SB Nation User Blog: Shanghai Badger

OT: Brewers re-sign Hoffman for $8M

Shanghai Badger — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:26:28 -0000

OT: Brewers re-sign Hoffman for $8M

Brewers Marketing: Fueling the Perception

Shanghai Badger — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:10:32 -0000

I've been to many Brewer games over the years, having grown up in SE Wisconsin. Most of the fans that I've interacted with at Brewer-Cub games have been knowledgeable and friendly (except for a friend of mine that gets surly when the Cubs win). I suspect that represents the bulk of their fan base. There have been a handful of militant fans, but every fan base has jerks.

This is about the Brewer organization, though - not the fans. Several years ago, when a strike was looking like a possibility, I had seats a few rows behind home plate, so I created a sign that was critical (but not vulgar) of Don Fehr and Bud Selig. When I held it up between innings, it got a lot of attention - and an usher saw it and told me I could not display it - unless I removed the part critical of the Commissioner! Yes, censorship alive and well at Miller Park.

Now they've gone one better and fueled the inferiortiy complex perception. I've made several comments on here that I think the "anti-team" t-shirts that street vendors sell are lame - whether they are anti-Cub, Cardinal, Brewer, Packer, Bear, etc. Well, now the Brewers are selling a t-shirt in their official team store that says "Curse the Cubs" and has a goat on it. Personally, I find this hilarious on several levels.

It's amusing more than offensive, and if it's supposed to be offensive, it's that much more amusing.

As someone (Josh?) pointed out last year, the curse itself is a myth (and I don't give credence to the concept of a curse in the first place). Plus, Cub fans don't really buy into it, but fans of other teams insist that we do. It speaks volumes to me that they need to do this because they think that their fan base is likely to buy an anti-Cub shirt instead of a Brewer shirt . . . one can see anti-Cub shirts in Miller Park when the Cubs aren't even there, but I think that's a vocal minority. (That's not to say they the "mainstream" fans like the Cubs, but most can show a little more class than that.) You've got some pretty bush league marketing personnel working for you, Mr. Attanasio!

Time to DFA cries of "DFA" and "Waivers"

Shanghai Badger — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:05:30 -0000

For months now, we've been reading constant calls to DFA this player or that player. Now that July 31 is astern, we're hearing daily cries to put one player or another on waivers.

Note - the following paragrah is background information before I get into the main discussion:

I am going to start by saying I have been very critical of Jim Hendry. I think he spends too much money on mediocre players who draw little interest elsewhere, which contributes a lot more to the Cubs' payroll being inflexible then contracts to legitimate contributors. I was ok with the Soriano deal, because they needed to change the perception of the Cubs not being interested or able to get the big names. Yes, Beltran would have been a better move, but at the point in time when Soriano was signed - not before or after - it wasn't the worst thing in the world to do for the franchise. The deals of J.Jones, Miles, Perez, Rusch, etc., thinking Gathright, Izturis, etc. could be contributors are the decisions that bother me.

Having established that I'm not impressed with Hendry as a GM, I will say that I don't think the man is an idiot. There are certain things that all GMs do as a matter of course, and I'll get into that later.

Now the main point:

This is not fantasy baseball, Pursue the Pennant, Strat-O-Matic or any other simulated baseball game of your choice. No one is going to trade their good players for the Cubs' crap, nor should anyone expect to be taken seriously if they suggest such a deal is viable.

DFA is not a wonder drug that cures an underperforming team's ailments. You don't prescribe the DFA pill to a player and have him magically get better. You also don't DFA a player in the first half of his first season of a multi-year contract, unless he has done something so egregious as to make a continued relationship with the team untenable. It simply is not realistic - if you do this, you are likely on the hook for the entire remainder of the contract, less the prorated share of the league minimum IF someone else picks that player up. A trade is still possible, but it is very much a buyer's market.

On to the flavor of the day: Put them on waivers! That'll clear up payroll!

Virtually every player is put on waivers immediately after the trading deadline. Despite what the cerebral likes of Rob Dibble might think, in addition to being noted in numerous articles, it's common sense. This is where the Hendry part comes in. I don't think he's a great GM, but he's not stupid and would not be negligent as to forget to do this - AND HE HAS A STAFF THAT WOULD REMIND HIM.

If you wait until now to put someone on waivers, it's a stronger signal that a deal is imminent - and a signal that someone else might want to think about making a claim if they want to block a deal that would make the team ahead of them stronger. By placing everyone on waivers right away, it makes it less likely players would be claimed, thus more likely to make deals.

Some of you will cry, "Billy Wagner!" Well, he was on a rehab assignment. I'm not saying ALL players are placed on waivers, but most are. You can pull the waivers back if someone makes a claim, so there is no risk in doing it.

Waivers are not used during the season to send a message to players. Say again: Waivers are NOT used during the season to send a message to players.

To everyone who chooses to disagree with the above, and thinks this is a clever new way to dump Soriano, I ask you: WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO CLAIM HIM? If the Cubs don't think that he's worth keeping, do you honestly believe that someone else is going to be stupid enough to take on that contract, given how he has looked most of this year? Really? REALLY?

I'm just as frustrated as the rest of you with how the Cubs look. And I think Al would say that suggestions on improving the team should be part of what BCB is. But the same non-starter suggestion dozens of times a day . . . it's just not going to happen.

How about something upbeat? Pirate farmhand from South Africa with a great attitude

Shanghai Badger — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:54:58 -0000

How about something upbeat? Pirate farmhand from South Africa with a great attitude

I did a quick search, so I don't think this has been posted, but the article is a couple of weeks old.

Too bad this kid isn't a Cub.

I can't believe we're still watching LA-STL thread

Shanghai Badger — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:36:59 -0000

I can't believe we're still watching LA-STL thread

Sale update - Piece in online Trib says Ricketts getting closer

Shanghai Badger — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:08:06 -0000

Sale update - Piece in online Trib says Ricketts getting closer

I sure hope this gets resolved soon!

Today's chuckle (because we need one) - brought to you by . . .

Shanghai Badger — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:20:35 -0000

Today's chuckle (because we need one) - brought to you by . . .

Ozzie Guillen!

Jamie Moyer - Class Act

Shanghai Badger — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:20:15 -0000

Jamie Moyer - Class Act

Always liked him; too bad he wasn't able to stick around with the Cubs longer - in either stint.

Fandom Redux

Shanghai Badger — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:30:40 -0000

This is meant as a response to a lot of the discussions that have been going on lately and not a knock on Drew’s post from last week.

A lot of the topics discussed on this board are polarizing. Maybe it’s only my perception, but it seems like it’s gotten more extreme in the past few weeks. Some people seem to have lost the ability to disagree with someone else without attacking the individual instead of responding to the comments themselves. Or worse yet, take critical opinions of others and jump to absurd conclusions about the other person’s devotion to the Cubs or accuse them of saying things that they aren’t.

With that preamble, here is the kind of fan I am:

When the Cubs stink up the joint, I acknowledge it. If I notice something about team personnel, I’ll usually file it away and look for a pattern. If I see a pattern, it becomes an opinion – one that I’m not afraid to express. I can’t read minds, but most adults can make reasonable conclusions based on observations. Yes, I can and will be critical of the Chicago National League Ballclub and members thereof. I don’t believe that makes me any less of a fan.

I also will see a pitching matchup of, say, Doug Bird vs. Steve Carlton and still watch the game fully expecting the Cubs to have a chance to somehow find a way to win. I don’t believe that makes me any more of a fan.

As I’ve move through my mid-thirties, the games no longer influence my mood the way that they did when I was in my teens or twenties. I still want the Cubs to win during every game. The tough losses still bug me, but usually not for as long as they used to – as I realize this isn’t real life. I don’t believe that makes me any less of a fan.

I’ll wear Cubs gear in Milwaukee, New York City, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney or wherever the hell else I find myself. At a game or on the street, and I’ll engage anyone in conversation about the Cubs if they want – whether they’re being friendly about it or not. I don’t believe that makes me any more of a fan.

If someone else points out a flaw in something that I’ve said, I’ll listen to them as objectively as I can – assuming that it is presented in a reasonable manner. This doesn’t mean that I’ll change my mind, but I’m willing to accept that my thoughts may be incorrect. I don’t believe that makes me any more or less of a fan.

If someone says something that I think is inaccurate or unfair, I’ll usually respond. (More often than I should, really.) However, I will not take each and every comment critical of the Cubs and feel the need to ride to the defense of someone’s honor when I’ve never met that individual like I would for a personal friend or family member. I most certainly don’t believe that a player is beyond reproach – regardless of who it is. I don’t believe that makes me any less of a fan.

Finally, I won’t presume to know how much of a fan someone I’ve never met is solely based on them not agreeing with each and every opinion that I have. I do believe that makes me reasonable.

Go Cubs

Revised [Grow up, Carlos. (Zambrano misses flight)]

Shanghai Badger — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:22:10 -0000

Ok, I'm not going to delete this, because people have made good points on both sides of the argument. For as good of a job as I thought I did not getting P.O.'d during the game, I was irritated this morning.

So continue to discuss. I'll back down from the conclusions -- for now. But I'm still weary of things like this always seeming to involve Zambrano.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparently rumors of Zambrano's maturation have been greatly exaggerated. Carlos missed the team flight yesterday and showed up later in Atlanta. It might be the way that they lost yesterday's game, but I'm more weary than usual of the selfishness that he sometimes exhibits. The apologists that have defended or rationalized all the things that he's done like this have their work cut out for them this time -- as has been reported since late last year, the other players are indeed tired of these antics.

I defended Zambrano bunting earlier this season as someone who was trying to do whatever it takes to win, and I stand by that -- but I also stand by the earlier comments that I've made about his immaturity and selfishness.

As Sandberg said, the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back of the jersey. Pitching a no-hitter doesn't change that fact.