Closers up!

Well, well well. No ego stroking coming out of camp this spring. Kevin Gregg is your closer, winning out against Carlos "Dutch flubber" Marmol. I was actually rather hoping this would happen for a couple of reasons. Now, Gregg gets a short leash, with Marmol ready to step in if needed. And Marmol can actually go back to doing what he did so insanely well last year and that's closing the door in the 7th and 8th innings.

Yes, we know Marmol was "supposed" to be the next great closer. But for now he's the best bullpen man in baseball, including closers and Carlos, you're just gonna have to settle for that.

"His mediocre spring numbers and WBC struggles weren't a factor, he said."

Uh huh...

Nothing to worry about?

So I'm listeing to WSCR Zach Z, and he's going on and on about how this is the best spring trianing and we have nothing to worry aobut and blah blah, and I'm thinking to myself - we have more holes than last year! Let's talk aobut a few things -

A. A closer that can't close out the Dutch
B. A starting pitcher who can't be relied on for over 80 pitches, maybe 25 times.
C. No full time second baseman with all due respect to Fontenot.
D. A Right Fielder who played 20 games in RF last year - this is not a knock on his defense. This is a knock on his health.
E. No backup for Aramis Ramirez.

Three Words - two-thousand-four. everyone was sitting pretty back then thinking we had it made....for a minute anyway...

Closer Marmol can't seem to close...

Ok, so I didn't hear about the FIRST time the Dominican Republic managed to blow a game to the Netherlands, but the second time, it seems it was our little boy, I'm pitching, no I'm not, yes I am Marmol blowing the savge. Against the Dutch. All due respect to our European brothers and sisters, but the Royals have more talent on their team than the Netherlands, led by their fearless leader Randall "The-Sausage-King-of-wait-is-he-really-Dutch?" Simon.
Granted there was an error in the inning, but umm does this not scare the living Bejesus out of anyone else? Am I alone here?

I'd love to say "Suddenly, letting Kerry Wood walk doesn't seem like such a great idea," except, it's not SUDDENLY.

I sure hope Gregg can close...

minute...

Know where your checks come from.

Ryan Dempster was recently criticized by the entire nation of Canada (or at least those not watching the hockey All-Star Game) recently when he revealed he would not pitch for Oh, Canada in the upcoming WBC. Here's the thing - I think it could be argued that pitchers run the highest risk of injury during the daily execution oft heir job. Yes position players could get hurt, but it seems that pitchers are more fragile than the average shortstop. Here's a thought -

Instead of adding 1,000 more pitches to an MLB'ers season, why not use minor league pitchers for the classic? AAA type guys who are not quite ready for prime time. It gives them the opportunity to try out at the big league level, on a world stage, and frankly, it gives the fans the offense they crave. Now, I'm not saying some college hurler should go up there and throw batting practice or anything. But your Kevin Harts and Angel Guzman types.

Just a thought. and a minute. A minute-thought.

Big Johnson

Oh wait.... hehe. Don't get me wrong, it's great that the Cubs won, but why did our bullpen have to piss away another great start by our pitchers...

The big bats came out again late and spanked the Pirates. I dig the fact that Johnson bunts for a base hit yesterday and hits the game winning HR today :).

Samardzija pitched very well after Lou shortened Z up. Gaudin gave up the lead but he's, been a great find from Oakland. Marmol closed it up. Nice job. Would've liked Z to get to 13, but oh well.

Brew Crew lost. Leads back to five. Hope the Cards get b-slapped, but that's secondary right now.

Astros come to town. We shall have to punish them.

One for the minute....two for the show...

interesting trade idea?

So George Sherrill, the left handed closer from Baltimore is on the block. The asking price, by latest reports is a ML ready shortstop. Hello Ronny Cedeno. Here's the problem though. Cedeno is Theriot's only backup at SS. 2nd base has depth enough to get by without him, but SS remians a question. Any kids ready to come up as a backup? I'm honestly not sure.

What I do know is Marmol, while he hasn't been terrible his last few outings still ain't right. Bob "Gopher-ball" Howry isn't right. Woody's widdle finger hurts, so long story short, we've got issues.

I'm thinking Eyre-Cedeno for Sherrill, a proven closer. 46K's in 42 IP. 7 Blown saves, which is kinda scary, but still. You trade a solid lefty for a solid uninjured lefty, and a SS in the package. Win-Win. Plus Eyre's a FA this year - Sherrill's under team control for at least another year if not more. This is all contingent on whether or not there's a SS in AAA ready to step up, and to be honest, I don't know.

Just a thought...and a minute...

More All Star Game minutes...

So Fukudome sucked. Not a really big surprise of late. Soto aquitted himself well - the two stolen bases were off Sheets, not Soto. Zambrano was dealing. The pickoff throw in the fourth was freakin' gold - best I've seen this year. Ramirez walked, so not much bang for the buck there, but you can't complain. Dempster was awesome in the bottom of the 9th. Wish he could've done that more last year...:)

Marmol, well, Marmol did well. Can't complain about a scoreless inning...that IS what we're paying him for. I didn't get a chance to really see his stuff because I was pacing back and forth and missed many of his pitches. To be honest, I don't remember much about his specific outing. One of the problems with a late ending game and a full day of activity following. I heard/saw a few swings and misses, so that's a good thing.

As I said before, the Cubs put their best foot forward, and it was NOT because of them that Game 1 will not be at Wrigley. More on that later.

Another minute in the books, another BS exhibition game determines the most important advantage in the most important Series in baseball.

Selig - you screwed up. Change it back and move on.

Oh Dear Jesus...

I can only imagine the conversation went something like this:

"Hey Carlos, you blew a 5 run lead yesterday and pissed away a great start from our new ace pitcher. Congratulations - you're going to the All Star Game!"

If you suspected that there is no justice in this world, here's your proof:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080713&content_id=3127779&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

I....I....Right now I just have nothing to say about this right now...

He doesn't deserve one, but that's a minute...

Marmol is done...

A five run inning by the weak assed Giants and Harden's dominant performance means so much doggie mulch.

I'm not sure who I'm more upset with right now. Marmol for being a flake all of a sudden - have a fun trip to the DL or the minors or both, or Piniella for not pulling him, oh 3 runs ago. You have Marshall and Lieber in the pen and maybe you want Marmol to learn a "life lesson" and get himself out of trouble, but you pissed away a good start, and made the offense go back to work. As I write, it's still the 9th, so I don't even know if you two pissed away a full game.

It's ridiculous that the game got that out of hand. It wasn't fast, it was bloopers and errors. It was loaded bases. It was bull#$%^.

Going into the 10th. That's my minute.

Z is on.

So I listened to the game today. Didn't watch it. But that's only cuz we were recording something else. but from what I heard, Z was dealing tonight. Very good pitcher's duel up until the 7th or 8th. Cubs score a bunch of runs, and Marmol makes it interesting in the 9th, but Woody comes in and clsoes it out.

Would've liked to see Gaudin in there with a 4 run lead, but no worries. We need to get Marmol back on track...looks like he ALMOST had it today, but then lost it after that close play at first.

Good to see Z didn't miss a step after the DL. be interesting to see if/when he pitches in the ASG. meantime, cards and brews lost...woot!

That's my minute...

Cubs-Cards Game 2.

You know, driving home from work after the game, I was listening to the post game on 'GN and some schmuck actually called and asked why Pinella didn't leave Marmol in for the ninth?

Ok, first- Wood had converted his last 12 consecutive save opps. Second, have you been WATCHING Marmol lately?? For crap's sake...

I took the positives away from the game. Ramirez broke his 0-28 slump with his homer and Marmol pitched a perfect 8th.

Save or no save, you walk the first to batters in the ninth, and you have issues. Woody just didn't have it. Stuff happens. No worries. As it turns out, we won the series, so all is ok in the end.

Woody's a lights out closer. He won't convert every time, and it will SUCK when he doesn't, but please. Can we NOT get these phone calls every time he doesn't? Please?

Ok, that's my minute.