Why Does the Rotation Get Off so Easy?

[LeftCoastCubFan]

We are 5-20 in the last 25 games. Yes the offense has sucked, scoring only 60 runs (though skewed by scoring 6 in the first 8 games of the string, 54 in the last 17). But how many of those games has the pitching kept us in?

 

When you break down the games:

 

0-14 in games we gave up 6 runs or more (118 runs in 14 games)

0-2 on blown saves

5-4 in the other games

 

Most of the discussion here has been focused on the offenses role. If everything was clicking on offense, we may have pulled out a few of the 16 losses I attribute to pitching, but going 4-12 instead would still have us reeling.

 

The injuries to Wood and Prior, the inconsistencies (or if you prefer suckage) of Rusch and Williams, and the need to trot out 3 rookies every 5 days is why we are where we are at.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

If it makes you feel better, I've really tried to focus on the fact that the whole team sucks.

[goonys evil twin]

The injuries to Wood and Prior, the inconsistencies (or if you prefer suckage) of Rusch and Williams, and the need to trot out 3 rookies every 5 days is why we are where we are at.

 

Why do people try to say that the focus is too heavily in one direction, and then insist on pointing it entirely in the other direction.

 

The pitching is not the reason they are where they are. It's one of many reasons.

 

The pitching has sucked. Larry hasn't done squat as a pitching coach and Hendry's moves have been bad.

 

Just all the more reason to get rid of all the coaches and management.

 

At some point we have to realize this isn't a team-wide slump.

[Peoriaman]

what makes you think anybody is "getting off easy". There are a about 30 active threads tearing apart every facet of the club and daily columns in the paper doing the same. Do we need to step up the pace with our wholesale bitching?

[BigbadB]

I don't think anyone is saying blow up the whole team except the pitching staff. I think the finger pointing has been pretty much at everyone.

 

Management has lost control of the team. The team wasn't very good in the first place, which is upper managements fault.

 

I can still remember the quotes of the offseason so vividly. Hendry's smug little "we want guys who can catch the ball" references are proving that he really has no clue.

 

Someone should sit down with Hendry and explain that leading the league in stolen bases, sacrifice bunts and team defense have no impact on who goes to the playoffs.

 

Someone should point out to Hendry that the win/loss column is what determines who goes to the playoffs.

 

It makes me absolutely speechless that they gave Hendry an extension during this freefall. For that, MacPhail must go as well.

[Andy]

The pitching staff is "getting off easy" because the Cubs are 29th in BA, last in OBP and last in SLG.

 

If the staff was this bad we'd be getting on their backs, too, but no one can win with this offense.

[Guest]

I'd say it's because the Cubs' pitchers have merely been below average/bad. The Cubs offense is on pace to go down among the worst in MLB history. (And when I say among the worst, I mean in the bottom 5-10 of a couple thousand team-seasons.)

[oldstyle81]

the pitching has been nowhere near as bad as the offense

 

the 2 blown saves i attribute directly to the lack of offense, thus the lack of chances. seriously 3 save chances since May 1?

[CubfaninCA]

cause pierre, jones & neifi don't pitch. :wink:

 

rusch has been hammered here pretty good and deservedly so. hill got ripped pretty good too. i don't recall much ripping of williams. it was guzman's first time around, so he was mostly given a pass. kid looks like he has real good stuff.

 

altogether, the focus tends to lean heavily toward blaming the hitting over the pitching, and you bring up some valid points. the pitching has given the cubs little chance to win in many games this may.

[LeftCoastCubFan]

Apr 29 Mil: 16-2, down 7-0 after 2 ½ (Rusch 7)

Apr 30 Mil: 9-0, down 7-0 after 4 ½ (Zambrano 7)

May 2 Pitt: 8-0, down 8-0 after 5 ½ (Guzman 6)

May 4 Az: 6-0, down 5-0 after 4 (Hill 5)

May 7 SD: 6-3, down 6-3 after 5 (Guzman 5)

May 8 SD: 8-3, down 7-1 after 4 (Maddux 7)

May 9 SF: 6-1, down 2-1 after 4 (Hill 5)

May 11 SF: 8-3, down 8-0 after 4 (Marshall 9)

May 12 SD: 10-5, down 8-2 after 4 ½ (Guzman 2, Rusch 6)

May 14 SD 9-0, down 1-0 after 4 ½ (Hill 3, Novoa 4)

May 19 Sox: 6-1, down 5-1 after 3 (Maddux 6)

May 20 Sox: 7-0, down 5-0 after 2 (Hill 5)

May 21 Fla: 9-1, down 7-0 after 4 (Marshall 7)

May 23 Fla: 9-3, down 6-3 after 4 (Maddux 6)

 

How many of those games could we have won with a few different hitters (outside of Pujols etc.) We have a bigger OBP issue, Our Best Pitchers, as well as OBH(itters).

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Because there's hope for the rotation.

[CubfaninCA]

i have a lot more faith in lee than wood/prior

[CuseCubFan69]

I'd say it's because the Cubs' pitchers have merely been below average/bad. The Cubs offense is on pace to go down among the worst in MLB history. (And when I say among the worst, I mean in the bottom 5-10 of a couple thousand team-seasons.)

 

So Hendry and Baker may actually be achieving something? You have to have a goal I suppose.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

i have a lot more faith in lee than wood/prior

 

The young starters have a lot of room to improve.

 

Lee takes 11% of the team's plate appearances at the very most, Prior and Wood could pitch as much as 36% of the team's innings if not more, and improved performance from any of our young players adds even more onto that.

 

EDIT: My bad, bad math on my part, switch the 36% with 28%

[CubsBullsBears]

How about b/c we have a manager who thinks that walks clog up the bases for guys who can run and thus are bad on offense and good for our pitchers?