RANDOM BITS
Good news for the Cubs - Kerry Wood appears pain free and healthy after yesterday's 92-pitch start against the Rockies. He should be ready for the start of the baseball season. He's also apparently trying to avoid controversy this year - not that he was one of the problem-causers last season.
In a Tribune article, Wood responded to the criticisms levied by Steve Stone earlier this Spring. Wood points the finger at Stony, who he says is responsible for the discord that accompanied 2004. Sorry, Kerry, but I'm more inclined to think it had to do with Moises Alou's slow descent into insanity, and Kent Mercker's idiocy.
Other news from the article: Cliff Bartosh is perhaps the most boring interview ever, Steve "Felix Heredia" Randolph has been waived, Will Ohman is back at Triple A, and Angel Guzman left a Triple A game early with a strained muscle, but is still expected to start opening day at Iowa.
Over at the Sun-Times, Jim Hendry has acknowledged that April 12th remains the target for Mark Prior's first start of the season. However, a lot of it depends on how Prior pitches on this coming Saturday. Hopefully, things will work out.
One final bit of news: the Cubs traded Cody Ransom to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later. Scott Williamson has also been added to the 40-man-roster, and placed on the disabled list. If his season progresses like Ryan Dempster's 2004 season, he could be ready to join the Big Club by July or August.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
ACTUAL BASEBALL NEWS
I sometimes have the tendancy to howl to the moon, as Crash Davis might say. Hence the reason for the previous article - overwritten and overdramatic.
But the Cubs have actually, you know, been doing things, so I might as well comment on that too.
First, the Cubs have traded an A-ball pitcher to the Indians for lefty reliever Cliff Bartosh. Hmm, "Bartosh." Good name.
This doesn't accomplish a whole lot. Bartosh is a Felix Heredia type. Young, left handed, not particularly good. In his rookie year last season, he had a 4.66 ERA in 19.1 innings pitched. He gave up 22 hits and 11 walks, for a WHIP of 1.71 - utterly unimpressive. The one positive note: 25 K's in those 19.1 innings pitched. I don't know how fast he throws, but he's obviously got something on the ball.
Well, I'll put it to you this way. It's better than Stephen Randolph.
I sometimes have the tendancy to howl to the moon, as Crash Davis might say. Hence the reason for the previous article - overwritten and overdramatic.
But the Cubs have actually, you know, been doing things, so I might as well comment on that too.
First, the Cubs have traded an A-ball pitcher to the Indians for lefty reliever Cliff Bartosh. Hmm, "Bartosh." Good name.
This doesn't accomplish a whole lot. Bartosh is a Felix Heredia type. Young, left handed, not particularly good. In his rookie year last season, he had a 4.66 ERA in 19.1 innings pitched. He gave up 22 hits and 11 walks, for a WHIP of 1.71 - utterly unimpressive. The one positive note: 25 K's in those 19.1 innings pitched. I don't know how fast he throws, but he's obviously got something on the ball.
Well, I'll put it to you this way. It's better than Stephen Randolph.
FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS
I recently read an article in Sports Illustrated that touched on the confusion
regarding the steroid scandal far better than I ever could have.
First, in case you don't realize it (and you may not, since every other post I make is about steroids), I'm pretty sick and tired of the steroid scandal. I guess I'm like a lot of people who are actually in baseball: I wish it would go away. But, this isn't really an article about steroids where Gary Smith interviews experts, or government witnesses. He talks to people like you and me. But he doesn't just talk to the fans - he talks to the fans who caught the record-breaking homerun balls. He talks to the guys who bought and sold them. He talks to W.P. Kinsella, who has long since given up on the faded fantasies that baseball used to provide him. In other words, he talks to the people who matter.
I'm just a baseball fan. There's nothing special about me. Like millions of other people, I dedicate hours of my day to my favorite sport. I get up in the morning with Cubs baseball on my mind. I go to bed at night thinking about tomorrow's game. And, like pretty much everyone else out there, I'm utterly clueless and confused about this scandal. I just don't know how to handle it. I don't know what to do. I've argued that the records should stand. In fact, I made that argument just two days ago. But, I can't deny the negative effect this has had on baseball.
I pity Mark McGwire. I think Barry Bonds has what's coming to him. In spite of all my knowledge to the contrary (and my general dislike toward him), I have trouble seeing Sammy as a juicer.
I need a hero.
Baseball needs a hero. Baseball needs someone who can stand up, blow away the league with his arm or with his bat, and for one sweet summer, make the fans forget about this steroid scandal that risks wrecking their cherished memories. Baseball needs someone with such skill that upon seeing him, fans will be able to set aside the past, let go of their tarnished idealism, and for a moment believe again.
Baseball needs the Cubs.
This is the perfect time. History has set everything in place for us. Everyone knows about the team's past as lovable losers. Everyone knows the huge burden the team carries with them - that weight has wrecked too many post seasons for the Cubs. But now, with the nation's desperate eyes turned upon them, this is the time for the Cubs to rise above the ashes of our broken dreams, like a phoenix reborn in flight, and carry baseball back to the golden fields of our righteous youth.
This is the time.
It has to be. Because if something amazing doesn't happen, everything just might be wrecked.
I recently read an article in Sports Illustrated that touched on the confusion
regarding the steroid scandal far better than I ever could have. First, in case you don't realize it (and you may not, since every other post I make is about steroids), I'm pretty sick and tired of the steroid scandal. I guess I'm like a lot of people who are actually in baseball: I wish it would go away. But, this isn't really an article about steroids where Gary Smith interviews experts, or government witnesses. He talks to people like you and me. But he doesn't just talk to the fans - he talks to the fans who caught the record-breaking homerun balls. He talks to the guys who bought and sold them. He talks to W.P. Kinsella, who has long since given up on the faded fantasies that baseball used to provide him. In other words, he talks to the people who matter.
I'm just a baseball fan. There's nothing special about me. Like millions of other people, I dedicate hours of my day to my favorite sport. I get up in the morning with Cubs baseball on my mind. I go to bed at night thinking about tomorrow's game. And, like pretty much everyone else out there, I'm utterly clueless and confused about this scandal. I just don't know how to handle it. I don't know what to do. I've argued that the records should stand. In fact, I made that argument just two days ago. But, I can't deny the negative effect this has had on baseball.
I pity Mark McGwire. I think Barry Bonds has what's coming to him. In spite of all my knowledge to the contrary (and my general dislike toward him), I have trouble seeing Sammy as a juicer.
I need a hero.
Baseball needs a hero. Baseball needs someone who can stand up, blow away the league with his arm or with his bat, and for one sweet summer, make the fans forget about this steroid scandal that risks wrecking their cherished memories. Baseball needs someone with such skill that upon seeing him, fans will be able to set aside the past, let go of their tarnished idealism, and for a moment believe again.
Baseball needs the Cubs.
This is the perfect time. History has set everything in place for us. Everyone knows about the team's past as lovable losers. Everyone knows the huge burden the team carries with them - that weight has wrecked too many post seasons for the Cubs. But now, with the nation's desperate eyes turned upon them, this is the time for the Cubs to rise above the ashes of our broken dreams, like a phoenix reborn in flight, and carry baseball back to the golden fields of our righteous youth.
This is the time.
It has to be. Because if something amazing doesn't happen, everything just might be wrecked.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
I'm a little bit superstitious, from time to time. I have a dozen small examples. If the Cubs are losing and I'm watching on TV, I change the channel (only to go back to the game again, and again, and again...). If I'm following online and the team's losing, I switch the website I'm using to follow the team. If the Cubs win while I'm wearing a jersey, I'll keep wearing that jersey until they lose. But one of my favorite superstitions involves baseball movies.
Before the start of the season every year, I watch the four baseball movies I
own. These movies are Bull Durham, For Love of the Game, The Natural, and Field of Dreams. Last night, Carolyn and I watched Bull Durham. It remains a great movie with a lot of heart, even though I've now seen it probably six or seven times. And, it's inspired us to plan a trip to North Carolina this summer, where we will watch baseball games while experiencing the nuances of the Deep South. At least, that's the plan so far. We'll probably leave in early July to catch four games.
In my experiences, the Cubs do better when I actually catch all four movies. If I miss one, the team does worse as a consequence. Or at least, that's what I tell myself. I've already decided this year to be as superstition free as possible. I know the Cubs don't win or lose because of anything I do, so I'm not going to act to the contrary this year. I'm just hoping to see some good, old school baseball. By the way, one last thing about Bull Durham - Carolyn made the Nuke Laloosh-Kyle Farnsworth connection almost instantaneously.
BASEBALL NEWS
In the meantime, there's stuff going on with the Cubs that we should jump into. First, Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue was at a fan event at Mesa yesterday, in which he got to meet and greet Dusty Baker, Jim Hendry, and several players. He also discovered that Jason Dubois should make the major league roster, although we'll see how that plays out at the end of the Spring.
Also, the Tribune (and all other papers, for that matter) is reporting that Mark Prior might miss the first two weeks of the season, and therefore could start the year on the DL. I still don't think it's as doom and gloom as everyone is afraid of, but it is problematic. Last year, I had the impression that wear and tear are bound to occur during the year, but once you start playing sore, you stay sore, which is why it's bad that Mark and Kerry have started out that way. Of course, I now know that isn't quite the case, but it was still something I always believed.
Personally, I'm a little worn out by the continued talk about pitcher health, steroid scandal, and the Zionist refuge in Middle America. (Yeah, I just threw in that last one to see if you're paying attention.) But, the season starts soon, and I can't wait!
I'm a little bit superstitious, from time to time. I have a dozen small examples. If the Cubs are losing and I'm watching on TV, I change the channel (only to go back to the game again, and again, and again...). If I'm following online and the team's losing, I switch the website I'm using to follow the team. If the Cubs win while I'm wearing a jersey, I'll keep wearing that jersey until they lose. But one of my favorite superstitions involves baseball movies.
Before the start of the season every year, I watch the four baseball movies I
own. These movies are Bull Durham, For Love of the Game, The Natural, and Field of Dreams. Last night, Carolyn and I watched Bull Durham. It remains a great movie with a lot of heart, even though I've now seen it probably six or seven times. And, it's inspired us to plan a trip to North Carolina this summer, where we will watch baseball games while experiencing the nuances of the Deep South. At least, that's the plan so far. We'll probably leave in early July to catch four games.In my experiences, the Cubs do better when I actually catch all four movies. If I miss one, the team does worse as a consequence. Or at least, that's what I tell myself. I've already decided this year to be as superstition free as possible. I know the Cubs don't win or lose because of anything I do, so I'm not going to act to the contrary this year. I'm just hoping to see some good, old school baseball. By the way, one last thing about Bull Durham - Carolyn made the Nuke Laloosh-Kyle Farnsworth connection almost instantaneously.
BASEBALL NEWS
In the meantime, there's stuff going on with the Cubs that we should jump into. First, Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue was at a fan event at Mesa yesterday, in which he got to meet and greet Dusty Baker, Jim Hendry, and several players. He also discovered that Jason Dubois should make the major league roster, although we'll see how that plays out at the end of the Spring.
Also, the Tribune (and all other papers, for that matter) is reporting that Mark Prior might miss the first two weeks of the season, and therefore could start the year on the DL. I still don't think it's as doom and gloom as everyone is afraid of, but it is problematic. Last year, I had the impression that wear and tear are bound to occur during the year, but once you start playing sore, you stay sore, which is why it's bad that Mark and Kerry have started out that way. Of course, I now know that isn't quite the case, but it was still something I always believed.
Personally, I'm a little worn out by the continued talk about pitcher health, steroid scandal, and the Zionist refuge in Middle America. (Yeah, I just threw in that last one to see if you're paying attention.) But, the season starts soon, and I can't wait!
Monday, March 28, 2005
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
While editing the final draft of my book today, my girlfriend suddenly stopped and said to me, "I really feel sorry for Cubs fans."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because Cubs fans all say that they can make it to the World Series on the arms of Wood and Prior, but their arms are being held together by string."
Then, she compared Greg Maddux and Carlos Zambrano to the tortoise and the hare. Maddux is the tortoise - slow and steady wins the race, right? Zambrano, meanwhile, is a little crazy, and he's all over the place. But at least he finishes the race, as well. Wood and Prior, on the other hand, are just road kill according to Carolyn.
Carolyn says she pities us, but if you asked me, it feels more like picking on than pitying.
While editing the final draft of my book today, my girlfriend suddenly stopped and said to me, "I really feel sorry for Cubs fans.""Why?" I asked.
"Because Cubs fans all say that they can make it to the World Series on the arms of Wood and Prior, but their arms are being held together by string."
Then, she compared Greg Maddux and Carlos Zambrano to the tortoise and the hare. Maddux is the tortoise - slow and steady wins the race, right? Zambrano, meanwhile, is a little crazy, and he's all over the place. But at least he finishes the race, as well. Wood and Prior, on the other hand, are just road kill according to Carolyn.
Carolyn says she pities us, but if you asked me, it feels more like picking on than pitying.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
Two days ago, I wrote about how I'm impatiently waiting for Spring Training to end. Ironically, today I'll be writing about how the Cubs are running out of time.
The Cubs have a whole lotta question marks. Who will make the final roster spots? Who's going to be the closer? When will Wood and Prior be ready? Who will take their places in the rotation? Will Hendry make the right moves? Will Dusty?
First, the roster spots. At the moment, just thinking about this makes me feel sick to my stomach. But, here's a list of the guys who have already made the team:
C: Barrett, Blanco
1B: Lee
2B: Walker
3B: Ramirez
SS: Garciaparra
IF: Hairston Jr., Macias, Perez
LF: Hollandsworth
CF: Patterson
RF: Burnitz
OF: Yes
SP: Wood, Prior, Zambrano, Maddux
RP: Hawkins, Remlinger
P in the mix for sure: Rusch, Dempster
Hitters being considered: Dubois, Kelton, Hansen, Murray
Pitchers being considerd: Mitre, Leicester, Randolph, Wellemeyer, Wuertz, Fox
Why it's an attrocity: Jason Dubois has made the team. In fact, he should be starting. He has proven himself at every level he's played, but Baker absolutely will not give him an opportunity in the major leagues. There's some thought that the press is currently writing it to convey that Dubois will probably start the season at Triple A.
Otherwise, I'm ok with the hitting end of the roster. As for the pitching, I would really love to see our young relievers have a chance to go at it over a full season. With limited opportunities, Leicester, Wellemeyer, and Wuertz have shown that they can get players out. In reality,the Cubs will probably make several moves. First, if Wood and/or Prior go on the DL, we'll probably see Rusch and Dempster make the rotation, leaving spots for Fox, Randolph, Wuertz, and Wellemeyer or Leicester in the bullpen.
If Wood and Prior don't go on the DL, then chances are Dempster will still be the #5 guy in the rotation. Rusch will move to the pen. Wuertz is almost guaranteed a spot, if only because he pitched amazingly well at the end of last season. Fox has pretty much earned a spot as well, and might start out as the closer while Borowski recovers from his latest injury. That leaves Leicester and Wellemeyer to again battle over the last spot in the pen. At present moment, Ice has a 2.45 ERA in 11 spring innings, while Shoulders has a 3.38 ERA in 10.2.
Yet, the prevailing question of the day falls back to Baker and his stance on Dubois. Why can Dusty give a roster spot to Jose Macias (a dude batting .231 so far this Spring) but not allow for someone like Dubois to make the team? What exactly did Macias ever do to earn a spot on any Major League team? It's astonishing, it really is.
I don't know if anyone from the press reads this blog. To be honest, I doubt anyone from the press would. But, if you have a press pass, and you talk to members in the Cubs organization, do me a favor. Ask Dusty why? Ask, and ask often. It's truly asinine.
Two days ago, I wrote about how I'm impatiently waiting for Spring Training to end. Ironically, today I'll be writing about how the Cubs are running out of time.
The Cubs have a whole lotta question marks. Who will make the final roster spots? Who's going to be the closer? When will Wood and Prior be ready? Who will take their places in the rotation? Will Hendry make the right moves? Will Dusty?
First, the roster spots. At the moment, just thinking about this makes me feel sick to my stomach. But, here's a list of the guys who have already made the team:
C: Barrett, Blanco
1B: Lee
2B: Walker
3B: Ramirez
SS: Garciaparra
IF: Hairston Jr., Macias, Perez
LF: Hollandsworth
CF: Patterson
RF: Burnitz
OF: Yes
SP: Wood, Prior, Zambrano, Maddux
RP: Hawkins, Remlinger
P in the mix for sure: Rusch, Dempster
Hitters being considered: Dubois, Kelton, Hansen, Murray
Pitchers being considerd: Mitre, Leicester, Randolph, Wellemeyer, Wuertz, Fox
Why it's an attrocity: Jason Dubois has made the team. In fact, he should be starting. He has proven himself at every level he's played, but Baker absolutely will not give him an opportunity in the major leagues. There's some thought that the press is currently writing it to convey that Dubois will probably start the season at Triple A.
Otherwise, I'm ok with the hitting end of the roster. As for the pitching, I would really love to see our young relievers have a chance to go at it over a full season. With limited opportunities, Leicester, Wellemeyer, and Wuertz have shown that they can get players out. In reality,the Cubs will probably make several moves. First, if Wood and/or Prior go on the DL, we'll probably see Rusch and Dempster make the rotation, leaving spots for Fox, Randolph, Wuertz, and Wellemeyer or Leicester in the bullpen.
If Wood and Prior don't go on the DL, then chances are Dempster will still be the #5 guy in the rotation. Rusch will move to the pen. Wuertz is almost guaranteed a spot, if only because he pitched amazingly well at the end of last season. Fox has pretty much earned a spot as well, and might start out as the closer while Borowski recovers from his latest injury. That leaves Leicester and Wellemeyer to again battle over the last spot in the pen. At present moment, Ice has a 2.45 ERA in 11 spring innings, while Shoulders has a 3.38 ERA in 10.2.
Yet, the prevailing question of the day falls back to Baker and his stance on Dubois. Why can Dusty give a roster spot to Jose Macias (a dude batting .231 so far this Spring) but not allow for someone like Dubois to make the team? What exactly did Macias ever do to earn a spot on any Major League team? It's astonishing, it really is.
I don't know if anyone from the press reads this blog. To be honest, I doubt anyone from the press would. But, if you have a press pass, and you talk to members in the Cubs organization, do me a favor. Ask Dusty why? Ask, and ask often. It's truly asinine.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
HOW CAN YOU NOT GIVE THIS GUY A ROSTER SPOT?
He's 26 years old. This Spring, he's batted .317, slugged .659, hit 4 homeruns in 41 at bats, and driven in 8 RBI. Yet, it's an even toss as to whether or not Jason Dubois will start the year at Triple A Iowa, where last year, he hit .316, blasted 31 homeruns in 386 at bats, drove in 99 RBI, and had an OPS of 1.019.
Reasons like that are why I won't miss Dusty Baker when he finally leaves town for good. Take this article, for example:
If Calvin Murray takes that roster spot, I swear to the Good Lord, my head will explode. I'm just saying.
He's 26 years old. This Spring, he's batted .317, slugged .659, hit 4 homeruns in 41 at bats, and driven in 8 RBI. Yet, it's an even toss as to whether or not Jason Dubois will start the year at Triple A Iowa, where last year, he hit .316, blasted 31 homeruns in 386 at bats, drove in 99 RBI, and had an OPS of 1.019.
Reasons like that are why I won't miss Dusty Baker when he finally leaves town for good. Take this article, for example:
MESA, Ariz. - With less than a week to go in the Cactus League season, the squeeze is on for the final roster spots.
Assuming the Cubs carry 12 pitchers, there is one spot open for a position player.
The battle would appear to be one between rookie outfielders Jason Dubois and David Kelton. Dubois has minor-league options while Kelton does not, which means he must clear waivers before the Cubs can outright him to Class AAA Iowa.
However, manager Dusty Baker was operating on a different plane of logic Friday.
"They're both battling for ...that's not the final one, necessarily," Baker said. "You've got to put Calvin Murray in that equation, too. He's having a good spring. You can't discount (Angel) Echevarria. We haven't had a chance to see (Dave) Hansen lately because of the appendectomy.
"These are the toughest decisions to make. The final cuts are always the toughest."
Murray, Echevarria and Hansen all are nonroster men who would have to be added to the 40-man roster. The 40-man stands at 39 now, with one spot most likely going to relief pitcher Chad Fox.
There may be some healthy push and pull within the organization over the final spot, given Baker's well-documented preference for veterans over young players. There are some in the organization who feel Dubois has nothing more to prove at Triple-A. The Cubs also risk losing Kelton to a waiver claim.
Kelton said he has no gut feeling on how things will shake out.
"I wish I did; I'm absolutely clueless," he said.
If Calvin Murray takes that roster spot, I swear to the Good Lord, my head will explode. I'm just saying.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
IS IT APRIL 4th, YET?
This has got to be the hardest part of Spring Training. After a long winter of anticipating baseball's return, we've finally gotten our fix - only, it's still not the Real Thing, and now we're impatient again. Or, at least, I am impatient again.
But opening day is only nine days away. In only nine days, Carlos Zambrano will begin establishing himself as the Best Pitcher in Baseball, Period. In only nine days, Aramis Ramirez will start turning home plate into a launching pad. Corey Patterson will start attempting to meet the potential we've seen in him these last three years. In only nine days, we'll discover if Wood and Prior can pitch, or only belly-itch.
I'm definitely ready. I imagine you are, too. But, as the Sloth so aptly put over at Goat Riders of the Apocalypse, this is the Make or Break year. This is where the window of opportunity finally closes, and if the Cubs don't win the pennant this time, they might not have another shot for a while.
I'm anxious to see if they hold up to the scrutiny and expectations.
This has got to be the hardest part of Spring Training. After a long winter of anticipating baseball's return, we've finally gotten our fix - only, it's still not the Real Thing, and now we're impatient again. Or, at least, I am impatient again.
But opening day is only nine days away. In only nine days, Carlos Zambrano will begin establishing himself as the Best Pitcher in Baseball, Period. In only nine days, Aramis Ramirez will start turning home plate into a launching pad. Corey Patterson will start attempting to meet the potential we've seen in him these last three years. In only nine days, we'll discover if Wood and Prior can pitch, or only belly-itch.
I'm definitely ready. I imagine you are, too. But, as the Sloth so aptly put over at Goat Riders of the Apocalypse, this is the Make or Break year. This is where the window of opportunity finally closes, and if the Cubs don't win the pennant this time, they might not have another shot for a while.
I'm anxious to see if they hold up to the scrutiny and expectations.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
REMEMBER THIS DAY: MAY 10th
From the Sun-Times:
My personal bet is that Angel Guzman will land in Chicago on Tuesday, May 10th, where he'll face the New York Mets at Wrigley Field. If Guzman meets his potential in the same way that Wood met his in 1998, then the Cubs won't have to worry about losing every fifth day anymore. Dempster can return to the bullpen, Wellemeyer would probably be demoted back to Triple A, and the team will be even stronger.
I know a lot of us are concerned because Borowski's injury prevents the team from having a solid closer, again. LaTroy proved last year that he's an 8th inning guy. Dempster probably could close, but he's going to be a starter. And, no one else really springs to mind as suitable, not even Chad Fox. But remember this one thing, boys and girls: the Cubs didn't have a closer for all of 2004, and they were still in it until the last week of the season. If Borowski returns by late May or early June, I suspect the damage to be minimal at worst. The Cubs will survive.
OUT OF TOWN
As promised, I'm taking off for the crappier pastures of Western New York in about an hour. I'll be back on Saturday, and will try to blog on Saturday night. Not that anyone will care if I don't post for a few days.
From the Sun-Times:
Cubs GM Jim Hendry anticipates calling up Angel Guzman from Triple-A to start games before too long. ''Not too far down the road, you've got Guzman,'' Hendry said. ''If he has a good stretch in the minors for a while, you can think about bringing him up [to start] and pushing somebody back in the bullpen.'' If all the Cubs starters were healthy, Glendon Rusch or Ryan Dempster would be pushed back into the bullpen.
My personal bet is that Angel Guzman will land in Chicago on Tuesday, May 10th, where he'll face the New York Mets at Wrigley Field. If Guzman meets his potential in the same way that Wood met his in 1998, then the Cubs won't have to worry about losing every fifth day anymore. Dempster can return to the bullpen, Wellemeyer would probably be demoted back to Triple A, and the team will be even stronger.
I know a lot of us are concerned because Borowski's injury prevents the team from having a solid closer, again. LaTroy proved last year that he's an 8th inning guy. Dempster probably could close, but he's going to be a starter. And, no one else really springs to mind as suitable, not even Chad Fox. But remember this one thing, boys and girls: the Cubs didn't have a closer for all of 2004, and they were still in it until the last week of the season. If Borowski returns by late May or early June, I suspect the damage to be minimal at worst. The Cubs will survive.
OUT OF TOWN
As promised, I'm taking off for the crappier pastures of Western New York in about an hour. I'll be back on Saturday, and will try to blog on Saturday night. Not that anyone will care if I don't post for a few days.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
ZAMBRANO TO START OPENING DAY
Because both Kerry Wood and Mark Prior will not be ready for the opening series against Arizona, the Cubs have officially announced that they've elected to go with Carlos Zambrano as their opening day starter.
Zambrano has come a long way from his Major League debut, back during the 2001 season, when he was an unpolished 20-year-old who didn't know how to pitch. Since then, he's proven to be a fiery competitor with something that many of today's Major Leaguers seem to lack in abundance: character.
In fact, Carlos is perhaps the most entertaining Cub to watch, especially during big games. Anyone remember last year against St. Louis, when Carlos gave up a homerun to Lassie Edmonds, and then proceeded to flip out? I'm pretty sure he wound up drilling Edmonds the next time he batted, and he even collected two hits in the game.
He also lost the game, which is perhaps his one failing. Sometimes he just gets too emotional, and as a consequence, he loses control. But he's young, and he's going to keep getting better; more mature. I think it's safe to assume that Carlos hasn't hit his peak. I think it's also safe to assume that Carlos could win 20 this year, and he might heft the Cubs onto his wide shoulders and carry them into the post season. Wouldn't that be a sight to see?
Because both Kerry Wood and Mark Prior will not be ready for the opening series against Arizona, the Cubs have officially announced that they've elected to go with Carlos Zambrano as their opening day starter. Zambrano has come a long way from his Major League debut, back during the 2001 season, when he was an unpolished 20-year-old who didn't know how to pitch. Since then, he's proven to be a fiery competitor with something that many of today's Major Leaguers seem to lack in abundance: character.
In fact, Carlos is perhaps the most entertaining Cub to watch, especially during big games. Anyone remember last year against St. Louis, when Carlos gave up a homerun to Lassie Edmonds, and then proceeded to flip out? I'm pretty sure he wound up drilling Edmonds the next time he batted, and he even collected two hits in the game.
He also lost the game, which is perhaps his one failing. Sometimes he just gets too emotional, and as a consequence, he loses control. But he's young, and he's going to keep getting better; more mature. I think it's safe to assume that Carlos hasn't hit his peak. I think it's also safe to assume that Carlos could win 20 this year, and he might heft the Cubs onto his wide shoulders and carry them into the post season. Wouldn't that be a sight to see?
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
UPDATE: BOROWSKI'S INJURY CONFIRMED
The Chicago Tribune has confirmed Borowski's injury. According to Paul Sullivan, Borowski has a hairline crack in his right wrist, and could miss anywhere from 3-8 weeks while recovering.
In other, better news, Mark Prior anticipates his first game of the season to take place on April 12th against the Padres, according to the Sun-Times. Other tid-bits from the article:
One other item of (non) news:
I'll be leaving for New York on Thursday afternoon, and probably won't be back to my blog until Sunday. So, while it's a bummer that Borowski got hurt, at least this time it wasn't my fault (as both Wood and Prior were injured the last time I left). Hopefully there will be no other injuries while I'm gone!
The Chicago Tribune has confirmed Borowski's injury. According to Paul Sullivan, Borowski has a hairline crack in his right wrist, and could miss anywhere from 3-8 weeks while recovering.
In other, better news, Mark Prior anticipates his first game of the season to take place on April 12th against the Padres, according to the Sun-Times. Other tid-bits from the article:
*The Cubs will likely go with a four-man rotation should Prior be ready by April 12th, taking advantage of the off day on April 7th.
*Lefty Glendon Rusch is likely to join the bullpen, with Ryan Dempster taking the fifth starter slot (although I wonder if Dempster is being reconsidered to close after the Cubs lost Borowski yesterday)
*Larry Rothschild anticipates Prior to participate in at least one Spring Training game before the season starts, although it's not certain.
One other item of (non) news:
I'll be leaving for New York on Thursday afternoon, and probably won't be back to my blog until Sunday. So, while it's a bummer that Borowski got hurt, at least this time it wasn't my fault (as both Wood and Prior were injured the last time I left). Hopefully there will be no other injuries while I'm gone!
UH OH
Bad news from Mesa - someone on the Desipio Media Ventures message board is reporting that Joe Borowski broke a bone in his pitching hand off of a line drive yesterday, which will force him to miss the first two months of the season.
I haven't seen this report anywhere else, but according to the source, it's been discussed on two different sports stations in Chicago.
This is just another bad break for Joe (no pun intended - really!), who was making good progress on his comeback from mediocrity. This likely means that LaTroy Hawkins will resume the closer role. As a consequence, Cubs fans everywhere have already scheduled doctor appointments to monitor their blood pressure.
Of course, there are still a few weeks between now and the start of the season, so Jim Hendry has time to make a move for a closer now if he wants. Octavio Dotel is likely to be available, as is Ugueth Urbina. A trade for a closer can only strengthen the bullpen down the line, regardless, so I hope Hendry gives it some consideration.
In the meantime, let's hope that LaTroy learned a lesson or two since last season. He'll need to bring something new to the table if he wants to close.
Bad news from Mesa - someone on the Desipio Media Ventures message board is reporting that Joe Borowski broke a bone in his pitching hand off of a line drive yesterday, which will force him to miss the first two months of the season.
I haven't seen this report anywhere else, but according to the source, it's been discussed on two different sports stations in Chicago.
This is just another bad break for Joe (no pun intended - really!), who was making good progress on his comeback from mediocrity. This likely means that LaTroy Hawkins will resume the closer role. As a consequence, Cubs fans everywhere have already scheduled doctor appointments to monitor their blood pressure.
Of course, there are still a few weeks between now and the start of the season, so Jim Hendry has time to make a move for a closer now if he wants. Octavio Dotel is likely to be available, as is Ugueth Urbina. A trade for a closer can only strengthen the bullpen down the line, regardless, so I hope Hendry gives it some consideration.
In the meantime, let's hope that LaTroy learned a lesson or two since last season. He'll need to bring something new to the table if he wants to close.
Monday, March 21, 2005
IS IT SUMMER, YET?
I find myself desperately wanting it to be warm out. I want Cubs baseball to be on TV every single day. I want to see a healthy pitching rotation decimate the rest of the NL Central. Unfortunately, that pitching rotation isn't healthy right now, so fortunately, it isn't summer yet. But we are drawing closer to both a healthy rotation and the 2005 baseball season.
Yesterday's good news out of Mesa was that Kerry Wood threw three innings in a simulated game, and he should be ready to pitch in a Spring Training game in the next four or five days.
Today's good news from Mesa is that Mark Prior has no doubts that he'll be ready for the start of the regular season in April. His elbow is still a little sore, but it's improving drastically, so hopefully like Wood, Prior will be ready for the opening home series.
One point Prior makes in that article that I agree with is that the injury controversies have unfairly detracted from the good play of several Cubs. For example, Carlos Zambrano has yet to allow a single earned run in 15 innings, Joe Borowski has yet to pitch badly, and Nomar Garciaparra has been a hitting machine. And, Jerry Hairston Jr. has also played exceptionally well.
I know that a lot of people are concerned about the outfield - we lost a lot of production when the Cubs gave up on Alou and Sosa - but Dubois can hit, and Hairston Jr. just might overtake the leadoff spot before the season's over. Hopefully Dusty will find other uses for Todd Hollandsworth, and maybe Jeromy Burnitz will accept a slightly more limited role on the team. As it is, assuming Wood and Prior stay healthy, I think the Cubs should control the NL Central from the get-go.
Pretty soon, the weather will start turning warm, again. The snow will melt, the grass will grow, and summer will arrive. Then, we'll see just how good this team can really be. I just hope that they're worth the wait.
I find myself desperately wanting it to be warm out. I want Cubs baseball to be on TV every single day. I want to see a healthy pitching rotation decimate the rest of the NL Central. Unfortunately, that pitching rotation isn't healthy right now, so fortunately, it isn't summer yet. But we are drawing closer to both a healthy rotation and the 2005 baseball season.
Yesterday's good news out of Mesa was that Kerry Wood threw three innings in a simulated game, and he should be ready to pitch in a Spring Training game in the next four or five days.
Today's good news from Mesa is that Mark Prior has no doubts that he'll be ready for the start of the regular season in April. His elbow is still a little sore, but it's improving drastically, so hopefully like Wood, Prior will be ready for the opening home series.
One point Prior makes in that article that I agree with is that the injury controversies have unfairly detracted from the good play of several Cubs. For example, Carlos Zambrano has yet to allow a single earned run in 15 innings, Joe Borowski has yet to pitch badly, and Nomar Garciaparra has been a hitting machine. And, Jerry Hairston Jr. has also played exceptionally well.
I know that a lot of people are concerned about the outfield - we lost a lot of production when the Cubs gave up on Alou and Sosa - but Dubois can hit, and Hairston Jr. just might overtake the leadoff spot before the season's over. Hopefully Dusty will find other uses for Todd Hollandsworth, and maybe Jeromy Burnitz will accept a slightly more limited role on the team. As it is, assuming Wood and Prior stay healthy, I think the Cubs should control the NL Central from the get-go.
Pretty soon, the weather will start turning warm, again. The snow will melt, the grass will grow, and summer will arrive. Then, we'll see just how good this team can really be. I just hope that they're worth the wait.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
THINGS GET CLEARER
In spite of running out of Spring Training games, the Cubs have a lot of unresolved issues. What's going to happen with Wood and Prior? What will the bullpen look like? Is Dusty Baker really going to leadoff with Corey Patterson? Will Todd Hollandsworth really be our starting left fielder?
Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to like many of the answers.
From the Sun-Times:
So, in other words, as we've said all along, no way is Dusty going to allow a rookie to start on his team. Thanks Dusty, you just made my job of complaining a lot easier.
I had a bad dream the other night. In my dream, I'd just heard a report that Carlos Zambrano had so badly damaged his rotator cuff that his entire career was in jeopardy. Naturally, I was relieved to wake up, even if it was still the middle of the night. Carlos is quite possibly going to be the best pitcher on the team this season, and so far in 15 innings of work this Spring, he's yet to allow a run.
I've always wondered why Carlos is ignored for Wood and Prior. I always also sorta suspected it was because he's not white, and whether we mean to or not, we're inherantly biased. But over the 2004 season, Zambrano showed a ton of character and I think he's quickly becoming the top favorite of many hip Cubs fans. He has heart, he has attidude, and he's goofy. And he just might wind up with more Cy Youngs than Wood and Prior combined. Plus, he'll only be 24 this year in June.
But the questions on Wood and Prior remain plentiful. At least the answers seem to be getting a little better. According to the Tribune, Wood threw well in a simulated game yesterday, and Prior is only a few days away from being pain free. In the same article, Larry Rothschild said that Wood should be ready to take the mound between April 8th and April 10th, while Prior should also return early in the month. I'm still banking on Mark starting off on the DL, but I believe the team when they say that he should be back fairly early into April.
Ironically, the whole pitching situation has caused me relatively little anxiety. The thing that's really been bugging me this Spring has been Dusty's reluctance to go with Dubois, in spite of his superior Spring numbers to Todd Hollandsworth. But there are some consolations: at least it looks like Jason will make the team, and Todd is injury prone so Dobois and Harry Jerry might get a shot yet.
Then again, knowing Dusty, he'll give Dobois one or two at bats a week, and then have him shipped back to Triple A if he doesn't respond well to such a limited role on the team. And that is really irksome.
In spite of running out of Spring Training games, the Cubs have a lot of unresolved issues. What's going to happen with Wood and Prior? What will the bullpen look like? Is Dusty Baker really going to leadoff with Corey Patterson? Will Todd Hollandsworth really be our starting left fielder?
Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to like many of the answers.
From the Sun-Times:
Manager Dusty Baker was asked last week if rookie Jason Dubois could possibly beat out Hollandsworth for the starting left field job by the opening of the season April 4 in Arizona. While impressed by Dubois' home-run power this spring, Baker has left no doubt that Hollandsworth will be his left field starter with Dubois and Jerry Hairston starting there occasionally.
So, in other words, as we've said all along, no way is Dusty going to allow a rookie to start on his team. Thanks Dusty, you just made my job of complaining a lot easier.
I had a bad dream the other night. In my dream, I'd just heard a report that Carlos Zambrano had so badly damaged his rotator cuff that his entire career was in jeopardy. Naturally, I was relieved to wake up, even if it was still the middle of the night. Carlos is quite possibly going to be the best pitcher on the team this season, and so far in 15 innings of work this Spring, he's yet to allow a run.I've always wondered why Carlos is ignored for Wood and Prior. I always also sorta suspected it was because he's not white, and whether we mean to or not, we're inherantly biased. But over the 2004 season, Zambrano showed a ton of character and I think he's quickly becoming the top favorite of many hip Cubs fans. He has heart, he has attidude, and he's goofy. And he just might wind up with more Cy Youngs than Wood and Prior combined. Plus, he'll only be 24 this year in June.
But the questions on Wood and Prior remain plentiful. At least the answers seem to be getting a little better. According to the Tribune, Wood threw well in a simulated game yesterday, and Prior is only a few days away from being pain free. In the same article, Larry Rothschild said that Wood should be ready to take the mound between April 8th and April 10th, while Prior should also return early in the month. I'm still banking on Mark starting off on the DL, but I believe the team when they say that he should be back fairly early into April.
Ironically, the whole pitching situation has caused me relatively little anxiety. The thing that's really been bugging me this Spring has been Dusty's reluctance to go with Dubois, in spite of his superior Spring numbers to Todd Hollandsworth. But there are some consolations: at least it looks like Jason will make the team, and Todd is injury prone so Dobois and Harry Jerry might get a shot yet.
Then again, knowing Dusty, he'll give Dobois one or two at bats a week, and then have him shipped back to Triple A if he doesn't respond well to such a limited role on the team. And that is really irksome.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
A SPRING THING
First, the Cubs are now saying that Mark Prior's elbow isn't as bad as it was just a few days ago, but he won't be ready to join the rotation on opening day. However, in the same article, Dusty Baker says that Wood is ready to resume pitching, and may throw in a simulated game sometime in the near future. So, I guess the news could be worse. Prior does appear to be progressing better this year than he did last year, although he might still have to start the season on the 15-day disabled list.
With that out of the way, I'm going to resume my Spring Training tradition of posting pics from camp. (I missed doing it last Saturday, because I'd been out of town until Saturday night.)
Here we see Jerry Hairston Jr. in the on-deck circle. In a strange series of events, Hairston is batting .333 with only 2 strikeouts in 27 at bats, but will play a backup roll on the team. In the meantime, Dusty has been lamenting the difficulty of finding a good leadoff hitter. Uh, hey Dusty, you have one.
Here's Angel Guzman, mid-pitch. "El Salvadore" here threw three strong innings against the White Sox yesterday, allowing one earned run while striking out three and walking one. Aside from one ugly outing, Guzman has had a solid spring, and is expected to begin the year at Triple A Iowa. There are two conflicting thoughts on him: 1) the Cubs aren't going to let him throw more than 150 innings this year, and 2) if he pitches well in Iowa, don't be shocked to see him in the rotation by May or June.
Aramis Ramirez either mid-stretch or mid-swing. The Cubs are running out of time to sign him to a long-term deal, but neither party seems too worried about it. To be honest, I sort of hope they don't sign him until after the season, because he might have more motivation to perform well during the year. I believe it was Earl Weaver who said, "Give me 25 players in their walk-years, and I'll give you a World Championship."
Over at Goat Riders, I bequeathed Carlos with the nickname "The Jackal." While I still like that name for him, I also think "Moose" would be fitting. So, what should it be, "The Jackal," or "Moose?"
Back from filming his most recent porno, Sergio Mitre has been pitching very effectively this Spring, and might just make the starting rotation while Mark Prior recovers from the Curse of the Goat.
And, there you have it! Have a great weekend!
First, the Cubs are now saying that Mark Prior's elbow isn't as bad as it was just a few days ago, but he won't be ready to join the rotation on opening day. However, in the same article, Dusty Baker says that Wood is ready to resume pitching, and may throw in a simulated game sometime in the near future. So, I guess the news could be worse. Prior does appear to be progressing better this year than he did last year, although he might still have to start the season on the 15-day disabled list.
With that out of the way, I'm going to resume my Spring Training tradition of posting pics from camp. (I missed doing it last Saturday, because I'd been out of town until Saturday night.)
Here we see Jerry Hairston Jr. in the on-deck circle. In a strange series of events, Hairston is batting .333 with only 2 strikeouts in 27 at bats, but will play a backup roll on the team. In the meantime, Dusty has been lamenting the difficulty of finding a good leadoff hitter. Uh, hey Dusty, you have one.
Here's Angel Guzman, mid-pitch. "El Salvadore" here threw three strong innings against the White Sox yesterday, allowing one earned run while striking out three and walking one. Aside from one ugly outing, Guzman has had a solid spring, and is expected to begin the year at Triple A Iowa. There are two conflicting thoughts on him: 1) the Cubs aren't going to let him throw more than 150 innings this year, and 2) if he pitches well in Iowa, don't be shocked to see him in the rotation by May or June.
Aramis Ramirez either mid-stretch or mid-swing. The Cubs are running out of time to sign him to a long-term deal, but neither party seems too worried about it. To be honest, I sort of hope they don't sign him until after the season, because he might have more motivation to perform well during the year. I believe it was Earl Weaver who said, "Give me 25 players in their walk-years, and I'll give you a World Championship."
Over at Goat Riders, I bequeathed Carlos with the nickname "The Jackal." While I still like that name for him, I also think "Moose" would be fitting. So, what should it be, "The Jackal," or "Moose?"
Back from filming his most recent porno, Sergio Mitre has been pitching very effectively this Spring, and might just make the starting rotation while Mark Prior recovers from the Curse of the Goat.
And, there you have it! Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 18, 2005
THE SAGAS CONTINUE
Meet former hero Mark McGwire. McGwire is a man who, along with Sammy Sosa, shattered baseball records in the late 90's. He's also a man who has been accused by Jose Canseco as being a juicer. Yesterday, when called to testify before Congress and asked about his past, McGwire answered almost nothing. His reluctance to say anything has painted him guilty, and his reputation and legacy has been permanently tarnished. Hey, at least he didn't lie like I believe Sosa did.
As far as the hearing itself goes, I have to say that I think it's the absolute biggest waste of time I've ever seen. Oh sure, it was interesting. It was compelling to see all those know-nothing Congressmen ask the most asinine questions to McGwire, Schilling, Palmeiro, Sosa, and Canseco, and later to see them grill Bud Selig and Donald Ferh. But it was a stupid waste of time, and it was a massive abuse of power. Why? Because nothing's going to change.
The really ironic, funny thing is the whole "the Olympics are the gold standard," line that they kept spouting. Give me a break. Does anyone seriously believe that the Olympics are clean? Seriously?
The problem is, not all steroids are detectable. And they're always creating new steroids that are also undetectable, so even if they figure out how to find older steroids, chances are, the athletes will be using something new, anyway. So, Congress can toot its horn and make threats about improving the testing, and MLB can agree to make the rules stronger and more stringent, but it's all for nothing in my opinion.
And, I can't emphasize how incredibly ignorant Congress came off as sounding, yesterday. The only thing I learned from the hearing is that no-one at MLB has any guts.
Speaking of continuing sagas, the Tribune is reporting that neither Wood, nor Prior, will be ready for the opening series against Arizona. You know, it's ironic, really. When Wood went down, everyone immediately started questioning his toughness and his ability to stay healthy. Then, Prior immediately follows, and everyone has taken a different tone. But, I think Mark is on a short leash as well, and we've got to be getting tired of the injuries.
I'm optimistic that Wood will be back, but I do get the feeling that Mark is going to miss the opening month for a second year. Hopefully this time, when he returns, he'll have his A-Game stuff. Otherwise, it'll be a long and brutal season, again.
One other bit to report: also according to the Tribune, San Fran columnist Bruce Jenkins recently reported that Dusty Baker does not like Chicago, and will not be returning after his contract expires in 2006. Dusty allegedly feels that the constant criticism has been levied toward him in part because we all may be racist.
Dusty has denied saying that, but I'm going to address it anyway. If we've been critical of Dusty Baker and the Cubs, it's because we want to win, and they haven't. Dusty is the most culpable person for what happened in Game Six in the 2003 NLCS. He's the most responsible for the over-use of our pitchers, which has resulted in constant injuries to two of our aces. He's responsible for the team's "walks are overrated" hitting strategy, which leads to an all-or-nothing offense that left the Cubs shut out way too often last year.
So, to be honest, at this point, I wouldn't be too upset if the Cubs let Dusty Baker go, after this year or next. I think he's a detriment to the team, and he's probably more than just a little responsible for this defensive "us against them" attitude that the Cubs exhibited last year.
And I believe that even if he didn't say the things he allegedly said.
Meet former hero Mark McGwire. McGwire is a man who, along with Sammy Sosa, shattered baseball records in the late 90's. He's also a man who has been accused by Jose Canseco as being a juicer. Yesterday, when called to testify before Congress and asked about his past, McGwire answered almost nothing. His reluctance to say anything has painted him guilty, and his reputation and legacy has been permanently tarnished. Hey, at least he didn't lie like I believe Sosa did.
As far as the hearing itself goes, I have to say that I think it's the absolute biggest waste of time I've ever seen. Oh sure, it was interesting. It was compelling to see all those know-nothing Congressmen ask the most asinine questions to McGwire, Schilling, Palmeiro, Sosa, and Canseco, and later to see them grill Bud Selig and Donald Ferh. But it was a stupid waste of time, and it was a massive abuse of power. Why? Because nothing's going to change.
The really ironic, funny thing is the whole "the Olympics are the gold standard," line that they kept spouting. Give me a break. Does anyone seriously believe that the Olympics are clean? Seriously?
The problem is, not all steroids are detectable. And they're always creating new steroids that are also undetectable, so even if they figure out how to find older steroids, chances are, the athletes will be using something new, anyway. So, Congress can toot its horn and make threats about improving the testing, and MLB can agree to make the rules stronger and more stringent, but it's all for nothing in my opinion.
And, I can't emphasize how incredibly ignorant Congress came off as sounding, yesterday. The only thing I learned from the hearing is that no-one at MLB has any guts.
Speaking of continuing sagas, the Tribune is reporting that neither Wood, nor Prior, will be ready for the opening series against Arizona. You know, it's ironic, really. When Wood went down, everyone immediately started questioning his toughness and his ability to stay healthy. Then, Prior immediately follows, and everyone has taken a different tone. But, I think Mark is on a short leash as well, and we've got to be getting tired of the injuries.
I'm optimistic that Wood will be back, but I do get the feeling that Mark is going to miss the opening month for a second year. Hopefully this time, when he returns, he'll have his A-Game stuff. Otherwise, it'll be a long and brutal season, again.
One other bit to report: also according to the Tribune, San Fran columnist Bruce Jenkins recently reported that Dusty Baker does not like Chicago, and will not be returning after his contract expires in 2006. Dusty allegedly feels that the constant criticism has been levied toward him in part because we all may be racist.
Dusty has denied saying that, but I'm going to address it anyway. If we've been critical of Dusty Baker and the Cubs, it's because we want to win, and they haven't. Dusty is the most culpable person for what happened in Game Six in the 2003 NLCS. He's the most responsible for the over-use of our pitchers, which has resulted in constant injuries to two of our aces. He's responsible for the team's "walks are overrated" hitting strategy, which leads to an all-or-nothing offense that left the Cubs shut out way too often last year.
So, to be honest, at this point, I wouldn't be too upset if the Cubs let Dusty Baker go, after this year or next. I think he's a detriment to the team, and he's probably more than just a little responsible for this defensive "us against them" attitude that the Cubs exhibited last year.
And I believe that even if he didn't say the things he allegedly said.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
WOOD BATTLES BACK; PRIOR STILL PITCHING IN PAIN
The saga continues. According to varied sources, our two aces spent yesterday's off-day throwing off a mound at Ho Ho Cam. The good news is, Wood seems to be bouncing back. The bad news is, Prior is still hurting.
I have the feeling that Kerry will be on the mound at or near opening day, but Mark might show a repeat of last season and miss a month or more. In theory, that would be alright - even if Prior could only make 20-26 starts in a season, it's still 20-26 starts by a better pitcher than anyone else in baseball. Only, unfortunately, it took the better part of the 2004 season for Prior to pitch like he's capable, and that left Cubs fans with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and despair, similar to how it must feel to live in a place like Florida.
Anyway, the Cubs play Oakland today, and then are on TV again tomorrow when they battle the White Sox. I'll follow that outing closely from my computer, as I have MLB.TV, and am forced to squint to see anything, since the window is so small.
In the meanwhile, let's hope that at least Wood can stay healthy. And, if Prior really is going to miss time like last year, then let's also hope that Wood has the best year of his career. We may need it from him.
The saga continues. According to varied sources, our two aces spent yesterday's off-day throwing off a mound at Ho Ho Cam. The good news is, Wood seems to be bouncing back. The bad news is, Prior is still hurting.
I have the feeling that Kerry will be on the mound at or near opening day, but Mark might show a repeat of last season and miss a month or more. In theory, that would be alright - even if Prior could only make 20-26 starts in a season, it's still 20-26 starts by a better pitcher than anyone else in baseball. Only, unfortunately, it took the better part of the 2004 season for Prior to pitch like he's capable, and that left Cubs fans with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and despair, similar to how it must feel to live in a place like Florida.
Anyway, the Cubs play Oakland today, and then are on TV again tomorrow when they battle the White Sox. I'll follow that outing closely from my computer, as I have MLB.TV, and am forced to squint to see anything, since the window is so small.
In the meanwhile, let's hope that at least Wood can stay healthy. And, if Prior really is going to miss time like last year, then let's also hope that Wood has the best year of his career. We may need it from him.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
STONE BEATS SCISSORS (AND WOOD)
(Note to budding journalist: if you want to make it big in journalism, you have to learn how to use terrible puns for your headlines. They do it all the time in the major papers)
The Cubs controversy continues today, as we witness the ramifications of Steve Stone's latest tirade on The Score. Stoney ripped right into the Cubs, although I'm not going to say he was right or wrong. Stone said the following about Mark Prior and Kerry Wood:
About Wood:
Well, wow. Just wow. Apparently, Stone was wearing a muzzle in the booth for all those years. And, although the things he said were controversial, he's not alone in saying them. A lot of fans I interact with were questioning the toughness of our two aces before Stoney ever got on the Score and unloaded his criticisms on the team. But, apparently the team itself isn't directly responding to what Stone has said. That is to say, they've talked about it in the media today, but they haven't used Stone's name, as far as I've seen. Jim Hendry said the following:
Meanwhile, Dusty's response was:
Ultimately, while the Cubs are addressing the concerns levied by Stone, they don't seem to be overtly hostile or defensive about it. Which isn't to say that they weren't really pissed when they found out about what Stone said. But, at this point, I think I mostly agree with Stone. I agree that Wood could probably have better mechanics, and I agree that Prior probably knows his body better than we do. So at least we, the fans, shouldn't be calling Mark out for missing time. Also, while the management and players might not agree, I think Stone saying critical things could have a positive effect. It'd be nice to see the team go out there day-in and day-out with a fire in their bellies.
Regardless, word from camp is that Wood is throwing without pain, and Prior should throw sometime today. At this point, I believe they'll start the season in the rotation. Hopefully this time, I'll be right.
(Note to budding journalist: if you want to make it big in journalism, you have to learn how to use terrible puns for your headlines. They do it all the time in the major papers)
The Cubs controversy continues today, as we witness the ramifications of Steve Stone's latest tirade on The Score. Stoney ripped right into the Cubs, although I'm not going to say he was right or wrong. Stone said the following about Mark Prior and Kerry Wood:
Mark has had a couple of different ailments. I know it's the elbow flaring up now. But the history of baseball is replete with gentlemen with leg problems, and they develop into arm problems. I won't name names, but coming out of camp last year at times was [the opinion] that Prior probably wasn't tough enough. That he had to pitch with pain. That he has to go out there, that's what major-league pitchers do. I have to believe if he's telling you he's hurting, he's hurting. And because they can't find a cause doesn't make the pain any less real. So you've got a multimillion-dollar talent, you want to keep running him out there and saying he's not tough enough? Well, I'll tell you what: Let him go and see if anybody else picks him up.
About Wood:
Wood has shown no adaptability. He wants to throw the ball 95 to 96 [mph]; he wants to throw it at times through the catcher. When he loses his mechanics, he can't get them back again. Somebody is going to have to tell Kerry the object of the game is to pitch. That's why they call you a pitcher. If not, they call you a thrower. And if they call you a thrower, and if you keep saying you can't change your mechanics, and if in fact your mechanics are partially responsible for you getting hurt every year, you've got a couple of choices: You can take all the money you've made --which is a bundle -- and you can go sell cars. Or you can make some adjustments and try to stay around this league for 10 years. The sky is the limit with his talent -- nobody ever questioned that. And of course Kerry is the vocal leader of this pitching staff. Well, the vocal leader has to go to the mound every now and then. And [Greg] Maddux doesn't say anything or he would be the leader, with 17 straight years of 15 wins or more, something that Wood has yet to accomplish.
Well, wow. Just wow. Apparently, Stone was wearing a muzzle in the booth for all those years. And, although the things he said were controversial, he's not alone in saying them. A lot of fans I interact with were questioning the toughness of our two aces before Stoney ever got on the Score and unloaded his criticisms on the team. But, apparently the team itself isn't directly responding to what Stone has said. That is to say, they've talked about it in the media today, but they haven't used Stone's name, as far as I've seen. Jim Hendry said the following:
To me, you have a little setback, a little inflammation that everybody goes through. People learn to pitch through it. Look what [they] did in '03. They won a lot of big games, and you couldn't have really pitched any better than Woody did in [the '03 Division Series] against the Atlanta Braves, which really was the best team in the league. Between Wood and Prior, they won all three of the games in that series, and Woody won the two big games. Prior, at 23 years old, won 18 games. Just because we take the conservative approach and quiet down the inflammation for a few days, I don't think that should be a reflection on the pitchers at all.
Meanwhile, Dusty's response was:
It's not fair (to question Prior's toughness). But what is fair? I don't know anybody that doesn't go out there and throw and pitch (with soreness). There's a good sore, and there's a bad sore. You have to determine which one is a good sore and a bad sore. Sometimes you're so young, you don't know how to differentiate one from the other. As a pitcher, you're always afraid every injury is a serious injury, if your pain could be a serious pain. We have a great training staff that knows what to do.
Ultimately, while the Cubs are addressing the concerns levied by Stone, they don't seem to be overtly hostile or defensive about it. Which isn't to say that they weren't really pissed when they found out about what Stone said. But, at this point, I think I mostly agree with Stone. I agree that Wood could probably have better mechanics, and I agree that Prior probably knows his body better than we do. So at least we, the fans, shouldn't be calling Mark out for missing time. Also, while the management and players might not agree, I think Stone saying critical things could have a positive effect. It'd be nice to see the team go out there day-in and day-out with a fire in their bellies.
Regardless, word from camp is that Wood is throwing without pain, and Prior should throw sometime today. At this point, I believe they'll start the season in the rotation. Hopefully this time, I'll be right.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
NOW WHAT?
Yesterday won't exactly go down in history as one of the shining moments for the Cubs. First, we heard that Mark Prior remains a cripple. Then, the Cubs played the White Sox, and potential rotation replacements Ryan Dempster and Glendon Rusch combined efforts to try and make Cubs fans everywhere suicidal. Rusch gave up something like three homeruns to his first six batters, and I had to stop watching the game.
The two good things from yesterday's game were Jerry Hairston and Jason Dubois. Hairston made some great snags at second base, and Dubois drove in another run. So far, both of these guys are outplaying Todd Hollandsworth, and I sincerely hope that they leave Dusty with no choice but to put Todd back on the bench.
But this is Dusty we're talking about. This is the guy who wants a 45 walk, 160 strike out hitter to lead off for him. This is the guy who thinks walks are overrated. And, this is the guy who will be, in my mind, responsible for the recurring injuries to Wood and Prior, should they prove to be unhealthy all year again. (I guess I'm just in a blaming mood, today.)
I like Dusty. My girlfriend loves him. But sometimes his moves seem to lack rhyme or reason. Let's hope that the 2005 season doesn't join him in that regard.
Yesterday won't exactly go down in history as one of the shining moments for the Cubs. First, we heard that Mark Prior remains a cripple. Then, the Cubs played the White Sox, and potential rotation replacements Ryan Dempster and Glendon Rusch combined efforts to try and make Cubs fans everywhere suicidal. Rusch gave up something like three homeruns to his first six batters, and I had to stop watching the game.
The two good things from yesterday's game were Jerry Hairston and Jason Dubois. Hairston made some great snags at second base, and Dubois drove in another run. So far, both of these guys are outplaying Todd Hollandsworth, and I sincerely hope that they leave Dusty with no choice but to put Todd back on the bench.
But this is Dusty we're talking about. This is the guy who wants a 45 walk, 160 strike out hitter to lead off for him. This is the guy who thinks walks are overrated. And, this is the guy who will be, in my mind, responsible for the recurring injuries to Wood and Prior, should they prove to be unhealthy all year again. (I guess I'm just in a blaming mood, today.)
I like Dusty. My girlfriend loves him. But sometimes his moves seem to lack rhyme or reason. Let's hope that the 2005 season doesn't join him in that regard.
Monday, March 14, 2005
OUR FEARS CONFIRMED
It's official. Both the Chicago Tribune and Cubs dot Com have confirmed that Mark Prior has inflammation in his pitching elbow. The good news is, there is no damage to the ligament and no damage to the ulnar nerve, according to Cubs general manager Jim Hendry. The bad news is, I don't know if I can believe that. As Andy Dolan of Desipio Media Ventures said, an irritated ulnar nerve usually means there's trauma to the ligaments and muscles in the area causing inflammation that is pressing on the nerve. Trauma to the ligaments equals Tommy John Surgery. Tommy John Surgery equals a missed season and a poor follow-up year.
I guess we'll have to wait to see how it actually goes for Prior. But with him and Kerry Wood already missing time, it's looking more and more like this is going to be a repeat of 2004.
According to the reports, Prior will be shut down for the next six days, but he won't be pitching in a game on next Monday; he'll be throwing on the side. If that goes well, then he'll probably resume pitching in games three or four days later.
Last year, Prior made two mistakes. He tried to come back too soon, which aggravated his elbow and achilles injuries, and he was forced to shut down and restart his conditioning over and over again. Hopefully, we won't see a repeat of that this year.
It's official. Both the Chicago Tribune and Cubs dot Com have confirmed that Mark Prior has inflammation in his pitching elbow. The good news is, there is no damage to the ligament and no damage to the ulnar nerve, according to Cubs general manager Jim Hendry. The bad news is, I don't know if I can believe that. As Andy Dolan of Desipio Media Ventures said, an irritated ulnar nerve usually means there's trauma to the ligaments and muscles in the area causing inflammation that is pressing on the nerve. Trauma to the ligaments equals Tommy John Surgery. Tommy John Surgery equals a missed season and a poor follow-up year.
I guess we'll have to wait to see how it actually goes for Prior. But with him and Kerry Wood already missing time, it's looking more and more like this is going to be a repeat of 2004.
According to the reports, Prior will be shut down for the next six days, but he won't be pitching in a game on next Monday; he'll be throwing on the side. If that goes well, then he'll probably resume pitching in games three or four days later.
Last year, Prior made two mistakes. He tried to come back too soon, which aggravated his elbow and achilles injuries, and he was forced to shut down and restart his conditioning over and over again. Hopefully, we won't see a repeat of that this year.
PITCHERGATE pt 2
A couple of guys over at the Desipio Board are saying that ESPN and the Score have reported that Mark Prior will be shut down for the next six days, for undisclosed reasons.
I haven't seen anything on the official sites to confirm or deny this, but hopefully it's just a false rumor. Otherwise, maybe it really is 2004 all over again.
Which would suck.
A couple of guys over at the Desipio Board are saying that ESPN and the Score have reported that Mark Prior will be shut down for the next six days, for undisclosed reasons.
I haven't seen anything on the official sites to confirm or deny this, but hopefully it's just a false rumor. Otherwise, maybe it really is 2004 all over again.
Which would suck.
PITCHERGATE
You ever get the feeling that Cubs fans are just a little crazy? Sometimes it seems so bad that, if we were an accurate representation of the rest of the world, then most citizens would walk around with tin foil hats on their heads.
Luckily, we're not a representation of the rest of the world, but we're still a bunch of paranoid, crazy, conspiracy theorists. And at the top of our list of conspiracies isn't the JFK assassination, but is instead Pitchergate. Now, we're at it again.
Let's run down the series of unfortunate events for those watching at home. First, we have the entire 2004 season: every single time a player got hurt and the team announced the injury and the expected date of return, fans were left asking, "Ok, when's he actually coming back?" Both Mark Prior and Kerry Wood - the two gems of our pitching staff - missed considerable time last year, after we were informed that they had only had minor setbacks.
Then, a few days ago, Kerry Wood left a game early because of tightness in his shoulder. We were misinformed that he'd be totally fine in a day or two. A few hours later, he was flown out to Chicago to be examined. We were told that it was just a precautionary move, and his shoulder was healthy and strong. Then, they told us that he might miss his next Spring Training start, but should still be the opening day pitcher. Then, they told us that he might miss opening day. Meanwhile, out in Cubbie-Land, the tin-foil hats are on in full force, and Pitchergate 2005 has begun.
To be honest, while I feel a fair amount of anxiety over this, I really do believe what the team's told us. I don't believe they're withholding information. They're probably just being cautious. I would be surprised if Wood started the season on the DL, and I would be shocked - shocked, I say - if we had another full on Pitchergate like last year. So, let's trust them, for once. Things will be alright.
YOU CAN'T STOP HIM, YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO DEMOTE HIM
Hey, Dusty, are you paying attention? How do these numbers look:
Player A is rookie sensation Jason "Dube-wah" Dubois. Player B is Todd Hollandsworth. Since before Spring Training even started, Dusty has said repeatedly that Hollandsworth is his starting left fielder, while Dubois probably won't even make the team. It's been so bad that at certain times, Cubs fans have believed that Dusty doesn't even realize Dubois is in camp. Well, Jason is doing his best to show Dusty that he's there, but will it be enough to keep him from demotion? My prediction is this: at the end of Spring Training, we'll have an apologetic Dusty Baker informing the press that sure, Dubois put up good numbers, but it was mostly against minor league pitchers who won't be on a major league roster, either. Then the apologists will come out of the woodwork and tell us that Dusty would play rookies if he ever had the chance.
NEWS ME
Dusty likes him some veterans. Especially Chad Fox, who looks like a guarantee for the bullpen, in spite of being lit up so much this Spring that he's been confused for a Christmas Tree.
Just in case you weren't paranoid enough about Kerry Wood, the Cubs have announced that Ryan Dempster will be Plan B should Kerry fail to stay off the DL.
Leicester, Wellemeyer, and Wuertz battle each other over the final bullpen spot, question each other over who Chad Fox saw Dusty kill in order to guarantee himself a spot on the roster.
"Hairy" Jerry Hairston makes a case for starting in left field. Jason Dubois tells him to get in line.
You ever get the feeling that Cubs fans are just a little crazy? Sometimes it seems so bad that, if we were an accurate representation of the rest of the world, then most citizens would walk around with tin foil hats on their heads. Luckily, we're not a representation of the rest of the world, but we're still a bunch of paranoid, crazy, conspiracy theorists. And at the top of our list of conspiracies isn't the JFK assassination, but is instead Pitchergate. Now, we're at it again.
Let's run down the series of unfortunate events for those watching at home. First, we have the entire 2004 season: every single time a player got hurt and the team announced the injury and the expected date of return, fans were left asking, "Ok, when's he actually coming back?" Both Mark Prior and Kerry Wood - the two gems of our pitching staff - missed considerable time last year, after we were informed that they had only had minor setbacks.
Then, a few days ago, Kerry Wood left a game early because of tightness in his shoulder. We were misinformed that he'd be totally fine in a day or two. A few hours later, he was flown out to Chicago to be examined. We were told that it was just a precautionary move, and his shoulder was healthy and strong. Then, they told us that he might miss his next Spring Training start, but should still be the opening day pitcher. Then, they told us that he might miss opening day. Meanwhile, out in Cubbie-Land, the tin-foil hats are on in full force, and Pitchergate 2005 has begun.
To be honest, while I feel a fair amount of anxiety over this, I really do believe what the team's told us. I don't believe they're withholding information. They're probably just being cautious. I would be surprised if Wood started the season on the DL, and I would be shocked - shocked, I say - if we had another full on Pitchergate like last year. So, let's trust them, for once. Things will be alright.
YOU CAN'T STOP HIM, YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO DEMOTE HIM
Hey, Dusty, are you paying attention? How do these numbers look:
Player A: .375 AVG, 3 homeruns in 16 at bats, 3 RBI, .938 SLG
Player B: .294 AVG, 0 homeruns in 17 at bats, 2 RBI, .588 SLG
Player A is rookie sensation Jason "Dube-wah" Dubois. Player B is Todd Hollandsworth. Since before Spring Training even started, Dusty has said repeatedly that Hollandsworth is his starting left fielder, while Dubois probably won't even make the team. It's been so bad that at certain times, Cubs fans have believed that Dusty doesn't even realize Dubois is in camp. Well, Jason is doing his best to show Dusty that he's there, but will it be enough to keep him from demotion? My prediction is this: at the end of Spring Training, we'll have an apologetic Dusty Baker informing the press that sure, Dubois put up good numbers, but it was mostly against minor league pitchers who won't be on a major league roster, either. Then the apologists will come out of the woodwork and tell us that Dusty would play rookies if he ever had the chance.
NEWS ME
Dusty likes him some veterans. Especially Chad Fox, who looks like a guarantee for the bullpen, in spite of being lit up so much this Spring that he's been confused for a Christmas Tree.
Just in case you weren't paranoid enough about Kerry Wood, the Cubs have announced that Ryan Dempster will be Plan B should Kerry fail to stay off the DL.
Leicester, Wellemeyer, and Wuertz battle each other over the final bullpen spot, question each other over who Chad Fox saw Dusty kill in order to guarantee himself a spot on the roster.
"Hairy" Jerry Hairston makes a case for starting in left field. Jason Dubois tells him to get in line.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
WHAT THE!?
I go away for a few days, and when I get back, the whole place is a mess! We've got Wrigley Field, still falling apart! Then, over in Mesa, we've got Kerry Wood experiencing a mysterious tightness in his shoulder, but everything's ok, right? He's not sore and should resume throwing in a few days. But no, wait, everything's not all right! The next day, the Cubs flew Wood back to Chicago for an additional examination on his shoulder! They're still claiming that Wood will be back pitching by the early part of this coming week. In similar news, starting early next week, James Bond is going to stop having promiscuous sex with random women, and I'm going to go on a crash diet to lose 50 pounds. Hey, it could happen, right?
But believe it or not, that's not the worst bit of news. The weirdest, most bizarre thing to happen so far this Spring involves our own Federal Government, who have nothing better to do than display the biggest abuse of their power that I think I've ever seen. And that's saying something! Out in Washington, D.C., we've got the House of Representatives, who apparently have nothing better to do than to harass Major League Baseball because its players have been abusing steroids. I mean, c'mon! There are starving homeless people out there! There are more children in poverty right now than ever before! Fewer of those children have health insurance! But oh no, we can't go try to solve that problem, we have to go and have a panel to discover just how bad steroid use has been for the last 15 or 20 years!
So, I think the lesson has been learned. I'm never allowed to leave Toronto again. Because, clearly, when I leave, the crap hits the fan. Unfortunately, I'm going again in a few weeks. So uh, if the Franchise suffers a career-ending hemorrhoid or something, I uh, apologize in advance.
I go away for a few days, and when I get back, the whole place is a mess! We've got Wrigley Field, still falling apart! Then, over in Mesa, we've got Kerry Wood experiencing a mysterious tightness in his shoulder, but everything's ok, right? He's not sore and should resume throwing in a few days. But no, wait, everything's not all right! The next day, the Cubs flew Wood back to Chicago for an additional examination on his shoulder! They're still claiming that Wood will be back pitching by the early part of this coming week. In similar news, starting early next week, James Bond is going to stop having promiscuous sex with random women, and I'm going to go on a crash diet to lose 50 pounds. Hey, it could happen, right?But believe it or not, that's not the worst bit of news. The weirdest, most bizarre thing to happen so far this Spring involves our own Federal Government, who have nothing better to do than display the biggest abuse of their power that I think I've ever seen. And that's saying something! Out in Washington, D.C., we've got the House of Representatives, who apparently have nothing better to do than to harass Major League Baseball because its players have been abusing steroids. I mean, c'mon! There are starving homeless people out there! There are more children in poverty right now than ever before! Fewer of those children have health insurance! But oh no, we can't go try to solve that problem, we have to go and have a panel to discover just how bad steroid use has been for the last 15 or 20 years!
So, I think the lesson has been learned. I'm never allowed to leave Toronto again. Because, clearly, when I leave, the crap hits the fan. Unfortunately, I'm going again in a few weeks. So uh, if the Franchise suffers a career-ending hemorrhoid or something, I uh, apologize in advance.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
SAY HELLO TO MY LEETLE FRIEND
His name is Angel Guzman. In the 2003 pre-season, Guzman threw tremendously well - he compiled a 1.12 ERA in 16 innings pitched, striking out 9 and walking 3. He also only gave up 8 hits in those 16 innings. His ascendtion only continued in the minor leagues that year - at West Tennessee, he had a 2.81 ERA with 87 k's and 26 walks in 89.2 innings pitched. In his final start of that season, Guzman went 7 innings, allowed 3 hits, and struck out 14.
The following day, he flew into Chicago to have surgery on his shoulder. After the Cubs collapse in the 2003 playoffs, Jim Hendry said that his team would've won the World Series if Guzman had remained healthy. Remember, this is a guy who was 21 years old at the time, and had never played above Double A Ball.
When he returned in 2004, his numbers really weren't the same. His best stats were at Daytona, the High A club. There, he went 3-1 with a 4.20 ERA, striking out 40 in 30 innings pitched without allowing a single walk. Upon his promotion back to Double A, Guzman fared a little worse - going 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA, striking out 13 and walking 4 in 17.2 innings pitched. And again, he was shut down, this time with tendonitis.
So, will Guzman ever be healthy? Will he ever meet his potential? I don't know, but he's back in Spring Training with the Cubs this year, and he threw two innings behind Carlos Zambrano yesterday, allowing no runs on only two hits, striking out and walking one. If Guzman and his 97-MPH heater can stay healthy, he might be in Chicago by mid-summer. And, if he can meet his potential, then the Cubs will have somehow improved their already league-best pitching staff.
Before his injury in 2003, people within the Cubs organization used to say that Guzman had a higher ceiling than Mark Prior. You know, the guy we expect to win three or four Cy Youngs before his career is over. Guzman could be better than him. Imagine a Chicago Cubs pitching staff that included Prior, Wood, Maddux, and two fireballers from Venezuela - Carlos Zambrano and Angel Guzman.
If Guzman gets here soon enough, perhaps the Zambran-O-Meter won't be so far off, after all.
MIA
I'm going back to the States later today and might not have time to blog until my return on Saturday. So, entertain yourselves elsewhere, as if you already don't.
His name is Angel Guzman. In the 2003 pre-season, Guzman threw tremendously well - he compiled a 1.12 ERA in 16 innings pitched, striking out 9 and walking 3. He also only gave up 8 hits in those 16 innings. His ascendtion only continued in the minor leagues that year - at West Tennessee, he had a 2.81 ERA with 87 k's and 26 walks in 89.2 innings pitched. In his final start of that season, Guzman went 7 innings, allowed 3 hits, and struck out 14.
The following day, he flew into Chicago to have surgery on his shoulder. After the Cubs collapse in the 2003 playoffs, Jim Hendry said that his team would've won the World Series if Guzman had remained healthy. Remember, this is a guy who was 21 years old at the time, and had never played above Double A Ball.
When he returned in 2004, his numbers really weren't the same. His best stats were at Daytona, the High A club. There, he went 3-1 with a 4.20 ERA, striking out 40 in 30 innings pitched without allowing a single walk. Upon his promotion back to Double A, Guzman fared a little worse - going 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA, striking out 13 and walking 4 in 17.2 innings pitched. And again, he was shut down, this time with tendonitis.
So, will Guzman ever be healthy? Will he ever meet his potential? I don't know, but he's back in Spring Training with the Cubs this year, and he threw two innings behind Carlos Zambrano yesterday, allowing no runs on only two hits, striking out and walking one. If Guzman and his 97-MPH heater can stay healthy, he might be in Chicago by mid-summer. And, if he can meet his potential, then the Cubs will have somehow improved their already league-best pitching staff.
Before his injury in 2003, people within the Cubs organization used to say that Guzman had a higher ceiling than Mark Prior. You know, the guy we expect to win three or four Cy Youngs before his career is over. Guzman could be better than him. Imagine a Chicago Cubs pitching staff that included Prior, Wood, Maddux, and two fireballers from Venezuela - Carlos Zambrano and Angel Guzman.
If Guzman gets here soon enough, perhaps the Zambran-O-Meter won't be so far off, after all.
MIA
I'm going back to the States later today and might not have time to blog until my return on Saturday. So, entertain yourselves elsewhere, as if you already don't.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
MIKE SCHMIDT IS AN ASSHAT
For the last month or so, I've been trying to refrain from cursing on my blog in a probably vain attempt to make it a more legit form of sports media. But I just can't stop myself from hating Mike Schmidt, who is probably the biggest asshat I've seen in baseball - even worse than Sammy Sosa.
Recently, Schmidt discussed in an article about how steroids aren't the reason players are eclipsing his home run totals.
Schmidt claims that he's not bitter about so many players passing him by in the record books. This is different from three or four years ago, when Schmidt said that the game had changed and hitting 500 homeruns no longer meant anything. So, in that regard, while he's inconsistent in his stance, he's also at least accepted that there are players who will put up better numbers than him.
But the thing that irks me is his stance on the Hall of Fame. From the article: "Isn't it funny? I guess we're not letting anybody in," said Schmidt, who voted for 283-game winner Jim Kaat and Joe Torre. "I think it should be tough to get in. A Hall of Fame player is the best at his position for a long, long time. If I had my way, no one would ever get in the Hall of Fame again."
No, it's not funny, you insufferable jerk. It really, really sucks when a player like Ron Santo can be one of the five best third basemen in the history of the game, and still get passed over by dicks like you. You think it demeans from your status when other players reach or surpass your level - well, I hate to break it to you, spinctor, but you're not bigger than the game. No one is. So for someone to step outside of the game and say, "I'm going to define what happens here," - that's the greatest offense I can possibly imagine. Pete Rose bet on baseball because he thought he was bigger than the game. Jose Canseco and hundreds of others juiced up and cheated because they wanted to be bigger than the game. Sammy Sosa left during the last game of the '04 season because he thought he was bigger than the game.
Here's a note for you: no one is bigger than the game. No one. If the world was fair, which I know it isn't, jackasses like Mike Schmidt would lose the right to vote for the Veterans committee. He's a detriment to the process, and an embarrassment to the game.
For the last month or so, I've been trying to refrain from cursing on my blog in a probably vain attempt to make it a more legit form of sports media. But I just can't stop myself from hating Mike Schmidt, who is probably the biggest asshat I've seen in baseball - even worse than Sammy Sosa.
Recently, Schmidt discussed in an article about how steroids aren't the reason players are eclipsing his home run totals.
Schmidt claims that he's not bitter about so many players passing him by in the record books. This is different from three or four years ago, when Schmidt said that the game had changed and hitting 500 homeruns no longer meant anything. So, in that regard, while he's inconsistent in his stance, he's also at least accepted that there are players who will put up better numbers than him.
But the thing that irks me is his stance on the Hall of Fame. From the article: "Isn't it funny? I guess we're not letting anybody in," said Schmidt, who voted for 283-game winner Jim Kaat and Joe Torre. "I think it should be tough to get in. A Hall of Fame player is the best at his position for a long, long time. If I had my way, no one would ever get in the Hall of Fame again."
No, it's not funny, you insufferable jerk. It really, really sucks when a player like Ron Santo can be one of the five best third basemen in the history of the game, and still get passed over by dicks like you. You think it demeans from your status when other players reach or surpass your level - well, I hate to break it to you, spinctor, but you're not bigger than the game. No one is. So for someone to step outside of the game and say, "I'm going to define what happens here," - that's the greatest offense I can possibly imagine. Pete Rose bet on baseball because he thought he was bigger than the game. Jose Canseco and hundreds of others juiced up and cheated because they wanted to be bigger than the game. Sammy Sosa left during the last game of the '04 season because he thought he was bigger than the game.
Here's a note for you: no one is bigger than the game. No one. If the world was fair, which I know it isn't, jackasses like Mike Schmidt would lose the right to vote for the Veterans committee. He's a detriment to the process, and an embarrassment to the game.
Monday, March 07, 2005
SPOKEN TOO SOON
In a post from earlier today, I made the mistake of noting that there haven't really been any injury problems for the Cubs so far in Spring Training. Later, I got to try out MLB.tv, which broadcasted the Cubs/Rangers game from today. Then, I realized that I have really, really bad luck.
When I came upon the scene, the Cubs were already winning 1-0. Maddux was being Maddux, even for a Spring Training game. Then, as I settled in to watch the game on my itty-bitty MLB.tv window (boy, I'll tell you what, squinting at stat-lines all season long is going to be reeeeaal fun) the Rangers scored two runs, and things weren't looking good for the Cubs.
Then, at the top of what must've been the third inning, Chan Ho Park bounced an errant fastball off of Corey Patterson's knee, and he left the game with a contusion. I have no idea how serious it is. So, it appeared as though my bad luck viewing effect was going to carry over from the 2004 campaign.
Then, the Cubs did something they will hopefully do all season long. They battled back. Jason DuBois and Jerry Hairston did their best to turn Todd Hollandsworth from being the left fielder to the designated bench warmer by launching home runs into the bleachers. Joe Borowski entered the mound and pitched an efficient first inning, inducing a double play ball and striking out a batter. (His fastball only topped 88 MPH, which is where it was at its best in the 2004 campaign. However, I'm under the impression that most pitchers see an improvement on their fastballs over the course of Spring Training.)
In fact, for the fourth time in their first five games, the Cubs won. Yep, unless Corey is going to miss a lot of time, it looks like things are getting good for the Cubs.
Of course, we all know that Spring Training doesn't count. The Cubs could have a great ST or a terrible one, and I still wouldn't draw a strong opinion on how they'd do in the 2005 season. But it's always nice to see the Good Guys win, and it's even better to see Dubois, Hairston, and Borowski make Dusty's decision making a little tougher.
In a post from earlier today, I made the mistake of noting that there haven't really been any injury problems for the Cubs so far in Spring Training. Later, I got to try out MLB.tv, which broadcasted the Cubs/Rangers game from today. Then, I realized that I have really, really bad luck.
When I came upon the scene, the Cubs were already winning 1-0. Maddux was being Maddux, even for a Spring Training game. Then, as I settled in to watch the game on my itty-bitty MLB.tv window (boy, I'll tell you what, squinting at stat-lines all season long is going to be reeeeaal fun) the Rangers scored two runs, and things weren't looking good for the Cubs.
Then, at the top of what must've been the third inning, Chan Ho Park bounced an errant fastball off of Corey Patterson's knee, and he left the game with a contusion. I have no idea how serious it is. So, it appeared as though my bad luck viewing effect was going to carry over from the 2004 campaign.
Then, the Cubs did something they will hopefully do all season long. They battled back. Jason DuBois and Jerry Hairston did their best to turn Todd Hollandsworth from being the left fielder to the designated bench warmer by launching home runs into the bleachers. Joe Borowski entered the mound and pitched an efficient first inning, inducing a double play ball and striking out a batter. (His fastball only topped 88 MPH, which is where it was at its best in the 2004 campaign. However, I'm under the impression that most pitchers see an improvement on their fastballs over the course of Spring Training.)
In fact, for the fourth time in their first five games, the Cubs won. Yep, unless Corey is going to miss a lot of time, it looks like things are getting good for the Cubs.
Of course, we all know that Spring Training doesn't count. The Cubs could have a great ST or a terrible one, and I still wouldn't draw a strong opinion on how they'd do in the 2005 season. But it's always nice to see the Good Guys win, and it's even better to see Dubois, Hairston, and Borowski make Dusty's decision making a little tougher.
CHUGGING ALONG
So, Spring Training is just chugging along, and so far, I haven't read a single article about a Cub missing a prolonged period of time on the Disabled List. See? We're doing better already.
Actually, I was going to write an article today about how entirely impressed I am by the Cubs for their strong start. Not that 3-1 is bad. But until yesterday's 10-1 drubbing by the Giants, the Cubs had outscored their opponents 18-6. That's right, in the first three games of Spring Training, the Cubs had had an ERA of 2.00. In Spring Training.
Then, yesterday marked the Lefty Audition day of Chicagoan Bullpen Idol, and unfortunately we were quick to discover that neither Jimmy Anderson, Stephen Randolph, nor Will Ohman can sing, dance, or pitch. So, since that game only featured one or two pitchers who will actually make the Cubs roster, if that, then I think it's safe to say that it was a gimmee for the Giants.
Today marks the first Spring Training start of Greg Maddux, and Joe Borowski is scheduled to pitch as well. Cubs fans will be watching this one closely.
So, Spring Training is just chugging along, and so far, I haven't read a single article about a Cub missing a prolonged period of time on the Disabled List. See? We're doing better already.
Actually, I was going to write an article today about how entirely impressed I am by the Cubs for their strong start. Not that 3-1 is bad. But until yesterday's 10-1 drubbing by the Giants, the Cubs had outscored their opponents 18-6. That's right, in the first three games of Spring Training, the Cubs had had an ERA of 2.00. In Spring Training.
Then, yesterday marked the Lefty Audition day of Chicagoan Bullpen Idol, and unfortunately we were quick to discover that neither Jimmy Anderson, Stephen Randolph, nor Will Ohman can sing, dance, or pitch. So, since that game only featured one or two pitchers who will actually make the Cubs roster, if that, then I think it's safe to say that it was a gimmee for the Giants.
Today marks the first Spring Training start of Greg Maddux, and Joe Borowski is scheduled to pitch as well. Cubs fans will be watching this one closely.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
THE ZAMBRAN-O-METER
You've probably seen it before, over at Goat Riders of the Apocalypse, but in case you don't frequent my sister site, I thought I'd post the Zambran-o-meter here, as well.
In case you don't know, Carlos Zambrano recently said the following at a press conference:
120 wins? Yowza, Carlos! Yowza!
But that inspired me, and I have since created the graphic you see on your left.
Soon, we'll have the Zambran-o-meter added to the links section of Goat Riders. Once it's there, it will be updated constantly as the Cubs win games. But will it eventually reach 120?
Well, do you care if it does, as long as the Cubs make the playoffs? I know I don't, but it's still a funny graphic that I hope will garner some attention for Cubs blogs from the media. How would it do that, you ask? Simply, Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue has agreed to take a Zambran-O-Meter to Cubs games in Chicago. It will have the address to his website and Goat Riders at the top, and hopefully it'll get on TV every once in a while.
And yes, he's heating the meter by shooting laser beams from out of his eyes.
You've probably seen it before, over at Goat Riders of the Apocalypse, but in case you don't frequent my sister site, I thought I'd post the Zambran-o-meter here, as well.
In case you don't know, Carlos Zambrano recently said the following at a press conference:
The other day I was sitting down and thinking about last season. I'm the kind of person who, whatever happens in the past, let it be in the past. But we won 89 games last year without Prior and Wood when they were hurt. This year, if we can count on 10 more wins from each of them, we can win 116 games, 120 games. I know we can do it with the pitching we have and the hitters. We'll be OK.
120 wins? Yowza, Carlos! Yowza!
But that inspired me, and I have since created the graphic you see on your left.
Soon, we'll have the Zambran-o-meter added to the links section of Goat Riders. Once it's there, it will be updated constantly as the Cubs win games. But will it eventually reach 120?
Well, do you care if it does, as long as the Cubs make the playoffs? I know I don't, but it's still a funny graphic that I hope will garner some attention for Cubs blogs from the media. How would it do that, you ask? Simply, Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue has agreed to take a Zambran-O-Meter to Cubs games in Chicago. It will have the address to his website and Goat Riders at the top, and hopefully it'll get on TV every once in a while.
And yes, he's heating the meter by shooting laser beams from out of his eyes.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
AS YOU LIKE IT
Often times, the weekend can be like internet death for Cubs fans. Most pages don't update, and most bloggers take that time off. But here at the Cub Fan Nation, I have a compulsive urge to blog no matter what day of the week it is. Today, like in the previous two weeks, I'm going to post a bunch of Spring Training photos to whet your whistle while you wait for Monday to roll around. (Although if this weekend is anything like the last one, I'll wind up posting four more times before Monday). So, here are a fresh batch of photos from Mesa, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune:
Here we see Carlos Zambrano in the opening game of Spring Training against the Athletics. Carlos went two strong innings that day, and the Cubs won the game 2-1 off of a homer by Aramis Ramirez.
In this image, it looks as though Michael Barrett is running out of the dugout to resume catching for Carlos. In reality, Barrett had noticed a small child falling in the stands, and was running out to catch her. Don't worry folks, he got there in time.
In what was probably the scariest moment of the season thus far, Nomar Garciaparra has just lost a contact lens in the dirt at Mesa. Either that or someone hit him with a pitched ball.
Holy s-word! Wendell Kim got huge! He looks like he could kick my ass!
Doesn't Nomar just look cool? The stubble, the cool sunglasses, the glove-tightening OCD... The Cubs need to get more guys like him.
Cheer up, Charlie Brown. Dusty likes you more than he likes "Hairy" Jerry Hairston, anyway.
Hey, whoa! The stubble! The cool sunglasses! The Heisman pose! Nomar, you have competition for Coolest Cub, and "Hairy" Jerry is moving up the list!
Here we see Dusty and Darren Baker messing around during practice. It looks to me as though they found another one of Sammy's boomboxes, and are trying to decide which one gets to smash it.
And finally, we have a pic of Kerry Wood warming up before his first Spring Training start yesterday. Notice the nameless home jersey, and how cool it looks. Man, in a week or so, I'll be getting MY nameless jersey! Woo-hoo! Anyway, this is the sole picture taken from ESPN.
So, that will conclude it for now. I'm probably not going to post again until Monday, although knowing me, I'll post twice more between now and then. Have a good weekend!
Often times, the weekend can be like internet death for Cubs fans. Most pages don't update, and most bloggers take that time off. But here at the Cub Fan Nation, I have a compulsive urge to blog no matter what day of the week it is. Today, like in the previous two weeks, I'm going to post a bunch of Spring Training photos to whet your whistle while you wait for Monday to roll around. (Although if this weekend is anything like the last one, I'll wind up posting four more times before Monday). So, here are a fresh batch of photos from Mesa, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune:
Here we see Carlos Zambrano in the opening game of Spring Training against the Athletics. Carlos went two strong innings that day, and the Cubs won the game 2-1 off of a homer by Aramis Ramirez.
In this image, it looks as though Michael Barrett is running out of the dugout to resume catching for Carlos. In reality, Barrett had noticed a small child falling in the stands, and was running out to catch her. Don't worry folks, he got there in time.
In what was probably the scariest moment of the season thus far, Nomar Garciaparra has just lost a contact lens in the dirt at Mesa. Either that or someone hit him with a pitched ball.
Holy s-word! Wendell Kim got huge! He looks like he could kick my ass!
Doesn't Nomar just look cool? The stubble, the cool sunglasses, the glove-tightening OCD... The Cubs need to get more guys like him.
Cheer up, Charlie Brown. Dusty likes you more than he likes "Hairy" Jerry Hairston, anyway.
Hey, whoa! The stubble! The cool sunglasses! The Heisman pose! Nomar, you have competition for Coolest Cub, and "Hairy" Jerry is moving up the list!
Here we see Dusty and Darren Baker messing around during practice. It looks to me as though they found another one of Sammy's boomboxes, and are trying to decide which one gets to smash it.
And finally, we have a pic of Kerry Wood warming up before his first Spring Training start yesterday. Notice the nameless home jersey, and how cool it looks. Man, in a week or so, I'll be getting MY nameless jersey! Woo-hoo! Anyway, this is the sole picture taken from ESPN.
So, that will conclude it for now. I'm probably not going to post again until Monday, although knowing me, I'll post twice more between now and then. Have a good weekend!
Friday, March 04, 2005
"KINGPIN" RAMIREZ
If you ever wanted a glimpse at how non-Cubs fans see us, then you should just tell a random person how excited you are about Spring Training. That's what I did with my girlfriend, and she has outright told me that I'm a borderline lunatic. After all, the games don't count, and they seem to be played at a slower pace than those in the regular season. Yet, you can't imagine how excited I am to finally have baseball coming back. In fact, I recently bought the TV package from mlb.com so I could catch every game this year from the comfort of my bedroom. And I bought it now, rather than nearer to April, because I have hope that at least a few ST games will be aired on MLB TV.
The Cubs won their opening game 2-1 against the Athletics. Both Chicago runs came from a bomb hit by budding superstar Aramis Ramirez. After the game, Aramis was seen wearing an Al Capone t-shirt, which might earn him the new nickname "Kingpin" from me.
I guess the biggest news story is about how the Cubs have finally secured the city's permission to expand Wrigley Field. The Cubs will be adding something like 1,800 bleacher seats (down from a proposed 2,600 seats), as well as a 400-car parking garage. The one major concern is that the addition of the bleacher seats will make it harder for the baseball to be hit out of the park, thus eliminating the Ballhawks who stand outside the park and track down homerun balls. I would be surprised though if the park-clearing homerun became impossible at Wrigley, because most of those balls get knocked out onto the street anyway, and the new seats will only cover part of the old sidewalk.
I'm going to try to EMail Ken of the Waveland Chronicles to get his perspective on the whole thing. Until then, I'll be playing with my MLB.tv package.
If you ever wanted a glimpse at how non-Cubs fans see us, then you should just tell a random person how excited you are about Spring Training. That's what I did with my girlfriend, and she has outright told me that I'm a borderline lunatic. After all, the games don't count, and they seem to be played at a slower pace than those in the regular season. Yet, you can't imagine how excited I am to finally have baseball coming back. In fact, I recently bought the TV package from mlb.com so I could catch every game this year from the comfort of my bedroom. And I bought it now, rather than nearer to April, because I have hope that at least a few ST games will be aired on MLB TV.
The Cubs won their opening game 2-1 against the Athletics. Both Chicago runs came from a bomb hit by budding superstar Aramis Ramirez. After the game, Aramis was seen wearing an Al Capone t-shirt, which might earn him the new nickname "Kingpin" from me.
I guess the biggest news story is about how the Cubs have finally secured the city's permission to expand Wrigley Field. The Cubs will be adding something like 1,800 bleacher seats (down from a proposed 2,600 seats), as well as a 400-car parking garage. The one major concern is that the addition of the bleacher seats will make it harder for the baseball to be hit out of the park, thus eliminating the Ballhawks who stand outside the park and track down homerun balls. I would be surprised though if the park-clearing homerun became impossible at Wrigley, because most of those balls get knocked out onto the street anyway, and the new seats will only cover part of the old sidewalk.
I'm going to try to EMail Ken of the Waveland Chronicles to get his perspective on the whole thing. Until then, I'll be playing with my MLB.tv package.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
WHY PEOPLE CARE ABOUT STEROIDS
"We gotta give 'em an asterisk," they tell us. "The game has been tarnished," they say. "How can you possibly compare Barry Bonds to Babe Ruth when you know that one juiced up and the other didn't?" they ask.
People, people, people. First of all, I'd stake my reputation (do I have one of those?) on just how little most fans care about steroids. Sure, they complain a lot, and loudly, but we'll see how attendance figures reflect those complaints.
In reality, there is a small group of people - baseball purists, if you will - who are very red-faced, very upset, and, very vocal about the steroid problem. Which is fine. Let them complain. But here's what we're overlooking in all the hub-bub: we have never been able to accurately compare eras of baseball, and we never will be able to accurate compare those eras! Never ever!
The game of baseball changes. The ball itself changes. Hell, the live-ball era didn't really start until 1919 or 1920. Should we void the first 40 years of baseball for that reason? The pitching mound has been raised and lowered. That has probably had an effect on pitching and hitting. Should we stick special asterisks on statistics that may be "tainted" by the mound change? Expansion has dilluded the talent pool, allowing for an increase in offense and a decrease in quality pitching. Should we asterisk that one, too?
The fact is, we compare by eras. We always have. We say, "this guy is the best hitter of his generation," or, "this guy is the best pitcher of his era." And then, the really fun part is when we have lively debates and discussions about whether or not someone like Greg Maddux compares to Bob Gibson, or who most resembles Dizzy Dean. But that's the point - we have a discrepancy so we debate it, we discuss it, and that lively kind of conversation is what makes baseball such an amazing, enjoyable sport to begin with! Who wants to go to the ballpark to just sit around and have conversations like the following:
"Barry Bonds is the best hitter in the history of the game."
"I agree."
You want the argument. You want the debate. Or, at least, I know I do!
But hey, if you're a baseball purist, and this whole steroid scandal drives you off your freakin' rocker, I'll suggest again something I wrote about probably six months ago. Reset the career totals at the top of each century.
Back when I was a little kid, I heard about how there's a "modern era" of baseball, which I think generally begins at 1900. So, you have the player with the most wins in a season, and you have the guy who did it before 1900, right? I always thought that there would always be "eras" or sorts. I thought there would be a homerun king for the 20th century, and then there could be a homerun king for the 21st one!
Imagine everyone starting over, having a shot at becoming the greatest hitter or pitcher of the current era. We already know that no one will match Cy Young's win total, or Ty Cobb's career batting average. But if we reset the era, we'd have renewed interest in discovering who the greatest modern era pitcher or hitter is. And we could have a second section of statistics for people who simply have the best career numbers! So, Barry Bonds would never surpass Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth as homerun king of the 20th century. They
would always justly have their names at the top of the list. BUT Barry might still have the best overall numbers.
I could really get behind an idea like that. I think it would be fun, and it would send a clear message to the fans: you can't accurately compare eras, so here, you can do this instead.
As for the whole anger over the steroid scandal... I hate to shatter the fragile world you might be living in, but athletes everywhere do drugs. Players have taken "uppers" for decades, and they almost certainly always will. Players have always tried to find an advantage to get ahead in the game, whether that advantage stems from taking uppers, injecting steriods, or stealing signs.
For me at least, that doesn't effect my enjoyment of the game. It's just how the game has always been played.
"We gotta give 'em an asterisk," they tell us. "The game has been tarnished," they say. "How can you possibly compare Barry Bonds to Babe Ruth when you know that one juiced up and the other didn't?" they ask.
People, people, people. First of all, I'd stake my reputation (do I have one of those?) on just how little most fans care about steroids. Sure, they complain a lot, and loudly, but we'll see how attendance figures reflect those complaints.
In reality, there is a small group of people - baseball purists, if you will - who are very red-faced, very upset, and, very vocal about the steroid problem. Which is fine. Let them complain. But here's what we're overlooking in all the hub-bub: we have never been able to accurately compare eras of baseball, and we never will be able to accurate compare those eras! Never ever!
The game of baseball changes. The ball itself changes. Hell, the live-ball era didn't really start until 1919 or 1920. Should we void the first 40 years of baseball for that reason? The pitching mound has been raised and lowered. That has probably had an effect on pitching and hitting. Should we stick special asterisks on statistics that may be "tainted" by the mound change? Expansion has dilluded the talent pool, allowing for an increase in offense and a decrease in quality pitching. Should we asterisk that one, too? The fact is, we compare by eras. We always have. We say, "this guy is the best hitter of his generation," or, "this guy is the best pitcher of his era." And then, the really fun part is when we have lively debates and discussions about whether or not someone like Greg Maddux compares to Bob Gibson, or who most resembles Dizzy Dean. But that's the point - we have a discrepancy so we debate it, we discuss it, and that lively kind of conversation is what makes baseball such an amazing, enjoyable sport to begin with! Who wants to go to the ballpark to just sit around and have conversations like the following:
"Barry Bonds is the best hitter in the history of the game."
"I agree."
You want the argument. You want the debate. Or, at least, I know I do!
But hey, if you're a baseball purist, and this whole steroid scandal drives you off your freakin' rocker, I'll suggest again something I wrote about probably six months ago. Reset the career totals at the top of each century.Back when I was a little kid, I heard about how there's a "modern era" of baseball, which I think generally begins at 1900. So, you have the player with the most wins in a season, and you have the guy who did it before 1900, right? I always thought that there would always be "eras" or sorts. I thought there would be a homerun king for the 20th century, and then there could be a homerun king for the 21st one!
Imagine everyone starting over, having a shot at becoming the greatest hitter or pitcher of the current era. We already know that no one will match Cy Young's win total, or Ty Cobb's career batting average. But if we reset the era, we'd have renewed interest in discovering who the greatest modern era pitcher or hitter is. And we could have a second section of statistics for people who simply have the best career numbers! So, Barry Bonds would never surpass Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth as homerun king of the 20th century. They
would always justly have their names at the top of the list. BUT Barry might still have the best overall numbers. I could really get behind an idea like that. I think it would be fun, and it would send a clear message to the fans: you can't accurately compare eras, so here, you can do this instead.
As for the whole anger over the steroid scandal... I hate to shatter the fragile world you might be living in, but athletes everywhere do drugs. Players have taken "uppers" for decades, and they almost certainly always will. Players have always tried to find an advantage to get ahead in the game, whether that advantage stems from taking uppers, injecting steriods, or stealing signs.
For me at least, that doesn't effect my enjoyment of the game. It's just how the game has always been played.
READER MAIL
It's not very often that I get any sort of EMails from the people who read this site, but I've received several EMails in the last week, so I'm going to share them here.
The first letter comes from Johnny Lacina, a Cubs fan convert.
Johnny, thanks again for the kind words. Famous or not, I'm very happy you EMailed me, and I'm glad you discovered the Cubs even as late as you did. 2001 was a fun season, even if it ended badly. I went to two games that year with my brother. The first was a night game, and it had been sporadically raining, but we were under the upper deck so we managed to stay dry. The second game, however, we were out in the bleachers. We must've been at the park for eight hours that day, going through rain delay after rain delay. But it was worth it - the Cubs won both games and I was a happy man. Hopefully we'll have more to be happy about this year.
Another recent EMail came from Jason Rieger, of Grace and Wayne.
I remember Jason pretty well. I'm sure there are others out there who might recognize me from the old AOL boards. I used to be a pretty arrogant ass over at those sites, but I think I've calmed down a bit in the last few years. Anyway, if you get a chance, you should check out Jason's blog. I think it'll become one of the better blogs of the Cub Fan Nation.
One more blog link for this morning.... Tim Lybarger is a new Cubs blogger who unfortunately married into a family of Cardinals fans. Of course, this allows for him to have a very interesting perspective on the rivalry (and is probably the reason he always has welts on his arm and back after showing up for a family party). Feel free to check out his blog, The I-55 Rivalry.
I also forwarded the EMail to Byron of the Cubs Blog Army, and hopefully he'll add it to the growing list of Cubs blogs, if he hasn't already.
I'll probably post actual, you know, commentary about the Cubs a little later today, if I have time. In the meanwhile, thanks to the people who send me EMails, and if you read this blog and are quiet, give me a shout sometime! Even if it's just through the comments script of the blog, it's very cool whenever I discover that I have an audience.
It's not very often that I get any sort of EMails from the people who read this site, but I've received several EMails in the last week, so I'm going to share them here.
The first letter comes from Johnny Lacina, a Cubs fan convert.
You do not know or respect me, nor am I famous or even pseudo-famous. I enjoy Cub Fan Nation and check it out about every day, along with Bleed Cubbie Blue and The View from the Bleachers, and a few others.
Back when Jimmy Carter was president the Baptists talked about being "born again". You might say I'm a "born again" cub fan. Back in 1962 when I was 12 years old I drew a six-gun and wrote "Colt .45s" on my glove, and I followed the Astros until the strike, then basically forgot about baseball. While attending a meeting of Community College Trustees in Chicago in 2001 I skipped out of the meetings to go to a game at Wrigley, and had such a great time it awakened my love for baseball, but as a cubs fan. Being close to the action at Wrigley reminded me of going to high school games at the old stadium at Fireman's Park in Brenham, Texas. I was able to get back to Wrigley last year for the July 1 game against the Astros, and the July 3 game v the White Sox. Maybe next year I'll make it back for a few games.
Anyway, that's probably about 2 paragraphs more than you care to know about this reader. Keep up the good work with Cub Fan Nation.
Johnny, thanks again for the kind words. Famous or not, I'm very happy you EMailed me, and I'm glad you discovered the Cubs even as late as you did. 2001 was a fun season, even if it ended badly. I went to two games that year with my brother. The first was a night game, and it had been sporadically raining, but we were under the upper deck so we managed to stay dry. The second game, however, we were out in the bleachers. We must've been at the park for eight hours that day, going through rain delay after rain delay. But it was worth it - the Cubs won both games and I was a happy man. Hopefully we'll have more to be happy about this year.
Another recent EMail came from Jason Rieger, of Grace and Wayne.
Small world. I just noticed you posting on my father-in-law's site (On
Religion) and I think to myself, "I know that name." You used to post
on the AOL Cubs message boards. The only other name I can remember from
that is Addision, as I was in high school. I was Grace1base and we
occasionally IM'd. Small freakin' cub nation. Anyway, always good to
see a familiar face and keep up the good blogging.
I remember Jason pretty well. I'm sure there are others out there who might recognize me from the old AOL boards. I used to be a pretty arrogant ass over at those sites, but I think I've calmed down a bit in the last few years. Anyway, if you get a chance, you should check out Jason's blog. I think it'll become one of the better blogs of the Cub Fan Nation.
One more blog link for this morning.... Tim Lybarger is a new Cubs blogger who unfortunately married into a family of Cardinals fans. Of course, this allows for him to have a very interesting perspective on the rivalry (and is probably the reason he always has welts on his arm and back after showing up for a family party). Feel free to check out his blog, The I-55 Rivalry.
I also forwarded the EMail to Byron of the Cubs Blog Army, and hopefully he'll add it to the growing list of Cubs blogs, if he hasn't already.
I'll probably post actual, you know, commentary about the Cubs a little later today, if I have time. In the meanwhile, thanks to the people who send me EMails, and if you read this blog and are quiet, give me a shout sometime! Even if it's just through the comments script of the blog, it's very cool whenever I discover that I have an audience.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
POOR RON SANTO
You really have to feel for the guy. He's been snubbed by the baseball Hall of Fame for his entire life, and it looks like that won't change any time soon. This year he was only eight votes shy of election. It's a real shame.
Much as Al Yellon said over at his blog, the entire thing just reeks of elitism on the part of the voters. It's a limited club, and, they obviously don't want anyone else in but themselves.
I'm not nearly as political as I would like to be, but there are times when it seems evident that you really need to get a group of people together to write letters, make phone calls, and do whatever else it is that you have to do to get your point across. And I really wish that we Cubs fans could come together and make it known to the Veterans Committee that they're making a mistake in not electing Ron Santo into the Hall. I think that at some point in the future, I'll try very hard to get information together so we can start a letter writing campaign, or something. It's just wrong.
You really have to feel for the guy. He's been snubbed by the baseball Hall of Fame for his entire life, and it looks like that won't change any time soon. This year he was only eight votes shy of election. It's a real shame.
Much as Al Yellon said over at his blog, the entire thing just reeks of elitism on the part of the voters. It's a limited club, and, they obviously don't want anyone else in but themselves.
I'm not nearly as political as I would like to be, but there are times when it seems evident that you really need to get a group of people together to write letters, make phone calls, and do whatever else it is that you have to do to get your point across. And I really wish that we Cubs fans could come together and make it known to the Veterans Committee that they're making a mistake in not electing Ron Santo into the Hall. I think that at some point in the future, I'll try very hard to get information together so we can start a letter writing campaign, or something. It's just wrong.
JOE BOROWSKI: STEROID ABUSER?
Sometimes baseball fans don't exactly make much sense. For example, a big topic of discussion right now over at North Side Baseball is whether or not Joe Borowski has ever been a juicer, or if he's one now.
First of all, I absolutely don't think he's a juicer now. Borowski came to camp 20 pounds lighter, and actually looks trim and in shape. He doesn't look big and bulging.
Second, he's never looked big and bulging. He's never had a toned physique. The guy's substance of choice is the Hero Sub, not the needle. But if you want a better comparison of what a guy with steroids might look like, compared to a guy who doesn't use steroids, look no further:
Here we have Kyle Farnsworth. I'm not saying he was a juicer for sure, but he is exhibiting some signs of it. Notice the firm, well-defined muscles on his arm, and the large vein on his forehead. This toned physique is clearly an example of potential steroid use. And the picture isn't enough of an example, take note that he's pummeling the CRAP out of a guy! 'Roid Rage at it's finest, folks.
Now we look at Joe Borowski, circa 2003. Notice the large gut and flabby physique. I mean, the guy isn't in Rod Beck territory, but he's not exactly a walking advertisement for Gold's Gym. Furthermore, note the mood of the picture: Joe Borowski is smiling and clearly jubilant. Obviously, the guy is experiencing a good buzz. Borowski's drug of choice is clearly alcohol!
But if those pics aren't a good enough comparison for you, then just consider this: the reason Joe Borowski lost speed on his fastball stems from the fact that he has a torn rotator cuff!
So, the next time you suspect that Joe Borowski has been juicing, just have a look at the pictures presented above. Hopefully, they will help alleviate your doubt!
Sometimes baseball fans don't exactly make much sense. For example, a big topic of discussion right now over at North Side Baseball is whether or not Joe Borowski has ever been a juicer, or if he's one now.
First of all, I absolutely don't think he's a juicer now. Borowski came to camp 20 pounds lighter, and actually looks trim and in shape. He doesn't look big and bulging.
Second, he's never looked big and bulging. He's never had a toned physique. The guy's substance of choice is the Hero Sub, not the needle. But if you want a better comparison of what a guy with steroids might look like, compared to a guy who doesn't use steroids, look no further:
Here we have Kyle Farnsworth. I'm not saying he was a juicer for sure, but he is exhibiting some signs of it. Notice the firm, well-defined muscles on his arm, and the large vein on his forehead. This toned physique is clearly an example of potential steroid use. And the picture isn't enough of an example, take note that he's pummeling the CRAP out of a guy! 'Roid Rage at it's finest, folks.
Now we look at Joe Borowski, circa 2003. Notice the large gut and flabby physique. I mean, the guy isn't in Rod Beck territory, but he's not exactly a walking advertisement for Gold's Gym. Furthermore, note the mood of the picture: Joe Borowski is smiling and clearly jubilant. Obviously, the guy is experiencing a good buzz. Borowski's drug of choice is clearly alcohol!
But if those pics aren't a good enough comparison for you, then just consider this: the reason Joe Borowski lost speed on his fastball stems from the fact that he has a torn rotator cuff!
So, the next time you suspect that Joe Borowski has been juicing, just have a look at the pictures presented above. Hopefully, they will help alleviate your doubt!
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
LET'S ROOT FOR RONNIE
To prove that God is a sadist, Ron Santo is again eligible to join the Hall of Fame, pending on how the Veteran's Committee votes. During his last chance two years ago, Ron was denied by a scant twelve votes, and chances are, he'll be denied again this year along with the rest.
Does Santo belong in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely, especially when you consider his career numbers. At a time when pitching was at its peak (consider that Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, and Gaylord Perry all pitched in Santo's league when he was a player), Ron Santo was a star. He hit 30 homeruns four times or more, drove in 100 or more RBI four times or more, was a nine-time All Star, a five-time Gold Glove award winner at third base, and finished up with 342 home runs, 1,331 RBI, a career .277 batting average, .362 OBP, and 2,254 hits, all in just 15 seasons of play. His numbers compare very fairly to Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, the greatest third baseman of all time. Brooks played in 23 seasons, had 2,848 hits for a .267 career average, hit 268 homeruns, drove in 1,357 RBI, had only a .322 OBP, was a 15-time All Star and a 16-time Gold Glove award winner.
Ron has been waiting to be voted in for more than 30 years now, and it's greatly to the distress of many that he hasn't been voted in at this time. Santo really was a great third baseman, and he really does deserve to be in the Hall. He especially deserves to be voted in before he dies. As you may know, Ronnie has been suffering from ill healthy for a number of years now. He has diabetes (which probably shortened his career), and as a consequence has lost both legs. He also suffers from heart problems. And yet, it seems that Santo just won't die until the Cubs win the World Series, which I hope will also occur before too long into the future.
Anyway, the Veterans committee announces the results of their Hall of Fame vote tomorrow, on March 2nd. If you're the type of person who prays, I hope Ron Santo makes your list tonight. He's been overlooked for too long, and it would be just wonderful if both he and Ryne Sandberg entered the Hall together on the same year.
To prove that God is a sadist, Ron Santo is again eligible to join the Hall of Fame, pending on how the Veteran's Committee votes. During his last chance two years ago, Ron was denied by a scant twelve votes, and chances are, he'll be denied again this year along with the rest.
Does Santo belong in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely, especially when you consider his career numbers. At a time when pitching was at its peak (consider that Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, and Gaylord Perry all pitched in Santo's league when he was a player), Ron Santo was a star. He hit 30 homeruns four times or more, drove in 100 or more RBI four times or more, was a nine-time All Star, a five-time Gold Glove award winner at third base, and finished up with 342 home runs, 1,331 RBI, a career .277 batting average, .362 OBP, and 2,254 hits, all in just 15 seasons of play. His numbers compare very fairly to Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, the greatest third baseman of all time. Brooks played in 23 seasons, had 2,848 hits for a .267 career average, hit 268 homeruns, drove in 1,357 RBI, had only a .322 OBP, was a 15-time All Star and a 16-time Gold Glove award winner.
Ron has been waiting to be voted in for more than 30 years now, and it's greatly to the distress of many that he hasn't been voted in at this time. Santo really was a great third baseman, and he really does deserve to be in the Hall. He especially deserves to be voted in before he dies. As you may know, Ronnie has been suffering from ill healthy for a number of years now. He has diabetes (which probably shortened his career), and as a consequence has lost both legs. He also suffers from heart problems. And yet, it seems that Santo just won't die until the Cubs win the World Series, which I hope will also occur before too long into the future.
Anyway, the Veterans committee announces the results of their Hall of Fame vote tomorrow, on March 2nd. If you're the type of person who prays, I hope Ron Santo makes your list tonight. He's been overlooked for too long, and it would be just wonderful if both he and Ryne Sandberg entered the Hall together on the same year.
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