Questions after opening day

[logan82]

1. Who's closer will recover and last the season? Cubs/Brewers

2. What's wrong with JJ's left shoulder? He grabbed it a few weeks ago after a HR in spring training. It looked like it was really uncomfortable yesterday during a few at bats.

[Ennder]

Both closers will be fine unless they get hurt.

 

Dunno, didn't notice anything.

[naivin]

GAgne will be ok. Wood never should have been given the closer job to begin with.

[Klements Bratwurst]

I think JJ is fine, he ended spring on a torrid pace. Unless something is written somewhere, then I will be worried, but not yet.

[Tbadder]

I think both closers will be just fine. I thought if Woods wasn't so concerned about showing his team "he's got their backs" by plunking Rickie that he would've escaped giving up only 1 run or none at all.

[Mike2k33]

I just don't see Wood lasting a whole season no matter how many innings he throws. I think he can be pretty effective when healthy so he's not a terrible choice for closer.

 

Gagne is in the same boat for the most part, just with a slightly better chance of his arm holding up.

[cubfan1126]

Cute avatar Mike but I like mine better even though yours is more appropriate today.

[rluzinski]

Injuries aside, one day's worth of performance tells us nothing about what to expect for a whole year.

[tristarscoop]

I just don't see Wood lasting a whole season no matter how many innings he throws. I think he can be pretty effective when healthy so he's not a terrible choice for closer.

 

Gagne is in the same boat for the most part, just with a slightly better chance of his arm holding up.

Those are the key words and I don't see it happening. Wood had a hard time staying healthy when he was only needed every couple of days and then he had all day to prepare and warm up and be in the healthiest place possible. As a closer, he'll be needed multiple days in a row, may have to warm up on extremely short notice or may warm up and then not pitch. I really think the "oddness" of the closer's routine is going to be detrimental to Wood's stay healthy.

In my head whenever I go over this situation, I think about our own injury prone starter Ben Sheets and I just can't imagine that anyone here would think it would be a good idea to convert him if he were in the same position. The injuries are just far too likely.

[naivin]

Not to say that he absolutely can't do it, but there is nothing in Kerry Wood's history to suggest he will be a good closer. He has good stuff and all that, but has never closed in his life, and with teh exceptoon of teh end of last year, he frankly has never worked out of the bullpen. In his 9 years, he has appeared in the 9th inning 10 times I believe. Someone please tell me what makes him a closer?

[Bring Back the Stein]

The genius of Lou Piniella is what makes Wood a closer. It's the same thing that makes Ryan Dempster a starter and the Cubs the odds-on favorite to go 161-1.

[Glennron]

I don't know if this really fits in, but two of three Buster Olney's observations on sportscenter were:

 

1) You can't judge a Japanese player by their Spring Training, citing Fukudome's big game

2) Gagne hasn't reversed what happened in Boston.

 

I know his task was to make observations based off one game, but talk about judging really early, wow.

[logan82]

To be perfectly honest I am a little more worried that JJ is currently playing through an injury than I am about either closer. Gagne should have been mixing in some off speed stuff a little earlier, but I am not privy to their scouting reports on the Cubs batters. I think the odds of either giving up 3 runs is pretty small especially on the same day. I had a few more questions, but I forgot what they were other than

 

3. Does anybody still think Gallardo has better stuff than Sheets?

4. Is Bill Hall the worst baserunner on our team?

[RightFieldCoder]

1) I take Gagné hands down. His money will keep him longer than normal if he fails. I don't think Wood will lose his job because of injury (which he'll have) but because he'll be outpitched and ¿Marmol? will take over.

 

2) He'll be fine.

 

3) I always thought Sheets had better stuff, but even with his current injury I'll take the health of Gallardo.

[Gobias Industries]

logan3825[/b]]3. Does anybody still think Gallardo has better stuff than Sheets?

4. Is Bill Hall the worst baserunner on our team?

3. I said it yesterday in some other thread but I'll say it again. Sheets had better stuff and pitched better than any time last year. When he's healthy like he is right now, I gotta give Sheets the edge.

 

4. He's gotta be. Everyone knows yesterday was a huge blunder. We couldn't buy a baserunner and he goes and gets picked off of second base. Just thinking about it infuriates me. I don't know who else in the league is notorious for being a bad baserunner, but Hall is the worst I can think of.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember Counsell making some bad decisions last year on the basepaths. Like being out at third going for a triple by about 10 feet.

[owbc]

If Sheets is healthy, he's on a different level than Gallardo--and Gallardo has the stuff of a future ace. But Ben Sheets has a hall-of-fame caliber curveball, which Gallardo can't match.

 

Now that Estrada is gone, Bill Hall might just be the team's worst base runner. But he hasn't been on base much in the past year, so it's tough to say.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Injuries aside, one day's worth of performance tells us nothing about what to expect for a whole year.

Nothing? Absolutely Nothing? Then why play the game?

[bullox]

Injuries aside, one day's worth of performance tells us nothing about what to expect for a whole year.

Nothing? Absolutely Nothing? Then why play the game?

1/162 is pretty close to nothing. 0.006

 

[endaround]

I don't know if this really fits in, but two of three Buster Olney's observations on sportscenter were:

 

1) You can't judge a Japanese player by their Spring Training, citing Fukudome's big game

2) Gagne hasn't reversed what happened in Boston.

 

I know his task was to make observations based off one game, but talk about judging really early, wow.

Olney was saying the Twins would miss Hunter more than Santana because Hunter is an everyday player. Pretty much tells you that he really is in the wrong line of work.

 

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Olney has must have never seen Carlos Gomez play.

[Gobias Industries]

Olney has must have never seen Carlos Gomez play.

Using his logic on evaluating a player on one game (Gagne), I'm sure he's convinced that he's already a great player since he went 2 for 3 his first game.

[jlau20]

Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember Counsell making some bad decisions last year on the basepaths. Like being out at third going for a triple by about 10 feet.

I think I remember that play, yeah it wasn't the best idea, but at least that's more about hustle and wanting that extra base. Hall getting picked off second is just pretty lazy.

 

[Mike2k33]

Cute avatar Mike but I like mine better even though yours is more appropriate today.

I thought you'd like it.

 

Really though, I think the flags are a neat tradition.

[Gopher74]

Olney was saying the Twins would miss Hunter more than Santana because Hunter is an everyday player. Pretty much tells you that he really is in the wrong line of work.

 

A lot of people have made that same claim. That an everyday player will be missed more than a pitcher who throws once a week.

 

And I think Buster Olney has a pretty good idea what he's talking about, whether you agree with him on this one issue or not.

 

[danzig6767]

I think overall that Buster Olney does a pretty good job for ESPN, but think he's nuts to think the Twins will miss Hunter more than Santana.