Carlos Zambrano
It's Opening Day; I'm Going to Throw Out the First Hurricane Ike Reference
The Astros hate the Cubs. Everyone who is not a Cubs fan hates Carlos Zambrano. And the Houstons are opening the season at home with the best pitcher in team history on the mound. You'd think that would be enough to activate their adrenal glands. But of course, there's that other business left over from 2008:
Cubs Roll a Seven in the One to Thump Sox
The Cubs scored seven runs in the bottom of the 1st, and cruised to a 9-4 victory over the White Sox this afternoon at Ho Ho Kam Park in Mesa, in front of a Cactus League record crowd of 13,327, a game that I'm sure many of you watched on WGN-TV.
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Cubs Sink Mariners at Ho Ho Kam
Alfonso Soriano ripped a two-out two-run single to cap a three-run 7th, and Carlos Zambrano threw six innings of one-run ball, leading he Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Cactus League action before 13,002 fans at Dwight Patterson Field at Ho Ho Kam Park this afternoon in hot & sunny Mesa, AZ.
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King for a Day: the Cubs' One-Time Game #1 Starters
As noted here and everywhere else yesterday, Lou Piniella has decided to give Carlos Zambrano the Opening Day assignment at Houston. It will be the fifth time Zambrano has had the honor; the Cubs have gone 2-2 in Z's previous Opening Day outings.
Fergie Jenkins started seven openers for the Cubs, while Rick Sutcliffe started five, and Rick Reuschel, four. The real fun in looking over this list at Baseball-Reference.com is noting which Cub pitchers got to go in Game #1 once, but never again. Here are the last ten such Cub pitchers:
Cubs Clutch Hitting Gets Lost in the Translation
Prepping for the first game of 2nd Round WBC play in San Diego on Sunday, Team Japan edged the Chicago Cubs 3-2 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park on a cool & breezy Thursday afternoon in Mesa, AZ.
Zambrano Sharp in First Game Action
Chris Snyder stroked a three-run homer off the scoreboard to key a five-run 4th, and the Arizona Diamondbacks drubbed the Chicago Cubs 9-1 in record-setting heat at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park this afternoon in Mesa.
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Zambrano still Cray-Zee
Hat tip to Bleacher Nation for the find, but it appears that Carlos Zambrano has duped us all. Official rosters are set to be announced tomorrow but SI.com has the scoop on Team Venezuela.
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Game 2 NLDS / Dodgers @ Cubs
SP | Chad Billingsley | SP | Carlos Zambrano |
|
16-10, 3.14, 201 K, 80 BB, 200.2 IP |
2008 | 14-6, 3.91, 130 K, 72 BB, 188.2 IP |
||
0-0, 0.00, 3 K, 0 BB, 2 IP |
Post | 0-1, 4.37, 20 K, 6 BB, 22.2 IP |
||
SS |
#Rafael Furcal | LF |
Alfonso Soriano |
|
C |
Russell Martin |
SS |
Ryan Theriot | |
LF |
Manny Ramirez | 1B |
Derrek Lee |
|
RF |
*Andre Ethier |
3B |
Aramis Ramirez |
|
1B |
*James Loney |
2B |
Mark DeRosa | |
CF |
Matt Kemp |
CF |
*Jim Edmonds |
|
2B |
*Blake DeWitt |
C |
Geovany Soto |
|
3B |
Casey Blake |
RF |
*Kosuke Fukudome |
|
P |
Chad Billingsley | P | #Carlos Zambrano |
It has taken a good 21 hours of self pity and a bracing White Sox defeat to clear my head and even let me think about previewing Game Two.
Yes, last night went down harsh, but from reading Rob's post and many of the ensuing comments earlier this afternoon, it is clear that there are still some optimistic souls in Cubdom. All I can say is, God bless you all.
Starters' Records Since 8/1/08 |
|||||||||
W |
L |
IP |
H/9 |
K/9 |
BB/9 |
ERA |
HR/9 |
No-Hitters Thrown |
|
Billingsley |
5 | 1 |
62 | 10.2 | 8.1 |
3.5 | 3.34 | .73 | 0 |
Zambrano | 2 | 2 | 47 | 8.6 | 6.5 |
5.0 | 7.28 | 1.80 | 1 |
Billingsley pitched twice against the Cubs this season. On both occasions, he matched up with Ryan Dempster. Once, Billingsley threw well (7 K, 2 ER in 6 IP); the other time, he threw not as well. The Cubs won both contests.
Among Cub hitters, only Jim Edmonds has more than 10 career plate appearances against the 23-year-old Billingsley, though Fukudome, Lee, and DeRosa have all tagged him for homers.
Zambrano, meanwhile,
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Game 161 Thread / Cubs @ Brewers (3 of 3)
Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview
SP | Angel Guzman |
SP | *C.C. Sabathia |
|
0-0, 7.04, 6 K, 4 BB, 7.2 IP | (NL) |
10-2, 1.78, 121 K, 24 BB, 121.2 IP |
LF |
Alfonso Soirano | CF |
Mike Cameron |
SS |
Ryan Theriot |
2B |
#Ray Durham |
1B |
Derrek Lee |
LF |
Ryan Braun |
3B |
Aramis Ramirez |
1B |
*Prince Fielder |
CF |
Reed Johnson |
SS |
J.J. Hardy |
RF |
*Micah Hoffpauir | RF |
Corey Hart |
2B |
Ronny Cedeno |
3B |
*Craig Counsell |
C |
Henry Blanco |
C |
Jason Kendall |
P |
Angel Guzman |
P | *C.C. Sabathia |
First, Paul Sullivan writes that despite his recent travails (5.40 ERA in September), Jeff Samardzija has made the post-season roster and that Chad Gaudin will likely be a spectator.
As for today's game, Mark DeRosa (calf strain) was hoping to get in a few swings so he didn't have to go into the playoffs cold. Alas, he is not in the starting lineup. Geovany Soto (sore hand) is also sitting.
The Brewers begin play tied with the Mutts for the Wild Card, with a one-game tiebreaker tomorrow at Shea in the teams' futures if things don't get settled today. (As I post this, the Marlins and Mets are waiting out a rain delay at Shea.)
"It's not going to matter because, well, it is going to matter but it's not going to matter,"
Translated into English, it means that Lou Piniella decided that Carlos Zambrano would not pitch the first inning or two of today's regular season finale at Milwaukee and Angel Guzman will.
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Game 157 Thread / Cubs @ Mets (3 of 4)
Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview
SP | Carlos Zambrano |
SP | *Oliver Perez |
|
14-6, 3.77, 128 K, 68 BB, 184 IP | 10-7, 4.10, 168 K, 97 BB, 184.1 IP |
|
LF |
Alfonso Soriano |
SS |
#Jose Reyes |
SS |
Ryan Theriot | LF |
*Daniel Murphy |
1B |
Derrek Lee |
3B |
David Wright |
3B |
Aramis Ramirez |
CF |
#Carlos Beltran |
RF |
Mark DeRosa | 1B |
*Carlos Delgado |
CF |
Reed Johnson |
RF |
*Ryan Church |
2B |
Ronny Cedeno |
C |
*Brian Schneider |
C |
Henry Blanco |
2B |
#Argenis Reyes |
P |
#Carlos Zambrano |
P | *Oliver Perez |
After a lifetime spent listening to ballgames on the radio, I have come to associate certain parks with a certain tone, a certain pitch in the crowd sound. Obviously, my ear is well attuned to the way that Wrigley Field crowds come across on-air. Same with Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, and the Metrodome. (Loved hearing all those Twins fans Tuesday night!)
Shea Stadium is another one of those parks. Unlike what you hear over the radio from those other parks, however, the crowd sound that goes out over the airwaves from a raucous Shea isn't one of collective joy. It's much more coarse, much more dangerous, a wild, unruly roar—like the sound of inmates rooting on two guys aiming to shank each other in the middle of the yard.
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Recent comments
Childersb3 (view)
Things I've been wrong about:
-Tauchman is fine as a 4th OF. I knew that. I just want a better LH DH option and he was really the DH for us until Seiya got hurt. I'm glad Mervis is getting a chance at it. Caissie is coming for that job for sure. But Tauchman continues to be highly useful as a 4th OF with Seiya being hurt
-I wanted Yency to go to get guys at Iowa a chance. Guys like Palencia and Sanders or RileyT. Maybe even Hodge! But Yency has been better the last two plus weeks. He did hit 96 the other day. He was 93 in Texas to open the season.
-Leiter has his split working enough. It just needs to stay there
-I was surprised Jed picked Wisdom over Cooper. I wonder if this happens if Seiya wasn't hurt. Wisdom has more power. Cooper is the better hitter. Jed picked Wisdom and Wisdom had an option left as well.
-Palencia just doesn't miss enough bats. Similar to ManRod, just two yrs younger. ManRod is killing AAA for TB right now!
Things I got right so far:
-Hendricks. Sorry Kyle. You got paid though!
Jed, you missed there.
-Smyly. If Jed could've traded him before or during ST, then he should have and saved some cash.
-Mastro. Not a LH DH. Pinch runner. Defensive utility. Maybe he's better than Madrigal but didn't get a legit chance to prove it.
-Luke Little is good. He's had one bad outing. That's it. Needs to get better entering with guys on base. But he needs to stay in MLB.
-Oh yeah....Morel is doing fine at 3B! He'll get better as well!!
crunch (view)
bellinger "right rib contusion"
Childersb3 (view)
South Bend just lost the lead in the bottom of the 9th on the weirdest scenario, ever.
It's absolutely pouring rain....men on 1st and 2nd, 1out....JPatterson asks for a new ball, but no time out was called....he throws the old ball toward the dugout (not sure if it rolled out of play).....the ump declares the runners get two bases each so one run scores. Then a single up the middle ties the game.
The rain was coming down in buckets at this point.
Just weird
crunch (view)
...and bellinger is gone in the 7th because of that 2nd blown chance and the wall he bounced off of...
hopefully his rib cage/shoulder feels better tomorrow, we just got happ back.
Childersb3 (view)
Phil,
Any thoughts on Y. Rojas' stuff and Y. Melendez's game (I believe I've asked about him before, sorry)?
crunch (view)
wow, things are moving fast. hopefully it continues.
crunch (view)
morel with 4 clean plays in 4 innings...showed off his 100000000mph arm a couple times.
cody bellinger not having a good 4th, though...5 run leads are handy when your CF is making your pitcher have a 5-out inning. 2nd blown chance was ruled a hit even though it went in/out of his glove...1st was lost in the lights, also ruled a hit.
crunch (view)
welcome back happ! double off the wall 1st PA back.
crunch (view)
oh yeah, totally, i was just chiming about why i fan like i fan.
i would like nothing more than hendricks to keep on hendricks'ing. guys with his stuff can throw for a long, long time as long as it works.
he velocity is actually up a minor amount this year. it's really "damn" when a guy like him not only has gas in the tank, but it's looking like it was years ago. he added a curve a few years ago and it helped a little bit, but he's throwing it less and less while the fb/change combo are less effective.
Alexander Dimm (view)
CRUNCH—There is no one person in this community I’m talking about. My remarks were not directed at you or anyone, but at a tone I’ve noticed lately.
You have a great, dry sense of humor and there is thought behind your comments. You and I don’t always agree but I always understand your position.
Lastly, and I’ll be quiet, I agree with you on Hendricks. We can dislike the recent performance but still love the guy. Lots of questions about his future.