OK, the Cubs were hopeless against the two Cardinals aces, and most teams would lose or figure to lose those games maybe three out of four. Good teams, though, occasionally take advantage of opportunities, which the Cubs absolutely did not in the two games they lost to the Cards. Neither did their opponents put up much of a fight against the Cubs top starter. So are they overmatched? I don't think you can say that yet, but you cannot keep trotting out this sorry lineup day after day and expect to succeed against good teams or good pitchers.
Piniella has indicated he will shake up the lineup tomorrow against the Pirates, adding Fontenot and Colvin. If he actually delivers, they may have a shot. They play the next nine games on the road against three of the worst teams in the league, so you would expect at least a 6-3 trip. We'll see.
Incidentally, not that it mattered to the outcome, but how bad does a guy have to pitch consistently to earn a trip out of town? I'm talking about Grabow here. Maybe he is hurt, but he definitely stinks.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Silva Superb
The biggest surprise of the season thus far has been Carlos Silva. Based on his previous performance, even when he was good, it cannot last, but he threw a gem on Saturday, thus insuring that he remains in the rotation. You cannot really argue with 7-0.
The Cubs played a good game yesterday. Once more the left-handed hitters played a key role, Fontenot with two triples and Fukudome with some patient and productive ABs. Based on this performance, of course, Fontenot must sit and so must Colvin, so we've got the all right-handed lineup out there minus Nady. This does not bode well against a tough pitcher like Wainwright.
The Cubs have sent Gorzelanny to the pen, a move that is hard to argue with. They intend to call up Cashner on Monday, their best pitching prospect. I've got mixed feelings about this, as they were developing him to be a starting pitcher. This leaves the Cubs with something of a dilemma in terms of a roster move. Adding a lefty to the pen probably means subtracting one, but Russell has pitched very well. Logically, Grabow should go. To do so, though, probably means trading him (unlikely, who wants him?) or inventing an injury. You could also just release the useless "Home Run" Howry outright.
The Cubs played a good game yesterday. Once more the left-handed hitters played a key role, Fontenot with two triples and Fukudome with some patient and productive ABs. Based on this performance, of course, Fontenot must sit and so must Colvin, so we've got the all right-handed lineup out there minus Nady. This does not bode well against a tough pitcher like Wainwright.
The Cubs have sent Gorzelanny to the pen, a move that is hard to argue with. They intend to call up Cashner on Monday, their best pitching prospect. I've got mixed feelings about this, as they were developing him to be a starting pitcher. This leaves the Cubs with something of a dilemma in terms of a roster move. Adding a lefty to the pen probably means subtracting one, but Russell has pitched very well. Logically, Grabow should go. To do so, though, probably means trading him (unlikely, who wants him?) or inventing an injury. You could also just release the useless "Home Run" Howry outright.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
A Bad Start
Wells couldn't record an out and this was a bad start both for Wells and for an important series. In the bottom of the first, both Fukudome and Theriot reached on hits, but Lee taking a called third strike on an apparent botched hit-and-run sank any chances the Cubs might have had to get back into it.
Here's a link to a good Sports Illustrated article about the Cubs, which is highly recommended not merely because the writer pretty much agrees with everything I have been saying about this team for months. He also thinks Silva to the bullpen is the move and I agree, though I know with this team it will never happen.
Colvin continues to impress. Soriano and Bryd should sit every third day - really every other day - to give this kid a chance to play regularly. This is another thing that is unlikely to occur because Jim Hendry, who has literally no idea or projection of what his young players can do, went out and gave a three year deal to the journeyman Byrd. Now Byrd got off to a great start, but like most guys who have been around the league for as long as he has, he is coming back to earth, which is .270-.280, 15-20 HRs, not embarrassing defense or base running.
The potential of a player like Colvin is so much more and it is magnified by the fact that he is a left-handed hitter on a team that is ineffective at scoring runs just because they are not just too right-handed but too same style, same tendencies right-handed in the middle of their lineup. Yesterday's game was a case in point. Even though they were down five runs against a good pitcher, they had their chances, but they ran into the same problems in the middle of the lineup with Lee, Ramirez, Soriano, and Byrd having bad games.
This is a big series against an overrated Cardinals team. The Cubs need to win the next two to think of themselves as being serious contenders.
Here's a link to a good Sports Illustrated article about the Cubs, which is highly recommended not merely because the writer pretty much agrees with everything I have been saying about this team for months. He also thinks Silva to the bullpen is the move and I agree, though I know with this team it will never happen.
Colvin continues to impress. Soriano and Bryd should sit every third day - really every other day - to give this kid a chance to play regularly. This is another thing that is unlikely to occur because Jim Hendry, who has literally no idea or projection of what his young players can do, went out and gave a three year deal to the journeyman Byrd. Now Byrd got off to a great start, but like most guys who have been around the league for as long as he has, he is coming back to earth, which is .270-.280, 15-20 HRs, not embarrassing defense or base running.
The potential of a player like Colvin is so much more and it is magnified by the fact that he is a left-handed hitter on a team that is ineffective at scoring runs just because they are not just too right-handed but too same style, same tendencies right-handed in the middle of their lineup. Yesterday's game was a case in point. Even though they were down five runs against a good pitcher, they had their chances, but they ran into the same problems in the middle of the lineup with Lee, Ramirez, Soriano, and Byrd having bad games.
This is a big series against an overrated Cardinals team. The Cubs need to win the next two to think of themselves as being serious contenders.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Another Day, Another Weird Lineup
Lou was interviewed the other day and started pondering a variety of lineup and batting order switches that seemed to make a little sense, but maybe this morning he woke up and forgot that the Dodgers pitcher was right-handed. He had the all right-handed lineup back out there for some reason with the exception of Fukudome, who batted fifth. Theriot batted first, of course. He has about a .260 OBA for May with one base-on-balls and has not taken a pitch in several weeks. A weak tapper to 2B got this one off to a rousing start.
Too bad the Dodgers decided to rest Ramirez today, as Johnson robbed the Cubs of several hits. Also Castro hit the ball hard twice to no avail. Quite a pitchers' duel. The Cubs missed a great chance in the 7th when Lee led off with a walk, but was caught stealing when Byrd missed the hit-and-run sign. Didn't matter much because Byrd, who is still in a slump, hit a double play grounder anyway, and after Fukudome delivered a solid hit, Nady lined out hard to Johnson in left field.
Some oddities in the 8th inning. Lilly, who was pitching very well, was removed after only 85 pitches. Baker never moved on a ground ball that may or may not have been playable and then took himself out of the game. Ironically, the removal of Baker turned out well for the Cubs, as it forced Lou to use Fontenot as a replacement. Lou will almost never pinch hit for Baker, but in this case the forced switch payed off as Fontenot came through with a triple and the other guy who should have been in the lineup from the beginning, Tyler Colvin, followed with a run-scoring double, bringing in the only run of the game.
Too bad the Dodgers decided to rest Ramirez today, as Johnson robbed the Cubs of several hits. Also Castro hit the ball hard twice to no avail. Quite a pitchers' duel. The Cubs missed a great chance in the 7th when Lee led off with a walk, but was caught stealing when Byrd missed the hit-and-run sign. Didn't matter much because Byrd, who is still in a slump, hit a double play grounder anyway, and after Fukudome delivered a solid hit, Nady lined out hard to Johnson in left field.
Some oddities in the 8th inning. Lilly, who was pitching very well, was removed after only 85 pitches. Baker never moved on a ground ball that may or may not have been playable and then took himself out of the game. Ironically, the removal of Baker turned out well for the Cubs, as it forced Lou to use Fontenot as a replacement. Lou will almost never pinch hit for Baker, but in this case the forced switch payed off as Fontenot came through with a triple and the other guy who should have been in the lineup from the beginning, Tyler Colvin, followed with a run-scoring double, bringing in the only run of the game.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
A Really Sloppy Game
This had to be one of the worst played gamed I've ever seen. Gorzelanny pitched badly from the start and the Cubs seemed determined to mess up even the most basic plays. In this quest, they faced some stiff competition from the Dodgers. Rafael Furcal continued to play SS with a cement glove, and in Manny Ramirez, I sincerely believe the Dodgers have found a LF to rival and surpass Alfonso Soriano in sheer incompetence, not to mention a level of indifference that exceeds by far the Cubs' star.
The Cubs continued their free-swinging ways against Billingsley, who didn't look a lot better than Gorzelanny most of the time, but who managed to wiggle out of jam after jam. The Cubs were totally over-matched by the Dodger bullpen in the late innings. And the other thing to note is that the Cubs have left tons of guys on base in this series and have scored most of their runs as a result of atrocious Dodger fielding gaffes. They are lucky to have a shot at winning the series tomorrow afternoon. Anyway, this was a forgettable game. If Gorzelanny was making a case for staying in the rotation, it was not a strong one.
There is a rather lively debate going on about who should go to the bullpen when Zambrano moves back into the rotation. Some have even suggested the Cubs retain a six-man rotation, and the argument is not a bad one. However, Cubs management lacks imagination and even trying to figure out how to make this work seems beyond their ken, so this is likely a lost cause to begin with. I would definitely eliminate the idea of moving Lilly or Dempster into relief. Dempster was pretty much of a flop as a closer and Lilly doesn't look like the kind of guy who could make the transition either.
That leaves Silva or Gorzelanny and either might be successful. Gorzelanny is a lefty, which makes him an ill fit in a bullpen already dominated by lefties. Silva has pitched successfully in relief early in his career, he starts out strong and he throws strikes. Logically, he is the right guy to have moved in the first place, but he is 6-0 and moving him to late inning relief just does not seem like the sort of thing the Cubs would ever consider.
Of course, a trade is definitely a possibility. It appears no serious talks have taken place involving Gorzelanny. If the Cubs think the lack of a knockout 8th inning right-handed reliever is all that holds them back from playoff contention, it might be worth a shot. He is basically, like Silva, a career .500 pitcher. However, he is young and has a substantial upside, so dealing him would have to bring back a guy like Heath Bell or the equivalent talent to make it worthwhile. Realistically, Zambrano, Dempster, and Silva are not, either because of performance or no-trade clauses or salary considerations, guys who are marketable commodities.
That leaves Lilly. He is a talented pitcher, but he is in his free-agent year and would very likely not be signed by the Cubs next year anyway because of his age and the fact the Cubs are pitching-rich in the minor league system. I would not be surprised if the Cubs dangled Lilly sometime this year to see what they could get. Even though he is a potential free agent, they'd have to get more than a bullpen arm to make it worth their while. I don't think this dilemma is necessarily a bad thing either, especially if you agree with me that relief pitchers are relief pitchers, with the exception of outstanding closers, because they are not good enough or consistent enough to be starters. Provided a guy is suitable in style and temperament to make the transition, having a pitcher who could start in the bullpen is a plus for any team. Witness the success of Sean Marshall for example.
The Cubs continued their free-swinging ways against Billingsley, who didn't look a lot better than Gorzelanny most of the time, but who managed to wiggle out of jam after jam. The Cubs were totally over-matched by the Dodger bullpen in the late innings. And the other thing to note is that the Cubs have left tons of guys on base in this series and have scored most of their runs as a result of atrocious Dodger fielding gaffes. They are lucky to have a shot at winning the series tomorrow afternoon. Anyway, this was a forgettable game. If Gorzelanny was making a case for staying in the rotation, it was not a strong one.
There is a rather lively debate going on about who should go to the bullpen when Zambrano moves back into the rotation. Some have even suggested the Cubs retain a six-man rotation, and the argument is not a bad one. However, Cubs management lacks imagination and even trying to figure out how to make this work seems beyond their ken, so this is likely a lost cause to begin with. I would definitely eliminate the idea of moving Lilly or Dempster into relief. Dempster was pretty much of a flop as a closer and Lilly doesn't look like the kind of guy who could make the transition either.
That leaves Silva or Gorzelanny and either might be successful. Gorzelanny is a lefty, which makes him an ill fit in a bullpen already dominated by lefties. Silva has pitched successfully in relief early in his career, he starts out strong and he throws strikes. Logically, he is the right guy to have moved in the first place, but he is 6-0 and moving him to late inning relief just does not seem like the sort of thing the Cubs would ever consider.
Of course, a trade is definitely a possibility. It appears no serious talks have taken place involving Gorzelanny. If the Cubs think the lack of a knockout 8th inning right-handed reliever is all that holds them back from playoff contention, it might be worth a shot. He is basically, like Silva, a career .500 pitcher. However, he is young and has a substantial upside, so dealing him would have to bring back a guy like Heath Bell or the equivalent talent to make it worthwhile. Realistically, Zambrano, Dempster, and Silva are not, either because of performance or no-trade clauses or salary considerations, guys who are marketable commodities.
That leaves Lilly. He is a talented pitcher, but he is in his free-agent year and would very likely not be signed by the Cubs next year anyway because of his age and the fact the Cubs are pitching-rich in the minor league system. I would not be surprised if the Cubs dangled Lilly sometime this year to see what they could get. Even though he is a potential free agent, they'd have to get more than a bullpen arm to make it worth their while. I don't think this dilemma is necessarily a bad thing either, especially if you agree with me that relief pitchers are relief pitchers, with the exception of outstanding closers, because they are not good enough or consistent enough to be starters. Provided a guy is suitable in style and temperament to make the transition, having a pitcher who could start in the bullpen is a plus for any team. Witness the success of Sean Marshall for example.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A Good Win
But, you know, I still hate this right-handed lineup, which is almost designed not to produce runs or even the situations in which runs might be produced. Tonight they faced a tough lefty who only lost because of really sloppy defense by Furcal in particular.
It was nice to see Lee come up with two key hits, though. Maybe he is finally coming around. He has always been a slow starter. And good teams do take advantage of bad defensive play. Dempster was really dominant this evening and earned a well-deserved win with an equally dominant save by Carlos Marmol.
Things are looking up for the Cubs despite their obvious deficiencies, mainly due to their superior pitching. They are 7-2 in the latest stretch, which has to make you think they may at least be an entertaining team this summer. But every game is a nail-biter these days, as was this one until the 9th inning when Lee's home run iced it.
It was nice to see Lee come up with two key hits, though. Maybe he is finally coming around. He has always been a slow starter. And good teams do take advantage of bad defensive play. Dempster was really dominant this evening and earned a well-deserved win with an equally dominant save by Carlos Marmol.
Things are looking up for the Cubs despite their obvious deficiencies, mainly due to their superior pitching. They are 7-2 in the latest stretch, which has to make you think they may at least be an entertaining team this summer. But every game is a nail-biter these days, as was this one until the 9th inning when Lee's home run iced it.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Two Squeakers
The Cubs played pretty well Saturday night and managed to pull out a scrappy 5-4 win in 10 innings. I still hate that all right-handed lineup and really all it produced against the lefty is home runs by Soriano and Castro. Lee, despite the hit in the tenth - rather a cheap hit - is not producing at all and no team is going to consistently score runs when their third hitter is that bad, not to mention four and five. Byrd is now in a bit of a slump and Ramirez is just unaccountably bad.
Anyway, once they got the lefty out and into the Rangers' bullpen, good things happened when Colvin, Fukudome, and Fontenot got to hit against a right-handed submariner. Lou finally got to use his optimal pitching rotation of a solid starter (in this case Wells), Marshall, and Marmol.
Sunday's lineup was even stranger than Saturday's. I don't like using a catcher as a DH for one thing. What if your starting catcher gets hurt; you end up losing the DH. Actually, they did wind up losing the DH when Fukudome hit for Soto in the 9th, but by then it did not matter.
However, the Cubs did get off to a good start with a couple of scratch hits, good base-running by the Cubs matched to sloppy defense by the Rangers, and a long ball by Soriano who is getting into another hot streak.
Silva will keep you in the game, although sometimes you wonder if he is fooling anyone or he is just on a lucky roll. Today he did not have his best but he did scratch out 5+ innings. This, however, presented a problem for old Lou in that he felt he had to use Grabow and then Howry to get to the reliable part of his bullpen. As usual, they failed for the most part to add on to the lead, and they dodged a real bullet with these two sorry excuses for major league pitchers. Marshall put out the fire in the 7th and got the game to the closer Marmol. These two guys' arms are going to fall off before the All-Star Game if things don't turn around soon.
Anyway, once they got the lefty out and into the Rangers' bullpen, good things happened when Colvin, Fukudome, and Fontenot got to hit against a right-handed submariner. Lou finally got to use his optimal pitching rotation of a solid starter (in this case Wells), Marshall, and Marmol.
Sunday's lineup was even stranger than Saturday's. I don't like using a catcher as a DH for one thing. What if your starting catcher gets hurt; you end up losing the DH. Actually, they did wind up losing the DH when Fukudome hit for Soto in the 9th, but by then it did not matter.
However, the Cubs did get off to a good start with a couple of scratch hits, good base-running by the Cubs matched to sloppy defense by the Rangers, and a long ball by Soriano who is getting into another hot streak.
Silva will keep you in the game, although sometimes you wonder if he is fooling anyone or he is just on a lucky roll. Today he did not have his best but he did scratch out 5+ innings. This, however, presented a problem for old Lou in that he felt he had to use Grabow and then Howry to get to the reliable part of his bullpen. As usual, they failed for the most part to add on to the lead, and they dodged a real bullet with these two sorry excuses for major league pitchers. Marshall put out the fire in the 7th and got the game to the closer Marmol. These two guys' arms are going to fall off before the All-Star Game if things don't turn around soon.
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