Ask Kasper: Cards, patience, Castro and more
Q. After seeing the Cardinals in St. Louis, what surprised you given that Tony La Russa and Albert Pujols aren’t there anymore?
A. It is natural to expect a team that lost so much to struggle a bit during this transition period. But the Cardinals have picked up right where they left off.
I think what that tells us is that the organization itself is really, really good from top to bottom and you have to give GM John Mozeliak a lot of credit. I take nothing away from the people they lost, but I do think organizations win championships.
Q. You are very conversant with advanced statistics. How big a challenge is it to present those to the viewer and not overwhelm more casual fans?
A. While it’s true that I love sabermetrics, I am very cognizant of not putting people to sleep by conducting a math class. When calling a game, you always have to keep the narrative in mind. So I try to choose stats that help serve that narrative, that fit the story of an at-bat, an inning, a game, a season. But less is usually more, and I always use that as a guide.
Q. What can you say to fans who are impatient or discouraged at this early stage of the season?
A. On one hand, you have to stress patience. But then I think about all the Cub fans I know and how passionate and impatient they are, and rightly so. How can I tell them to be patient?
A. Ultimately where I steer the conversation is to the track record of Theo Epstein and his unwavering philosophy of how to build a winning organization.
And that means zero short cuts. In order to build a consistently successful model, you have to lay the groundwork through the draft and building up the entire system, and that doesn’t happen overnight.
The bottom line is that while we all have hope the Cubs can compete each and every season, the reality is this process is just beginning.
Q. There has been a lot of talk about what position Starlin Castro will eventually play, such as third or second. Is it too soon to think about that?
A. It’s way too early to think about that. He’s 22 and shortstop is a difficult position. He is expected to be the captain of the infield (which he clearly is just based on his ability to catch pop-ups all over the diamond) and to handle the toughest of plays with little margin for error.
When he doesn’t have time to think about his footwork, he does very well with the difficult plays. Most errors seem to come when he doesn’t get his feet in the right position and his throws miss the mark. But he is open to coaching, is ridiculously athletic and has a strong arm. Just let him gain experience and he’ll improve. Time is his ally right now.
Q. The new Marlins stadium is quite different from Wrigley. What did you think of it?
A. I love it. A ballpark should reflect its community, and when you walk into that stadium you instantly know you’re in Miami. It’s loud, vibrant and gaudy with lots of bright colors splashed throughout. You get a spectacular view of the downtown skyline through the windows in left field.
The best part, though, is the retractable roof, which makes it a very comfortable place to watch a ballgame in the heat and humidity of South Florida. It’s the most modern ballpark to date, and whether it is a groundbreaking one remains to be seen.
Ÿ Len Kasper is the TV play-by-play broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs. Follow him on Twitter @lenandbobwww.wgntv.com/lenandbob;http://www.wgntv.com/blogs/lenandbob/[URL]. Subscriber Total Access members can submit questions for consideration via an email link in our daily news bulletins, or email them directly to cubsquestions@dailyherald.com.[/URL]