50 replies to this topic

[MidnightC]

Let's not mince words; last year was a tremendous disappointment for the North Side. After making the playoffs (and getting soundly bounced in the Division Series) in 2007 and 2008, the 2009 Chicago Cubs hovered around .500 most of the year and finally finished at 83-78, 7.5 games out of the NL Central. How did this happen? If you listen to the talking heads, it was because Milton Bradley was such a cancer that he managed to bring down the performance of every single member of the team. Oh, and he kicked puppies and kittens around the outfield and wore a White Sox uniform during every game.

While Bradley certainly underperformed and didn't make many friends in Chicago, he was just one of several problems. Alfonso Soriano, he of the eight year, $136 million contract boasted an 84 OPS+ in his age 33 season. Aramis Ramirez played only 82 games after suffering a dislocated shoulder in May. Geovany Soto fell off a cliff after his stellar rookie season with a 79 OPS+. Mike Fontenot made everyone pine for Mark DeRosa. If not for a great year by Derrek Lee and a nice bounce back from Kosuke Fukudome, the offense would've been even worse. Things were better on the pitching end, though Ted Lilly got hurt, Rich Harden, in a shocking turn of events, got hurt and wasn't as ace-like as expected when he was healthy. Kevin Gregg blew up in the closer role, Jeff Samardzija stank, and Aaron Heilman was Aaron Heilman. But yes, we're supposed to believe all of that was Bradley's fault.

With a new owner in the fold, perhaps there's hope that the lovable losers might finally get that long-sought World Series Championship. But it probably won't be this year, if Jim Hendry's "awesome" winter is any indication. Let's review, shall we?

Key Additions:

OF Marlon Byrd (3/$15 million)
LHP John Grabow (re-signed for 2/$7.5 million)
RHP Carlos Silva (acquired from Seattle)
OF Xavier Nady (1/$3.3 million)
INF Jeff Baker (acquired from Colorado)
INF/OF Kevin Millar (minor league deal)
INF Chad Tracy (minor league deal)

Key Losses:

INF Aaron Miles (traded to Oakland)
INF/OF Jake Fox (traded to Oakland)
OF Milton Bradley (traded to Seattle)
RHP Aaron Heilman (traded to Arizona)
RHP Rich Harden (free agency; signed with Texas)
RHP Kevin Gregg (free agency; signed with Toronto)

When your biggest move of the offseason involves trading for Carlos Silva, you can't expect to have good feelings about the coming year.

Watch this space for further news and roster breakdown!

Edited by MidnightC, 04 March 2010 - 02:53 PM.

[rglawyer]

Cabin Mirror sighting. Still getting media miles from Cowboy Up.

Millar trying to catch on with Cubs.

[MidnightC]

Some linky goodness:

* Cubs beat reporter Carrie Muskat has a rundown of the "State of the Cubs," including some stuff the new owners are planning.

* Late on this, but reliever Angel Guzman has a tear in his right shoulder that's career threatening. He's supposed to visit with Dr. James Andrews at some point to get a second opinion, though surgery looks inevitable.

* Xavier Nady probably won't be ready for regular OF duties until June.

And the tabloid fodder:

Milton Bradley took another opportunity to rip the Cubs, and Jim Hendry, surprisingly, fired back this time.

Hendry lambasted his former player to the media before Wednesday's game at HoHoKam Park, portraying Bradley as selfish, delusional, dishonest and lacking in accountability. The charge that seemingly angered Hendry the most was Bradley's implication some of his hate mail may have come from within the organization because he said it had no stamp on it.

"Obviously, that couldn't be further from the truth," Hendry said. "Maybe it's time Milton looks at himself in the mirror. He just didn't swing the bat. He didn't get the job done. His production, or lack of (production), was the only negative."

I don't question the need to get Bradley out of Chicago, only the wisdom of signing him in the first place and then obtaining the likes of Carlos Silva for him. I have to wonder how long it will take Milton to wear out his welcome in Seattle?

[brienc]

http://www.portfolio...Cubs/index.html

'We Don't Believe in Curses or Billy Goats'
by Eric Fisher Apr 01 2010

New owner Tom Ricketts has no room for excuses in his effort to remake the storied, yet seemingly star-crossed, Chicago Cubs. New team owner Tom Ricketts has absolutely no tolerance for “Lovable Losers,” for years the well-known, unofficial moniker for the club, and the name that has come to define everything about the Cubs’ historic ineptitude.

“I don’t believe in ‘Lovable Losers.’ Never have,” said Ricketts, whose face grows visibly discomforted at the mere mention of the words. “You’ll never hear us put those two words together. And we don’t believe in curses or billy goats. It’s just not what we’re about.”

Ricketts, who with his family purchased the Cubs, Wrigley Field, and related assets last year from the Tribune Co. for about $845 million, may be rebuking the Curse of the Billy Goat, the famed 1945 legend that marks the team’s last World Series appearance. But in reality, he’s trying to overcome more than any alleged curse. Ricketts and his family inherit one of the crown jewels of the entire sports industry, but also a franchise badly in need of modernization and attention in nearly every key area.

On one level, the story of a new owner coming with a bold new plan is hardly new. But this one involves the iconic Cubs brand and, interestingly, includes no Daniel Snyder-type bluster. There have been no mass firings, no senior leadership changes thus far, aside from the addition of Hayward and extension to Kenney, and no nasty and public repudiation of all that has come before. Instead, this story involves the relentless development of a blueprint to get the Cubs their first World Series title since 1908 and revive the franchise top to bottom.

“If baseball didn’t prohibit us from buying into more than one franchise, I’d want stock in the Cubs,” said Boston Red Sox president Larry Lucchino. The Red Sox and their renaissance under the management of Lucchino and owners John Henry and Tom Werner have served as an important blueprint for Ricketts and the Cubs. “They have some tremendous opportunities in front of them, and the extra advantage of following our game plan to some degree.”

[MidnightC]

Just in time for Opening Day, here (finally) is a look at the 2010 Cubs pitching staff.

Cubs Starters in 2009

Pitcher	GS	IP	W-L	ERA+	BB/K	WHIP
Carlos Zambrano	28	169.1	9-7	119	78/152	1.38
Ryan Dempster	31	200	11-9	123	65/172	1.31
Randy Wells	27	165.1	12-10	148	46/104	1.28
Ted Lilly*	27	177	12-9	145	36/151	1.06
Tom Gorzelanny*	7	38.1	4-2	80	13/40	1.36
Carlos Silva	6	30.1	1-3	51	11/10	1.71

*Throws Left

Ted Lilly will begin the season on the DL (knee/shoulder), but other than that, there isn't a great deal to say here. Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster return, and 2009 feel-good story Randy Wells hopes for an encore. It's anyone's guess how long Carlos Silva can hang onto his rotation spot; with Lilly due back by mid-April, someone will be on the chopping block pretty soon.

The bullpen:

Cubs Relievers in 2009

Pitcher	Games	IP	SV/BSv	ERA+	BB/K	WHIP
Carlos Marmol	79	74	15/4	132	65/93	1.45
John Grabow*	30	25	0/0	141	12/16	1.24
Esmailin Caridad	14	19.1	0/0	327	3/17	0.93
Sean Marshall*	55	85.1	0/0	104	32/68	1.44
Jeff Samardzija	20	34.2	0/0	60	15/21	1.76
Justin Berg	11	12	0/0	616	1/7	0.92
James Russell*^	26	65.2	0/0	3.43 ERA	19/46	1.37

*Throws Left
^ Denotes AAA Stats

Carlos Marmol is a classic "heart attack" closer, prone to fits of wildness and the occasional longball. He remains very hard to hit (career BAA of .181) but the walk rate is ugly. For all the crap Kevin Gregg (deservedly) got, it's worth noting that Marmol's Save percentage was only marginally better than Gregg's last year. Yikes?

This bullpen is very young; John Grabow is the old man of the lot at age 31. The youth offers a great deal of flexibility, but also risk. The loss of Angel Guzman stings, but there are still some other interesting arms in the minors if Samardzija stinks again or if Justin Berg or James Russell can't cut it.

[MidnightC]

And a real quick look at the regulars and the bench:

2009 Stats

Player	Games	AB	BA	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS+
Geovany Soto	102	331	.218	.321	.381	50/77	79
Derrek Lee	141	532	.306	.393	.579	76/109	145
Mike Fontenot*	135	377	.236	.301	.377	35/83	72
Ryan Theriot	154	602	.284	.343	.369	51/93	83
Aramis Ramirez	82	306	.317	.389	.516	28/43	130
Alfonso Soriano	117	477	.241	.303	.423	40/118	84
Marlon Byrd	146	547	.283	.329	.479	32/98	106
Kosuke Fukudome*	146	499	.259	.375	.421	93/112	104

Yes, the offense last year was pretty ugly. Losing Aramis Ramirez for half the season was the biggest blow, but even a full year of his bat wouldn't have overcome the suckitude of Soto, Soriano, Milton Bradley and the middle infield. It can't be understated how much the Cubs need Soriano to rebound. Geovany Soto supposedly lost 40 pounds over the winter (he looks much slimmer, but it's still likely an exaggeration) in an effort to recap his ROY form.

The hope is that Marlon Byrd will help solidify the outfield, but another good power low patience hitter isn't what the Cubs need. Oh yeah, and Byrd's 31, so he isn't exactly a youngster.

If either of Fontenot or Theriot can't cut it, there's a 20 year-old sensation named Starlin Castro to consider. Castro made a lot of noise in spring training but considering he hasn't even played in Triple-A yet, it's probably too soon to hand him the job.

2009 Stats

Player	Games	AB	BA	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS+
Koyie Hill#	83	253	.237	.312	.324	27/78	64
Jeff Baker	69	203	.305	.362	.448	17/46	106
Xavier Nady	7	28	.286	.310	.429	1/6	95
Chad Tracy*	98	257	.237	.306	.389	26/38	76
Tyler Colvin*	6	17	.176	.250	.176	2/5	12

*Bats Left
#Bats Switch

Despite his rough cup of coffee last year, Tyler Colvin is a legit prospect and he made the team after a very hot spring. Lou vows to give the kid playing time, but where will he fit in that outfield? Colvin would probably be better served getting regular playing time in the minors.

And there are your 2010 Chicago Cubs. Play ball.

[MidnightC]

Braves 16, Cubs 5

And 2010 starts with a BANG.

Carlos Zambrano was awful, lasting just 1.1 innings and giving up eight runs, including two homers (one to phenom Jason Heyward). And he also hit a batter and made a throwing error that led to another run. This was Zambrano's sixth career Opening Day start, and his shortest outing since September of 2006. FAIL.

The bullpen didn't cover itself in glory either. Sean Marshall and James Russell did some excellent damage control to keep the Cubs in the game, but Jeff Samardzija gave up six runs (four earned thanks to an error by Derrek Lee (!)) of his own and Justin Berg gave up two more.

Trivia: This was the biggest Opening Day loss for the Cubs since they lost 15-4 to the Giants...in 1884!

On the plus side, Marlon Byrd homered in his first at-bat and Aramis Ramirez hit one in the third inning. Fukudome had a couple of hits, including a double. That was about it for offense. The game was sadly winnable if only the Cubs had gotten some pitching.

Dempster vs. Jair Jurrjens tomorrow.

[knucklecup]

Samardzija continues to be unimpressive regardless of role. His fastball is excellent but the lack of any secondary pitches makes him useless at times and it showed yesterday.

What is his ceiling?

[Al Zarilla]

Samardzija continues to be unimpressive regardless of role. His fastball is excellent but the lack of any secondary pitches makes him useless at times and it showed yesterday.

What is his ceiling?

Craig Hansen?

[CubsFan]

Craig Hansen?

Yes. Perfect analogy.

Question: What's worse than having your ACE and self-proclaimed "New not-so-Big Z" starting the worst Cubs opening day since 1884 with an ERA of 54?

Ans: Jeff Samardzija's relief ERA of 108.

Good grief.

Historical Reference: Chester A. Arthur was President at the time the Chicago White Stockings (nee, Cubs) lost to the the New York Gothams (current SF Giants). Larry Corcoran was tagged for the loss, 3 - 15. He batted 8th. Recall that Chester Arthur was viewed by his own Republican party as a great disappointment as his actions as President were often contrary to the party's beliefs. Perhaps there's an analogy to be drawn here.

[MidnightC]

Braves 3, Cubs 2

Nice outing for Dempster to start the year: 6 innings, 1 run allowed. The Cubs had a 2-1 lead in the 8th inning, and then John Grabow blew the game by allowing a 2-run homer to Chipper Jones. At least they lost with some dignity this time?

On offense, Alfonso Soriano had the only multi-hit (2) game and the only extra base hit (double).

Craig Hansen?

What's scary is that not only do they pitch alike, Samardzija even looks a bit like Craig Hansen. Maybe they're twins separated at birth.

[MidnightC]

Cubs 2, Braves 0

Randy Wells gets the first Cubs victory of 2010! He was excellent, save for a bit of scare in the third inning when the Braves loaded the bases with one out. A double-play erased the threat and Wells cruised the rest of the way to six scoreless innings. Good relief work by Sean Marshall and Esmailin Caridad followed. John Grabow walked the only batter he faced in the 8th, so Carlos Marmol got a 4-out save.

Not much offense; the Cubs totaled just four hits. What's good is that two of those hits were homers, one by Marlon Byrd, and the other by Tyler Colvin. Colvin was playing LF in place of Soriano. Wonder how much more we'll see of that this year?

* Ted Lilly was supposed to pitch today for AAA Iowa, but has been scratched due to a stiff back. It's not a setback, according to Lou.

The Cubs are also rearranging the rotation a little, supposedly to matchup better against the Brewers. Zambrano will start Saturday instead of Tom Gorzelanny. Carlos Silva pitches tonight, followed by Zambrano and Gorzelanny, making Dempster the starter for the home opener Monday.

[MidnightC]

Reds 5, Cubs 4

Surprise, surprise, Carlos Silva didn't suck. He went six innings, walked no one, and gave up one run. He'd thrown only 71 pitches by then, but was lifted with a sore right shoulder. That's being downplayed as precautionary, but it bears watching.

With the offense getting three runs off of Homer Bailey, things looked pretty good...until Esmailin Caridad gave up a grand slam to Drew Stubbs in the 8th inning. Derrek Lee brought the Cubs back to within one with a long 9th inning homer off of Francisco Cordero. The Cubs loaded the bases, but couldn't score, and that was that.

* Xavier Nady made his first appearance, starting in RF. He went 1-1 with a walk and RBI.

[MidnightC]

Cubs 4, Reds 3

And Zambrano rebounds from his disasterous Opening Day start. Talk about night and day; this time he went seven innings and gave up three runs while striking out nine. It's be nice to see this version of Z more often.

All the runs scored on homers, a 2-run shot by Kosuke Fukudome in the 4th, a solo shot by Soriano in the 5th, and a PH go-ahead homer by Jeff Baker in the 8th. Carlos Marmol struck out the side in the 9th for the save.

* Ted Lilly's start for AAA Iowa today has been scratched due to the stiff back. He'll throw a bullpen session Monday in Chicago and be evaluated then. He was due to be activated the week of April 19th, but that's probably not going to happen now.

* From the same link, Carlos Silva is still scheduled to make his next start Friday against the Astros.

[MidnightC]

Red 3, Cubs 1

Despite a good start by Tom Gorzelanny (6.1IP, 1R, 7K), the offense had nothing going against rookie Mike Leake. Esmailin Caridad walked in the go-ahead run in the 8th inning (the run was charged to Grabow).

So the first road trip of the season ends with a 2-4 record and a .197 team batting average. They stranded 25 runners in the 3-game set with the Reds. Luckily for the Cubs, they'll be playing at Wrigley this week.

* Alfonso Soriano made his first error of the season in this game.

* Lou Piniella's already talking about making "changes."

* A look at the renovations made to Wrigley over the winter.

[MidnightC]

Cubs 9, Brewers 5

Fireworks, anyone? Lots of homers in this game; a 3-run shot by Xavier Nady, a 2-run homer by Jeff Baker, and another 2-run one by Aramis Ramirez. That was more than enough for even a mediocre Ryan Dempster (6.1IP, 5ER). The bullpen had a good day too, pitching nothing but scoreless relief. Jeff Samardzija lowered his ERA all the way to 27 with his scoreless inning. I'd call this a successful day for Tom Ricketts.

Day off today, then Randy Wells vs. Dave Bush tomorrow.

* Good news (sorta): X-rays were negative on Derrek Lee's right thumb. He hurt it back during the Atlanta series sliding into a base, and it was bothering him enough that he was pulled after the 4th inning yesterday. He's day-to-day.

* More good news: Ted Lilly is set to start for AAA Iowa on Wednesday. He should throw about 60 pitches.

* Good idea: Lou plans to pull Soriano in the late innings for defense. He should've started doing this years ago.

[MidnightC]

Cubs 7, Brewers 6

A wild finish to what for awhile looked to be a disappointing afternoon. After a so-so start by Randy Wells (6.1IP, 4ER) and an inauspicious 2010 debut by Jeff Gray (2ER in 1 inning), the Cubs found themselves trailing 6-3 in the 8th inning.

But luckily, there was LaTroy Hawkins pitching for the Brewers by then. After getting the first two outs in the bottom of the 8th, Hawkins completely fell apart. Jeff Baker singled, then Geovany Soto and Tyler Colvin both walked to load the bases. Ryan Theriot hit an 0-2 pitch for a 2-run single after that, and then Kosuke Fukudome completed the comeback with another single and the Cubs had a sudden 7-6 lead. Carlos Marmol struck out the side to save it.

* Derrek Lee was held out of today's game after getting a cortisone shot in his thumb. He's expected to play tomorrow.

* Esmailin Caridard was placed on the DL with a forearm strain and RHP Jeff Gray (part of the Jake Fox trade) was called up to replace him.

* Soriano had another error in this game. He's not a popular guy in Wrigleyville these days.

[MidnightC]

Brewers 8, Cubs 6

Lots of homeruns (Lee (his 100th at Wrigley), Byrd (estimated at 445 feet!) and Ramirez) but not a single Cubs pitcher could pitch a scoreless inning. Zambrano needed 121 pitches just complete 5 innings on the day, and Jeff Samardzija took the loss after giving up two runs (including a Ryan Braun homer) in his two innings of work.

Cubs 7, Astros 2

The hapless Astros: so bad even Carlos Silva can beat them. He pitched 7 innings and gave up 2 runs (unearned due to an error by Marlon Byrd when he collided with Kosuke Fukudome). Derrek Lee hit a 3-run homer in the 7th to cap off a six-run rally for the Cubs.

* Ted Lilly's rehab start Wednesday went well; 1 hit and one walk over 4 innings. He's set to pitch in AAA again on Monday.

[MidnightC]

Astros 4, Cubs 3

It figures vintage Roy Oswalt would show up at Wrigley. He stifled the Cubs offense for seven innings, and despite a ray of hope in the form of Brandon Lyon, the Cubs couldn't complete the comeback. At least Brad Mills is happy.

* Starter Tom Gorzelanny was hit in the left shoulder by a line drive in the 3rd inning. He finished the inning before being pulled from the game. He says the injury isn't serious.

[MidnightC]

Astros 3, Cubs 2 (10)

Losing 2 of 3 at home versus a team that had exactly 1 win on the season before arriving at Wrigley is...the opposite of good. Dempster pitched very well for 7.2 innings, but Carlos Marmol blew the save in the 9th inning. Sean Marshall took the loss after a sacrifice fly by Pedro Feliz put the Astros ahead.

Marlon Byrd drove in both Cubs runs. Geovany Soto went 2-3 (both singles), but that's about it for offensive highlights. The Cubs are now in New York to take on the Mess Mets for 4 games, their only trip to Citi Field this year.

* Ted Lilly is penciled in to start Saturday's game against the Brewers. No decision has been made yet as to whom will be dropped from the rotation to make room for him.

* Esmailin Caridad has been sent to extended spring training.

Edited by MidnightC, 23 April 2010 - 12:12 AM.

[knucklecup]

"You didn't ask for my opinion, but here it is: This decision isn't merely stupid, it's weapons-grade stupid. Total organizational failure. Even if Zambrano is successful in the setup role, this is an atrocious use of resources. This is neither bold nor innovative. It's just insane."

Why are the Cubs such a disgraceful organization?

The demotion of Zambrano makes no sense.

[Al Zarilla]

"You didn't ask for my opinion, but here it is: This decision isn't merely stupid, it's weapons-grade stupid. Total organizational failure. Even if Zambrano is successful in the setup role, this is an atrocious use of resources. This is neither bold nor innovative. It's just insane."

Why are the Cubs such a disgraceful organization?

The demotion of Zambrano makes no sense.

And if he actually agreed to it they must have drugged him.

[MidnightC]

Recapping the series with the Mets...

Monday: Mets 6, Cubs 1

Despite a pretty big lineup shuffle, the offense stayed dormant, stranded 12 runners, and wasted a nice start by Randy Wells (6.0IP, 1ER). Jeff Samardzija fell apart again in the late innings to turn a close game into a not close game, though two of the runs he gave up were unearned due to an error by Aramis Ramirez.

Tuesday: Mets 4, Cubs 0

Second verse, same as the first. Carlos Zambrano had his best (and last?) start of the season to date (6IP,2ER, 9K), and Mike Pelfry hurls a 3-hit shutout on the other side. John Grabow gave up the other two runs. This bullpen is awful.

Wednesday: Cubs 9, Mets 3

Offense! But remember that Oliver Perez was pitching for the Mets. Carlos Silva gave up 2 hits and one run over 6 innings, leaving his season ERA at 0.95. Think about that for a minute. Alfonso Soriano was a double short of hitting for the cycle. Sean Marshall gave up the requisite runs from the bullpen.

Thursday: Mets 5, Cubs 2

And right back to futility. Though they outhit the Mets 10-7, the Cubs stranded 10 runners and thus, lost. Tom Gorzelanny was pretty good, except that he made a crucial error that led to two unearned runs in the 5th. Justin Berg gave up a run from the bullpen. Mike Fontenot and Kosuke Fukudome drove in the two Cubs runs.

* The big news of the week is, of course, the decision to send Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen. Some good fan reaction here. There is no doubt that the Cubs desperately need bullpen help (this is what happens when you go with lots of youth at once), but this kind of thinking is emblematic of why the Cubs are such a screwed up organization and why Lou Piniella is a bad manager.

For one, Zambrano's biggest strength is his durability. Sending him to the pen completely negates that. Two, he's prone to fits of wildness, so it's highly likely he could walk someone/give up a homer in a key spot. Three, Carlos Silva is not. this. good. Choosing to keep a "hot" mediocrity (at best) like Silva in the rotation ahead of Zambrano is classic Lou. And it's wrong.

So no, I don't like this move. I guess it earns credit for being an out of the box idea, but that doesn't make it good logic. Ugh.

* Meanwhile, the Cubs are said to be scouting Braden Looper in the quest for more bullpen help.

[MidnightC]

Friday: Cubs 8, Brewers 1

A very good outing from Ryan Dempster (7.2IP, 1ER) coupled with the Cubs hitters abusing Jeff Suppan makes for an easy win. Kosuke Fukudome and Tyler Colvin went deep and Ryan Theriot had a double and a triple.

Saturday: Cubs 5, Brewers 1

Ted Lilly had a stellar 2010 debut, hurling six shutout innings. Carlos Zambrano made his first relief appearance and gave up a run, but he also got to hit and had a sacrifice fly and an RBI. Marlon Byrd led the offense with three hits.

Sunday: Cubs 12, Brewers 2

And the sweep is complete. The Cubs scored 11 runs in the first five innings in this rout, and that was more than enough support for Randy Wells (7.0IP 2ER). Wells himself even had a double in this game. Fukudome, Lee, Soto and Colvin all hit homers.

* Not surprising: Jeff Samardzija was the one demoted to make room for Lilly. Samardzija will continue to pitch out of the bullpen in AAA.

* A Cubs fan was injured at Miller Park after falling over a railing onto the LF warning track Sunday during batting practice.

[MidnightC]

Cubs 4, Nationals 3 (10)

Another good outing from Carlos Silva...how much longer can this last? He was denied a win as the game stayed tied 3-3 from the 6th inning on. Carlos Zambrano threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, and the Cubs won the game on a bases-loaded walk by Aramis Ramirez in the bottom of the 10th.

Nationals 3, Cubs 1

Speaking of WTF pitching performances, how about Livan Hernandez? He pitched seven innings of one-run ball en route to snapping the Cubs' short winning streak. Tom Gorzelanny was good enough to win (7.0IP, 2ER), but the bats went to sleep. Geovany Soto drove in the lone run.

Nationals 3, Cubs 2

Dropping two of three to the Nationals at home? Ugh. Like Gorzelanny last night, Ryan Dempster was the tough-luck loser today (8.0IP 3ER). The bats slumbered again; the team was 1-12 with runners in scoring position. Marlon Byrd had the only extra base hit of the day, a double. (He also made a crazy catch behind his back in CF.)

[TheYaz67]

Nationals 3, Cubs 2

Dropping two of three to the Nationals at home? Ugh.

Hey, it also happened to the Yankees last year, so no shame (and it also happened to the Cubbies, but they swept 4 from the Nats in DC also last year). Actually, less shame, as the Nats appear to be maybe half decent this year, while they flat out sucked last year....

[MidnightC]

Diamondbacks 13, Cubs 5

Ouch. Ted Lilly got rocked in his second start, giving up six runs in five innings. Jeff Gray gave up two more runs and James Russell gave up five (!) in just 2/3 of an inning. About the only positive thing was a grand slam hit by Kosuke Fukudome in the 8th inning, but that was much too little, much too late.

The winning pitcher for Arizona was ex-Yankee Ian Kennedy, BTW.

Cubs 11, Diamondbacks 5

This game didn't look very promising either at first, as Randy Wells was shaky (6IP, 5ER) and the Cubs were stymied by Rodrigo Lopez for a time. Then Alfonso Soriano played hero with a 2-out game-tying 3-run homer in the 6th and the floodgates opened. Fukudome, Geovany Soto and Marlon Byrd all had solo dingers. Carlos Zambrano pitched a scoreless inning of relief and Carlos Marmol struck out the side in the 9th.

The Cubs finished April at 11-13.

Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 5

And Soriano's the hero again. This time he tied the game with a 2-run homer in the 7th inning, and Derrek Lee put the Cubs ahead in the 8th with a 2-run single. Carlos Silva showed the first signs of falling back down to earth, as he only lasted five innings and gave up five runs. Supposedly he's still being bothered by his sore right wrist. Marmol had a shaky 9th with a hit and 2 walks issued, but he got out of it unscathed for his 4th save.

Cubs 10, Diamondbacks 5

And even more fireworks from Soriano. Apparently not content with the homers he hit Friday and Saturday, he hit two 2-run homers in this game. Marlon Byrd also had a 2-run homer, and it was all more than enough for Tom Gorzelanny (7IP 2ER 10K). Nice finish to a successful weekend.

A three game set in Pittsburgh starts tomorrow.

Notes:

* Carlos Zambrano may be asked to close games in certain spots.

* Esmailin Caridad is headed for AAA Iowa to rehab.

* The slumping Aramis Ramirez was given Sunday off. He's off to a dismal start (.493 OPS!), but there's little doubt he'll hit eventually.

* The off-day today allows the Cubs to tweak the rotation a little to accommodate Carlos Silva's wrist. Ryan Dempster will start tomorrow, followed by Lilly and Wells. Gorzelanny will start Friday versus the Reds, and Silva will go Saturday.

[MidnightC]

Pirates 3, Cubs 2
Pirates 4, Cubs 2
Pirates 11, Cubs 1

Swept. By the Pirates. For the first time since 2006.

I'm not even going to bother recapping these games, as that little factoid pretty much says it all, I think. Three game set with the Reds starts tonight with Carlos Silva versus Homer Bailey.

* In the wake of Thursday's debacle, the Cubs have decided to call up 20 year-old SS Starlin Castro in the hope that he'll help fortify the offense and defense. He was hitting .376 with a homer, eight doubles and five triples in 26 games for Double-A Tennessee. Ryan Theriot will shift to 2B. Chad Tracy was demoted to AAA to make room. The mantra in ST was that the Cubs weren't going to rush Castro, but hey, these wouldn't be the Cubs if they didn't contradict themselves.

[MidnightC]

Cubs 14, Reds 7

Hello, Starlin Castro! The wunderkid had a smashing debut, going 2-5 with a homer, a triple and six RBI to headline this thumping. Marlon Byrd and Mike Fontenot (a PH grand slam!) also hit homers. Carlos Silva only went five innings, giving up 10 hits and 4ER. He complained of neck pain prior to the game. John Grabow gave up the other three Reds runs. (Grabow is having pain in his left knee, which may explain some of his suckiness this year.)

Reds 14, Cubs 2

Ow. Despite the lopsided score, Tom Gorzelanny (6IP, 3ER, 9K) pitched well; it was the bullpen that turned this game into a laugher. Shocking. The re-activated Esmailin Caridad gave up two runs, Sean Marshall gave up a run, Carlos Zambrano gave up two, and Justin Berg gave up six. And the Cubs bats, predictably, couldn't keep up the previous day's pace and eked out just two runs against Aaron Harang.

Reds 5, Cubs 3

Tyler Colvin hit a 2-run homer in the 7th to give the Cubs their first lead of the day. But Ryan Dempster, clearly left in too long, served up a 3-run homer to Joey Votto in the bottom of the inning, and that was that.

After this disastrous 1-5 road trip, the Cubs can enjoy a nice 8-game stint at Wrigely against the Marlins, Pirates and Rockies.

* As mentioned above, Esmailin Caridad was activated from the DL on Saturday. Jeff Gray was optioned to Triple-A to make room.

[MidnightC]

Marlins 4, Cubs 2

Some improvement for Ted Lilly, as he went seven and allowed four runs (three earned). You have to look for bright spots in these situations. Starlin Castro had a forgettable Wrigley debut, as he went hitless (but walked twice) and committed three (!) fielding errors.

Marlins 3, Cubs 2

And a nice bounce back for Randy Wells after his last start. This time he went eight innings and gave up just 3 runs, all on homers, and struck out eight. Too bad the Cubs offense slumbered against Ricky Nolasco. Derrek Lee and Marlon Byrd drove in the two runs. Castro had another error.

Cubs 4, Marlins 3

At least they salvaged the finale. Carlos Silva is unbeaten. Who saw that coming? (The Marlins hitting into 3 double plays certainly helped in this game.) Pretty quiet day offensively again; Mike Fontenot and Marlon Byrd drove in the runs and Castro went 2-4. Carlos Marmol was shaky in the 9th, giving up two hits, a walk and a run, but he struck out the side en route to his first save since May 1st.

[mikeford]

The Cubs have signed Bob Howry according to 98.5 The Sports Hub.

To which I say:

[MidnightC]

Catching up on the Cubbies. They've been up and down over the last 7 games.

May 14th: Pirates 10, Cubs 6
May 15th: Pirates 4, Cubs 3
May 16th: Cubs 4, Pirates 3

Yes, they nearly got swept at home by the Pirates. This is a team the Cubs have dominated in recent years, and thus far in 2010 they are 1-5 against one of the worst teams in the NL.

May 17th: Cubs 4, Rockies 2 (11)
May 18th: Cubs 6, Rockies 2

The first game ended in thrilling fashion with a 2-run walk-off homer by Aramis Ramirez. The second game saw Carlos Silva stay undefeated and reach 5-0 on the season. This really boggles my mind; I thought we'd be talking about cutting him loose by this point.

May 19th: Cubs 4, Phillies 1
May 20th: Phillies 5, Cubs 4

The last game was a a bit of a heartbreaker, as the Cubs battled back from an early deficit only to give up the go-ahead run in the 8th. They had the go-ahead run on base in the 9th, but couldn't score against a shaky Jose Contreras.

* Tom Gorzelanny took a linedrive off his left (throwing) hand in his start Wednesday. It's unknown when he will make his next start, but it's thought will throw a bullpen session this weekend. He's currently away from the team attending to the birth of his first child.

* The experiment's over: Carlos Zambrano will be moving back into the rotation. When is not yet known, as he has to be stretched out first. The plan is to use him in middle relief for a time until he is, and he'll also throw a simulated game on Monday. No word yet on who will be dropped to make room for him.

* Esmailin Caridad was put back on the DL Wednesday because of his troublesome elbow. RHP Jeff Stevens was called up from AAA to replace him.

* As posted above, the Cubs signed 36 year-old RHP Bob Howry to a one-year deal. (No, the Cubs are not desperate for bullpen help--not at all!) Justin Berg was optioned to AAA to make room on the 25, and David Patton (a Rule 5 pick last year) was DFA'd to make room on the 40.

[MidnightC]

Time for a very overdue update on the Northsideres...

May 21st: Rangers 2, Cubs 1
May 22nd: Cubs 5, Rangers 4 (10)
May 23rd: Cubs 5, Rangers 4

A successful start to interleague, including an extra-innings thriller and Carlos Silva (?!?!) moving to 6-0. Alfonso Soriano hit his 299th career homer in the third game; appropriate for him to do that at his old stomping grounds.

May 25th: Cubs 5, Dodgers 0
May 26th: Dodgers 8, Cubs 5
May 27th: Cubs 1, Dodgers 0

Ryan Dempster got a win for the first time in what seems like forever, Derrek Lee showed some signs of life, and Ted Lilly pitched a gem in a tight duel. The second game featured a power outage at Wrigley that delayed play for 18 minutes in the 4th inning. Tom Gorzelanny probably wishes the lights had stayed out given his performance that night (5IP 7R).

May 28th: Cardinals 7, Cubs 1
May 29th: Cubs 5, Cardinals 0
May 30th: Cardinals 9, Cubs 1

The first game saw Randy Wells give up five runs without recording an out. He was swiftly pulled, giving him an embarrassing 0.0IP 6H 5ER line for the day. Game 2 saw Carlos Silva strike out 11 (?!) Cardinals' hitters en route to his 7th win. His previous career high was eight, done in 2004. Yeah. What kind of bizarro universe is this? The game also featured Carlos Zambrano's final relief appearance. The last game was a thumping at the hands of Prince Albert, as he homered three times.

* Aramis Ramirez bruised/strained his left thumb May 22nd. He returned Friday, but then sat Sunday. This is apparently a minor injury he's had all season that he aggravated, which may explain why he's been so terrible. Something to keep watching.

* Carlos Zambrano was hospitalized on Thursday because of pain in his right side. It was thought to be appendicitis, but that was ruled out after testing. He made a relief appearance the following day and seems fine, saying it was something he ate.

* Speaking of Big Z, he's set to rejoin the rotation Wednesday versus the Pirates. Who's the odd man out? Tom Gorzelanny. He's not happy about it, but he may get another chance to start when (if?) Carlos Silva remembers he's Carlos Silva. Or if Big Z still sucks or someone gets hurt, etc.

* John Grabow was placed on the DL yesterday with inflammation in his right knee. To replace him, the Cubs called up 2008 first round pick Andrew Cashner. He'd been starting in AAA until late last week when he was shifted to the bullpen. The hope is that he will replace (and be more effective in) Zambrano's role in middle/late relief.

[mt8thsw9th]

Has anyone noticed that Marmol has 49 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings? That's insane.

Edited by mt8thsw9th, 02 June 2010 - 09:56 AM.

[MidnightC]

May 31st: Pirates 2, Cubs 1
June 1st: Pirates 3, Cubs 2
June 2nd: PPD (see below)

Why can't the Cubs beat the Pirates this year? Any thin hopes they have of contending get flushed further down the drain each time they drop one to Pittsburgh. The pitching does its job, but the bats just seem to shrivel up in these meetings for no obvious reasons.

The Cubs finished May with an uninspiring 13-15 record.

June 4th: Astros 3, Cubs 1
June 5th: Cubs 8, Astros 5
June 6th: Astros 6, Cubs 3

Big Z made his return to the rotation a day later than planned thanks to the rainout, and he was just "OK" in his short outing (4.1IP 3ER 3BB 3K, 84 pitches). Too bad the offense failed to show up again. The bats woke up briefly on Saturday, with homers by Aramis Ramirez and Tyler Colvin to top things off, but then went dead again while Randy Wells had another clunker.

June 7th: Cubs 6, Pirates 1 (makeup of 6/2 rainout)

Carlos Silva (8-0!?) had another stellar day, allowing one run on four hits with 5Ks over seven innings. He's the first Cubs pitcher to start 8-0 since 1910. The hell? Meanwhile, the offense roughed up Dana Eveland and Joel Hanrahan, and Sean Marshall was credited with his first save for pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

June 8th: Brewers 3, Cubs 2
June 9th: Cubs 9, Brewers 4
June 10th: Brewers 5, Cubs 4 (10)

Game 1 was a heartbreaker, as a great outing by Ted Lilly (8IP 1ER 8K) went for naught thanks to a lack of hitting and Carlos Marmol's third blown save of the season. Game 2 was much better as the Cubs hit five homers (two each by Geovany Soto and Marlon Byrd, the other by Derrek Lee) to back another short but semi-decent start by Zambrano (5IP 3ER 5BB 2K, 88 pitches). But of course, they couldn't bring that momentum into game #3, as Chad Tracy, Starlin Castro and Xavier Nady all made errors that led to Milwaukee runs, including the walk-off run.

* The Cubs selected college RHP Hayden Simpson with their top pick (#16 overall) in the draft. He's from Division II Southern Arkansas University. A recap of the rest of the team's draft is here. Pitching seemed to be their theme. One interesting note is that they selected Bryce Harper's older brother, Bryan, in the 26th round.

* Aramis Ramirez was placed on the 15-day DL on June 9th with a bruised left thumb. Chad Tracy was recalled to take his place. It's probably for the best for both the team and Ramirez; his current .517 OPS isn't helping the sluggish offense. Let's hope better health will improve his hitting when he comes back.

Back later tonight with a recap of the weekend against the White Sox. (Spoiler: it hasn't gone well.)

[MidnightC]

White Sox 10, Cubs 5

Randy Wells gave up 10 hits and five runs in his five innings of work. James Russell gave up four more runs without even retiring a batter and later earned a ticket to Iowa as a result. Alfonso Soriano hit his 300th career homer off of Jake Peavy in the second inning, but that was about it for offense. Same shit, different day.

White Sox 2, Cubs 1

Carlos Silva actually loses a game, but it wasn't due to suckiness on his part (7IP 2ER 6K). The Cubs went 1-10 with runners in scoring position; Ryan Theriot drove in the lone run. Offense? Offense? Anybody there?

Cubs 1, White Sox 0

Double no-hitters were going on for six whole innings tonight between the unlucky Ted Lilly and...Gavin Floyd? The Gavin Floyd with and ERA around six? How Cub-like to get shutdown by that! Soriano fortunately broke it up with a 2-out double in the bottom of the 7th, and then Chad Tracy singled him home to break the 0-0 tie.

Lilly lost his no-no in the top of the 9th on a Juan Pierre PH single. At 108 pitches, he was then pulled for Carlos Marmol. Marmol, of course, walked Andruw Jones, balked (really slipped), and then struck out Alexei Ramirez. Then Piniella called for an IBB to Alex Rios to load the bases, just to make things really interesting. Paul Konerko grounded into a force play, and Carlos Quentin flew out to seal the Cubs win. Barely.

* Roster move: James Russell was optioned to AAA in exchange for RHP Mitch Atkins on Saturday.

* Tyler Colvin, one of the few hitters with any life in his bat, may see more playing time. Colvin's sporting a nifty 145 OPS+ in 95 at-bats entering tonight. The problem is, Kosuke Fukudome (112), Soriano (126) and Marlon Byrd (136) aren't really problems. The offensive sinkholes are all in the INF, where Chad Tracy and Jeff Baker are platooning at 3B in place of the injured (and currently awful) Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee's hauling an 81 OPS+ over at 1B. And Theriot (69--why the hell is he still hitting leadoff?) and Starlin Castro (71) are even worse. Can Colvin learn a new position?

[MidnightC]

A larger update is on the way, but a significant news item from today:

Carlos Zambrano completely flipped his shit after a rough 1st inning against the White Sox today. The TV caught him singling out Derrek Lee in particular. Z was pulled from the game and Tom Gorzelanny took over in the bottom of the 2nd. Lou Piniella spoke to the media after the 6-0 loss and it seems like disciplinary action could be forthcoming for Zambrano. Stay tuned.

Edited by MidnightC, 25 June 2010 - 06:43 PM.

[mt8thsw9th]

Lee didn't make an error.

Zambrano suspended indefinitely, and rightly so.

Edited by mt8thsw9th, 25 June 2010 - 06:22 PM.

[MidnightC]

Lee didn't make an error.

Zambrano suspended indefinitely, and rightly so.

You're right, thanks.

Now one has to wonder how long it will be before Zambrano's shipped out of town. Immediately? Trade deadline? Winter? And what kind of return would the Cubs get for a malcontent with a bad contract? Hmm...I've seen this movie before, only it was starring Milton Bradley....

[MidnightC]

The rest of Interleague, which was...less than stellar:

June 15th: Athletics 9, Cubs 5
June 16th: Cubs 6, Athletics 2
June 17th: Cubs 3, Athletics 2

June 18th: Angels 7, Cubs 6
June 19th: Angels 12, Cubs 0
June 20th: Cubs 12, Angels 1

June 22nd: Mariners 2, Cubs 0
June 23rd: Mariners 8, Cubs 1
June 24th: Cubs 3, Mariners 2 (13)

June 25th: White Sox 6, Cubs 0
June 26th: White Sox 3, Cubs 2
June 27th: Cubs 8, White Sox 6

That's an 8-10 record in Interleague play by my count. Not good.

Key news items from the last two weeks:

* John Grabow was activated on June 15th. Mitch Atkins was optioned to AAA.

* Aramis Ramirez returned on June 25th. Chad Tracy was DFA'd to make room.

* Jeff Stevens was optioned to AAA over the weekend, and the Cubs brought up RHP Brian Schlitter. Len and Bob cracked a few jokes about the dangers of mispronouncing his name when he made his debut Saturday.

[MidnightC]

And now the most recent clusterfuck against the strangely challenging Pirates:

Pirates 2, Cubs 1

Randy Wells had a good day (6IP 1ER), but the offense again couldn't figure out Pirates pitching. The game was deadlocked at 1-1 until the top of the 9th, when Jose Tabata hit an RBI double, and then the Cubs went down meekly against Octavio Dotel in the bottom of the frame.

To make things worse, John Grabow pulled up lame in the 7th inning.

Cubs 3, Pirates 1

Ted Lilly was great (7IP 1ER), Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol were great (1 hit allowed between them), and the offense eked out three whole runs against Jeff Karstens, two of them thanks to solo homers by Alfonso Soriano. Woo!

Pirates 2, Cubs 0

Despite a very nice semi-emergency effort from Tom Gorzelanny (5IP 0ER), the bats couldn't solve Brad Lincoln. Andrew Cashner took the loss when he gave up two runs in the 8th inning, with an assist from an error by Aramis Ramirez.

The Cubs are 3-9 against the Pirates this year, and finished June with a 10-16 record.

* Roster moves: Carlos Zambrano was placed on the restricted list in the wake of his temper tantrum. He's currently in New York seeking treatment for anger management. Jon Grabow was placed back on the DL after he aggravated his left knee. James Russell and Jeff Stevens were summoned as replacements.

* The Cubs could be sellers at the deadline. (No, really?) Good luck finding any takers for some of the veteran contracts on the team, Jim.

[MidnightC]

The rest of the unofficial first half...

July 1st: Reds 3, Cubs 2
July 2nd: Reds 12, Cubs 0
July 3rd: Cubs 3, Reds 1
July 4th: Reds 14, Cubs 3

I think the scores pretty much speak for themselves. The lone win in this series came about from a good outing by Randy Wells and some late-game offense against the Reds' bullpen that allowed the Cubs to squeak ahead. They had a very shaky Johnny Cueto on the ropes early on, but of course couldn't capitalize (5BB, 7H and 0R off of him), otherwise the game would've been far more lopsided.

July 5th: Cubs 9, Diamondbacks 4
July 6th: Cubs 6, Diamondbacks 4
July 7th: Cubs 8, Diamondbacks 3

The Cubbies make mincemeat out of a bad team. Rejoice!

July 8th: Dodgers 3, Cubs 2
July 9th: Dodgers 9, Cubs 7
July 10th: Cubs 7, Dodgers 3
July 11th: Dodgers 7, Cubs 0

More of the same. Tom Gorzelanny got the only win of the series with a good outing followed by good relief work and the Cubs' bats beating up John Ely. Geovany Soto and Aramis Ramirez each hit homers. Carlos Silva got ejected in the finale as part of his putrid start.

So at the break, the Cubs are at a very uninspiring 39-50 (the same record as the Royals for perspective) and 9.5 games behind the Reds in the NL Central. All this with the highest payroll in the National League. Yeah.

* Roster moves: on July 5th, the Cubs recalled Justin Berg and optioned Jeff Stevens to AAA. On July 7th, Brian Schlitter was placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to 7/3) with a right shoulder impingement and Mitch Atkins was recalled to replace him.

* There's still no timetable for Carlos Zambrano's return.

* Marlon Byrd was the lone Cub on this year's All-Star team, but he made an impact as he gunned down our own David Ortiz in the 9th inning last night to help seal the NL victory.

[CubsFan]

Lou leaving at end of the season

[CubsFan]

I know I haven't offered much positive thoughts here, but given the current sad state of affairs here's something:

amongst rookies, Castro and Colvin, rank #4 and #10 respectively in all of MLB in VORP.

[MidnightC]

Bleh. This has been a really awful year for the Cubs, so much so that it seems pointless to follow them on a game-by-game basis. With the highest payroll in the NL, the Cubs have "achieved" a 56-77 record, pitting them in 5th place and over 20 games behind the Reds in the division. It's a sad and depressing slog as they play out the string.

With Lou Piniella having officially retired, perhaps the biggest storyline right now is the search for a new manager. Early buzz is mostly on Ryne Sandberg, and there's a possibility Greg Maddux might be the new pitching coach. That scenario may just be wishful thinking by nostalgic Cubs fans. Other names that have come up in the rumors are Joe Girardi, (which would be...interesting to say the least) and Fredi Gonzalez. And then there's this (scary) report that Eric Wedge was interviewed for the job a few days ago. Stay tuned.

For now, the Cubs are in limbo as they finish out the season and figure out what to do with their roster. Having sold off Ted Lilly and Derrek Lee, the prudent thing to do would be to continue to rebuild around the likes of Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin. But will Tom Ricketts tolerate a mass rebuilding effort so soon after his purchase? And will Jim Hendry keep his job after this latest disaster?

[gibdied]

He's fallen off from the first half, but Marmol still has a ridiculous K-rate.

While looking at his stats I also noticed that in his 4.2 innings, spanning four games, against the Diamondbacks this year he's K'd 14. Every out by strikeout.

Edited by gibdied, 23 September 2010 - 02:23 AM.

[CubsFan]

Hey Midnight, if you want, I will try to take over posting on this thread.

At least they are in first place for now....

[CubsFan]

Looks like Kerry Wood Is Back.

This is now the second time that Wood has taken a pay cut to rejoin his original team. Certainly his performance with the Yankees showed promise, but his high K/high BB numbers added to Marmol's is going to raise the stock on pharmaceutical companies that sell antacids.

Lots of conjecture out there regarding Zambrano trades, particularly with the MFY's. Adding Wood allows them to put Cashner back in the mix for starter, which is a better utilization of resources and gives them flexibility vis-a-vis further moves. I doubt they move Big Z, but one could only hope. This team has one too many Carloses.

[CubsFan]

Looks like the Cubs got Matt Garza after all.

If true, starting pitching includes Garza, Zambrano, Dempster, Silva, Gorzelanny, Cashner, and Wells. You have to think that someone is going to be traded, probably Gorzelanny.

[Mueller's Twin Grannies]

Didn't see a newer thread for this team and don't really want to "adopt" them but...

What's up with Mike Quade? I don't see many Cubs games but it seems every time they show highlights from one, this guy's getting angry about something... he seems like a genuinely miserable person and the other day got into a shouting match with umpires for calling a rain delay while his team was batting trying to overcome a 3-run deficit. I know being manager of the Cubs is hardly a high-pressure job since there's little expectation to win but it just doesn't seem like Quade has the temperament to be a Major League manager, esp. when his team is going nowhere fast.

Does he make it the year as skipper? On Quick Pitch (MLB) last night, even Mitch Williams was saying Quade's run-ins with umpires were becoming a daily thing and it will hurt more than help his team. Were they trying to replace Lou Piniella with a carbon copy? Because I don't think even Sweet Lou was as volatile as Quade from what I've seen.