I worked the Cubs-Rockies game last night for STATS. Carlos Silva vs. Jhoulys Chacin. I've always wanted to see ESPN televise a spelling bee in which blowhard sportswriters and talking heads are given interesting sports names to spell. How many would get Jhoulys right? (Of course, they could come right back at me and ask me to PRONOUNCE Mr. Chacin's name. No luck there.)Nachoman correspondent and #1 Cubs fan Deep Dish watched a bit of the game, and maintained some correspondence with me:
NM: Working the Cubs game, and I like G. Soto's catcher's gear -- it's white and blue, and looks sharp. Looking forward to seeing this Silva guy.
DD: Soto is back this year (he had a rotten 2009) -- hitting over .300, making good contact, solid at-bats (his OBP is astronomical, like .450 or something). Be sure to watch our new rookie at short: Starlin Castro. They moved Theriot over to second to bump him up to the majors, and he's had a great 2-3 weeks. Silva is good (believe it or not, we actually got him for Bradley -- is that the best trade of all time or what?). The Cubs are living proof that giving long-term contracts to guys who are around 28-30 is a BAD long-term move. Soriano is on one of his streaks, but Ramirez, Lee, and Zambrano have been poopy (although Lee started slowly last year and ended up having one of his best years ever).
NM: Best trade of all time: Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena. And Milton Bradley for a handful of Magic Beans would be a candidate for the best trade of the century.
I am a big fan of Mr. Silva already. He got lucky on a phantom tag on a double play that cost the Rox a run, but he's been awesome. 12 balls to 34 strikes.
DD: Wily Mo Pena: Is this a real name or some sort of joke?
NM: Just as real as "Jhoulys." Who has not endeared himself to me, walking the leadoff guy twice in four innings.
DD: As for Soto's catcher's outfit, I disagree with you -- he looks like a superhero. I'm too old school for white-and-blue catcher's gear...
NM: Nah, I like the hockey-style masks with the detailed artwork.
But I *hate* Rafael Betancourt. I'd like to see fire ants poured down his pants... and he can have them washed off when he's finally finished pitching an inning.
DD: Molasses. I watched an inning or two and almost fell asleep. You picked a decent game to work.
NM: "Decent" as in "close" and, from your perspective, "the Cubs won." Crappy in the "3:19 for 8.5 innings" sense. And crappy in the "FSN Rocky Mountain spent an inning ignoring the game in favor of a vapid interview with Lindsay Vonn, which mainly consisted of the announcers leering and kissing her (figurative) butt." But generally enjoyable.
NM
