2012 Chicago Cubs

[pdga#7648]

no. only 162 games in a season.

[stpitner]

magic numbers are 163 at the start of the season - if it was 162 the magic number would be at 0 with 2 teams that have identical records.  That's why when they say that if the magic number is 1 at the end of the season you've clinched at least a tie.

[CEValkyrie]

Bring on the Giants!!   #12 in 2012

Brett, I'm a nice guy. I haven' got my $20.00 yet, wanna go double or nothing?  Cards win the WS!!

should have taken this bet Brett. NO comebacks this NLCS!  Giants just wouldn't stop hitting the ball! I think they are just hot enough to beat a Detroit team that has sat for 5 days?

I figured the luckiest team in baseball had the road carved perfectly for them to repeat. Check went in the mail Monday morning.

[pdga#7648]

we were not talking about the Yankees Brett!  It's not luck in St. Louis when it happens time after time.

[Jon Brakel]

As far as ticket prices go I can't believe the price of tickets to Cubs games. Ticket prices have out paced inflation since I was a kid. Bruce and I could go to a Cubs game on a paperboy's budget when we were kids. Now a kid that has a job at the local theater couldn't afford those prices. However, the teams have to charge those prices when the demand is there. If they don't then you wind up with people buying lots of tickets just to resell them for a profit. Dynamic pricing is just a continuation of pricing correctly for the demand. Charge more for the games and seats that there's more demand for.

I've been to two Bears games but neither at Soldier Field. I just don't want to pay that price for a ticket. Some day I'll go...gotta do something with those future lottery winnings!

[pdga#7648]

got something in the mail today. didn't even need to see the senders return address, I knew what it was and who it was from. I think he used a entire roll of tape(smartass) I had to just tare it open at one end.

[CEValkyrie]

Sorry for the tape. Had to make sure those sweet print outs lasted the trip. Congrats on winning the bet.

[pdga#7648]

thanks. I'll bet the mailman laughed his ass off. I have a Cardinal flag hanging by the mailbox, so he knew it was some kind of prank.  I know it made me laugh the minute I grabbed the mail and saw the back of it. makes me want to lose a bet to return the favor.

[stpitner]

haha, awesome job, Brett lol.

[CEValkyrie]

Congrats to Barney for winning a Gold Glove. Once guys like Barney are coming off the bench we know we are gettng somewhere.

[pdga#7648]

well deserved too. would like to see him in a Redbird jersey soon. would plug that much needed gap very nicely!

[Dan Michler]

Barney did actually deserve the award, which is surprising because they screw up this award more often than they get it right.  MLB really needs to either get rid of the Gold Glove, or have baseball writers/media vote on it.  The managers clearly put in a half-ass effort when it comes to Gold Glove voting and its embarrassing, and often just seem to vote for the best offensive player.
Adam Jones over Trout in the American League may have been the most ridiculous, but just looking at the NL there were some other laughable choices for the award.

Molina, LaRoche, Barney, and Heyward.  Those 4 look like solid picks.

Chase Headly at 3B?  Advanced metrics say he cost his team 7 runs versus an what an average defender would accomplish.  Meanwhile David Wright saved his team 16 runs, by far the most among NL 3B.  There is no metric that shows Headley as anywhere close to Wright, but Headly did lead the NL in RBI and hit 31 HR this year!

Rollins at SS, -8 runs where Clint Barmes was +12 runs.  Carlos Gonzalez is rated as the WORST defensive LF according to FanGraphs, yet he won the award.  Andrew McCutchen is another example of a guy winning the Gold Glove after a standout season at the plate.  He cost his team 5 runs, where Michael Bourn was superior by any advanced metric, saving his team 24 runs.

Maybe you think these advanced metrics are a bunch of BS.  In that case let me point out that Palmeiro won the AL Gold Glove at 1B in 1999 despite playing only 28 games at 1B and DHing the rest of the year.  I don't think you need an advanced metric to tell you this system sucks.

[Dan Michler]

The Angels are shopping Dan Haren and supposedly the Cubs are interested.

Haren was a fantasy favorite for me in the past.  The most consistent SP from 2005-2011, with at least 33 starts every year and ~15 wins every year with ERA in the low 3's and close to 200 K's.

But, he had a down year last year with some injury issues and he'll be 33 next year.  Wouldn't trading for high priced player near the end of his prime seem like the exact opposite of every other move Epstein/Hoyer has made with the Cubs?  Not sure if this is a sign that the strategy may be changing more toward trying to win in the near future.  Or maybe they are just bargain shopping, seeing if there is a cheap way that can get somebody that the fans can actually feel slightly excited about paying to see play next year.

[airspuds]

another tweet failure 

the why would they  ?

guy eats innings ,  Marmol being shown the exit

[pdga#7648]

Travis Wood was actually pretty stellar the last month of the season.  Hopefully it carries over to 2013.

Forgettable season in the books.

My awards picks:

NL MVP--Ryan Braun    (B.Posey and Y.Molina would also be decent picks. I give Braun his 2nd straight MVP.  He had his best year so far and had very little protection after losing Prince.  His defense and overall game has improved. He won't win the award due to the PED issue, but he should.  I think Posey will win.)

AL MVP--Trout

NL Cy Young--R.A. Dickey  (coin flip between Dickey, Gio, Cueto, and Kershaw.  I like Dickey because he pitched more innings.  Its impressive what Cueto did while having to start 14 games at the Great American Ballpark.)

AL Cy Young---Verlander  (Price was great, but Verlander was better.  He pitched alot more innings, struck out more batters, and allowed fewer runners.  All while pitching for one of the worst defensive teams ever assembled.)

just saw an online poll, Cabrera leading 78% to Trouts 20% for AL MVP!   told ya's, it wont even be close! no one cares about the runs saved or replacement wins.  The highest avg, hr's, and rbi's speaks volumes!

[pdga#7648]

22 1st place votes to Trout's 6. and that was being generous to Trout!