Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Crosstown blahs

Posted in:

Illinois

* I’m finding it difficult to work up much excitement about the Crosstown Classic this year. The biggest reason, I suppose, is that I’m stuck in session during the series. But even if I was in Chicago this week, I probably wouldn’t be feeling it.

Yes, the White Sox are on a roll of late. After an absolutely miserable start, we finally got our first sweep of the season and are now just four games out of first place in the AL Central. But, man, those first two months really took a toll on my baseball soul.

Maybe I’m not my usual self because the Flubs are so exceptionally horrible these days. 19-30? Words fail me. Perhaps y’all should send your entire team down to AAA. And I don’t mean just the players. I mean the entire team, rickety stadium and all. Do us all a favor and secede from the National League. Move to Rosemont. Heck, move to Peoria, for all I care.

* Anyway, go Sox, Cubs suck, etc. Let’s at least go through the motions.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 27, 13 @ 10:04 am

Comments

Haters gonna hate. But I can’t even argue about it with you this year.

Comment by Hon. John Fritchey Monday, May 27, 13 @ 10:52 am
Yeah, it’s not much fun this year, especially on the North Side. We all knew they would be re-building for a while, but it’d be nice to see some progress in fielding, base running, you know, the fundamentals. They still can’t go first to third and are one of the few teams that can’t get a runner home from second with a base hit. Errors, including mental errors, are inexcusable.

When you play a bunch of rookies and young players, you expect some hiccups. But this is the second year for most of the youngsters and I’m not seeing much progress. What are they teaching these guys?

Having said all that: go Cubs. Sox suck. Etc.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, May 27, 13 @ 10:56 am
Both the Sox and Cubs spent a few years spending big money and going for it. The Sox got one Series out of it. The Cubs are still up three games to one versus the Marlins with Zambrano, Prior and Wood set to take the bump.

They’re both gassed now, but I don’t have a clue as to what the Cubs plan is.

What exactly is the point of a four-year, $52 million contract for Edwin Jackson? That’s not going young or going for it. You’ll still lose 100 games throwing away that money.

I knew the Ricketts were in over their heads when they didn’t go for Prince Fielder. A young lefty in his prime, he would have been a monster at Wrigley for years.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 27, 13 @ 11:13 am
Word, the Jackson signing is simple. The guy takes the ball every fifth day, gives you 200+ innings every year, hasn’t seen the DL yet in his career, and probably gets an ERA below 5. He’s there to eat up innings. He’s not an ace and never will be but he’s a known commodity that you can rely on.

Jackson buys them time until they can find a rotation that actually scares the other teams more than it scares the Cubs fans. With his stuff and his contract, he is untradable. He’ll be pitching in Wrigley for the next three plus years.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, May 27, 13 @ 11:41 am
It was frustrating for a while but there’s still reason to be hopeful about the Sox. They’re playing much better, they have the best pitching staff in the league, they’re only four games out now, and they play Detroit 18 times after June 1, which gives them a shot. As for the Cubs, yeah, I don’t see much evidence of a plan going forward either. They seem much more focused on making money than winning anything in this century. Just as well - after all, they have a tradition to maintain, right? Go Sox.

Comment by OldSmoky2 Monday, May 27, 13 @ 11:46 am
Would care more if it didn’t appear that the Sox were repeating last year’s slow start. Can’t bear the thought of another choke to end the season. That and the Cubs are truly a sad joke of a MLB team , and appear poised to stay that way for at least a few more summers.

Comment by Roadiepig Monday, May 27, 13 @ 11:47 am
Line of the day…”and their ‘Rickety’ stadium.”

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, May 27, 13 @ 12:10 pm
– and probably gets an ERA below 5.–

47, he has to ways to go to get under 5, lol. YTD:

10 starts

53 innings

1-7

6.11 ERA

You could run a different kid in and out of his spot for a lot less than $11 million a year and get the same results. If you’re rebuilding, he doesn’t make sense. If you’re going for it, he can’t be trusted.

He’s just a bad pitcher with a lot of miles.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 27, 13 @ 12:49 pm
Edwin Jackson acquisition is indefensible. He was terrible for the Sox last year. He is a sub-500 pitcher. What a waste of money. I think the Ricketts are going for another century of futility. Terrible ownership. Where is a Chicago George Steinbrenner?

Comment by Curmudgeon Monday, May 27, 13 @ 12:58 pm
I’m hoping my Sox will be competitive the rest of the way. Hate to say it, but we need the Cubs to be better if the buzz is going to return to the crosstown series. When the North Siders are even half-way decent, it serves to fire up the Sox fan base. Right now it’s like playing the Marlins again. Go Sox!

Comment by John Etheredge Monday, May 27, 13 @ 2:32 pm
In best Cubs fashion, I’ll try and be the hopeless optimist here. A little.

No way should they have gone for Fielder and bought in for 9 years, double-digit million contract. Sorry wordslinger but that has “Alfonso Soriano II” written all over it for me. They’ve got Rizzo now for 7 years at first base and for like 1/3 Fielder’s money. That’s a smarter call by Cubs brass.

The bronze lining here is that the Cubs starting pitching is actually really good this year so far. The starters have the 4th best era, in the majors, 3.36. Jackson hasn’t been so hot, but the other starters are bringing the quality.

Which the atrocious bullpen proceeds to blow. Which the strikeout happy offense (they stink at drawing walks) can’t win games for. They really need better relievers and for their young prospects to develop better plate discipline. I said modest optimism.

That said, I could see this team back in contention by 2015, if some of the young blood down in the minors pans out by then. The old Tribune Cubs couldn’t develop anybody and had to trade for nearly all their talent; I think the new management knows more what they’re doing. They’ve got the #2 draft pick this year ( and could have it again next year), they’re still in the wilderness but it’s way too early to hate on Epstein-Ricketts.

Comment by ZC Monday, May 27, 13 @ 2:43 pm
I hate interleague play. I don’t consider myself a fan anymore because of it.

Comment by Chaves-respecting Obamist Monday, May 27, 13 @ 4:00 pm
The silver lining in the Cubs lousy play the past couple of years is that I scored season tickets after a 10 year wait.

The Edwin Jackson signing is indefensible thus far.

Word is a better political analyst than he is a baseball analyst. He is completely wrong about Prince Fielder. Signing Fielder would have been worse than the Soriano deal. Soriano is still playing in his late thirties. I doubt Fielder will be playing and/or productive when he is in his late thirties.

The failure to sign Prince Fielder will be seen as a good move. Prince is 29 and is 5′11″ 275 lbs (the weight is according to Baseball Reference and I suspect is a bit low). So far this year he has 9 hr, 44 rbi, .270 ba, and .892 ops.

Rizzo is 23, 6′3″, 240 lbs. So far this year has 10 hr, 33 rbi, .259, and .815 ops.

Rizzo will more than likely be around and productive 10 years from now. Prince likely will be retired by then or hanging on as a part-time DH.

The Cubs would not be better today, or two years from now, if they were to have Fielder instead of Rizzo.

Give the Cubs a couple of years and they will be competitive - assuming they continue to put together a good farm system. I agree with the analysis by ZC.

Comment by Just the Facts Monday, May 27, 13 @ 4:38 pm
More often than not, the Sox-Cubs series gives one team a booster shot. In the case of the Sox, that could mean a serious run at contention. For the Cubs, it’ll mean breaking the 70-win mark.

Comment by Truth teller Monday, May 27, 13 @ 5:17 pm
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Looking forward to watching another Sox victory live Tuesday night at the Cell!

Comment by Stones Monday, May 27, 13 @ 6:57 pm
I’m glad the Governor was able to take time away from the last few days of session to go to the ball game.

Comment by Just Me Monday, May 27, 13 @ 7:50 pm