TCR: No Good Will Come of This

Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Rob G. on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 6:45pm

Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP Rich Harden SP *Randy Johnson
(NL & AL) 5-1, 2.48 ERA, 102 K, 34 BB, 82.3 IP
6-7, 5.23, 95 K, 28 BB, 98 IP
       
SS Ryan Theriot SS *Stephen Drew
LF Reed Johnson LF Conor Jackson
1B Derrek Lee 2B #Orlando Hudson
3B Aramis Ramirez 1B *Chad Tracy
C Geovany Soto 3B Mark Reynolds
RF Mark DeRosa CF Chris Young
CF *Jim Edmonds C Chris Snyder
2B Ronny Cedeno  RF *Alex Romero
P *Rich Harden P *Randy Johnson

The Cubs return to their personal Crystal Lake as they take on the Diamondbacks for the first time since the horrors of last October. Hopefully there will be less bloodshed this time around as they'll miss Brandon Webb and Dan Haren in this series. Of course, the Cubs missed Roy Oswalt the last series and look at the good that gone and did them. Wednesday's game will be the much anticpated Ted Lilly vs Doug Davis rematch though, sure to be carried on all major media outlets.

So while the Brewers and Cardinals beat up on each other in a four-game set, the Cubs get a chance to improve on their 22-8 record versus the NL West and a struggling Diamondbacks club, albeit a first-place club.

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#1 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Eric S on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 7:53pm.

Off topic and probably 3/44, but Baseball Prospectus premium articles (normally paid subscription required) are free all week through July 27th ...

#2 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Jumbo on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 8:43pm.

Harden bats lefty - just nit picking here

I wish he (and Zambrano) didn't hit lefty. It's scary watching their right arms exposed to 90+ mph fastballs.

#5 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by 10man on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 8:56pm.

I actually don't mind Z doing it since he generates most of his power from the left side and he helps himself a lot with his offense. Harden on the other hand hits like most pitchers and has no business hitting lefty (or righty for that matter).

#3 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Ryno on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 8:52pm.

Harden would probably like more run support. That is all.

#4 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Jordan on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 8:52pm.

Saw Harden hit 101MPH on the radar gun. I'm watching the FSN Arizona broadcast on the free Extra Innings preview this week.

101? Wow. I know the gun might be a little fast, but thats lighting it up.

#6 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Ryno on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 9:10pm.

Wow, Cubbieland better wake their butts up for this one.

#7 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Ryno on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 9:14pm.

Losing a 1-hitter would suck balls.

#8 Off Topic (again) Brian Dopirak does it (again)

Submitted by navigator on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 9:23pm.

He hit two more home runs tonight (23) and drove in 6 (76) for Dunedin in the Florida State League.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stat...

#9 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 9:28pm.

Randy Johnson has been the luckiest pitcher I've ever seen tonight. The Cubs have been smoking line drives and deep fly balls all over the field, and they've all been caught. Ridiculous.

#11 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Hawkeye on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 10:55pm.

I guess it is better to be lucky than good. He has been pretty damn awesome for a long time now, and consider his pitch count tonight. The Big Unit threw 86 pitches in 7 innings. He could very easily have gone out for a complete game at that rate.

That said, I am happy and sad that The Guy Who Stole Rothschild's Number tossed 112 in 7 innings. Happy that he was comfortable enough to throw 112 pitches... although I am not thrilled that he threw that many pitches.

I am torn... torn like an old sweater...

#17 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by billybucks on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 6:37am.

Yeah -- every ballpark should have 368-foot power alleys, with baskets that catch balls that don't go quite that far. Edmonds' ball was a basket HR at Wrigley.

Well, at least the AZ outfielders should be tired for tonight's game. Unit had 15 fly ball outs (most were hit hard and chased down) and 2 ground ball outs.

Hey, Rich Harden -- how do you like Cubbery so far? 0.73 ERA in 2 starts, 0-1 record.

Brewers have some mojo workin' -- I think that's 4 straight on the road for them, including wins over Cain and Lincicum in SF.

I'm thinking maybe the best thing is a Brewers' sweep, with the Cards then getting swept in NY this weekend -- rather hace a 2-team race than a 3-way (race, that is).

#10 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by JoePepitone on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 10:45pm.

I found a good ironic laugh over at Fire Joe Morgan (I needed it after tonight's offensive futility). Commenting on the Josh Hamilton HR Derby thing--

"Not only did Erin Andrews snub Justin Morneau for Hamilton immediately post-Derby, but during the trophy presentation she clearly pronounces his name as "Mar-neau," Executive Vice President of MLB Rob Manfred goes with something like "Myrrh-neau," and Boys and Girls Club Giant Check Giver Guy just flat out insults him with "Jason." We get it, guys: Morneau didn't do heroin. So he's bo-ring!

The lesson, as always: it's better to do heroin and then stop doing heroin and then lose the Home Run Derby after an impressive first round than it is to not do heroin and then keep not doing heroin and then win the Home Run Derby after a pedestrian first round."

http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2008/07/weird-things-...

#12 Cubs fined for cheating

Submitted by Rob G. on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 11:32pm.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080721&c...

sounds like they forgot to tell the MLB offices that they signed someone before he started playing.

#13 Re: Cubs fined for cheating

Submitted by Cubnut on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 11:49pm.

I wonder if Arizona Phil will be somehow implicated.

Don't worry, Phil—if you end up doing time, we'll figure out how to get you a special set of prison greys with the TCR logo stenciled on the back.

#15 Re: Cubs fined for cheating

Submitted by Andrew on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 3:27am.

In addition, he can do some advance scouting of any athletes in the weight room, with Fleita and Wilken just a phone call away.

#16 Re: Cubs fined for cheating

Submitted by Ryno on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 6:19am.

AZ Phil: "The Cubs need to take a serious look at this Ugueth Urbina guy."

#22 Re:Wilken just a phone call away

Submitted by navigator on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 10:17am.

Chances are Teflon Tim won't answer...

Voice messages left for scouting director Tim Wilken and general manager Jim Hendry were not returned

--Gordon Wittenmeyer

#14 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Cubnut on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 11:54pm.

Most depressing loss in a while...at least since Saturday.

Happened to hear part of the Brewers game on WTMJ tonight. Uecker said the Brewers will be "platooning" their #5 starters, having McClung start strictly on the road and having Bush start strictly at Miller Park.

?????

I know I'm caught up in the moment, having seen Lee and Ramirez look so bad lately, especially in the 9th inning tonight, but the 1-2 punch of Braun/Fielder vs. the 1-2 punch of Lee/Ramirez looks like a no-contest.

#18 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by WISCGRAD on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 7:02am.

Yeah, Yost announced that shortly after they got CC. Bush has a 2.49 ERA at home this year, but is 1-6 with an ERA of almost 7.00 on the road. McClung is 4.95 at home and 3.32 on the road. So rather than move one to the pen permanently, Yost said he would simply see where the 5th starter slot fell - home or road - and start the appropriate pitcher. It will take some advance calendar watching an some creative ways to keep them fresh and sharp between starts, but if their splits are legit and hold up the rest of the way their 5th starter slot will be solid.

#19 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Cubnut on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 8:19am.

Thanks for filling in the details. I looked at those splits after hearing Uecker, and saw the discrepancy, but it still seems goofy to conclude that Bush is the inferior choice in any other park besides Miller or that McClung is better everywhere else except at Miller Park. What kind of confidence will Bush bring to the game if he is forced to pitch in relief on the road? Same with McClung in Milwaukee. Not to mention this judgment has been made based on relatively small samples.

I guess that's for Yost and the Brewers and Brewer fans to kick around. Here in Chicago, we have other things to worry about, like how we're going to work our way into third place.

#20 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 9:50am.

Alfonso Soriano took pre-game BP with the position player starters at Chase Field last night, and he hit hard line drives and several towering long flies over the fence, including one to dead center. He was REALLY attacking the ball. He didn't show any signs that he was babying his hand.  

From my observation of Soriano yesterday in the AZL game in Peoria and then the 5 PM pre-game BP later at Chase Field, Soriano has not lost his power. It's not like when D-Lee came back from his broken wrist.

But his timing was a bit off at Peoria facing the AZL Padres kid pitcher, so he probably will need at least one AAA game (possibly two) before he gets reactivated.

#21 Re: Game 99 Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks (1 of 3)

Submitted by The E-Man on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 10:10am.

WELCOME TO CUBBERY RICH HARDEN!

After the Astros series, I looked up this unbelievable stat - the Cubs at Houston:

129-192!

What a great road team!

#23 Re: I looked up this unbelievable stat

Submitted by navigator on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 10:24am.

What's unbelievable about it? We're talking the Cubs here. They couldn't win at the old Astrodome so they hunkered down and went with plan B --- wait til they tear it down.

#24 Re: I looked up this unbelievable stat

Submitted by The E-Man on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 10:57am.

Agreed.

Man, I remember some ugly Cub losses there to on b&w WGN. Jimmy Winn (Wynn) - he killed us. They called him "The Pocket Cannon", or "Toy Cannon"

And then - JR Richard and company.

Unfortunately, they have to play there again this year in a Division race.

#25 Randy Wolf

Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 12:33pm.

and the Astros?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3499705

#27 Re: Randy Wolf

Submitted by big_lowitzki on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 2:20pm.

Yea... heard that.

It doesn't make any sense to me.

#28 Re: Randy Wolf

Submitted by Chifan on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 2:31pm.

This has to be a flip. I know the Tigers were thinking about him and I think (not really sure) Dombrowski and Towers dont like each other so maybe Dombrowski is using Wade as a middle man. Though Wade is dumb and McClane always thinks that team can make a post ASGB run because of what they did in 04 and 05. Shawn Chacon must be a hero in Philly cause of idotic Wade ran that team.

#31 Re: Randy Wolf

Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 3:38pm.

to the Astros is done for minor league pitcher Chad Reineke

#26 Everyone knows

Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 12:52pm.

that they finalized the Red Wings/Hawks game for New Year's Day @ Wrigley, right?

#30 Re: Everyone knows

Submitted by John Beasley on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 3:36pm.

I've called every single rooftop owner about tickets and haven't heard back from one damn single one of 'em yet. Grrrrr.....

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