New York, New York!
GAME 66 PREVIEW
CHICAGO CUBS (34-31) at NEW YORK YANKEES (34-32)
Yankee Stadium, 2:05pm CT, TV: FOX
Don't forget to drop into the Parachat for in-game discussion!
GAME 66 REVIEW SUICIDE BY BULLPEN
Though the Cubs had been trailing 3-0, they had narrowed the deficit to two in the top of the sixth on a Jason Dubois solo home run. It was imperative then that the Cubs consolidated things in the bottom of the inning by keeping the Yankees off the board. When Rusch allowed both Posada and Williams to reach, taking him to 98 pitches, Dusty decided Glendon's mediocre outing had run its full course. With lefties Tino Martinez and Robinson Cano up next, Rich Hill was given the call (the guy's come a long way from being demoted from the Daytona rotation at around this time last year). Showcasing the gorgeous curveball for which he's famed, Hill struckout Martinez with ease, but when he followed that though with a walk to Cano to load the bases with just the one out and the top of the Yankee order up, Dusty motioned to the bullpen again.
If the Cubs were ever going to win this one, leaving those bases loaded was the only real option. Not only would that keep the game close, it could just give the Cubs some much needed momentum with which to rally. To achieve that though they needed a dominating pitcher to come in and batten down the hatches, they needed as good a reliever out there as they could possibly muster at this stage in the game. Instead Dusty Baker indefensibly chose Joe Borowski. And the rest is history, as Jeter crushed a high and over the plate, somewhere in the eighties fastball for his first career grand slam, and with it all Cubs hopes of winning the game and or the series were crushed too.
If there was any doubt about it before (and there certainly shouldn't have been, because it's been clear for a while now that Borowski is golden brown and lightly buttered toast), there definately cannot be any now. Joe Borowski has to go, and if he'd care to take the bitterly disappointing Cliff Bartosh and the part of Dusty's brain which implores him to persist in making such ridiculous bullpen decisions with him, that'd be much appreciated. Also much appreciated, of course, is the great service Borowski did the Cubs' bullpen in 2002 and 2003, when he surprised many, perhaps even himself, with his imperious relieving. But the time now has come for the Cubs to relieve themselves of the burden Borowski has sadly become, and sentimentality cannot get in the way. With Bartosh and Remlinger both now largely defunct too, the Cubs are currently operating a bullpen, and an eight man one at that, overcrowded with guys they cannot trust with the game on the line. That needs to change. Hendry has dismissed the 'pen's cracks long enough.
What can be done? Firstly, Borowski and Bartosh need to find their way off the roster by whatever means possible, and if that means cutting them and paying the rest of their salary for the year, then so be it. Remlinger needs to be put on the trading block, or used solely as a mopup guy if there are no takers of his bloated contract. Jermaine Van Buren, who's been lights out in Iowa (28.2 IP, 17 H, 4 HR, 12 BB, 37 K, 1.88 ERA), needs to follow in the footsteps Borowski once took. And there's no getting away from it, unless Scott Williamson's very close to returning, and rushing him back wouldn't be that wise, the Cubs probably need outside help (and experience) to offset the fact that Wuertz, Wellemeyer, Ohman and Van Buren would have only about 160 major league innings in their careers between them.
Who from outside the organisation can help? I think I'll turn that, and my position on this bullpen, over to your debate in the comments...
SP Chien-Ming Wang | SP *Glendon Rusch |
SS #Neifi Perez | SS Derek Jeter |
CF *Corey Patterson | LF *Tony Womack |
1B Derrek Lee | RF Gary Sheffield |
RF *Jeromy Burnitz | 3B Alex Rodriguez |
3B Aramis Ramirez | DH *Hideki Matsui |
2B *Todd Walker | C #Jorge Posada |
C Michael Barrett | CF #Bernie Williams |
LF *Todd Hollandsworth | 1B *Tino Martinez |
DH Jason Dubois | 2B *Robinson Cano |
GAME 66 REVIEW SUICIDE BY BULLPEN
CUBS 1 YANKEES 8 Recap | Box Score | Play-by-play | Game Chart W: Chien-Ming Wang (4-2) L: Glendon Rusch (5-3) |
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