SO, the Cubs used their off-day to go to a 4-man rotation...

[coldsteel]

That is *SO STUPID*!!!

 

Discuss.

[Laura]

It's hard to argue that Z couldn't use an extra day -- has he had one all year long? Other than the All-Star Break, when he did, after all, get clobbered in the elbow with a bat.

 

From Day One they had him go every 5th day. He started 2x in the first 4 games, 3x in the first 8.

[badger1679666666]

WE STILL GOT ACTION BABY!

 

(I just cut and paste this.)

 

 

Seriously though, I wish Bruce would write an incredibly scathing article about this handling of Z.

[Cubfanintheknow]

If you can give me a good reason why this should be a subject of discussion, then by all means, let's have at it.

 

Wait, tell me why we're skipping a spot in the rotation again?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

It's hard to argue that Z couldn't use an extra day -- has he had one all year long? Other than the All-Star Break, when he did, after all, get clobbered in the elbow with a bat.

 

From Day One they had him go every 5th day. He started 2x in the first 4 games, 3x in the first 8.

 

So you're telling me Joey Cora cares more about Z's arm than Dusty?

[Dirt Dog Sparly]

It's hard to argue that Z couldn't use an extra day -- has he had one all year long? Other than the All-Star Break, when he did, after all, get clobbered in the elbow with a bat.

 

From Day One they had him go every 5th day. He started 2x in the first 4 games, 3x in the first 8.

 

So you're telling me Joey Cora cares more about Z's arm than Dusty?

 

You may be on to something there. :-k

[CUBZ99]

Who is starting Saturday, now that Mateo pitched today?

[Laura]

Probably Guzman.

 

Cubs.com[/url]"]

There are three rookies in the rotation already, although Mateo's relief appearance Thursday means he'll likely be bumped from his start on Saturday. Angel Guzman could get called up from Triple-A Iowa to start against the Rockies.

 

The linked article makes it seem questionable whether Prior will make his next start.

[TheDude]

What is so evil about this move again? 4-man rotations have a lower occurance of injury than 5-man rotations if you listen to Neyer.

[UK1679666180]

What is so evil about this move again? 4-man rotations have a lower occurance of injury than 5-man rotations if you listen to Neyer.

 

1st, It was Neyer quoting a great study done by Dr. Rany Jazayerli.

 

2nd, it isn't as cut as dry and just eliminating the 5th starter and going from there. A team that goes to a 4 man rotation will have to strictly monitor fatigue and likely reduce the amount of pitches per start to make up for the extra starts during the season. If this involves the Cubs, I'll let everyone else gauge how the Cubs have been as far as monitoring pitcher workloads (pitching while fatigued and pitch counts) during Dusty's tenure.

Edited August 11, 2006 by UK

[goonys evil twin]

What is so evil about this move again? 4-man rotations have a lower occurance of injury than 5-man rotations if you listen to Neyer.

 

You have to be accustomed to the 4 man rotation, not just whip it out when you feel like it. And you also have to be cautious with individual game pitch counts. If you refuse to rest a guy who is obviously not 100%, then you better not add to the problem by having him repeatedly go out for 110+ pitch counts in games that mean absolutely nothing.

[neely crenshaw]

listen it's not about a 4 man or 5 man rotation. it's about skipping a start and staying with the normal 5day rotation. at this point it is stupid on many levels...namely z has thrown a ton, he has had a couple of bad outings and we are going nowhere, his last 2 outings probably drop him out of cy young status. we have many young guys who should get as many starts as they can. why skip one of them?

we have nothing to gain and a lot to lose.

so now our brilliant leaders have:

not given a much needed rest to the one last remaining stud we have, despite the fact that we have blown out 2 such studs.

we have skipped a start of a young kid that we need to evaluate and season for th near future...

this is stupid along the lines of playing hollandsworth everyday when sammy went down instead of dubois, when you had a very,very good idea that he would get a shot at left with alou leaving....sure would have been nice to know that dubois was a bust in the winter when we could have signed someone instead of in may...der,der,der

[gflore34]

listen it's not about a 4 man or 5 man rotation. it's about skipping a start and staying with the normal 5day rotation. at this point it is stupid on many levels...namely z has thrown a ton, he has had a couple of bad outings and we are going nowhere, his last 2 outings probably drop him out of cy young status. we have many young guys who should get as many starts as they can. why skip one of them?

we have nothing to gain and a lot to lose.

so now our brilliant leaders have:

not given a much needed rest to the one last remaining stud we have, despite the fact that we have blown out 2 such studs.

we have skipped a start of a young kid that we need to evaluate and season for th near future...

this is stupid along the lines of playing hollandsworth everyday when sammy went down instead of dubois, when you had a very,very good idea that he would get a shot at left with alou leaving....sure would have been nice to know that dubois was a bust in the winter when we could have signed someone instead of in may...der,der,der

 

That's why Dusty and Co. are paid the Big Bucks.

[NCCubFan]

That's why Dusty and Co. steal the Big Bucks.

Fixed. :D

[CuseCubFan69]

I still for the life of me can't figure out why those horses aren't around to save Dusty's job. I'm sure it's not because of stupid ideas (among others) like this....it couldn't be. It just has to be somebody else's fault I just know it.

[Laura]

listen it's not about a 4 man or 5 man rotation. it's about skipping a start and staying with the normal 5day rotation. at this point it is stupid on many levels...

 

If the Cubs had a true 4-man rotation, they'd be using the off-days to flip to a 3-man rotation once through whenever possible.

[CuseCubFan69]

listen it's not about a 4 man or 5 man rotation. it's about skipping a start and staying with the normal 5day rotation. at this point it is stupid on many levels...

 

If the Cubs had a true 4-man rotation, they'd be using the off-days to flip to a 3-man rotation once through whenever possible.

 

That's probably true. Dudes did in Oakland back when Dusty played.

[Laura]

Paul Sullivan in the Trib[/url]"]

Carlos Zambrano goes into Monday night's start in Houston with a 6.09 ERA in his last four starts, but Baker doesn't believe Zambrano is tiring.

 

"He's strong," Baker said. "He works hard. It's impossible to continue the pace he was on. He won nine in a row. That's like a guy that hits .400 for two months and then he's going to have a bad couple of weeks.

 

"Most of this stuff is due to probably a loss of the strike zone in one inning, and we haven't played that well behind him the last couple of games. So it's a combination of him and us."

 

Baker spoke to Zambrano on Saturday about Steve Carlton's 1972 season, when Carlton went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA for a Philadelphia team that finished 59-97. He earned unanimous selection as the National League Cy Young Award winner.

 

"I talked to him about being himself and doing what he's capable of doing," Baker said. "To be a horse, to be a caballo, like an iron man under adverse conditions.

 

"If you're going to be truly great eventually, you're going to have to be that kind of person."

 

Another off-day this Thursday.

[Laura]

Surprise, surprise.

 

Phil Rogers / Chicagosports.com[/url]"]

Guzman, who gave up seven runs in 22/3 innings last Saturday in Colorado, was scheduled to start Saturday's game against St. Louis. Instead Carlos Zambrano will work on his regular four days' rest as Baker pares down to a four-man scheme for the next time through the rotation.

 

Zambrano, who is leading the National League in total pitches and pitches per start, might have been able to use an extra day's rest. He did not want it, however, and Baker accommodated the 13-game winner. Zambrano threw 121 pitches in his victory over the Astros on Monday night.

 

"He said he felt fine [Tuesday]," Baker said. "He wanted to stick with the routine."

[soapy]

Surprise, surprise.

 

Phil Rogers / Chicagosports.com[/url]"]

Guzman, who gave up seven runs in 22/3 innings last Saturday in Colorado, was scheduled to start Saturday's game against St. Louis. Instead Carlos Zambrano will work on his regular four days' rest as Baker pares down to a four-man scheme for the next time through the rotation.

 

Zambrano, who is leading the National League in total pitches and pitches per start, might have been able to use an extra day's rest. He did not want it, however, and Baker accommodated the 13-game winner. Zambrano threw 121 pitches in his victory over the Astros on Monday night.

 

"He said he felt fine [Tuesday]," Baker said. "He wanted to stick with the routine."

 

Yeah, I heard Len mention this last night. It's sad that even when the Cubs win they piss me off.

 

If they were going to call up someone to sit in the bullpen, they should have just called up Jerome Williams or something. Guzman needs to be getting starts.

[Derwood]

doesn't using 3 starters in last night's game really throw a wrench in everything?

[Laura]

According to Phil Rogers, the Cubs made the decision to start Z on Saturday and move Guzman to the bullpen before the game last night.

 

They've continuously been using the off-days to skip a starter and pitch Z every 5th day.

[soapy]

According to Phil Rogers, the Cubs made the decision to start Z on Saturday and move Guzman to the bullpen before the game last night.

 

They've continuously been using the off-days to skip a starter and pitch Z every 5th day.

 

Indeed. I heard Len mention it early in the game. The decision was made before last night's game threw a wrench into everything.

[Jon]

I really hate this organization.