Bullpen ERA

Phil Rogers has this:

The bullpen was the Cubs’ biggest unknown entering the ’09 season, but a 2.61 earned-run average by the relief corps in three games at Minute Maid Park provided a few clues of how good it can be if everyone clicks.

This is the danger of the early-season day off. Phil Rogers has column inches to fill, and nothing meaningful to write about, so we, the readers, suffer.

Aside from the fact that ERA is a crummy measure of relief performance anyway, the bullpen has pitched ten innings. Yes, those ten innings went alright, but that doesn’t mean anything at all. If stats from a three-game stretch meant a lot, Milton Bradley would be on his way to some sort of empty-OBP record, Ted Lilly would give up 140 homers on the year, and Soriano would shatter the home run record.

Also, the Cubs would win 108 games. I guess I could live with that.