Disgusting

tommy

Marquis got a quality start. You can’t hang this game on him. What about all your ‘stars’, D Lee and Aramis Ramirez?21 double plays now that Lee has hit into this season? That is what is disgusting.

Rick Beato

Lee is killing us with his glove as well as his bat this season. To lead the league in DPs hit is not the mark of a great #3 hitter who should be driving balls into the gaps and into the seats. Aramis is killing us with his 0-fers, now up to 20 straight after 28 earlier? Fukudome looks clueless at the plate most atbats, Soto can’t hit, DeRosa can’t either. Good Lord, Ryan Theriot is our only solid major league hitter right now — can you believe that? With Soriano coming back, I assume DeRosa will play 2B and Fontenot, who has been the only other guy hitting at all, will sit. Of course, that means DeRosa will not play the OF where he is a butcher.
This week has been devastating and right now Cub fans should stop worrying about the World Series and start fretting about even getting a wild card slot into the playoffs. The team that came out of the All-Star Game flatter than pancakes looks like it will finish third in the division unless something good happens. Soon.

Rick Beato

Oh, one more thing. Marshall walked a leadoff man and tossed a pair of wild pitches last night to score him. What did he do to earn a start? I missed seeing anything.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=8401936178 Joe Aiello

He’s a starter, not a reliever. I give him a pass in the bullpen because it’s not his role.

tommy

Rick, I can indeed believe it because Theriot has been the only consistent hitter all year.

I never said congrats either for his new baby. Also, good interview on the Lead-Off Man last night.

http://www.mindfulmission.com dave

Jason Marquis is complete garbage.

Come on Joe… you are better than that. Marquis pitched decently last night – 6 ip, 3 r, 7 base runners is not bad. He has an ERA+ of 101 – which means he is above average, which is more than enough out of the 5th slot in the rotation.

Lee is killing us with his glove as well as his bat this season.

Haha! Yea – Lee’s one error last night means he is “killing us” with is glove. Seriously?

And then you say DeRosa can’t hit?

People really like to overreact over some slumps and a few losses.

http://www.mindfulmission.com dave

The team that came out of the All-Star Game flatter than pancakes looks like it will finish third in the division unless something good happens. Soon.

Please.

It has been five games. Relax.

Alex

Everything’s gonna be alright – I’m still not concerned about MIL or STL at this point.

jose

Regarding Lee & Aram, the question I always ask is “if the game is on the line, do I want them batting?”. The answer is always no. And Afonz does not make that list also. Our pitching is solid and I have no worries (except injuries). The defense is fine. Not great, but it won’t lose many games for us. The hitting is what is scary. We do not know the meaning of a two out hit with runners in scoring position.

Any new on Roberts? Are we still pursuing him? I hope so.

http://www.mindfulmission.com dave

Regarding Lee & Aram, the question I always ask is “if the game is on the line, do I want them batting?”. The answer is always no.

Huh?

Late and close:
ARam: .396/.516/.896 OPS: 1.412
Lee: .288/.360/.515 OPS: .875

Yea – they suck when the game is on the line. Especially ARam.

And why do the Cubs need Roberts when they already have DeRosa?

http://www.mindfulmission.com dave

And Lee and ARam’s career numbers, close and late:

Lee: .303/.402/.509 OPS: .911
Aram: .285/.354/.505 OPS .859

Sure … they are slumping this week.

But if you cannot trust those two with the game on the line, I am not sure who you can trust.

Billy H

Well we are only one game up on the Brewers and two on the Cards as of this morning. Lou and Gerald Perry had better get the bats going! Double plays have been the bain for this team all year! The players should not be tired at this point in the season either….that excuse is unacceptable. Slumps can be overcome if one or two players stay hot (ie Theriot and Derosa). I think we are really feeling the pinch of Soriano’s absence right now. I think Gerald Perry needs to get things together or else!

jose

Dave:
HUH? read the post. If the game is on the line, I do not have confidence they will come up with the winning hit. The post is really simple. Do you need me to explain what I mean by the game is on the line? It means you are at bat and the tying or winning run is in scoring position. You quoting the stats, means nothing. If you take a look at the last series at Houston, we won every possible stat. However, we still lost the series. We probably will score 15 runs today and win the stats for the Arizona series. But, we still lost the series. Keep quoting historical stats for players, it means nothing, especially during last year’s playoffs.

The Cubs need Roberts because I think he is a better player than DeRosa and it allows DeRosa to play the “super utility” role. Which will allow other players to get a rest, so they can be ready for the playoff (if we make it). Plus Roberts brings us something that DeRosa can not. A true leadoff hitter who can steal bases.

http://rick1414@earthlink.net Rick Beato

If you are no longer concerned with Milwaukee and St. Louis, you are dreaming. Have you noticed Sabathia’s three CG? Lee’s error last night had no effect on a game that was already lost, I agree, but look at the entire season. He is getting to be brutal on grounders to his right, which he used to eat up. Lots of errors, lots of DP grounders, no HR in weeks. For the season ARam has solid numbers, but when he goes negative it is total. Getting a 2B from Theriot last night was fine, but when they walk Fukudome, the inning is over. If Gerald Perry has been on vacation, maybe he can get to work and help get some guys going.

http://www.mindfulmission.com dave

If the game is on the line, I do not have confidence they will come up with the winning hit.

I read the post… and I still don’t get what you mean.

Are you seriously not comfortable with ARam up with the game on the ilne?

Then who would you be you comfortable/confident with?

They guy has been incredibly in late and close situations this year. Late and close means the game is on the line. Sure… you can point to your anecdotal evidence and say that my stats don’t matter, but the exact situations that you are talking about are the exact situations the stats I cited are looking at.

By the way… I never said I wasn’t worried about Mil/STL. I just think that is is a bad week, not a bad team.

Do you really think that Lee/Aram/Soto are all going to continue to struggle like this?

http://www.mindfulmission.com dave

The Cubs need Roberts because I think he is a better player than DeRosa and it allows DeRosa to play the “super utility” role.

The Cubs don’t need another 2b. They need an outfielder.

DeRosa is not a good, or even decent, defensive outfielder and he would make a lousy offensive outfielder. Super-subs are supposed to be good, or at least decent, defensive players at numerous positions, and DeRosa is not that.

http://www.myspace.com/baronvonbootyslap ManInThe Box

a few things:

-I am ALWAYS concerned about MIL and STL. Whether it was a one-game lead or 10.

-Lee is costing us with his glove? Spoken like someone who watches three games a year.

-The Cubs have seemingly gone away from one thing that made their hitters so successful in the first “half”: taking pitches. Fukudome had become more aggressive up until last night. The result was a better outing…even if the Cubs lost. Lee, ARam, Soto et al have been swingin more at first and second pitches lately. It was evident in Houston and it’s more evident now. Theriot seems to be the only one who is still taking more pitches these days.

-It’s a slump, kids. Sure, the Cubs have looked boring and even lousy lately, but this is baseball. How they react to it is the true mark of the 2008 team. I would love to see Lou jumble the lineup tonight. Even the mighty men in blue must endure a slump.

http://rick1414@earthlink.net Rick Beato

Oh, great comment, that I must watch three games a year. I suppose you have not noticed the stone glove on Lee’s hand — you remind me of the White Sox fans and announcers who talk about Joe Crede being such a great fielder, despite the lowest fielding average and most errors in the AL. Lee and Crede WERE good fielders. Neither one is now.

http://www.mindfulmission.com dave

Umm… since when is fielding percentage and the number of errors a good measure of good defense?

jose

Dave:
The Cubs have plenty of outfielders. When Afonz returns we will have four/five pretty good outfielders. If you believe in stats, we have two all-star corner outfielders and one past all-star CF. Add DeRosa as a utility OF (he is no OF stud, but he is very adequate- he makes the routine plays and can play both corner positions). We are missing a true leadoff hitter who can steal bases. Maybe someone who can get things started and builds momentum. Sounds like Roberts. This team is built to win now so having Roberts on this team short term would be a big plus.

randall

What this team needs is some fire in the belly. I think it is time sweet Lou get fired up (can anyone say ejection) and let his team know it is time to kick ass and take names later. Screw the Brewers, the Cards, the Gaystros, CC, Wolf and all of the people that say that we cant do it. Let’s get pissed off and take it to the other team trying to beat us.

Billy H

One Question: What is it with us and frickin’ Arizona? This team fell asleep and it needed this series against Zona.

Harden should have a few words for the guys up and down the bench!

lizzie

Not sure whether Lou is getting fired up but a couple losses and this place sure gets going! ManInTheBox got it spot on with the taking pitches thing, that’s a huge difference and is very apparent. So many times (it seems … I don’t track the stats that y’all track) it seems like there’s three-four-five pitches and already three outs.

(Side note – Tommy, did you see Theriot featured in an ad for the upcoming Bonnie Hunt talk show? Very cute. Not sure whether it’s a national ad or a local one, or if you in particular are national or local. But you did mention his new baby and his Lead Off interview so I thought you might find the ad interesting as well.)

http://Seriously? Damen Jackson

Not to put to fine a point on it, but Jason Marquis is quietly putting together a solid season. And given his performance over the last two months – 4-3 record, with a 3.83 ERA and 1.16 WHIP – he should be about the last concern that someone has about the Cubs. I can definitely show you at least 25 other teams that would like to get that out of their 5th starter right now.

It’s just the nature of the baseball season. Check back in a week or two, and they’ll be in the middle of some 9 of 13 winning streak.

jose

Randall: A BIG AMEN!!!!! Let’s hope the Cubs read your post.

http://www.viewfromthebleachers.com/meetmatt.php Matt Jacobs

Did anyone notice that there’s a lot more noise in her now that the Cubs are losing?

Dare I say fair weather?

ManInTheBox

“Oh, great comment, that I must watch three games a year. I suppose you have not noticed the stone glove on Lee’s hand — you remind me of the White Sox fans and announcers who talk about Joe Crede being such a great fielder, despite the lowest fielding average and most errors in the AL. Lee and Crede WERE good fielders. Neither one is now.”

There are contrarians and then there’s nonsense. Welcome to Nonsenseville. Population: you.

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