Sunday night's Nick Digilio Show covered the topic of movies and records that make you feel old when you realize they came out 30 years ago, and it sparked a memory for me.
Friday was the 30th anniversary of my first Cubs game, a 14-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants. The first Cub runner I saw score was Steve Macko, driven in on one of four hits by Bill Buckner after the Giants had opened up a 9-0 lead. My neighbor Chris had had his glove signed by Macko in blue Sharpie, and Chris was instrumental to my becoming a baseball fan and memorabilia collector, so I guess that's appropriate.
Macko played just four more games, succumbing to cancer the following year at age 27. Manager Preston Gomez was fired either that day or the off-day that followed, and spent the rest of his long career as a coach. Buckner won the batting title that year, was traded in 1984 and made one of baseball history's most famous miscues in 1986.
All in all, thirty years down the road it's still a fair representation of my life as a Cub fan.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Byrd a shooting Star
What an All-Star Game for Marlon Byrd. Came in late, fought off a walk and scored an insurance run on the game-winning hit, then as a center fielder playing right, made a rally-killing assist with the game on the line in the ninth. Brian McCann should drop some of his MVP bonus on a nice steak dinner for Marlon next time the Braves are in town.
Of course this means the NL finally has home-field advantage in the World Series. If fate has a sense of humor, it will end in five.
*Editor's note: The 2010 World Series did end in five games.
Of course this means the NL finally has home-field advantage in the World Series. If fate has a sense of humor, it will end in five.
*Editor's note: The 2010 World Series did end in five games.
Friday, July 09, 2010
The Carlos Zambrano situation
I've had a couple of requests to comment on the Carlos Zambrano situation, and I've gone back and forth on whether to write about it.
Once a player progresses from ejection to league suspension to team suspension and beyond dealing with the same problem over the course of several years, at some point it crosses the line from being a baseball issue to being a real-life issue. You can only rant and rave so many times before realizing it isn't going away on its own.
If a problem isn't physical, I think it stops being any of our business as fans. All we really need to know is that a problem exists, it has nothing to do with his ability to throw a baseball 90+ miles an hour, it's being addressed, and that the team hasn't set a timetable for his return.
Anger is a very real issue, and a lot of people struggle throughout their lives to control it. It could cost Joe Sixpack his job, or his family, or his health, or land him in jail. The people who love him suffer too. So unless you're part of the solution, if someone tries to get help to make a fundamental change in their life, step off and let them. It shouldn't matter if it's an athlete, an entertainer or some guy from your neighborhood. Wish them well, hope for the best and leave it at that.
Good luck, Big Z.
Once a player progresses from ejection to league suspension to team suspension and beyond dealing with the same problem over the course of several years, at some point it crosses the line from being a baseball issue to being a real-life issue. You can only rant and rave so many times before realizing it isn't going away on its own.
If a problem isn't physical, I think it stops being any of our business as fans. All we really need to know is that a problem exists, it has nothing to do with his ability to throw a baseball 90+ miles an hour, it's being addressed, and that the team hasn't set a timetable for his return.
Anger is a very real issue, and a lot of people struggle throughout their lives to control it. It could cost Joe Sixpack his job, or his family, or his health, or land him in jail. The people who love him suffer too. So unless you're part of the solution, if someone tries to get help to make a fundamental change in their life, step off and let them. It shouldn't matter if it's an athlete, an entertainer or some guy from your neighborhood. Wish them well, hope for the best and leave it at that.
Good luck, Big Z.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Take me out... of the broadcast
Usually WGN radio carries all of the Cubs' seventh-inning singers even if the TV side doesn't. Tonight was an exception.
They skipped out on baseball's favorite public-domain song because the singers were from their opposition down the dial, Mike and Mike from ESPN radio.
They skipped out on baseball's favorite public-domain song because the singers were from their opposition down the dial, Mike and Mike from ESPN radio.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Rules rant: Interleague play
One of my hobbies within the game is waxing theoretical on changes I'd make if I was in charge of things, and one of those coincides with this week's action. Since there hasn't much to talk about lately here on the West Side, I have some thoughts on improving interleague play on the eve of Part II of the Crosstown Classic. Like I've said before, I get some wacky ideas but some of them have merit. Determine for yourself which this is...
Fairness in scheduling should be a top priority, and if interleague play is to be a permanent fixture, MLB needs to straighten up the mess it's created. The 2003 Astros faced Boston and New York back-to-back on the road, went 1-5 in those games and finished one back. The 2003 Cubs missed the Red Sox, faced the Yankees at home and beat them two out of three, and won the division. And neither had six games to beat up on the Royals like the Cardinals do every year. Go Cubs and all, but that's not fair.
I'm against it on principle, but if it's to be done, here's how:
Since it's all about boosting revenue, don't schedule all the interleague games to compete with one another, schedule them all season long. Would I watch the Royals and Nats without Strasburg on the mound if there were 13 other interleague games going on? Doubtful. But if it was the only one that night, I might tune in. With 30 teams, there are enough interleague matchups to play one or more every day throughout a six-month season, and revenue for those games would be up almost across the board over the way it's done now.
The Dodgers and Angels just played a mid-week series, a major opportunity wasted. City series should include either a Fox Saturday game or an ESPN Sunday night game, if not both. Same goes for series pitting former World Series opponents against one another. Haul out the veterans on Saturday afternoon for a national audience, put up some bunting, maybe wear vintage-style uniforms and make a big deal out of it since you won't host them again for another six years. Play off the history and bring a little excitement to the table when Pittsburgh-Baltimore rolls around and they're a combined 50 games out of first.
Season-long interleague play could also correct MLB’s inability to divide 30 by 6. An odd number of interleague games every day provides an even schedule for six five-team divisions. The Cubs still haven't played in Fenway Park since 1918 when it touted as one of the arguments for interleague play 14 years ago.
With 18 games per team – a three-game series against each team in one division plus three against a particular rival to even out the home/road balance - that's 270 games overall to fit into roughly 180 days. Each team would be left with 8 games per team outside their division and 16 per division rival.
Or they could totally level the playing field by eliminating the rivalry games and boosting the schedule to 30 interleague games. With a stronger divisional schedule of 18 games against each opponent, teams would simply play three at home and three on the road against everyone in three other divisions, one of which is in the other league. In a three-year cycle, that's 2x3^1 (6), 2x3^2 (18) and 2x3^3 (54) games for the Cubs against each AL, NL East/West and NL Central team respectively. It may not have as much revenue potential without as many local matchups, but it's fair and the math is great. There happen to also be 2x3^1 outs in an inning, 2x3^2 (9) innings pitched and 2x3^3 (54) outs per nine innings between 2x3^0 (2) teams. Poetic, almost, the way baseball revolves around powers of three. Ancient mathematicians would approve.
So who changes leagues? Part of me wants to send the Brewers back because their move to the NL was a little shady, but I think it would make more sense to bump the Rockies to the AL West and send the Astros back to the NL West. Denver is the fairest travel option for a division with teams in Seattle, Dallas, LA and the Bay Area, and the NL West would line up similarly - three teams on the coast, one in Texas and one in between.
NL Central - Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Pirates, Reds
NL West - Astros, D-Backs, Dodgers, Giants, Padres
AL West - A's, Angels, Mariners, Rangers, Rockies
They can fix it or scrap it entirely, but the status quo just ain't right.
Just a couple of wacky ideas. More of these to come if the Cubs' season doesn't pick up...
Fairness in scheduling should be a top priority, and if interleague play is to be a permanent fixture, MLB needs to straighten up the mess it's created. The 2003 Astros faced Boston and New York back-to-back on the road, went 1-5 in those games and finished one back. The 2003 Cubs missed the Red Sox, faced the Yankees at home and beat them two out of three, and won the division. And neither had six games to beat up on the Royals like the Cardinals do every year. Go Cubs and all, but that's not fair.
I'm against it on principle, but if it's to be done, here's how:
Since it's all about boosting revenue, don't schedule all the interleague games to compete with one another, schedule them all season long. Would I watch the Royals and Nats without Strasburg on the mound if there were 13 other interleague games going on? Doubtful. But if it was the only one that night, I might tune in. With 30 teams, there are enough interleague matchups to play one or more every day throughout a six-month season, and revenue for those games would be up almost across the board over the way it's done now.
The Dodgers and Angels just played a mid-week series, a major opportunity wasted. City series should include either a Fox Saturday game or an ESPN Sunday night game, if not both. Same goes for series pitting former World Series opponents against one another. Haul out the veterans on Saturday afternoon for a national audience, put up some bunting, maybe wear vintage-style uniforms and make a big deal out of it since you won't host them again for another six years. Play off the history and bring a little excitement to the table when Pittsburgh-Baltimore rolls around and they're a combined 50 games out of first.
Season-long interleague play could also correct MLB’s inability to divide 30 by 6. An odd number of interleague games every day provides an even schedule for six five-team divisions. The Cubs still haven't played in Fenway Park since 1918 when it touted as one of the arguments for interleague play 14 years ago.
With 18 games per team – a three-game series against each team in one division plus three against a particular rival to even out the home/road balance - that's 270 games overall to fit into roughly 180 days. Each team would be left with 8 games per team outside their division and 16 per division rival.
Or they could totally level the playing field by eliminating the rivalry games and boosting the schedule to 30 interleague games. With a stronger divisional schedule of 18 games against each opponent, teams would simply play three at home and three on the road against everyone in three other divisions, one of which is in the other league. In a three-year cycle, that's 2x3^1 (6), 2x3^2 (18) and 2x3^3 (54) games for the Cubs against each AL, NL East/West and NL Central team respectively. It may not have as much revenue potential without as many local matchups, but it's fair and the math is great. There happen to also be 2x3^1 outs in an inning, 2x3^2 (9) innings pitched and 2x3^3 (54) outs per nine innings between 2x3^0 (2) teams. Poetic, almost, the way baseball revolves around powers of three. Ancient mathematicians would approve.
So who changes leagues? Part of me wants to send the Brewers back because their move to the NL was a little shady, but I think it would make more sense to bump the Rockies to the AL West and send the Astros back to the NL West. Denver is the fairest travel option for a division with teams in Seattle, Dallas, LA and the Bay Area, and the NL West would line up similarly - three teams on the coast, one in Texas and one in between.
NL Central - Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Pirates, Reds
NL West - Astros, D-Backs, Dodgers, Giants, Padres
AL West - A's, Angels, Mariners, Rangers, Rockies
They can fix it or scrap it entirely, but the status quo just ain't right.
Just a couple of wacky ideas. More of these to come if the Cubs' season doesn't pick up...
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
What'choo talkin' ' bout? Willis?
Scratch Dontrelle Willis off the list of possible additions, traded to the Diamondbacks yesterday for starter Billy Buckner and a sack of cash. Oh, wait, traded *with* a sack of cash for Buckner.
Buckner, incidentally, has a career record of 6-11 with an ERA over 6 while making a hair over the league minimum, which is actually better than Willis has performed for Detroit at nearly $10 million per over the past three years.
Remember back in the old days when the team getting the bigger name would be the one giving up the cash? Not that I go back quite that far, but when the Cubs got Rogers Hornsby after the 1928 season, they sent five players plus a then-record $200,000 to the Boston Braves for him. These days he'd have been a salary-dump trade, and that money would have been sent the other way to cover a contract a team like the old Braves never would/could have afforded in the first place.
Buckner, incidentally, has a career record of 6-11 with an ERA over 6 while making a hair over the league minimum, which is actually better than Willis has performed for Detroit at nearly $10 million per over the past three years.
Remember back in the old days when the team getting the bigger name would be the one giving up the cash? Not that I go back quite that far, but when the Cubs got Rogers Hornsby after the 1928 season, they sent five players plus a then-record $200,000 to the Boston Braves for him. These days he'd have been a salary-dump trade, and that money would have been sent the other way to cover a contract a team like the old Braves never would/could have afforded in the first place.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Staff inflection
I always find it amusing when my posts turn into forecasts...
Yes, fans, the Cubs' pitching staff is being shuffled and redealt. Carlos Zambrano is back in the rotation, Tom Gorzelanny is back in the bullpen, John Grabow is out for the moment on the 15-day DL, and Andrew Cashner is up from Iowa, having successfully made his major league debut yesterday throwing a total of one pitch.
It still couldn't help them beat the Pirates, who have given the Cubs an extraordinary amount of trouble this season, but I find it comforting to see moves made when the team is stagnating.
And while I wouldn't count on it happening, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cubs take a chance on Dontrelle Willis if they can get the Tigers to eat most of his $12 million salary. Clearly the American League hasn't worked out for him, and I think it would be nice if he resurrected his career for the team that drafted him before sending him to Florida in the Matt Clement trade.
Yes, fans, the Cubs' pitching staff is being shuffled and redealt. Carlos Zambrano is back in the rotation, Tom Gorzelanny is back in the bullpen, John Grabow is out for the moment on the 15-day DL, and Andrew Cashner is up from Iowa, having successfully made his major league debut yesterday throwing a total of one pitch.
It still couldn't help them beat the Pirates, who have given the Cubs an extraordinary amount of trouble this season, but I find it comforting to see moves made when the team is stagnating.
And while I wouldn't count on it happening, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cubs take a chance on Dontrelle Willis if they can get the Tigers to eat most of his $12 million salary. Clearly the American League hasn't worked out for him, and I think it would be nice if he resurrected his career for the team that drafted him before sending him to Florida in the Matt Clement trade.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Lucky seven for Silva
Carlos Silva dominated today, allowing only two hits and striking out 11 with no walks over 7 innings to improve his record to 7-0.
Silva, 31, has won five straight starts after getting no-decisions in three of his first five, and the Cubs are 9-1 through his first ten appearances. A pair of rallies saved Silva from a loss in a no-decision against Arizona May 1, and an eighth-inning grand slam off of Esmailin Caridad cost him a win when the Cubs lost Silva's debut in Cincinnati 5-4. Unlike hard-luck starter Tom Gorzelanny (2-5. 3.66), the Cubs have scored four or more runs in all ten of Silva's starts.
Ron Santo's old teammate Ken Holtzman was a perfect 9-0 as a starter in 1967 while splitting time between the Cubs and the Illinois National Guard.
Silva, 31, has won five straight starts after getting no-decisions in three of his first five, and the Cubs are 9-1 through his first ten appearances. A pair of rallies saved Silva from a loss in a no-decision against Arizona May 1, and an eighth-inning grand slam off of Esmailin Caridad cost him a win when the Cubs lost Silva's debut in Cincinnati 5-4. Unlike hard-luck starter Tom Gorzelanny (2-5. 3.66), the Cubs have scored four or more runs in all ten of Silva's starts.
Ron Santo's old teammate Ken Holtzman was a perfect 9-0 as a starter in 1967 while splitting time between the Cubs and the Illinois National Guard.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Howdy, Howry
The Cubs brought back Bobby Howry today, and he picked up pretty much where he left off in Chicago, giving up an RBI double and an intentional walk in a third of an inning.
Actually, that's not fair to Howry. You can't blame a guy for an intentional walk. And before earning the nickname "Home Run Howry" in 2008 (13 in 70 innings), he pitched in more than half of the Cubs' games over 2006-2007 while maintaining an ERA in the low threes. He pitched similarly well for the Giants last year before running into trouble with Arizona this season.
Whether or not Howry becomes a difference-maker, I see more moves coming to the Cubs' pitching staff. There's no reason to keep Carlos Zambrano in the bullpen - salary aside, he really only had one bad start, and he's given up six runs in the equivalent of two starts' worth of relief appearances. Not stellar, but not worthy of a staff ace being in the bullpen. The problem is, there's no room at the inn as far as the rotation goes.
Since Ted Lilly is a quality starter in a contract year and can't get run support to save his life anyway, I would start shopping him for at least one quality reliever and a prospect or two. If they really need two left-handed starters in a given series, give Sean Marshall a spot start. Beyond that, I'd be a little less gun-shy about shuffling relievers back and forth from Iowa if they're not getting the job done for the parent club.
John Grabow, whose runner Howry allowed to score today, would be on that list regardless of his major league experience. His career numbers indicate he's a halfway decent pitcher, but there's clearly something wrong this season. If there are merely some kinks in his game, let him fix them where it won't hurt the Cubs instead of in the late innings with a small lead.
And while he wasn't a Cub, I offer my condolences to the family of former pitcher Jose Lima, who died of a heart attack Sunday at the age of 37. While his name appeared on an unconfirmed list of players in the Mitchell Report, Lima first became a controversial figure in 1998 when he was accused of grooving pitches to fellow Dominican Sammy Sosa to give him an edge over Mark McGwire in the home run race. While Sosa did hit three of his last 17 homers against him that year - Lima won all three of his starts against the 1998 Cubs, incidentally - McGwire tagged him for one too. Regardless, it's a sad day when someone's life ends at such a young age.
Actually, that's not fair to Howry. You can't blame a guy for an intentional walk. And before earning the nickname "Home Run Howry" in 2008 (13 in 70 innings), he pitched in more than half of the Cubs' games over 2006-2007 while maintaining an ERA in the low threes. He pitched similarly well for the Giants last year before running into trouble with Arizona this season.
Whether or not Howry becomes a difference-maker, I see more moves coming to the Cubs' pitching staff. There's no reason to keep Carlos Zambrano in the bullpen - salary aside, he really only had one bad start, and he's given up six runs in the equivalent of two starts' worth of relief appearances. Not stellar, but not worthy of a staff ace being in the bullpen. The problem is, there's no room at the inn as far as the rotation goes.
Since Ted Lilly is a quality starter in a contract year and can't get run support to save his life anyway, I would start shopping him for at least one quality reliever and a prospect or two. If they really need two left-handed starters in a given series, give Sean Marshall a spot start. Beyond that, I'd be a little less gun-shy about shuffling relievers back and forth from Iowa if they're not getting the job done for the parent club.
John Grabow, whose runner Howry allowed to score today, would be on that list regardless of his major league experience. His career numbers indicate he's a halfway decent pitcher, but there's clearly something wrong this season. If there are merely some kinks in his game, let him fix them where it won't hurt the Cubs instead of in the late innings with a small lead.
And while he wasn't a Cub, I offer my condolences to the family of former pitcher Jose Lima, who died of a heart attack Sunday at the age of 37. While his name appeared on an unconfirmed list of players in the Mitchell Report, Lima first became a controversial figure in 1998 when he was accused of grooving pitches to fellow Dominican Sammy Sosa to give him an edge over Mark McGwire in the home run race. While Sosa did hit three of his last 17 homers against him that year - Lima won all three of his starts against the 1998 Cubs, incidentally - McGwire tagged him for one too. Regardless, it's a sad day when someone's life ends at such a young age.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Turning the corner?
Don't look now, but the Cubs have won four in a row, good for the third-longest win streak in the NL.
The Starlin Castro experiment is a success so far, Aramis Ramirez is starting to get clutch hits like his walkoff homer Monday (no matter his average, he always seems the most likely Cub to hit one of those), Derrek Lee has reached safely in eight of his last nine games and at 5-0 Carlos Silva is making the Milton Bradley trade look like the Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek for Todd Hundley trade.
On the downside, Geovany Soto's batting average (.289) is falling back to Earth and so is Ryan Theriot's (still a robust .317). And I don't understand Jeff Baker starting in the outfield for the first time in two years when Tyler Colvin is getting the job done.
But still, Castro, Soto and Kosuke Fukudome have on-base percentages above .400, Alfonso Soriano is having his best season as a Cub, Marlon Byrd is still kicking butt, and they can still throw five guys out there who are batting over .300. Tom Gorzelanny (3.09) finally got some run support in Philadelphia tonight to pick up his second win. Apart from a couple of arms in the bullpen - but not Carlos Marmol (1.31), Sean Marshall (2.11) and James Russell (2.77) - the cylinders are clicking.
Now it's time to get consistent. The Reds should take care of themselves (their Next Big Thing, $30 million Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman, is struggling mightily with his control in AAA), but I don't want to see the Pirates breathing down the Cubs' necks anymore, and they need to make the most of the Brewers' current nine-game losing streak. If Trevor Hoffman comes around, there's nowhere for Milwaukee to go but up.
The Starlin Castro experiment is a success so far, Aramis Ramirez is starting to get clutch hits like his walkoff homer Monday (no matter his average, he always seems the most likely Cub to hit one of those), Derrek Lee has reached safely in eight of his last nine games and at 5-0 Carlos Silva is making the Milton Bradley trade look like the Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek for Todd Hundley trade.
On the downside, Geovany Soto's batting average (.289) is falling back to Earth and so is Ryan Theriot's (still a robust .317). And I don't understand Jeff Baker starting in the outfield for the first time in two years when Tyler Colvin is getting the job done.
But still, Castro, Soto and Kosuke Fukudome have on-base percentages above .400, Alfonso Soriano is having his best season as a Cub, Marlon Byrd is still kicking butt, and they can still throw five guys out there who are batting over .300. Tom Gorzelanny (3.09) finally got some run support in Philadelphia tonight to pick up his second win. Apart from a couple of arms in the bullpen - but not Carlos Marmol (1.31), Sean Marshall (2.11) and James Russell (2.77) - the cylinders are clicking.
Now it's time to get consistent. The Reds should take care of themselves (their Next Big Thing, $30 million Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman, is struggling mightily with his control in AAA), but I don't want to see the Pirates breathing down the Cubs' necks anymore, and they need to make the most of the Brewers' current nine-game losing streak. If Trevor Hoffman comes around, there's nowhere for Milwaukee to go but up.
Friday, May 07, 2010
A Starlin is born
The Cubs called up 20-year-old Tennessee (AA) shortstop Starlin Castro today. He is slated to start for the Cubs tonight in Cincinnati and become the first major league player born in the 1990s. In honor of the occasion, I compiled a list of decade debuts:
Starlin Castro - born 3/24/1990, debuting 5/7/2010
Albert Pujols – born 1/16/1980, debuted 4/2/2001
Wilson Alvarez – born 3/24/1970, debuted 7/24/1989
Tim Conroy – born 4/3/1960, debuted 6/23/1978
Lloyd Allen – born 5/8/1950, debuted 9/1/1969
Dick Ellsworth – born 3/22/1940, debuted 6/22/1958
Johnny Antonelli – born 4/12/1930, debuted 7/4/1948
Walt Masterson – born 6/22/1920, debuted 5/8/1939
Joe Cicero – born 11/11/1910, debuted 9/20/1929
Mickey O’Neil – born 4/12/1900, debuted 6/19/1919
Stuffy McInnis – born 9/9/1890, debuted 4/12/1909
Lefty Herring – born 3/4/1880, debuted 5/16/1899
Amos Rusie - born 5/30/1871, debuted 5/9/1889
Frank Pearce – born 3/30/1860, debuted 10/4/1876
So he joins a varied mix of players, though it represents a fair amount of talent for a random selection of young prospects. Rusie is in the Hall, Pujols should be a lock and McInnis deserves a look from the Veterans Committee. Alvarez (once), Ellsworth (once) and Antonelli (five times) were all-stars, and Alvarez threw a no-hitter. On the other end of the spectrum, Cicero and Herring played fewer than 50 games and Pearce's debut was also his finale, his major league career over at age 16. Oddly enough, Castro was born on Alvarez' 20th birthday, Antonelli on O'Neil's 30th, and eight of the 14 were born between March 4th and April 12th.
What does this all mean for the Cubs? Chad Tracy will play more, but at Iowa. Mike Fontenot will start less at second, probably spot struggling Aramis Ramirez more at third and pinch-hit more if Castro becomes a starter. Ryan Theriot will play either more second base or exclusively second base, depending on Castro's performance at short.
We can only guess how his numbers will compare, but I wouldn't expect anywhere near his 20 RBIs and 20 runs scored with a .376 average in 26 games - not only because he's jumping from AA to the majors, but because without much power I don't see him batting above seventh in the lineup anytime soon unless Kosuke Fukudome struggles in the two spot.
But good luck to the youngster, and here's hoping for a long, healthy and successful career in Cubbie blue.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Big numbers at the plate
For a 10-12 team, the Cubs have remarkable offensive numbers. While Derrek Lee (.203) and Aramis Ramirez (.155) are struggling mightily for balls to fall in, most everyone else is getting the job done.
Geovany Soto leads the pack with a .362 batting average and an on-base percentage of .516. That's not a misprint, Soto has reached base in more than half of his plate appearances through more than ten percent of the season.
Ryan Theriot has developed a knack for multi-hit games - seven of them during his current eight-game hitting streak - and is at .333 through today's loss. He leads the league in hits, five stolen bases put him in the top 10, and he's even managed to drive in 10 runs. It's nice to see him producing at the top of the order. I've been suggesting it for three years.
Marlon Byrd has done a fine job both at the plate and in the field, also hitting .333 and leading the team in RBI. A great free-agent signing at a bargain price. Milton who?
The record skips again with Kosuke "Mr. April" Fukudome, another .333 with an OBP of .423, and even starter Randy Wells is 3-for-9 at the plate. And Tyler Colvin is at .325, Mike Fontenot at .308. Starlin Castro (.377 with 18 RBI in 18 games at AA Tennessee) will just have to wait.
That gives the Cubs a lineup option with six players batting over .300, seven if Wells is pitching, and Alfonso Soriano is one multi-hit game away at .292. Yet with the exception of the recent series against the Brewers, they have trouble pushing all those runners over and in, particularly in tight games. I think it's time to shuffle the lineup. Here's my suggestion:
1 - SS - Ryan Theriot
2 - RF - Kosuke Fukudome
3 - C - Geovany Soto
4 - CF - Marlon Byrd
5 - LF - Tyler Colvin or Alfonso Soriano
6 - 2B - Mike Fontenot
7 - 1B - Derrek Lee
8 - 3B - Aramis Ramirez
If your 3-4 hitters are both struggling at the same time, you're going to leave runners on base and have trouble winning games. I'm not saying Lee and Ramirez should remain at the back even beyond the upcoming series against Arizona - Lee shares the team lead in walks and has a respectable OBP of .326, and Ramirez has quietly extended a hitting streak to five games, showing that the worst is probably over - but just shake things up a bit and put all the hot bats in a row to make the most of the opportunities they create. I want more dogpiling like in the Brewers series, especially against a Diamondbacks team that always seems to give the Cubs headaches.
And my wacky idea of the day is to see if Tyler Colvin can play any first base - he never has in pro ball - to occasionally spell D-Lee and get his bat in the lineup more often. Put him there during batting practice, and maybe give him a couple of late innings in the next 8-2 game to see what happens. At age 24, he could have a bright future in Chicago for a long time. Until there's an everyday spot for him - barring a trade that means 2012, after Fukudome's contract ends - every bit of versatility beyond playing all three outfield positions will make him that much more ready when the Cubs can give him 600 at-bats a year.
Geovany Soto leads the pack with a .362 batting average and an on-base percentage of .516. That's not a misprint, Soto has reached base in more than half of his plate appearances through more than ten percent of the season.
Ryan Theriot has developed a knack for multi-hit games - seven of them during his current eight-game hitting streak - and is at .333 through today's loss. He leads the league in hits, five stolen bases put him in the top 10, and he's even managed to drive in 10 runs. It's nice to see him producing at the top of the order. I've been suggesting it for three years.
Marlon Byrd has done a fine job both at the plate and in the field, also hitting .333 and leading the team in RBI. A great free-agent signing at a bargain price. Milton who?
The record skips again with Kosuke "Mr. April" Fukudome, another .333 with an OBP of .423, and even starter Randy Wells is 3-for-9 at the plate. And Tyler Colvin is at .325, Mike Fontenot at .308. Starlin Castro (.377 with 18 RBI in 18 games at AA Tennessee) will just have to wait.
That gives the Cubs a lineup option with six players batting over .300, seven if Wells is pitching, and Alfonso Soriano is one multi-hit game away at .292. Yet with the exception of the recent series against the Brewers, they have trouble pushing all those runners over and in, particularly in tight games. I think it's time to shuffle the lineup. Here's my suggestion:
1 - SS - Ryan Theriot
2 - RF - Kosuke Fukudome
3 - C - Geovany Soto
4 - CF - Marlon Byrd
5 - LF - Tyler Colvin or Alfonso Soriano
6 - 2B - Mike Fontenot
7 - 1B - Derrek Lee
8 - 3B - Aramis Ramirez
If your 3-4 hitters are both struggling at the same time, you're going to leave runners on base and have trouble winning games. I'm not saying Lee and Ramirez should remain at the back even beyond the upcoming series against Arizona - Lee shares the team lead in walks and has a respectable OBP of .326, and Ramirez has quietly extended a hitting streak to five games, showing that the worst is probably over - but just shake things up a bit and put all the hot bats in a row to make the most of the opportunities they create. I want more dogpiling like in the Brewers series, especially against a Diamondbacks team that always seems to give the Cubs headaches.
And my wacky idea of the day is to see if Tyler Colvin can play any first base - he never has in pro ball - to occasionally spell D-Lee and get his bat in the lineup more often. Put him there during batting practice, and maybe give him a couple of late innings in the next 8-2 game to see what happens. At age 24, he could have a bright future in Chicago for a long time. Until there's an everyday spot for him - barring a trade that means 2012, after Fukudome's contract ends - every bit of versatility beyond playing all three outfield positions will make him that much more ready when the Cubs can give him 600 at-bats a year.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Surprise, surprise
I'll admit I was surprised to see Carlos Zambrano moved into a setup role, which he is expected to take on Saturday. Obviously given the size of his contract this is a temporary move, but I did dump him from my fantasy league.
Big Z has traditionally been a slow starter. While the Cubs keep starting him on opening day, his record in those starts is less than exceptional. He's been beaten up so far in 2010, but hasn't exactly given up rocket shots off the walls or into the seats, rather a lot of Texas-league loopers that added up to disaster.
To brag a bit, so far my preseason projections are looking good. Carlos Silva has made the Bradley trade look like a stroke of genius (though even if he had Tommy John surgery it would still be a good trade), and Tom Gorzelanny and for the most part Sean Marshall have both pitched well. Geovany Soto has been on a tear after a slow start, the three outfield starters are collectively hitting over .300, Mike Fontenot has improved on his 2009 production so far, and there have been questions about middle relief, particularly with a couple of the unproven younger guys. Aramis Ramirez is off to an awful start, and while that long-term injury fortunately hasn't happened, it does appear that the Cubs can't win without him contributing. Oh, and Carlos Marmol has an earned run average of 1.17.
So let's hope the Cubs can put their New York trip behind them, and that the Brewers are burned out after outscoring the Pirates 36-1 in a three-game sweep and handing them their worst loss in their 129 seasons in a 20-0 rout.
Big Z has traditionally been a slow starter. While the Cubs keep starting him on opening day, his record in those starts is less than exceptional. He's been beaten up so far in 2010, but hasn't exactly given up rocket shots off the walls or into the seats, rather a lot of Texas-league loopers that added up to disaster.
To brag a bit, so far my preseason projections are looking good. Carlos Silva has made the Bradley trade look like a stroke of genius (though even if he had Tommy John surgery it would still be a good trade), and Tom Gorzelanny and for the most part Sean Marshall have both pitched well. Geovany Soto has been on a tear after a slow start, the three outfield starters are collectively hitting over .300, Mike Fontenot has improved on his 2009 production so far, and there have been questions about middle relief, particularly with a couple of the unproven younger guys. Aramis Ramirez is off to an awful start, and while that long-term injury fortunately hasn't happened, it does appear that the Cubs can't win without him contributing. Oh, and Carlos Marmol has an earned run average of 1.17.
So let's hope the Cubs can put their New York trip behind them, and that the Brewers are burned out after outscoring the Pirates 36-1 in a three-game sweep and handing them their worst loss in their 129 seasons in a 20-0 rout.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Carlos Marmol, you are RIDICULOUS!
I'd still send them back to the American League if I was commissioner, but there's always high drama when the Cubs face the Brewers. Yesterday was no exception.
Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome sparked a seventh-inning rally Wednesday to trim a run off the Milwaukeeans' 4-2 lead, and after the Brewers scored twice in the top half of eighth, the same two guys each hit a two-run single in the bottom half to give the Cubs a 7-6 win.
Not to be lost in the excitement was the performance of Carlos Marmol. For the second time in his last three outings, he struck out all three batters he faced to nail down the save. No slouches, either - the meat and potatoes of the Brewers' lineup in Corey Hart, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder; all of them all-stars, all of them swinging.
Marmol is 14-for-14 in save opportunities since taking over the closer's role from Kevin Gregg late last August. He's struck out nine of the 16 batters he's faced in four and a third innings so far in 2010, allowing one hit and two walks. A bit of math tells you that more guys have struck out against him this year than have even hit fair balls. While I'm biased toward my Cubbies, I'm entertaining the possibility that the Cubs could have a Mariano Rivera-type closer on their hands for a good long time.
I'm a bit young to vividly remember the Bruce Sutter era on the north side, but I've seen a lot of closers come and go without the dominating stuff Marmol has. Big Lee Smith never gave me that confidence in the endgame; neither did Rich Gossage, Mitch Williams, Rick Aguilera, Randy Myers, Tom Gordon, Rod Beck, Antonio Alfonseca, Joe Borowski, LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood, Kevin Gregg... see where I'm going with this?
The Cubs aren't very well represented on the list of single-season save leaders. The two over 50 in a season, Myers and Beck, are also the only two over 40. Plenty of ex-Cubs appear on the all-time list, 7 of the top 25, but only Smith, if even him, is associated first with the Cubs around the leagues. The best of the lot, Dennis Eckersley, made one relief appearance here before Tony LaRussa struck gold with him in Oakland.
I'm not saying the Cubs need a 60+ save guy like Francisco Rodriguez to take it to the next level - ideally a dominant team would score too many runs to present that many opportunities - but settling in with a young closer who allows you to wipe your brow and relax with a short late-inning lead, as opposed to making a Maalox run during the seventh-inning stretch, is a necessary element for repeated postseason appearances.
Unless the wheels come off the wagon in the next couple of years or Marmol develops chronic shoulder or elbow problems, Jim Hendry would do well to lock him down for the long haul before he reaches free agency in 2013.
Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome sparked a seventh-inning rally Wednesday to trim a run off the Milwaukeeans' 4-2 lead, and after the Brewers scored twice in the top half of eighth, the same two guys each hit a two-run single in the bottom half to give the Cubs a 7-6 win.
Not to be lost in the excitement was the performance of Carlos Marmol. For the second time in his last three outings, he struck out all three batters he faced to nail down the save. No slouches, either - the meat and potatoes of the Brewers' lineup in Corey Hart, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder; all of them all-stars, all of them swinging.
Marmol is 14-for-14 in save opportunities since taking over the closer's role from Kevin Gregg late last August. He's struck out nine of the 16 batters he's faced in four and a third innings so far in 2010, allowing one hit and two walks. A bit of math tells you that more guys have struck out against him this year than have even hit fair balls. While I'm biased toward my Cubbies, I'm entertaining the possibility that the Cubs could have a Mariano Rivera-type closer on their hands for a good long time.
I'm a bit young to vividly remember the Bruce Sutter era on the north side, but I've seen a lot of closers come and go without the dominating stuff Marmol has. Big Lee Smith never gave me that confidence in the endgame; neither did Rich Gossage, Mitch Williams, Rick Aguilera, Randy Myers, Tom Gordon, Rod Beck, Antonio Alfonseca, Joe Borowski, LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood, Kevin Gregg... see where I'm going with this?
The Cubs aren't very well represented on the list of single-season save leaders. The two over 50 in a season, Myers and Beck, are also the only two over 40. Plenty of ex-Cubs appear on the all-time list, 7 of the top 25, but only Smith, if even him, is associated first with the Cubs around the leagues. The best of the lot, Dennis Eckersley, made one relief appearance here before Tony LaRussa struck gold with him in Oakland.
I'm not saying the Cubs need a 60+ save guy like Francisco Rodriguez to take it to the next level - ideally a dominant team would score too many runs to present that many opportunities - but settling in with a young closer who allows you to wipe your brow and relax with a short late-inning lead, as opposed to making a Maalox run during the seventh-inning stretch, is a necessary element for repeated postseason appearances.
Unless the wheels come off the wagon in the next couple of years or Marmol develops chronic shoulder or elbow problems, Jim Hendry would do well to lock him down for the long haul before he reaches free agency in 2013.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Meet the new boss, not like the old boss
Today was a good day. I've seen my share of 40-degree home openers, and this time the bats were as warm as the temperatures on this mild April afternoon. Aramis Ramirez got off the schneid with a big home run, playing the percentages by going with Xavier Nady against Doug Davis instead of Kosuke Fukudome paid off with another, and Jeff Baker added a third in a nice win. But this Opening Day, for me the game itself took a back seat to the first look at the new administration.
It was the first home opener for the Ricketts family as owners, and I like what I saw. Picking a random family dressed in Cubs gear out of the stands to throw out the first pitch was a classy move, and it didn't seem like a gimmick. There was never anyone to provide a "one of us" feeling during the Tribune era, and giving a high-profile moment to some of "us" right from the start instead of having some celebrity handle the ceremonial bit leaves the impression that they're not all talk, that you or I or anyone else in Cubbie Nation really could bump into Tom Ricketts at any given game and have a minute of his time to talk about the team. I can't picture any previous Cubs owners having that kind of relationship with the fans, from three generations of Wrigleys to Charlie Weeghman to Charles Taft and all the way back to the inception of the team.
Whether or not that translates into championships in the near future remains to be seen, but at least they give off the impression that they care as much as we do and want to share their experience.
A couple of notes on the coverage - WGN really needs to stop sending Robert Jordan out to cover baseball even when providing full team coverage. He referred to Ernie Banks as "Mr. Cubs" in a segment that aired three times today, a tell-tale sign of a reporter working somebody else's beat. I remember seeing him reporting live from one of the more rambunctious Wrigleyville bars after the Cubs clinched a playoff spot, maybe it was 2003, looking scared out of his wits. It was kind of hilarious. But big props to anchor Steve Sanders, apparently in a live shot from his home, fingerpicking "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on acoustic guitar. I've seen him play on the noon news, and he has some nice chops.
In any case, it was a good day, a good win and a good start for the Ricketts family.
It was the first home opener for the Ricketts family as owners, and I like what I saw. Picking a random family dressed in Cubs gear out of the stands to throw out the first pitch was a classy move, and it didn't seem like a gimmick. There was never anyone to provide a "one of us" feeling during the Tribune era, and giving a high-profile moment to some of "us" right from the start instead of having some celebrity handle the ceremonial bit leaves the impression that they're not all talk, that you or I or anyone else in Cubbie Nation really could bump into Tom Ricketts at any given game and have a minute of his time to talk about the team. I can't picture any previous Cubs owners having that kind of relationship with the fans, from three generations of Wrigleys to Charlie Weeghman to Charles Taft and all the way back to the inception of the team.
Whether or not that translates into championships in the near future remains to be seen, but at least they give off the impression that they care as much as we do and want to share their experience.
A couple of notes on the coverage - WGN really needs to stop sending Robert Jordan out to cover baseball even when providing full team coverage. He referred to Ernie Banks as "Mr. Cubs" in a segment that aired three times today, a tell-tale sign of a reporter working somebody else's beat. I remember seeing him reporting live from one of the more rambunctious Wrigleyville bars after the Cubs clinched a playoff spot, maybe it was 2003, looking scared out of his wits. It was kind of hilarious. But big props to anchor Steve Sanders, apparently in a live shot from his home, fingerpicking "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on acoustic guitar. I've seen him play on the noon news, and he has some nice chops.
In any case, it was a good day, a good win and a good start for the Ricketts family.
Already pointing fingers
The Cubs should have won their six-game opening road trip, or at least the three-game set at Cincinnati that slipped away in the late innings Sunday. Why the Cubs have had so much trouble in the Great American Ballpark in early April for the past several years is beyond me.
Alfonso Soriano was the goat of the day yesterday, dropping one fly ball and letting another fall safely foul, contributing to the Reds' comeback. Naturally it was a prominent topic on the call-in shows.
We know by now what to expect from Soriano, and defense isn't it. He came up as a second-baseman and fought a move to the outfield once he was on his third big-league team. And he just isn't very good at it. Like tee-ball coaches, Lou Piniella needs to accept that and play him where his glove will be the least possible liability. For the time being I say that should mean a move to right field.
Slipping under the radar because of the Soriano snafu is the performance of Esmailin Caridad. Caridad took it on the chin for the second time in three days yesterday, entering the game just in time to walk in the game-winning run, inherited from and charged to John Grabow, after giving up a game-winning grand slam Friday.
I just don't think you pitch an unproven youngster with the game on the line two days after an outing like that. I'd like to see him pitch effectively in some 8-2 games before dropping him back into a clutch situation.
But roll it back to before Grabow got in trouble. Sean Marshall came on in relief after Soriano's hop and drop, giving up the unearned tying run on a single before snapping off two swinging strikeouts. Is there really so little confidence in Marshall that he gets pulled after 2/3 of an inning? With the excess of potential starters, including Marshall and yesterday's starter, Tom Gorzelanny, the Cubs should be able to get from starter to closer using one pitcher most of the time. No major league team should need four pitchers to get five outs. I've said it many times, the more pitchers you use in any given game, the better the odds of finding the guy whose stuff isn't working that day.
And I can't fail to mention that the Cubs let a guy off the hook in his professional debut by scoring only once on seven walks and four hits in six and a third. Mike Leake also went 2-for-2.
At least it's only one of 162, but I'd prefer to not see this kind of baseball become a habit. The Cubs need more games like Saturday's, when they won without leaving a single runner on base for the first time in over 13,000 games since 1924.
Let's hope the Cubbies turn it around at home and put all that behind them. Ryan Dempster and the Brewers' Doug Davis square off in the home opener at 1:20 this afternoon.
Alfonso Soriano was the goat of the day yesterday, dropping one fly ball and letting another fall safely foul, contributing to the Reds' comeback. Naturally it was a prominent topic on the call-in shows.
We know by now what to expect from Soriano, and defense isn't it. He came up as a second-baseman and fought a move to the outfield once he was on his third big-league team. And he just isn't very good at it. Like tee-ball coaches, Lou Piniella needs to accept that and play him where his glove will be the least possible liability. For the time being I say that should mean a move to right field.
Slipping under the radar because of the Soriano snafu is the performance of Esmailin Caridad. Caridad took it on the chin for the second time in three days yesterday, entering the game just in time to walk in the game-winning run, inherited from and charged to John Grabow, after giving up a game-winning grand slam Friday.
I just don't think you pitch an unproven youngster with the game on the line two days after an outing like that. I'd like to see him pitch effectively in some 8-2 games before dropping him back into a clutch situation.
But roll it back to before Grabow got in trouble. Sean Marshall came on in relief after Soriano's hop and drop, giving up the unearned tying run on a single before snapping off two swinging strikeouts. Is there really so little confidence in Marshall that he gets pulled after 2/3 of an inning? With the excess of potential starters, including Marshall and yesterday's starter, Tom Gorzelanny, the Cubs should be able to get from starter to closer using one pitcher most of the time. No major league team should need four pitchers to get five outs. I've said it many times, the more pitchers you use in any given game, the better the odds of finding the guy whose stuff isn't working that day.
And I can't fail to mention that the Cubs let a guy off the hook in his professional debut by scoring only once on seven walks and four hits in six and a third. Mike Leake also went 2-for-2.
At least it's only one of 162, but I'd prefer to not see this kind of baseball become a habit. The Cubs need more games like Saturday's, when they won without leaving a single runner on base for the first time in over 13,000 games since 1924.
Let's hope the Cubbies turn it around at home and put all that behind them. Ryan Dempster and the Brewers' Doug Davis square off in the home opener at 1:20 this afternoon.
Monday, April 05, 2010
2010 Preview
Opening Day is here, another long winter passed. Every spring Opening Day brings out the optimist in me with projections leaning on the Cub-friendly side, though I nailed it last year saying the Cubs "could be in a heap of trouble in the power department if Aramis Ramirez misses an extended period of time". Anyhoo...
Offense-wise, I expect improvement. Derrek Lee was the only starter who hit above expectations in 2009, and Ramirez missed two full months, a third of the season. The Cubs could reasonably expect more offense from all three outfield positions, third base and catcher. In the outfield, Marlon Byrd is a step up from Milton Bradley’s productivity as a Cub, and Tyler Colvin will take starts away from him, Soriano and Fukudome if they don’t pull their weight. On the middle infield, if Mike Fontenot hits like he can over a full season, or Starlin Castro forces his way into the lineup, there should be an improvement over last year’s production with the addition-by-subtraction of Aaron Miles. Unless Geovany Soto is really the player we saw in 2009 rather than in 2008, there should be improvement from his lineup slot - he dropped a bunch of weight and his eyebrows are less aggressively trimmed, so at least he looks serious. And D-Lee is in a contract year.
I’m not worried much about the rotation. Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Randy Wells are a solid front four (though I think the Cards are stronger in their top two with Carpenter and Wainwright), and Sean Marshall has patiently earned a shot. Carlos Silva looks better than he was with Seattle – if his mother being able to enter the country makes a difference, and off-the-field things like that really can, we could be in for a very pleasant surprise – and I think Tom Gorzelanny can be a decent swingman. Carlos Marmol gets his first shot at closing all year, so I’m concerned about how well he makes the transition as well as his control this spring, and practically every team has middle-relief questions every year, the 2010 Cubs included. We’ll just have to wait and see.
For all their problems, the 2009 Cubs still finished in second place, and none of the departed players will be missed except for maybe Jake Fox and Rich Harden. The Cardinals have been the best team in the Central since they picked up Matt Holliday, but if the Cards pitched over their heads last year – Carpenter, Wainwright, Franklin – the Cubs can make it close.
Barring a long-term injury to Ramirez, Lee, Marmol or one of the front three starters, I see the 2010 Cubs in the 90-72 range and in the running for the Wild Card, depending on who pops up on the trade market.
1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates
2. Cubs
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Cub fan Carlos Hernandez Gomez, 1973-2010
I lost a dear friend in Carlos Hernandez Gomez on January 17th. Some of the memorials mention his Edward R. Murrow Award for a story on the Billy Goat curse, and I remember how excited he was when he told me WBEZ would let him do it. He was a baseball fan, often wearing a jersey of fellow boriquen Roberto Clemente or a Ruth-era-style Yankees cap - I've heard the word "throwback" a lot this week - but above all he was a Cub fan, and we talked about them often.
One of the games we went to was Ryne Sandberg's last, in 1997. Carlos got a ticket in the lower deck behind first base, and after I shot the pre-game ceremony, we sat together to watch the game. I wanted to run a photo of Sandberg leaving the field for the last time, so I figured I had a good seven innings before I had to get back to the photographers' well by third base. We were in mid-conversation when he trotted off during the fifth. I stood up and snapped a shot anyway, though I knew it was hopeless.
I had several options to run with the story and for a front-page teaser, but the one I took from 150 feet away, which to the layman is a lousy photo, is a personal favorite among the thousands I took at Cub games. It's gone from a facepalm to a snicker to a cute story to a cherished memory over the years, not in what it is, but why it is. I was watching Cubs history with my buddy Carlos.
Carlos knew Sandberg was my favorite Cub, and when City Council honored Ryno's Hall of Fame election in 2005, he got me a personalized autograph. That's just the kind of guy he was.
One of the games we went to was Ryne Sandberg's last, in 1997. Carlos got a ticket in the lower deck behind first base, and after I shot the pre-game ceremony, we sat together to watch the game. I wanted to run a photo of Sandberg leaving the field for the last time, so I figured I had a good seven innings before I had to get back to the photographers' well by third base. We were in mid-conversation when he trotted off during the fifth. I stood up and snapped a shot anyway, though I knew it was hopeless.
I had several options to run with the story and for a front-page teaser, but the one I took from 150 feet away, which to the layman is a lousy photo, is a personal favorite among the thousands I took at Cub games. It's gone from a facepalm to a snicker to a cute story to a cherished memory over the years, not in what it is, but why it is. I was watching Cubs history with my buddy Carlos.
Carlos knew Sandberg was my favorite Cub, and when City Council honored Ryno's Hall of Fame election in 2005, he got me a personalized autograph. That's just the kind of guy he was.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)