Results tagged ‘ Cubs ’
Chicago Cubs 2012 Offseason Recap and Preview
What more can be said about the Cubs 2011 season than any other season:
Actually, this streak is so bad and long it deserves both a picture describing the Cubs’ 2011 season/last 103 years AND a video doing the same. Check it out:
Grade: D+
Notable Additions:
Anthony Rizzo, David DeJesus, Paul Maholm, Andy Sonnanstine, Ian Stewart, Chris Volstad, and Kerry Wood.
Notable Subtractions:
Carlos Zambrano, Andrew Cashner, Tyler Colvin, Sean Marshall, Carlos Peña, Aramis Ramirez, and John Grabow.
Why?: First, I realize that the pictures I chose may not be the best ones to put up. I just really put up the most hyped transactions this offseason for the Cubs. Also, now that I realized I probably made a mistake, I don’t feel like pulling the pictures and putting new ones up.
Anyway, the common theme in my comments on Cubs fans’ MlBlogs was that I was glad for them that the Cubs finally decided to go into full rebuilding mode, because the “in-between” stage they have been in for the past few years has really been hurting them. So you may say, “Well, Mateo, then why do you have them at such a low grade in a D+ if you think they are actually doing a good job?” This is a valid question. The answer is that I did give the Cubs brownie points by bumping their grade up from a D (which is usually the protocol when I can’t give the team a high grade, but like the way they handled things). However, I couldn’t give the Cubs a legitimate grade, because the majority of what goes into it is how it improved the team for winning in 2012. The Cubs set themselves up well for the next few years, but I don’t know what planet you’d have to live on to think paying $15 million+ for Chris Volstad is helping the Cubs win in 2012.
There are other examples, but I think you get the gist of things.
Predicted Record Range: 62-67 wins
Re-view of the Preview: Chicago Cubs
First of all, here, is the first entry.
Predicted Record: 77-82
Actual Record: 71-92
I really didn’t expect to get this prediction right. For whatever reason, the Cubs have always been a sort of an enigma to me. I can never really figure them out. I am an East coast guy,but I also like looking into the lower profile teams, and I guess the Cubs really fit into neither of these. For example, I never knew of Aramis Ramirez or Mark DeRosa until three years ago. I had absolutely no idea who they were.
I actually was pretty close given that my predicted record was predicated on the rotation returning to its predicted potential with Zambrano and Silva, neither of which lived anywhere near their expectations. Other than this, I can’t really say much. I didn’t go to a single Cubs game. I went to close to 50 games last year. So to say I didn’t see the Cubs at all is a bigger statement than it seems.
I guess that’s it…
Chicago Cubs Offseason Recap and Preview
They were doing well until:
From then on out not much winning.
Grade: B
Notable Additions:
Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, Kerry Wood, Reed Johnson, and Todd Wellemeyer.
Notable Subtractions:
Tom Gorzelanny, Xavier Nady, Christopher Archer, and Mason Tobin.
Why?: I understand that the Cubs did give away a lot of prospects for Matt Garza but I don’t exactly remember the quality of those prospects so I will judge the Cubs’ offseason just by the number of prospects and the net talent.
They got: front-of-the-line starter, set-up man, power hitting lefty, outfielder, and solid bullpen pitcher. They lost: middle-of-the-rotation starter, solid hitting righty and a bushel of prospects. To me, this evens out to a B grade but again, I don’t know how good the prospects were so I can’t judge this that well.
Predicted Record Range: 77-82 wins. This is one of those overhyped big market situations… I think. They only reason I can see them improving is if the pitchers previously on the team (mainly silva and Zambrano) stabilize and become more consistent.
Next up: Pittsburgh Pirates
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