Archive for June, 2009
A lot of people like this guy. I think Wells is awesome,
Our pal Tim Souers was inspired by Saturday’s post and gave me this awesome graphic. And I don’t really care to harp on the trade, but let me give you my final thoughts. The Cardinals got a good player and it should help them…a little. DeRosa was a 3.8 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) last year, he’s been 1.1 so far this year as his defense at third hasn’t been too great (at least according to UZR). The Cardinals are going to get him for a little over a half year and the 2 main guys he’s replacing are Joe Thurston and Brian Barden who have combined for 0.8 WAR to this point. You can’t just simply add and subtract it though, so my rough back-of-the-envelope guestimating says he’s probably gonna be good for anything between 1-3 more wins on the year for the Cardinals, which is indeed significant for an individual player.
As for the Cubs not getting him, if we go by prospect lists and assuming the Indians like our pitchers as much as they liked Chris Perez and a supposedly top-end player to be named later, it would have cost something in the neighborhood of Jeff Samardzija and Jay Jackson. Samardzija has a no-trade clause of course, so maybe it would require Sean Marshall or Randy Wells and maybe that second player would be Kevin Hart or Angel Guzman instead of Jackson or another decent arm that could be ready for the majors by next year. It’s a whole lot of speculating on who the Indians might like and who the Cubs are willing to trade, but let’s take some educated guesses.
So if in the theory the Cubs met the Indian asking price, it would be something in the neighborhood of (let’s just say) Marshall and Jackson for John Gaub, Chris Archer, Jeff Stevens and a half a season of Mark DeRosa, plus the $2M or so added to the Cubs payroll that is owed DeRosa. That actually doesn’t sound too terrible for the Cubs, they basically replace some of the arms they would have had to given up to reacquire DeRosa with the initial trade and the Cubs get back the wind beneath their wings.
Looking at the WAR values of the guys that DeRosa would be taking playing time from (Fontenot, Miles, Blanco, Scales and Jake Fox), they add up to -0.1 WAR so far and as I said you can’t just simply and add and subtract due to playing time and small sample sizes and all that, but had the Cubs been able to make this trade back in early May (and the asking price was reportedly higher back then), you’re talking probably 2-4 wins (once I again, more a guestimate than anything). The impact probably would have been less if Lou would have had just sucked it up and played Jake Fox at third to begin with instead of having his Neifi/Lee 2006 moment. With Aramis Ramirez due back soon, that impact is going to be a bit limited, although we still don’t know if we’re getting the old Ramirez back and how many days off he’ll have to take. I guess I would have liked for Hendry to pull the trigger, DeRosa’s a quality player that has been able to get it done with runners on this year. Whether that would translate to the Cubs or not I can’t say for certain, the slump and inexplicable inability to get a hit with runners on seems to be nearly a team-wide affliction and maybe DeRosa would have caught it like a cold.
I’m disappointed that DeRosa could be the dagger in the Cubs 2009 hearts and it sure does seem like the Cubs could have avoided some of this mess back in January. But he’s a Cardinal now and be damn certain I hope he strikes out everytime he comes up. And every moron at Wrigley that ends up cheering for him in a Cardinals uniform, go jump off a cliff with the other lemmings.
In other news, Aaron Miles is back to the disabled list with a hyperextended right elbow and the Cubs have called up Sam Fuld. Soriano has had four mult-hit games in his last five so I’m guessing that Fuld won’t get a shot at being a leadoff hitter/center fielder for a few games, not that I really thought he had shot at that, but maybe he can spell a still struggling Kosuke Fukudome. Fuld’s warmed up with the weather down in Iowa with a 398/474/506/980 OPS line in June.
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Any responses to It’s Also a Kick in the Junk?
Take a look at a vid of Wells at his finest:
JOCK SOUP: 2008 Yankees Decline, NEW David Wells & Joe Torre Controversy and Tampa Bay Rays Pennant Race
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The Cubs/White Sox weekend series ended with a 6-0 blowout win for the Sox. Pretty pathetic effort for a Cubs team that looked like it was starting to show some fire and tenacity at last.The Cubs once again found themselves being stymied by John Danks, who would be a Cy Young candidate if he could ….
I have always been a big fan of Young, I have to say, seeing news like this gives me mixed feelings.How do you think this news about Young will affect the team this season?
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Look who is in this news, Young! How Many Ways Are There to Not Play a Game? To make things easier to read, we have a summary - The Jays’ affiliates had an off-day, a postponement, and a suspension. In the remaining 3 games, they went 2-1.
Sacramento 3 at Las Vegas 6
Brian Burres is pushing for a promotion! 11 days after spinning a masterful shut-out, the 28 year old pitched 7 innings of effective ball, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits and a walk while striking out 8 and getting 9 ground outs to only 4 flyouts. By the time he exited, the 51s had built a 6-3 lead which they never relinquished. Bill Murphy and Bryan Bullington each pitched a scoreless inning to ensure that this game was pitched entirely by guys who have been on the big club at some point this year. And whose first names start with B. Coincidence!
Las Vegas spread the offensive love around, with every starter getting a hit. Of note, J.P. Arencibia went 2-4 with a double and 2 ribbies, and Randy Ruiz had a double in 4 trips.
Portland at New Hampshire (suspended)
Charlotte 9 at Dunedin 8 (11 innings)
It was a wild one in Dunedin. Andrew Liebel got the start and had his first bad outing in a while, giving up 6 runs in just 4 and a third innings. However, only 2 of those runs were earned, and it really was a tough luck day for Liebel: he allowed unearned runs in three separate innings, and Kyle Ginley allowed 1 inherited runner to score, so this wasn’t simply one of those situations where one error leads to a whole bunch of unearned runs. Nevertheless, it wasn’t Liebel’s greatest outing.
Liebel’s mediocrity and the D-Jays’ horrific defense put them in a 7-0 deficit by the time the 6th inning rolled around, but they finally broke through against Jeremy Hall on 3 consecutive hits by Sean Shoffitt (single), Raul Barron (triple) and Moises Sierra (single). And then, in the 7th, Dunedin exploded for 6 more, highlighted by a 3-run homer by John Tolisano.
Charlotte tied the game up in the 8th, and a scoreless 9th sent the game to extras. In 3 innings, Dunedin was held baserunner-less by the Stone Crabs’ bullpen, and Charlotte won the game in the 11th by, you guessed it, scoring what turned out to be an unearned run charged to Tim Collins. Collins was otherwise good, pitching 3 innings, allowing 4 baserunners and striking out 3.
No hitter had a spectacular day, though Shoffit, Barron and Sierra each had 2 hits, and Tolisano had the aforementioned 3 run jack.
Young Henderson Alvarez was the story for Lansing on Sunday afternoon, going 6 innings while only allowing 5 hits, walking nobody and striking out 5. Alvarez allowed 1 run, and had a 7-6 GB-FB ratio. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the win, as the bullpen allowed the Dragons to tie it up in the 8th. But Lansing stormed right back with 2 runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, and Matthew Daly nailed it down with a perfect 9th inning for his 14th save.
Chris Emanuele reached base 3 times with a single and 2 walks, and A.J. Jimenez had 3 hits including a double, and drove in 2 runs to lead the Lansing offense.
Jamestown at Auburn - post-poned
GCL Jays - scheduled day off
By the way, ever wonder what attendance is like at minor league games? Well, much more extensive research could be done on this topic, and who knows how representative these attendance figures are, but for what it’s worth here were the crowd sizes for each of today’s minor league games:
Las Vegas: 2,195
Dunedin: 399
Lansing: 4,918
Elsewhere… Lake Elsinore beat High Desert 33-18. Seriously. There were 58 hits. Also, Lake Elsinore walked 13 times, while High Desert only walked once. Weird.
Three Stars!
3. Brian Burres - 7 IP, 3ER, 9K
2. A.J. Jimenez, 3-4, 2B, 2 RBIs
1. Henderson Alvarez - 6 innings, 5 baserunners, 1 run, 5 Ks
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How do you think this news will affect the team this season?
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Look who is making news: Dunn! Milton Bradley Must Go. To make things easier to read for lazy folks,
Had there been no incidents in yesterday’s win over the White Sox, I probably wouldn’t have posted anything this morning — the first post today would have been the preview thread at 1 pm CDT.
But given the passion exhibited in last night’s recap regarding Milton Bradley — and I commend all of you for keeping it on topic and not making anything personal — I felt it was important to have a post up this morning where discussion on this issue can continue, because this appears to be a real turning point for this team, just as the Michael Barrett/A.J. Pierzynski brawl did the same thing two years ago, coincidentally in a game at the Cell.
First, I continue to stand by the two things I posted last night regarding things I have heard about Milton Bradley. I learned these a couple of weeks ago but decided to sit on them at the time, only posting them last night because I felt they were relevant to yesterday’s incident. No, I can’t and won’t post names. Believe what you will, but I have absolutely no doubt I was told the truth.
There’s another take on this situation this morning from Chris DeLuca in the Sun-Times:
Veteran Alfonso Soriano, who doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being a true team leader, said he had never seen anything like it during his nine-year career. And then Soriano — always one of the first Cubs in the clubhouse — put the onus on Bradley to shape up or ship out.“That’s my first time to see a manager fighting with a player; get mad with a player,’”Soriano said. “Sometimes you can get mad, but not like that. It’s something new for me every day.
“We are 25 players, and we have to be on the same page. If he is not 100 percent to help the team win, we don’t need him. If he’s 100 percent and he wants to play, he’s more than welcome.”
That means Bradley must arrive today at U.S. Cellular Field earlier than usual — which means, don’t be the last position player to wander into the clubhouse. He must put the team first — for the first time in his career. He must accept responsibility for his selfish actions — instead of blaming everyone else.
You can criticize Soriano all you want, justifiably, for his play on the field. But one thing you cannot say is that Soriano has the wrong attitude. Soriano’s a leader, and he is absolutely correct. I have a lot more to say, so there’s more below the fold.
I’m also posting again about this because of two articles written by Cubs beat writers, one by Paul Sullivan, the other by Gordon Wittenmyer. I posted this from Sullivan’s article in the comments last night, but felt it deserved further attention:
Bradley blamed himself for his poor start (.237 batting average), and conceded he didn’t realize how “overwhelming” it would be to be a focus of attention on the North Side.
“People are always watching and looking at everything I’m doing,” he said. “My personality is more of a guy who likes to go unnoticed — to show up, do my job and go home, and really not have a whole lot of hoopla about it.
“I’m really not a guy who’s seeking any attention. I’m not seeking to be noted, like ‘Milton Bradley and the Chicago Cubs.’ I don’t want that. I just want to be part of a group and fit in and just love and be loved. That’s the basis of what I am.
“Maybe years ago I might have thought I wanted all this, but I really don’t want all the attention.”
He didn’t want the attention? Exactly where did he think he was signing? The Yukon? The Cubs get more attention than perhaps any team in baseball save the Yankees and Red Sox! They have been on national cable for 30 years and have a national fan base! Yes, I know — he played in “major markets” before (Oakland, Dallas, Los Angeles). But neither the Athletics nor the Rangers have the huge and rabid fan bases that the Cubs do, and in laid-back LA, the Dodgers don’t get the kind of scrutiny that the Cubs do, nor are they under the pressure to win that the Cubs are. Didn’t Bradley think of this? Didn’t Jim Hendry do his due diligence regarding Bradley’s personality and whether it would fit in the pressure cooker that is Cubs baseball?
Bradley was, in some sense, signed to be “Milton Bradley and the Chicago Cubs”, given the desire for LH-hitting production and the dollars he signed for. All of this could have and should have been known to him last December. I have no doubt that Bradley wants very badly to succeed and perform well. The “passion”, however, that he supposedly brings to this team isn’t the kind of “passion” we need. Instead, it’s a daily soap opera of one kind or another. If Bradley wanted to “show up, do his job and go home, and really not have a whole lot of hoopla about it”, he should have signed with Pittsburgh, Kansas City or Florida, places where baseball is an afterthought.
The second point, brought out in Wittenmyer’s article, is more disturbing and more direct:
Piniella ordered Bradley to the clubhouse and followed him — with Carlos Zambrano joining him — through the tunnel from the dugout.According to sources, Piniella then shouted at Bradley, “You’re not a player! You’re a piece of sh–!”
Bradley then said, “I have too much respect for you to respond to that,” a source said.
Presuming the above exchange is true — and I have no doubt that it is — there are a couple of things I’d like to say. First, a manager really shouldn’t say that about one of his players. Bradley’s reaction, when he surely could have exploded and made the situation far worse, does give me some respect for him.
But keep this in mind: two years ago after the Barrett/Pierzynski incident, it’s clear to me that Lou likely went to Jim Hendry and said, “Get him off my team.” And two weeks later, Hendry obliged him.
It’s unlikely Milton Bradley can be traded anywhere at this point, unless the Cubs are willing to eat large chunks of his remaining contract. As some say, however, he is a “sunk cost”. Maybe this is the thing to do — admit this was an enormous mistake, see if any team will send a face-saving prospect or two, eat most of the deal, and move on. Perhaps Adam Dunn could be acquired to play right field the rest of the year — honestly, I don’t care how bad his defense is, at least he’d be getting on base and hitting home runs (and you could run Reed Johnson, Ryan Freel or Kosuke Fukudome out there the last couple innings for defense). Or send Jake Fox out there once Aramis Ramirez returns — Fox has shown he can be at least capable in the field.
If not, then the Cubs are stuck with Hendry’s bad decision, and hopefully can go out and reclaim Mark DeRosa to get another bat in the lineup — yes, the Cubs are interested and have inquired about DeRo, says Wittenmyer. For me, I will not boo Bradley unless he makes an egregious on-field mistake (such as tossing another ball into the stands with less than three outs). I’ll cheer his positive contributions as long as he wears the blue pinstripes. I have no doubt that he wants to win and do well, very badly. The problem is: I don’t think he knows how, how to be part of a team, how to channel that passion and aggressiveness to the team.
And I will expect nothing from him. Because that’s what he has given us so far.
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This might be shocking news for Dunn fans, but some of you who will say that you saw it coming. I’m pretty surprised though. Dunn is interesting, I hope this doesn’t affect the season.
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The Jays’ affiliates had more rain-outs (2) than wins (1) on the night. Enough said. Davis Romero received the start and was not overly sharp. He allowed four runs on eight hits and one walk over 5.1 innings of work. Bryan Bullington relieved him and allowed one run in 1.2 innings, but struck out four. Bill Murphy had a scoreless inning and struck out the side. Brian Wolfe, though, took the loss when he allowed three runs on two hits and two walks without getting an out. Offensively, JP Arencibia was 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Kevin Howard also had two hits, as did Michael Barrett. Angel Sanchez had three hits, including a double. David Dellucci was 3-for-4 with two homers and he scored three runs.
Luis Perez, the Jays’ representative in the upcoming Futures Game, struggled with his control and walked five batters in 6.1 innings. He gave up just three hits, though, and allowed three runs (two earned). Adrian Martin finished the game with 2.1 scoreless innings. Brian Jeroloman went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. Scott Campbell went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Nick Gorneault, Adam Calderone, Brian Dopirak, and Darin Mastroianni also had hits.
Dunedin - postponed
Starter Josh Wells had another ugly outing and allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk in 2.1 innings of work. Ryan Koch allowed one run one four hits in 3.2 innings. Keith Meyer worked two scoreless innings and allowed just one hit. Hunter Moody worked one scoreless inning and struck out two, while allowing one hit and one walk. Lead-off man Justin McClanahan went 0-for-5 with three Ks. Brian Van Kirk and Mark Sobolewski each had two hits. Balbino Fuenmayor, AJ Jimenez, Johermyn Chavez, Tyler Pastornicky, and Chris Emanuele each had one hit. Sobolewski and Jimenez drove in runs. Van Kirk had the only extra base hit, which was a double.
Scott Gracey had another poor start and allowed five runs in 4.2 innings on six hits and two walks. Willi Mendez also struggled and allowed three runs in 1.1 innings, thanks to three hits and two walks. Dan Miller and Zach Outman also gave up runs. Offensively, Jimmy Gonzalez and Welinton Ramirez each had two hits - and a double a piece for the only extra base hits of the game. Randy Schwartz had a solo homer - his fourth of the year (He only has five hits in total). Jack Murphy went 1-for-3 and Luis Hurtado was 1-for-4.
Gulf Coast League Jays - postponed
The Three Stars:
3. Adrian Martin for 2.1 scoreless innings
2. Brian Jeroloman for two hits and two RBI
1. David Dellucci, three hits, two homers
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I have always been a big fan of Wells, I have to say, seeing news like this gives me mixed feelings.This might be shocking news for Wells fans, but some of you who will say that you saw it coming. I can’t say I’m all that surprised though. Wells is awesome, I hope this doesn’t affect the rest of the team.
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No matter what anybody says, I can’t stop thinking Hernandez is interesting:
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Josh Vitters hit his first home run this month tonight after a torrid May when he couldn’t do anything but hit homers.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs zipped past the New Orleans Zephyrs, 7-3.
Jeff Samardzija picked up his fifth win tonight with seven solid innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five.
The I-Cubs had ten hits, all singles. Bobby Scales and Luis Rivas were both 2 for 4 with a run scored. Rivas added in an RBI. So Taguchi went 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI. Matt Camp had a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in a 2 for 3 game.
Tennessee Smokies
The Smokies lost to the Montgomery Biscuits, 4-2.
Starter Jeremy Papelbon took the loss, allowing all four runs in only 3.2 innings. Papelbon was tagged for seven hits, including two home runs. He walked two and fanned three.
First baseman Doug Deeds went 2 for 4 with a double and a home run. Deeds scored twice.
Daytona Cubs
The D-Cubs transformed the hometown cheers for the Fort Myers Miracle into whine, 8-6.
Starter Craig Muschko threw four innings, allowing only one run on three hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Henry Williamson pitched very poorly, but got the win anyway when the offense scored for him. Williamson pitched two innings and gave up four runs on five hits and two walks. He didn’t strike anyone out.
Shortstop Starlin Castro had a huge game, collecting five RBI with a double and a triple in a 2 for 4 night. Castro also walked once and scored once.
Third baseman Marwin Gonzalez was 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. Center fielder Tony Campana went 2 for 5 with two runs scored. Left fielder Jonathan Wyatt went 2 for 4 with a run scored. First baseman Jovan Rosa was 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored.
Right fielder Brandon Guyer had a double and an RBI in a 2 for 4 game. Guyer is now hitting .396 in 13 games in High-A. If the Cubs hadn’t jumped him all the way to AA this season, I don’t think anyone would be disappointed in his numbers at Daytona so far.
Peoria Chiefs
The Chiefs bullpen broke down and the Chiefs fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 3-2.
Starter Chris Archer had a no-hitter going when he got pulled after five innings. The only problem was that he had probably thrown a lot of pitches considering he had walked five batters in that time, although none of them scored. Archer struck out four.
Chris Huseby blew his first save of the season, taking the loss as he allowed one run on four hits in one inning. He also allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth inning. Huseby struck out one.
Josh Vitters hit his first home run this month, going 2 for 4 with two RBI. As hot as Vitters was in May, he’s been cold in June. Perhaps this is a sign he’s breaking out of his slump.
Center fielder David Macias was 2 for 4.
Boise Hawks
The carnage continued as the Hawks were blown up by the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, 11-1.
Robert Hernandez got beat up for four runs on five hits and two walks over four innings. He walked two and struck out five. One of the runs was unearned.
Catcher Alvaro Sosa was 1 for 3 with his first home run of the season.
AZL Cubs
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Tell us your opinion.
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Wells is in the headlines again,
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What do you think?
Take a peek at a vid of Wells:
Eddie Vedder Someday well go all the way 2008 Music Video
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News about Wells -
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As Rick Morrissey points out, the Cubs/White Sox series this year has lacked the intensity of some other years. Maybe it’s because of the non-intense teams:
The Cubs seemed to gain momentum from their split with the Sox in the first series, putting together a four-game winning streak. But they have lost three in a row heading into Friday’s game. The Sox have been similarly up and down all season.
Were blasé fans at the City Series simply reflecting the status of their teams? Maybe it’s the other way around. I’ve been critical of Cubs manager Lou Piniella for not showing much life this season, and others have jumped on Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for the same thing. But perhaps the skippers are taking their cues from fans.
Two teams coming off playoff appearances in 2008 with playoff hopes for this season, and the prevailing theme on both sides of town seems to be listlessness.
Bruce Miles has some ideas on how to eliminate the torpor. Here’s one:
Flip the rules: Major League Baseball has talked about letting the pitcher bat in AL ballparks and using the designated hitter in NL parks.We couldn’t have had a better situation for that than this year. How about Mark Buehrle hitting a homer at the Cell and setting off the fireworks?
Or every Cubs fan’s new favorite, Jake Fox, belting a pair of homers as DH without manager Lou Piniella holding his breath every time the ball was hit to Fox at third base?
Let’s hope at least the Cubs can ramp up their performance this weekend. Speaking of listlessness, what’s up with the seemingly catatonic Lou Piniella?
Piniella wonders why fans want him to revert to his old form, as though that’s all it would take to turn the Cubs’ season around.
“I’m trying to have a little fun,” he said. “What am I supposed to do? What does it do for me to go out there and get kicked out of games?”
Yet many Cubs fans are frustrated and want Piniella to do just that. If he won’t take it out on an umpire, fans would like him to take a pound of flesh out of some of his high-paid talent. Like predecessor Dusty Baker, Piniella prefers to talk to his players behind closed doors.
“What do I need to yell at anybody for?” he said. “What is it that yelling at people is going to ensure you’re going to get a better performance? I have meetings with people here in my office individually, and I talk to them and I try to help them. But I don’t know what yelling and going out there and arguing will accomplish.
“I have the passion. I want to win. Losses bother me. They hurt. I care about the players. But I don’t play. I played at one time, and I could do something about it when I played. I had a bat in my hand, I had a glove in my hand, but I don’t anymore. I’m basically here to direct things.”
One thing Lou is directing is the benching of Milton Bradley. Why?
He’s hitting .205 against right-handers with 30 strikeouts in 117 at-bats and .327 vs. left-handers.
Great. $10 million a year for a platoon right fielder. Aren’t we already doing that in center field? And after all that — Bradley plays today vs. a RHP (from Twittermyer):
Soriano, lf; Fukudome, cf; Bradley, rf; Lee, 1b: Hoffpauir, dh; Fox, 3b; Fontenot, 2b; Soto, c; Blanco, ss
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Jose Contreras is a mystery. He’s officially 37 years old, but some think he could be years older. He dominates at times, but got so bad earlier this year that the Sox sent him to Triple-A. He is 2-3, 6.08 lifetime vs. the Cubs, and that includes a nine-run pounding the Cubs gave him at Wrigley Field last June 21. Of course, he then turned around and beat the Cubs six days later at the Cell. The best Cubs hitter against him is Aramis Ramirez. Oh, well. Milton Bradley is 4-for-12 against him with a homer, and Alfonso Soriano, who just has to break out of it one of these days, is 5-for-8 with 3 HR.
The White Sox are 3-9 this year against pitchers they have never faced before. Let’s hope that continues today vs. Randy Wells, who is making his first career start vs. the White Sox.
Today’s game is on WGN, but with those “other” announcers. Len & Bob will be on CSN Chicago. For other games today see the MLB.com Mediacenter.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
To find out what Sox fans are thinking, visit our SBN Sox site South Side Sox.
Overflow comment threads will post today at 4 pm, 5 pm and 5:45 pm CDT.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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Any responses to The Lou And Ozzie Show, Part Deux: Cubs vs. White Sox Preview, Friday 6/26, 3:05 CT?
Every day could be opening day when you open your checkbook and see the logo of your favorite MLB team proudly displayed. All 30 teams available. Coordinating labels and cover are also available. These baseball checks are only $27.90 at DesignerChecks.com
Look who is making news again: Harris! This time, Cubs Minor League Wrap–Jun 25. For you convenience, we have a summary -
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs zapped the New Orleans Zephyrs, 5-4 in ten innings.
Mitch Atkins had a no-hitter going through seven innings tonight, but the eighth inning was cruel, as a leadoff single broke up the no-hitter and eventually led to a four-run inning. Atkins’s final line was 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk. Atkins fanned four.
James Russell allowed a hit in a scoreless tenth to get his second win.
Center fielder Sam Fuld went 4 for 5 with a double and two stolen bases. Fuld scored twice. Right fielder So Taguchi was 3 for 4 with a double and three RBI.
Catcher Chris Robinson, first baseman Steve Clevenger and Shortstop Matt Camp each went 2 for 5 with an extra base hit and a run scored. Robinson tripled, the other two doubled. Camp’s double scored Clevenger and ended the game in the tenth inning.
Tennessee Smokies
The Smokies were baked by the Montgomery Biscuits, 8-4.
Hung-Wen Chen had a rough outing tonight, giving up five runs on five hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. Chen did strike out six, which is very uncharacteristic of him.
Third baseman Marquez Smith tripled in a 2 for 4 game. He scored once an had one RBI.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs lost their religion to the Fort Myers Miracle, 6-4.
Ryan Searle had not been pitching well lately, and tonight he got rocked again for six runs in 4.2 innings. Searle surrendered seven hits and one walk. He struck out one Miracle. One of the runs allowed was unearned.
Center fielder Tony Campana was a perfect 4 for 4 tonight, with one RBI and one run scored. Left fielder Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 4.
Right fielder Brandon Guyer was 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and a stolen base.He scored once and had an RBI.
Peoria Chiefs
The Chiefs were bitten by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 4-1.
Justin Bristow started and took the loss tonight, giving up four runs on five hits over five inings. Bristow walked two and struck out three.
Left fielder Josh Harrison was 2 for 4 with an RBI double.
Boise Hawks
The Hawks got into the win column tonight with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
Jonathan Nagel got his second start and didn’t allow a hit or a walk over three innings. (He did make an error that spoiled his perfect outing.) Nagel fanned two.
Mike Perconte got the with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Right fielder Jae-Hoon Ha was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored once and had one RBI.
AZL Cubs
Off day.
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How do you think this news about Harris will affect the team this season?
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News about Wells -
5 starting pitchers DL’d plus our current closer with the $10 million closer now a mop up man? No problem!
Jays now are tied with the Yankees. How?
AL Leaderboard: Rolen is #4 for batting average, Overbay #7 for OBP, Wells/Scutaro #1 in games played (Hill, Rios & Lind in top 10 as well), top 4 in AB’s are all Jays, Scutaro #1 in runs scored, Hill #2 in hits Scutaro #7 Lind #10, Hill & Lind top 5 in Total Bases, Lind #3 in doubles while Rolen & Scutaro are #6, Lind #8 in RBI, Scutaro #2 in BB, Scutaro #1 in times on base, Overbay #5 in intentional walks (didn’t notice that!) as is Lind, Rios & Wells & Hill are top 10 in GIDP (ooops), while Wells, Hill, Rios are #1/3/4 in outs made (another oops).
For non-Halladay pitching we have…
Tallet #5 in H/9 IP, Richmond #10 in H/9IP, Carlson #1 in games pitched.
A team OPS+ of 107 is ahead of the Red Sox and behind the Yanks & Rays (#4 in AL). Team ERA+ is 102 #6 in AL behind Boston & Tampa but well ahead of the Yanks 95. #3 in defensive efficency (% of balls hit made into outs) just ahead of the Yankees and well ahead of the Rays and Red Sox (Sox are 2nd last in the AL).
In other news…
Halladay eyes Monday return
Sandberg: Sosa doesn’t belong in Hall of Fame
Obama to toss ASG 1st pitch
Fehr ready for retirement
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What do you think?
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