(dying laughing), okay, I’m at the new thread now. The question is, do I pick up a bomber of Arrogant Bastard Ale for tonight, or do I try something new?

A lot of folks seem rather enamored of Abreu. I don’t get it. He’s likely the worst defensive OF in the game, or at least the worst of the regulars and his HR numbers have dipped considerably. He’s a good hitter, solid OBP, but he’s not worth the price he wants.

The question is, do I pick up a bomber of Arrogant Bastard Ale for tonight, or do I try something new?

If you can get Two Brothers Cane and Ebel, get a bomber of that; otherwise, you really can’t go wrong with Arrogant Bastard.

I tried Arrogant Bastard Ale on New Years. It was ok.

The question is, do I pick up a bomber of Arrogant Bastard Ale for tonight, or do I try something new?

(dying laughing)

Man, HG, you really like Grain Belt. It’s almost like ccd’s and my obsession with the Old Style.

Have you looked at Whole Foods?

Yeah, Whole Foods is where I get most of my beer, at least when I’m in DC on the weekends. There’s also a really good liquor store in Chevy Chase that lets you buy singles. But alas, neither of them had anything from Two Brothers or Founders. At least I can find Bells and Stone.

Grain belt might be my favorite domestic beer (non-micro brew).  The new owners (and brewery) have done a great job.  I just can’t believe they decided to keep the name, that couldn’t have seemed like a lucrative marketing decision at the time.

Grain belt might be my favorite domestic beer (non-micro brew).  The new owners (and brewery) have done a great job.  I just can’t believe they decided to keep the name, that couldn’t have seemed like a lucrative marketing decision at the time.

Schlitz just did the same thing when they went back to the old formula, and Old Style is going back to full krausening, but changing nothing else. Seems like a trend among some older, more recognizable brews.

I can’t find Two Brothers out here

That’s Al Yellon’s kind of place!

Grain Belt will be a wpbc beer o’ the week the next time I hit MN.

I’ve never had Dark Lord

Nectar. Of. The. Gods.

Dark Lord day

You can only buy it at the brewery now on Dark Lord Day (last Sat in April), cash only and limited to 6 bottles per customer.

Ah, so that’s Dark Lord Day. Sounds like reason enough to make a roadtrip when I can get back to Chicago…sad that that won’t be for a few years.

Sounds like reason enough to make a roadtrip when I can get back to Chicago

That’s my b-day weekend, so I’m trying to put something together.

It would explain the lack of interest in guys like Burrell and Dunn (though not in Ibanez, who was overpaid) if teams now are able to get a better idea of just how much their poor defense would cost them.

Apparently teams don’t buy into Three True Outcomes.

That Burrell deal is a pretty shrewd deal for TB. It would be about right for an NL team, because his defense significantly lowers his value. In the AL, however, he can sit and hit; Pat Burrell could be deadly as a DH.

Vlad, it’s possible they changed that rule a few years ago if you aren’t able to find it.  I’ll look later on.  The point still stands though.  Arbitrators aren’t going to give any player significant pay cut.  I’d be surprised if arbitrators had given him anything less than what he made in 2008.

Wreckard, thanks for the link to JC’s article.  One thing I should mention is that JC and most sabermetricians strongly disagree on the value of players.  JC thought the ibanez deal was a good one and nearly every sabermetrician found it to be a laughable deal. 

Also, teams are definitely improving when it comes to evaluating defense.  There are reliable metrics around and teams have their own statisticians doing some work as well and the defensive metrics, while they’ll never be as “good” as the offensive ones, are becoming quite reliable.  There’s no reason any more to ignore defense because it’s become relatively easy to quantify with the play by play logs as well as the people who are employed to plot exactly where balls where fielded and how hard they were hit (these are used for systems like UZR and PMR, I believe).  So there’s a great deal of data.  There’s also some inconsistency and the people who created those metrics (UZR is the best by far) will tell you that you need 3 years of data to know if one year’s numbers are reliable.  For example, if you have Bobby Abreu being at -20, -16, and -25 and then he’s -1, something was more than likely wrong with the data for that -1 season, but you can’t ignore it either.  You’d have to regress it with past seasons and by doing so you still end up with Abreu being about a -20 fielder (these numbers I just made up though Abreu probably is a -20 fielder).

Dunn might be out in limbo.  He’s not going to get what he was originally hoping he would get.  He’ll probably end up signing for a lot less than a lot of teams thought he would cost.

I wonder if the Angels might look at him to replace Tex.

BTW, the Bears just shitcanned their LB, D-Line, and DB coaches.  Lovie is going to fire everybody he can to save Babich.

I think there is a huge difference in knowledge between the front offices and people like the fans and media.  I know nobody was saying otherwise, but fielders like McLouth are always going to be considered good by the majority of people because, you know, he won a gold glove award, which is all most people need to reach a conclusion.  I’m pretty sure the Pirates front office would tell you that Nate McLouth is a horrible defender. 

What I think is a positive is that sooner than later this knowledge will break through into the media (it’s already begun) and will break through into the broadcast booths (some players have already talked about advanced stats and these are the future broadcasters). When that happens the level of discourse will improve whereas right now we’re arguing against people who have opinions and are in no way interested in ever changing them no matter how much evidence one may provide to support their claims.

Lovie is going to fire everybody he can to save Babich.

un-fucking-real. he fired chico for that assclown.

un-fucking-real. he fired chico for that assclown.

Yeah, and now, if he hires Marinelli, who has been offered a job by the Bears, he’s got a hard choice to make. But only for Lovie, because Marinelli is a good defensive coach, miles better than Babich. You can Babich, hire Marinelli and tell Lovie to get his hand out of the DC’s cookie jar.

Vlad, it’s possible they changed that rule a few years ago if you aren’t able to find it.  I’ll look later on.  The point still stands though.  Arbitrators aren’t going to give any player significant pay cut.  I’d be surprised if arbitrators had given him anything less than what he made in 2008.

Yeah, the point was mostly academic, I just couldn’t find the rule anywhere. For players who aren’t free agents there’s protection on how much of a pay cut you can give them, but I don’t think there is for free agents anymore. But like you said, an arbitrator probably wasn’t going to give him a pay cut. And the way the system is set up, it would be an unacceptable risk to hope the arbitrator would.

marinelli to be the d-line coach is what i heard? hilarious

He was offered the job, but Seattle will offer him more money and the DC position, and he’ll take it.  The Bears won’t offer him that for two reasons: Lovie is wedded to Babich, and the Bears are too fucking cheap.

Fucking Babich!!  He took a once feared defense and turned them into shit in 2 years.  Somebody on a Bears site said it’s not Babich’s fault, that the defense got too old.  Huh?  The oldest guy on the D is Wale and he’s only 31.

Somebody on a Bears site said it’s not Babich’s fault, that the defense got too old.

This is why I stay away from football blogs. The BEars defense failed for three reasons: poor play at the d-line and at safety and an inflexible scheme. They play cover-2. In that scheme you must get pressure from your front 4 and your safeties must be very good in coverage. Mike Brown is a very good 4-3 safety; in the cover-2, he’s slightly above average. Daniel Manning, Kevin Payne and Steltz are just plain bad. They are poor tacklers, do not read and react well and don’t know the coverages. So, you get no pass rush, at all, from the front 4, couple it with inept safety play, and add to those to the fact that the league has figured out the cover-2 and will tear it apart with 12-15 yard slants and TE routes up the seam, and you have the 2008 Bears defense.

e-mail, MD

ditto

Pretty sure Slezak’s crazy to think Vick won’t be suspended for at least a year after his release, and she’s also crazy to think he’s going to be in playing shape when he gets out.

Oh, also, even if he were in playing shape and were eligible to play, he’d be getting out about 40 days before the start of the season. He’s never been a very good passer to begin with, and the Bears have never had a QB like him. So the Bears would have to assess where he’s at physically when he gets out, figure out their offensive scheme, and teach it to him in that time.

Basically, what I’m saying is, they might as well stick with Orton for next season over trying the Vick thing.

Fucking Babich!!  He took a once feared defense and turned them into shit in 2 years.  Somebody on a Bears site said it’s not Babich’s fault, that the defense got too old.  Huh?  The oldest guy on the D is Wale and he’s only 31.

Babich certainly deserves quite a bit of blame for the craptitude of the last couple seasons, but the D started sliding during the second half of the Super Bowl season.  While many attributed it to the loss of Mike Brown, they could no longer stop the run.  The team was lucky to get by the Seahawks and the Saints in the playoffs.  Then Manning let Addai and Rhodes tear them apart.  It’s crazy that a defense that was so dominant for a season and a half could suddenly turn to crap.  I’ve wanted Lovie as head coach since the year they hired Juaron, but I don’t know if I can handle another season like the last 2 1/2.

Tommie Harris is the biggest reason the Bears defense has struggled.  It began declining in 06 after he and Brown got hurt.  He hasn’t been the same player since.  If anyone noticed in games where he played well this season and got pressure up the middle it changed everything.  He has obviously been hampered by injuries and you could say the same of Urlacher and Mike Brown.  I also agree that the safeties are atrocious.  I do think Babich is kind of unimportant though as it’s really Lovie’s defense and the scheme isn’t a problem if you have good healthy players to operate within it.  Angelo needs to take blame for not drafting better defensive players over last 3 years.

I would have to disagree that processing animals for consumption is akin to dog fighting.  Animals are treated in a plausibly humane manner in order to be made into food products.  Dog fighting is absolute torture of those animals and extremely inhumane.  It is cruel and unusual behavior.  Now I don’t think it’s as terrible as harming people either so it doesn’t have to fit into one category or the other to me.  Vick has every right to be able to find employment in the NFL after he serves his time.

You can say you do it for health reasons, but there’s really nothing healthy about not eating meat.  If there was wouldn’t more professional athletes be vegetarians?  How many athletes can you name that are?  Probably just Prince Fielder, and he’s not exactly the epitome of good health.  I don’t hunt either, but I feel bad for people who don’t eat meat because they heard it might be good for them to avoid it.  If it’s for principal, then by all means don’t eat meat.

I think that describes a lot of people, because as much potential as humans have, we sure are a stupid species.

Have you ever seen Idiocracy? I don’t think it’s at all accurate, but it’s pretty funny nonetheless.

While I agree about the point about Vick’s treatment of animals, and the treatment of other people being more important, (like the whole fucking Cinncinati Bengals team for instance), it should be pointed out that part of the reason Michael Vick is serving a prison sentence has less to do with treatment of animals and more to do with running a high-dollar gambling ring from his garage.  While the morality issues of this (if thre are even any- I don’t personally see anything wrong with it except that the dogs were pretty much tortured as the object of the “bets”), running such a gambling ring is against the law.  Still, that doesn’t compare on a moral grounds way with the mistreatment of another person, its just that the gambling thing is why he’s doing time.

depends on the person and how much they consume. I wasn’t making a blanket statement. For a person with obvious hereditary heart problems it’s probably wise to limit the animal fat, but that’s between the person and their doctor or whatever.

I know, I didn’t think you were making a blanket statement and my response also didn’t include people with hereditary health issues.  Clearly there are some benefits from not eating meat.  You’ll have lower cholesterol when your older and probably live longer if you avoid meat your whole life (of course you’d also have to avoid alcohol and tobacco and high fructose corn syrup).  Basically you’d sacrifice the current health benefits of eating meat for a chance of living to 100 instead of 90.  And frankly, if I make it past 70 I’ll be very disappointed.

Back on track.  Michael Vick.  Didn’t he serve a 2 year prison sentence?  Rapists get less time than that.  As far as I’m concerned his punishment is complete and if he’s in any shape to play football, he should be allowed.

Editor’s note:  I love dogs.  I’m a dog owner and always have been.  The dogs he raised and fought and killed are not Lassie, or Rin Tin Tin.  They are fighting breeds specifically bred and raised to fight.  They weren’t domesticated creatures.  I think it’s wrong and I don’t condone it, but I’m pretty sure he learned his lesson by now.

Have you ever seen Idiocracy? I don’t think it’s at all accurate, but it’s pretty funny nonetheless.

I have not.  I just did a quick search and it seems like something I’d enjoy.  Mike Judge was the director, and Beavis and Butthead were responsible for at least half of my criminal record.  I’ll give it a shot (if it’s available via netflix).  Boosh.

I actually think running a big-money gambling ring is a good reason why someone shouldn’t be let back into a sport. It raises questions, anyway.

Also, Vick is serving more than a rapist might because rape is usually a state crime and running a big money gambling ring is a federal crime, and the penalties for federal crimes are usually steeper.

Finally, TheVan, I think you need to read up on pit bulls more, and how someone trains a dog to fight, because what you just said about Vick’s dogs is patently false.

Finally, TheVan, I think you need to read up on pit bulls more, and how someone trains a dog to fight, because what you just said about Vick’s dogs is patently false.

False.  Unless you mean he borrowed someone’s pet and trained it to fight.  Then your statement would be true.  What I said means that from the time these dogs are born they are never intended to be anyone’s pet.  Unless that’s what you mean as well.  And if that’s the case, than, well…false.

I’m not a vegetarian but I can understand it. You can do it for health reasons or on principle.

I wouldn’t call myself a vegetarian though many of my friends would.  I don’t eat much meat.  I rarely put anything on the menu that includes meat, but will eat it if we go out to dinner or if we a large group of people over (family dinners or something).  I don’t do it on principle.  I just feel much better not eating meat.

I actually think running a big-money gambling ring is a good reason why someone shouldn’t be let back into a sport. It raises questions, anyway.

good point as well

My point was just hiring Vick as a your QB. I noticed a lot of people feel the same way about him as they do about Bradley for some reason and I though it an interesting topic.

It is interesting, but I don’t think Bradley compares to Vick.  He hasn’t been in prison…yet.  If some fan goes after him, he might end up there though.

I actually think running a big-money gambling ring is a good reason why someone shouldn’t be let back into a sport. It raises questions, anyway.

Did it have anything to do with football though?  If it didn’t, I don’t see a problem with it. 

Vick is a piece of shit.  No doubt.  I think he served his sentence and should be able to return to whatever it is that he wants to do.

And how about the treatment of baby cows just so we can have some super tender non-colored meat?  They suspend these animals without the ability to move because they don’t want the muscles to get stronger.  That is some fucked up cruelty.

agreed

I feel so much better when I don’t eat meat or other animal fats. Just the way it is. I’ve accepted it even though I crave bad foods sometimes.

Sometimes it’s worth it just to satisfy those cravings.  A couple weeks ago I had a craving for a snickers bar and I went up and bought 2 of the king size ones.  I ate them both that night.  I ran for an extra 10 minutes each day for about a week.

It is interesting, but I don’t think Bradley compares to Vick.  He hasn’t been in prison…yet.  If some fan goes after him, he might end up there though.

I’m hoping Bradley hits a big HR in the first home game like Fukudome did so the dumbass fans won’t even be given the chance. I don’t think Bradley will be like anybody is making him out to be but that would be a cool way to start things off.

Sometimes it’s worth it just to satisfy those cravings.  A couple weeks ago I had a craving for a snickers bar and I went up and bought 2 of the king size ones.  I ate them both that night.  I ran for an extra 10 minutes each day for about a week.

you runners can get away with a lot. fuckers!

TheVan, generally, “domesticated” refers to a species, not individuals. Pit bulls are domesticated. You also said these dogs are not Lassie or Rin Tin Tin. And a number of Vick’s dogs have been rehabbed to my understanding. And pit bulls make perfectly fine pets.

I also think the notion that I see reflected in certain posts here, that you can’t condemn what Vick did and eat meat is just flat stupid. Aside from the fact that you can do your best to eat meat that was raised in more humane ways, I think there’s a valid distinction to be made between causing suffering for sustenance and causing suffering for sport.

All that said, I don’t think dog fighting is such a heinous crime that someone should be unemployable for doing it. But it’s still pretty twisted.

True. Sorry, I’ve seen plenty of people try to minimize this as somehow totally ok because it’s just his property, and I just assumed that’s where you were going, and I think I was just reading old arguments I’ve read before into what you were writing when I shouldn’t have.

yeah, it’s twisted alright. I can’t imagine what kind of person thinks it’s OK to do that shit but people do that to other humans so there you go. Insanity.

So far as I can tell, if you think it’s ok to do that to other humans you get to be a law prof at Berkeley and write articles in the New York Times.

So far as I can tell, if you think it’s ok to do that to other humans you get to be a law prof at Berkeley and write articles in the New York Times.

I must’ve missed that when I was at the Dominican cockfighting championship series.

I also think the notion that I see reflected in certain posts here, that you can’t condemn what Vick did and eat meat is just flat stupid. Aside from the fact that you can do your best to eat meat that was raised in more humane ways, I think there’s a valid distinction to be made between causing suffering for sustenance and causing suffering for sport.

But one doesn’t need to cause suffering to the animals for sustenance.  Eating meats is a sport, Vlad.  It’s not so much of one these days of course, but any animal you eat suffered at some point.  I don’t disagree that there is a big difference between what Vick did.  I just think it’s a rather fine line.

Looking back now I wish Fukudome hadn’t hit that home run.  It’s probably the reason the same dumbass fans gave him a free pass through his entire second half suck fest

I agree. He didn’t even have a good first half. It was more like a good first third wasn’t it? I remember that moment very well and it was exciting as hell. It probably had more to do with Gagne pitching than Fukudome hitting, though (dying laughing)

Too bad the cubs lost that game. Fun way to start the season.

Actually, through supplementation I was able to keep myself at about a 60/30/10 carb/protein/fat (though I agree that most of my carbs were likely sugar based).  I’m pretty conscious about my nutrition for my running and cycling.  Had to eat a lot of beans for protein.  I just think my body reacts differently to plant proteins than it does to meat proteins.

Good thing you were taking supplements.  Most people would see that diet and not even bother.  Something in your body needs the protein and fat that my body dislikes.  Strange how something works for one but not the other.

Most people would see that diet and not even bother.

I wouldn’t have bothered, but my wife wanted me to try it.  She has the metabolism of a greyhound and eats nothing but junk all day and manages to stay around 105-110.  Then I pick up some of her eating habits and I gain 30 pounds and it takes me a year to get rid of it.  If there’s one thing I remember from being a vegetarian for a month, man was I gassy.  My kids thought I was the funniest man on the planet (flatulence is humorous when you’re 2 and 3).  That’s what happens when you try to get all your proteins from beans, you end up getting way too much fiber.

i have nothing to add to this mess.

Had it not been because of Fukudome (apparently) we wouldn’t have to deal with Bradley.

I find it rather sad that there cannot be a simple clean slate with regards to Milton Bradley in Chicago I don’t know. Why every single mentally retarded fan feels the need to act holier-than-thou?

What is amazing is the fact that if half the assholes who have shit to say would do any research whatsoever they would shrivel up and die. It feels like it wouldn’t even stop then. I can’t speak for much of any other fan base, but it simply feels like to me Cub fans are fucking children. The one thing that bothered me the most was the fact some assholes at BTI were taking solace in the fact that Bradley is going to get heckled. That’s a great idea, fuckin’ idiots, then when all is said and done and Bradley (inevitably) backlashes as his personality dictates, you can then cry about him being a mouthy nigger. (Right Al?) What wouldn’t suprise me, is to see these assholes (mind you I’m talking both fans and media) run Bradley out of town.

My only hope for Milton Bradley, and really the only thing I can see stopping each and every assfuck douche in Chicago is to see him hit a homerun in the bottom of the ninth to send the Cubs to the World Series. Then again, who am I kidding? Even if he bats .250 in the series he’ll be made into a demon.

I love Chicago, I love this city. I just cannot stand the plethora off mouth breathing stupid fucks that inhabit this city.

If I have to hear one more time about how Marquis is a good fifth starter I’m going to scream.

Is it the ‘good’ part you take exception to? He’s a little below your standard run of the mill fifth starter as far as I’m concerned,  -.58 in ‘08, -.83 in ‘07. Not worth the amount of money he was given, at all. I wouldn’t by any means call him ‘good’, I would agree.

So in a way I guess we should be thankful Fukudome sucked ass last year.  If he rebounds in his sophomore year than we be even more thankful.

Mind you this was per BTI, so take it for what it’s worth. Nothing.

It’s such a stupid way of looking at it. Let’s say a guy IS the best fifth starter in the majors. That would mean, what, only 100-120 starting pitchers in the majors are better than him? Oh look out!

I like how Al mentions his OPS+ the last few years has been 99 and 101 or whatever. That’s fuckin’ wonderful Al, these pitchers are a dime a fuckin’ dozen.

Looking the WAR that I posted too, there were much much better options. What they were at the time I don’t know, I’m too lazy to do research.

if bradley hits .280 and with power and doesn’t eat someone’s face off fans will not give him any static.  all of the press will turn to the new story…how bradley has changed, matured, fits in, is a leader with some fire in a listless clubhouse…these things come in waves, and most reporters are biased and/or are lemmings.  racists are racists, that will never change…but the liberal press will absolutely rotate to the feel good reclamation project when he plays well and doesn’t break any dog necks.

who would you rather have - derosa?  or fukudome and the 3 arms?  i ask this because you have to believe hendry looked to move fuku as well.  considering the savings on derosa ex miles is only like $2-$3mm a year, can we assume the only bidders for fuku were $8-$9mm below his salary level?  oh man i hope he comes out better this year.

I can’t imagine anyone would take Fukudome without the Cubs eating a significant portion of his salary, which would somewhat defeat the purpose of trading him in the first place.

I have nothing to add today except a few stupid BCB posts:

Wood and DeRo
For those of you who are lamenting Kerry’s departure, I’m not sold that we should’ve paid $10MM/year for a mediocre closer. He blew 15% of his saves and walked/hit quite a few per 9……he was hardly the real deal. While I realize Gregg is not perfect either, I like the “strategy” of moving Marmol to close and using Gregg as set up while saving some $$$. Spellcheck could also set up Marmol-let’s not forget, if Gregg is a bust.

Additionally, DeRosa had a CAREER year last year and turns 34 before the season starts. I don’t think it’s a bad sell high move, although I can see some “complaints” about the prospects we received in return. I’m holding judgment until we see if these players get packaged in another deal coming. Bottom line, I can see some sound rationale to the trade…
by jballgame on Jan 6, 2009 6:16 PM CST reply   1 recs

Let’s look at Wood’s walks and Gregg’s.
Wood: 66.1 IP, 18 BB, 7 HBP
Gregg: 68.2 IP, 37 BB, 4 HBP

Now, tell me again that Gregg has better control than Wood.

Oh, and Gregg blew 24% of his save opportunities.

“That’s my opinion and if you don’t like it, well, I have others.” ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 6, 2009 8:04 PM CST up reply   0 recs

He never said Gregg was better than Wood.
He was saying Wood is about league average for a closer (and I don’t know if this is true or not)
by GoCubbies34 on Jan 6, 2009 8:43 PM CST up reply   0 recs

No, but he implied Wood walked a lot of people and Gregg doesn’t.
Which isn’t true.

“That’s my opinion and if you don’t like it, well, I have others.” ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 7, 2009 4:41 AM CST up reply   0 recs

Someone needs to explain the difference between imply and infer to Al…