Ramirez versus DeRosa for Player of the Month

With three days left in August, the Cubs have two legit contenders for player of the month honors in August. The only player of the month winner so far for the best team in baseball has been Geovany Soto's rookie of the month honor in April, although he's certainly a strong contender to win it again in August. His only real competition is the July winner, Ian Stewart who has a slight edge in OPS and both have 20 RBI's in August.

All the NL contenders after the jump...

 

Name  HR  RBI  R  XBH  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
DeRosa  7  24  22  17  .378 .442  .768 1.210 
Cameron  8  18  17  14  .366  .458  .744  1.202 
Pujols 7  20  16  16  .372  .481  .721  1.202 
Wigginton 10  22  17  17  .370  .381  .783  1.164 
Ludwick  9  23  21  17  .359  .413  .739  1.153 
M. Ramirez  7  23  14  11  .375  .465  .635  1.100 
A. Ramirez  6  26  20  14  .325  .418  .639  1.057 

Cameron also has seven stolen bases this month although I doubt that's valued too highly for the award. With Ryan Braun and CC Sabathia sweeping the July honors, I doubt they'd give it to another Brewer unless Cameron goes off the next three days. DeRosa has the OPS edge at the moment over everyone and is tied for the most extra base hits. He's tied for second in RBI's with Carlos Delgado, both of whom trail Aramis. DeRosa is second in runs scored to Matt Holliday's 28. So a little battle within the battle to end the weekend.
 
On the pitching side, Rich Harden is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA this month but in just four starts and 24.2 IP. Sabathia and Tim Lincecum are both 4-0 so far with nearly double the innings and 1.37 ERA for Sabathia and 1.27 for Lincecum. 
Tags: 
Mark DeRosa
Player of the Month
Aramis Ramirez
Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 12:59pm
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Comments

Submitted by jacos
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 2:04pm

Put them into the Thunder dome, attach Fontenot to Aram's hat and let them go.

TWO GO IN, ONE COME OUT!

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 4:32pm

Funny, but it was only Blaster who went in to Thunderdome.

* A lot of people don't know, but it's Mad Max's cousin-in-law who is Blaster, hence the hesitation when he pulls off his helmet.

Submitted by jacos
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 4:57pm

Who run Bartertown??!

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 4:31pm

phew...using wood in 2 blowouts in a row before his 2 saves (causing him to work 4 days in a row) didnt bite the team in the ass.

using howry as a setup man yesterday was iffy while marmol was resting.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 4:39pm

Wood sat for three games before the entering Monday's blowout. He has to pitch sometime. Tuesday was definitely questionable, but he only had Howry or Wood left for the ninth. 

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 4:53pm

he does have to pitch sometime.

he happened to pitch 2 blowouts in a row before 2 games of "real" work.

marmol got used a lot in that role, too, early.

and i misstated howry being used in a setup role yesterday...he was just trying to keep the game within 3 runs. then the bottom 8th happened...ah...the bottom 8th :D good stuff.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 5:03pm

how long do you think it's reasonable to sit for one of your key bullpen arms?

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 5:18pm

coming off a rest period do you work your closer in 2 blowouts in a row?

1 i could buy...the second was "this again?"

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 5:25pm

way to avoid answering a question...

Wood hadn't pitched in 3 days, that's why he was used Monday in a blowout. No one knows if Tuesday's game would be a blowout, which didn't turn into a blowout until the 8th anyway. Keeping Marmol and Wood sharp are important until we clinch. I'll agree that using him on Tuesday was questionable, but his only choices were Wood or Howry.

As to why he didn't use Howry, I don't know. Maybe after watching the team piss away most of the game, he didn't care to go through an adventurous 9th. Maybe Howry had a hangnail or a case of the runs. Maybe Lou is sick of Howry's crap pitching this year.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 5:39pm

fine...i'll answer the question...i have no idea what that has to do with using wood in 2 blowouts in a row, though. one i could buy...both...i think it's a bit of a waste for reasons that arose just over the past 3 games.

---

"how long do you think it's reasonable to sit for one of your key bullpen arms?"

0-3/4 days depending on use and how the guy feels.

scott eyre approves of your question.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 5:47pm

i have no idea what that has to do with using wood in 2 blowouts in a row

really, no idea? if he wasn't used for 3 days, and you're bitching about using him for 2 blowouts in a row, then understanding why he was used in the first one is kind of important. 

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 6:01pm

i explained why i wouldn't use a closer 2 blowouts in a row.

i didn't think it was controversial of a topic, really.

it's come up in parachat a lot. guessing it's gonna be one guy and it ending up being marmol/wood.

i'm not coming at this going "never in a blowout!!!!"...its just when they work multiple ones in a row that it becomes "why?"

the answer could be any number of legit or "stupid" reasons...we dont know the why's most of the time. i'm just saying its something i wouldn't do and i know i'm not alone in that one no matter what side of it you find yourself on.

Submitted by iowaCub
on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 1:22am

I love this blog - if I wanted bs sunny optimism I'd go to the other Cubs blogs-that-shall-remain-nameless. 7 wins in a row but we still got pragmatic debate over here. Love it.

Oh, and De-ro for POTM, my 2 cents. But I'm lovin' A-ram lately as well.

Submitted by nohit
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 4:35pm

Could Ramirez have laid down such an excellent sac bunt? DeRosa, no contest. Greek god biceps rule.

;-)

Submitted by Dmac
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 4:48pm

I vote for Soto as player of the season - while the pitching staff is excellent, there has to be major input from the quarterback of the defense. The guy doesn't play or act like a rookie, and the staff reflects that attitude every game.

Submitted by Chad
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 5:48pm

I can't tell you how happy I am right now. I said for the longest time that if we do 2/3 from the bad teams (or better) and .500 or better against the good teams, we win this division going away.

At worst we got our split vs. the phils and Zambrano pitches on Sunday. On Fox, BTW. I like our chances.

If we go 1 under .500 from here on out we get 98 wins.

This team will get to 100.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 6:59pm

I don't know if this team gets to 100, simply because once a playoff spot is in the bag, it's time to rest Z, Harden, Wood, Marmol, KFuk, Soto and whoever else needs it. I imagine a lot of games over the last 10 or 15 will be a 4A roster fighting against teams still trying to get in like the Cardinals, Mets and maybe Brewers.

Submitted by Chad
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 8:46pm

Wrong. Home field advantage is important. Wild card right now is a collapse. Once the central is locked up we can take it down a gear. When best record is locked, then and only then will we take our foot off the gas.

85 - 50

15 - 12 gets us 100 wins.

Well within our reach.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 9:19pm

Eh, opinion are opinions. I'd rather be healthy and rested. You can prefer an extra home game if that's your thing.

Submitted by Chad
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 10:05pm

If that's my thing? Dude!

51-19 34-31

Do you know what those numbers are? I'll let you figure that out.

Submitted by 10man
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 6:36pm

Just give them co-players of the month and call it even.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 6:13pm

brewers up 3-0...top 1st, 0 out.

neat.

Submitted by blockhead25
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 6:42pm

anyone notice that the Cubs matched their win total from last year's division winning performance? with 27 games to go. Simply amazing.

Submitted by crunch
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 6:46pm

when your biggest worry is your questionable right handed bench pinch hitters you got a pretty sweet team.

guess dlee's power outtage is a concern, but the team on whole is picking up the slack with the power.

Submitted by navigator
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 7:05pm

He's been fine the last week and let's hope that continues, but overall since the All-Star break #25 has been an empty suit up there at the plate,

3HR .252 .329 .364 .693 --- not just no power, no nothin'.

Submitted by Chad
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 8:48pm

Would you please shut your pie hole.

How can you be so F##@%!%G negative? This team is in a territory to do something my father hasn't seen. (100 wins)

So shut the F@%# UP!

Submitted by blockhead25
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 8:56pm

this coming from the person who says "I FUCKING HATE LOU" "LOU YOU ASSHOLE!!!!" in chat.

Submitted by Chad
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 10:03pm

In game comments do not count.

Let a motherf#%@#%r vent. jeez.

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 8:53pm

What happens in Parachat stays in Parachat (especially now that Transmission has been kidnapped by bespectacled academics).

Submitted by nohit
on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 9:58pm

Totally. Doesn't he know about the unwritten rules?

Submitted by blockhead25
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 7:09pm

I'm still not counting my chickens on the division yet. The Brewers still have 16 games left against the Pirates, Padres and Reds and they have been dominating bad teams.

Wildcard is a different matter. that's a done deal.

Submitted by Ryno
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 8:04pm

Every time this year when I started to think... "there we go, reverting back to the same 'ol Cubbery I'm used to," the team would roar back and prove me wrong. This team has cajones.

Submitted by blockhead25
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 8:46pm

Pirates still suck.
6.5 lead with 27 to go. (28 for Brewers)

Submitted by blockhead25
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 9:55pm

11 game lead over Wildcard spot now.
Playoff Magic # 17

Submitted by Cubster
on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 10:32pm

probably something to do with Johan's mom

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 12:04am

His only real competition is the July winner, Ian Stewart who has a slight edge in OPS and both have 20 RBI's in August.

Pretty good for a guy who's been dead since December 1985. Though he did play a nice, bluesy piano for the Stones in his day.

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 11:53am

Report: Ocho Cinco now Chad's legal name (AP)...

http://tinyurl.com/5zlnud

Submitted by Chad
on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 12:28pm

Like hell it is! No one calls me ochco cinco!!!

Submitted by Jumbo
on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 8:00pm

Chad Javon Ocho Cinco
I hope to god he puts it on his jersey.

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