In the headline, when I said “Dempster Meets Expectations”, I didn’t mean the expectations of an opening day starter. I mean those that we have for Ryan Dempster after last season. He didn’t have the greatest of days yesterday.
In his second-to-last spring tuneup, Opening Day starter Ryan Dempsterwas roughed up in a minor-league game.
The Cubs right-hander gave up six runs on eight hits over five innings with a walk and four strikeouts. The positive number for the Cubs is that Dempster stretched himself out to 88 pitches.
Hooray! He’s stretching himself out so he can throw more ineffective pitches. On the flip side, James Russell appears to be hitting his stride at just the right time.
The only lefty that’s a sure thing for the Cubs’ Opening Day bullpen, Russell pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just a hit. He now has 5 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings over his last three outings.
Of course, we all know that Russell is no Sean Marshall.
Earlier in the spring, Dale Sveum announced that once he decides on a lineup this year, he’s going to stick with it. Unfortunately for him, deciding on a lineup hasn’t been very easy.
“I’ve probably lost more sleep over our batting order than anything as far as camp’s gone. The last week might have something to do with that lineup. It’s who’s swinging good, what’s going on, who steps up power-wise. It’s just kind of a funny lineup where we don’t have that guy, this guy, that second hitter, that leadoff guy, that third hitter. It’s one of those things where it’s going to be four days from now where we sit down and say, this is what it’s going to be Opening Day.”
Dale, you did know you were accepting the job to manage the Cubs, right?
Dale should speak less.
Especially since he contradicts a lot of what Theo and Jed say.
My new computer arrives tomorrow!!!
That means I’ll be able to post pointless comments at a much higher rate of speed.
voluminous amounts at a much higher rate of speed
you should get your own blog.
Dale should be losing sleep over the whole team, not just the lineup. The pitching rotation is even more important than the lineup-if your starting pitcher gives up 5 runs in the first inning,not only will your lineup have to produce, but you will need good defense and pitching the rest of the game…
It’s going to be a very long season.
I don’t see any way possible that this team is more talented than the one last season. They may play better baseball than the clowns last year, but this team is less talented. This team is only better than last year’s team if it is coached and managed better than last year’s team.
placeholders.
Haven’t the past few managers said they’re going to keep the lineup the same once it’s been “decided?” And then they see how bad the team is and start playing musical cleanup hitters. I have no doubt that this year will be more of the same.
It’s pretty much what every manager says. For the most part, very few managers actually do that.
If I remember correctly, Mike Quade actually said that the lineup would change depending on the matchups. Of course, he usually didn’t do a very good job with the those matchups.
I’m stuck at a bouncy place for the next hour. I’d rather be watching Casey Coleman bat. UGH.
What the hell is a bouncy place?
you know, one of those giant warehouses that has like 10,000 giant bouncies?
I’m sorry if I’m being naive, but I don’t know what you are talking about. What is a giant bouncy (or a non-giant bouncy for that matter). Like trampolines or something?
No, like the giant bouncy houses?
Here:
http://airtastic1.reachlocal.com/?scid=1774143&kw=11931391&pub_cr_id=8174548681
Oh…that looks kinda dangerous. Don’t kids play outside anymore? And don’t your kids go to school?
A) it’s Spring Break, and B) it’s cold and rainy out today.
They don’t have a bar or something for the grown-ups to go too?
They have a place that’s wi-fied where you can sit with your laptop and eat goldfish and drink a juicebox.
Regards to Joba if you see him…
I don’t think Joba is going to be bouncing for a while.
Considering how dumb he appears to be, I would be surprised if he gave it a shot.
Dean Martin used to play pro wresting with his kids. Once, one of his kids stepped on this throat to hold him down. Dino said “Hey pally, see the chandelier, see the tennis court? Not the throat.”
Joba could learn a lot from Dean.
So are the Cubs.
Looks like I had 4 of 5, including Opening Day starter Dempster.
http://aeryssports.com/a-league-of-her-own/chicago-prepares-for-snow-and-rodrigo-lopez/#comments
I haven’t forgotten.
BTW–Cubs released Trever Miller.
I think I had him as my #5 starter.
If..and I do mean..IIIFFF the Cubs break out and start out well,I can’t wait to hear all of you continually predict the doom and gloom that you all are so certain will come. It’s going to make for some hysterical reading.I am really pushing for them to do fantastic not only because I want them to BUT ALSO to hear the dire predictions on “the end is coming!”. AND on another note. I have in safe keeping at home my annual Cub bet from Vegas ‘to win the WORLD SERIES’. This year there is actually some decent odds,15-1. When they were favored a few years ago the odds actually were as low as 3-1. I used to comment that the very fact that we haven’t won in over a hundred years should make them at least 10-1.
And I know some of you will ask “why do I do this”.Can’t help it. It’s FUN.I have a big stack of betting tickets from over the years.Do it with the Bears too.
I have a $100 ticket on the Cubs from 1984 to win the World Series.
Odds: 100-1
That was the last one I bought.
I still hate Leon Durham.
Slackerano has 6 hrs now. Are we looking at a 40 hr year? And the Cubs are losing both games right now but the pitching seems to be tolerable so far. Marmol’s era is now below 10