You wonder if Dale Sveum has finally looked at the numbers his team has posted against lefties or he got a phone call from the higher-ups, but, in any case, the lineup today against the Astros lefty Happ looks like a rational one. I mean, the Cubs are 4-17 playing the awful right-handed lineup and guys like Baker who routinely play in the platoon splits aren't exactly blowing things away.
The Cubs are 22 games under .500, 13 of which are accounted for by their special right-handed platoon even though only roughly a fifth of their games have been against lefties. Quite an achievement.
The Cubs finally got a good start out of Paul Maholm and they played a good game to win 4-0. Of course, they should beat teams like the Astros, who are really just a glorified AAA team. I was glad to see LaHair go 3 for 4. He's been in a protracted slump through June, which is complicated by the fact that he hardly ever plays given the number of lefties being thrown at the Cubs.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Rizzo's Debut
Went out to the game last night to see Rizzo's debut. Above is a photo I took as he approached the plate for the first time as a Cub.
Rizzo had a good night, a single, a double, a hard hit out in four tries. He may have been the recipient of somewhat generous official scorer's decisions. The ground ball in the first was hard hit, but clearly misplayed by the Mets shortstop, who, incidentally, has misplayed nearly as many chances as he has successfully fielded. The double also was a bit of a gift from the scorer, as he would not have made second had the Mets center-fielder thrown to the right base. Still, he hit the ball hard and played well defensively.
So far this series has been a clinic on how not to play the game, especially from the Mets point-of-view. On Monday night, they played two pop-ups into triples as well as muffing several chances in the field. Last night, although they were charged with only one error, they really messed up quite a few plays. Maybe they are in a funk right now, but you kind of wonder how they are still over .500 in the NL East and actually sort of in contention.
The Cubs were kind of lucky to win Tuesday's game. I'm not sure what has happened to Randy Wells. He just seems to have lost all confidence and command. The first three innings plus were agonizing. I read this morning that he had been DFAed, which is a shame. He looked really good his rookie year and his peripheral numbers were just as good in his second, but since then things have turned sour. You wonder whether he may have come back too soon from the injury at the start of 2011.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Bend Sinister
Same old story. The Cubs dropped three straight over the weekend to the Diamondbacks. We already commented on the first game. Sveum managed to put up the same idiotic lineup twice in the series even though only one left-hander started for Arizona.
These days it doesn't much matter anyway. Get a runner to third base with no outs and the opposition has the Cubs hitters pretty much where they want them. Also, getting a left-hander up just stretching in the bullpen seems to strike such terror in old Dale's heart that he will allow mopes like Baker and Johnson and Mather in to take their licks while more capable players continue to sit.
I can't figure it out and it is rather past the point of trying. The fear of left-handedness seems to extend to the point of our own pitchers as well. James Russell has been one of the most consistently effective relievers on the team this season and most of last. He is, however, rarely used in tight games.
Witness yesterday when the Cubs trailed 3-1 in the eighth inning. A serious team uses their closer or next best pitcher to keep it close. Sveum instead brings on Manny Corpas to put the game out of reach before calling on Russell to put out the fire. Then in the ninth with two men on, Sveum chooses to let LaHair sit and end the game with the slumping Clevenger.
Not the first time we have seen such tactics. I cannot decide whether Sveum and the Cubs are afraid of left-handers, even their own, or he has no confidence in any of his players, so he chooses to protect the ones who may have a future from failure by not giving them a chance to try. Either way, it is hard to watch.
The Cubs announced the long-awaited promotion of Anthony Rizzo to the major leagues. Starting Tuesday, of course, because the Mets will start a left-hander on Monday night. What a bunch of wimps these guys are! I wish Rizzo well and I think he is a genuinely good prospect, but don't expect any miracles here or even that he will play every day. I mean, what with the sinister tactics these opponents employ.
Looking over the probables for the games coming up before the All-Star break and you cannot help but be afraid, very afraid. Looks like seven of the thirteen probable starters are left-handers. Hide now. Don't watch.
Just as an aside, I notice that Marlon Byrd received a fifty day suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. In this case, it is a drug used to mitigate and disguise steroid effects. Can't say I'm surprised.
These days it doesn't much matter anyway. Get a runner to third base with no outs and the opposition has the Cubs hitters pretty much where they want them. Also, getting a left-hander up just stretching in the bullpen seems to strike such terror in old Dale's heart that he will allow mopes like Baker and Johnson and Mather in to take their licks while more capable players continue to sit.
I can't figure it out and it is rather past the point of trying. The fear of left-handedness seems to extend to the point of our own pitchers as well. James Russell has been one of the most consistently effective relievers on the team this season and most of last. He is, however, rarely used in tight games.
Witness yesterday when the Cubs trailed 3-1 in the eighth inning. A serious team uses their closer or next best pitcher to keep it close. Sveum instead brings on Manny Corpas to put the game out of reach before calling on Russell to put out the fire. Then in the ninth with two men on, Sveum chooses to let LaHair sit and end the game with the slumping Clevenger.
Not the first time we have seen such tactics. I cannot decide whether Sveum and the Cubs are afraid of left-handers, even their own, or he has no confidence in any of his players, so he chooses to protect the ones who may have a future from failure by not giving them a chance to try. Either way, it is hard to watch.
The Cubs announced the long-awaited promotion of Anthony Rizzo to the major leagues. Starting Tuesday, of course, because the Mets will start a left-hander on Monday night. What a bunch of wimps these guys are! I wish Rizzo well and I think he is a genuinely good prospect, but don't expect any miracles here or even that he will play every day. I mean, what with the sinister tactics these opponents employ.
Looking over the probables for the games coming up before the All-Star break and you cannot help but be afraid, very afraid. Looks like seven of the thirteen probable starters are left-handers. Hide now. Don't watch.
Just as an aside, I notice that Marlon Byrd received a fifty day suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. In this case, it is a drug used to mitigate and disguise steroid effects. Can't say I'm surprised.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Not to Belabor the Point
However, maybe we need to do so. Here's Dale Sveum's post-game "explanation" of why he stuck with the all right-handed lineup against the emergency Arizona starter last night, along with some editorial background provided by Tyler Emerick of the MLB website.
Evidently some major league hitters have figured him out, especially the left-handers who were hitting nearly .350 against him. So the expectation, at least in Sveum's mind, is that figuring this out is something beyond the Cubs hitters, so we might just as well stick with the awful lineup card he had submitted because, what the hell, nobody could possibly produce a quality at-bat against this guy anyway.
Wow! Upon this foundation, the future of the Cubs is being built. I seriously wonder how long this is going to go on before fans just tune it out. Maybe they already have.
Cubs manager Dale Sveum said he could've changed the lineup if he wanted to, but he opted to stand pat against Collmenter, whose tomahawk-like delivery is a unique arm angle for hitters.
"Just a few minutes before the lineups were exchanged," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said when asked when he found out about the switch. "I had time to change it. It was more of Collmenter, [whom] we had no prior history against, none of our hitters had faced him. He's so funky, he's a guy you need to face three, four or five times before you get a good reading on that arm slot."
Collmenter, who entered the game with right-handed hitters batting .212 against him and lefties hitting .346, ended up throwing four innings, surrendering just three hits and a run.Huh? What? I mean, hold on a second there. I mean, what on earth is this guy talking about? This is the same Josh Collmenter who started the season in the Arizona rotation, but was demoted to the bullpen because his ERA after four April starts was over 9. Who still hasn't got his ERA under 5?
Evidently some major league hitters have figured him out, especially the left-handers who were hitting nearly .350 against him. So the expectation, at least in Sveum's mind, is that figuring this out is something beyond the Cubs hitters, so we might just as well stick with the awful lineup card he had submitted because, what the hell, nobody could possibly produce a quality at-bat against this guy anyway.
Wow! Upon this foundation, the future of the Cubs is being built. I seriously wonder how long this is going to go on before fans just tune it out. Maybe they already have.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Am I missing something?
OK, so the Arizona starter, a lefty, cannot get loose. The Cubs had virtually an all right-handed lineup going. However, he is replaced by a righty. Dale sticks with the original lineup anyway. This is the same lineup that is 3-15 and never scores a run. So is Sveum just dumb or didn't he notice, or just plain lazy? Whatever! Welcome to the new Cubs, just like the old Cubs.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
The Sox Series
The Cubs blew away the White Sox in Game 1 Monday night and were themselves blown away in Game 3 when they were shut out by the slumping Gavin Floyd. In between, they played a very nice game to defeat Jake Peavy 2-1 on Tuesday.
The Cubs may have obtained a keeper in Travis Wood, who came over from Cincinnati in the Sean Marshall trade. He has improved with each outing and he is young enough to have a higher ceiling than the rest of Theo's recent acquisitions. I wish I could say that Randy Wells has snapped out of his pitching funk, but he seems to have lost his command as well as his confidence. I suppose he is worth another spot start, especially in view of the alternative, the dreaded Chad Volstad.
I liked the new lineup, which basically consisted of moving LaHair up to third and also into right field, evidently in preparation for an immanent promotion of Anthony Rizzo. Some speculate he will be activated this weekend against the Diamondbacks. Despite the calculations that he would fall short of the roster time needed to advance his free agency any time he is brought up now, I rather think they are going to wait at least until the home stand, more or less because Dale Sveum is loathe to play left-handed hitters against left-handed pitching any time at all. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start lefties Friday and Sunday. I expect they will sit Bryan LaHair for these games as well even though he deserves a chance to play every day. What have they got to lose.
The Cubs may have obtained a keeper in Travis Wood, who came over from Cincinnati in the Sean Marshall trade. He has improved with each outing and he is young enough to have a higher ceiling than the rest of Theo's recent acquisitions. I wish I could say that Randy Wells has snapped out of his pitching funk, but he seems to have lost his command as well as his confidence. I suppose he is worth another spot start, especially in view of the alternative, the dreaded Chad Volstad.
I liked the new lineup, which basically consisted of moving LaHair up to third and also into right field, evidently in preparation for an immanent promotion of Anthony Rizzo. Some speculate he will be activated this weekend against the Diamondbacks. Despite the calculations that he would fall short of the roster time needed to advance his free agency any time he is brought up now, I rather think they are going to wait at least until the home stand, more or less because Dale Sveum is loathe to play left-handed hitters against left-handed pitching any time at all. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start lefties Friday and Sunday. I expect they will sit Bryan LaHair for these games as well even though he deserves a chance to play every day. What have they got to lose.
Monday, June 18, 2012
A Sorry Excuse for a Baseball Game
Yesterday night, fans were able to see two teams that Theo Epstein built, his former Boston Red Sox and current Chicago Cubs, match up. It wasn't pretty.
Incidentally, if you read the Boston press, you will find that he has accumulated just as much bile there as he has stockpiled patience and faith here. A tale of two cities.
To give Boston its due, they are pretty banged up. That having been said, their hopeless incompetence in letting the Cubs tie the score in the sixth inning was an appalling display of ineptitude that was only equaled by the Cubs performance through the rest of the game. I mean, I don't remember ever having seen two guys cover second base on an easy double play chance for the pitcher and neither one catch the throw.
It's probably not worth cataloging the Cubs incompetence through the rest of the game except to note that it is has become the rule rather than the exception and it is not getting any better. Which, of course, is the real problem. Needless to say, we saw a continuation of the utter futility of this team against left-handed pitching.
Some choice quotes from Dale Sveum on the lefty issue:
Actually, the Cubs and Dale Sveum are now absolutely terrified at the prospect of facing left-handers. In the wild sixth inning during which Boston misplayed nearly every chance but escaped with allowing only one run, the Cubs stuck with the right-handed hitters simply because Boston had a lefty warming up in the bullpen.
Just as an aside, the Cubs had an opportunity, down three runs, to use Bryan LaHair as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the ninth with men at the corners, but chose instead to allow the veteran Reed Johnson to strike out against a right-hander. Go figure.
A few years ago, under Lou Piniella, the Cubs were employing the same tactics with the same players and the same results. It was discovered then that the Cubs did not have a left-handed batting practice pitcher and never practiced against left-handers. If my memory served me correctly, they went out and got someone to throw batting practice left-handed, not that it eventually had any effect on their performance.
I listened to a bit of the national play-by-play both Saturday and Sunday. Both teams of announcers were wondering when Cubs fans would get sick of watching this painful excuse for a baseball team and when Theo and company would start to feel some heat.
I have got to say that the one thing that surprises me is that all the fans and media have bought into this long-term rebuilding process and have cut Epstein so much slack. I'm all for clearing out the deadwood and building the team, but you have to understand that fans have a legitimate expectation that a rich team like this that charges some of the highest ticket prices in MLB would field a team that would at least provide some modicum of entertainment.
I'll have more to say on the subject in subsequent posts.
Incidentally, if you read the Boston press, you will find that he has accumulated just as much bile there as he has stockpiled patience and faith here. A tale of two cities.
To give Boston its due, they are pretty banged up. That having been said, their hopeless incompetence in letting the Cubs tie the score in the sixth inning was an appalling display of ineptitude that was only equaled by the Cubs performance through the rest of the game. I mean, I don't remember ever having seen two guys cover second base on an easy double play chance for the pitcher and neither one catch the throw.
It's probably not worth cataloging the Cubs incompetence through the rest of the game except to note that it is has become the rule rather than the exception and it is not getting any better. Which, of course, is the real problem. Needless to say, we saw a continuation of the utter futility of this team against left-handed pitching.
Some choice quotes from Dale Sveum on the lefty issue:
"You can't even try to do what we do against left-handed pitching," Sveum said. "It's very difficult to have those kind of numbers and slugging percentage and everything like that against left-handed pitching on a consistent basis."
"It's the same story -- a left-handed pitcher, we were getting beat constantly on the fastball," Sveum said. "That's the bottom line. It wasn't like he was doing a whole lot else besides throwing a lot of fastballs."OK, Dale, we know it's a problem, but you still keep trotting out the same mopes against lefties with the same results. Try something different. And, if you are getting beat by fastballs, then maybe you should consider that the primary theory behind the lefty/righty platoon is the advantage that pitchers have in throwing breaking balls to same-sided hitters and the advantage hitters have in hitting breaking balls thrown by opposite-sided pitchers. Fastballs present no advantage either way.
Actually, the Cubs and Dale Sveum are now absolutely terrified at the prospect of facing left-handers. In the wild sixth inning during which Boston misplayed nearly every chance but escaped with allowing only one run, the Cubs stuck with the right-handed hitters simply because Boston had a lefty warming up in the bullpen.
Just as an aside, the Cubs had an opportunity, down three runs, to use Bryan LaHair as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the ninth with men at the corners, but chose instead to allow the veteran Reed Johnson to strike out against a right-hander. Go figure.
A few years ago, under Lou Piniella, the Cubs were employing the same tactics with the same players and the same results. It was discovered then that the Cubs did not have a left-handed batting practice pitcher and never practiced against left-handers. If my memory served me correctly, they went out and got someone to throw batting practice left-handed, not that it eventually had any effect on their performance.
I listened to a bit of the national play-by-play both Saturday and Sunday. Both teams of announcers were wondering when Cubs fans would get sick of watching this painful excuse for a baseball team and when Theo and company would start to feel some heat.
I have got to say that the one thing that surprises me is that all the fans and media have bought into this long-term rebuilding process and have cut Epstein so much slack. I'm all for clearing out the deadwood and building the team, but you have to understand that fans have a legitimate expectation that a rich team like this that charges some of the highest ticket prices in MLB would field a team that would at least provide some modicum of entertainment.
I'll have more to say on the subject in subsequent posts.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
The Homestand So Far, Thoughts about Trading Pitchers
The Cubs lost two out of three to the Detroit Tigers. For some reason, the series set an attendance record for a three game midweek series, filling the house, mainly with Detroit fans, for each game. The Red Sox series this weekend is likely to do the same, although the split might be a bit more equal.
As to the Detroit series, the Cubs won the first game thanks to the generosity of the Tigers defense. I can see now why they are not in first place in the AL East. Their outfield defense is pretty good, but their infield is just plain awful. After the first game, the Cubs were just outclassed, blowing a 4-1 lead in Game 2 and succumbing to Justin Verlander in Game 3. Travis Wood turned in a gutsy performance in that game. I've always thought that among the Epstein/Hoyer acquisitions thus far, he might have a future.
In the first game of the Boston series, Dempster again turned in a sterling performance. I've never been a big fan of Ryan Dempster, but this year he does seem inspired, perhaps by the fact it is his contract year and that another year like the previous two and he is likely out of baseball or back in the bullpen.
The Cubs were a little lucky to beat the Red Sox 3-0 yesterday. The Red Sox are fielding a pretty makeshift team these days what with all the injuries to key players. Dice-K walked the bases loaded in the first and the Cubs picked up two runs on Clevenger "double", a pop fly that dropped in front of an indecisive Scott Posednik, the fastest blockhead ever to play left-field. I take it as a measure of the Bosox desperation and the sheer awfulness of Marlon Byrd that they brought this guy up to play through Carl Crawford's injury time and released Byrd.
Later on, Ryan Dempster "tripled" to right field when Adrian Gonzalez, whom the Red Sox are forced to play in the outfield to get Ortiz's bat into the lineup at first base, made an ill-advised try at a diving catch on a blooper. DeJesus drove him home with probably the only solid hit the Cubs managed all day against Dice-K.
Everyone is agog with the trade rumors swirling about the Cubs veteran pitchers Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. I fully support the idea that Dempster should be traded. He is having a career year and he is a free agent next year at 35. Some contender will overpay for his services through the balance of the season and they will likely be disappointed. Even in his prime, Dempster has never been a playoff or stretch run talent. The Cubs should get a good return for Dempster, hopefully in return for a solid pitching prospect who is likely to be ready next year or a third baseman fitting the same category.
If they go for younger prospects, they are taking a bigger risk. These trades that are made to flesh out the farm system rarely pan out and even the ones made for guys close to the majors rarely yield equal value. That's one reason the Cubs should think twice about dealing Matt Garza, a proven major league pitcher who should not be considered expendable even on a team that is as weak as the Cubs. Guys like Garza get traded by poor teams that cannot afford to pay them.
If you look at some of the recent blockbuster pitcher trades, you will understand what I am getting at. As a general rule, one should never trade good younger pitchers who are under team control. Take the Cubs acquisition of Garza from Tampa Bay. Arguably, the Rays could not afford to pay Garza even in arbitration and they were pitching rich, but what they got in return, even though it depleted the Cubs system of prospects, was the equivalent of a bag of baseballs. Archer, the pitcher, has been a bust. Sam Fuld is a serviceable fifth outfielder. Chirinos and Guyer have had a cup of coffee at the big league level, and Lee, the Korean shortstop who was supposed to be a can't miss star, is languishing at the AA level, unable to hit at all.
The Nationals acquired Gio Gonzalez from the A's for four genuine prospects. Two of the pitchers, Cole and Peacock, have put up bad minor league stats. The other, Milone, has pitched about as well as Travis Wood in the majors. The catcher, Derrick Norris, may be a major leaguer in time. Gonzalez, on the other hand, is a star and a major reason the Nats are in contention.
The Cubs should only hope they would get as good a haul as the Padres landed for Matt Latos. Even there, the primary player, Yonder Alonso, has been mediocre this year. Volquez, the pitcher, has been a flop. Boxberger, the reliever, has been unimpressive at AAA. The real prospect here, Yasmani Grandal, has shined at AAA. He might be the redemption for this deal.
My point, I guess, is that the idea is to build a winner in the majors, not to stock the farm system as an end in itself. If you have a good player under team control in his late twenties, the odds are with you if you keep him.
As to the Detroit series, the Cubs won the first game thanks to the generosity of the Tigers defense. I can see now why they are not in first place in the AL East. Their outfield defense is pretty good, but their infield is just plain awful. After the first game, the Cubs were just outclassed, blowing a 4-1 lead in Game 2 and succumbing to Justin Verlander in Game 3. Travis Wood turned in a gutsy performance in that game. I've always thought that among the Epstein/Hoyer acquisitions thus far, he might have a future.
In the first game of the Boston series, Dempster again turned in a sterling performance. I've never been a big fan of Ryan Dempster, but this year he does seem inspired, perhaps by the fact it is his contract year and that another year like the previous two and he is likely out of baseball or back in the bullpen.
The Cubs were a little lucky to beat the Red Sox 3-0 yesterday. The Red Sox are fielding a pretty makeshift team these days what with all the injuries to key players. Dice-K walked the bases loaded in the first and the Cubs picked up two runs on Clevenger "double", a pop fly that dropped in front of an indecisive Scott Posednik, the fastest blockhead ever to play left-field. I take it as a measure of the Bosox desperation and the sheer awfulness of Marlon Byrd that they brought this guy up to play through Carl Crawford's injury time and released Byrd.
Later on, Ryan Dempster "tripled" to right field when Adrian Gonzalez, whom the Red Sox are forced to play in the outfield to get Ortiz's bat into the lineup at first base, made an ill-advised try at a diving catch on a blooper. DeJesus drove him home with probably the only solid hit the Cubs managed all day against Dice-K.
Everyone is agog with the trade rumors swirling about the Cubs veteran pitchers Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. I fully support the idea that Dempster should be traded. He is having a career year and he is a free agent next year at 35. Some contender will overpay for his services through the balance of the season and they will likely be disappointed. Even in his prime, Dempster has never been a playoff or stretch run talent. The Cubs should get a good return for Dempster, hopefully in return for a solid pitching prospect who is likely to be ready next year or a third baseman fitting the same category.
If they go for younger prospects, they are taking a bigger risk. These trades that are made to flesh out the farm system rarely pan out and even the ones made for guys close to the majors rarely yield equal value. That's one reason the Cubs should think twice about dealing Matt Garza, a proven major league pitcher who should not be considered expendable even on a team that is as weak as the Cubs. Guys like Garza get traded by poor teams that cannot afford to pay them.
If you look at some of the recent blockbuster pitcher trades, you will understand what I am getting at. As a general rule, one should never trade good younger pitchers who are under team control. Take the Cubs acquisition of Garza from Tampa Bay. Arguably, the Rays could not afford to pay Garza even in arbitration and they were pitching rich, but what they got in return, even though it depleted the Cubs system of prospects, was the equivalent of a bag of baseballs. Archer, the pitcher, has been a bust. Sam Fuld is a serviceable fifth outfielder. Chirinos and Guyer have had a cup of coffee at the big league level, and Lee, the Korean shortstop who was supposed to be a can't miss star, is languishing at the AA level, unable to hit at all.
The Nationals acquired Gio Gonzalez from the A's for four genuine prospects. Two of the pitchers, Cole and Peacock, have put up bad minor league stats. The other, Milone, has pitched about as well as Travis Wood in the majors. The catcher, Derrick Norris, may be a major leaguer in time. Gonzalez, on the other hand, is a star and a major reason the Nats are in contention.
The Cubs should only hope they would get as good a haul as the Padres landed for Matt Latos. Even there, the primary player, Yonder Alonso, has been mediocre this year. Volquez, the pitcher, has been a flop. Boxberger, the reliever, has been unimpressive at AAA. The real prospect here, Yasmani Grandal, has shined at AAA. He might be the redemption for this deal.
My point, I guess, is that the idea is to build a winner in the majors, not to stock the farm system as an end in itself. If you have a good player under team control in his late twenties, the odds are with you if you keep him.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Good News and Bad News
The Cubs had an off-day today before a week of interleague play at home where they cannot use Soriano at DH. Aside from winning a game behind Ryan Dempster on Sunday, the good news is that they appear to have succeeded in signing the highly touted young Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler. He is at least a year or two away from the majors, but he appears to be a solid young talent.
The bad news is the Cubs are happy with their approach at the plate, at least according to Rudy Jaramillo. Lets hope they do not let Rudy anywhere near this Soler kid. There are some guys who manage to hang around major league baseball for a long time and achieve an outsized reputation in the process. Jaramillo is one of them. Lets not forget that the Rangers went to the series in the two years after Jaramillo's departure. Since his arrival in Chicago, the Cubs batting statistics have steadily deteriorated.
If you don't believe me, take a look at this year. The Cubs rank 27th of 30 major league teams in runs scored, OBP, and bases-on-balls, moving up to 26th in OPS. They scoot up to 6th in hitting into double plays. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. So far the Cubs have scored 222 runs in 60 games, a little over a third of the season. That's an average of 3.7 runs per game. They are on a pace to score just about 600 runs if they are lucky, which is not just bad but awful.
Anyway, Rudy is pretty happy with the Cubs approach at the plate. So what is wrong with this picture and why is he still on the staff?
The bad news is the Cubs are happy with their approach at the plate, at least according to Rudy Jaramillo. Lets hope they do not let Rudy anywhere near this Soler kid. There are some guys who manage to hang around major league baseball for a long time and achieve an outsized reputation in the process. Jaramillo is one of them. Lets not forget that the Rangers went to the series in the two years after Jaramillo's departure. Since his arrival in Chicago, the Cubs batting statistics have steadily deteriorated.
If you don't believe me, take a look at this year. The Cubs rank 27th of 30 major league teams in runs scored, OBP, and bases-on-balls, moving up to 26th in OPS. They scoot up to 6th in hitting into double plays. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. So far the Cubs have scored 222 runs in 60 games, a little over a third of the season. That's an average of 3.7 runs per game. They are on a pace to score just about 600 runs if they are lucky, which is not just bad but awful.
Anyway, Rudy is pretty happy with the Cubs approach at the plate. So what is wrong with this picture and why is he still on the staff?
Saturday, June 9, 2012
As Bad as Bad Can Be
The Cubs and Brewers managed to trade blowouts before the Brewers took the rubber match on Thursday. As usual, the Cubs fielded their right-handed lineup of losers. They only got into the game when the Brewers removed Randy Wolf. This gave Sveum leave to insert some left-handed hitters and to take the lead behind Bryan LaHair's two-run homer.
Sveum chose to rely upon his new favorite has-been reliever, the well-traveled and incompetent Manny Corpas. Corpas quickly blew the lead, setting the stage for the 10th inning heroics of Norichika Aoki, who hit his second home run of the day. Aoki looks like a diminutive version of Kosuke Fukudome in batting style. Until Thursday, his only homer was an inside-the-park job. Go figure.
The Cubs, Astros, Padres, and Twins are the four worst teams in baseball right now. So far the Cubs have been able to master only the Padres this year. Which tells you a lot. Maybe more than you need to know. Is this team built to lose?
Friday night's game was a nip and tuck affair. The Cubs bullpen managed to blow a 5-2 lead and lose again in the tenth inning. Even when they score runs, the Cubs usually score these days as a result of home runs. Home runs are nice, but if you just score when you hit home runs, it is usually an indication not of a good offense, but a flawed one. In the case of the Cubs, it is a team that just will not take base-on-balls.
Here's Dale Sveum's quote on his management of the bullpen, particularly the decision to leave Sean Camp in the game for the tenth inning after he had blown a lead in the ninth. I thought that Epstein and Hoyer had put their managerial candidates through a rigorous in-game strategy grilling as part of the selection process. Guess I was wrong.
The ninth was a stressful inning for Camp and that should have been it. He gave up a single and a triple to the first two guys he faced then. He did well to get out of it with the game tied, but you do not have to be a genius to realize that he would not do it again.
He didn't. A walk, a sacrifice, and an infield hit set the stage for Willingham's solid game winner. As soon as I saw Camp take the mound in the tenth, I knew it was over. So did the Cub players. On the game winning hit, nobody moved a muscle.
Just as an aside, is it just me or was there something peculiar about the defensive alignment on that play? The Cubs brought in Mather from left field to be a fifth infielder. From the replay, though, it looked as if the Cubs were playing two third basemen. Stewart and Mather lined up within a body length of each other, and neither one was guarding the line. Not that the result of the play wasn't a forgone conclusion anyway.
Sveum chose to rely upon his new favorite has-been reliever, the well-traveled and incompetent Manny Corpas. Corpas quickly blew the lead, setting the stage for the 10th inning heroics of Norichika Aoki, who hit his second home run of the day. Aoki looks like a diminutive version of Kosuke Fukudome in batting style. Until Thursday, his only homer was an inside-the-park job. Go figure.
The Cubs, Astros, Padres, and Twins are the four worst teams in baseball right now. So far the Cubs have been able to master only the Padres this year. Which tells you a lot. Maybe more than you need to know. Is this team built to lose?
Friday night's game was a nip and tuck affair. The Cubs bullpen managed to blow a 5-2 lead and lose again in the tenth inning. Even when they score runs, the Cubs usually score these days as a result of home runs. Home runs are nice, but if you just score when you hit home runs, it is usually an indication not of a good offense, but a flawed one. In the case of the Cubs, it is a team that just will not take base-on-balls.
Here's Dale Sveum's quote on his management of the bullpen, particularly the decision to leave Sean Camp in the game for the tenth inning after he had blown a lead in the ninth. I thought that Epstein and Hoyer had put their managerial candidates through a rigorous in-game strategy grilling as part of the selection process. Guess I was wrong.
"I went with the two best guys I've had all year," Sveum said. "Once we battled back, with Russell and Camp, you're going to ride them to whatever their pitch count is. They're the two best guys we've had. All season long, they've gotten the job done. One of them had to be on the mound as long as he could go."Duh! I mean what is this guy thinking? I've watched a lot of baseball games and one observation I can make is that when a relief pitcher has a tough, game-on-the-line inning like Camp did in the ninth, he never comes back to give you another quality inning.
The ninth was a stressful inning for Camp and that should have been it. He gave up a single and a triple to the first two guys he faced then. He did well to get out of it with the game tied, but you do not have to be a genius to realize that he would not do it again.
He didn't. A walk, a sacrifice, and an infield hit set the stage for Willingham's solid game winner. As soon as I saw Camp take the mound in the tenth, I knew it was over. So did the Cub players. On the game winning hit, nobody moved a muscle.
Just as an aside, is it just me or was there something peculiar about the defensive alignment on that play? The Cubs brought in Mather from left field to be a fifth infielder. From the replay, though, it looked as if the Cubs were playing two third basemen. Stewart and Mather lined up within a body length of each other, and neither one was guarding the line. Not that the result of the play wasn't a forgone conclusion anyway.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Soriano Tops Cubs 2-0
It's a shame to see the Cubs waste a good effort by Travis Wood by some really sloppy play and the usual incompetent batting. First off, the hitting or lack thereof. Barry Zito averages four or five walks per start, but you wouldn't know it from the Cubs aggressive approach. Once again, we saw the right-handers of doom play with the exception of Tony Campana and Ian Stewart. I actually like Stewart in these situation because he will take pitches. So will DeJesus and LaHair. Even though they do not have good averages against lefties, they are better than the awful alternatives, especially Double Play Baker.
On the subject of these matchups, I'm getting a little tired of seeing Tony Campana play. I know I suggested that the Cubs try him leading off for a bit, and I still think it is a defensible idea. However, this guy is really short and he hits from a crouch, so how come he cannot take a pitch. He cannot disrupt a game unless he reaches base and they play him now at virtually little league depth, so his only consistent chance is to try to coax more walks or wait for mistakes. Instead he is swinging at 3-1 70 mph curveballs over his head.
The real problem Sunday, though, was Soriano. On Saturday, I thought Garza was going to break a bat over his head when he played a popup into a double and cost Garza the game. Alfonso was at it again Sunday. In the fifth inning, he broke up the no-hitter by misplaying a very catchable line drive into a double. Later in the inning, Koyie Hill dropped a throw at the plate that would have gunned down the runner, giving the Giants all the runs they needed. Just to add some insurance though, in the eighth, Soriano nonchalanted a single to left with the runner going, looked over the ball for a second or so and then delivered it to second base, thus allowing the runner to score easily from first.
The Giants scored four runs over the weekend against Cubs pitching, three of which were the result of Soriano's incompetent play. Earlier this year, I commented on Soriano's seemingly improved play in the outfield despite his worthlessness at the plate. He has come back to Earth on defense. Some of this is not just the result of not knowing how to play baseball, although that is a big factor. His knee is obviously bothering him.
But that brings up an interesting question. The Cubs are evidently showcasing him or hoping against hope that he will look like a major league player so they can agree to pay somebody $50MM plus to take him off their hands. A laudable goal, but the thing is that other teams have scouts too and they have surely noticed that he can barely walk. This dramatically limits the market to AL teams who want a right-handed DH of questionable abilities. They better move this guy quick. Usually, Soriano has a pretty decent start to the season and starts to tail off dramatically in June before he hits bottom in July. This was in years when he was OK. They are going to have to bail on this guy really soon or else put him on the DL and have his knee repaired.
On the subject of these matchups, I'm getting a little tired of seeing Tony Campana play. I know I suggested that the Cubs try him leading off for a bit, and I still think it is a defensible idea. However, this guy is really short and he hits from a crouch, so how come he cannot take a pitch. He cannot disrupt a game unless he reaches base and they play him now at virtually little league depth, so his only consistent chance is to try to coax more walks or wait for mistakes. Instead he is swinging at 3-1 70 mph curveballs over his head.
The real problem Sunday, though, was Soriano. On Saturday, I thought Garza was going to break a bat over his head when he played a popup into a double and cost Garza the game. Alfonso was at it again Sunday. In the fifth inning, he broke up the no-hitter by misplaying a very catchable line drive into a double. Later in the inning, Koyie Hill dropped a throw at the plate that would have gunned down the runner, giving the Giants all the runs they needed. Just to add some insurance though, in the eighth, Soriano nonchalanted a single to left with the runner going, looked over the ball for a second or so and then delivered it to second base, thus allowing the runner to score easily from first.
The Giants scored four runs over the weekend against Cubs pitching, three of which were the result of Soriano's incompetent play. Earlier this year, I commented on Soriano's seemingly improved play in the outfield despite his worthlessness at the plate. He has come back to Earth on defense. Some of this is not just the result of not knowing how to play baseball, although that is a big factor. His knee is obviously bothering him.
But that brings up an interesting question. The Cubs are evidently showcasing him or hoping against hope that he will look like a major league player so they can agree to pay somebody $50MM plus to take him off their hands. A laudable goal, but the thing is that other teams have scouts too and they have surely noticed that he can barely walk. This dramatically limits the market to AL teams who want a right-handed DH of questionable abilities. They better move this guy quick. Usually, Soriano has a pretty decent start to the season and starts to tail off dramatically in June before he hits bottom in July. This was in years when he was OK. They are going to have to bail on this guy really soon or else put him on the DL and have his knee repaired.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Mea Culpa
I left off in the middle of the Wednesday game, won in heroic fashion by a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth by, of all people, Darwin Barney. Actually, Barney is on a bit of a roll and he was the sparkplug of the entire homestand.
Anyway, the victory had very little to do with the right-handed lineup that I hate so much, which provided a reliable loss against a really good left-handed pitcher Friday night in San Francisco.
Sveum actually changed it up Friday night, playing Campana in CF and letting Clevenger catch. Campana had a first inning hit, but otherwise did nothing whilst Clevenger was clearly overmatched.
What I really don't like about this lineup, aside from not giving the opposing pitcher a different look every now and again, is that, for some reason, none of the Cubs right-handed hitters show any patience at the plate, whereas their left-handed hitters generally do. The same was true last year when Fukudome and Pena were the only guys who worked the count.
So what happens here is that you put in right-handed hitters like Baker and Johnson and so on who ought to hit lefties but do not, instead making quick outs. You also sacrifice defense, especially when Baker plays. Last night he messed up two foul popups, although it did not matter in the outcome.
Last night's game, besides the messed up popups, involved several eccentric decisions and plays, not that, despite the Soriano three-run homer in the ninth, the Cubs were ever really in contention. One was the weird steal attempt by Starlin Castro who stopped cold just before second base, allegedly because he thought he heard a foul ball. This seems like baloney because he never actually looked back toward the plate.
The ninth inning after the homer was a bit of an adventure. LaHair hit a pinch-hit double. This prompted the first of several odd moves. Ian Stewart was sent in to run for LaHair. Now the idea that Stewart is a superior base-runner is news to me. He proved it on the next play when Barney hit a soft groundball to the third base side that he beat out for an infield hit. Stewart remained rooted to the spot at second base when the third baseman and pitcher both had to move out of position in an attempt to field the ball.
Stewart's baserunning error determined the outcome of the rally. The Giants put in a left-handed pitcher, knowing the Cubs only right-handed bat on the bench was the truly awful switch-hitting Koyie Hill. Sveum chose to stick with Clevenger, who grounded out weakly to first base, advancing the runners.
You'll never know whether a baserunner would have scored from third on the grounder. It kind of brings up another objection to the righty-lefty lineup juggling. At the end of the game, the manager is pretty much left with only left or right-handed choices to pinch hit. Poor ones at that. In this case, Sveum had Stewart, Hill, and DeJesus. Hill cannot hit anyone. Stewart and DeJesus have been bad against lefties all year, batting under .200.
Anyway, Sveum was in a box there, but I think if he had it to do over again, he might have managed it differently. I hope so. Tonight's another chance. It should be a good matchup between Garza and Cain.
Anyway, the victory had very little to do with the right-handed lineup that I hate so much, which provided a reliable loss against a really good left-handed pitcher Friday night in San Francisco.
Sveum actually changed it up Friday night, playing Campana in CF and letting Clevenger catch. Campana had a first inning hit, but otherwise did nothing whilst Clevenger was clearly overmatched.
What I really don't like about this lineup, aside from not giving the opposing pitcher a different look every now and again, is that, for some reason, none of the Cubs right-handed hitters show any patience at the plate, whereas their left-handed hitters generally do. The same was true last year when Fukudome and Pena were the only guys who worked the count.
So what happens here is that you put in right-handed hitters like Baker and Johnson and so on who ought to hit lefties but do not, instead making quick outs. You also sacrifice defense, especially when Baker plays. Last night he messed up two foul popups, although it did not matter in the outcome.
Last night's game, besides the messed up popups, involved several eccentric decisions and plays, not that, despite the Soriano three-run homer in the ninth, the Cubs were ever really in contention. One was the weird steal attempt by Starlin Castro who stopped cold just before second base, allegedly because he thought he heard a foul ball. This seems like baloney because he never actually looked back toward the plate.
The ninth inning after the homer was a bit of an adventure. LaHair hit a pinch-hit double. This prompted the first of several odd moves. Ian Stewart was sent in to run for LaHair. Now the idea that Stewart is a superior base-runner is news to me. He proved it on the next play when Barney hit a soft groundball to the third base side that he beat out for an infield hit. Stewart remained rooted to the spot at second base when the third baseman and pitcher both had to move out of position in an attempt to field the ball.
Stewart's baserunning error determined the outcome of the rally. The Giants put in a left-handed pitcher, knowing the Cubs only right-handed bat on the bench was the truly awful switch-hitting Koyie Hill. Sveum chose to stick with Clevenger, who grounded out weakly to first base, advancing the runners.
You'll never know whether a baserunner would have scored from third on the grounder. It kind of brings up another objection to the righty-lefty lineup juggling. At the end of the game, the manager is pretty much left with only left or right-handed choices to pinch hit. Poor ones at that. In this case, Sveum had Stewart, Hill, and DeJesus. Hill cannot hit anyone. Stewart and DeJesus have been bad against lefties all year, batting under .200.
Anyway, Sveum was in a box there, but I think if he had it to do over again, he might have managed it differently. I hope so. Tonight's another chance. It should be a good matchup between Garza and Cain.
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