Almost a year into this blog, and this is my first NBA post, because even though I'm a sports fan I'm just not really into the NBA. I know, I know - these are the best basketball players in the world, playing at a ridiculously high level - what's not to like? Well, the regular season is too long, and too many teams make the playoffs, which makes the playoffs take too long (and why did the Bulls and Heat have four days off between games 2 and 3?), especially considering that the NBA is the least competitively-balanced of the four major leagues (only eight different teams have won championships in the last 30 years). It's great when you're a fan of a "have" (Lakers, Celtics, Jordan-era Bulls), but not so great for everyone else. But last night's season-ending Bulls loss compelled me to write for a couple of reasons:
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Cubs Send Tyler Colvin to Triple-A
It's been a rough beginning to the 2011 season for Cubs OF/1B Tyler Colvin. Playing time has been scarce, and when he has found his way onto the field, he's managed a grotesque .113/.191/.258 line (OPS+ of 19) in 62 at-bats. So after Monday's loss to Cincinnati, the Cubs brass decided to end Colvin's misery and give him a chance to regroup in Triple-A Iowa.
In truth, while Colvin posted decent numbers in his rookie season - 20 home runs in only 358 at bats, along with a .500 slugging percentage - there were some red flags, particularly his poor 100/30 K/BB ratio. But it's not as simple as saying he's another Corey Patterson, and that pitchers have figured out that you don't have to throw him strikes to get him out. Looking at Colvin's strikeout and walk totals this year (17/6), the ratio is pretty similar to last year's, as is the percentage of strikeouts and walks per plate appearance (in 2010: 25.3% of PA were strikeouts, 7.6% were walks; in 2011: 25% of his PA have been strikeouts, 8.8% have been walks). The real problem is just that there's no place to put Colvin into the lineup right now to give him a chance to straighten things out at the plate. He can't really play CF. Alfonso Soriano has been the only Cub to show any power (11 HR, no other Cub has more than 4). Kosuke Fukudome has been off to his usual hot April start (.886 OPS) and since he and Colvin are both left-handed hitters, they can't be platooned. What's worse for Colvin is that Reed Johnson, a better defender, has posted a 1.086 OPS (in very limited playing time) and has thus passed Colvin for the 4th outfielder spot.
The good news for Colvin is that each of the Cubs regular corner outfielders have glaring weaknesses: for Soriano - a .293 OBP, with fewer walks than Colvin in more than twice as many plate appearances, while displaying the range and catching ability of a cactus in left field; for Fukudome - the fact that it's no longer April, and he generally hits worse as the season progresses. It's the same limitations that last year, helped Colvin get the opportunity to play as much as he did, and if he hits well in Iowa he'll get another chance to take at-bats from Fukudome and/or Soriano (and Johnson, once he comes back to earth) later in the season.
The worst news, as far as Cubs fans are concerned? As bad as Colvin has been this year, he still has more HR and as many RBI as the guy who's been our primary #3 hitter, and more HR than our primary clean-up hitter too.
Monday, May 16, 2011
It's not a Dream, Illini Fans - Ron Guenther Retires!
Great days in Illini sports history:
October 29, 1983 - Illinois beats Michigan to all but lock up a trip to the Rose Bowl.
March 26, 2005 - Illinois overcomes 15-point deficit to Arizona to advance to the Final Four
May 16, 2011 - Ron Guenther announces he is retiring from his post as Athletic Director after 19 years on the job.
After making brief comments, Bruce Weber and Ron Zook were last seen purchasing large quantities of Pepto Bismol at the thought of actually being held responsible for on-field/on-court results. As for Illini fans, who suffered through Guenther's seemingly endless tolerance for mediocrity, the response was nearly universal:
October 29, 1983 - Illinois beats Michigan to all but lock up a trip to the Rose Bowl.
March 26, 2005 - Illinois overcomes 15-point deficit to Arizona to advance to the Final Four
May 16, 2011 - Ron Guenther announces he is retiring from his post as Athletic Director after 19 years on the job.
After making brief comments, Bruce Weber and Ron Zook were last seen purchasing large quantities of Pepto Bismol at the thought of actually being held responsible for on-field/on-court results. As for Illini fans, who suffered through Guenther's seemingly endless tolerance for mediocrity, the response was nearly universal:
Friday, May 13, 2011
Cubs to Start Doug Davis Saturday? That Makes Me Happy, which Makes Me Sad.
Good news - the Cubs are putting an end to the James Russell experiment and are going to use an actual major league starting pitcher on Saturday against the Giants!
Bad news - that actual major league starting pitcher will be 35-year-old Doug Davis, who will be making his first big league start since off-season elbow surgery. Davis has a career WHIP of 1.50, which ranks 64th among the 65 active pitchers with at least 1000 IP (side note - our opening day starter is also very close to the bottom of that list). Davis does have a career ERA of 2.98 and career WHIP of 1.19 at Wrigley Field, and was the winning pitcher for Arizona in Game Two of the 2007 NLDS (a/k/a the "Ted Lilly spikes his glove" game), so you could file this one under "if you can't beat 'em, sign 'em" - that's how they got Derrek Lee, after all. On the other hand, if the Cubs signed every "Cub killer" in the major leagues they'd probably have about 400 players in their organization.
It's sad to know that a team with the second-highest payroll in the National League and a (supposedly) vastly improved farm system doesn't have any better options than bringing Doug Davis in as the 5th starter. It also doesn't answer the question of what the Cubs are going to do about their 4th starter Casey Coleman (he of the 1.95 WHIP and 18/20 K/BB Ratio) until Randy Wells and/or Andrew Cashner return from the DL (although it looks like Wells is finally going to start a rehab assignment). On the plus side, despite Russell and Coleman combining to go 1-7 with a 8.16 ERA in their 10 starts, the Cubs are ahead of Milwaukee in the standings, so I guess things could be worse (see - I can be positive!)
Bad news - that actual major league starting pitcher will be 35-year-old Doug Davis, who will be making his first big league start since off-season elbow surgery. Davis has a career WHIP of 1.50, which ranks 64th among the 65 active pitchers with at least 1000 IP (side note - our opening day starter is also very close to the bottom of that list). Davis does have a career ERA of 2.98 and career WHIP of 1.19 at Wrigley Field, and was the winning pitcher for Arizona in Game Two of the 2007 NLDS (a/k/a the "Ted Lilly spikes his glove" game), so you could file this one under "if you can't beat 'em, sign 'em" - that's how they got Derrek Lee, after all. On the other hand, if the Cubs signed every "Cub killer" in the major leagues they'd probably have about 400 players in their organization.
It's sad to know that a team with the second-highest payroll in the National League and a (supposedly) vastly improved farm system doesn't have any better options than bringing Doug Davis in as the 5th starter. It also doesn't answer the question of what the Cubs are going to do about their 4th starter Casey Coleman (he of the 1.95 WHIP and 18/20 K/BB Ratio) until Randy Wells and/or Andrew Cashner return from the DL (although it looks like Wells is finally going to start a rehab assignment). On the plus side, despite Russell and Coleman combining to go 1-7 with a 8.16 ERA in their 10 starts, the Cubs are ahead of Milwaukee in the standings, so I guess things could be worse (see - I can be positive!)
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