). They commit, they go hard, they live and die on every play.
The Shoe:The common person doesn’t have the gonads to wear these kicks, but to those who do, congrats. Yeah, to the clean cut and the straight arrows, these kicks look ridiculous, but you have to give the person who wears these bad boys props because you have to go all out to pull em off and really commit. There’s no half-heartedly popping these on or else it just wont work.
These kick, like the Raiders are bold, brash, and don’t care what you think, because they represent. Some will respect that, others will be turned off, but two things are for certain: They go HAM and you couldn’t pull them off even if you tried, bitch.
Go big or go home, Nan. You know who to choose.
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Dear JMH
I don’t care for your airheaded, d-bag answer that doesn’t even answer the question at hand… It was Mark Grace.
#knowledgebomb
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Step Into the Cave
fromthesportscave.com
Great analysis on recent sporting news. Some buddies and I from our radio station provide some great commentary on the hot topics of the sports world.
Author
I'm just a Freshman at Mizzou from Chicago who wished to play baseball for his alma mater. With a batting average below the Mendoza line and a "give it my all" attitude, I was destined to ride the bench until i "retired" from America's favorite game.
