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Good signs from Wednesday night's 10-6 Cub victory at Arizona:

• Alfonso Soriano returning to the lineup with an RBI and a double; Alfonso Soriano returning to the lineup, period
• Mark DeRosa being able to leave his outfielder's glove in the locker room
• Derrek Lee hitting his first home run in more than a month
• Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto breaking their respective 0-for-forever hitless streaks
• Kosuke Fukudome walking three times
• Ted Lilly sliding into third base without breaking his leg or his neck
• Carlos Marmol snapping off some nasty sliders and working a scoreless ninth inning (I choose to overlook the double, the base on balls, and the fact that on Thursday, Kerry Wood will be off to meet another hand specialist and probably get a new ointment prescription)
• Ronny Cedeno striking out as a pinch hitter on a head-high pitch—the familiarity of it is comforting

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SP *Ted Lilly
SP
*Doug Davis
  9-6, 4.49 ERA, 114 K, 43 BB, 122.1 IP

3-4, 4.14 ERA, 61 K, 38 BB, 74 IP         LF Alfonso Soriano
SS *Stephen Drew
SS Ryan Theriot 2B #Augie Ojeda
1B
Derrek Lee LF
Conor Jackson 3B
Aramis Ramirez 3B
Mark Reynolds C
Geovany Soto CF Chris Young RF *Kosuke Fukudome 1B *Tony Clark
2B
Mark DeRosa C Chris Snyder
CF
Reed Johnson
RF Chris Burke
P
*Ted Lilly
P *Doug Davis

Before the game, the Cubs activated Alfonso Soriano and Scott Eyre and demoted Kevin Hart and Micah Hoffpauir. May your bat be blessed with many a run-scoring hit, Mr. Soriano.

During the game, Lilly and Davis will face-off again after their epic Game 2 duel from last October.  May you not throw down your glove in anger this time around, Mr. Lilly.

Please win!

Top of the 7th, two on and two out and Derrek Lee steps up to the plate and I'm thinking to myself, "Well, at least he can't hit into a double play here". (Sigh).

The Cubs find themselves just one game ahead in the Central and their offense hasn't been able to buy, rent or even lease a big hit. Besides hoping for the comforts of Wrigley, I'm not sure what they can do to get out of this funk. I'm usually not a big fan of catering to the hot hand, when that hot hand usually doesn't do much, but it might be time to let Mike Fontenot move up to the two spot for a few games until he cools off. His 1.240 OPS in July needs to be somewhere where it can do a little more damage and Fukudome and his .555 July OPS can figure out why he's no longer awesome at the bottom of the order.

Otherwise, I think the a team-wide slumpbuster (see definition #3) might be in order.  My source at Sky Harbor airport  is keeping an eye out to see if Rosie O'Donnell, Kirstie Alley, and Camryn Manheim show up for a little team remedy.

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SP Jason Marquis
SP
Yusmeiro Petit
  6-5, 4.44 ERA, 53 K, 39 BB, 99.1 IP

0-1, 3.06 ERA, 11 K, 1 BB, 17.2 IP         SS Ryan Theriot SS *Stephen Drew
RF *Kosuke Fukudome
LF Conor Jackson
1B
Derrek Lee 2B
#Orlando Hudson 3B
Aramis Ramirez 1B
*Chad Tracy
CF
*Jim Edmonds 3B Mark Reynolds
C Geovany Soto C *Miguel Montero
LF
Mark DeRosa CF Chris Young 2B
*Mike Fontenot RF *Alex Romero P
*Jason Marquis P Yusmeiro Petit

The Cubs reach the century mark of the season that may mark their century-long run of futility. A little known fact is that they've lost the 100th game of every season since 1909 foreshadowing their 100-year drought (don't bother looking it up, I've posted it on the Internet, so it must be true)

All kidding aside, the Cubs hopes of a .500 road trip lay on the right arm of Jason Marquis. It's good that he's sporting a 2.08 ERA versus the NL West this season in 60.2 IP. Hopefully he can add to the recent run of success by the starters who have gone into the seventh inning in five straight games and eight of the last ten and have a 2.06 ERA since July 4th (how awesome are press notes - crutch of the ever-lazy writer?).

Of course, it'll require the Cubs offense actually scoring to get the win and Lou has the cure for the road hitting woes (emphasis added):

"...we're canceling batting practice, and the next day, we're going to cancel batting practice. We're going to come out here and just stretch and play. That's it. I'm tired of seeing balls flying all over batting practice, and when the (darn) game starts, I see very little or nothing. So we'll just go play and hope that'll get it going. We did it Sunday, and it worked. So we'll see."

Small sample size means nothing to Lou...

Jon Lieber and Scott Eyre threw in rehab outings with the AZL Cubs at Fitch Park Field #3 this morning, as Larry Rothschild, Lester Strode, and Carlos Zambrano (who was visiting buddy Angel Guzman) watched from the bench, and a gaggle of Cubs brass watched from the observation tower.

And the AZL Cubs took advantage of having a couple of big leaguers throw shutout ball for the first four innings of the game, as they whitewashed the AZL Mariners 7-0.   

box score  

Lieber got the start and threw three innings, and it was typical Lieber (33 pitches - 24 strikes, no runs on four hits, no walks, one strikeout, one GIDP, 5/2 GO/FO).

Then Eyre threw one inning (14 pitches - 8 strikes, no runs, no hits, one walk, no strikeouts, and one GIDP), although he did throw an additional 10 or 15 pitches in the bullpen after his one inning of work, possibly to tinker with his slider (otherwise he just could have thrown a second inning).

Neither Lieber (on the DL with a sore foot) nor Eyre (on the DL with a strained groin) showed any outward physical indication of injury, and both appear about ready to return to full-activity and game action.

Lieber looked like Lieber ("pitching to contact" on every hitter), but Eyre was a bit spotty with his control and had trouble commanding his slider, although he did throw with decent velocity. I would think Eyre would benefit from one or two outings at AAA, perhaps with the Iowa Cubs while they are in Tucson (they'll be there starting tonight through Friday night).

There was no sign of Alfonso Soriano at Fitch Park today, meaning he'll either go on a one or two game rehab with the Iowa Cubs in Tucson starting tonight, or I guess it's possible that he could be reactivated for tonight's Cubs-Diamondbacks game at Chase Field (or probably more-likely tomorrow night's game, when lefty Doug Davis gets the start for the D'backs)..

Soriano put on quite a power display in pre-game BP before last night's Cubs-D'backs at Chase Field, attacking the ball with relish, hitting line-drive ropes and towering long flies all over the yard. But his timing looked to be slightly off when he was the DH for the AZL Cubs at Peoria yesterday morning, so he might benefit from a few more minor league ABs at AAA game-speed before he faces an MLB pitcher throwing in anger.   

Today's game marked the professional debut of the Cubs 2008 21st round draft pick, 17-year old SS Logan Watkins (Goddard HS - Goddard, KS), and their 37th round pick, 21-year old RHP Erik Hamren.

The left-handed hitting Watkins PH in the bottom of the 8th inning, and proceeded to slam a single into RF. The kid was a star baseball and football player in HS, and and had already accepted a full-ride scholarship to Wichita State when the Cubs drafted him last month. But he somewhat unexpectedly gave up his chance to attend WSU when the Cubs threw "3rd round money" at him (a reported $500K plus another $100K in college tuition).

As for Hamren, he had transferred to Saddleback CC for his sophormore year, after attending the University of the Pacific as a freshman. He was going to enroll at UC - Irvine for his junior year (2008-09 school year), before deciding to sign with the Cubs.

Hamren hasn't pitched much over the last couple of years, so the Cubs did not make an offer until they had a chance to follow his progress with Mankato in the Northwoods League (a summer "wood bat" college league), where he was the MoonDogs closer. I guess the Cubs liked what they saw. And he looked pretty good today at Fitch Park, too, throwing a shutout inning (with one hit allowed and one K) in his pro debut.

The Cubs have now signed 32 of their first 38 picks from this year's Rule 4 Draft, including 26 of their first 27. The "Big Fish" unsigned pick still out there is 10th rounder RHP Alex Wilson (Texas A&M). Wilson had Tommy Johnn surgery after injuring his elbow while pitching in the Cape Cod League (the premiere "wood bat" collegiate summer league) in the Summer of 2007, and he missed the entire 2008 college baseball season. But he is currently back pitching with Falmouth (the same place he was last year when he got hurt), and it's possible that the Cubs will offer him 1st or 2nd round money (that's what it will probably take to sign him) if they feel he's back 100% from the TJS. 

Although the Cubs drafted him out of Texas A&M, Wilson last pitched at Winthrop, where he was (pre-TJS) a very highly-regarded prospect, projected as a possible 1st or 2nd round pick. 

What the Cubs did with Erik Hamren and are now presently doing with Alex Wilson (and a few other draft picks from the lower rounds)  is the new version of "Drafdt & Follow." It used to be that clubs could draft a player in June (especially JC players, or HS players who were going to go to a JC) , and then be able to sign him all the way up until a week before the next year's draft. Such players signed just before the deadline the following year were known as "DNFs" (or Draft & Follows"). Now the "DNF" period lasts only two months, until the new August 15th signing deadline. So following unsigned draft picks while they play in summer collegiate leagues or with post-HS traveling all-star teams has become very important.

BTW, Carlos Zambrano drove one of the Fitch Park golf carts around the place like it was a go-cart. It's lucky he didn't kill somebody (like maybe himself).

And RHP Dae-Eun Rhee has arrived at Fitch Park to begin his long rehab from Tommy John Surgery. So far he's wearing one of those custom TJS splints on his elbow, and a khaki-colored "We're Broke" t-shirt (with the picture of a bear with it's leg in a sling on the back) that the rehab guys receive when they arrive. (I'd like to get me one of those).

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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.

Hitting lead-off and serving as the DH, Alfonso Soriano got into his first game action in almost six weeks, as the AZL Cubs defeated the AZL Padres 6-3 at Padres Field #1 at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, AZ this morning.

Soriano arrived shortly after the rest of the AZL Cubs team, apparently getting a ride to the game from the team hotel in central Phoenix without stopping first at Fitch Park.

Soriano participated in the usual pre-game on-field stretching exercises, and then the Padres kindly allowed him to take some swings in their enclosed batting cages located adjacent to the field, since Soriano did not have an opportunity to take pre-game BP with the rest of the team at Fitch Park. 

Hitting lead-off in three different innings, Soriano went 0-2 with a F-9 fly out, a strike out (swinging), and a walk. He also scored a run.

Soriano left the game after his 3rd AB in the top of the 5th, presumably headed back to the Ritz Carlton for lunch. I would think Soriano will then accompany his Chicago Cubs teammates to Chase Field, where he will possibly take some additional pre-game BP prior to tonight's Cubs-D'backs game.

If he is so inclined, he could be the DH in tomorrow morning's AZL Cubs game at Fitch Park, and still have time to hitch a ride down I-10 to Tucson in the afternoon where he could play LF and hit lead-off for the Iowa Cubs in their game versus the Tucson Sidewinders at Tucson Electric Park tomorrow night.

It's always a thrill for the AZL Cubs (who are mainly teenagers) when there is a big leaguer in their midst, but having Soriano around was especially exciting for the young Cubs Dominican players, who hold Soriano up as a national hero. And since AZL Cubs RF Nelson Perez is (like Felix Pie) a protege of Soriano's, he was REALLY stoked.  

Here is the pitch-by-pitch log of Soriano's three at-bats this morning in Peoria.

(All three ABs were against AZL Padres RHP Junior Veras). 

1ST AB (leading off 1st inning):
PITCH 1: Ball one (fastball up & in, chin music)
PITCH 2: Ball two (fastball up)
PITCH 3: Strike one (called, right down the middle of the plate)
PITCH 4: Strike two (fouled straight back)
PITCH 5: Ball in play (lazy fly ball caught by right-fielder in front of warning track in straight-away RF)

OUTCOME: F-9

2ND AB (leading off 3rd inning):
PITCH 1: Strike one (right down the middle of the plate)
PITCH 2; Strike two (fouled straight back) 
PITCH 3: Foul (line drive hooked into LF bullpen)
PITCH 4: Ball one (outside)
PITCH 5: Foul (fouled straight back)
PITCH 6: Foul (line drive hooked into LF bullpen) 
PITCH 7: Strike three (swing & miss, breaking ball in dirt)

OUTCOME: Strike out (swinging)
 
3RD AB (leading off 5th inning):
PITCH 1: Strike one (pop foul over 1st base dugout)
PITCH 2: Strike two (swing & miss, breaking ball in dirt)  
PITCH 3: Ball one (high fastbal)
PITCH 4: Ball two (breaking ball outside)
PITCH 5: Ball three (fastball up)
PITCH 6: Ball four (fastball outside)

OUTCOME: Walked, and then scored on a two-run HR by the next batter, Starlin Castro.

Generally, Soriano looked somewhat rusty and his timing was a bit off, but at least he did get to face some "live" pitching in a game action setting. 

And I'm glad he agreed to do his "rehab" in the minor leagues this time, instead of trying to come back "cold" to the big leagues with no minor league ABs like he did the last time he was on the DL.

Today also marked the 2008 debut of Cubs 2006 12th round draft pick RHP Kitt Kopach (Illinois State), who hadn't thrown in a game for nearly two years after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery prior to last season, and the professional debut of Cubs 2008 3rd round draft pick RHP Aaron Shafer (Wichita State). Kopach and Shafer worked one scoreless/hitless inning a piece, each issuing one walk. Shafer also had an inning-ending strikeout.

Only 1st round pick RHP Andrew Cashner (TCU) has yet to make his pro debut from among the pitchers signed by the Cubs out of last month's draft, and I would think Cashner will probably get into his first game action sometime this week. 

Starlin Castro and Nelson Perez provided most of the AZL Cubs offense today, with Castro going 3-3 with two walls and a two-run HR, and N. Perez adding a garagantuan solo HR over the CF fence in the 9th (albeit after Soriano had already left). Perez presently leads the AZL in slugging (822) and triples (8), and is second in HR (6) and OPS (1.208), trailing only teammate John Contreras in HR and teammate Jericho Jones in OPS

box score

As you've certainly heard by now, Alfonso Soriano headed out to a minor league rehab stint with the rookies in the Arizona League. He lasted all of three at-bats against the AZL Padres in beautiful Peoria, Arizona going 0-2 with a walk, a strikeout and a run scored before being lifted for a pinch-hitter. Speculation arose on why he'd leave the game early and Will Carroll hinted that he might be activated for tonight's game.

Shae (Chicago): Will, there are rumors that Soriano might leave the rehab. game early and could even play tonight, what's the latest?

Will Carroll: That's what I'm hearing. I have someone at Sky Harbor watching ...

I'm not sure what that someone is watching at Sky Harbor since it's a 35 minute drive from Peoria, AZ to Phoenix, AZ, but don't be surprised if he's in the lineup tonight and (I would assume) Micah Hoffpauir gets sent down.

Milwaukee acquired second baseman Ray Durham from the Giants on Sunday in exchange for Class A outfielder Darren Ford and Triple-A pitcher Steve Hammond. The two teams waited to officially announce the deal until after they had played one another Sunday afternoon at AT&T Park, per the request of Durham, who didn't want to make his Milwaukee debut versus his former mates.

"Personally it was out of respect for the guys in this locker room," Durham said, saying his goodbyes in the Giants' clubhouse. "It really was a stipulation I asked for."

The 36-year-old Durham, hitting .293 AVG / .385 OBP / .414 SLG / 799 OPS could complement and/or replace 25-year-old Rickie Weeks, who is hitting just .218 in 79 games for the Brewers this season with an OPS+ of 82.

Closer to home, Paul Sullivan makes it sound like the Cubs are inching closer to putting Kerry Wood on the DL for the 12th time in his career, owing to ongoing problems with that blister on his right index finger. Sullivan quotes Lou Piniella as saying:

"We're coming to the point where we're going to have to come to a conclusion about what to do."

If the Cubs were to backdate the DL decision to July 12th, Wood would be eligible to get back on the field next Sunday, when the Cubs wrap up their four-game series against the Marlins at Wrigley Field. According to Sullivan, Carlos Marmol will get to wear the closer's hat so long as Wood is unable to pitch. Marmol pitched a perfect ninth to close out the Cubs' 9-0 shutout of Houston on Sunday.

 

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SP Ryan Dempster
SP
Brandon Backe
  10-4, 3.25, 104 K, 350 BB, 124.2 IP

6-9, 4.76, 83 K, 50 BB, 111.2 IP         SS Ryan Theriot
2B #Kaz Matsui RF *Kosuke Fukudome CF *Darin Erstad
1B
Derrek Lee 1B
#Lance Berkman 3B
Aramis Ramirez LF
Carlos Lee CF
*Jim Edmonds
SS Miguel Tejada LF Mark DeRosa 3B #Geoff Blum
C
Geovany Soto
RF Hunter Pence
2B
*Mike Fontenot
C J.R. Towles
P
Ryan Dempster
P Brandon Backe

 

The Cubs' NL Central lead is down to +2 over the Cardinals and +3 over the Brewers as the Lou Crew tries to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Astros.

Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, and Kosuke Fukudome are a combined 3-for-32 (.094) in the series, and as a team, the Cubs have fanned 14 times and walked once.

Or, as Lou Piniella explained so elegantly after Saturday night's 4-1 fall, "We're not getting much hitting anywhere in the lineup."

Backe, 2-1, 4.63 in 6 starts lifetime against the Cubs (0-1 this year), is coming off perhaps his best start of the season, last Sunday, when he threw 7 shutout innings at the Nationals. Dempster, who remains winless on the road this season, was a loser at Wrigley for the first time in '08, also last Sunday, when he fell to Tim Lincecum and the Giants. Dempster also dropped his only start this season against the Astros, back in May, yielding 6 hits and 4 runs over 6 IP in a 4-2 Cubs loss.

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SP Carlos Zambrano SP
*Wandy Rodriguez
  10-3, 2.84, 78 K, 38 BB, 120.1 IP

4-3, 3.48, 65 K, 23 BB, 75 IP         SS Ryan Theriot
2B #Kaz Matsui CF Reed Johnson
CF *Darin Erstad
1B
Derrek Lee 1B
#Lance Berkman 3B
Aramis Ramirez LF
Carlos Lee C
Geovany Soto
SS Miguel Tejada LF Mark DeRosa 3B Hunter Pence RF *Kosuke Fukudome
RF Ty Wigginton
2B
Ronny Cedeno
C Brad Ausmus
P
#Carlos Zambrano
P #Wandy Rodriguez

 

The Cubs and Astros meet in the middle game of their three-game series at Minute Maid.

Kosuke Fukudome, who is just 7-for-46 (.152) since the first of July and is hitting just .254 AVG/ .351 SLG/ .377 OBP/ 728 OPS since his average was a season high .357 back in late April, 72 games ago, drops down to the seventh spot in the order against the lefty Rodriguez.

Otherwise, Jim Edmonds sits against the southpaw, Reed Johnson starts in center, and once again, we all get to pretend that Mark DeRosa can play the outfield.

Zambrano is making his third start since his visit to the DL. In the first two, against the Cards and Reds, he allowed just one run and five hits over 14 innings.

 

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SP *Ted Lilly
SP
Brian Moehler 9-6, 4.68, 108 K, 41 BB, 115.1 IP

5-4, 4.28, 44 K, 24 BB, 75.2 IP SS Ryan Theriot
2B #Kaz Matsui RF *Kosuke Fukudome CF *Darin Erstad
1B
Derrek Lee 1B
#Lance Berkman 3B
Aramis Ramirez LF
Carlos Lee C
Geovany Soto
SS Miguel Tejada CF *Jim Edmonds 3B Hunter Pence LF Mark DeRosa RF Ty Wigginton
2B
*Mike Fontenot
C J.R. Towles P
*Ted Lilly P Brian Moehler

 

The second half is upon us and the Cubs trot out Ted Lilly to start it...for some reason. I assume it was to give Z and Dempster an extra day after their All-Star appearances and to limit Rich Harden as much as possible before he goes on a 27 inning scoreless streak in the playoffs. Nonetheless, Lilly's homer-happy ways will be on display tonight with the ever-present Crawford boxes looming in short left field. If he can manage a win, he'll join Dempster and Zambrano in the 10-win club.

Before the game, the Cubs put Jon Lieber on the disabled list with a right foot strain (same foot that cost him most of last year) and recalled Micah Hoffpauir. 

A look at the ten Cubs hits from the season so far that did the most to enhance the team's chances of winning, according to FanGraphs' Win Probability Added statistic.

#10.) May 11th, 7th inning v. Arizona, man on first, one out, Cubs trailing the Diamondbacks, 4-2. Facing former Cub Juan Cruz, Reed Johnson cracks a two-run homer to tie the game, which the home team will go on to win 6-4, after Daryle Ward delivers a two-run double one inning later. Johnson homer = WPA .321

#9.) May 2nd, 9th inning at St. Louis, man on second, one out, Cubs trail the Cardinals, 3-1. Jason Isringhausen is in for the Cards, trying to preserve a 3-1 St. Louis lead for starter Adam Wainwright, but Alfonso Soriano will have none of it, clobbering an Isringhausen pitch for a game-tying two-run shot. Chad Fox, who clearly has no sense of drama in addition to his physical challenges, winds up serving a game-winning two-run homer to Skip Schumacher in the 11th inning. Soriano homer = WPA .342

#8.) April 23rd, 10th inning at Colorado, men on first and second, two outs, Cubs and Rox are tied, 6-6. The Cubs get two men aboard for Ryan Theriot, who lines a single to right field that scores Mike Fontenot with the lead and eventual winning run, extending a Cubs winning streak to six games. Theriot single = WPA .351

The countdown continues after the jump.

#7.) June 20th, 9th inning v. White Sox, none on, none out. Entering a game that's tied 3-3, Sox setup-man Scott Linebrink, who had been virtually unhittable to that point in the season, makes a mistake, and Aramis Ramirez hits it. Far. Cubs win! Cubs win! Sox lose! Sox lose! And Hawk Harrelson goes into that no-talking thing which leads you to believe that spontaneous combustion is just around the corner. Ramirez homer = WPA .358

#6.) May 30th, 7th inning v. Colorado, man on second, one out. The Cubs spot Aaron Cook a 9-1 lead through five-and-a-half innings, then storm back with three runs in the sixth inning and four more in the bottom of the seventh, when DeRosa steps to the plate against Manny Corpas with Jim Edmonds perched out at second base. DeRosa tags a two-run shot to put the Cubs up, 10-9, and Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood make the lead stand up. DeRosa homer = WPA .359

#5.) April 9th, 15th inning at Pittsburgh, bases loaded, two out. In the second of back-to-back extra-inning games against the Pirates, the Cubs try to salvage a contest they led 2-0 going into the last of the eighth. After taking a 4-2 lead with a pair of runs in the 14th inning only to allow the Bucs to tie the game with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, the Cubs load the bags and give Felix Pie a chance to become a hero...which he does. Pie dumps a single into left-center field, scoring Kevin Hart and Ryan Theriot and securing the 6-4 victory. Pie single = WPA .387

#4.) March 31st, 9th inning v. Milwaukee, men on first and second, none out. Kosuke Fukudome could contribute 15 productive seasons to the Cubs and not duplicate the drama of his first Opening Day in a Chicago uniform. With the Cubs down 3-0 in the bottom of the 9th inning and new Brewers closer Eric Gagne in to protect the lead, Derrek Lee singles to right, Aramis Ramirez works Gagne for a walk, and Fukudome mashes his way into Cubbie folklore. Fukudome homer = WPA .454

#3.) June 12th, 9th inning v. Atlanta, none on, one out. About a month after the Cubs picked Jim Edmonds and his .178 batting average off the scrap heap, Edmonds cracks a game-tying home run off of Blaine Boyer, paving the way for the Cubs to win a 3-2 decision in 11 innings. Edmonds homer = WPA .466

#2.) April 9th, 14th inning at Pittsburgh, man on first, two out, Cubs and Pirates tied 2-2. Having blown a chance to close out the Pirates in regulation, the Cubs play into the 14th inning at PNC Park. Finally, after Derrek Lee draws a two-out walk from Phil Dumatrait, Aramis Ramirez clubs a two-run blast that seems to ensure a 4-2 Cub win. Only not. (See #5 above.) Ramirez homer = WPA .484

And finally, the #1 Cubs hit in the first half of the '08 campaign according to FanGraphs...

#1.) April 23rd, 9th inning at Colorado, man on first, one out, Cubs trail the Rox, 5-4. The home team is within two outs of defeating the Cubs, when Derrek Lee singles, Felix Pie enters the game as a pinch-runner, and then Aramis Ramirez connects with a pitch from that Corpas character for a two-run shot that gives the Cubs a short-lived 6-5 lead. (The Rockies tie the game in the last of the ninth, giving Ryan Theriot the opportunity to collect the game-winning hit in the 10th; see #8 above.) Ramirez homer = WPA .640

 

Cubs Cumulative WPA Leaders (thru 7/13/08)
1.) Aramis Ramirez
2.46 2.) Kosuke Fukudome
1.75 3.) Derrek Lee
1.57 4.) Alfonso Soriano
1.13 5.) Jim Edmonds
0.64

 

NL Cumulative WPA Leaders (thru 7/13/08)
1.) Lance Berkman, HOU
5.06
2.) Pat Burrell, PHI
4.65
3.) Jason Bay, PIT
3.52
4.) Matt Holliday, COL
3.44
5.) Albert Pujols, STL 3.05

 

In a move that will surely change the landscape of Cubs blogging, one-time TCR writer Christian Ruzich announced that he was moving back to Chicago. A new job has necessitated a call-up from the minor leagues (Harrisburg, PA), and Ruzich and his family should be back in the city before the playoff roster deadline.

Scouts question what, if anything, Ruzich can bring to a Cub Reporter team without any glaring weaknesses. Known for his wit and insight in the early '00s, Ruzich has not been a regular fixture on the TCR scene in years, appearing only occasionally to offer a web link, off-hand remark, or occasional comment post.

Unnamed sources within the TCR organization have questioned whether Ruzich has anything left, but are quick to say they're happy Ruzich has returned home: "If all he does is hang out at the TCR clubhouse, telling stories about the Don Baylor days, that would be great. I'm just worried that, if he tries to write again regularly, he might upset the team's chemistry down the stretch." When asked if he saw this as an opportunity to re-establish himself in the Cubs blogging world, Ruzich mentioned that he has been doing towel drills for months, and hoped to be able to contribute to the team in any way possible.

I just wanted to give you guys a heads up that I will be doing a very minor security upgrade to the site at 2:30 PM CST today.The whole process shouldn't take more than twenty minutes. Once finished, I'm pretty sure I've figured out how to keep Chad out of the site permanently.

I kid because I care.

Otherwise, I added a link to our mobile site in the upper navigation bar or you can enter your phone number in the box on the lower right and have the link sent to your cell phone. I've also added a brief shout-out to those who were are top givers during our April donation drive in the lower left sidebar. Finally, reader Wiscgrad provided us with a wonderful resource that lists how the Cubs have faired in All-Star games, award balloting, the Hall of Fame and much more. You can find the link via the "TCR Junk Drawer" in the navigation bar as well.

From Wednesday's Tribune...

A new channel devoted to the Cubs is one of the enticing potential revenue-generating items that Tribune Co. is floating as part of its planned sale of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and its 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet.

The story mentions some of the roadblocks that might prevent a New York Yankees/YES Network sort of channel from becoming a reality in Chicago, including the possibility that Tribune Company could box the team's new owner into continuing to air many games on Tribune-owned WGN. Still, one can certainly see why the concept might be attractive...

[YES Network's] revenues, which include other sports programming besides the Yankees, exceed $300 million, and its cash flow, a critical measure of the network's health, was about $186 million in 2006, according to The New York Times. YES' value has been estimated at $3 billion, more than two times the $1.3 billion valuation that Forbes magazine placed on the Yankees.

One other item of interest in the piece—so far this season, the Cubs are averaging a 4.9 rating on Comcast; the White Sox, whose ratings are up 27% over 2007, come in at 1.9. That's less than 40% of the Cubs' viewership.

Point that out the next time one of your Sox-loving friends whines about how the Cubs get more attention from the Chicago media. 

Game Chat | All-Star Game Web Page | BR Preview

SP Ben Sheets
SP
*Cliff Lee
  10-3, 2.85, 108 K, 28 BB, 123 IP

12-2, 2.31 ERA, 106 K, 20 BB, 124 IP         SS
Hanley Ramirez (FLA)
RF
*Ichiro Suzuki (SEA)
2B
*Chase Utley (PHI)
SS
Derek Jeter (NYY)
1B
#Lance Berkman (HOU)
CF
*Josh Hamilton (TEX)
DH
Albert Pujols (STL)
3B
Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
3B
#Chipper Jones (ATL)
LF
Manny Ramirez (BOS)
RF
Matt Holliday (COL)
DH
#Milton Bradley (TEX)
LF
Ryan Braun (MIL)
1B
Kevin Youkilis (BOS)
CF
*Kosuke Fukudome (CUBS)
C
*Joe Mauer (MIN)
C
Geovany Soto (CUBS)
2B
Dustin Pedroia (BOS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ASG comes to The House That Enrique Wilson Built for the fourth and final time as the National League tries to win the damn thing for the first time since 1996. Our man Fukudome and young Geo bring up the bottom of the NL order.

Come gametime, join all the cool kids in Parachat. I hear they're just going to be hanging out, drinking beer, and shooting off fireworks.

I can say, with some fair amount of certainty, that very few Cubs fans that read this website have been witness to the outstanding level of play that our beloved Cubbies put up during the first half this season. .600 winning percentage, utter dominance at home, best run differential in the league, best starting staff in the NL, best offense in the NL, and top three in defense and overall pitching. And to all that, we just added an pitcher who could end up being our ace and are due to get back one of our best hitters,  who has only played 53% of our games to date.

Gawk in amazement at our statistical dominance after the jump... 

Team Performance

Category Number Rank in NL
Wins 57
1st

Winning Percentage

.600
1st
Run Differential
+102
1st
Strength of Schedule
.491 6th Runs Scored
507 1st
Batting Average
.281 1st
On-Base Percentage
.360 1st
Slugging Percentage
.443 1st
Walks
382 1st
Home Runs
102 5th
Runs Allowed
401 3rd
Team ERA
3.89 3rd
Starters' ERA
3.88 1st
Relievers' ERA
3.92 8th
Strikeouts
707
4th
Walks Allowed 320 7th
Home Runs Allowed
98
9th
Team Defensive Efficiency
.713
3rd
Team Fielding Percentage
.983
8th
Team Errors
58
7th

Starting Pitchers (NL Rank by Position)

Name
Win Shares
VORP
Pitching Runs Created
ERA
Zambrano
14(Tied 1st)
36.8(6th)
64 (6th)
2.84(Tied 4th)
Dempster
10(9th)
28.0(12th) 58(11th)
3.25(11th)
Lilly
5(Tied 31st)
10.8(69th)
43 (27th)
4.68 (40th)
Marquis
3(Tied 50th)
12.0(59th)
34 (47th)
4.44 (34th)

Relief Pitchers (NL Rank by Position) 

Name
WXRL
WPA
Wood
1.389(14th)
0.43(Tied 47th)
Marmol
2.484(6th)
1.52(8th)
Howry
1.262(23rd)
0.89(22nd)
Wuertz
-.204(264th)
-0.58(199th)
Marshall
0.512(61st)
0.53(39th)
Eyre
0.463(64th)
0.43(Tied 47th)
Lieber
0.578(56th)
0.02(98th)
Cotts
0.097(104th)
-0.03(121st)

Individual Performance (NL Rank by Position)

Player
Win Shares
Defensive Win Shares
VORP
Runs Created
 RAA2
GPA 
OBP SLG
 Soto 14(1st)
4.8(2nd)
27.8(2nd)
51(3rd) 6
.288(3rd)
.369(3rd) .522(2nd)
 Lee 11(Tied 5th)
1.4(2nd)
28.5(3rd)
60(6th)
5
.286(5th)
.372(6th)
.508(4th)
*DeRosa
12(5th)
3.3(4th)
18.9(5th)
54(3rd)
7
.274(4th)
.377(2nd)
.453(5th)
Theriot
9(Tied 6th)
3.4(4th)
20.4(8th)
49(4th)
3
.262(5th)
.394(1st)
.369(9th)
Ramirez
13(3rd)
2.3(4th)
26.0(3rd)
63(Tied 2nd)
1
.294(4th)
.386(2nd)
.515(2nd)
**Soriano
8(Tied 27th) 1.3(Tied 36th)
15.8(8th)
38(12th)
7
.278(7th)
.332 .547 ***Edmonds
5(Tied 44th)
1.4(37th)
12.6(9th)
26(15th)
-2
.295(2nd)
.328(16th)
.424(11th)
Fukudome
13(Tied 9th) 2.6(7th)
11.9(9th)
57(2nd)
9
.266(6th)
.383(2nd)
.408(12th)

* - Not sure which categories account just for DeRosa's time at 2b (53 games played) or his overall numbers at all positions.

** - For all the outfielders, rankings for Win Shares is among ALL NL Outfielders. Soriano would rank 7th in OBP and 4th in SLG if he qualified.

*** - For most cases, Edmonds rankings reflect his time with San Diego. His Cubs numbers are 269/369/552. That would rank him first in OBP and SLG, but that's in only 157 plate appearances as a Cub.The negative 2 RAA2 for his defense though is just as a Cubbie, he had a postive 2 as a Padre. The only regular Cub that has not been a postive with the glove so far.

Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP Tm Lincecum SP
Ryan Dempster
  10-2, 2.66, 126 K, 46 BB, 121.2 IP

10-3, 3.13 ERA, 98 K, 47 BB, 118 IP         LF
*Fred Lewis
SS
Ryan Theriot 3B
Jose Castillo 2B
*Mike Fontenot
2B
#Ray Durham
1B
Derrek Lee
C
Bengie Molina 3B
Aramis Ramirez CF
Aaron Rowand RF
Mark DeRosa
RF
*John Bowker
CF
*Jim Edmonds 1B
Rich Aurilia
LF
Reed Johnson
SS
#Omar Vizquel
C
Henry Blanco
P
Tim Lincecum P
Ryan Dempster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A great pitching matchup between two All-Stars to end the pre-ASG schedule for 2008.

Lincecum has been everything the Giants hoped he would be; Dempster has been more than the Cubs could ever have hoped. Dempster remains undefeated this season at Wrigley (10-0, 2.58); Lincecum was undefeated on the road until losing to the Mets at Shea this past Tuesday. He's still a none-too-shabby 7-1, 2.23 away from AT&T Park.

Giants have dropped six in a row. Cubs (57-37) are on track to have the franchise's best record at the All-Star break since 1969, when the club went 61-37.

Regarding Sunday's lineup, Henry Blanco gets his first start and sees his first game action in two weeks. Mike Fontenot starts for the fourth consecutive game at second base and has now gone 15-for-46 (.326) with a .436 OBP and .761 slugging percentage in his last 16 games.

Otherwise...

The blister than kept Kerry Wood out of the action Saturday and left Carlos Marmol out on the mound to allow the Giants to erase a five-run, ninth-inning deficit for the first time in 23 years will also keep Wood out of any action in the All-Star Game.

Update: Carlos Marmol, who has a 9.37 ERA in 20 appearances since June 1st, has been named to replace Wood on the NL All-Star roster for Tuesday night's game. Reader Brian points out that the selection is based on Marmol's having been the pitcher with the next highest vote total.

Starting for the AZL Cubs versus he AZL Angels at Fitch Park Field #3 this morning, Rich Hill worked five shutout innings (68 pitches, 47 strikes, 8/0 GO/FO), allowing three hits (all three singles) and a walk, with five strikeouts. He really had his roundhouse curve and efficient two-seamer working today, as he went to a three ball count on only two of the 17 Angels hitters he faced.

Hill was supposed to start yesterday's game versus the AZL Rangers, but the game was canceled due to wet grounds (a severe monsoon storm hit the Phoenix area Thursday night and Fitch Park was still flooded Friday morning).

If he doesn't get promoted to Iowa this coming week, his next AZL start should be Thursday at Fitch Park versus the AZL Padres. If he does stay in Arizona for one more start, it's possible that Hill will rejoin the Iowa Cubs when the I-Cubs play at Tucson the week of July 21st (the same week the Cubs play the Diamondbacks in Phoenix).  

Coupled with his previous outing last Sunday when he worked four innings of one hit ball with six K, Hill has now gone 9 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB and 11 K over his last two outings since modifying his delivery under the auspices of Cubs Minor League Pitching Coordinator Mark Riggins and AZL Cubs Pitching Coach Rick Tronerud.       

Hill almost certainly could have gone longer today, but there is a limit of five innings or 75 pitches (whichever comes first) for AZL pitchers, including rehabbers.

Hill left with a 3-0 lead after five innings, and the AZL Cubs managed to just barely hang-on for a 6-5 victory.

2008 20th round draft pick LF Jericho Jones (Louisiana Tech) had three more hits (he's now hitting 452/500/690) before leaving the game with cramps. (Jones is a slow runner, but he sure can hit). Matt Cerda (4th round pick out of Oceanside HS) reached base three times on two singles and a walk and scored three runs, and Nelson Perez hit a monster solo HR over the right-centerfield fence.

Cerda, who hasn't been a full-time catcher since his Little League days, has made great strides behind the plate since arriving at Fitch Park last month, working daily with player-coach (mentor) Danny Fatheree, who was Kerry Wood's catcher in HS. 

At the plate, Cerda is an advanced hitter with an eagle eye at the plate, especially for a kid one month removed from high school. He reminds me of a young left-handed hitting version of Craig Biggio.  

Ryan Acosta, Toby Matchulat, Carlos Rojas, and Luke Sommer followed Rich Hill to the mound, but only Sommer (who was an outfielder as recently as two months ago) was effective, earning the save with 1-1/3 innings of shutout relief. Acosta allowed three runs in the 6th and left the game with one out in the top of the 7th with an injury (exact nature unknown). 

In AZL roster news, the Cubs have signed their fourth Non-Drafted Free-Agent (NDFA) and first NDFA position player of 2008, IF-OF-C Pat Mahoney (University of Connecticut).

A 22-year old right-handed hitter from Des Moines, Mahoney is the younger brother of ex-Cubs and ex-Iowa catcher Mike Mahoney. The younger Mahoney was originally an infielder, but was converted to catcher in his senior year at UConn, and I would expect him to serve as a "super-sub" utility player for the AZL Cubs. He supposedly can play just about anywhere.