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"Stephen Gryzlo"? We Have No Idea Who You're Talking About

Out of concern for the mental health of the many Cub fans who regularly populate The Cub Reporter, the authors request that, until further notice, visitors please refrain from using the following words or phrases anywhere on or near the site:

  • shoulder
  • arm
  • "dead arm"
  • "tired arm"
  • strain
  • discomfort
  • triceps
  • fatigued
  • disabled
  • "skip a turn"
  • orthopedist
  • Dr. Stephen Gryzlo
  • examination
  • magnetic
  • resonance
  • imaging
  • "missed appointment"

Thank you.

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Carlos Zambrano
Cub injuries
By Cubnut at Wed, 09/03/2008 - 11:15pm

Game 139 Thread / Astros @ Cubs (2 of 3)

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SP Brandon Backe SP Carlos Zambrano

9-12, 5.42, 122 K, 72 BB, 159.1 IP
13-5, 3.53, 114 K, 61 BB, 168.1 IP
       
CF *Michael Bourn LF Alfonso Soriano
LF Ty Wigginton 2B *Mike Fontenot
SS Miguel Tejada 1B Derrek Lee
1B #Lance Berkman 3B Aramis Ramirez
3B #Geoff Blum RF Mark DeRosa
RF Hunter Pence CF *Jim Edmonds
2B *David Newhan C Geovany Soto
C Humberto Quintero SS Ryan Theriot
P Brandon Backe P #Carlos Zambrano

 

While Cub fans are hoping that the team's bats will come back to life (no EBH's among the club's last 27 hits), the greater concern right now is with Carlos Zambrano.

All Cubdom would like to see that the two extra days of rest Zambrano got when his scheduled Sunday start was pushed back to this evening have proven beneficial to his "fatigued" "dead" tired arm. If nothing else, in the span of those two days, the calendar turned from August to September.

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Gameday Open Thread
By Cubnut at Tue, 09/02/2008 - 5:50pm

Game 137 Thread / Phillies @ Cubs (4 of 4)

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SP *Jamie Moyer SP *Sean Marshall

11-7, 3.81, 102 K, 50 BB, 160.2 IP
3-3, 3.52, 43 K, 13 BB, 46 IP
       
SS #Jimmy Rollins LF Alfonso Soriano
2B *Chase Utley CF Reed Johnson
LF Pat Burrell 1B Derrek Lee
1B *Ryan Howard 3B Aramis Ramirez
CF #Shane Victorino 2B Mark DeRosa
RF Jayson Werth C Geovany Soto
3B Pedo Feliz RF *Kosuke Fukudome
C Carlos Ruiz SS Ronny Cedeno
P *Jamie Moyer P *Sean Marshall

 

Carlos Zambrano was scheduled to start Sunday for the Cubs, but Z and his dead arm ("muscle fatigue in his triceps," according to the Cubs) are going to skip a turn. WSCR also reported this morning that Rich Harden, whose velocity was markedly down against the Phillies on Friday, will skip his next turn, meaning he won't pitch until sometime after the Houston series. Can I say it? Oy, oy, oy. (Nice to have an 11-game lead in the Wild Card race, however.)

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Gameday Open Thread
By Cubnut at Sat, 08/30/2008 - 11:26pm

Game 134 Thread / Phillies @ Cubs (1 of 4)

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SP *Cole Hamels SP Ryan Dempster
  11-8, 3.20, 162 K, 43 BB, 188.2 IP
15-5, 2.85, 153 K, 65 BB, 170.2 IP
       
SS #Jimmy Rollins LF Alfonso Soriano
2B *Chase Utley SS Ryan Theriot
LF Pat Burrell 1B Derrek Lee
1B *Ryan Howard 3B Aramis Ramirez
CF #Shane Victorino C Geovany Soto
RF Jayson Werth CF Reed Johnson
3B Pedro Feliz RF *Kosuke Fukudome
C Carlos Ruiz  2B Mark DeRosa
P *Cole Hamels P Ryan Dempster

 

The Cubs and Phillies play the first game in Major League history in which the umpires—or at least the crew chief—will have the option to summon an instant replay to assist a call. (The Rangers/Angels and Twins/A's games starting later Thursday will also be replay-enabled; umpires at all games will be onboard starting Friday.) The reviewable plays will be limited to potential home runs, i.e., fair or foul, over the fence or in play, fan interference or not.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella thinks it's all just a grand idea:

"This is not going to work. I shouldn't say it's not going to work, but this could turn into a little bit of a fiasco initially."

Anyhow, having beaten our boys twice (and nearly three times) in a three-game series in Philadelphia back in April, the Philles begin this four-game set as the only NL team with a lead in their season series against the Cubs.

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Gameday Open Thread
By Cubnut at Thu, 08/28/2008 - 6:22pm

Game 133 Thread / Cubs @ Pirates (3 of 3)

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SP Jason Marquis SP *Zach Duke
  8-7, 4.76, 71 K, 52 BB, 134.1 IP
4-12, 5.29, 72 K, 42 BB, 151.1 IP
       
LF Alfonso Soriano RF *Nyjer Morgan
SS Ryan Theriot SS Jack Wilson
1B Derrek Lee CF *Nate McLouth
3B Aramis Ramirez 1B *Adam LaRoche
CF Reed Johnson LF *Brandon Moss
RF Mark DeRosa 2B Freddy Sanchez
2B Ronny Cedeno 3B Andy LaRoche
C Henry Blanco C Raul Chavez
P *Jason Marquis P *Zach Duke

 

The Cubs go for the sweep, and once again I am reminded that I don't know how to add Rob's broom graphic to the game results box at the top of the right-hand column. I'll make you a deal, Jason Marquis: you win the game, and I'll work on the broom.

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Jason Marquis
Gamday Open Thread
By Cubnut at Wed, 08/27/2008 - 6:23am

Game 131 Thread / Cubs @ Pirates (1 of 3)

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SP *Ted Lilly SP Jeff Karstens
  12-7, 4.25, 148 K, 56 W, 161 IP 
2-2, 2.25, 11 K, 8 W, 28 IP
       
LF Alfonso Soriano CF *Nate McLouth
SS Ryan Theriot 2B Freddy Sanchez
1B Derrek Lee C  #Ryan Doumit
3B Aramis Ramirez 1B *Adam LaRoche
CF *Jim Edmonds RF  Jason Michaels
2B Mark DeRosa LF *Brandon Moss
RF *Kosuke Fukudome 3B Andy LaRoche
C Geovany Soto SS Jack Wilson
P *Ted Lilly P Jeff Karstens

 

The Cubs open a three-game set at PNC Park, concluding their 9-game stretch against the Reds, Nationals, and Pirates before they resume play against Major League opposition. (Yes, I'm tempting fate: Friday's smug game preview was just a preamble to an ugly 13-5 loss to the Nats, but 30 games over .500, I'm feeling smug all over again.)

Coming off a tough luck defeat in which he held the Reds hitless for the first 5 innings and wound up yielding just 2 hits in 7 IP, Lily has reduced his ERA to a season-low 4.25.The lefty has given the Cubs Quality Starts in 8 of his last 10 turns, and that defeat to Cincinnati was his first after five consecutive W's.

This will mark Lilly's fourth start of the year against the Bucs. He's 1-0, 5.63 in the three previous starts, with a butt-ugly 8.38 ERA in his two outings at PNC.

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Ted Lilly
Gameday Open Thread
By Cubnut at Mon, 08/25/2008 - 4:46pm

kcab si yaraC yrraH (That's "Harry Caray is back," spelled backwards)

Years before most of the English-speaking world was convinced it could do a passable Harry Caray impression, Jim Volkman was a regular on Chicago radio and had established himself as the master Harry mimic.

Well, Harry (Jim) is back now, at 1908worldchampions.com, where he recently started a game-by-game commentary on the Cubs season, with assistance from two other great voices from the Cubs past, who, like Caray, happen to be dead: Jack Brickhouse and Lou Boudreau.

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Harry Caray
Cubs Humor
Jack Brickhouse
Lou Boudreau
Cubs announcers
By Cubnut at Sun, 08/24/2008 - 10:53pm

Game 128 Thread / Nationals @ Cubs (1 of 3)

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SP *John Lannan SP Jason Marquis
  6-12, 3.81, 89 K, 54 W, 141.2 IP
8-7, 4.67, 68 K, 49 W, 129 IP
       
2B #Emilio Bonificio LF Alfonso Soriano
SS #Cristian Guzman SS Ryan Theriot
3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Derrek Lee
CF Lastings Milledge 3B Aramis Ramirez
1B Ronnie Belliard CF Reed Johnson
RF *Ryan Langerhans C Geovany Soto
LF *Willie Harris RF Mark DeRosa
C Wil Nieves 2B Ronny Cedeno
P *John Lannan P *Jason Marquis

Weather note: As of 12:40, it's pouring in the western suburbs, with storms on their way to the city. Could be a rain delay in our future.

The Cubs advance to the next course in the all-meatball buffet, following their series against the Reds with three against the 45-83 Nationals starting today, before moving on to Pittsburgh.

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Gameday Open Thread
By Cubnut at Fri, 08/22/2008 - 11:42am

Game 127 Thread / Reds @ Cubs (3 of 3)

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SP Josh Fogg SP Carlos Zambrano
  2-5, 7.71, 38 K, 24 BB, 65.1 IP
12-5, 3.38, 107 K, 53 BB, 157 IP
       
LF *Chris Dickerson LF Alfonso Soriano
SS Jeff Keppinger SS Ryan Theriot
RF *Jay Bruce 1B Derrek Lee
2B Brandon Phillips 3B Aramis Ramirez
1B *Joey Votto CF *Jim Edmonds
3B Edwin Encarnacion 2B Mark DeRosa
CF *Corey Patterson RF *Kosuke Fukudome
C *Paul Bako C Henry Blanco
P Josh Fogg P #Carlos Zambrano

 

The Cubs try to take two of three from a team so bad, they have given more than 250 at-bats to a player hitting less than .200, are granting a 12th start to a pitcher with a 7.71 ERA (ERA+ of 58), and sent an apology letter to their fans...with 35 games still left in the campaign.

Carlos Zambrano goes for his fifth consecutive win against the Reds, hoping to bounce back to #1 form after three unimpressive outings.

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Gameday Open Thread
By Cubnut at Thu, 08/21/2008 - 9:48am

Harden, C.C., and Sut

Rich Harden's brilliant effort Tuesday night followed yet another complete-game win for the second-place Brewers' C.C. Sabathia the evening before.

Through last night's play, here is what Harden and Sabathia have done for their NL Central teams, alongside the contribution of another mid-season acquisition, who, once upon a time, made a huge impact when he joined the Cubs from the American League:

  GS CG IP
H
K
 BB ERA
 W L
C.C. Sabathia 9 5 73 60 69 15 1.60 8 0
Rich Harden 7 0 42 26 59 14 1.50 3 1
Rick Sutcliffe (thru 8/19/84) 13 1 94 87 93 32 3.26 11 1

 

(Note: Sabathia's first start for the Brewers was on July 8, Harden's Cub debut was on July 12, and Sutcliffe's first game for the Cubs was on June 19, 1984.

Thoughts after the jump...

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NL Central
Rick Sutcliffe
Rich Harden
By Cubnut at Wed, 08/20/2008 - 6:43am

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