Delicious Marmolade

Favorite Albums of 2011

2012-01-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

10. Yuck – Yuck

Just solid, throwback indie rock.

9. The Antlers – Burst Apart

There doesn’t seem to be a wasted track on this album. It is chill but engaging at the same time. The music stays in the forefront of your mind, never seeming to drift into the background.

8. Radiohead – King of Limbs

Abruptly dropped on the world with five days notice earlier this spring, it was hard to know what exactly to make of this eight-song mini-album. This is not vintage Radiohead, and doesn’t evoke the same level of emotions as In Rainbows. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a gem of an album, with a rightful place in the Radiohead discography.

7. Friendly Fires – Pala

The Friendlies strike again and they do not disappoint. Similarly to their debut, Pala rolls off one impressive song after another providing that highly sought after replay value. There’s no Jump in the Pool or Paris here, but more than a few songs come close.

6. Washed Out – Within and Without

Earnest Greene had a lot to live up to as he released the debut Washed Out full length, after releasing a plethora of strong songs in the form of an amazing EP, the impressive High Times cassette and a quality tour CDR. Despite the pressure to deliver, Within and Without is a cool, confident release. While it is somewhat toned down, Greene effortlessly nails the mood he sets out to achieve. I have the feeling the next Washed Out album will sound completely different.

5. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes usually take a little growing on my ears before I really realize how good the music is, a worthy follow up to their debut.

4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Just something about these guys, it’s a refreshing sound to hear.

3. Panda Bear – Tomboy

A pleasure to listen to, this album flows cohesively despite the unique nature of each song.

2. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

This arguably had a stronger set of huge singles than Zonoscope, but doesn’t quite top Cut Copy as a whole in my book.

1. Cut Copy – Zonoscope

Simply the most replay-able album of the year, with multiple signature songs.

Headline of the Day: "Cardinals Sign Koyie Hill"

2012-01-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait for Cubs pitchers to face him for the first time. Three curves, three strikes, find some pine. Have fun Cardinals.

The hits keep coming: Cubs acquire Anthony Rizzo

2012-01-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

It is one good trade after another so far for Theo and Jed as the Cubs trade for highly regarded 1B prospect Anthony Rizzo and pitcher Zach Cates (who?) from the Padres for former first round pick Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na. 25-year-old Cashner is a flame thrower and will be missed--but only if he can manage to stay healthy. Shoulder surgery derailed his 2011 season and his rehab was littered with setbacks.

My first reaction to this trade is wow, how did the Cubs just acquire Anthony Rizzo for only Andrew Cashner?

Heading into the 2011 season Cashner and Rizzo were pretty equally regarded, Cashner having made his Major League debut in 2010 as Baseball America's #95 overall prospect. Rizzo entered the 2011 season as BA's #75 overall prospect and also made it to majors, but was demoted after a horrendous showing of .141/.281/.242 in 153 AB. While this is obviously terrible, it is a small sample size for a 21-year-old in his first big league exposure. Rizzo went on to tear up triple-A to the tune of .331/.404/.652 and his stock looked to be sky high heading into 2012.

While Andrew Cashner has star potential, clearly so does Rizzo who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston a year ago. With Cashner's injury and Rizzo's dominance at triple-A this looks like a small price to pay for Theo and Jed as they continue to rebuild the Cubs with one solid trade after another. The previous trades leading up to this all look to be wins for Chicago, but this trade is the huge steal in my opinion.

The pieces are falling into place, slowly but surely, as the Cubs inch closer to respectability.

So long Big Z, you were my boy, but the Cubs had no choice but to put you down like Old Yeller

2012-01-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

According to reports, the Cubs have traded former star pitcher Carlos Zambrano, better known as the Big Z, to the Miami Marlins. The Cubs will absorb $15.5 million of the $18 million owed to Zambrano for the 2012 season. In return the Cubs receive 25-year-old Chris Volstad, a former first round pick who is arbitration eligible and under team control through 2014.

Yes, it would have been nice to receive a larger amount of salary relief in this deal. In fact, that seemed to be the whole point of trading Big Z. However, the Cubs made their current and future team better by receiving a major league quality starter in return who has his best years ahead of him.

Sadly, Z's best days are well in the rear view mirror. Volstad, on the other hand, has shown signs of improvement over the past three seasons despite what his bloated 4.59 career ERA may suggest. In addition to posting a career best xFIP of 3.64 in 2011, Volstad has steadily dropped his walks per nine innings after debuting with the Marlins in 2008:

2008 - 3.84 BB/9
2009 - 3.34 BB/9
2010 - 3.09 BB/9
2011 - 2.66 BB/9

Volstad's improved control is paired with a high rate of ground balls and a strikeout rate that has hovered around 6 K/9 but peaked at 6.36 k/9 in 2011. His ground ball profile fits quaint Wrigley Field nicely and Volstad's progressively improving K/BB ratio bodes well for his future.

Incredibly, Volstad is an even bigger dude than Zambrano, sporting a 6' 8" 233 lb frame. It seems a player with that kind of height may take a few years to perfect his delivery and improve his command. This is exactly what the Cubs witnessed with 6' 7" Sean Marshall who developed into the best left handed reliever in the league after struggling initially in the majors.

I loved the Big Z. I still do love Z and wish him well with Ozzie Guillen in Miami. From his incredible 2003 rookie season nearly powering the Cubs to their first World Series in decades, to the Gatorade cooler desolation and finally the epic moment when Zambrano threw the home plate umpire out of the game. There never was a dull moment with Carlos Zambrano and I will still proudly wear his jersey. However, this trade was necessary and improves the Cubs both in 2012 and moving forward.

Theo, you've done it again. I will sit back and enjoy the rest of your tenure with the Cubs. This is going to be fun.

Favorite Songs of 2011

2012-01-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it is a little late for this list, and I am very interested to hear what 2012 has to offer. There were some impressively catchy songs released this year, but the offering as a whole was a little lacking in depth compared to previous years. A songs list is also just so difficult to finalize because songs are constantly being shifted. Really, a list like this should probably never be made, as music is meant to fit certain moods with one song sounding amazing in a certain setting, and out of place in another. For some reason though, year end lists seem to be built into our DNA. They're also just fun to make. So without any more rambling, here are my favorite songs of 2011.

Radiohead – Separator
Cut Copy – Need You Now
M83 – Steve McQueen
Washed Out – Amor Fati
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – How Can You Luv Me?
M83 – Midnight City
Panda Bear – Slow Motion
Cut Copy – Take Me Over
The War On Drugs – Come to the City
Yuck – Operation
The Antlers – No Widows
Hooray For Earth – Sails
Panda Bear – Alsatian Darn
Phantogram – Make a Fist
Radiohead – Codex
Gold Panda – Marriage (Star Slinger Remix)
1, 2, 3 – Riding Coach
Cults – You Know What I Mean
Blood Diamonds – Grins
Twin Sister – Bad Street

Why I love Brandon Morrow moving forward

2011-06-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

The former fifth overall pick of the 2006 draft, Brandon Morrow has not exactly delivered on the promise of his 2010 season thus far. His underlying statistics, however, tell a different story.

Terrible Headline of the Day

2011-06-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

It's not easy to criticize a headline, because as soon as one does then his or her own headlines are under scrutiny. For me this really does not matter. I don't worry too much about headlines because I assume no one actually reads this blog. So whenever I see a terrible headline, I'm going to share it.

Today's headline comes from MLB.com:

''Gonzalez: Tight races could portend close finishes''

Not only is this brain dead obvious, it's insulting.

Can Brett Lawrie be the next David Wright?

2011-05-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

It sure looks like it. Then again I thought Gordon Beckham was the next Chase Utley...

A look into the strange season of Aramis Ramirez

2011-05-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

After a goofy, unlucky season last year, Aramis Ramirez is leaving fans scratching their heads again in 2011.

Samuel Babson: the one that got away

2011-04-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Only the Cubs can manage to look bad on a trade this early into the season, based on the performance of a throw-in fifth outfielder by the name of Samuel Babson Fuld. Luckily for fantasy owners, Fuld may provide some solid value.

Digging for Saves: Koji Uehara & Josh Lueke

2011-03-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Love these K/BB masters to eventually take over the ninth inning for the O's (my official AL team) and the Mariners.

Is Albert Pujols really 35?

2011-03-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

There have always been whispers that Albert Pujols real birth date may not actually be January 16, 1980, however there has never been any kind of proof that would turn those rumors into allegations. Some may say, “What’s the big deal? The guy is still clearly in the prime of his career and shows no signs of slowing down.” It’s obviously a big deal though, when considering potential ten year contracts. It even becomes a big deal for something as insignificant as fantasy baseball. While Pujols real age may not affect re-draft leagues, it has the potential to change one’s valuation of Pujols in a keeper league.

I think this graph makes a pointed argument for Pujols being older (I’m guessing four years older) than his birth certificate says he is. Graphed above are the wOBA’s of Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera, three of the greatest sluggers of our generation. You’ll see that the .450 wOBA mark is rarely reached, even for hitters such as these. However, you’ll also notice that Pujols put up the highest wOBA of his career (.462) in his age 23 season. Pujols next highest wOBA of .458 came in his age 28 season of 2008. If my conspiracy theory is correct, that would have put Pujols at age 32 in 2008, a year that many players will see one final power peak before settling into a decline stage. I just find it very hard to believe that the greatest hitter of our generation peaked as a 23-year-old. He hasn’t grown smarter or stronger since then? Or has he both matured as a hitter and added strength, only to have it offset by the cruel toll of the aging process on an athlete’s body.

Pujols next two seasons after 2008 have seen successive declines in wOBA. Is it just a coincidence that Pujols has been trending downward since his “age 28” season, or is he really 35 and seeing the first signs of breaking down? Honestly I think Pujols will continue to be a beast no matter how old he is, at least for the next five years. For the fans, five more years of Prince Albert filling the stat sheets is worth a huge contract for a declining player. But the team that’s on the hook for the second half of his contract is looking at 5 years $150 million for a player who may be a shell of his former self. Whichever team this is will also be severely handcuffed when trying to make the necessary moves to compete.

I do not expect Pujols to sign in Chicago if he does become a free agent, but if he did I would be absolutely thrilled, as any fan of the Cubs would be. No matter who signs Albert though, I think they’re going to end up with a 45-year-old earning $30 million in the final year his deal.

WAR Graphs: All time two baggers

2011-03-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

MLB Network has a series I enjoy called Prime 9 where they (drum roll please) countdown the nine best teams, position players or in this case, the greatest infields of all time. #1 on the list was the 1914 Philadelphia Athletics "$100,000 infield" led by Eddie Collins at second, Jack Barry at short, Frank Baker at third and Stuffy McInnis at first.

Hearing baseball historians singing the praises of Eddie Collins, I was curious to take a look at his Baseball-Reference page and was awed by consistently high averages, gaudy steals totals (81 in 1910) and a plate discipline that will forever be unmatched in professional baseball. At the tail end of his career in 1925 for the White Sox, 38-year-old Eddie Collins walked 87 times in 533 plate appearances, striking out on 8 separate occasions throughout the year. I don't know if the official scorekeeper was dozing off during Eddie's at bats, but if that total is accurate then Eddie Collins officially had the greatest plate discipline in baseball history.

As far as top second baseman in baseball history, the default answer has always been Joe Morgan. It's said as if it were a fact and not an opinion. This is where the graph comes in. Randomly taking a top 10 two baggers of all time list from Bleacher Report, here are the top three second baseman they ranked: 3. Ryne Sandberg, 2. Rogers Hornsby, 1. Joe Morgan and number 5. Eddie Collins:

Hornsby's value was tied to his incredible offensive output: three seasons over .400, two count-em TWO triple crown awards (amazingly did not win MVP after winning the triple crown in 1922) and also won the second of his two MVP awards in his first season as a Chicago Cub in 1929. That year Hornsby went .380/.459/.679/1.139 as a 33-year-old.

The other Cub on the list, Sandberg, really should not be considered in the top 3 second basemen of all time. Sandberg was a dominant player and one of the game's greatest offensive second basemen, but its clear he does not belong in this discussion.

What also seems clear is that Joe Morgan is not the #1 all time 2B. In fact, he's not even in the photo finish. Morgan is often given the title due to his blend of high octane offense and highlight reel defense. Morgan's .271 lifetime average is less than impressive, but his .398 on-base percentage more than makes up for it. While he was lightning on the bases, Morgan never had a single season total as high as Collins, and his total of 689 steals trails Collins at 741. Simply looking at OPS+, Collins finished his career at 142, Morgan at 132 (Hornsby at 175). While one would think Morgan's defense settles the question, all indications are that Collins was an excellent fielder.

Light hitting on-base machine Eddie Collins and the offensive juggernaut that was Rogers Hornsby were vastly different players but were equally lethal opponents. Baseball has seen 80 years worth of second basemen since these two legends, and not one of them has amassed a career on the same level.

Can Gio Gonzalez replicate his 2010 success?

2011-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Twice traded away by the White Sox, Gio Gonzalez finally seems ready to succeed.

Taking a look at Southsider Edwin Jackson

2011-02-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

I remember when little Edwin was just a 21-year-old top 100 prospect on my MVP Baseball 2005 (best baseball video game of all time). It seems maybe in 2011 he may finally live up to some of that potential I salivated over in my basement.

Carlos Marmol has ice running through his veins

2011-02-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

I read this in an ESPNChicago article and thought it was just classic,

Marmol doesn't worry about pressure in his role.

"I don't think about anything much," Marmol said. "I go out there, get my three or four outs, help the team win, go into the clubhouse, put my headphones on and go home."

Well when you put it that way...

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

2011-02-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

Unknown Mortal Orchestra came on Sirius XMU, by chance right as I was pulling into the neighborhood one afternoon. I’m not sure what it was but the sound really hit a chord in my brain and I could not stop singing the song on my way inside. The DJ had graciously provided a website for the band and I assumed if I took the time to type in the website I would be rewarded with a free download, so I hopped right on. Amazingly at the website you can listen to, but not download the songs. Not even pay for them. With my brain craving more, I pressed play next to the song on the radio, “How Can U Luv Me?” and fell immediately back in love with it.

For some reason I had to leave right away, so I quickly pre-ordered the EP and then forgot all about the band. Until today, because walking through my doorstep this afternoon I was surprised to see a small square parcel, courtesy of Her Majesty’s Royal Mail. Perplexed but intrigued I tried not to think of what it could be as I walked down into my garden, dungeon, floors-cracked from the extreme cold unit. I love surprises, and hearing “How Can U Luv Me?” be followed by equally indelible “Nerve Damage!” was one hell of a surprise. Listen to the full EP for free at the band’s website.

They have a throwback guitar style that some have made popular lately, but these songs are uniquely crafted and incredibly catchy. Can’t wait to hear what “Thought Ballune” and “Ffunny Ffrends” sound like.

Can Carlos Quentin return to his old form?

2011-02-19T14:05:00.001-08:00

A short answer would be no, I don't think so. A longer answer would be here.

Yes, please and thank you

2011-02-15T15:02:00.001-08:00

Yesterday not only did the Cubs lock up the one and only Carlos Marmol for his final two years of arbitration and his first year of free agency for a cool $20 million, but Radiohead also dropped a bomb on the world, announcing their eighth full-length album The King of Limbs would be released digitally this coming Saturday. Scott Plagenhoef at Pitchfork sums it up nicely:

So Radiohead have set aside the "pay what you want" patronage model that dominated the conversation surrounding the In Rainbows release, yet have retained that album's more important business aspects: Packaging their music as a high-end collectable and controlling and monetizing its leak, which has the effect of creating what these days is a rare, worldwide, collective listening experience. Once again, we all know exactly when we're first able to hear a new Radiohead record and therefore will largely all experience it together, something almost completely lost in today's pop music landscape.

Marmol submitted $5.65 for arbitration while the Cubs had countered with $4.1. For the sake of argument, the Cubs would have been on the hook for about $4.875M in 2011 if they settled before a hearing. In 2010, players saw an average arbitration increase of 107%, meaning Marmol would have seen a raise likely nearing $8 million in 2012, and his worth on the open market for 2013 would have been around $10 million.

Marmol received a $1 million signing bonus as a part of his $3.2 million salary for 2011. Marmol will receive $7 million in 2012 and $9.8 million in 2013. Add it all up and the Cubs saved a few million dollars by locking up their closer and buying out a year of free agency. While there is always a risk of injury for someone who throws as many sliders as Marmol, he has been essentially injury free as a pitcher and this looks to be a low risk deal.

Also seemingly low-risk is pre-ordering the new Radiohead album, which I did immediately upon hearing the news. Billed as a “Newspaper” album, I honestly do not have a clue what that means. The world will find out Saturday, February 19^th.

Pre-order @ http://www.thekingoflimbs.com/

Pitchers and Catchers report

2011-02-13T11:16:00.001-08:00

Beautiful.

Carlos Marmol and strike one

2011-02-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

I was taking a look at Carlos Marmol’s player page at Fan Graphs last night and noticed an encouraging sign for the future and a partial explanation for Marmol’s historic 16 K/9 ratio in 2010. Here is Marmol’s First Pitch Strike % for the past four years:

Year	First Pitch Strike %	Swinging Strike %	K/9

2007	57.5	13.5	12.46
2008	49.1	10.3	11.75
2009	49.9	10.1	11.31
2010	62.7	14.4	15.99

It is not a stretch to say that when Marmol gets ahead in the count he is nearly unhittable. Pitching coaches always make a point of emphasizing the importance of getting ahead in the count and for some pitchers this is a natural advantage that is easily exploited. However, for a guy who can lower his walk rate by nearly two and still not bring it to 6 BB per 9, it’s a much more difficult task.

Hopefully Marmol can build on last year’s progression in this area and permanently change his approach on the mound, rather than regress as he did after the 2007 season. It should be painfully obvious to the Cubs and to Marmol the importance of him getting strike one in as many at bats as possible.

Bud Heavy

2011-02-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

Taking a look at Astros potential starter Bud Norris at RP

Travis Wood an underrated option for fantasy

2011-01-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Taking a look at the Reds potential fifth starter Travis Wood for 2011 fantasy baseball: Sleeper Spotlight: Could Travis Wood Be Worth The Gamble?.

"Come hell or high water"

2011-01-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

In the immortal words of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl video that we would always watch in Mike Gresher's basement, (and thanks to him for randomly sending this to me). I absolutely love this quote from an old school Bear:

"When you came to play the Bears at Wrigley Field...and you're up against guys like Doug Atkins, Ed Obradavich, Sam Morris, Richie Pettibone....When you have some of those gorrilaz lookin at ya. Come hell or high water, the Bears were gonna put a physical beating on you. I don't care if you won or lost...you gonna know you in the damndest game you ever been in your whole life..."

They were going to put a physical beating on you. That is exactly what this team needs to, and intends to do on Sunday. I love it....."you gonna know you in the damndest game you ever been in your whole life..." I sure hope the Packers know it on Monday.

Gorzo gone, good move for Cubs

2011-01-17T20:23:00.001-08:00

With excess pitching depth after trading for Matt Garza, Jim Hendry was able to clean up some of the slop that will make up the back end of the 2011 rotation by trading Tom Gorzelanny to the Nationals for three prospects. While effective for the Cubs last year, Gorzelanny is the definition of diffidence on the mound, his 4.68 career ERA and 4.54 FIP reeking of "blah."

In return Hendry was actually able to grab a decent prospect in former 1st round pick Michael Burgess. An outfielder with a strong arm, Burgess is described by The Hardball Times as having "exciting power and does a solid job of taking walks. There is still concern he will hack his way to obscurity, but don't discount a 22-year old with downright dangerous power."

THT ranked Burgess as the National's 9th best prospect and while strikeouts have been an issue in the minors, he lowered his K-rate to 23.1% in A+ this year and tore up AA after 87 plate appearances to close the season.

Of the other two prospects, right-handed pitcher A.J. Morris looks interesting with a 3.02 career K/BB, 1.21 WHIP and 3.64 ERA in 128 innings.

As for the Cubs starting rotation, hopefully Andrew Cashner has developed his change-up enough to step up and take a rotation spot, leaving Randy Wells, Carlos Silva and lost cause Jeff Samardzija to battle it out for the final rotation slot.

Good move for the Cubs. I’m cautiously more optimistic for this upcoming season than most with the only real hole on the team appearing to be second base. If Carlos Pena is solid, Zambrano sane, and Garza improved by the league change, I think this team can compete in 2011.

Analyzing the Matt Garza trade

2011-01-08T10:47:00.001-08:00

Fantasy Fallout: Matt Garza traded to the Cubs

Derrek Lee vs. Paul Konerko: WAR Graphs

2011-01-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

On the eve of our new year, Derrek Lee signed a one year $7.25 million deal with the Orioles. I'm still not sure exactly why he wasn't a good fit to return to the Cubs, who instead spent millions more on a weaker defensive first baseman and lesser all around hitter in Carlos Pena.

This fixation with a power lefty bat simply will not go away. I pray that Carlos Pena is the answer to the decade-long ailment the Cubs suffer from. It seemed to begin with Matt Stairs. Stairs lasted a year, his lefty stick replaced with a Coors-bloated Jeremy Burnitz, who morphed into Jacque "Strap" Jones, who was replaced with what all Cubs fans assumed was a blessed gift from the East in Kosuke Fukudome. Then there was the Milton Bradley soap opera that I have exorcised from my memory. The most recent casualty of the Lefty Power Bat Blues is Derrek Lee, who they have cast aside in favor of the almighty left-handed thumper.

I actually do like the Pena signing, but I would rather have Double Play Derrek manning first.

Long intro into my actual point, which was this comparison between former and current Chicago first basemen. I've just started playing with these WAR graphs that you can create over at FanGraphs and I thought this would be a pretty interesting comparison given that both players were free agents this year, and both will be 35 in 2011. WAR is Wins Above Replacement and estimates how many wins a player would be worth to his team over a replacement player, such as a Triple-A call-up, using a combination of offensive and defensive metrics.

This first graph shows each player's best season on the left, down to his worst on the right. Lee's incredible 2005 (1.080 OPS, .446 wOBA) gives him the highest plot on the graph, but as you can see their plots are incredibly intertwined, Derrek looking to have the slight advantage most likely due to superior defense.

What's interesting about these graphs is that by the contracts each player just signed, one would not think that Derrek Lee was the better player. The plots are eerily similar, but there is clearly a slight nod toward Lee. Derrek though had to settle for a one year deal despite being a year removed from .306/.393/.579 season, while Konerko cashes in on a three year deal at $4-5 million more per season. And all because of the last two plots on the last graph. The fact that Derrek had his mid-30's career year in 2009 and Konerko had his in 2010 means that Paul Konerko is a much richer man, despite being a slightly worse player.

(create graphs pitting up to four players against each other here)

Hoping Dayan Viciedo wins the White Sox 3B job...

2011-01-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

...so that I can have myself some delicious moon shots at the CI position on my fantasy team next year: White Sox 3B Options

Loving Jered Weaver for 2011 fantasy baseball

2010-12-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Rotoprofessor.com: Can Jered Weaver repeat his 2010 success?

Favorite Songs of 2010

2010-12-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

40. Fang Island – The Illinois

39. Girls – Carolina

38. Avey Tare – 3 Umbrellas

37. Abe Vigoda – Crush

36. Wavves – Green Eyes

35. The Morning Benders – Promises

34. Pantha du Prince – Sick to My Side

33. Panda Bear – Last Night at the Jetty

32. Women – Eyesore

31. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round and Round

30. Avey Tare – Oliver Twist

29. Tame Impala – Alter Ego

28. Women – Locust Valley

27. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Upon Mountains)

26. Robyn – We Dance To The Beat

25. Delorean – Come Wander

24. Panda Bear – Alsatian Darn

23. Of Montreal – Hydra Fancies

22. Dom – Jesus

21. Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith – Not in Love

20. Gold Panda – Snow & Taxis

19. Spoon – Is Love Forever?

18. Tame Impala – It’s Not Meant To Be

17. Hot Chip – Take It In

16. Kendal Johansson – Blue Moon

15. Sleigh Bells – Riot Rhythm

14. Panda Bear – Slow Motion

13. Caribou – Found Out

12. ceo – White Magic

11. LCD Soundsystem – One Touch

10. Active Child – Voice of an old friend

9. The Morning Benders – Excuses

8. MGMT – Song For Dan Treacy

7. Beach House – 10 Mile Stereo

6. Broken Social Scene – Sweetest Kill

5. Local Natives – Wide Eyes

4. Arcade Fire – Ready to Start

3. Wavves – Super Soaker

2. Cut Copy – Where I’m Going

1. Gauntlet Hair – I was thinking…

Ted Lilly an underrated fantasy option

2010-12-26T13:29:00.000-08:00

Post over at Rotoprofessor, Is Ted Lilly An Overlooked Fantasy Option?

Favorite Albums of 2010

2010-12-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

1. Beach House - Teen Dream

Instant calm, peace, and relaxation. Oh and, as Gorilla vs. Bear mentioned in their list, “it has the best songs.”

2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

I loved so many different songs on this album. First “Ready To Start,” then “Sprawl II,” these two are predictable. The more I listened though, the more I loved songs like “The Suburbs,” “Empty Room,” “Rococo,” etc. But as a whole, it’s not the same listening experience as Teen Dream. The Suburbs may have better singles, but the sum of Teen Dream’s parts is greater as far as my ears are concerned.

3. Tame Impala – Innerspeaker

This is just a fun album. Psych-rock rooted in an instantly recognizable throwback style, however, they put their own unique spin on this familiar, classic rock sound. Similar to Beach House, the album flows incredibly well, each song an integral part of the mix.

4. Wavves – King of the Beach

Finally an alternative rock album that I can actually rock the F out to, it’s been a while.

5. Robyn – Body Talk

I really am surprised to be putting this album up here, but honestly it could have been even higher. There isn’t a better collection of 15 songs that came out this year, but since it’s more of a greatest hits collection for the year, it doesn’t feel like an album. In the end, that really doesn’t matter.

6. The Morning Benders – Big Echo

A beautifully laid back, grand album that can’t help but have greatly benefited by Chris Taylor’s (of Grizzly Bear) production. Just like GB, every little note, voice or prick of an instrument seems expertly aimed at creating a different mood for each song, an attention to detail that is rare to hear.

7. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record

Speaking of “grand” albums, this one may take the cake. But it’s BSS and they can basically do no wrong. Any number of songs on this album may be considered favorites among fans, for me I always enjoy “All to All,” but tracks like “Highway Slipper Jam,” “Ungrateful Little Father,” and especially “Sweetest Kill” really stand out.

8. Caribou - Swim

This album was self-described as “Underwater Dance” music, and is a completely new direction for Daniel Snaith (who is Carbiou), yet somehow he makes it seem like he’s an old pro at creating electronic dance music. Undoubtedly, this still feels like a Caribou album, and its the allure of the mystical north that he somehow intertwines in his music that keeps me coming back for more.

9. Avey Tare – Down There

Another album described as “underwater,” Down There is a much darker journey than Swim. On “Heather In The Hospital,” the bass begins by mimicking your own heart beating, but soon takes a chase-scene pace, propelling your heart rate forward with it, "It brings me down / machines of modern magic keeping folks above the ground / a nurse's scribbling pad, shadow, shape / a mother going mad."

Really not fun stuff to be singing about, but this mood pervades the entire album. While you may think that would just be depressing, it only strengthens the cohesiveness of some of the most interesting (and enjoyable) songs to be released this year.

10. Crystal Castles – S/T

Tracks like “Doe Deer” and “Birds” make this album for me. There are standouts like “Celestica” that most people can get down with, but if you enjoy the songs that string the singles together, these dirt-covered gems that chug by, chewing glass along the way, then you really will rock out to this album.

11. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening

12. Delorean - Subiza

13. Of Montreal – False Priest

14. Spoon – Transference

15. The Radio Dept – Clinging To A Scheme

A look at Tyler Colvin, eyeing Jayson Werth's career

2010-12-14T19:37:00.001-08:00

Some commenter over at the Roto Professor was hating on Colvin, check it out: Is Tyler Colvin a Poor Man's Jayson Werth?

Cubs surprisingly impressive 2010 starting rotation

2010-12-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

Fielder Independant Pitching is a stat that measures the events a pitcher can control: strikeouts, walks and home runs allowed. For all other balls in play it is up to the fielders to decide whether an at bat becomes a hit or an out. Reading a write up on the newest Cub, Carlos Pena at Fan Graphs, I came across this note that was a little staggering:

"Each of the team’s five presumptive starters — Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny,Randy Wells, and Ryan Dempster, had a FIP under 4.00 in 2010. These combined could lead the Cubs back into the picture for a relatively weak NL Central."

To have all five starters performing at the level of a #2 or #3 is a testament to the seemingly unappreciated season this rotation collectively put together.

This is more evidence to support the notion that it is misguided for the Cubs to be pursuing a starter right now, in a time when they claim to be under cost constraints. $10 million to Carlos Pena was a little expensive, but has a chance to be a strong value with Pena's combination of on-base ability, power and solid defense. The Cubs are also pursuing Brandon Webb while shopping Tom Gorzelanny. This is a swap that I would welcome with open arms, but the question is where do the Cubs get the money to sign Webb? (edit: Pena's contract is structured to allow for this)

The may lie in their ability to trade Kosuke Fukudome, a move that would save about $6 million, assuming they would have to eat half of his contract.

Lost in the shuffle is Kerry Wood, a player every Cubs fan would love to see pitch again in the Friendly Confines. However, Wood is coming off of a $10 million salary and may now be priced outside of the Cubs range. A hopeless optimist may wonder if Kid K would come back on a hometown discount. One can dream.

'This Old Cub' Ron Santo dies at 70

2010-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

With Ron Santo, a man with such optimistic conviction, one would have thought there would be justice of some kind before he died. While the Hall of Fame dream has been dying a long, agonizing death for Santo and all those rooting for his induction, I feel that even beyond this piece of recognition that Santo was owed more before his time was up on this earth. A Cubs World Series obviously would have been the ultimate gift for him to receive. Many have come before him, though and have never seen the Chicago National League Ball Club even reach a World Series, much less win one, but in some strange way I had really thought that he would be alive when it finally happens.

I’ll never forget the play calls. Whether calls of ignorance, forgetfulness or shear bliss, no one could bring out the emotions of fellow die hard Cubs fans like Ron Santo could. Sure, to the casual baseball fan or listener on the radio, he was not the best color coordinator in the business. In fact, he may have been the worst. But to the those whose emotions imitated Santo’s, the audience that truly cared, there is no one those fans would have rather listen to on the color commentary than Ron.

Santo was loved, and will forever be loved by Cubs fans and baseball fans as long as this great game continues to be played. When the Cubs retired his number 10 in 2003, he said to the fans, “This is my hall of fame.” While it’s likely that he did not mean that entirely, the #10 will fly above Wrigley Field for as long as it stands and Ron Santo will always be remembered. As for the Hall of Fame, there is still a chance he can be inducted in 2012. What a shame it will be if he is finally inducted and is not there to accept the award. For that reason I almost hope he is not inducted, but if there is any justice left for this man, he deserves this final recognition. A 9-time All Star selection with 5 straight Gold Gloves from 1964 to 1968, a .277 career batting average and 342 home runs at the hot corner, his resume stand up to many at the position who have already been inducted.

I will miss you Ron, it will never be the same listening to a Cubs game without you.

Logic will break your heart

2010-11-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

So I'm listening to classic songs from the Stills debut, wondering to myself, has it really been more than two years since their last album? These guys are notorious plodders when it comes to releasing new music, so I did what I'm sure many people do (or maybe not?) and googled when their next album would be coming out. While I've struggled to find that info, I did find a decidedly tasty morsel of info from aux.tv :

"In 2005, guitarist Greg Paquet left the band to finish school, bringing Hamelin from the drums to the front, a position which he struggled to fill on Without Feathers, notwithstanding his role as the band’s primary songwriter. Paquet has returned to The Stills for their fourth album. Hamelin describes the reunion as a natural one, based more on their friendship than anything else."

This is exciting stuff. After the bitter disappointment of Without Feathers, I put the blame squarely on Greg Paquet’s shoulders. I consoled myself with the conjured belief that if Greg Paquet never left the band, the Stills would still have the magic. Well Greg, here is your chance to prove it—to me. Time to atone for the band releasing Without Feathers, make it up to Stills fans across the globe who hoped and waited for a follow up to Logic only to be rewarded with an album worthy of Frisbee-ing out of your car window.

Now I do have to say thank you, and well done to the Stills for their third LP, 2008’s Ocean’s Will Rise. Quality album that gets better with every play. However, Stills, you made us wait five years to get a decent follow up to your debut. Now that everyone’s favorite guitarist, Greg, is back hopefully you guys can expedite the process.

This unfortunately does not look to be the case. Instead, the Stills are changing up their sound to “sex and dark.” Whatever that is, as long as Greg Paquet’s on guitar, it doesn’t matter. Seriously though, here is what chief songwriter Dave Hamelin had to say about the new direction of the Stills sound with Greg Paquet back on guitar:

“Now that he’s back, I’m playing drums again… It’s a little looser. We got a looser, “slivlier” kinda, it’s less rock n’ roll, it’s more like sludgy & dark, – sex and dark.”

Wha... Maybe it’ll be sweet? I'm hopeful, especially now that the band is back to Logic-style full strength, but it sounds like this next album has the unfortunate chance of flying out my window at dangerously high speeds. I also I get the feeling that Hamelin is just throwing random words out there just to make the album seem more interesting. Maybe this album really will be full of “sex” and “dark”-ness, but come on guys, at least throw an mp3 out there to give your devoted fans a taste of the impending sexiness.

Alcides Escobar: post-hype sleeper 2011

2010-11-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

Check out my look at Alcides Escobar, the over-hyped for 2010 but possibly undervalued for 2011 shortstop of the ~~Milwaukee Brewers~~ Kansas City Royals (who look like they're going to run).

RotoProfessor.com

2010-11-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

I've started writing fantasy baseball articles for a website called www.rotoprofessor.com (no, I am not the RotoProfessor). Check out the first post on Starlin Castro's 2o11 fantasy value.

Resurgence of Soto

2010-09-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

The summer of 2010 has not been kind to Cubs fans, some having labeled the year a lost season before the calendar read July, so nothing can make up for half a season’s worth of meaningless baseball. There are, however, more than a few reasons to continue watching Cubs baseball (see Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin, the continued progression of Fukudome, etc.) but none is more exciting to watch than the return of Geovany Soto.

Put simply: Geovany Soto is having a better offensive season than Joe Mauer. Let that sink in. Three time batting champion and former MVP Joe Mauer has not been as productive (per plate appearance) as Geovany Soto, despite a typical .326 batting average on the year. Soto is batting a pedestrian but respectable .280 on the year, seemingly ending the discussion. Moving on to less cosmetic statistics, however, shows a different story.

A player’s weighted on-base average takes the concept of OPS (on-base + slugging) and improves on it by using linear weight values for each possible event (read the joy of wOBA at Fan Graphs). The stat is scaled to on-base percentage where .335 is about average, .300 is a poor player and .400 is a great player. Soto's wOBA clocks in at .384, leading all major league catchers. Mauer comes in second at .372, with Brian McCann following at .369. The only problem is that Soto doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify as a league leader.

The fact remains, though, that Geovany Soto is having the best offensive season by a catcher in Major League Baseball. His OPS (.894) and slugging percentage (.500), predictably, also lead all MLB backstops. Soto’s year as a whole in many ways is identical to his rookie of the year winning 2008 campaign.

	On-Base	Slugging	ISO	K%	BB%	BABIP
2008	.364	.504	.219	24.5	11	0.332
2009	.321	.381	.163	23.3	12.9	0.246
2010	.394	.500	.220	25.2	16.1	0.321

Soto’s slugging, isolated power (slug – average) and strikeout rate are carbon copies, with the only real difference between this year and ’08 being his vastly improved walk rate. It is clear to see that Soto's forgettable 2009 was based in bad luck, as his batting average on balls in play was over 50 points below league average, while lying even further below his career numbers.

One may counter that Soto will see his high BABIP come back down to earth, however, the high BABIP numbers of 2008 and 2010 are fueled by incredibly high line drive percentages. In 2010 Soto has a career high LD% of 24.8, which (if he had enough plate appearances to qualify) would be third among all Major League hitters (coincidentally one spot above Mauer at 24.4%).

At 27-years-old, Geo is comfortably settling into his prime, and there is nothing in the stats to say that his offensive output will slow down. The way his 2008 and 2010 seasons compare, the numbers he is putting up this year seem easily repeatable. He will always strike out more than the average hitter with the vicious way he attacks the ball, but with those violent swings, and subsequent misses, comes possibly the most powerful catcher in Major League Baseball.

If only he had enough plate appearances to qualify.

Len and Bob - 6/23/10: Brenly on Bradley

2010-06-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Milton Bradley strolls up to the plate, a chours of boos raining down around him from the Cubs fans who traveled to Safeco Field...

Len Kasper: Interesting reaction for a home player...Cubs fans letting him hear about it, some Mariners fans cheering him on.

Bob Brenly: Ha, they haven't seen enough of him yet.

Len: Swing and a miss. Oh for three with a walk last night and 0 for his last 15 overall.

Bob: Well I saw in the papers today a bar that has a "Milton Bradley Special," on Monday's you can buy a bottle of domestic beer for whatever Milton Bradley's batting average is.

Len: Did you buy one?

(Bradley grounds out to third)

Bob: Well, a couple more at bats like that I'll be able to buy a case!

Cubs coming up empty at the corners

2010-06-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

To say its been a disappointing season so far for the Cubs corner men would be like saying Armando Galarraga felt a little let down by Jim Joyce's lapse in concentration on the would-be 27th out of his "one hit" performance last Wednesday night in Detroit. While Derrek Lee has clearly struggled, the stat line put up by Aramis Ramirez is downright terrifying. To date:

Derrek Lee: .238/.342/.369/.711

Aramis Ramirez: .169/.234/.287/.520

After posting an OPS above .900 in five of the last six seasons (.898 being the other season), a .520 mark from Aramis Ramirez in June is unimaginable. What's done is done, however, and the lack of production for both DLee and Aramis has been the major contributing factor to the Cubs less than inspiring 26-31 record. What matters now is how will these players hit moving forward.

Looking at a hitter's batting average on balls in play will help determine whether or not that player has been "lucky" so far this season if his BABIP is well above the league average (.300) or unlucky if his BABIP is much lower than the average. Currently, Derrek has a BABIP of .287, not too far off the league average. However, looking at DLee's personal career BABIP of .322 and one can see where he may be a victim of well struck balls that just happened to be hit straight to the opposition.

We need to look beyond just a players BABIP to see the full story, as sometimes players are just putting a lot of poorly hit balls in play. One look at Derrek's infield fly ball percentage though, as well as his line drive rate, confirm his low batting average has been at least partially driven by bad luck:

IFF%: 0

LD%: 23.7

Zero infield pops and a line drive percentage that is higher than any single season LD% during DLee's illustrious career. With nearly a quarter of Derrek's balls coming off the bat as line drives, a .238 batting average is a clear aberration. Also, after leading the league in double plays in 2008, Lee is hitting less grounders (37.8% in 2010, 40% for his carreer) and has maintained his fly ball rate (38.5% this year to 38.9% career). The reason he only has 6 home runs on the season is a result of an abnormally low HR/FB rate of 10% in 2010 (16.7% career rate.)

Aramis has suffered from an even more striking collapse in homers per fly balls, hitting just 5 home runs despite an off the charts 60% fly ball rate (45% career rate). This has led to a severely bottomed out HR/FB rate of just 6.1%. This will correct itself, and fast as Aramis has a career HR/FB of 13.4%. The jump in fly balls correlates to a lower LD% and much lower GB% which has helped contribute to a National League worst .189 batting average on balls in play.

To put it simply, Aramis will not continue to hit .169 all year long, that much is obvious, the real question is not will he bounce back, but how far will he bounce back? The most troublesome stat on the back of Aramis' baseball card is a strikeout rate of nearly 25%, up almost 10% over his career mark of 15.5%. Logic may tell you then that Aramis could be reaching more, swinging at bad pitches and coming up empty as a result. Frighteningly, this is not the case. Aramis is actually swinging at less pitches out of the zone this year (29.5%) than he was last year (31.5%) and is close to his career rate of 26.1%. The problem is that when he gets his pitch, he is not hitting it as consistently as he has in the past. Repeatedly, pitchers have been able to either beat Aramis with the fastball or at least get him to foul it off before putting him away with a different pitch.

Aramis Ramirez is lost at the plate and it shows in the stats. From his peripheral numbers, he should definitely have a few more home runs and he is obviously not a .169 hitter. Is he a .300 hitting, 30 home run third baseman though? For tomorrow's game against the Brewers, I doubt it. Right now Aramis looks more like a .260 hitting 25 homer guy, but the season is still young and I expect Aramis to right the ship. However, even the biggest Aramis supporters (such as myself) will have to temper expectations.

I am all in on Derrek Lee though. Line drives are at a career high and he's keeping the ground balls to a minimum. Once the wind starts blowing out at Wrigley, look out for DLee. Better times are ahead, right now it's time to keep hope alive.

Lou-sing it: Z to 'pen

2010-04-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

My mind has just been blown. Then again, how can one be surprised? In one of the most idiotic moves in Cubs history, the team has taken Carlos Zambrano’s value to the team and cut it in half as Lou Piniella announced before tonight’s game that Big Z will be moving to the bullpen. Bottom line, this move makes the team worse. No matter how good Zambrano is in the bullpen, the team has just taken a shotgun and blown a hole in its chances to reach the postseason this year.

The most valuable relief pitcher in baseball last year was Jonathan Broxton, who put together a 2.9 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). This was half a win higher than any other relief pitcher in the majors. Carlos Zambrano, in his “off year” of 2009 was able to scrape out a cool 3.6 WAR. Simply put, relief pitchers can never be as valuable as good starting pitchers, and contrary to the belief of some, Carlos Zambrano is a very good starting pitcher. A workhorse good for 180-200 innings, the Cubs will now be giving at least 100 of those innings to Tom Gorzellany and Carlos Silva. If you don’t gag at that sentence I’d check your pulse.

This is Lou Piniella, completely losing his mind. Lunacy is reigning supreme at Clark and Addison, as there is simply no explanation for this move. Yes, the Cubs do not have a setup man. Somehow it has taken 18 runs in 14 different 8^th innings this year for them to realize that no, John Grabow is not a setup man. He’s not even a good relief pitcher! He almost cracked 1 win above replacement last year with a “workmanlike” 0.2. However, it represented a great improvement over his -0.1 in 2008. His career best is 0.5 WAR in 2006. He probably drank half a beer with his buddies to celebrate. Forget wins above replacement; just look at how many batters he walks. His past three seasons he has posted walks per nine innings of 4.76, 4.83, and 4.38. That combined with a pitiful K/BB of 1.43 last year is a recipe for heartache in the late innings. As bad as John Grabow and the rest of the bullpen are though, this is a move of the most bone-headed proportions.

Almost as mystifying is the fact that Mt. Zambrano didn’t spew volcanic lava all over New York City upon hearing the news. In Zambrano’s own words, “Like Arnold Schwarzenegger says, ‘I’ll be back.’”

I sure hope so, but Lou is saying the move may not be temporary. 2008 first round pick Andrew Cashner has punched out 25 hitters in 17 innings at Double A Tennessee, and has the 98-MPH fastball and 88-MPH slider that would fit the 8^th inning like a glove. After posting a 3.39 ERA in Double A last year, and with a 3.07 ERA in 137 minor league innings, calling up Cashner would seem to be a much more logical and much last drastic move than turning the team’s supposed “ace” into a reliever.

Piniella said that Zambrano will be ready to come out of the bullpen starting Friday. Never a dull moment with this team, as they aimlessly wander through the season with no sense of direction at all, lost in Lou’s madness.

Carlos Marmol is...

2010-04-16T14:40:00.001-07:00

The Magic Man!

Marmol K's two to close out a Cubs win on Friday, he now has 5 and 1/3 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts to (this is the best part) two walks on the young season.

Washed Out at The Empty Bottle - 4/5/10

2010-04-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Walking into The Empty Bottle for the first time is an experience that should illicit a smile, as it dawns on you that this is almost an exact replica of the tiny, grimy bar that you would frequent every so often in college, and while that doesn't make it a great place to grab a drink, it sure makes it one hell of a nice place to watch live music. $1.50 PBR flowed like milk at an FFA convention and even with your back up to the bar, the intimate setting puts the viewer right in the midst of the action. You couldn't get away from the music if you wanted to.

And with Washed Out playing, who in their right mind would want to?

Ernest Greene (Washed Out) opened his set with some body shakers, and while the bulk of it was unreleased material, the songs were crowd pleasers as the bass felt as if it wanted to break free from the speakers and beat itself into the ground. This was a very good thing. Heavy bass, mixing with a thick layer of haze over the vocals made listening to actual lyrics impossible, but created a vibe that would carry over for the rest of the show. Greene’s unbridled energy for his music infected the crowd and grew as the show progressed. After the mood was established, Greene exited, saying he would be back to play the rest of his set with Small Black (who was actually headlining the show) as the backing band.

Small Black was an impressive mix of bass, drums and enthusiasm. The keyboardist and main vocalist shared the singing duties, with the lead vocalist twisting some knobs every so often. The music was more electronic than I had imagined, hearing only a couple of songs prior to the show, but it was an entertaining if not original sound and I was grooving along with the rest of the crowd. It did, however, leave me longing for Washed Out to come back on stage. The early Washed Out set was good, but it wasn't what I came to see. Once Greene took the stage with Small Black a new energy filled the small, dark room as the familiar sounds of the Life of Leisure EP came to life.

Straight out of the gate, one could tell the disarming "Hold Out" was going to be different than the preceding songs. The menacing bass line was heard (and felt) loud and clear. There was also a noticeable change in the way the crowd was reacting to the music, as if caught in a trance, while earlier it was just one big party. Small Black had a lot to do with this, as the bell-ringing guitar echoing throughout "Hold Out" is essential to the song’s attraction. While the euphoria that shot straight to my brain upon hearing the opening to the next track, “You’ll See It,” was sustained throughout the song, it seemed clear to me that “Hold Out” was the highlight of the show.

The most well received song was unsurprisingly Washed Out's most popular, "Feel It All Around," and it did not disappoint. As the opening salvo of bass vibrated up and down my spine, the crowd let out a roar of approval that dissolved into a sustained groove, captivated by the pure, chill essence of the song. The departure from dance-inducing bass to a stoning sense of calm was a chance to relax and soak in the surroundings. As the set drew to a close, Greene joined in on an exuberant version of Small Black's "Despicable Dogs," which he had remixed last year for a split EP (get the remix here, thank me later).

Overall the show more than met any expectations I had going into it. The venue was perfect, the bass and overall sound was cranked way up, and the bands seemed to have endless supplies of energy. The set arrangement was interesting but worked surprisingly well, how can you pass up a delicious double dosage of Washed Out? I couldn't help but feel some of the members of Small Black weren't thrilled to have their set cut short, but the way they played did not reflect this. Without Small Black, this concert would not have been nearly as good. As the two bands combined the show turned from guys turning knobs and cranking bass into a full-fledged crowd pleasing force, with both Small Black and Washed Out proving they are bands to take notice of.

How to bake a DeRosa cake

2010-01-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

When the Cubs traded away Mark DeRosa last off season, the only possible reaction was, "huh?" Many fans regarded him as the MVP of the 2008 team (wrongly), he backed up nearly every position on an always aching ball club, oh and the only depth behind him was Mike Fontenot. Now I like the Font-e-not as much as the next Cubs fan, but to rely on him at second base, and trade away your only insurance for an injury prone Aramis Ramirez, only to save a whopping $5.5 million (used on Milton Bradley) crippled the Cubs season. In today's market, $5.5 million can actually go a long way, but not if your name is Jim Hendry. Bobby Abreu for example made just $5 million last year. In true Hendry fashion, however, Jim took almost half of what he saved on DeRosa and spent it on Aaron Miles. He then gave Bradley double the amount of Abreu's contract, at three times the length.

Needless to say, it's a very real possibility that Hendry was experimenting with illegal drugs during the 2008 offseason. He did make one under the radar move last year, though, that may prove to be one of his more insightful pickups, by acquiring Jeff Baker mid-season. The Cubs didn't get Baker without having to pay up on their end of the deal, as they traded away one of the greatest baseball names of all time in minor league pitcher Al Albuquerque. Al's numbers luckily do not live up to his name as he has a career 1.45 whip due mainly to a 4.2 BB/9 (um, no). Now I'm not saying that Baker is the next Ryne Sandberg but I think he can very easily wind up being the next Mark DeRosa.

Baker received his first extended look in the majors in 2007, posting an unimpressive line of .222/.296/.347 in 144 at bats. He quickly adjusted in 2008 though, with an improved .268/.322/.468 with 12 jacks in 299 at bats. He followed up the success of '08 by starting off ice cold last year with 3 hits in his first 23 at bats for Colorado. The trade to the Cubs must have lit a fire under his ass as he thawed out nicely, hitting .305/.362/.448 in 203 at bats as a Cub.

In Mark DeRosa's first stint with the Cubs, he put up a similar line with a respectable .293/.371/.420 in 502 at bats. Obviously Baker's is a much smaller sample, but it is not hard to see similarities in the skill sets here. A significant part of DeRosa's value the past two seasons has been his increased power. Taking a closer look look at the numbers, the stat Isolated Power is defined as "a measure of a hitter's raw power" and is found by taking (SLG - AVG). DeRosa's 2007 ISO was a below average .127 (league average .150). Similarly, Baker had an ISO of .125 the same year. Baker then jumped all the way to .205 in 2008. DeRosa followed suit with an ISO of .196.

Baker, who will turn 29 this year, didn't show the pop last year that he did in 2008, with 4 home runs in 226 at bats, however, in DeRosa's 28-year-old season he hit just 6 bombs in 266 at bats. Given the similarities in the development of these two players, I think it is a safe bet that Baker reaches double digit home runs in 2010. As you can see, Baker was unlucky last year, with just 6.5% of his fly balls turning into home runs:

HR/FB

2007	9.80%
2008	16.70%
2009	6.50%
Career	13.30%

With that number bound to bounce back up to at least his career average, Baker can provide above average power for a middle infielder. On the defensive side of the ball, Baker came up as a third baseman but has shifted to second while also spending time at both corner outfield spots as well as first base. Sound familiar?

Jeff Baker is a younger version of Mark DeRosa who is further along in his development than DeRosa was at his age. DeRo didn't make a real impact on a team until 2006 as a 31-year-old Texas Ranger. Baker will be given his chance to do the same as 29-year-old splitting second base duties with Little Babe Ruth himself, Mike Fontenot. I think the smart money here is on Baker.

Album Review - Toro Y Moi

2010-01-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

Toro Y Moi – Causers of This

80/100

A sweet, slow crackle of speaker backed by a blissed out “ahhhh” brings Causers of This to life, as gorgeous opening track “Blessa” sets an immediately pleasing tone for the rest of the album. A perfect table-setting track—that also happens to be the record’s best song—“Blessa” combines the melody of Panda Bear, with the laid-back delivery and diffidence of Washed Out. Chaz Bundick, the 23-year-old who is Toro Y Moi, may openly display his influences (you can’t help but think he was listening to Ambivalence Avenue released by Bibio last year when listening to more than a few songs) however, on Causers of This he proves to have the ability to carve out his own unique voice in this “chillwave” genre.

In the same vein as Ambivalence Avenue, Causers of This covers a broad range of musical styles. The difference is that Bundick manages to reign in his sound and keep it together in the context of the album. That is no knock on Bibio, who’s album was one of last years best, but Toro Y Moi keeps the listener engaged using a continuous shift in approach while maintaining a surprising sense of continuity. Nowhere is the Bibio influence more apparent than on “Lissoms” where the step-stutter-step of a broken beat begs to be listened to. Drawing itself into and out of the speakers, the jagged, angular beats blend together with tape hiss and subdued sounds of pleasure, contrasting beautifully in the background.

One unmistakable misstep, however, is that previously released “Talamak” is reworked to diminishing returns. The former version of the song featured a constant, echoing give-and-take of volume levels throughout the track. It was subtle enough to not bother the listener, yet was able to weave itself into the fabric of the song. The former also had a creepily awesome opening that somehow reminded you of “The Twilight Zone” and Fischerspooner at the same time. The new “Talamak,” while still enjoyable, is slightly sped up and features the incessant honking of what sounds like a synthesized harmonica, seeming forced and tacky in comparison.

Similarly, a cheesy piano line opens up “Low Shoulder,” which has the opposite effect of the harmonica and works better when it turns into a keyboard synth. “Low Shoulder” goes against Toro Y Moi’s strengths as Bundick seems much more comfortable when throwing down acutely articulated beats (“Lissoms”, “Minors”), or chilling out with a drug induced blend of bass, haze and synths (“Thanks Vision”). “Low Shoulder” tries to split the difference and make itself a pop song at the same time, causing it to teeter a little too dangerously close to the edge of crowd-pleasing cutesiness. The song does manage to close on a high note however, as the second half features much less of the piano, ending instead with a mix of previously successful tricks.

Ending on a high note just must be the way Toro Y Moi rolls, as the title track closes the album on a sugar rush. “Causers of This” is sticky and sweet, as chopped up female vocals are sprinkled across an array of pulsating beats, ending with a repeated “It’s all good, it’s all good.” Yes, Mr. Chaz Bundick, it sure is.

It’s the minor details that keep the album from being great, which is to be expected from someone [named Chaz Bundick] whose musical creativity seems boundless. At times it appears the creative juices were spilling over just a little too much, with added touches that simply do not work. For example the meandering of “Imprint After,” which I can only describe as sounding like bad MGMT, may draw differing reactions. Equally, one’s affinity for the spaztastic, hyper kinetic energy of “Causers of This” may also be the same sound that another listener finds increasingly annoying.

While I fail to see the Animal Collective comparisons to Toro Y Moi outside of “Blessa” and the abundance of bass both use, Animal Collective have achieved the ability to hone their brimming talent into not only wondrously weird and unique songs, but also into universally appealing music. Causers of This shows off a distinctive talent set and promise for future releases, but it does have its misgivings and bumps along the road. This is a full-length debut after all. Forget about that, though because this is an impressive album and would be a warm and welcome choice for your ears and a snug pair of headphones after coming inside from January’s chill.

Da Bulls

2010-01-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

You have to love the Bulls starting lineup presentation. It's just bizarre, yet there seems to be so much effort put into it that you have to appreciate the fact that they are going 150% all out to make sure it looks cool. I mean, what other team turns off the lights, starts up the lasers and puts up graphics on the board of their teams mascots hoarding together and running through the streets? It's great, a pack of angry bulls running through Chicago and down Madison street, trampling towards the United Center. The best part of it all is when they see the opposing team's bus parked outside and the lead bull lowers his horns before they all gloriously bust through. It all seems completely ridiculous until the familiar sound of the Alan Parsons Project starts up and you remember all those old Bulls teams of the 90's you'd used to watch, when that dun-da dah-duh would put a smile on your face as you prepared to watch Jordan dominate. The Bulls spent the entire last decade wallowing in the muck between average and below average, but this year's team has actually been exciting lately, playing good defense with a stable of young, athletic big men who can run the floor as Derrick Rose dishes it out. The Bulls, for once, actually look like a competent, competitive team.

Maddog back, Sheets next?

2010-01-12T14:08:00.001-08:00

In a move of rare shrewdness, the Chicago Cubs announced yesterday that Greg Maddux has returned to the team as an assistant to GM Jim Hendry. This move can only help, especially in the case of talent evaluation. Booze-hound Hendry needs all the help he can get these days.

Also in Cubs news is the rumor that the team plans to make a run at starting pitcher Ben Sheets. Convincing the front office to make the former Brewer an offer should be Greg Maddux's first order of business. Maddog will take one look at Sheets' baseball-reference page and drool all over his keyboard as he reads off these career numbers:

K/BB: 3.85
WHIP: 1.20
BB/9: 1.97
FIP: 3.56 (FIP is Fielder Independent Pitching, defintion here, read as ERA)

Sheets has elite control combined with nasty, whiff inducing stuff. Maddux should appreciate the value of an incredibly low walks per nine innings, (Maddux for comparison had a career BB/9 of 1.8) as well as the elite strikeout to walk ratio of 3.85 (not a huge K-guy, Maddux still maintained a career 3.3 K/BB).

Some may wonder why the Cubs would let Rich Harden walk, only to pursue another potential ace who has his history of injuries. I think the answer is simply that, even while healthy, Harden can only be counted on for 6 innings of work. A healthy Ben Sheets is capable of going all 9 innings on any good day, as seen by his 18 career complete games. Rich Harden, on the other hand, has a whopping two complete games on his resume, both in 2005.

Ben Sheets seems to still think it is 2005, though (a year after a season of career bests in 2004 that included 237 IP, 2.70 ERA, 0.983 WHIP and an incredible 8.25 K/BB) as Carrie Muskat tweets that Sheets' current asking price of $10-12 million is out of the Cubs budget. I'm not sure if Ben Sheets is aware that he missed the entire 2009 season and has not thrown 200 innings of baseball since 2004, but his reported asking price is just about what an ace in 2005 was making. This is also roughly the same amount that Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster are making, and while Sheets may pitch better than those two when healthy, both Dempster and Lilly have proven to be durable and reliable.

Sheets asking price will undoubtedly come down, whether it comes down enough for the Rickett's family is another issue. Hopefully Greg Maddux has something to say about this potential move.

Byrd lands in Chicago

2010-01-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Marlon Byrd's landing was about as exciting as watching the seagulls circle Wrigley in the 8th inning, as Jim Hendry signed a blah player to a blah 3 years $15 million contract. This isn't such a bad signing though, Hendry landed an average center fielder for market value. Think about that. When has Hendry ever not over-payed average players, or payed perceived market value to bad players. Jacque Jones December of 2005, 3 years $16 million dollars. Worm-burnin' Jacque Jones got more money than Byrd who hit a respectable .283/.329/.478 last year after hitting .298/.380/.462 and .307/.355/.459 the previous two years while playing an average center field. Back with his old hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, Byrd may be a late bloomer as his slugging percentage is trending upwards each of the last three seasons and his 20 bombs last year doubled his previous career high.

Much like the seagulls waiting to peck at mustard-stained hot dog wrappers or overturned boxes of popcorn, the Cubs circled the center field options slowly, dragging out a Milton Bradley trade only to get the worst possible return, meanwhile missing out on a superior defensive center fielder in Mike Cameron all the while failing to once again never EVER trade a prospect at his peak value (19-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro) and watching a perfect fit in Curtis Granderson be stolen by the Evil Empire (but we'll trade Felix Pie for Garrett Olson and Henry Williamson). Byrd is getting up there in age as he turns 33 this coming season, so the Cubs may be looking to unload him for 2012. For now though, Hendry gets a pass. Not a bad deal.

Hendry drunk at the wheel

2009-12-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

Just kill me now. Jim Hendry is driving straight towards a cliff, and he's taking the team with him. The Cubs today announced that they have finally exorcized Milton Bradley, trading him to the Mariners for starter Carlos Silva. Not bad, right? Get rid of Bradley, get back a starting pitcher. You've probably heard of Carlos Silva, he's decent, I think? Well, the Mariners sure thought so when they handed him a four year $48 million contact going into 2008. Silva then proceeded to throw up ERA's of 6.46 in '08 and 8.60 last year (only 30 innings). Oh yeah, and there's a mutual option for 2012 for $12 mil that the Cubs would have to spend $2.5 mil to buy out. So, because Silva is somehow owed more money ($24 mil) than Bradley ($21 mil) the Mariners will give the cubs $3 million next year and $6 million in 2011. Take out the $2.5 million buyout and the Cubs get $6.5 million over two years while adding a hole to the outfield and overcrowding their starting rotation with a bad pitcher. A bad pitcher who is making $12 million and will likely start over a more deserving pitcher.

Which brings me to Sean Marshall. How does this guy pitch impressively year after year and always head into spring training with "a chance" to make the rotation. Yet, he never seems to get his fair shot because there's some reclamation project or overpaid/undeserving starter (can you say Jason Marquis?) who gets the fifth spot over Marshall. This year it'll be Silva. Oh and we have a hole in the outfield that needs filling. It's really too bad we don't have a gold glove caliber, up-and-coming outfield prospect who could play center field.

So lets recount the tale of Milton Bradley. Cubs trade away Mark Derosa to free up cash, and do not sign back Kerry Wood because money is needed for Milton Bradley. 2009 begins and Bradley is a bust, Aramis Ramirez goes down and the Cubs are left with no backup, second base is a black hole all year long and the season is lost. 2009 ends, and Milton is traded for a bad starting pitcher who is actually making more money than Bradley. Meanwhile, the Cubs have no need for a starting pitcher. The Cubs would have been better off by simply releasing Bradley rather than make this trade.

While Hendry is responsible for the majority of this mess, some of the blame also has to be placed on Lou. It is Lou who needed his precious left handed bat. Lou is the one who could not work with Felix Pie or deal with a player who needed time to fully develop. Lou also prefers Sean Marshall in the bullpen. Don't get me wrong, Marshall is good and reliable as a reliever, but he has so much more value to the team as a starter.

At the end of the day, at least the team is rid of Milton. A player who I was excited for when the Cubs signed him. Only the Cubs could sign the reigning AL OPS leader and have it blow up in their face.

The question now is, who is going to play center? The Cubs are rumored to be considering Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel and Marlon Byrd. I just threw up in my mouth thinking about Scott Podsednik on this team. Marlon Byrd is interesting, he hit 20 jacks last year with a slash line of .283/.329/.479/.808. The year before he was even more impressive, hitting .307/.380/.462/.842. The problem is that he'll be 33 this coming season and could have already peaked. Of the names listed, I would not mind seeing Rick Ankiel on the team. He has legitimate power and plays solid defense. He's only going to hit around .265 but throw him in the 6-hole and just let him slug and play good defense.

Or maybe Jim can give his old pal Andy MacPhail a call and see what it would take to get Felix Pie back, the O's were rumored to be listening to offers...

Favorite Songs of 2009

2009-12-14T19:50:00.001-08:00

(click the song to listen to or download the mp3)

50. Deastro – Parallelogram

49. YACHT – I'm In Love With a Ripper

48. Girls – Lauren Marie

47. Atlas Sound – Walkabout

46. Florence + The Machine – You’ve Got The Love (The xx remix)

45. Discovery – Osaka Loop Line

44. Passion Pit - The Reeling

43. The Tough Alliance – A New Chance (Juan Maclean remix)

42. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction

41. The xx – Crystalized

40. Fever Ray - Triangle Walks

39. White Rabbits – Company I Keep

38. Animal Collective – Also Frightened

37. Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers

36. Small Black - Despicable Dogs (Washed Out remix)

35. Animal Collective – Bluish

34. Here We Go Magic – Tunnelvision

33. Girls – Summertime

32. Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader

31. Miami Horror – Sometimes

30. Birds & Batteries – Out in The Woods

29. Girls – Hellhole Ratrace

28. Fuck Buttons – Surf Solar

27. Toro y Moi – Blessa

26. Phoenix – Lisztomania

25. HEALTH - Die Slow

The first Health song that you can really dance and (almost) sing along to, “Die Slow” hits hard and has a simple but solid drum beat keeping the pace. An experimental noise band, Health use electronic arrangements to give the song substance and it all breaks down at the 2:13 mark, with a delicious twenty second freak-out that I dare you not to freak out along to.

24. Vitalic – Flashmob

“Flashmob” is a dizzying dance track meant to have the bass cranked to floor-thumping levels. Tension builds, as electronics and pounding beats spiral deliriously, though never out of control.

23. Grizzly Bear - I Live With You

“I Live With You” feels immediately epic as a host of strings lead into haunting, spoken lyrics. The tame opening quickly turns sinister as the music shifts from creepily subdued to acutely alive. The climax of this song is one of the highlights of the year.

22. Dan Deacon – Of The Mountains

Tiny, ringing bells flow perfectly from “Snookered” into “Of The Mountains” as tribal chants of “ooooo hey-hey-hey ya hey-hey-hey ya hey-hey-hey ya hey-hey-hey……hey hey oooo” steadily increase in intensity until at two minutes forty five seconds the song takes off, and the tribe really starts to go nuts. That may seem ridiculous, but it sounds unreal.

21. Destroyer – Bay of Pigs

Destroyer, aka Dan Bejar, has an indelible vibe all his own, and on his most forward thinking and experimental song to date, that vibe is ever apparent. While almost every Bejar song is a treat, this thirteen minute thirty-nine second gem is his crown jewel. Four and a half minutes go by and it feels like less than half that time with the way Bejar can sit the listener down and make him or her lean back and simply bask in music. Atypical for a Destroyer song, processed beats and synthesizers enter the mix. The introduction of electronics is casual at first, however, before you realize it, Bejar is playing his own brand of disco-folk. Approaching the halfway mark of the song, signature Bejar strums of guitar begin to coalesce with the electronics and a new Destroyer is born.

20. Fuck Buttons - The Lisbon Maru

On their second full-length, FB pared their sometimes grating sound into a more danceable and welcoming form. “The Lisbon Maru” combines the good from the first album and lays it down on the blueprint of Tarot Sport to spine-tingling effects. As with the rest of the songs on the album, “The Lisbon Maru” evolves throughout its 9 minutes 19 seconds, ultimately releasing into a shower of knob-twisting glory.

19. Girls - Laura

“Laura” seems effortless in its construction, however, so catchy at the same time that one may think there must be more to this perfectly produced pop song. This seeming simplicity is merely a testament to Girls’ craftsmanship as songwriters.

18. Bibio - Fire Ant

Arguably the most unique song on one of the most unique albums of the year, “Fire Ant” opens with candid and oddly sampled children’s voices leading into a slow, R&B-style groove. Vocals are cut and pasted over a tastily appealing beat, leaving you with an impossible-to-ignore impulse to dance.

17. The Big Pink – Velvet

Big, angry, mean guitars rule the day on “Velvet.” At times during the song, the guitar feels so vigorous it’s as if they have a dozen all playing at once. It’s that punch of the guitar reverberating in your chest that really makes this song stand out, but it’s the raw emotion seeping out of lead singer Robbie Furze that makes those guitars work so well.

16. Animal Collective – Brothersport

“Brothersport” takes the bass that’s been droning along during the course of Merriweather Post Pavilion and uses it as a dance mechanism. The electronics the band has thrived on during live performances also finally shows up on record, as “Brothersport” blitzes on by in a joyous conclusion to arguably the year’s best album.

15. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks

“Two Weeks” sounds like both the future of pop music, as well as a throwback to music of the past. Immediately catchy, though simple in construction, this song shows off the unique harmonies of Grizzly Bear and their keen knowledge of how to affect the listener, seemingly effortlessly.

14. Phoenix – 1901

Cadillac is close to ruining this song, but it just may be that “1901” is incorruptible. I could have this in my head all day long for a week and love it every time. This is Phoenix at their finest, an undeniable track.

13. Washed Out - Feel It All Around

Gloriously chill, “Feel It All Around” instantly calms the nerves and relaxes one’s entire body into a state of submission. Sampled drums are sparse but essential, checking in throughout the song, while Ernest Greene’s reserved and reassuring voice shines through the haze. Though the song is an extended sample of Gary Low’s “I Want You”, one could not ask for more from a borrowed riff.

12. Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

By the time the first ten seconds of this song are over, you can immediately recognize “Terminally Chill” as a sure-fire winner. Alan Palomo makes strikingly stoning electronic pop music and “Terminally Chill” is the best example of his ability to relax and stimulate the listener simultaneously.

11. Micachu - Golden Phone

In a way similar to “1901,” “Golden Phone” is an undeniable track. Just take one listen to this song. Go ahead, download it.

10. Vega - No Reasons

“No Reasons” was my summer song. This track was essential to each and every day. I would play this on the way to work, on my lunch break, on the way home from work, and then probably at least two more times throughout the night. While simple and repetitious, Alan Palomo (Neon Indian) has produced a hook that buries its barbs beneath the skin and refuses to let go.

9. Little Dragon – Feather

Hair rises on my back just thinking about “Feather.” Dreamy synthesizers and a thick, sticky bass line open the first minute. A keyboard then joins the fray as the bass shifts into one of the catchiest grooves 2009 had to offer. Yukimi Nagano’s vocal performance is the story here, though, and this gorgeous track just itches to be replayed.

8. Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset, Pt. I

If you want to just have fun and sing along to a great Phoenix song, “Long Distance Call,” “Consolation Prizes” or “Sometimes in the Fall” cannot be beat. If in the dancing mood, “1901” is your song. However if someone wants to hear the immense talent of Phoenix on display, “Love Like a Sunset” is where it’s at. This is an arresting song and even more impressive given that this is not the pool of music Phoenix usually dips into.Entirely instrumental and electronic, this piece of krautrock steadily builds tension eventually imploding into a plume of scratchy, electronicly manipulated woodwinds that give way to a two-minute gallop of drums and effects to close out what could be Phoenix’s best song.

7. Japandroids – Young Hearts Spark Fire

Japandroids are not complicated. Just two dudes, rocking out as hard as they possibly can. The opening riff sounds like it was something that came off of your cassette-playing walkman in the early 90’s. While it’s a familiar sound, Japandroids pull it off nicely.Guitars ring and tumble out of your speakers as the drums are stuck in a vicious cycle of crash and tumble. “I don’t want to worry about dying, I just want to worry about those sunshine girls,” they cry out with such conviction, playing the song with so much intensity, that you can’t help but cry out the lyrics along with them.

6. Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes

Cut from the post below, "Summertime Clothes" is a joyous and surprisingly radio-ready jubilance of life. A recurring theme on Merriweather Post Pavilion and a large part of the band's progression is the deep, consistent bass that anchors this song. Grungy guitars give way to synths that bounce from ear to ear like Pong on crack as Avey Tare sings of sneaking out in the middle of the night with his lover, "when the sun goes down we'll go out again!"

5. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others

“While You Wait For The Others” is a well oiled machine, all of the parts of Grizzly Bear coming together, confidently and purposefully, everything in its right place. Guitars ring out, seesawing back and forth, as drums and vocal harmonies rise and fall precisely in sync.

4. Animal Collective - My Girls

Under cover of sparkling keyboards, chunky bass mixes with Noah Lennox’s contagious chorus during “My Girls” in a way that is irrefutably pleasing to the ears and dance-happy feet alike. The listener is compelled to sing along to what I believe should be the most universally enjoyed song of the year (if, somehow, everyone could hear it).

3. Fuck Buttons – Olympians

This song is amazing. If you’re interested in this band listen to “Olympians,” you will listen to the rest of the songs immediately. If you’re on the fence, listen to this song. The drum pace that holds “Olympians” together is flawlessly put together, driving the song and pounding home its breathless pace. Surrounding that unrelenting drum line is an array of effects that patiently, perfectly build the song towards an inexhaustible climax. Emotion pours out of “Olympians,” and it is nearly impossible not to get caught up in it.

2. Washed Out - Hold Out

Deeply rooted bass combines with a sharp, echoing keyboard effect that together carry a pointed sense of dread throughout the song. Ernest Greene’s distant delivery burns alongside the throbbing bass line and produces an arrangement that I was addicted to all year long.

1. Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky

A psychedelic two-minute opening of cascading vocals feels oddly right at home as the introduction to this uncharacteristically warm and uplifting offering from Animal Collective’s Fall Be Kind EP. Though the lyrics hint towards confusion, pure optimism seems to subliminally seethe through the song’s pores. One spin begs for an immediate follow up listen.

Best Albums of 2009

2009-12-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of the Chicago Cubs or Bears, 2009 has been an insufferable year. After a swift exit from the '07 and '08 playoffs, the Cubs made us long for the chance to witness another three game sweep by gimping their way to a surprisingly respectable looking record of 83-78. Well, at least they're not the Pirates.

Conversely, 2009 was an incredible year for music. Animal Collective's demographic spanning triumph, Merriweather Post Pavilion dropped on us before January was over, with critics and fans alike pre-maturely hailing it as the album of the year.

Bookending their successful year, Animal Collective released the chilling five song EP Fall Be Kind digitally in November. Between these two releases the music community was treated to French indie rockers, Phoenix's most popular album to date (though not as good as 2006's It's Never Been Like That) with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.Released on the same day, Grizzly Bear followed up their critically acclaimed Yellow House with the delectable ear candy of Veckatimest. An impeccably crafted collection of songs.

These were just a few of the highlights of 2009. For the rest, here are my favorite albums of the year:

25. Vitalic - Flashmob

24. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

23. YACHT - See Mystery Light

22. Deastro - Moondagger

21. Passion Pit - Manners

20. Atlas Sound - Logos

19. Handsome Furs - Face Control

17. Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth

16. Micachu and the Shapes - Jewellery

16. HEALTH - Get Color

15. Silversun Pickups - Swoon

14. Fever Ray - Fever Ray

13. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

12. the xx - xx

11. Girls - Album

10. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

9. Dan Deacon - Bromst

8. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP

7. White Rabbits - It's Frightening

6. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms

5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

4. Washed Out - High Times/Life of Leisure EP

3. Fuck Buttons (sorry Mom) - Tarot Sport

2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

So yes, after being dubbed "album of the year" back in January, I still think Animal Collective delivered the year's best record. It is nearly impossible to pick between Veckatimest and MPP though, to be honest. Overall I was more impressed with Veckatimest, but that can be explained by fact that I was not a huge Grizzly Bear fan going into the album and was simply blown away, combined with my incredibly high expectations for Animal Collective.

Veckatimest stands apart because of its amazing instrumentation and attention to detail. The way the music flows and the perfection of its players will send shivers up your spine; the climaxing crescendo of "I Live With You," or the impossibly catchy harmony of "Two Weeks," to a seesaw of guitars trading places with the quiet peacefulness of "Fine For Now," the list is endless for what makes this album so good. However, from beginning to end I still preferMerriweather Post Pavilion.

Animal Collective created songs on MPP that are infinitely repeatable. "Summertime Clothes" is a joyous and surprisingly radio-ready jubilance of life. A recurring theme on this album and a large part of the band's progression is the deep, consistent bass that anchors this song. Grungy guitars give way to synths that bounce from ear to ear like Pong on crack as Avey Tare sings of sneaking out in the middle of the night with his lover, "when the sun goes down we'll go out again!"

Opener, "In The Flowers" sets the stage with synths gurgling to life, soon joined by a slightly haunting piano. Tare then sings softly for two minutes about seeing a "dancer in a field who was high from her movement" until at 2:31, the bottom of the song drops out as your speakers are pummeled with a thumping bass line that coalesces with simmering synths to ride the song home. The puzzled half-smile one will wear after hearing "In The Flowers" melts into a state of euphoria as Noah Lennox, aka "Panda Bear," begins the opening lyrics of the glorious "My Girls." This is simply a song that not one human being on Earth would not enjoy. There are many Animal Collective songs that are loved by fans but would be hated by 9 out of 10 listeners. This, however, is not one of those songs. Catchy as hell, pleasing to the ears and impossible not to tap your toes to, "My Girls" is the song of the year.

The rest of the album features the most gorgeous AC song to date, "Bluish" while also boasting the grooving "Lion in a Coma" as well as standout and perfect album closer, "Brothersport." Innovative as ever, and their most accessible album yet, Merriweather Post Pavilion is a natural and welcome progression for the band. That accessibility, however, may be the only gripe one may find as there is no "Grass" or "For Reverend Green" on this album, two of my favorite and, to some degree, more abrasive AC songs. It's a small quibble though, given the quality of the new material. From start to finish, Animal Collective consistently deliver on Merriweather Post Pavilion; not one song is a misstep. Download this now, if you do not have it already.

Nearly as unique sounding as Animal Collective, each of Dan Deacon, Micachu and Bibio released incredibly strong albums featuring multiple standout tracks. As far as debuts go, and there were a multitude of good one's this year, a band can't do much better than the xx or Girls who released vastly different sounding but equally easy to enjoy LP's. Continuing the theme, Karin Dreijer Andersson released her debut as Fever Ray, icily distilling the sound of her other band, The Knife, into a brooding yet pleasing collection of songs. Later in the year, Alan Palomo released Psychic Chasms, the Neon Indian debut that will hook you with one listen. Horribly named The Pains of Being Pure at Heart similarly released a debut filled to the brim with late 80's/early 90's sounding indie pop goodness. Finally, the sophomore effort of Fuck Buttons, Tarot Sport, was one of the most cohesive and alarmingly attention grabbing albums I've ever heard. A truly great year for music.

Bradley: "All I'm saying is I pray the game is nine innings, so I can go out there the least amount of time possible and go home."

2009-08-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

You have got to be kidding, Milton.

If I was Jim Hendry, Milton wouldn't sniff another Cubs uniform. He would be banned from the clubhouse, never to be seen from again. How can you be supportive of a player who doesn't even enjoy playing a game and being paid $10 million a year for it? Lou Piniella put it best, saying to Milton:

"You're not a ballplayer!"

Spot on, Lou. Let's take a look at the facts. Jake Fox is hitting .295/.345/.532/.877 with 9 home runs in 156 at bats. Milton? .255/.387/.401/.788 with 11 home runs in 326 at bats. Yet Fox rides the pine. Cutting Milton Bradley is the only scenario that makes any sense. Yes, he is owed $20 million, but when Fox is making just $401,500 and completely out-producing Milton, Hendry can just "pretend" the money he has thrown away on Bradley is actually paying to keep Jake Fox's bat in the lineup everyday.

In this morning's Chicago Tribune, Phil Rogers writes a convincing article on why releasing Bradley is the best option, suggesting the Cubs move Fukudome to right and allow Sam Fuld to play center everyday. While I agree Fuld deserves a shot, it is Fox who at 27-years-old is in his prime and has proven he can produce consistently this year at the Major League level.

Milton said that he's "never" been comfortable playing in Wrigley. "It's hard to be comfortable when you don't get a hit and get booed every time." Give me a break buddy. First of all, every player gets booed, it comes with the territory. Second of all, taking a look at his split stats the difference is night and day--in favor of the home stats:

Home: .304/.421/.509/.930

Away: .208/.354/.652

Yet Milton claims he is not looking for attention. Riiight, "America doesn't believe in racism," Bradley said Tuesday night. Not looking for attention, are you Milton?

Razzball.com put it best in a blurb yesterday:

Milton Bradley – HR yesterday. Before the game, he talked about how much he hates Chicago, “I’m talking about hatred, period. I’m talking about when I go to eat at a restaurant. I’ve got to listen to the waiters badmouthing me at another table, sitting in a restaurant.” Milton needs to stop eating at Dick’s Last Resort.

The worst part about the whole "Milton Bradley Saga" is that bringing Milton to Chicago had a domino effect on the rest of the moves in constructing the 2009 Chicago Cubs. In order to create enough cash-flow to pay Milton, Mark DeRosa had to be traded away. Kerry Wood was then subsequently deemed "too expensive" at $10 million and Hendry decided to trade promising young hurler Jose Ceda for the infamous Kevin Gregg. The rest is history. Aramis Ramirez goes down and the Cubs have no backup third baseman. Second base has been a joke all year (though I do like "mini DeRo" Jeff Baker) and everyone knows what happened with Gregg.

The one silver lining in all of this is that looking towards 2010, the Cubs had nowhere to play Jake Fox or Sam Fuld with Bradley, Fukudome and Soriano all signed to long term contracts. Milton has now given Hendry a great excuse to dump his ass to the curb. If Hendry doesn't do so, the Rickett's family will hopefully show Jim the door as well.

Mannywood

2009-08-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

After repeatedly bashing Len Kasper, I feel obligated to post this comment which made me laugh out loud during game one of the recently completed series against the Dodgers. Referring to the writing on the left field wall in Dodger's Stadium that dubs the area "Mannywood" here is Len and Bob:

Bob: The Cubs need to try to take some liberties when they can on Manny Ramirez in left field, he's a disinterested defender at best. Spends a lot of time out there talking to the fans, working on his "do," thinking about his next at bat.

Len: It's Mannywood, Bob.

Bob: I guess so.

Len: Lot to live up to out there in left. Can't just play left. You're the King of Mannywood!

Kasper then proceeded to kill any positive momentum he had created by doing about three or four painful John Lovitz impersonations after the camera spotted him, but have to give him credit for "King of Mannywood," that was pretty good.

Lou's drinking the Marmolade

2009-08-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

ESPN Chicago is reporting that Lou has named Carlos Marmol the Cubs new closer. Boo ya. Now I did say just a couple of weeks ago that Kevin Gregg's HR/FB was flukily high--looks like it was me who was high after watching 6' 6" 285 lb rookie Kyle Blanks (rumored to be half man, half gorilla) deposit a Kevin Gregg fastball deep into the seats at spacious Petco Park for the game winner last night.

Take this job and run with it Marmol. Run with it like an angry Kyle Blanks is chasing after you with blood in his eyes and a caveman's club waving above his head. The truth is, Marmol doesn't exactly deserve this role. Angel Guzman has been the most consistently reliable reliever in the Cubs bullpen this year and it's not close. Marmol, however, looks like a closer. The 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings doesn't hurt either.

This is the role Marmol has been groomed for, hopefully he begins to pitch as though he deserves it.

Big Z: "My problem is I've been lazy"

2009-08-18T15:11:00.001-07:00

This is just plain ridiculous. Out with a bad back, apparently due to poor abdominal strength, Zambrano is admitting something I'm guilty of on a daily basis, however, when a grown man signs a $91.5 million contract, one would hope he could do some leg lifts before bed a few times a week to keep up at minimum a non slob-like appearance. If you show up early to Wrigley Field next week for batting practice though, chances are you won't see Carlos Zambrano doing bicycle crunches anywhere near the field. Zambrano has been blessed with incredible God-given talent, because of this he seemingly believes can simply breeze on by throughout his career without ever stopping to think, "this is a gift, I should appreciate and take care of it." Amazing.

"I don't like, but I have to. There's things in life you don't like, but you have to do it."

You think?

"I don't like to do abs but I will have to start doing my abs everyday and be serious."

My gosh Z, you think it's time to "be serious?" Uh, yeah I'd agree. I think it was time to "be serious" back in January, preparing for the season. Fifty crunches at night in the offseason is not too much to ask for a guy making $600,000 a start.

Carlos, to his credit, has been a thoroughbred throughout his career; failing to reach 200 innings only once in his first six full seasons in the majors. However, with that one year coming last year, it appears that Carlos may have to do more than just eat his Wheaties in the morning to keep himself in playing shape these days.

At 28, Zambrano is no longer the 22-year-old who took a rotation spot and ran with it in the doomed season of 2003. The flip side though, is that Carlos is yet to reach his "prime ages" as a pitcher; typically pitchers truly blossom at ages 28 to 32. If Carlos doesn't start to "be serious" as he suggests though, his career could continue it's downward trend. I'll state for the record my faith in the Big Z.

Zambrano will pitch for Peoria on Thursday to prepare for his next scheduled start August 25 against the Nationals. Let's hope his abs don't cramp up now that they're actually being used.

Lollapalooza 2009: What I learned

2009-08-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

I completely missed the Cubs weekend games dancing in the rain and heat of Grant Park for three days and judging by the highlights, I'm glad I did. In no particular order, this is what I learned during 2009's edition of Lollapalooza:

-Never underestimate the power of Of Montreal. I've seen them once at Pitchfork '07, once at Metro about a year ago and this show blew those enjoyable concerts away. One word can describe the dance fest this show became: euphoric.

-Animal Collective can have a disappointing set. Granted I missed "What Would I Want Sky" while my buddy Craig was in the bathroom and Tool began their poor act early by drowning out the climactic ending of "Brothersport," but this was nothing compared to the amazing set at Union Park for Pitchfork '08.

-Silversun Pickups have established themselves as a must-see live act. Two years ago at a small stage they were one of the best shows at Lollapalooza and somehow topped that this year with the help of new material, putting on the show of the festival in my opinion. The energy and intensity dripping from each song was unmatched. Highlights included opener "Growing Old Is Getting Old" which sent shivers down my spine for the last three minutes while closer "Lazy Eye" was predictably unreal. Bassist Nikki Monniger also was a major highlight.

-Dan Deacon was exactly as advertised: out of his mind and unbelievably entertaining.

-Vampire Weekend: good, but underwhelming.

-Kaiser Chiefs, when did I stop listening to you? The endless energy of this show was a perfect beginning to a pleasing Sunday of music.

Now if only the Cubs can put a satisfying ending to a lethargic Monday. A split in the four game series would be acceptable, but why do I have a bad feeling about Tom Gorzelanny at Coors Field? There are many correct answers to that question. Please prove me wrong.

Len and Bob - 8/5/09

2009-08-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Bob Brenly: Willy Taveras 21 out of 27 on the season stealing bases.

Len Kasper: Remember when uh, earlier in the year he said he wanted to steal a hundred this year?...might come up a little short. Unless he's including batting practice!?

Bob: To the best of my knowledge, nobody's ever been thrown out trying to steal in batting practice.

Thanks Bob, that may be because no one has ever tried to steal during batting practice. Honestly Len, batting practice? Stealing bases during batting practice? Who in their right mind would stand on first and pretend to steal second as a batter is hitting batting practice balls all over the field? Len Kasper's relentless pursuit of stupidity knows no bounds.

How to chat with Warren Sapp

2009-08-05T15:42:00.001-07:00

So Twitter is everywhere, it's a little ridiculous. I'm watching a game the other night on MLB Gameday and I see this option to Twitter back and forth while you're watching the game. I'm afraid to say...it's actually kind of cool. Not that I actually took part in the Tweet-fest but seeing random opinions of the game is interesting. I was anti-Twitter when I first heard about it. It just seemed like one tiny fraction of what Facebook has to offer, looked like the "Smack Talk" bar Yahoo! has on its fantasy sports team pages. It's basically just an "away message," so how could it possibly be that cool? I said I would never join. "Not I, never!" I said to anyone who asked. Well a week ago I signed up for an account. Peer pressure I guess it was, my buddy Lips said, "dude you have to join." That was enough to convince me. Bringing me to the actual "how to" part of this post.

This buddy of mine, Lips follows Chad Ochocinco. One day Lips thinks it would be a good idea to respond to one of Chad's tweets. Now I'm not sure what was was said, but whatever message Lips conveyed to Mr. Ochocinco, it prompted former Pro Bowl defensive tackle "QB Killa" Warren Sapp to respond. So naturally Lips also starts following the QB Killa. Well last night, Sapp decided to start up a Twitter chat, and who's bright idea was it to join? Well none other than the Lipster.

Lips:

This is so classic.

First I got on twitter at like midnight and it says that warren sapp was in a chat room so I clicked the link. Clinking this link brought me into a chat room with about sixty people. The chat room is pretty cool because it allowed you to run your icamera. It asked if I wanted to so I said yes. You can also talk but you have to push a button.

I turned the video camera on a started listening and reading this chat conversation. I would say there were about 10 ivideos going and warren sapp had his going to. I was the only white guy with a camera on. I just sat there and watched and listened. Well then they start talking about big ben [Roethlisberger] so I was like well time for me to chime in. I took my computer up to the big ben jersey that I got and was like big ben is the sh*t and showed them my signed jersey. Warren sapp was loving it. He was like I gotta get something for you lipster and pulls out his phone. He then proceeds to say "yo rhinna," I think some girl in the room, the organizer, "is lipster your boy?" She was like who the f is lipster? Warren was like the little white kid on the video, and she said she thought I was there with him to which I got promptly booted.

I love it. So if you feel like chatting with Warren, just go follow him on Twitter and wait for that chat to start up!

Len Strikes Again

2009-08-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

While Derrek Lee stayed hot last night with a moonshot to left off of Nick Masset for his 22nd home run of the season, Len Kasper also kept his hot streak alive with a bomb of his own,

(after 15 second of dead air...the strikes always seems to be filling that dead air...)

"If you were wondering, I was too and I think I answered my own question. Gorzelanny, it's a 10-letter last name, I thought maybe it could be one of the longest in Cubs history, then I remembered, Mark Grudzielanek was a Cub. I believe that's 14 letters, in Grudzielanek.........(10 seconds go by).......no 12 yeah 12 for Grudzielanek, then you have Todd Hollandsworth, which is uh 13!"

Wake me up when the inning's over my gosh. Why Len, why are you boring us with the number of letters in the last names of old Cubs? Then you go and guess at how many letters in Grudzielanek. Seriously, a blind guess at Grudzielanek. I would have been forced to hit the mute button if Gorzelanny hadn't grounded out to end the inning. It's like Len get's all anxious when that dead air slowly ticks by and he knows he has nothing to fill it, something in his brain triggers and says, "hey I better say something stupid here quick!"

Gorzelanny shines as Cubs coast

2009-08-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Tom Gorzelanny threw seven and a third innings giving up just one earned run against the Reds Tuesday night in his Cubs debut earning the win as the Cubs rolled 6-3. Gorzelanny piled up six strikeouts against just one walk, making me look like a fool in the process for my "Gorzelanny is garbage" comment shortly after he was traded to the Cubs.

Hey, I'll be the first one to admit I was wrong if Gorzelanny can keep this up, especially the K/BB. Facing a punchless Reds lineup, it's not as if he mowed down the '27 Yankees, though Gorzelanny did handle the Reds super star in the making Joey Votto with ease, striking him out twice; once on a fastball in the first and fooling him with good change in the next at bat as Votto went 0-3 against him. Gorzelanny's fastball sat comfortably at 88 mph, ranging anywhere between 85-90 during the course of the night. He also mixed in a lot of sliders at around 82 along with the change-up.

Kosuke Fukudome got things started with his first career lead-off home run, his eighth jack of the year. He has quietly had a bounce-back season, raising his overall line to .273/.388/.451/.839 after posting a line of .257/.359/.379/.738 in 2008. Improvement across the board but especially in the slugging department, raising his slugging percentage by 72 points, a trend consistent with other Japanese players (Hideki Matsui went from slugging .435 in his first major league season up to .522 the following year and settling in comfortably in the upper .400's ever since). Dome's 101 point raise in OPS is simply pure boo ya. Keep it up Kosuke.

The game was 6-0 to begin the eighth and looked to be in cruise control until the bullpen took over. My defense of the bullpen looks "shaky" as Marshall allowed a stranded runner score on a hit to Votto, the run charged to Gorzelanny. Then after Guzman finishined off the eighth with a strikeout, he was hit around in the ninth giving up a double and a homer, making the game look closer than it was. Just blips on the radar, nothing to worry about here, move along now. Yeah, yeah "shaky" bullpen. They'll have their justice.

Well, the Cardinals just rallied to win in extras, so it's still a tie for first place. Only a matter of time though. Until then, sing it with me now, "Go Cubs gooo, Go Cubs goooo..."

Len Strikes Again

2009-08-04T16:12:00.001-07:00

Tasty quote of the day, here's a small dosage of Len Kasper at his best. From the broadcast this past Sunday afternoon against the Marlins,

"So I was out there doing the game countdown...deal, uh Billy the Marlin wanted me to say hi to his friends in uh, the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois area.........(7 seconds pass)..........he has some friends who are crappies, ...bass (obligatory laugh by Bob...followed by more dead air)."

Can you make sense of this? I didn't think so. Just par for the course. Len will be sure to strike again so stay tuned.

On Cubs bullpen shakeup says Lou, "Why should I?"

2009-08-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Over at ESPN Chicago, Nick Friedell blogs about Kevin Gregg's weekend long meltdown in Miami in which he was awarded the win (I could not hate the wins stat any more) after blowing the save on Saturday, and then getting a well deserved loss yesterday giving up back-to-back jacks to Dan Uggla and Cody Ross.

Now, believe me, I hated the Jose Ceda for Kevin Gregg trade, in fact Hendry's trades in general have made less and less sense lately. I've recently given Hendry the benefit of the doubt for some of his more questionable moves after he brought us Aramis Ramirez for a used jock strap and landed Derrek Lee for Hee Sop Choi. But what's up with trading away DeRosa for peanuts and giving up a valuable trade chip in Jose Ceda for Kevin Gregg? Dime-a-dozen Kevin Gregg? Guys like Gregg grow on trees down in the minors; this season though Gregg has actually looked like the closer he was advertised as.

Up until this past weekend.

A closer look at the numbers, however, suggests that Gregg has had his share of bad luck leading to overall "blah" numbers. Preventing home runs is one stat a pitcher is said to have some sort of control over, along with walks and strikeouts. With a career HR/9 innings a solid 0.9, Kevin Gregg's current HR/9 of 1.8 seems way out of line. For the past five years, here are what his numbers look like:

HR/9 Innings

2005: 1.1

2006: 1.1

2007: 0.8

2008: 0.4

2009: 1.8

It's not exactly "Where's Waldo?" trying to spot the outlier. Digging deeper, one finds that part of the reason for the 1.8 HR/9 is an abnormal home runs given up per fly ball of 15.7% this season. Roughly one out of every seven fly balls given up by Gregg has gone for a home run. Compare that number to a HR/FB of 4.9% in 2008 and 7% in 2007 and the evidence suggests at least part of Gregg's struggles have been a little dose of bad luck. In other words, we should expect a less rocky road ahead.

Nick Friedell disagrees,

"Kevin Gregg's back-to-back blown saves haven't just put a damper on the Cubs' recent hot streak. They've also proved that the team's biggest weakness continues to be its shaky bullpen."

Hold up here, shaky bullpen? Granted, it's not the league's best pen, but every pitcher sitting on those lawn chairs down the left field line knows his role and that's not something a bullpen can take for granted. In the ninth, Gregg still has a respectable, albeit not good, ERA of 4.17 and a very solid 9.2 K/9. As the setup man, Marmol, despite his struggles has been dominant with an opponent's batting average of .159 and has a more than healthy 10.6 K/9. In the seventh, Guzman has arguably been the best reliever of them all, with a 2.36 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 45 innings.

Friedell though, loves to dismiss him immediately from the closer discussion,

"Angel Guzman is another possibility, but he has yet to show that he can stay healthy for an entire season, not to mention that he came into this season with a career ERA above 4.00."

Um...ok, but he's healthy now and his 4.83 career ERA obviously doesn't reflect the level he is currently pitching at. Guzman's stuff is lights out and his 2.36 ERA is legitimate. If the conversation is whether or not Angel Guzman should be a starter, then concerns over staying healthy could be brought up. What is clear is that Guzman could step right into the closer's role if necessary. Carlos Marmol sure would be a bit perturbed, to put it lightly, but that's another story.

Add into the bullpen mix an invaluable Sean Marshall (1.23 ERA out of the pen) and a surprisingly effective Jeff Stevens (2.84 ERA in 6.1 innings, yes tiny sample size), along with The Shark and Aaron Heilman as 6th inning/mop-up duty guys and what you get is a bullpen that has been and will continue to be much more reliable than they've received credit for lately.

Cubs get Gorzelanny and Grabow from Pirates

2009-07-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

Another good trade in a series of good trades lately for the Pirates (grabbing Jeff Clement, and Tim Alderson among others for two good, but not great middle infielders yesterday) as the Pirates trade the Cubs Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow for Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio and Josh Harrison (who?).

Gorzelanny is garbage. Now if I were to transport in time back to 2007 when he was cruising along for my fantasy team with a 3.10 era and 1.24 whip in the first half I might be singing a different tune. In the second half of that year he had a 5.01 era with a 1.62 whip (I had traded him at this point, boo ya) and then proceeded to post a 6.66 era with a 1.80 whip in 105 innings last year (including getting shalacked by the Cubs more than a couple times).

Maybe Gorzelanny can find some of that first half 07 magic, but I doubt it. On the other hand, I'm watching Kevin Hart's start before today's with my pal Nate, and commenting on how in the hell is Kevin Hart throwing 95 mph all of a sudden? He developed a nice cutter in 2007 and had incorporated a sinker into the mix recently, looking like a much more capable pitcher than Mr. "I top out at 86" Tom Gorzelanny.

Oh, but wait the Cubs also landed John Grabow, he of the career 1.45 whip and sporting a 1.50 whip currently. Oh but he's left handed! Marshall has been doing the job just fine as the lefty out of the pen. This trade stinks of, "oh we want to make a trade too!!"

Now Jose Ascanio is a dime-a-dozen young relief pitcher but this Josh Harrsion (not going to lie, I'd never heard of him until today) looks pretty good. His line at Single-A Perioa before being promoted, .337/.377/.479/.856 with 4 hr and 18 sb in 303 at bats.

Nice, trade away a developing, and now hard throwing Kevin Hart and a budding power/speed talent you just drafted for Pittsburgh's garbage. This may not be "The Revenge of Bobby Hill for Aramis Ramirez" but it sure doesn't look like a good trade.

Len Strikes Again on July 28

2009-07-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying, I like Len Kasper, play-by-play man for the Cubs, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. He also makes some of the most irritatingly inane comments you've ever heard (yes, I had to look up the definition of inane before writing that, straight from the Merriam, "lacking significance, meaning or point," I also found from the free dictionary, "devoid of inteligence"). I’ll often mute the TV and just play music, it gets that bad. Most of the times Len thinks he’s just being funny, however, this was not one of those times.

Here's the scene: Jeff Fulchino is a 29-year-old rookie pitcher for the Houston Astros who comes to the plate and gets his first Major League hit. I'm not sure what kind of joke Len thought this was, but after about 10 seconds of dead air, seemingly scrambling to find something to say, here is the transcript:

Len: I usually get to Fulchino and I go, shopping for, khakis........uhhhhh (yes, he said "uhhhh," lucky for Len a ball was put in play, allowing him to actually do his job and call the game) foul ball to the first base coach, Dave Kingman.

Bob: (refering to Fulchino) Sounds like something you'd get at your local coffee shop.

Len: Ha, yeah

Classic. What is Len even trying to say here with this, shopping for khakis? Is this a regularly accept leisure activity that one would take part in to pass the time while a pitcher takes his at bat? I can only imagine Len at Dockers.com, trying to type in the security code on the back of his credit card before Ryan Dempster's next at bat is over.

Now Kasper calls a good game, if he would only stick to that it'd be a delightful little broadcast. When he and Brenly first joined the booth in 2005 I was skeptical in the beginning, but they quickly won me over. After the initial shock that Len and Bob worked so well together though, it's clear now that Bob shines while Len is left trying to play catch up with, um, jokes.

About this blog...

2009-07-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

A converted catcher, Carlos Marmol's career took an unexpectedly delicious turn when he burst onto the Major League scene in 2006 with—ok “burst” may not be the right word for a 6.08 era in 77 innings—however, that only made his ability to make major league hitters look silly in 2007 all the more satisfying. With an insane 12.5 K/9 and 1.43 era in 2007, a Cubs system known for never producing had all of a sudden produced one of the most dominating relievers in the NL. Like finding a twenty in your coat pocket after months of not wearing it, Marmol's ascension from failed hitter to strikeout machine epitomizes one of the glories of life, the completely unexpected.