Tuesday, July 8, 2008

I hate the NL Central

It's bad enough to have to play in a 6 team division, but now that the Brewers and Cubs have both improved their starting rotations, it just got that much tougher. The Cubs pulled off a great trade for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin today. I'm shocked the A's parted with Harden for so little, but since he's on my fantasy team, I have noticed that he hasn't gone past 5 innings too often recently, which makes me wonder how sound his arm is. Still, this is a great deal for the Cubs who apparently agreed with my assessment that they needed more pitching. The only part that surprises me is that they were able to acquire it.

Links:
Tony appeared on Mike and Mike.

17 comments:

shake'n'bake said...

I liked Murton and he was good the one year the Cubs would actually play him (though you wouldn't like him. Fan favorite, good OBP without power. Kinda remind you of someone). Gallagher has been decent and the other two are prospects.
It's Billy Beane so I doubt the Cubs got a fantastic deal here. It's all about Harden's health.
Harden slots in between Big Z and Dempster in season value so far.

Anonymous said...

apparently, the colts "may be on a downward trend" ...
http://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2008/7/4/564793/game-6-ravens-colts

wha?

-matt

Anonymous said...

It's from a Ravens fan. Take a drink everytime they bawwwwwwwwwwwww about the Colts leaving. Make sure it's non-alcoholic, or else you'll poison yourself.

shake'n'bake said...

Really all I'm coming up with for Beane's motivations is that with his small payroll the risk of losing Harden to injury is a bigger deal than for a team that isn't so cash strapped (they can afford replacements and eat the salary if he gets hurt easier).

Bob M. said...

This just in: Jags rumored to be on the block.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/hashmarks/0-8-110/Report--Weaver-in-talks-about-selling-Jags.html

Thought you'd enjoy that Hashmarks piece. But the erstwhile buyer, who is vehemently denying anything and everything, lives in NJ, so why move a team to LA? Whatever... the Jagfan comments after the article are priceless.

Bob M. said...

Just saw your Baltimore Raven posts. If we drink every time they gripe about the Colts, do we also get to drink (doubles?) every time they deny being hypocrites, since they support the theft of the Browns from Cleveland? I'm sure it's totally different. Yes, blah blah blah.

Anonymous said...

The Bittermore Drinking game:

1 drink for:

mentions of the Colts leaving Baltimore

allusions the Colts are still Baltimore's team

anytime the media mentions it during the lead-up to a Colts/Ravens game

2 drinks:

Cursing Robert Irsay

Cursing Indianapolis

Corn field and hick jokes in relation to Indiana

Talks that the Colts are still cursed even after winning a SB

3 drinks and a roll of the eyes:

Hyprocritical excuses for taking the Browns

Proclaiming they let Cleavland keep the Browns name, when Cleavland sued for it

Praising Art Modell for bringing the Browns there

4 drinks and a laugh for:

Talk of how Peyton can't handle their Defense

Talk of their offense as anything other than a liability

Proclamations that the Colts offense can't move the ball against them

Chug and make a Mayflower joke:

Anytime a Baltimore fan posts on a Colts MB/Blog

Anytime the media maks reference to how Billick wants the Colts O and how Tony would "love" the Ravens D

Whenever the Colts have to go to Bittermore and endure the classiness of the city

Play beer pong:

When Bittermore fans consoldate with Jags/Titans/Pats fan

Mention winning the SB/Tampa winning after TD left

And finally, whenever the Ravens finish under .500

Bob M. said...

I'll drink to that. Excellent game, though it looks to be lethal after about ten minutes. Ten seconds?

Anonymous said...

I was bored and started throwing some hypothetical stats together, and came up with something interesting. Apparently, if you combine Troy Williamson and Jerry Porter, you get 1/2 of Reggie Wayne. I broke down their season statistics, and a combined Williamson/Porter would have half the receptions, yards, TDs, and first downs as Wayne does in an average season.

So, it's not that the Jags are thin at WR. They're thin at capable WR.

Anonymous said...

@Bob.M, hence the warning to not use alcohol. Your liver'll thank you.

Bob M. said...

I wouldn't go overboard on the Williamson + Porter = Wayne/2

Keep in mind who has been throwing to those guys.... It's really not an apples to apples comparison. Still, the point is well taken--I suspect that Will + Port >= Wayne in production if they were on the Colts. But since they are on the Jags.... I'll say they'll hit 75% of Wayne's production. (And I expect Wayne to improve with a viable Marvin on the field this year--fewer attempts, but less double-coverage.)

Deshawn Zombie said...

I like that formula, Bob. That will be one of our fearless predictions for 2008. Williamson + Porter= .75 Wayne

Excellent work

Anonymous said...

Matt Jones is in a little bit of trouble. Oops.

And I am loving another quiet Colts offseason as we reload for another championship run.

Anonymous said...

That's what you get for being drafted by Jacksonville.

shake'n'bake said...

The Brewers are pro-dumping beer on small children

HeatherRadish said...

Oh dear.

Bob M. said...

Shake,
At the risk of displaying my Seattle microbrew bias, how else will the Milwaukee macro-breweries move their stock? Wash the car with it? Check. Take a bath? Check. Remake Laverne & Shirley? Waiting for a greenlight. Dump it on kids? Check....