Mike Quade is officially on the hot seat. The Cubs dropped to 35-52 with a loss to the Nationals Tuesday night, the second worst record in all of baseball. The Cubs certainly have better than second to last talent on their roster, so naturally, much blame will fall on the manager. Quade is a good guy, and a lot of people like him, but managing might not be his thing. His lineup cards continually leave Cubs fans scratching their heads, and his inability to manage his pitching staff is somewhat maddening. Though he isn’t as open about it, at times, Quade ...
The Chicago Cubs are having an awful season, and at 35-51, are currently the third worst team in baseball.The Cubs are going to have to do a lot to get back to winning, and it all starts the second half of this season.If the Cubs can make a few improvements and work to get better after the all-star break, they can have something to build on going into next year.The Cubs also need to make some bold changes to their roster and completely rebuild this team.There is much work to be done, but everything starts after the all star break, ...
It’s that time of year again in Cubland when fans, hopelessly disenchanted with the teams dwindling prospects, turn their thoughts to next year. They also turn their thoughts to getting rid of their most overpaid and under-performing athletes in the forlorn hope of rebuilding. I’ve actually read a bunch of these rants and analyses, and so far I haven’t seen many that make a lot of sense. The Cubs management is supposed to be planning their annual pre-trade deadline summit this week, or maybe they have already had it. Given their performance up to now, one may be permitted doubts as ...
Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro has 110 hits this season, having played 84 of the team's 86 games. Of those 110 hits, 31 have come in the leadoff role, 34 during contests in which Castro batted second and 39 while the first-time All-Star was batting third.That may seem a fair distribution. It is not. Castro has batted third some 41 times as of Monday, and after an 0-for-5 performance on Independence Day, he needs to be liberated from the pressure cooker of that spot at the heart of the Cubs' batting order. His hits in that slot have come in ...
Trade rumors have been swirling about Albert Pujols all year. From the onset, one of the most persistent has Albert going to the Chicago Cubs.The Cubs, on the other-hand, have been seeking to unload Carlos Zambrano, despite the fact that he's got some great career numbers: 122 wins, 78 losses, and a 3.55 earned run average. Zambrano has also been a consistent caustic clubhouse persona.It's no secret that they've been disappointed with the overall offensive showing of Carlos Pena, especially after giving the veteran first-baseman a wheelbarrow full of money this past off season.Pena owns 17 homers, 44 RBI and ...
It was a magical game during a memorable season. The 1984 Chicago Cubs season provided thrills, cheers and the team’s first playoff appearance in 39 years.In a game that season against arch-rival St. Louis on June 23, second baseman Ryne Sandberg gave the Wrigley Field faithful a day no Cubs fans would ever forget.Sandberg was in his third season with Chicago after the Cubs acquired him prior to the 1982 season in what turned out to be a one-sided trade with Philadelphia. What is often forgotten is that Sandberg was considered the throw-in in a deal that sent Larry Bowa ...
New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is the hottest item on the trade market this season, and the prevailing sentiment seems to be that he will be dealt to one or another contender before the trade deadline.Wherever he may go, though, or even if he remains with the Mets all season, Reyes figures to test the free-agent market this winter and should find a rich reward for that freedom. He currently leads the National League in batting average, has remained healthy and may be emerging as an elite offensive player as well as an above-average defender at the most important ...
The 2010 season has had a familiar feeling for the Chicago Cubs in regard to the team's performance and standing within the National League Central division. But unlike numerous Cubs teams of the past, this year's version has been based largely on developing young talent and building a culture that operates from within. Since Dallas Green joined the Cubs as general manager in 1982, the Cubs have been an organization based on free agency. Over the past 30 years, the Cubs have landed numerous free agents and fielded teams largely comprised of players from competing franchises. Often, the result of ...
When it comes to baseball, pitchers are not known for their hitting. Pitchers don't receive as many opportunities to hit in today's game because of managers increasing the number of relievers throwing more and more innings. Interleague play is the only period of time that AL pitchers have the chance to swing the bat, and NL pitchers hit once every five days, so not much is expected.Despite the fact that most pitchers couldn't hit to save their life, there are a select few that can hit a ball in the stands at any time. These guys not only help their ...
"No varnish can hide the grain of the wood; and that the more varnish you put on, the more the grain will express itself."- Charles Dickens, Great ExpectationsThere are admittedly lots of things that separate good teams from bad, winners from losers and contenders from the also-rans. However it occurred to me recently that some of the things we strain our brains to analyze are actually right in front of our noses.Take the Cleveland Indians. Please. No, seriously, look at what they just did. Off to a surprisingly great start early this year and currently sitting in first place in the ...
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