Crasnick gives us our yearly fluff. Complete with HAVOC!

by thedecline19 on Apr 2, 2009 8:25 PM EDT Comment 16 comments

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview09/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=4033671

No idea if this has been mentioned yet. Feel free to delete if it has. Feel free to shower me with praise, money, and gifts if it hasn't.

I now need more words to make this a fanpost. Umm, hmm.....Something about Sheffield.....Marty being crotchety.....not a clutch player......Barry Larkin should be in the hall....Dustbag...Tavares....Eric Davis for Heisman?

Enough?

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good work hooray! here is my gif.t to you:

and next time, when the thing tells you that you dont have enough words for a FanPost, you should make it a FanShot. especially if you just have a link. kthnx

My millions are unconventional!

by Charlie Scrabbles on Apr 2, 2009 8:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Come on, Crasnick!

You know you didn’t come up with the HAVOC thing for the rotation! Credit where credit’s due! (Redleg Nation, I’m pretty sure)

"I can eat mayonnaise with a spoon." - Jeff Brantley

by BK on Apr 2, 2009 9:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

AHH Steve Parris mention!

Where are my meds?

"I usually shoot it pretty straight."- a boating enthusiast

by Colin Auscapee on Apr 2, 2009 11:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Did he mention Al Leiter also?

They will be forever associated in my mind.

And Adam Dunn's spirit, ranging for revenge / With Ate by his side come hot from hell, / Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice / Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war...

by Paul Householder on Apr 3, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

After a great night at the lanes...3 out of 4 for Madville's comets

Charlie has left me breathless with anticipation !!!

Its probably going to happen - bend over

by Madville on Apr 3, 2009 1:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Response to article

per Fangraphs

by Snake the Jake on Apr 3, 2009 8:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Am I crazy?

No, I’m stupid, but still….I can’t shake the nagging feeling that the Cubs are not going to be as good as people think they are. Frankly, barring a miracle, Derek Lee doesn’t scare anyone when the gamer is on the line (and I should confess that I love Derek Lee). They lost a lot when they moved DeRosa and I’m not how much they know they will miss him until people start getting hurt. And, frankly, Alfono Soriano has the pure talent of a Hall of Famer, but he lacks something. I just am not awed by his actual game contributions.

More importantly, however, is he has what I imagine will hold them back: an injury history. Last year, Zambrano pitched with duct tape and chicken wire. I cannot imagine him staying healthy. Dempster had a season I can’t imagine (and neither can the projections listed on fangraphs) him repeating, and Haren, well, he will miss some time.

In short, the Cubs are a classic team on paper, but the people expecting them to run away with the division are imagining everyone will duplicate last year’s performances. I am not sold. I think they went from good to old somewhere in November and their roster moves were akin to the French construction of the Maginot Line (i.e. trying to fix the roster problems with the 2008 club).

Then again, I am VERY excited to see the Zambrano/Bradley fight in the dugout. My money’s on Milton, because he although he’s smaller he’s also crazy.

by timb116 on Apr 3, 2009 10:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thankfully for the Cubs, Haren pitches for Arizona

Although I figure they would swap him for Rich Harden straight up, because as good as Harden can be, you’re correct that he has a problem with injuries.

by Brendanukkah on Apr 3, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Derrek Lee's "clutch" stats

Career Late and Close: .300/.398/.504
Career Tie Game: .284/.380/.485
Career Within 1 Run: .287/.377/.495
Career 2 outs, RISP: 239/.377/.417

2008 Late and Close: .258/.336/.464
2008 Tie Game: .299/.373/.512
2008 Within 1 Run: 317/.392/.523
2008 2 outs, RISP: .265/.345/.327

He’s declining, but I think it’s an overstatement to say Lee, barring a miracle, is a guaranteed out in important at bats.

Will you stop it with the vegetables

by Man Mountain on Apr 3, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Cubbies

Baseball America points out that they’ve been terrible in the draft.

While organizations certainly endure cold streaks in the draft, it’s hard to match the Cubs in this regard, especially after the week they just had. They cut ties with their top picks from the 2003 through 2005 drafts, releasing Harvey (’03, sixth overall), Johnson (’04, second round) and Pawelek (’05, 20th overall). Jim Callis notes that the Cubs invested $5.41 million in this trio, receiving an extremely limited return. And you’re probably familiar with the plight of Chicago’s top draft selections in the three years prior to that: Bobby Brownlie, Mark Prior and Lou Montanez, who at least seems to have salvaged his career with the Orioles (he’s on the 40-man, at least).

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Apr 3, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not crazy

You’re right about the hitters, but even with Dempster and Zambrano due to decline, they’ve still got the best rotation in the division and a good bullpen. As I’ve said before, there is a great possibility for many things to go wrong in Chicago, but I don’t see the Reds beating them out unless EVERYTHING goes wrong and everything in turn goes right in Cincy.

by teb7 on Apr 3, 2009 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs