2009 Chicago Cubs

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Ascanio's numbers in Iowa this year looked pretty good so far. He was starting there, though.

Gotta give props to Randy Wells for a good start a couple of days ago.

Personally, i don't know who the front office thought they were fooling with this pen...everyone new Cotts was shaky, and Heilman cannot be considered an impact pick-up. Marmol needs help, and Gregg is not > than Wood.

Guzman is going to be good all season, i think. 95 low and away in the zone to righties...good to see. harder to hit. lots of movement at times, though his fastball looked a bit straight today. We have been hearing about him and waiting for him for the better part of 3 years.

i wouldn't mind shipping one of the AAA OFers for a reliever.
It is hard to think that with Fukudome, Johnson, Bradley, and Hoffpauir fighting for 2 spots that Jake Fox, Jason DuBois, and Brad Snyder all have a shot at the big club. Though, tbh, each of them is putting up great numbers in Iowa.

There are also 2 relievers in AAA with sub-1.oo ERAs in 15+ IP. Their WHIPs are low too. I am kinda surprised Samardzija is already off the major-league roster. He might struggle from time to time, but I think he has the make-up to get the job done more often than not.

I say the Cubs should see what Marmol can do as a southpaw.

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Believe me, I want the guy to succeed. I like so much about him.

But, at present....

How anxious are you, on a scale of 1-5, to get Lee back?

and who do you think gets or should get the bulk of starts in CF/RF?
Fukudome, Johnson, Bradley, Hoffpauir?

do you think Lee would assent to splitting time, say, 60/40 at 1st with Hoffpauir? If he starts >90%, he stands a good chance of getting hurt again...

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

What is up with Theriot?

The lineup for today had a 4 and 5 hitter each below .200, and in corner infield and corner outfield positions, no less.

Congrats to Soto for getting off the snide, 1 hr and 3 2-out rbis.

Unless we can trade Hoffpauir and __________ to SanDiego for Gonzalez (I can dream, can't I?), I am ready to see either Hoffpauir or Zambrano starting at 1B. I don't care if it is only May. Lee is done. Sorry to say, but injuries and suspect coaching and unfounded expectations(and possibly a too-relaxed mentality?) have done him in. He might be the leagues highest paid defensive replacement.

sorry to be such a downer, but I can't imagine another starting 1B with this kind of performance and a possible replacement lasting this long.

BUT REALLY....How upset can I be with a 10-3 start to May? See you later, Padres, thanks for stopping by.

[poster]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Not sure what to think of D Lee. Hope he turns it around, but his time might be done. Hopefully this is his last year here. Good team leader and all, but we need production.

Odd game today, odd series in general. I think they are at the same mark as last year at this time. Feels good considering. Things will be fine though, I believe.

Guys are starting to hit which is good.

Gregg has pitched better as of late, because he is getting ahead and throwing his breaking ball over the plate. When he has that pitch going he can be really nasty. Marms is still a bit wild. Ascanio looked good today, save for the solo HR. Everyone else is winning too, but that is fine. Just keep winning series to build your record.

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Angel Guzman = Closer

good god, heilman just walked Bourn to load the bases in front of Berkman, who is batting for the 2nd time in the 9th.

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Carlos Zambrano issued a pre-emptive apology to fans Thursday for what they're going to see out of him when he returns from the disabled list in a week.
Already ''100 percent'' and ''ready to pitch,'' Zambrano said he won't be running hard on the bases for about a month after his return -- per doctors' orders to protect his healing hamstring but against his playing nature.
''I'll be running like Geo Soto or Bengie Molina,'' said Zambrano, who took fielding practice without incident Thursday and is scheduled to make a Class A rehab start Sunday. ''I'll be running nice and easy and just taking my time and not hustling for now. And I apologize to the Cubs fans for [that]. But it's one thing to not hustle and another thing to not play good. I will still perform as good. I will try to do everything right.''
But after that first month back, he said, ''you will see me running like Juan Pierre or Jose Reyes.''


From http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseb...ubnt15.article




quality.

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

it was nice beating up on SanFran, SD, and Houston...now if we could conquer Joel Pineiro.

I saw that he was starting for StLouis and noticed that he had a pretty K/BB ratio, but a high WHIP. Somehow, though, I knew that even though he would be throwing strikes that he would baffle the cubs.

If they give up less than 4 to StL, they have to win. We will not be so lucky to see the Cards score only 3 runs too often.

[duke776]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

I only watched about the first 5 or 6 innings of the game, but the cubs were way too impatient up there. Lilly pitched pretty good, except for that one mistake against Rasmus(which was a bomb).

[duke776]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Jake Fox's numbers at AAA:

.431/.513/.954 17 HR and 50 RBI in 130 ABs



Now, I know he wouldn't perform that well at the majors, but it might not be a bad idea to call him up and see what he can do. He's played 1st, 3rd, catcher, and the outfield all in the minors, not sure what he currently is playing though.

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Part of the problem with bringing him up, which i am not wholly against is this...

They have an overpaid FA in RF, a prospect that is already pressuring him at the ML level, Fukudome, and Soriano, plus Reed Johnson.

In the infield, which i don't think he has played this year, who do you replace? Not Theriot...What do you do with Fontenot, who (sadly) has been struggling of late with like 3 hits in the last 10 games....and I think Hoffpauir might not be too happy if he isn't given first dibs on Lee's off days.

The team is crowded, and has the kind of combination of underperformers and overexposure to make it pretty darn hard tot just bring in a guy like Fox. And, if the team that is there now doesn't click, I don't know if Fox will change much. I just hope that this team doesn't swing on Bradley...he is out of the lineup, the team does well (or well enough), he comes back, and is awful...but you know, he is just getting back in the lineup, sucks for 10 days...then what? It is a poison pill, if only because he has done so little when he is in the lineup, and could waste several months just "getting settled" or whatever, and at some point in all of this he must be benched or traded...OR he might hit...*crosses arms, taps foot, looks skeptical*

[duke776]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Part of the problem with bringing him up, which i am not wholly against is this...

They have an overpaid FA in RF, a prospect that is already pressuring him at the ML level, Fukudome, and Soriano, plus Reed Johnson.

In the infield, which i don't think he has played this year, who do you replace? Not Theriot...What do you do with Fontenot, who (sadly) has been struggling of late with like 3 hits in the last 10 games....and I think Hoffpauir might not be too happy if he isn't given first dibs on Lee's off days.

The team is crowded, and has the kind of combination of underperformers and overexposure to make it pretty darn hard tot just bring in a guy like Fox. And, if the team that is there now doesn't click, I don't know if Fox will change much. I just hope that this team doesn't swing on Bradley...he is out of the lineup, the team does well (or well enough), he comes back, and is awful...but you know, he is just getting back in the lineup, sucks for 10 days...then what? It is a poison pill, if only because he has done so little when he is in the lineup, and could waste several months just "getting settled" or whatever, and at some point in all of this he must be benched or traded...OR he might hit...*crosses arms, taps foot, looks skeptical*

Yeah, I agree, it's way too crowded. I didn't even think about that initially. He's basically another Hoffpauir(which is not a bad thing), he can play the same positions, can rake, although the one thing is Hoffpauir has proven he can hit at the majors, while Fox hasn't(because he hasn't had the chance).

[Mo]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

The problem with Fox is he doesn't have a position, he was drafted as a Catcher, moved to 3rd... The only realible position for him is 1B and we have two people there already.

[fugazi]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

man...if the Cubs could get their pitchers and hitters on the same clock, things might be okay. The cubs MUST win more of these games against MIL and STL; they will not win the division against Houston, the NLWest or NLEast.

Fontenot's slump couldn't have come at a worse time; and I think it is going to take a toll on this team trying to figure out how to work the Lee-Bradley-Hoffpauir ordeal if at least one of the first two doesn't show some day-in/day-out toughness and productivity. That being said, I don't think either is really that kind of player, or at least isn't now. Things have started looking up for both of them, but not enough to say there is a trend.

My biggest fear is not that either or both will tank...rather, I am more worried that the club will wait until after the break to decide.

[Mo]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

If Peavy goes to the Soxs, man will Hendry have some explaining to do, cause Kenny Williams shouldn't be able to outmaneuvering him on a deal.

[Jistic]

Re: 2009 Chicago Cubs

Hendry still needs to explain the off season.

We just really need Lee to go away and turn a new page. It's almost like the Cubs feel they owe him something.