Starlin Castro had a great debut, hitting a three-run homer in his first AB and adding a three-run triple later in the game to lead the Cubs to a 14-7 win over the Reds. Coming off a truly nauseating 11-1 loss to the Pirates the night before, all this was a welcome sight.
You have to wonder, though, whether the Cubs have any long-term plan or whether Piniella and Hendry are just winging it in a kind of desperation, knowing their jobs are on the line. Until tonight, the Cubs had two superior prospects, Colvin and Castro, who were not playing. Bringing up Castro is at least a solid clue the Cubs realize that the core of their team is just not good enough to contend or even to produce consistently. I'll have more to say on this subject in a more comprehensive post.
A couple of observations:
Lost in the hoopla of Castro's debut may be the fact that Carlos Silva's performances are getting shorter and shorter and rockier and rockier. Silva is returning to form. He has always been a .500 pitcher and pretty much a five or six inning guy. Guys his age don't generally show enormous improvement and they inevitably return to form. If the Cubs are showcasing him in order to dump his salary and move Zambrano back where he belongs, that's fine. Otherwise they are courting serious problems.
John Grabow continues to look awful. Is he hurt?
Marshall is dominant in relief. He is the eighth inning lefty they are looking for.
I can't figure why Tracy was sent down unless Baker is out of options and this is a temporary move. He hits left-handed, which is always more desirable off the bench and he can play first and third base. Lets face it, Baker has not hit well in his opportunities and he is likely to get almost no starts at 2B with Theriot and Fontenot, who are producing, getting virtually all the playing time there.
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