Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Game 77 Thread / Rockies @ Cubs (3 of 3)

Game Chat Jason Hirsh vs. Carlos Zambrano Lineups:
Sullivan CF Soriano LF
Matsui 2B Fontenot 2B
Holliday LF Lee 1B
Helton 1B Floyd RF
Atkins 3B Pagan CF
Hawpe RF DeRosa 3B
Tulowitszki SS Hill C
Torrealba C Theriot SS
Hirsh P Zambrano P

Comments

Any news on why ARam is getting a day off, or are they just working him back slowly?

Let's hope Big Z is on form today because I'm not sure we're going to get a lot of runs today from this lineup.

no word, I'm sure he'll be getting lots of days from here on out. Especially day after night games and with an opportunity to sit 2 days in a row with an off-day tomorrow.

Looks like we are playing a little "small ball" today. I'm with Andrew on this one, Z needs to be on today to keep the winning streak alive.

Does is bother anyone that the man who can nix a deal (i.e. the commish) is the owner of the team that will stand to lose the most if the cubs pull off a successful move? Conflict of interest?

Also, with the way Z has been throwing, we hopefully won't need Aram's bat. So give him that two day rest going into a series where we will need it.

I was just pondering that myself, Chad. Not trying to start a conspiracy theory or anything, but it seem that The Bud would stand to directly profit from nixing a Cubs deal.

What having an owner, sorry former owner, as commissioner can create a conflict of interest? No way.

Yeah fine, former owner. Robr is right. Even with former status, it's still a total conflict of interest.

And anyway, I'd be willing to wager that if Bud really did nix the deal (and not Zell), it has more to do with flexing his muscle to the Trib before the sale than any real baseball/competitive reason. I'm sure he wants it crystal clear that the Trib needs his blessing.

anyway, it's still unclear whether Zell nixed the deal or the commish, who apparently gains some sort of supernatural controlling power of your franchise if you put it up for sale.

On a much less suspicious note, there's an interesting statistical event occuring today. It's the first time in big league history that seven 40 year olds will start on the same day. (from the AP): The New York Yankees' Roger Clemens (44), Philadelphia's Jamie Moyer (44), Detroit's Kenny Rogers (42), San Diego's Greg Maddux (41), the New York Mets' Tom Glavine (41), Houston's Woody Williams (40) and Atlanta's John Smoltz (40) are set to pitch on the same day." http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-old-timersday&prov=ap&type=lgns

anyway, trading JJ for a lo-A prospect doesn't really affect the Cubs or Brewers all that much this year, so I don't see why he would care. Brewers would probably be happy we made the deal.

Moving Jones off our roster frees up a roster spot that could be taken up by a better player.

Moving Jones off our roster frees up a roster spot that could be taken up by a better player. And who is Jones blocking?

Z has thrown a ton of pitches in his last three starts, averaging 121 per. Last time he had a three-game stretch like that was in September, '05. Next game out was against the Astros, and he got hammered. I just thought it would be fun to inject some negativism into the winning streak.

Who nixed the deal? Does no one believe Jim Hendry? ""I just felt I wasn't going to be rushed into it and make a deal that I didn't think was good for us," Hendry said."

it's also shipping an underperforming player, paying his contract and getting nothing in return to help your team this year. I don't think it was a horrible trade if we did get a decent prospect like this Graham Taylor, but it's not that significant of a deal that Bud would probably bother risking tampering accusations for...

dave, he's not 'blocking' anyone in our system. But he is blocking us from trading for a big name in right.

But he is blocking us from trading for a big name in right. No he isn't. How so? If the Cubs wanted to trade for a "big name" to play right, they would just send Pagan or Theriot back down. It wouldn't be too hard.

didn't watch last night's game, but saw the highlights on wgn of some more great defensive by the Cubbies. Woo.

isn't Floyd playing RF for the most part these days? What does JJ have to do with us acquiring anyone?

Hendry's comment may just be a half truth. That is, Zell or Selig could have killed the first deal (Jones+$$$$$ for Taylor) and then Hendry felt uncomfortable about the alternative proposal (Jones+$$+Top Prospect for Taylor).

C'mon on guys. Let's just say there was a pretty good hitting right fielder that we wanted. And lets just say there was a trade we could make for that guy for a couple of decent prospects. how do we make that trade? Have Soriano, Pie, Floyd, Jones and new guy? to play the outfield. No freaking way. We need to move Jones before a move like that could be made. We need a power hitting right handed option on the bench. Currently we have none. I don't want Koyie Hill pinch hitting late ever again.

Chad... I really do not think that JJ is blocking the acquisition of ANYONE. If Hendry wanted to, and if he was allowed to add payroll, he would do it. It has nothing to do with JJ.

I agree that K. Hill pinch hitting last in games should not be repeated. That gave me a twitch...

Interesting theory. Perhaps Bud Selig is still pissed off at the Cubs for spending $300 million last winter and sent a message via his temple pal Sam Zell that a deal for Jacque Jones to involve including several million dollars wasn't going to be approved by his office. Selig-Reinsdorf-Zell. A trifecta of jackasses.

no dave, it's impossible. we don't have a roster spot for this guy. forget money. we need a guy off the roster to make the space.

Hendry also said, "Bob Howry is cooked." (meaning worn out>?) in context of his discussion about the Jones trade. Did anyone here mention that Hendry first had discussions with the Padres about an identical deal (JJ and ca$h for an A level minor leaguer) but the Padres declined because they preferred Termel Sledge over JJ? After San Diego took a pass, Hendry made the deal with the Marlins.

"and sent a message via his temple pal Sam Zell" I'm sorry but whether you meant this or not, it's completely offensive. As if the fact they are Jews matters in this situation.

Gee.. chad and dave disagree… That never happens! Shhh... Chad and I have been getting along pretty well lately. Don't mess it up! :)

that was in response to Chad saying we have no room for another outfielder, not that Pagan has actually been demoted. heard about the padres being interested, where did the specific come from cwtp?

I’m sorry but whether you meant this or not, it’s completely offensive. As if the fact they are Jews matters in this situation. I agree with Chad. See... Chad and I CAN agree! But Chad... you are wrong about the roster spot. It would be quite easy to open a roster spot if needed.

OK fine then. Then why are we trying to get rid of Jones so badly. You see, the point is that Jones is dead weight and moving Pagan down to the minors to accommodate a right handed bat on the bench still doesn't maximize this team. We must shed Jones to really improve this team.

Sam Zell, Bud Selig and Jerry Reinsdorf are friends and all members of the same synagague according to my Jewish friend. If you want to infer my comment included direct or subliminal prejudice against people of the Jewish faith, then I can't help you.

I think Hendry made a comment about wanting to try to "improve the situation for one of his players," meaning Jacque obviously. Jacque may be demanding a trade due to the hostile fans and/or the lack of playing time.

Bruce Miles sucks. And has always sucked. He is an arbitrary and capricious schizophrenic when it comes to coverage of the Cubs. Some days he is a Jay Marriotti wannabe, other days a puppet communicator for the Cub front office. Which is it Brucie?

vorare — June 27, 2007 @ 12:09 pm Hendry’s comment may just be a half truth. That is, Zell or Selig could have killed the first deal (Jones+$$$$$ for Taylor) and then Hendry felt uncomfortable about the alternative proposal (Jones+$$+Top Prospect for Taylor). ..................................................................... My gut tells me this is the likely scenerio.

Vorare, you can't trade the untradeable. Not unless Hendry gains approval to ship a check for $5 million to go along with Jacque Blacque Schlaque.

Bruce Miles sucks. And has always sucked. He is an arbitrary and capricious schizophrenic when it comes to coverage of the Cubs. Some days he is a Jay Marriotti wannabe, other days a puppet communicator for the Cub front office. Which is it Brucie? Well that's new....

ST there is no reason in hell to bring their being Jewish into this at all. NO REASON. If you say, "His friend" or "His old pal", fine. But the moment you bring in the term "temple" you invoke his religion as if it had some bearing on the situation.

3 men living in 3 different cities go to the same syna... well that's an interesting...whatever.

Dave, Right now JJ is blocking a 12th pitcher on the staff. Anyone can say how Theriot, Fontenot, Pie, and Pagan could be optioned for any number of reasons, but there's one reason why they won't -- Lou likes the way they play baseball and right now he seems to running the show not Jimbo. So, JJ can PR or PH 1-2 times a week or someone can ask the suits 'Mother may I please release Jacque?' Until that happens we're playing with a 24 man roster that only has 11 pitchers.

Rockies now know that they cannot stop Theriot and Fontenot, they can only hope to contain them.

What's this? A home run? So if they hit it between the foul poles, but beyond the fence they get to go all the way around? Neat. I vaguely remember guys doing that a long time ago, but not recently.

When Mike Fontenot throws a boomerang, the boomerang does not return because it is scared to come back.

I wasn't impressed by Soto last September, and I'm as skeptical of Ronny Cedeno as anyone, but numbers are numbers. Cedeno is hitting .385 in 143 at bats at Iowa. Ten home runs in half a season by a catcher (Soto) or a second baseman (Patterson) are significant--and Soto has done it in 88 fewer at bats than Patterson. Kroeger put up monster numbers at AA and has hit a home run and a couple of doubles in his first week at Iowa. And Matt Murton is Matt Murton, a .297 hitter his rookie year in Chi. Any of these five players could make use of Jones's roster spot, although the two outfielders probably have the best claim. I would imagine that Murton would replace Jones right away.

Z at 107 pitches through 6 (with a rocky 6th). I would like to see a pinch hitter for him this inning.

Rynox: "C/C- control" How do you figure? He's thrown 10 strikes and 3 balls to this point.

Is it just me or does Petrick look a little bit like Kerry Wood out there?

Mike Fontenot -- my goodness!! Good thing A-Ram got hurt, or he would still be playign 2B at Iowa and the subject of much TCR debate.

Precisely how many more chances need to be granted to Ronny Cedeno?!? He has sucked at the plate AND in the field with the Cubs. So what if he consistently rips apart triple A pitching. Have you looked at Triple A pitching lately?!? It's mostly populated by the Les Walrond's of the world.

crunch should be excited by this latest tidbit from Musket: And I would want a good bench coach, too, if I became manager.

Why again did Dusty not like Fontenot? What? It is Dusty's fault that Fontenot wasn't on the big league club before this year?

Mike Fontenot is lightening in a bottle. Enjoy it while it lasts. He is Cub version of Bo Hart. He'll invariably come crashing back down to earth. He wasn't a 27 year old stuck at Triple A and available for anyone to grab free of cost last winter for nothing. I don't mean to piss on anyone's parade. I have been dutifully impressed with Fontenot as well. But I'm smart enough to see a mirage when I see one. Or so that's what Yogi would say.

"What? It is Dusty’s fault that Fontenot wasn’t on the big league club before this year?" Well yes, because when he was on the big league club in 2005 Dusty wouldn't play him.

Ronny's current AAA numbers, he's still just 24: 385/461/566 in 143 AB's 20 K/19 BB/4 HR, 12 2B, 25 R, 17 RBI fine by me as a middle infield injury replacement but no more. Trade bait as well. This Petrick kid is throwing strikes, me like.

With all due respect, I doubt Ronny Cedeno has trade value. He's had a couple big league trials and looked utterly awful in every dimension of the game...hitting, fielding, baserunning, instincts. Think of him as insurance. Nothing else.

Silent Towel — June 27, 2007 @ 2:50 pm Something hit that far ought to have a stewardess on board. Rob G. — June 27, 2007 @ 2:51 pm it barely made the net…. Brilliant.

Bring on the Brewers! Milwaukee and Houston currently tied at 3 in the bottom of the 10th. 6 in a row. One more game to .500.

Winning streaks are fun. I had forgotten... Between now and the break, we have a homestand vs. the Brewers and then 7 games vs. WAS and PIT. If we're EVER going to do something this season, now is the time. It's be nice to be 46-41 at the break.

Cedeno will be a solid big league shortstop. Probably not with the Cubs but he has continued to develop even after his disasterous 2006, when he should have been at Iowa. He has seven errors at Iowa but he has completed numerous plays that most big league shortstops could never had made.

I’m now convinced Silent Towel is a parody. Of what, I have no idea. Manny Trillo? If he's not a parody, I'm convinced that Manny, ST, and CubFan are all siblings.

I can't believe how the astros rolled over for the Brewers. In the top of the 10th 1st and 3rd with 1 out and berkman goes FC no run and CLee grounds out. FUCK YOU ASTROS! No worries here people, we sweep one more series and we will be only 4 games out!

BTW... the Buehrle report of a contract extension is being denied. Hmmm... might the Score be wrong... again? Remember, they are the same ones who said Theriot was being sent down yesterday.

Carlos Marmol has electric stuff. Assuming the mental makeup is there and he isn't Latino version of Kyle "Ten Cent Head" Farnsworth, he will be a closer in this league. I haven't seen a fastball dance like that since Pedro Martinez was dialing it up.

BTW... If we don't trade Damien Miller for Michael Barrett there is a good chance he wouldn't be a Brewer today. Therefore I blame Milwaukee's win on...

I think scoreboard-watching is a bit premature at this point. I'm as excited as anyone over the Cubs' streak (and 16-10 month), but we're not even at .500 yet.

I don't think it's too early to watch the scoreboard. Milwaukee has to start losing for the Cubs to begin catching up, so why not be interested?

1 game til .500 it makes me smile and say "damn" all at the same time. cubs play the brewers a lot here on out at least...that'll be fun.

The Cubs should worry about getting to .500 before they worry about a Milwaukee Brewer team that is underrated. And very good. I'm not sure the Brewers are catchable. The focus might need to be on the NL wildcard. But again, the current focus needs to be getting to .500.

I think it would be more fun if we played the Nationals, Pirates and Reds from here on out, but call me crazy.

Not the Reds -- they like to fuck with us; remember Arroyo's 2 homerun game? Dunn's 40+ homerun vs Cubs extravaganza?

"The Cubs should worry about getting to .500 before they worry about a Milwaukee Brewer team that is underrated. And very good. I’m not sure the Brewers are catchable.The focus might need to be on the NL wildcard." Who are doing these ratings, exactly? I can't find them. And yes, by all means, let's not try to win the division, but focus on the wildcard race. That makes a load of sense.

Fontenot's swing looks like Chase Utley's ----Keep it up kid. Marmol - did you and Frankie Rodriguez have a come to Jesus in the offseson. Well played. Our Compliment players (Fontenot, Izturis, The Riot, Floyd, and the Catching Platoon) have done a fantastic job of doing the small things -- Now it's D Lee's turn to get hot with the weather....

I think it would be more fun if we played the Nationals, Pirates and Reds from here on out, but call me crazy. I don't know... I think I would settle for playing the sox every day. They may be worse than the Nationals or Pirates. And they are going to be trading half of their team away.

Unfortunately CTSTEVE, the Brewers also play the Pirates and Nationals prior to the All-Star break.

Now it’s D Lee’s turn to get hot with the weather…. Not sure how you can be much hotter than this: Overall Numbers: .349/.420/.514 OPS - .935 June Numbers: .344/.423/.490 OPS - .913 And while sure, I wouldn't mind home runs, I will take his .340+ BA while hitting line drive all over the place any time.

Mike Fontenot's swing looks like Chase Utley's?!?! Oh good grief. Have you seen Utley's batting stance and bat through the strike zone? Have you seen where he stands in the batter's box? Fontenot and Utley are virtual polar opposites in the batter's box. Look, be happy for the Cubs and Fontenot right now. The kid deserves his props. But it is a lightning in a bottle thing and he will invariabiy will come crashing back down to earth. Thank goodness Mark DeRosa is on this roster because he looms as one of the most critically important players the 2nd half.

Derrek Lee isn't the player he was in 2005. His power stroke to the alleys has vaporized. Yes he is hitting for big average and hitting a ton of doubles which is a good thing. But the Cubs need him to be a 110 RBI plus guy in the middle of the order in complement to Aramis Ramirez and Cornelius Clifford Floyd. At some point he needs to regain his power stroke and the ability to drive the ball like yesteryear.

I love the concept of 'focus on winning the ____' What a dumb thing to say. You don't focus on winning the wild card vs winning the Central. YOu cannot control any of that. All you can do is win games. the rest works itself out. It's not like fighting a multi theater war where we can send more troops to battle Hitler and hopefully win that one while sacrificing the war in the Pacific. You beat who they put in front of you and hope that everyone else ahead of you loses. Not to mention that we play the Brewers enough times whereas we pound them down, we'll catch them. Underrated? I call them OVERRATED. Chris Cappuanao and Jeff Suppan? Please. Ben Sheets is a top pitcher but he will get hurt. And Turnbow and Cordero will turn back into pumpkins soon enough. That team is not that good. JJ Hardy, who doubled his career high in homers is on pace for @40. I bet he won't hit more than 32. These guys are playing above their heads. The only star they have is Prince Fielder who is going to be a very very very good player.

Alright you nit picking losers - good win for the cubs. Regarding line 135---- Fontenot is Hot -- and is hitting like Chase at EVEN Chase's peak. great work. 2. D Lee hit about 80 bombs in the previous 2 healthy years. he has 6 bombs, on pace for 12. assuming he gets stronger through the warm weather, we are due for a really fun stretch with DLee. YOu guys are losers for contesting this. enjoy the moment.

And your idea about Derrek Lee is totally unfounded. He's slugging higher than he did the year before his MVPish year. That year (04) he had 98 RBIs. That year he had a slg % of .504 this year its .517. If he keeps that up, he's fine.

"YOu guys are losers for contesting this. enjoy the moment." Who are these 'guys'? I see only 1 'guy'.

dont worry about ST...he's only here to hear himself. he sure as hell isnt here to contribute to ANY kind of 2-way conversation, learn something, be corrected, or contribute anything but barking his views at others. dont push to hard or he'll break out the insults. dont let the losers drag you down, just know what you're dealing with and move on.

CubFanBudMan - GO to a different board. You obviously have never played baseball before.

careful chad... you are getting dangerously close to using statistics in order to make an argument... :)

Cub Shark -- send me your little league stats...and i'll send you mine. chad and st, i agree - d. lee is rolling -- and the power will likely come. for now, i am enjoying his production. Fontenot does have a nice swing, is left handed, and has provided a much needed spark. he seems to hit left handed pitching well, which is a good sign--- having 2 new left handed bats - fontenot and the C slot really helps with the balance of the lineup.

"how’s the Brewers death spiral going, Chad?" It was going great! They were down to like 4 games over .500. then they caught this updraft and played really mediocre teams. Sure Minny isn't that bad but San Fran is not a good team and KC, well, need I say more and the Astros, who really suck. Let's see how they do this weekend.

cubfanbudman, you got it wrong. ST says DLee is not doing enough. I said he's doing fine. I think are saying that you agree with me, right?

having 2 new left handed bats - fontenot and the C slot really helps with the balance of the lineup. Yea... those catchers are really helping the Cubs line-up: Bowen, vs rhp (i.e. batting right-hande): .235/.346/.382 Hill, vs rhp (i.e. batting right-hande): .207/.281/.379 ** Bowen's numbers are for the whole season, not just his time on the Cubs** Barrett, vs, rhp: .255/.296/.391 While Barrett wasn't exactly destroying rhp, Bowen and Hill sure are not helping out anything by replacing him, thats for sure.

chad and st -- d lee is obviously doing fine, ---however a few of his linedrives are bound to start going over the fence as the weather begins to heat up.

dave, i'm not sure if i should explain balance - 99% of people on this list understand that having a combined lineup of righties and lefties is much more difficult to pitch against than a team of all righties. --- therefore, having fontenot, pie / pagan, bowen/hill, and floyd in the lineup --- helps balance a team, particularly against right handed pitching. it also helps moving a runner over from 2nd base in certain situations, etc. right now we have a good mix of platoons / options going on - Theriot / izturis bowen / hill floyd / derosa pie / pagan balance is good.

It is the end of June! The weather already has heated up. You guys sound like you think it is mid-April or something.... I do think Lee will finish the year with better power numbers than he has now, but it's a bit late in the year to be blaming it on the cold...

lee has a hole in his swing on the outside that pitchers are exploiting like hell. he didnt used to have it, but he does. he's got an eye and a decent stroke, he's just seeing outside, outside, outside, outside. when he does whatever it takes to reclaim the outside part of the plate, he might look a bit better with his power results.

Cubs had 6 hits today -- all by Fontenot, DeRosa and The Riot. Let's hear it for the all-infield offense!

Cubs win six in a row, Chad used something besides, RBI's, win and ERA to prove a point. God help us, I don't even want to think what is about to happen next

"The weather heating up" argument is horseshit. It's something that Dusty used to talk about. While there is a measure of truth that power hitters do "heat up" in summer, the concept applies to the opposition as well. For whatever reason, Derrek Lee has lost his ability to drive the ball in the alleys, to include hitting home runs. Maybe, as suggested, it's a Mark Texiera in 2006 type of slump. Or maybe it has something to do with the serious wrist injury Lee suffered. Either way, the Cubs are going to need him to be a run producer in greater fashion than he has been to date. Either that or Cornelius Clifford Floyd is going to need to stay healthy and fill the run production void.

Lee still well below where he should be in HR/F at 7% and still raking line drives at 21.5% Manny, Ortiz, Berkman not really hitting a ton of homers either to name a few.... although Berkman's finally warmed up over the last week. I still think Lee's got a 25 homer season in him. Lower than I expected at the beginning of the year, but he's really the least of this team's problems.

Jesus Christ. ST says things that are so stupid I cannot even fathom saying them sarcastically. ST, your new 'Jaque Strap Jones sucks so let me fawn over this not very good player' hero, Cliff Floyd has a slugging % of .430 after hitting a HR yesterday. Matt Murton, who has 'no power' despite his horrendous start to this year, has a career slugging % of .441. Just out of morbid curiosity, could you be any more blatantly incorrect about player evaluation? Oh nevermind, this is the guy casting his all-star ballots for Cesar Izturis and pencilling in Wade Miller for 15 wins. At what point does someone who is always wrong about everything he says finally come to realize 'I just don't know what he fuck I am talking about?' Seriously. Oh yeah, Felix Pie's career OPS .644. Ronny Cedono's .618 Rave on brother. Give us the gospel. Or maybe go back since the first time your cancerous drivel attached itself to TCR and find one instance (just one) where you were ever correct about anything.

I have learned how to read comments much faster. I just zap through all Silent Towel's posts because they are mindless anyway.

Remember that day when Towel was right about everything? Good times... Silent Towel is the Ann Coulter of the TCR. There might not be an "ignore" option, but that doesn't mean you have to take the bait. On the Brewers, by the way... I know our tendency is to expect a collapse, but does anyone have any statistical evidence about how real they are? Is it all done with smoke, mirrors, and cheese?

Yeah, I only point out ST's idiocy when I am drunk. Cubs move into 5th in the WC standings with the sweep of the Rockies. Huge statement series this weekend. Either show the Brewers that they were just keeping the division crown warm while the Cubs sorted things out, or re-affirm their place at the top of the standings. Winner of the series wins the division - that's my prediction.

99% of people on this list understand that having a combined lineup of righties and lefties is much more difficult to pitch against than a team of all righties. Sure... if the lefties can actually hit. But Hill/Bowen cannot hit. If we are talking purely offense, I would much rather have a right handed Barrett than a left-handed Hill or Bowen at the plate, regardless of what arm the pitcher is using.

One final comment on Michael Barrett and his game calling: M Barrett C 4 0 1 0 G Maddux (W, 7-4) 7.0 5 1 1 1 4 No offense, but I am going to go ahead and take the smartest pitcher of our generation over the 'Barrett calls for Home Run pitch when we need strike out pitch' meat heads. And no, that's not a Straw Man argument.

If Lee does not turn on the power by All-Star break you have to move Soriano down the line up. In fact with Dlee suspension time coming I wouldnt be surprised if Lou moved Soriano down then. Fontenot Lee Aram Floyd Soriano Derosa Pie

"On the Brewers, by the way… I know our tendency is to expect a collapse, but does anyone have any statistical evidence about how real they are? Is it all done with smoke, mirrors, and cheese?" All I know is that very important players on that team (Capuano, Suppan, Turnbow, Cordero, Hardy) are playing well above their career norms. I expect a regression to them mean oh my God did I just say that?

Don't forget, the lower in the order you put Soriano, the less at bats you get from him. The lowest i would put him is 3rd.

I am going to go ahead and say the chance of Soriano batting 5th are somewhere between zero and none at all. He didn't hit too well when he was moved down earlier (Jacos, you know you have a suspended Lee in your lineup, right?) Anyway, I expect the lineup to be: Soriano Fontenot Floyd Ramirez Ward DeRosa Shitty Catcher Pie When Lee is out against a LHP. Not sure who plays 2nd/SS let Lou figure it out. The team is starting to resemble the 2003 team, which was one bat short of making the WS - maybe we will sign Barrett during the off season to bulster the lineup.

maybe we will sign Barrett during the off season to bulster the lineup. No Real Neal... Barrett can't handle a pitching staff, remember? Nor will he ever be on a winning team...

Arod is going to get 500 HR's right around the time he turns 32 next month. I am officially no longer upset about Bonds stealing Aaron's HR record for 6 years. He will go down as a sidenote in Hhstory, right along with other famous scumbags like Steve Howe, Richard Nixon and Sadam Hussein.. ok maybe that last one was a little harsh.

Real Neal- Yeah, I was showing where I think the lineup might end up. Suspension lineup Fontenot Theriot Soriano Aram Floyd Derosa-First bowen Pie

"The team is starting to resemble the 2003 team, which was one bat short of making the WS" Not being a smart ass, but I think that team was one arm away from making the World Series. If Dusty had a guy he could count on in the 8th, Prior would have come out but when all that shit was going down, there was no one he thought was better. One lockdown set up man and we go. IMO Also, I'm with you on the ARod thing. Barring injury and as long as he wants to keep playing, Arod will out homer bonds. the only problem is, as he ages, ARod will not be able to turn to steriods which is what helps older guys recover faster.

Nor will he ever be on a winning team… He IS on a winning team....for now.

Looks like Soriano will stay in the leadoff position, mostly because he seems to have a problem with the off - speed stuff. I don't have any statistics to prove this, but it appears that most of his hits over the past two weeks have been off of fastballs.

Rob G.: "how’s the Brewers death spiral going, Chad?" So Vorare or dave you going to call out Rob G. for that? Nah I didn't think so, Go TCR!!

So Vorare or dave you going to call out Rob G. for that? Nah I didn’t think so, Go TCR!! No... it is different. Chad has been continually hammering his opinion that the Brewers are going to spiral into mediocrity, or worse. It wasn't one conversation, or even a week of conversations. Chad has attempted to rub it in our faces that he is right about how Milwaukee absolutely will not finish over .500. And when Milwaukee continues to play well, it is something that we can/should call Chad odd. It was also very related to the topic at hand. You, on the other hand, decided to use a conversation about Jock Jones to attack Rob about his position on Marcus Giles that he had several months ago. Two very different things.

So you say, not surprisingly. Go TCR!! Good response manny. You don't actually respond to what I wrote. You just write it off. You do know that I am one of the few people that defend you around here, right?

Oh yeah, Go Cubs!!! One more win and I officially can be back really interested in the season. Not living in Chicago anymore, working for another baseball team and the team being under .500 a vast majority of the season, it is hard to stay to excited. Hopefully they won't go into the tank this time after making a nice run like they did earlier in the year. The Nl and especially the NL Central are not good this year. Stay around .500 and make a run in Sept like they did in 2003 and playoffs here we come...

dave: You do know that I am one of the few people that defend you around here, right?" Thanks, but honestly, I don't need anyone to defend me. There are tons of times when people take random shots at me when I am not around for a couple days (I do read almost all the posts, just don't have time to post very often when I have games), and I rarely see anyone come to my defense, again not that I need it. But if you say you do, thanks. It just bothers me the constant double standard.

Manny... I am really not sure it is a double standard. You brought up a conversation you had with Rob from months ago that was completely unrelated to what we were talking about in order to attack him. Rob brought up a conversation that was directly related to the conversation, and one that has been talked about on almost every thread over the last month or more, in order to attack Chad. They seem like pretty different situations to me.

Chad can take a joke and he knows I was messin' with him. On the other hand, if Manny needs to indulge himself on one of the few things he thinks he's right about, I'll let him have his brief moment of sunshine today. I'm sure he needs it. Btw, Giles is 5th in Win Shares (offense and defense) among NL second basemen with 9. That would make him still the best 2b that was available this offseason...so far.

"Sullivan shoots down that Zell squashed the deal." Zell is Sullivan's boss for public disclosure.

Matchups for this weekend: Fri - Gallardo v. Hill Sat - Sheets v. Marshall Sun - TBA v. Marquis Vargas is due on Sunday, but Capuano may come off the DL in time for that start. Or so I'm told.

Rob G.: "On the other hand, if Manny needs to indulge himself on one of the few things he thinks he’s right about, I’ll let him have his brief moment of sunshine today." Thanks man, you are so sweet...:)

How the heck are win shares determined? Giles has 6.3 batting win shares with this line: .258/.335/.357 OPS - 692 (322 plate appearances) DeRosa has 4.7 batting win shares with this line: .275/.353/.432 OPS - 786 (253 plate appearances) I would think that the only difference would be that Giles has played more? Of course... Manny didn't like the DeRosa signing either, if I recall.

Ah... this could be key: a player will get credit for more Win Shares if his team happens to exceed its Pythagorean win/loss record. And vice versa.

"Vargas is due on Sunday, but Capuano may come off the DL in time for that start. Or so I’m told." Capuano is one pitcher that I think this league will eat up this year. Unfortunately, we can't hit soft tossing lefties.

yeah, maybe DeRosa is getting slighted for our run differential difference. There's also some park factor stuff that gets played into there.

Well, I didn't like the DeRosa signing either. I was certainly wrong about him personally, though I still believe giving money to someone based on an outlier year is bad and there was certainly enough evidence to dislike the signing. However, thank god I was wrong and DeRosa should always bat 2nd or 5th until he sucks.

DeRosa is a much better athlete than I thought. He has looked respectable on defense just about everywhere he's played.

DMac I don’t have any statistics to prove this, but it appears that most of his hits over the past two weeks have been off of fastballs. ______________________________________________ I don't have stats for the past few days, but season long here is Soriano's line against different types of pitchers (according to ESPN): Finesse .214 AVG .214 OBP .464 SLG .678 OPS Power .295 AVG.352 OBP .463 SLG .815 OPS So yes, it certainly seems like most of Soriano's hits come off fastballs, though power pitchers don't just throw fastballs.

Soriano hits fastballs and low breaking stuff, middle in. He's got a real dip/uppercut to his swing. and wasn't real for the DeRosa signing either but just like Lilly and Marquis, pleasant surprises so far although Lilly's trying to give that all back.

Does anyone realize the Cubs have a better record right now than the Cardinals and Yankees? Jeepers...

Are we all witnessing what it takes to win? Money does not buy you out of jail. Every good team has young, minor league talent stepping up. Red Sox have their young guys, Indians, theriot, fontenot, etc. Bad teams have little contribution from young guys; Yankees, case 1. WSox minor leaguers suck and their very similar lineup to the WS team is aweful. This just highlights the importance of the farm system for a team in any market. It is not just for small market teams, farm systems are essential for big market teams too.

dave: Of course… Manny didn’t like the DeRosa signing either, if I recall." Partly true, but nice try... I did not like the signing of DeRosa as our everyday starting 2B. As a utility player I had no major problem with it, even if they overpaid for him. But Hendry promised him the stating job. I did not like that at all.

"So yes, it certainly seems like most of Soriano’s hits come off fastballs, though power pitchers don’t just throw fastballs." Thanks for the updated stats, Johann.

DeRosa was a VERY highly prized prospect with the Braves, and he seems to have turned the corner with Texas last year. Some guys just blossom later. He has a nice, solid all-around game; no all-star, but I liked the signing for just $4MM/year when it was made, and obviously I like it a whole more now. He's a keeper and a very likable guy, I'm surprised he has so few advocates here. DeRosa has a very workmanlike, Keith Moreland type vibe going on, I like.

OK Chad: "All I know is that very important players on that team (Capuano, Suppan, Turnbow, Cordero, Hardy) are playing well above their career norms." Suppan's career ERA is 4.62. This season it's 4.90. How is that above the norm? 8 wins? He's won 16 a couple of times. Cordero had a 49-save season, and a 37-save season in Texas. He's done this before. Turnbow? 3.89 ERA with 43K/15BB. This is his 3rd full season. First season outstanding, second was miserable. If he has control, he's tough. How can this be constued as "above the norm?" Capuano is 5-5 with a 4.35 ERA. LEt's see...18-12 in 2005...11-12 in 2006...so 5-5 is above the norm how? JJ Hardy I'll concede has shown a lot more power than he ever has. Of course, it's his first injury free season, and he is a fairly big guy at 6'2, 180...it's not like he's Ryan Theriot suddenly hitting HR's. The Brewers are a solid, but young team. I can only hope that they experience som growing pains in the second half.

Nice Tennessee game tonight. Man, they play a lot of nail biters. J. Fox starts the 11th inning with a single, is doubled over to third by T. Colvin, scores on a squeeze bunt. Tennessee, 2-1. Colvin with two doubles, three hits. Veal's pitching line tonight: 5 inn, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 er, 4 bb, 11 k, 1 hr

Rynox: “C/C- control” Wild Thing: "How do you figure? He’s thrown 10 strikes and 3 balls to this point. " Because you can see where the catcher sets up and where the catcher actually catches the ball. Guys with good control pitch to the mitt. The mitt was moving a wee bit. It doesn't mean he won't be successful, it just means he might have to learn the art of "if you're going to miss, miss out of the zone". The problem is, we don't know if this is a good day or bad day for Petrick. We'll have to see him a few more times to get a good feel for his game. His stuff reminds me a lot of Aardsma's, except Petrick's fastball looked a lot straighter, while Aardvark's had some wicked life. It could have just been the camera angle making it look straight, too.

Eleven strikeouts in five innings? Wow, if he only had control. Any kind of it.

Dusty Baylor: The Brewers are a solid, but young team. I can only hope that they experience som growing pains in the second half. JJ Hardy is not a 849 OPS batter. Corey Hart is not a 754 OPS batter. Rickie Weeks is not a 795 OPS batter. and for the love of all things holy... Ryan Braun is not a 976 OPS batter. I have no doubt they'll have what you refer to as "growing pains". The key will be that the Cub's need to be able to beat them and to do that they'll have to continue their logic-defying domination of Bill Hall and should probably take the bat out of the hands of Prince Fielder. To do that, you *must* keep the guys in front of Fielder off the bases so you can pitch Fielder junk. If he swings, good for us, if not, put him on base. The guy has 27 homers already, on pace to hit nearly 55-60. His bat must be respected or the Cub's will pay. Also, the Brewers pitching can be touched for runs, but the lineup will have to be very patient and non-Cublike. I'm really stoked about the series this weekend. It has all the makings for a epic '07 battle. And, whoever wins will have a little pep in their step the rest of the way, even if it means taking the series 2-1.

dave: Rynox… Petrick did have great control this year in A/AA. Good, maybe he just had some rookie jitters.

Good to see Veal back on track. And the 0-8 Boise Hawks with a 4-0 lead in the 4th tonight... Meanwhile, Jeff Samardzija (0-5 after 13 starts) seems to have lost focus. He's posting ND football video hightlights on his baseball blog... http://www.jeff-samardzija.com/blog.asp

Rynox- Corey Hart isn't a .754 OPS hitter. You are right. His minor league #'s in 2400 AB's were .299/.357/.498, for a .855 OPS. He is 25..it's his first full season as a starter. Last season in part time duty, he hit .283/.328/.468 in the bigs...a .796 OPS. Braun is ahead of himself, at age 23, but he did hit .308/.367/.549 in 650 minor league AB's. Hardy was out of his mind in April and May, but he's healthy...and is oung as well...why couldn't he end up with an .800 OPS? It's not like these guys are Todd Hollandsworth having a hot streak of 30 games or so. They are pretty highly touted players that the Brewers developed. What was you point?

Eric-I'll throw a little man love your way at Mark DeRosa. Ab-so-fuck-in loutley. He can rake. He can field( aobut 8 positions) and he's got the right attitude. Very Veteran like demeanor. He cant hit in about any spot in the lineup too-tell me what mgr doensn't love that.

"Mike Fontenot is lightening in a bottle. Enjoy it while it lasts. He is Cub version of Bo Hart. He’ll invariably come crashing back down to earth. He wasn’t a 27 year old stuck at Triple A and available for anyone to grab free of cost last winter for nothing"... I can't predict the future but he could be more like John Starks in the NBA. Or Fernando Vina. I'd say ride it out- itf he falters bring up Epat...

Chad:I expect a regression to them mean oh my God did I just say that? Had I been drinking milk it would have gone shooting out my nose. Funny stuff. By the way Chad, look on the bright side. I boldly and confidently predicted to some friends "The Brewers will be out of first place by the last week in May." What a dope I am to have picked a date. At least you didn't go that far. They will fall back down to earth though, I'm certain. Whether any team from this division will be in a position to catch them when they do is another story (see WSox in 2005). The postseason is a beast unto itself and there's no predicting how far any team will go.

I really don't get the "regression" point. I don't think it's all that true, and you could make the same exact argument cherry-picking Cubs. Some of the claims of overperformance are just wrong. Capuano has a career ERA of 4.22 and WHIP of 1.34, season ERA of 4.35 and 1.41. Dave Bush 4.43 and 1.22 career versus 5.06 and 1.34 this season. Neither is overachieving. Agree with Dusty Baylor on Turnbow and Cordero, with the caveat that Turnbow could turn into a pumpkin. Suppon and Sheets have been about what you'd expect. Vargas has room to decline but would be replaced by Villanueva or Gallardo if he struggles too much; either is a fine #5 for the Brewers, and either would outperform Vargas. The hitting could regress, but there are also guys who aren't doing much who could improve. Hardy has already begun to slow down and certainly won't hit for the power he has over the first half. Fielder is for real. Hall and Weeks haven't done much and are at worst staying stagnant; both have room to improve. Braun may slow down but was a good hitter in the minors, ditto Hart to a lesser extent. Jenkins is about where you'd expect given they're platooning him. Estrada/Miller are about what you'd expect. Their lineup is kind of like the 2006 Tigers: nothing too spectacular (outside of Fielder), but no holes, and scattered power throughout. Now, go ahead and perform the same exercise with the Cubs. You're going to have guys who are over and underachieving. I have no better reason to expect Fontenot/Marshall/Marquis to continue to perform at their levels than I do Braun/Hart/Cordero. And the problem for the Cubs is that the Brewers have a couple advantages in this game. One is that they have a few parts on the pitching side that can fill in if guys tank or get hurt. Another is that their guys are young and have minor-league pedigrees not equivalent to the young parts on the Cubs, so there's reason to expect performance improvements (I think there's a Bill James theory on this, Chad, which you should love). And, there's that 7.5 game lead. Not insurmountable, but still a hurdle. In fact, a comparison look at the two teams shows only 2 clear advantages for the Cubs: 3B and LF. The Brewers have clear advantages at CF, C, and probably 2B, and small advantages at SS at RF even if Hardy and Hart regress. I think the Cubs also come out a bit worse when you look at pitching, but that's more subjective and depends a lot on what you think Marshall and Marquis will do the remainder of the season, and whether you trust Sheets to stay healthy.

Funny thing here is that I should have looked up the numbers again. The players have regressed to their norms and that's why the Brewers came back to earth a bit. Yes they are on a hot streak but it will end. THIS WEEKEND! They will go up to 12 games over and back down when their hitting cools. Look at a guy like Claudio Vargas. 6 and 1 with a 4.29 era. That is some run support. Take out sheets and that is not a good starting staff. And I don;t think their offense will support them.

Oh Cordero from the last three year (prior to this one) 49 svs 2.13 era 37 svs 3.39 era 22 svs 3.70 era so i think he will be gotten to in the second half. National League is gonna figure him out like the AL did.

furthermore, i can't for the life of me figure out why the Brewers have such a big lead on us. We are so close or ahead in all the major stats (yes they out homer us, but their slg isn't that much higher). They have only scored 30 more runs than us. That's less than .5 per game. OBP, we got them. OBA we got them too. I don't get it. This is why I say that stats can really lie.

When you have a good lineup 1-8, a solid rotation and a lights out bullpen you tend to win more games than teams that don't. The Cubs have just blown alot of games they should have won, the Brewers have not. The Brewers have also been going through the growing pains of developing talent over the last 2-3 years that is finally paying off. This isn't a big surprise what they are doing this year....i fully expected them to be a contendor for the division this year. I have been touting (along with the experts) about how loaded in talent at the ML they are. And they got more talent in the pipeline. They are really looking like an Oakland or Minnesota type team. Able to churn out talent yet not spend alot of money. I would just get used to seeing them as our main rivals over the next few years....they still arent even close to peaking in terms of what they can do on the field.

cubs will likely move zambrano up to monday to get him an extra day off so he could pitch in the all star game. crazy to think a month ago we'd be thinking about him in the ASG now! means that i won't get to see him in DC (i'm going tues-weds-thurs). oh well. means that the cubs will throw all three lefties the last three days in DC? lilly then hill then marshall? i assume they'll get the righties back between them after the break.

Cubs won't move Z to pitch in what is easily the most important series of the first half, but they're going to move him so he can pitch in the ASG? That's the stupidest f-ing thing I've ever heard. What are our damn priorities here?

Grudgingly, I have to give Jim Hendry credit now for signing Mark deRosa. With the annual A-Ram injuries now upon the team, this is a terrific VERSITILE backup who has finally gotten used to his new team, manager, and day games. And, what were our options (Neifi) in (Mabry) 2006? I forget...

Wow, look at these posters I remember some people thinking that TCR would be empty once the Cubs lost Dusty. ~shrugs~ Well it looks like WSCR has screwed up again, the Sox have given Buerhle until tomorrow to sign their generous offer. Let's see Sox games are on WSCR, Sox becoming non-existent in city again, Williams can't get nothing but minor leaguers for Buerhle, Sox brass tells WSCR they are committed to winning and want Buehrle to make fans happy, make well below market value offer, agent laughs at Sox, Sox now begin smear campaign to get rid of ungrateful Buerhle. Standard Reinsdorf procedure. Buerhle will be gone by trade deadline, after the Sox "did all that they could to keep him."

Dusty Baylor: His minor league #’s in That's nice, but this isn't the PCL and this isn't the minor leagues. These guys are way over their heads and they'll come back down to earth. A good team? Sure. A .590 team? No way.

cubs will likely move zambrano up to monday to get him an extra day off Source?

Tribune... http://tinyurl.com/24vttb Zambrano wants to be picked for the National League All-Star squad and hopes Piniella and pitching coach Larry Rothschild will rearrange the rotation to enhance his prospects. "I want to go, and I'm available," Zambrano said. He's on schedule to pitch the final game of the first half, which would leave Zambrano unable to participate in the July 10 All-Star Game in San Francisco. But Thursday's off day could allow the Cubs to move Zambrano up a day, and Piniella is likely to accede to his wishes.

I have to admit I was against the DeRosa signing. More because of the Starting Job promise that was reported. Boy am I glad the Jim Hendry was smarter than me on that one.

#168 The Real Neal, Amen, brother. Amen. God, I hope if I ever post some of the ST-type posts, that Rob G. will just ban me from this board.

239#- I hope Z and his agent will remember this gesture when and if new ownership is ready to renegotiate.

Zambrano wants to be picked for the National League All-Star squad and hopes Piniella and pitching coach Larry Rothschild will rearrange the rotation to enhance his prospects. Ummm... am I the only one who is thoroughly confused about why Zambrano thinks he should be on the all-star team? He hasn't even been the best pitcher on his team.

Here is the original TCR DeRosa thread. Very few supported of the deal, including myself (I honestly couldn't remember what I thought then, so I looked back to see what I said). But I guess DeRosa is proving all of us wrong.

Even the seven-game winning streak in 2005 couldn't be enjoyed because Prior took a line drive off the elbow during the streak. You can scoff now, but Prior was coming off a 1 BB/ 7K complete game win against the White Sox, and he looked like he was regaining his dominant form. Neifi was hitting leadoff and was unbelievably hot during that streak. Glendon Rusch pitched a shutout at Petco against the eventual NL West champs. And John Koronka won his major league debut at Dodger Stadium. Strange.

John Koronka won his major league debut at Dodger Stadium. Strange. Last night John Koronka beat the Iowa Cubs. Stranger.

Rynox- When a player has only a minor league body of work to examine, then that's what is used. Do I think that Braun will stay at .975 OPS? No, of course not. But to think that he'll automatically fall to some .720-.780 level is silly, isn't it? Who else besides Hardy is over their head? Prince Fielder? I'm sure no one expected him to be a force....except everyone....Weeks? He's underperformed...so has Bill Hall. Estrada? Nope... Geoff Jenkins? No....how about the rotation? Suppan has been average...Sheets is producing as he can when healthy...Capuano has been hurt, Bush has struggled, but is 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA in June..hmmm... Please come back to reality. The Brewers may not be a .590 team...but guess what...right now, that is their record, and that is what counts. Not adding up WIN shares, WARP, Pythagorean records, or anything else. They are 46-32, and they will be tough to catch.

My favorite blurb about the Samj article. Perhaps that explains why the Cubs aren't overly concerned that former Notre Dame two-sport standout Jeff Samardzija has yet to win a game this season at Class A Daytona. Or that opponents are batting .330 against him. Or that he recently was sent to the bullpen after a particularly rough stretch. "The numbers aren't indicative of the way he's pitched," Cubs director of player development Oneri Fleita said in a telephone interview.

So.... Trans doesn't think we can this thread to 500 comments. I say he is wrong. And I posted this in the other thread, but I will post it here to: In the “it never hurts to ask” category… anyone know of any affordable places to rent for a vacation next week? My wife and I were going to go to a cabin in Eagle River, WI, but plans fell through. So now we are scrambling… Any ideas?

dave: "Very few supported of the deal, including myself (I honestly couldn’t remember what I thought then, so I looked back to see what I said)." Yes, it is always very interesting to see what people's kneejerk reaction is on a deal. But I don't think DeRosa has proven us all wrong, well at least not me. My main problem, which I clearly state in that thread was Hendry giving him the starting job. I would rather of had Theriot be the starter, but i have very little problem having him in the utility role that he currently is in. But like many i still think they gave him too much money and years. I have less of a problem overpaying for a year, but when it becomes 3 years for a mediocre player like Derosa, that is where the problem comes. But remember this offseason many people on this site were preaching about how good of a deal JJ was and now look where we are at with him. We literally have to pay 95% of his contract over the next two years just to dump him. So to really give a good judge about this deal with DeRosa, we really should give it about 2 years to see where he is at.

Dave - any regional limitations? Where in the country are you looking to go?

I have less of a problem overpaying for a year, but when it becomes 3 years for a mediocre player like Derosa, that is where the problem comes. Sure... but I would not say that the Cubs are overpaying for DeRosa this year. We literally have to pay 95% of his contract over the next two years just to dump him. True... and I am one of those who continually said what a good deal JJ's contract was. And if he was producing at his career numbers, it would still be an affordable contract. But for some unknown reason, JJ has been unable to do anything at the plate this year.

Dave - any regional limitations? Where in the country are you looking to go? Within driving distance of Chicago.

Trans: Dave - any regional limitations? Where in the country are you looking to go? Dave: Within driving distance of Chicago. But driving distance is vague - we are willing to drive a decent amount to get there. We are pretty open to ideas at this point.

If you want something tourist-trappy, try the Wisconsin Dells? Not sure if it counts as affordable, or not...

Dave - Ever been to the U.P of Michigan? I grew up there, and it is a beautiful place to visit. It's about an 8-hour drive from CHI, depending on exactly where you go. I would suggest Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor. They're right on Lake Superior, which keeps them nice and cool, and the lake is crystal clear. Or, you could go to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which is a ways to the east of there. It's not very well known, but it's really nice.

Dave, Depending on where in Chicago you are, you're probably only about 1-2 hours from Berrien County, Michigan, aka Harbor Country. You can get a nice rental at a fair price, enjoy the better half of Lake Michigan, non-crowded beaches, beautiful Dunes Park, wonderful if quaint restaurants, etc. Anywere on the coast between New Buffalo and St. Joseph is very nice.

Thanks... Keep coming with the ideas... I am looking through some of these, and have already looked at some of them. The problem is that this trip was going to be free (other than food), so we are trying to find something very cheap/affordable. And uh... Go Cubs!

The LaSalle/Ottawa/Starved Rock area is a nice place to get outside, affordable and nearby.

Hmmm.. some more thoughts on Z's all-star chances. Of the seven pitchers who have started games for the Cubs, only Wade Miller has a higher era. He also has the worst WHIP of the starters (other than Miller). Don't get me wrong. Z is the best pitcher on this staff. But he sure has not been this season, and he surely does not deserve an all-star nomination.

Speaking of the all-star game... Derek Lee is 2nde in the NL in batting average, is 3rd in OBP, and is 9th in OPS. Yet he has a VERY good chance of not making the all-star team. Fielder has to be in. And then you have to decide between Howard, Pujols, Helton, and Lee.

Dave - I think we might be aiming too high, sadly, with 500... heh.... There are so many ways we could try to move this to 500, but most of them involve debates about statistcs, and who's over or under-rated, and middle-infielders. I would be surprised if Lee makes the all-star team... My guess is Soriano goes, and no one else....

True Trans... 500 may be a bit high. Maybe we can go for 270? :) And I could see Rich Hill going along with Soriano. But I would be shocked if Z goes. I am really not sure why the would adjust the rotation for Z and the all-star game based on the fact that he has been the Cubs 5th best starter so far.

"...anyone know of any affordable places to rent for a vacation next week?" I was going to mention the UP as well - been going up there for years, great area. But have you considered Bayfield, WI - located right on the Superior coastline? It's not much farther than Eagle River is to drive, and you could probably find some decent B&B's that wouldn't break the bank. You can also take boat cruises (or rent sea kayaks) to explore the Apostle Islands, which are really picturesque. Of course, your timing is problematic, probably have to look for last - minute cancellations at this point. Good luck. My wife and I were going to go to a cabin in Eagle River, WI, but plans fell through. So now we are scrambling…

*The Brewers have also been going through the growing pains of developing talent over the last 2-3 years that is finally paying off. * The Brewers stunk on ice for the last, what, 15 years? They should be kicking all kinds of buttocks with all those high draft picks they had. *They are really looking like an Oakland or Minnesota type team. Able to churn out talent yet not spend alot of money.* No, no...OAK and MIN are smart organizations that win year after year. The Brewers are a team that had high picks for about a decade and couldn't figure it out until this year. And this year's not over yet.

Ummmm "no" The Cubs have been just as pathetic and haven't come close to the amount of homegrown talent sitting on the Brewers roster now. WTF is our problem then?

The Red Sox have done alright with getting their best players via free agency and trades.

This is my virgin post on this site, and just for the record, I think that about half of you are nuts and I love it. Fontenot will not fold. I think the Cubs may have found a diamond in a huge pile of excrement. In my view, and this is strictly theoretical, he has probably been overlooked by teams because of his small stature. Not saying there are not other little men in MLB, but I am saying that it's probably been a difficult hurdle to jump for most of them. Of course, the kid will cool off a little. Theriot and Pie have gone through the same thing, (though I see Theriot beginning to make the necessary adjustments, and not so much Pie). The thing that I see as exciting is that the Cubs now have real baseball players on the team. It's the same thing that makes catchers good managers. Intelligence. (Excluding Barrett who, by the way, had his differences with Zambrano (I've never seen someone butcher the English language so profoundly.)) I also read something earlier about the cubs chasing the wild card. I submit that the wild card team will probably have a better record than the winner of the central. I agree with the responses that said to just focus on winning. Carter

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.