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39 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (one slot is open), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL and one player has been DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT (DFA)   

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-23-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
* Matt Mervis
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 9 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 3
Kyle Hendricks, P 
* Drew Smyly, P 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P

DFA: 1 
Garrett Cooper, 1B 
 




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Game 15 Thread / Cubs @ Braves (2 of 2)

Submitted by Rob G. on
Game Chat Rich Hill vs. Mark Redman Lineups:
Theriot 2b Johnson 2b
Derosa RF Renteria SS
Lee 1B C. Jones 3B
Ramirez 3B A. Jones CF
Barrett C Francoeur RF
Murton LF Diaz LF
Cedeno SS Wilson 1B
Pie CF Pena C
Hill P Redman P
As Len & Bob's blog points out, a matchup of the league's best starter in terms of ERA versus the worst (with at least two starts). Also looks like Piniella remembered that Derosa has played the outfield before.

Comments

Submitted by 10man on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:23 pm

I think Lou finally saw the light putting Theriot at leadoff and Pie down at a less pressure packed #8 slot. Not to mention finally starting Derosa in the OF. I'm telling you, Lou does read TCR.

Submitted by cubswinthepennant on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:35 pm

Also looks like Piniella remembered that Derosa has played the outfield before. PIniella is still getting acquainted with where these players belong. It was HENDRY who handed Derosa the starting second base job when he signed him, not Lou. As I've pointed out since last March, THERIOT is the guy who should be starting at second. DEROSA, on the other hand, is a superb sub. Of course, thanks to Hendry mucking things up, we have the roles of these two reversed. But with time, Lou will straighten it out.

Submitted by Rynox on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:35 pm

Hill 2-0 0.64 Redman 0-2 12.96 Ok... am I the only one worried about the Law of Averages tonight?

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:39 pm

this lineup at least makes some f'n sense...beyond who's hitting where in the lineup...more importantly (to me) who's playing what position, especially in the OF on a day where r.hill is pitching. experiments are fine and all, but if lou's gonna shuffle players all over at least put them places they can thrive defensively. be nice to have these experiments when a winning record is around, too...some kinda cushion.

Submitted by dave on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:42 pm

PIniella is still getting acquainted with where these players belong. I still don't buy this. Do you really think that LouPa doesn't (or at least didn't) know that DeRosa played the outfield last year?

Submitted by Bogey on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:46 pm

Piniella interview from WMVP notes Soriano isn't likely to return until Monday. They'll rerack the interview at 6pm CST if you want to hear it.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:46 pm

I'm pretty sure he knew Theriot never played the outfield before, about one day worth of shagging flyballs would have shown him that.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:46 pm

with some of the moves lou'd made defensively im starting to think lou really isnt that acquainted to some of his players. sure, he may know derosa is a badass in the field and has an arm...but what he knows about murton, cedeno, and some of the bench (including ward) i question. i still don't know how anyone puts murton in RF unless they simply look at his minor league numbers and say "oh, he's played RF before." i dont have a problem with murton getting some occasional RF, but the guy does not belong there and not for 2 days in a row and no experiment needed to be done to find that one out. that's not just me having an opinion, either...a guy that dont have the skills dont have the skills and he will be treated as such by the opposing team/coaches. murton's got no cred in RF based on what he's shown in LF.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:47 pm

meh, misses the first Cardinals series. Oh well. for those scoring at home, two lefty starters faced, twice JJ has sat.

Submitted by Wes on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:49 pm

I think that now that Theriot is playing well during the season that he's going to play more. It's hard to just hand over your 2B job right out of spring training to a kid with 147 big league AB's. Especially considering his big league numbers exceed his minor league numbers by 40 points in every category. The same applies to the CF job and a kid with 0 big league AB's. However, if both continue to play well, they'll get time. Especially if Jim wants to trade Jacque.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:51 pm

lou's a very numbers manager, but this club was glutted of people who know a lotta the youth and recently non-youth. larry roths is probably the 2nd most important coach on the team right now as far as information flow...mike quade, also. everyone else is fresh off the plane and shaking hands to get acquainted.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:59 pm

King Felix won't throw for 5 days, flexor-pronator strain.. 2-3 starts, 10-20 days they said.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:00 pm

ive liked most of lou's lineups...its where they are in the field that's been irking me most days. the murton thing doesnt bother me as much as some, but its not exactly what lou was saying in spring...but hey, its too early to bury him over that at this point in the season.

Submitted by Vince on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:04 pm

"for those scoring at home, two lefty starters faced, twice JJ has sat" I'll save Manny a post: BUT ROB, JOCK HAS 4 AB'S AGAINST LHP; Lou and Dusty are the same; FIRE HENDRY!!!! :)

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:07 pm

Gotta hand it to Lou for realizing Jacque was a platoon player. Hoping Lou remembers that more late in games, seems to let JJ hit in those situations. That's also because he's usually burned through his whole bench at that point.

Submitted by cubster on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:12 pm

flexor-pronator strain... ----- the flexor tendon origin (which bend/flex the wrist or provide resistance to wrist extension) and pronator teres muscle origin (which is responsible for forearm rotation to turn the palm down) attaches to the inside (medial) portion of the elbow at the distal humerus. Right underneath this is the ulnar collateral ligament (ie. what gets reconstructed with Tommy John surgery). Just hope that this isn't the prelude to another great pitching talent heading down the ol' surgical trail. the following link has some excellent pictures of the ulnar collateral as well as the flexor/pronator attachments but you have to click on the links on the referenced page to see them http://www.handuniversity.com/topics.asp?Topic_ID=11

Submitted by mannytrillo on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:21 pm

Vince: "BUT ROB, JOCK HAS 4 AB’S AGAINST LHP;" If I were to post that I would try harder to be factual. JJ actually has 7 PA's vs LHP this year. :) Amazingly the Cubs as a team only have 38 PA's vs LHP all year. And yes, JJ does have the most PA's vs. LHP of anyone on the Cubs thus far this year. "Lou and Dusty are the same;" I have never said that. "FIRE HENDRY!!!!" You finally got one right...good job, thanks for playing!!

Submitted by The E-Man on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:46 pm

No - MANNY likes to cover his ass with gems like, "They're similar, but not the same." After he's said "they're the same manager". You know - "old-school" - like Leyland, La Russa, McKeown, Cox Old school. Not like it means anything. LOL!

Submitted by Vince on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:30 pm

sorry manny. i didn't know if you were around and i didn't want rob posting something and not get criticized for it. my bad great performance by hill again. he should give z some pointers on how to keep the ball near the strike zone

Submitted by The E-Man on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:36 pm

Me too, MANNY - you didn't really say they were the same manager(Lou and Dusty). Sorry - my bad. What you said was, "I do believe they are much more similar than most Cubs fans think and besides their vast difference in personalities. Their overall old school managing style is not much different. But they are NOT the same manager."

Submitted by Guinnessman on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:43 pm

I am kinda enjoying watching these games. Even if the score does not reflect it, I see a glimmer a baseball smartness. It is refreshing to see that Lou is not platoon for platooning sakes, setting line up just for the lefty righty match-up, focus on core fundamentals of defense and base-running and willing to sit a player when they are struggling. More so I like Lou is not berating his players but telling them to play better. I would not like my boss to it to me, why should the cub players expect it from Lou. I am seeing from this team a little game plan. It just the first mile in this marathon of a season, but I am enjoying this year better than the last 10 years (so far). I got an good idea that I would like to throw out, if an opposing teams double play combo is not the sharpest but the catcher is solid and the pitcher has a good quick delivery, would it make more sense to place your two fastest guys a little more in center of offense. Maybe batting 3&4 or 4&5 instead of 1&2? My idea is that stealing opportunity would limited because of the catcher but your speed guys would be able to break up double plays because of their speed. Any thoughts?

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:57 pm

beyond Hill's mastery, Dempster with an easy 1-2-3 inning, gotta love it.

Submitted by mannytrillo on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:09 pm

E-Man: "After he’s said “they’re the same manager”. When did I say that...Please post the link. Thanks!!

Submitted by mannytrillo on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:10 pm

E-Man: "MANNY - you didn’t really say they were the same manager(Lou and Dusty). Sorry - my bad." OK...

Submitted by Rynox on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:17 pm

Rob G.:
Lou’s fed up with the baserunning apparently, calling in Bob Dernier to run a clinic with the team.
Then I wonder what he thought of the Theriot thing trying to steal 3rd with Lee & Ramirez up and only 1 out? errrr... tell me he didn't call for that steal.

Submitted by Wes on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:25 pm

I was angry that Theriot ran there. But I was even more angry that DeRosa didn't move him over. Runner at second, nobody out. I think I'll just hit a pop-up to left. Nice AB, jackass.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:27 pm

I know you don't want to run in front of your best hitters, but if you're going to steal 3rd, you do it with one out. Lou didn't seem upset about it at the time, but who knows? Beginning of the year he said only Soriano has a green light, but maybe that's changed. Theriot was perfect to that point and I don't know much about their catcher Pena but he sure hasn't played a lot of catcher at the major league level and before today allowed 11/13 guys to steal in his career. Maybe Piniella thought he saw something with Redman/Pena that he could take advantage.

Submitted by Chad on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:45 pm

"I thought you weren’t allowed to practice during the year. :) " You are allowed to practice, you just can't practice at Wrigley. Ol' Lou is making them report to those softball fields down by the lake. You know the ones. Right off Lake Shore Drive.

Submitted by Chad on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:02 pm

And Sosa has more home runs (4) that our enitre outfield. Combined. This includes: Soriano Murton Jones Pie Floyd

Submitted by Cubster on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:07 pm

You know the ones. Right off Lake Shore Drive. ------ It's called as Waveland Park...adjacent to the Totem Pole on the south and the golf course behind the diamonds.

Submitted by The Real Neal on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:33 pm

Kip Wells is returning back to his pumpkinesque form, and the law of averages is finally catching up with .277 hitter Albert Pujols. The Cards come into town with the same record as the Cubs, 1/2 a game behind the Pirates for the coveted fourth spot in the division.

Submitted by Rynox on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:39 pm

Chad:
And Sosa has more home runs (4) that our enitre outfield.
Who needs Sosa when you have Derosa. Seriously, though, I expected Derosa to be a dog, but he's been bad ass early on. Not just with the bat, defense, too. I'm happy to say, at least so far, I've been way wrong about Derosa.

Submitted by IFC on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:50 pm

that .244-.295-.585 is impressive? Sure the 4 HRs and slugging % are nice and his D has been solid. Wouldn't say that's badass though. Arod and Rich Hill have been badass.

Submitted by Eric the Great on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:53 pm

That Z for A-Rod trade sure is looking good right now. Just like the Prior for Tejada trade. Guh.

Submitted by Wes on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:58 pm

Yeah, Tejada would probably be better than the combined .148 average we're getting from the former gold glover and the kid with the hole in his bat.

Submitted by MikeC on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:21 pm

I didn't mind Murton in RF, from what I saw in the couple games played there he didn't make a fool of himself. Jones is having some defensive problems in RF where he is just half assing his throws and teams are taking extra bases on plays that should only be a single. It is a young season and I recall 2 plays like that already. Who knows maybe putting Murton in RF was Lou's way of saying any one is replaceable by someone else on this squad. Either step up or lose playing time. I do agree Crunch Lou is getting used to his players. Spring training is one thing but in season is an entirely different matter. I love how he is finding AB's for Theriot. Last 3 years I have been on the doom and gloom parade because of 1) Lack of Talent 2) A stupid ass manager. So this year I find myself on the optimistic side. The talent is on the roster and the manager is leaps and bounds better than the previous guy. This team is going to start clicking soon. And the people who are screaming this season is looking like all the others and we are in store for another shitty season are starting to annoy the piss out of me. I guess it is kind of like role reversal from the previous years. But I really do think this team is going to be good this year, they just need to find their identity. Dusty's soul less corpse of a job managing sucked all the fire and hope out of the 2003 team and turned them into a bunch of whiners, cry babies and pussies, accountable to no one. It is gonne take some time to cleanse the franchise of that attitude and I got faith in Piniella in doing exactly that.

Submitted by cubsterInLa on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:36 pm

Great win for the Cubs...The new "Ace" on the team is clearly U of M alum Rich Hill...he is dominant and is the real stopper -- 3-0 with an ERA down below 0.50....Big Z is too tempramental and he clearly DOES NOT deserve Barry Zitto money....In fact, I don't think Hendry should re-sign Zambrano -- let him prove that he can win over 15 games....I would build the pitching staff around Rich Hill....Big Z is high maintenance and very expensive for the performance he delivers. The new owners of the Cubs may not want to spend $15M/yr on a pitcher.

Submitted by Wes on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:12 pm

Yeah, we sure overpaid Z for his career 3.29 ERA. Just let him go. Finishing fifth in the Cy Young voting sure isn't very good. Neither is 200 K's, which he's done the last two years. I guess winning 16 twice in three years on two teams doesn't mean anything, since he has to prove he can win 15.

Submitted by Wes on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:13 pm

ahem.. "I guess winning 16 twice in three years on two teams that sucked doesn't mean anything" Really need an edit button. I'd get my money's worth out of it for sure.

Submitted by MikeC on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:25 pm

Ummmm Cubsterinla Zambrano won 16 games last year and in 2004. Zambrano also has a 5 year track record of exceptional pitching in 150 career starts with a 3.39 ERA. I know people want to jump all over Zambrano (again) for his slow start and start annoiting Rich Hill as the next big thing, but seriously, get your head out of your ass for one freaking second. You going to throw away 5 seasons from Zambrano with 3.66, 3.11, 2.75, 3.26, and 3.44 ERA's cuz he has had a poor 3 start stretch to start the year? He is the Ace of the staff, so just get used to it. Call me in 5 years if Rich Hill can match that otherwise ,really, stop with these knee jerk reactions about dumping Zambrano. Lets see if Rich Hill can do it for a whole season before we decide he is the second coming of Jesus Christ. Oh and one more thing, when average pitching talent is getting $10 million a year, getting Zambrano at $15 million is a steal. Pay the man, he deserves every dollar.

Submitted by Wes on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:38 pm

Why don't we wait for him to face somebody twice or three times and the scout to get out on him before this kid is the next Koufax, eh? Put the Jump to Conclusions Mat away until the middle of May, will ya? I've also already got my scout written on Rich Hill. It has changed this season because of the change-up. I'm sure the advanced scouts are adjusting to it. I'm a bit rusty, but we'll see how she goes: Straight four seamer (90-91) that he likes to run in on righties. Straight change (78-80) that he'll use in fastball counts. Also used as an out pitch occasionally. Features a plus curve that he refuses to bury. If you see the curve, he's trying to throw it for a strike. Swing away. Sets you up for the curve as the out pitch, but then typically throws the fastball. Rich is trying awfully hard to be unpredictable about when he's going to throw the deuce, but he's getting too predictable in that he won't throw it to great hitters as the out pitch.

Submitted by Chad on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:45 pm

Z, last year, won 16 games. The Cubs won 66 66/16 = 24% He tied for the league lead. While I understand you guys aren't the thrilled about the entire stat, let me give you perspective. The following guys each won 16 as well. (number of wins for their team) Harang (80) Lowe (88) Penny (88) Smoltz (79) Webb (76) He lead the league in this stat.

Submitted by Chad on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 04:49 pm

Wes, the curveball is a pretty bad out pitch when you are a curveball pitcher. Just like power pitchers use their sliders as their out pitch, crafty junk ballers sneak their fastball by hitters as their out pitch. Couple that with constantly changing speeds and hitting the corners and you'll be fine. You don't need spectacular stuff to get major league control as long as you change speeds and hit the corners. Yes, that's a lot but that is what Hill is showing us.

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:13 am

Chad, Don't take this wrong way, buddy. But I think you're coaching up the wrong guy. Rich has been effective. He's been terrific. But he's going to have some adjustments to make when the scout gets around on him. He's a bit too predictable for my tastes right now. That's an easy fix, though. Also, the curveball is a pretty bad out pitch when you're curveball isn't a true plus curveball. When it's a typical junk lefty curve, you're exactly correct. You'll get creamed on a 1-2 pitch. When it is a plus curve, it's a great out pitch. Zito has a great out pitch curveball. So does Hill. That's why Brenly won't shut up about Zito. The guys with the best curves in big league history threw it as an out pitch. Guys like Koufax, Blyleven, and Camilo Pascual are the guys who apply. Never saw Pascual, but that's the rumor. You'd never see it coming even when you knew it was coming. In June, Hill is going to have to stop outthinking guys and start a curve at the waist and bury one or two of 'em to get guys to chase. That's all I'm sayin. Just trying to provide a bit of perspective from all the "OMG RICH HILL PWN3Z N00BZ! ROFLCOPTER" stuff.

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:16 am

Clarification: Not solely as an out pitch. They threw it in other counts too obviously. They also threw other pitches to strike guys out. Guys who have curveballs that you can't hit if you know they're throwing it are the kind of curveballs I'm talking about, and Rich has one.

Submitted by Chad on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:44 am

I would love to discuss this further but I have got to go to bed. I really think that the best pitch in your arsenal is not going to be your out pitch. It's the fear of the plus curve that lets you sneak a fastball by hitters. For a lefty, sneak one right at the belt just under the hands. I love seeing it. Like I said, I would love to talk more about this tomorrow.

Submitted by Bleeding Blue on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:26 am

Lets remember though, its not like we're only talking about 3 good starts with Hill. He's been excellent since "throwing the switch" around the first of august last year. You'd think 2 and a half months of baseball, plus an entire offseason, would be enough for major league scouts to take note if Hill was really that predictable. I certainly agree that people have been trying to read way too much into hot or slow starts, but I think there is enough evidence to tell us that Rich Hill is going to be a damn fine pitcher.

Submitted by cubfanbudman on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:46 am

what about my boy THE RIOT! ....let's face it....that kid is a gamer and needs 450+ ab's this year in the 2 slot. now, lets bring up my other boy Guzman.... This buds for you Riot....

Submitted by mannytrillo on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:11 am

Chad: "Only a strain. If they didn’t baby him so much, he would be getting Tommy John." You mean like Liriano...:)

Submitted by mannytrillo on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:27 am

MikeC: "I didn’t mind Murton in RF, from what I saw in the couple games played there he didn’t make a fool of himself." Well, I guess you didn't see the big blunder he made the other day trying to come in on a sinking line drive and the ball getting by him. Murton is an average OF at best and sticking him in RF is far from optimal, but with the lack of good defensive OF's (besides Pie now called up) someone not fit for RF is going to have to play there I guess. "Who knows maybe putting Murton in RF was Lou’s way of saying any one is replaceable by someone else on this squad. Either step up or lose playing time." If that was the case, why has Jones gotten playing time in LF when Murton was in RF?

Submitted by ARM on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:29 am

Hill has been doing this for, what, about 11 starts going back to last season? I mean, pitching lights out. Yeah, he won't continue at this clip, I mean under .50 era. But has any starting pitcher currently on our major leauge staff ever had an era below .50 over three games? I like the way he goes out there and goes about his business. He works quickly and with no theatrics or dramatics. Lou obviously likes the guy and it is easy to see why.

Submitted by Rynox on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:43 am

ARM:
Hill has been doing this for, what, about 11 starts going back to last season?
9-3, 2.38 since his last callup from the minors. Wes:
Rich has been effective. He’s been terrific. But he’s going to have some adjustments to make when the scout gets around on him.
It's been a rough start with only a few positives, don't burst my Rich Hill bubble. :( Rich Hill for Cy Young!

Submitted by Johann on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:55 am

Well, Zambrano was 8th in ERA and 30th in WHIP last year, so while he was certainly good he certainly had some room to improve. That's been my biggest issue with Zambrano, that he hasn't show real improvement over the past 4 years. He keeps talking about the Cy Young, but simply has not been a Cy Young pitcher. He can certainly be an ace, but for someone who obviously wants to be the best pitcher in the league, he needs to show more then he's shown. And no, I don't believe wins should mean anything when talking about the top pitchers. Randy Johnson had 17 wins with a 5 ERA because he was pitching with a high power offense behind him.

Submitted by Virginia Phil on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:04 am

Barrett gets blamed for a lot of stuff. Let's give him some credit for Rich Hill's emergence. He is definitely Hill's catcher, and they both seem to be on the same page. They are both smart guys who do their homework. Wes said earlier that advance scouts are going to catch up to Hill a little. Well, scouting cuts both ways. Hill and Barrett seem to go into each game with a plan, both for individual hitters and the opposing team in general. Hill also seems to be pacing himself for a long season, not throwing too many fastballs, which may be why his strikeouts are down. Last year when Hill was struggling, Barrett kept saying, This kid has got it, he's going to be great. Mike Quade was up from Iowa at about the same time (remember when he filled in for Speier coaching third?). When they asked him about Hill, he said, This may show you the difference between the two levels. In other words, yes, you could dominate at AAA and still not have what it takes for the majors. Thanks, Mike. I think this shows you the difference between the two Mikes.

Submitted by vorare on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:16 am

Amen to that. I particularly liked this quote from Cubs.com today: "I've been throwing well," said the soft-spoken 27-year-old, who hasn't allowed a run since Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart homered off him in the sixth inning of his 2007 debut on April 6. "The command's been there, especially with Michael behind the plate calling great games. We've got a pretty good recipe right there."

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:28 am

they're making the cubbie kool-aide extra strong lately...new trib webpoll has "does felix pie belong in the starting lineup" with a 92.9% Yes (6367 responses). not bad for a guy who hit almost nothing but singles in spring, is 22, is in an OF with 4 starters already, and is currently hitting .143 (2 for 14 - .200 ob%)....but hey, those 2 hits are extra base hits.

Submitted by no on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:39 am

*the curveball is a pretty bad out pitch when you are a curveball pitcher. Just like power pitchers use their sliders as their out pitch, crafty junk ballers sneak their fastball by hitters as their out pitch. * It sure was fun though, watching Andruw Jones flail around on those curves. But then, according to his BA, Jones isn't hitting many pitches at all. Speaking of the Joneseses...does it strike anyone else as odd that the Braves have one Jones who can't even spell his first name correctly and another who is in his late 30s but still insists on being called a nickname more suitable for a 5 year old...or a hunting dog?

Submitted by no on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:48 am

*they’re making the cubbie kool-aide extra strong lately…new trib webpoll has “does felix pie belong in the starting lineup” with a 92.9% Yes (6367 responses). not bad for a guy who hit almost nothing but singles in spring, is 22, is in an OF with 4 starters already, and is currently hitting .143 (2 for 14 - .200 ob%)….but hey, those 2 hits are extra base hits.*

Submitted by Rynox on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:48 am

no:
does it strike anyone else as odd that the Braves have one Jones who can’t even spell his first name correctly and another who is in his late 30s but still insists on being called a nickname more suitable for a 5 year old
I wonder if they'd be interested in a Jones with a french first name? BTW, I'm not sold on Pie yet. He plays with a lot of energy and I like him. He's fast as hell. But for now he's Juan Pierre with a good arm. Some day he'll be Jacque Jones with a good arm.

Submitted by Rynox on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:55 am

BTW, random thought, it seems like for the last 2 years the lineup has been different every day... I'm getting to the point where I don't care who bats 2nd anymore, just pick someone and let's get guys used to their spot in the lineup. Personally, I'd like Pie/Soriano, Izturis, Lee, Floyd, Ramirez, Jones, Derosa, Barrett/Blanco. But, like I said, it doesn't really matter to me much anymore.

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:56 am

One other thing I would like to note for the guys who think that Barrett hampers our pitchers and Blanco doesn't: The last three days Barrett has caught, he's gotten probably 95% of the pitches he calls from the dugout. Lou is calling the pitches, I believe.

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:02 am

And while I like the fact that you alternate lefties & righties there Ryno (he understands handedness! hooray!), I still wouldn't do a lot of the things you did. Assuming Floyd is going to play more than Murton, Felix's robust batting average won't keep him up with the big club, and he won't find a place for Theriot every day, I'll do this: Soriano DeRosa Lee Ramirez Floyd Barrett Jones Izturis At least until Jacque acts like he wants to play baseball like a grown up. Then I'll hit him second. If Lou wants to continue to play the ginger in right and Floyd in the left, I'll hit Murton second and DeRosa seventh.

Submitted by Bleeding Blue on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:05 am

Funny, I don't really care that the 2nd spot in the batting order has changed often, and as long as Izturis isn't batting there everyday, I'll be happy.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:08 am

Yep...after 2 games in RF, it's been proven that Murton is horrible in RF.* Also after 3 games, Pie is only hitting .143 He is obviously not ready, and should spend the rest of the year in AAA.** Oh...you mean those are ridiculously small sample sizes? Hmmm.... *Jones is surely a Gold Glover ** Please note sarcasm...

Submitted by Virginia Phil on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:39 am

Some day he’ll be Jacque Jones with a good arm. That's the worst projection I've heard yet for Pie. His swing is a work in progress. Let's not turn it inside out.

Submitted by BillyBucks on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:50 am

I went to a game last June where Rich HIll pitched -- he was a disaster It looked like he was afraid to throw the ball over the plate, so he either walked people, or got behind in the count and got killed. But, he went to Iowa, got his stuff together & dominated, maybe even got some good coaching, and has been great since getting called back up. Well done to all involved (including Hendry, who has refused to trade him over the years). He obviously won't keep this up, but he looks like he could be a good pitcher. Ditto for Wuertz. Now, if Guzman can do the same thing....

Submitted by Sayers40 on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:52 am

Strangely enough, it's much harder to learn something from a win, especially a good one like this one, than it is from a loss. Here's what I saw: 1) Rich Hill is amazing. The comparisons to Barry Zito in his prime are apt. I think it is at least 50/50 that he will get some Cy Young votes this year. 2) As soon as Z starts pitching well (inevitable), The Cubs will have the 1-2 we dreamed about in Prior/Wood. 3) Dempster is hot right now. It's happened before but if he can keep some semblance of this up for a couple more months, he'll make the all-star team. 4) I'm glad DeRosa was put in RF. I think using DeRosa as a platoon mate for Jacque in a Left/Right platoon and as a platoon mate for Izturis in an offense/defense platoon would get him 400-500 at bats and leave Theriot in the lineup. Here is how I propose the Cubs handle it: 1) If Zambrano, Hill or Lilly are pitching, DeRosa plays short. If Marquis or Miller (or whoever replaces Miller) is pitching, Izturis plays short. 2) If the Cubs are facing a left hander, DeRosa plays right. If both instances are in action, Lou should mix and match. He can use DeRosa to give Theriot and Ramirez a day off once every two weeks or so. Anyway, it was a great game. Nice to not see Will Ohman pitch for two days straight. Let's go kick some Cardinal arse!

Submitted by Rynox on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:56 am

VA Phil:
That’s the worst projection I’ve heard yet for Pie.
I think a 25-HR CF with Pie's caliber defense would be huge. What do you want out of him? Beltran? V. Wells?

Submitted by MikeC on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:05 am

If Zambrano, Hill or Lilly are pitching, DeRosa plays short. If Marquis or Miller (or whoever replaces Miller) is pitching, Izturis plays short. Ummm DeRosa doesn't play SS anyone. He played it more regularly in his younger days. As of now he is an average 2nd baseman and a below average SS. Izturis is showing nothing so far, I am all for Ryan Theriot to take over his position.

Submitted by Virginia Phil on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:10 am

It's not the numbers, Rynox, Jones's numbers are fine. As you've probably heard me say too many times, I think there's something out of kilter with JJ's swing, and a certain type of (righthanded) pitcher can shut him down. On the other hand, Braden Looper is pitching today, and he's a fastballer. Jones could definitely lose his mini-slump today.

Submitted by Rynox on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:02 am

WSCR 670 reporting Theriot will be leading off. I didn't catch the rest of the lineup.

Submitted by jacos on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:15 am

WSCR said that Soriano feels like he can play tomorrow and .....will play whatever position he's asked.

Submitted by George Altman on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:18 am

CubsterinLA, I love Rich Hill, hell I have a man-crush on Rich Hill. But have you ever heard of a job in the ML called Advanced Scout. Every team has at least 1 if not 2 and St Louis' scout has been with Cubs since Monday and Pittsburgh's will be here this weekend. And they're making detailed notes on Hill, Pie, Theriot especially. ML baseball is a game of adjustments, and it's players like Zambrano who make those adjustments that put up consistent numbers over a 5 year period like Z has done. I really hope Hill, Theriot, et al can join Cubs like Z, Ramirez, Lee and Barrett. God knows we need them.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:26 am

"The last three days Barrett has caught, he’s gotten probably 95% of the pitches he calls from the dugout. Lou is calling the pitches, I believe." huh?

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:27 am

I'm serious, crunch. Barrett's looking into the dugout for what pitch to call on almost every pitch.

Submitted by Sayers40 on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:28 am

Ummm DeRosa doesn’t play SS anyone Ummm. DeRosa played 7 games at short last year. 16 games in 2005. 11 games in 2004. 20 in 2003. He is a far better fielder with a much stronger arm than Theriot. Theriot is obviously a second sacker. DeRosa is more of a super utility player. I'd definitely use Izturis as a defensive replacement whenever DeRosa plays there but he can, has and does play the position. I think using him in this way (Hill and Lilly are flyball pitchers, Zambrano allows a below average number of balls in play) would hide whatever defensive deficiencies he might have while taking advantage of his offensive contributions vis a vis Izturis.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:29 am

hey, your observation is your observation. i dont buy it...dont subscribe to it...wouldnt even pick up a copy to read in the doctor's office.

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:31 am

I know what'd you think. Just looking for if Lou wants a pickoff throw or a pitchout, but he's even doing it with nobody on base. I was a little puzzled by it myself, but he did it for most of the night last night in just about every situation.

Submitted by Rynox on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:31 am

FWIW, Barrett was looking to the dugout between most pitches. Not sure if he was getting pitches, general info, or who knows.

Submitted by Chad on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:32 am

"mannytrillo — April 20, 2007 @ 7:11 am Chad: “Only a strain. If they didn’t baby him so much, he would be getting Tommy John.” You mean like Liriano…:)" Manny you know damn well that Gardenhire abuses his pitchers! Poor Santana, he's a walking time bomb.

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:33 am

Theriot 4 Floyd 7 Lee 3 Ramirez 5 DeRosa 9 Jones 8 Blanco 2 Izturis 6 Lilly 1 Better get it done with the top 6 in the order, I guess.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:37 am

hill throws 3 pitches, 2 for good control...once you have a hitter's profile you dont need every pitch called for you...or even most...or in some cases any. who's the batter...what's his zone...where's his hole(s) in his swing. anyone need to be told "pitch j.jones inside"? nah. and since when did lou become an expert on pitchers? hell, the guy barely knows what his own team is capable of in the field and is still playing around there... the pitcher/catcher (unless youre irod cuz irod "dont need it" (ptth whatever)) battery has a battle plan most of the time of who's on the team, what their weakness/stregnths are, and the plan of attack. yeah, lou may call a pitch, but 90% or even 50%...hell, im gonna make lou a God and barrett a bum cuz its a common consensus. he's no cal ripken jr...

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:41 am

Just telling ya what I saw. Lou had a sign set for Michael after I'd say at least a good deal more than half of the pitches that Rich threw last night. Often times the camera would pan away,but when it didn't, Mikey was looking to Lou for signs.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 04:43 am

yeah, im not saying your observation is without merit. i got as much knowledge of what's going on as you do...i just dont buy it. what you said is just as valid as what i said at this point.

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