SB Nation User Blog: Orval Overall

More Out of Control Umpires

Orval Overall — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:57:44 -0000

More Out of Control Umpires

I know there was a post/article/fanshot on this a few days ago, but I can't find it. In any case, follow the link for the latest from Mike Winters, the umpire who spurred Bradley's meltdown a couple years ago in San Diego. I guess its not all that shocking an ump would ever use foul language if appropriately provoked. But this seems to be his immediate reaction to Kemp's protest. These guys are out of control, someone on the umpire side needs to get suspended as a message. Winters seems to be an obvious first choice.

"I didn't come here to suck. I know I've sucked so far, but give me some love, you know what I'm...

Orval Overall — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:27:21 -0000

"I didn't come here to suck. I know I've sucked so far, but give me some love, you know what I'm saying? I am a Cub."

TSN Grades Bears Draft an A

Orval Overall — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:44:28 -0000

TSN Grades Bears Draft an A

Premature? Sure. But at least one early review is raving.

"Soto might become a decent backup, that's all." -- Al, 5/1/2007

Orval Overall — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:54:38 -0000

Yes, this is another Micah Hoffpauir fanpost.

I have no idea what the future holds for the Hoff, but I do know this: people who say he can't or won't be an effective major league hitter based on the available evidence are just making things up.

Such statements reminded me about the similar assessment of Geo Soto that appeared on this site in the weeks and months before his torrid September call-up in 2007 made him our catcher of the present and future. The argument then was the same as it is for Hoff today: through a significant part of his career arc, Soto had not shown the ability to hit; therefore, it was judged, he never would gain the ability to do so at the major league level. Even as the evidence started to mount in the other direction with a solid campaign at AAA, these assessments proved to be stubborn. As some fans started agitating in favor of giving the kid a chance, the responses were just as certain and dismissive as they are of Hoff today:

* "Soto might become a decent backup, that's all. The Cubs' best catching prospect is Chris Robinson, the guy they got for Neifi. But he is at least two years away, maybe three."

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2007/5/1/95457/33444

* "Question regarding Barrett... if the Cubs DON'T re-sign him, who's the catcher next year? And don't say Geovany Soto." (When a commenter predictably responded with Soto and Koyie Hill, the response: "Oh, lord.").

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/comments/2007/5/28/19846/2434/136

* (In response to a suggestion from Dartmouth Cub Fan that the team use Soto instead of trading for Kendall) "Because he's a Triple-A catcher!!! I don't care what a guy hits at Iowa. Is Soto ready to be the starting catcher for a playoff contender, with as little ML experience as he has? I say no. There is more to being a winning ML catcher than a few stats on a Triple-A spreadsheet."

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2007/7/24/94316/1416

My point is not that people who pushed for Soto were right, so therefore the people pushing for Hoff must be right too. Thats not my point at all. Something about the excitement for Hoffpauir reminds me of the similar excitement once upon a time for Julio Zuleta and Hee Sop Choi. My point is that these snap judgments some people have made about Hoffpauir not being capable of hitting at the major league level are just as much guesswork as the assessments that say he will be the next Ryan Howard (who, lets not forget, likewise debuted late at 26 and promptly won ROY, then an MVP, then a World Series ring). The point is that we don't know what Hoffpauir will be; he can be great or a bust. It is at the very least possible he will be a late bloomer like Howard who goes on to do great things. Or like David Ortiz who was 28 and had played several mediocre seasons without ever topping 20 homeruns and 75 RBI when he moved to Boston and went absolutely gonzo.

So is Hoff the next Howard/Ortiz or the next Zuleta/Choi? Who knows? But I say the only way we'll know is if the team gives the kid a shot to see what he does with it. In the meantime, statements like "Micah Hoffpaur is a Quadruple-A player, nothing more" sound awfully like "Soto might become a decent back-up, that is all."

Reasons for the Missing "Buzz"

Orval Overall — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:42:37 -0000

A common theme for the TBS announcers last night was that the crowd was shockingly quiet and passive, and it certainly looked that way on TV.

Al said the same thing in his wrap-up.

And I saw the same thing first-hand at last year's Game 3 loss, where the stadium really only got rocking just one time, when DeRo came up with the bases loaded. Otherwise, people were quiet for most of that game.

All of that is completely different from the Wrigley Field we have all seen dozens of times for relatively meaningless games, and especially for the meaningful ones like Opening Day or any series involving the Sox or Cardinals. So what gives?

I think the most commonly floated reason is that the fans are too nervous -- afraid of failure, they sit through a playoff game like its a horror moving just waiting to see how terrible its going to get.

I have a different theory. It seems to me that in the stubhub era its just too easy for wealthy, mildly-passionate, bandwagon type fans to offer a price for tickets that the average, everyday, die-hard (and yes bleed-cubbie-blue) fan just can't match. So instead of the full-throated season ticket holder who is living and dying on each pitch, you have a bunch of fans who aren't as passionate and are going because its the thing to do and they have the means to do it. When a $50 face value ticket is going for $800 or even $1,200, it reaches a point where people who would be in the seats screaming their heads off decide they'd be crazy not to sell to someone who will sit there passively with a cardigan tied around his neck.

Your thoughts?

Cuban Embargoed?

Orval Overall — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:54:43 -0000

"Sources" tell some other blog that Mark Cuban is out of the running for the Cubs, and that the clubhouse leader is Tom Ricketts.

http://chi-ball.com/blog/2008/09/12/cuban-out/

This in turn was reported on another blog, deadspin.com, so now I believe it. Is this all unsubstantiated rumor? Anyone have any more info?

[And as always, apologies if this is old ground; I ran a search, turned up nothing new on Cuban since August]

Zell, the political solution

Orval Overall — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:17:41 -0000

I'm surprised that for all the attention paid to Zell's comments about selling naming rights, there is very little discussion of the political leverage Cubs fans throughout Chicago and Illinois currently have.

Its true, as Zell says, that Wrigley is "his asset" and without our own ownership interest we can't really stop him from selling the naming rights to it. But our elected leaders in State and City government absolutely can do something about it. Zell is practically begging them to purchase the stadium because the state can obtain tax-free financing, and can therefore afford to pay Zell a higher price. His analysts tell him that if he sells the stadium to a private buyer he'll get a lower return. Zell is also going to need City and State cooperation for any plan to remake or remodel Wrigley Field because of its historical landmark designation, a designation intended for just this sort of use. The cooperation of City and State officials is necessary to either of those ends; if they withhold it, the value of Zell's "asset" falls.

With that in mind, its remarkable that at the same time Zell is courting the Governor, the Mayor and hundreds of legislators, he manages to upset an untold number of their constituents. How many people would be sufficiently offended by the renaming of Wrigley Field to vote against the politicians who let it happen? Thousands? Certainly. Tens of thousands? Probably. Zell might not care what we think, but he should, because the politicians he needs to persuade will absolutely care if there are thousands of Cubs fans calling for their heads.

So, instead of focusing energy on polls that ask whether Cubs fans would go to games at a re-named Wrigley Field (they will), like the Sun Times is asking, someone should be posing the question: Would you vote to re-elect a politician who struck a deal with Sam Zell while turning a blind eye to his intention to re-name Wrigley Field? The answer to THAT poll, I think, would be a resounding "no." That's leverage, and its where we should focus our energies. If you start a "Save Wrigley" petition, make sure it lands on the desk of every politician whose consent is necessary for Zell to maximize the price for his "asset."

Poll

Would you vote to re-elect a politician who had the opportunity to insist that Wrigley Field keep its current name, but did nothing about it?

Yes

16 votes

No

38 votes

54 votes | Poll has closed