Sam Fuld makes it easy on Lou
Sam Fuld
Yet another Cubs farm hand has been promoted to the big club, and making an impact. When Lou Piniella finally sat star outfielder Alfonso Soriano yesterday, it was rookie Sam Fuld that call the call to play left field. He made things easy on Lou by going 2 for 4 with a double and a walk, as well as some very solid defensive play. He gunned down Pirate Jack Wilson at home with a great throw and made a nice sliding catch as well. I think his performace earned him another game out in left, and more importantly, another game on the bench for Soriano.
So far this season, we have seen the Phillies bench 2007 league MVP Jimmy Rollins for slumping, as well as Jim Leyland sitting perennial offensive stud Magglio Ordonez for performance reasons. Until yesterday, Lou has been running Soriano out there day in and day out with his .230 batting average and equally crippling for a leadoff hitter, his .296 on-base percentage. Finally though, Lou sat Sori yesterday in favor of little Sam Fuld. The rookie came through big time in yesterday’s win, so Lou should have no trouble at all sitting Soriano one more day to let him think about his horrible couple months at the plate.
If Lou needs any more reason, maybe he should look at Soriano’s lifetime numbers against today’s starter for the Brewers, Seth McClung. He’s 1 for 15 lifetime (.067 average) against this guy. Lou, give Soriano another day off - please!
July 2, 2009
Tags: Alfonso Soriano, Jack Wilson, Jimmy Rollins, Lou Piniella, Magglio Ordonez, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Sam Fuld, Seth McClung Posted in: Lou Piniella, game day, game recap, lineup, players, stats 
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Lou has had enough with the tantrums
In the second installment of this season’s Cubs vs White Sox Crosstown Classic, tempers boiled within the Cubs family once again. Lou Piniella has apparently had enough of that, and frankly I think it is about time he took more control of this club.
After two strikeouts and a routine fly out, Milton Bradley threw his helmet and smashed yet another Cubs water cooler upon his return to the dugout. Lou had had enough of the tantrums and sent Bradley to the showers for the day. In fact, he followed him up into the clubhouse and apparently gave Bradley an earful. I think when Lou has a point to make, he does the talking and the player does the listening.
Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reported reaction from Bradley’s teammates that seems to fill in some of the story. Check out this quote from Alfonso Soriano:
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a manager fight with a player, get mad with the player,” Soriano said. “Sometimes you can get mad, but not like that.
“I hope [Bradley] comes back and he can help the team to win. If he’s not that way, we don’t need him. We have 25 players, we have to be on the same page. If he’s not 100 percent to help the team to win, we don’t need him. If he’s 100 percent and he comes and wants to play, he’s more than welcome.”
 Reading this leads me to believe the rumors are true that those in the Cub clubhouse view Milton Bradley as a selfish, team-second player. I can’t recall ever seeing one star player refer to another in this manner - to question someone’s efforts or intentions is simply unheard of in Major League Baseball. Perhaps Lou sensed this seemingly growing sentiment and decided today is the day to address it. So apparently Lou tore into Bradley in no uncertain terms. He didn’t show him up, Lou followed Bradley into the clubhouse during the game to unload! I admire that. Lou handled it well. He says he’s “done” with those antics and I believe him.
Cubs GM Jim Hendry actually went as far as to reportedly have “promised” that wouldn’t happen again. Wow, I have no idea how he is going to prevent that from happening. Guys throw their helmets all the time. So clearly the Cubs brass is trying to regain control of the clubhouse, and I’m all for it. Let’s get back to baseball.
June 27, 2009
Tags: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago White Sox, Crosstown Classic, Cubs, Lou Piniella, Milton Bradley Posted in: Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella, game recap, observations, oldschool, players No Comments
It was 25 years ago today
Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg made is bones to a national TV audience exactly 25 years ago today. Then a whispy, relative unknown to most fans outside Chicago, Ryno hit not one, but two game tying home runs off of former Cub Bruce Sutter in a thrilling victory over the rival St. Louis Cardinals. According to the box score, Ryno finished the day going 5 for 6 with 7 RBIs.
Back in 1984, cable TV was still in its infancy so the only time you could see a game outside your market was on a network Game of the Week. On June 23, 1984, Sandberg and the Cubs team sent a message to the baseball world that they were a contender that season. Ryno came to bat in the 9th and 10th innings against one of the game’s premier closers, Bruce Sutter with his 1.66 ERA. He homered in both at bats to tie the Cardinals in a game the Cubs would eventually win 12-11 in 11 innings. It was dramatic, it was a hot beautiful day at Wrigley, it was a storybook ending. No one even remembers the Cards’ Willie McGee (a real Cub-killer) hit for the cycle.
This game as much as any other both solidified the Cubs as a contender and served notice that Ryne Sandberg was an all-star. He would the season as the NL MVP, no doubt due in part to his performance in this game.
Rick Kaempfer over at JustOneBadCentury.com posted his first hand account of this game on YouTube…
June 23, 2009
Tags: Bruce Sutter, JustOneBadCentury.com, Rick Kaempfer, Ryne Sandberg, St. Louis Cardinals, Willie McGee Posted in: awards, game day, game recap, oldschool, on this date, other Cubs sites, players, rivalries 2 Comments
Josh Vitters and the Peoria Chiefs
Josh Vitters
The Cubs number one pick in the 2007 amateur draft was a hitter/3rd baseman, Josh Vitters. He is presently hitting .321 with 13 HRs for the Peoria Chiefs (A-ball minor league affiliate). Last weekend the Chiefs were in Geneva IL playing the Kane County Cougars. I went to the game to take a look at the future of the organization.
The Chiefs lost to the Cougars on June 7th 7-1, mostly due to lousy pitching. Admittedly, I haven’t seen much minor league ball in person but what struck me was how much slower the game was. The balls really weren’t very hard hit. The plays not as much of a given - nothing flashy at all and even routine plays weren’t for sure. I guess I expected a higher energy level from the players too. Each inning they would walk onto the field instead of run. And basically they seemed to move very deliberately. This was all unexpected to see. The energy level in the stands seemed higher than on the field.
So I watched Vitters in action. He seemed pretty quiet, reminding me in a way of Ryne Sandberg. I did not see him interact with anyone on the team while he was on the field. He seemed to be pretty much flat footed between pitches. Vitters made a couple of routine plays at third, no big stretches, no tough throws, just very matter-of-fact. I wondered if his workman like attitude a product of the game coming easy to him.
Michael Brenly
Also on the Peoria Chiefs was rookie catcher Michael Brenly, son of Cubs TV announcer Bob Brenly. Michael is a big boy. He is listed as 6′3″, 210 but I guarantee you he weighs more than that. He wasn’t overweight, just really thick. He looks a bit like Adam Dunn to me - a big powerful guy - but perhaps not quite as tall. Brenly is a catcher and took some nice cuts at the plate even though his season average is just .242. I noticed too that Michael Brenly was the only Chief to come back on the field after the game to sign autographs for kids. Obviously, he’s a class guy.
Going to a Cougars game was really fun. I took my 6-year old son and we got to run the bases after the game. What’s not to like about that? Plus, twelve bucks a seat got me second row behind the visitors on-desk circle. Another five bucks got VIP parking. Minor league baseball is a great value.
June 14, 2009
Tags: Adam Dunn, Bob Brenly, Josh Vitters, Kane County Cougars, minor leagues, Peoria Chiefs, photo, Ryne Sandberg Posted in: Minor League Baseball, game day, game of baseball, observations, players No Comments
Cubs vs Sox - Crosstown Classic 2009
The Chicago Cubs will face the Chicago White Sox in the 2009 Cross-Town Classic!
When this interleague-cross-town matchup gets underway, you definitely do not want to be the only person left out of the fun. See the White Sox and the Cubs play one another, and no matter if it’s at Wrigley Field or U.S. Cellular Field, the action should be intense. This one is for bragging rights, people! Windy City baseball fans, get some Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox tickets today, before the rest of the Chi-town sports fans snag them all up!
The fan checklist:
- Get your tickets for Wrigley Field June 16-18 or US Cellular Field June 26-28, 2009
- Get your parking for Wrigley Field in advance from www.ParkForWrigley.com
- Get your Cubs gear ready to go and root, root, root for the CUBBIES!!!
- Sing Go Cubs Go after each Cubs win - on the Northside or Southside!
June 13, 2009
Tags: 2009 Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Crosstown Classic, parking, tickets Posted in: Chicago, Wrigley Field, game day, rivalries, schedule, tradition One Comment
The Interleague Dilemma
Interleague play brings about a decision point for where a fan’s loyalties lie. Enemies become friends, friends become enemies …cats and dogs living together in harmony. For example, with the Cubs playing the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians over the next ten days, are White Sox fans inclined to - gasp - root for the Cubs to win? These guys are their division rivals, so if the Cubs beat them, they are helping the White Sox improve in the standings. But can White Sox fans root for the Cubs in good conscience?
Likewise, the Sox are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers starting today and go to Cincinnati to face the Reds next weekend. So will fans of the Cubs be rooting for the - gasp - White Sox in interleague play?
I would say there is a difference between wanting your rival to lose and rooting for the team playing them to win. Really I think these games can be seen as either a win-win or a lose-lose proposition, depending on your outlook. For a team like the Cubs that have a legitmate shot at winning their division, every game counts so their fans really must pull for the opponents of their division rivals - even if that means wanting the White Sox to win. However for fans of the White Sox where their team is not expected to contend for the division title, perhaps it is more compelling to want the Cubs to lose in interleague games so fans of the Cubs have nothing to razz Sox fans about come October.
For me, I think for this season in particular every single game matters so I would like to see the White Sox sweep the Brewers and Reds on the road …however unlikely that may be. But I will stop short of the “Go Go White Sox” chant becuase I still don’t like ‘em. I will quietly pull for the Sox win and most importantly for the Brewers and Reds to lose.
How about you? Can you root for the Chicago White Sox to win this weekend and next?
As for what happens between these series, all bets (and gloves) are off! Bust out your Cubs wear and go to Wrigley Field and US Cellular Field to root for the Cubs in the Crosstown Classic!
June 12, 2009
Tags: Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Crosstown Classic, Go Go White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, US Cellular Field Posted in: Wrigley Field, controversy, rivalries, schedule No Comments
Carlos Zambrano announces his retirement
Chicago Cubs pitching ace Carlos Zambrano got his 100th career victory at Cincinnati on Friday. Everything about the game was quintessential Big Z. He was nearly unhittable, but walked 5 in 6 2/3 innings. He batted lefty against right handed Reds pitcher Micah Owings and couldn’t catch up to his fastball. So when he came to bat in the fifth, he turned around and batted righty versus righty, crushing the first pitch he saw for a towering home run. His team held on to seal the deal for a 2-1 final score giving Z his 100th career win. After the game, Carlos Zambrano announced he will be retiring from baseball upon the completion of his current contract in “4 or 5 years”. HUH??
I believe this man is an incredibly gifted athelete, but clearly he has some emotional issues. In the past two weeks, he has been tossed from a game, smashed the infamous dugout Gatorade cooler with a bat, and served a six game suspension handed down from the league. Then he was a no-show for the team plane to Atlanta where Z would make his return to the mound following the suspension. With the rain out, next up is Cincinnati where Z notches his 100th career win in the series opener. Followed by his retirement announcement. Carlos cited wanting to spend more time with his kids and seeing his mother on mothers day as reasons why he wants to retire after his contract runs out.
What will he think of next?
June 6, 2009
Tags: Carlos Zambrano, Cincinnati Reds, Gatorade, photo Posted in: controversy, game recap, oddities, players No Comments
Cubs need to re-think the bullpen
Carlos Marmol
If 2009 is going to be a year focused on winning the World Series, then the Cubs brass has to re-evaluate their bullpen now. What they have is a mess. I feared when they acquired Kevin Gregg that he would be relied on as the everyday closer. What I had hoped for is that his presence would push Carlos Marmol a bit to get him comfortable as the closer he has been groomed to become. But Marmol went away to the World Baseball Classic (how can something new be called a ‘classic’ anyway?) and Gregg had a good spring. So much to my surprise, Kevin Gregg was named closer and Marmol stays in the setup role.
What I had known of Gregg prior to this year was limited to his numbers. I had never seen him pitch, and I didn’t know him as an elite closer because I never considered him for my Fantasy Baseball teams. But I believe in numbers and they don’t lie - Kevin Gregg is not, nor has even been an elite closer. And teams that want to win the World Series need to have elite pitching to close out games. So far I’ve tried to give Gregg a chance to prove himself. But he has only proven to me his numbers don’t lie. He puts too many guys on base, and he blows a lot of save opportunities. Of his 10 saves this year, he didn’t allow a baserunner in only two of them (May 6 & June 3). The guy is not automatic, he’s not a shut-down pitcher …he is not an elite closer.
So what to do? With the team sale still incomplete, I assume adding any payroll through a trade isn’t going to happen. Plus no one is going to trade away an elite closer at this point in the season anyway. So Lou will have to look over what he has and shuffle things around.Â
Angel Guzman
Seems to me Angel Guzman has been impressive enough to slide into a setup role and make Marmol the closer after all. Maybe he and Marmol are too similar - righties that throw asprin - so they might not be such a good pairing. But what then to do with Gregg? Do you just flip-flop Marmol to closer and Gregg to setup? That’s really no good because ofthen the setup guy comes in with men on base and Gregg has proven he can’t be trusted to get tough outs consistently.  Man, this is a tough one.Â
Maybe Lou mixes and matches with Guzman-Marmol-Gregg determining their roles each day based on who is fresh and who’s hot. I don’t know what the answer is, but one thing seems painfully obvious: Kevin Gregg is not an elite closer and that is what championship teams need.
June 6, 2009
Tags: Angel Guzman, Carlos Marmol, closer, Fantasy Baseball, Kevin Gregg, World Baseball Classic, World Series Posted in: Fantasy Baseball, lineup, players, roster No Comments
The resurgence of Kosuke Fukudome
Cubs center fielder Kosuke Fukudome is quietly putting together a very solid year. As May is closing out tomorrow, his .311 batting average and .441 on-base percentage illustrate the rebound he is making from a horrible second half of 2008. Kosuke is hanging in better on pitches, getting plenty of walks, but most importantly he is driving the ball consistently. Fukudome is tied for second on the team in both doubles and home runs. This is all in stark contrast to the player that road his average down 100 points from May 1-Sept 30 last season to finish 2008 with a .257 average.
The Cubs brass was concerned enough about Kosuke’s ability to adjust to America and the Major Leagues, the season opened with him in a CF platoon with Reed Johnson and Milton Bradley signed to play his natural RF position. In fact, a case could be made that Fukudome’s struggles at the plate and his lack of adjustment to the league is what led to Mark DeRosa being sent packing. Hendry was so concerned about Kosuke’s lack of production, he couldn’t count on him as an everyday player. So he had to go get Bradley but needed to clear payroll to sign him and DeRosa was the odd man out. So I think it is fair to consider the choice was between Fukudome and DeRosa ”lost” in no small part due to his value in the market.
I’m glad to see Kosuke producing. This team needs his steady bat and superior defense. He is not the superstar player that broke in to MLB with a bang last spring, but so far in 2009, you really couldn’t have asked for more.
May 30, 2009
Tags: Jim Hendry, Kosuke Fukudome, Mark DeRosa, Milton Bradley, photo, Reed Johnson Posted in: biz of baseball, lineup, observations, players, roster, stats No Comments
Talking Baseball radio with Bruce Levine
Bruce Levine on the beat at Wrigley
ESPN AM1000 in Chicago has probably the best baseball radio show going: “Talkin’ Baseball” with Bruce Levine and now co-hosted by Dave Juday. Levine is in my view one of the most insightful and informed members of the Cubs media contingent. I think he sees and more importantly tells more than most baseball reporters. The show used to be co-hosted by Chet Coppock but I prefer Juday’s down to business style over Chet’s hit & miss, glib & flash style.
Key ingredients to the success of this show are certainly the hosts, but also the 3-hour Saturday morning time slot. Pretty much every other baseball show on Chicago radio is a mixed format where the 3-hour slot will mix and match all sports. But Talkin’ Baseball is three hours of intense baseball talk, dominated by the two Chicago MLB franchises. Bruce gets the very best guests to come on the show - today featured Steve Stone and Jim Hendry, but often they have players, scouts, coaches and frankly a lot of people that you don’t hear on the radio very often.
The analysis, opinion and guest questions are all top notch; insightful, probing, and often veer into areas that require some thought and discussion rather than replying with baseball cliche’s. My only criticism is the over-hyped ESPNchicago.com website hasn’t updated the podcast section for this show since April 6th. Not sure what’s up with that.
Bruce recently began writing a blog as well. However this really reads more like a 15-second soundbite that you might hear as part of the sports headlines at the top of the hour. The info isn’t bad or irrelevant, but it is not at all what it could be. I would like to see Bruce write more about the experience of his job, the little tidbits he sees everyday but is not really for a 15-second radio update report. For example, something he sees at that day’s pre-game batting practice. Or maybe when an outfielder is taking ground balls at third base - a possible indication of a coming position change?  Or perhaps some other minor observations and commentary. That is what blogging is for, isn’t it?  I’m sure there are plenty more interview quotes either written or in audio that are not breaking news but could be interesting blog fodder.  Baseball is a game of subtleties and blogs are the perfect medium to convey those little nuggets.
Bruce Levine relaxes pre-game in the Wrigley Press Box
I have invited Bruce Levine to do a Q&A for CubHub.net on a few occasions this year. Still waiting from his first response - how about it, Bruce? In the meantime, nice work all around!
May 23, 2009
Tags: AM1000, blog, Bruce Levine, Chet Coppock, Dave Juday, ESPN, Jim Hendry, Steve Stone Posted in: review, the media One Comment
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