Getting to be crunch time

[USSoccer]

This team has had 10 quality starts already. They're 6-4 in those games. They're pitchers have given up 13 earned runs in 67 innings for a 1.75 ERA in those starts. Ouch.

The quality-start breakdown: Lilly (4), Hill (3), Marquis (2), Zambrano (1).

 

That's the number that gives me hope and at the same time despair. How likely is it that Marquis continues to pitch well? Wil the warm weather affect Lilly?

 

We need to be taking advantage of these starts and not digging yet another early season hole.

[Soriano12]

This team has had 10 quality starts already. They're 6-4 in those games. Their pitchers have given up 13 earned runs in 67 innings for a 1.75 ERA in those starts. Ouch.

The quality-start breakdown: Lilly (4), Hill (3), Marquis (2), Zambrano (1).

 

I really think the offense has to be on the hook for this poor start.

[Bruce Miles]

This team has had 10 quality starts already. They're 6-4 in those games. Their pitchers have given up 13 earned runs in 67 innings for a 1.75 ERA in those starts. Ouch.

The quality-start breakdown: Lilly (4), Hill (3), Marquis (2), Zambrano (1).

 

I really think the offense has to be on the hook for this poor start.

 

Right. You can't waste starting pitching like this.

[Fred Hornkohl]

This team has had 10 quality starts already. They're 6-4 in those games. Their pitchers have given up 13 earned runs in 67 innings for a 1.75 ERA in those starts. Ouch.

The quality-start breakdown: Lilly (4), Hill (3), Marquis (2), Zambrano (1).

 

I really think the offense has to be on the hook for this poor start.

 

Right. You can't waste starting pitching like this.

 

Curiously enough...... the offense has peformed well when the pitchers deliver a quality start, scoring 4.7 R/G while only scoring 3.5 R/G when they don't get a quality start.

 

                   AB    R    H   2b   3b   HR   TB  RBI   BB   SO     BA    OBP    SLG    OPS
CUBS in QS        336   47   92   17    1    9  138   45   29   64  0.274  0.332  0.411  0.743
CUBS in non QS    222   21   51   13    2    2   74   19   18   44  0.230  0.292  0.333  0.626

CUBS overall      558   68  143   30    3   11  212   64   47  108  0.256  0.316  0.380  0.696

[Rusch33]

Something tells me that this isn't going to change..

 

Wasn't completely all Dusty's fault last year, now was it?

[NCCubFan]

Wasn't completely all Dusty's fault last year, now was it?

I don't think anyone said it was COMPLETELY Dusty's fault.

[CardsFanInChiTown]

You guys are panicking, it's still early, seriously.

 

And don't give me "but it's the Cubs" stuff. The billy goat has nothing to do with the Cubs struggles. :wink:

[JeffH]

And don't give me "but it's the Cubs" stuff. The billy goat has nothing to do with the Cubs struggles. :wink:

 

Of course not. It has everything to do with the Cubs being MLB's worst franchise.

[Sosa21MVP]

The fact of the matter is that this is an awful baseball team with an outside chance of setting a Cubs historical benchmark for futility.

 

This team has a lot of very bad baseball players and its good players are wildly overrated.

 

Talk about hyperbole to the nth degree. :?

[RynoRules]

Based on pythags, this is a 9-7 team. Right now, they are underperforming based on RS/RA.

 

While I'm as disapointed as anyone, with the current team record, it's still really early. There's time to turn it around and I think it is possible for that to happen.

 

More or less what I think as well, though I do think they should cut out dead weight in the form of Cedeno, Ohman, and Jones, if at all possible.

[soccer10k]

OK, I missed it. What was the dumbass Cedeno play?

 

3-2 call on jones, he walked. Cedeno was off running, slid slightly PAST the base. Eck made a big deal about it, and because eck was able to slightly push C's foot off the bag as he was PAST the base. Big C was called out. C is doing very poorly but the more I think about it the more we've gotta get back at them by winning.

 

Cedeno just slid past the bag. As much as I would like to rip Eckstein for something, all he did was tag Cedeno and keep the tag on then point out that Cedeno's foot came off the bag. Sure he whined, but any infielder would have in that situation. The umps made the right call because Ronny screwed up.

[BigSlick]

OK, I missed it. What was the dumbass Cedeno play?

 

3-2 call on jones, he walked. Cedeno was off running, slid slightly PAST the base. Eck made a big deal about it, and because eck was able to slightly push C's foot off the bag as he was PAST the base. Big C was called out. C is doing very poorly but the more I think about it the more we've gotta get back at them by winning.

 

Cedeno just slid past the bag. As much as I would like to rip Eckstein for something, all he did was tag Cedeno and keep the tag on then point out that Cedeno's foot came off the bag. Sure he whined, but any infielder would have in that situation. The umps made the right call because Ronny screwed up.

 

Also, Eckstein is a midget with albinism.

[Butterscup1679666578]

The fact of the matter is that this is an awful baseball team with an outside chance of setting a Cubs historical benchmark for futility.

 

This team has a lot of very bad baseball players and its good players are wildly overrated.

 

Talk about hyperbole to the nth degree. :?

 

Seriously.

[TruffleShuffle]

Something tells me that this isn't going to change..

 

Wasn't completely all Dusty's fault last year, now was it?

 

no, but prior is probably dusty's fault, 2004 was dusty's fault, the continued presence of neifi perez and (insert any other incompetent veteran here) was dusty's fault... trust me, he did enough damage to this team to deserve 10 firings. Instead he just didn't get his contract renewed.

[badger1679666666]

I've never heard of crunch time, in April. Everyone take a Xanax. It's very, very early.

[Balsa]

I've never heard of crunch time, in April. Everyone take a Xanax. It's very, very early.

Yes it's early, but we're doing poorly during a time when we're facing a lot of Central Division opponents. This first month almost every game is against the Central. If we want to succeed this year, we have to do better against our own division.

[CubmanPi]

Based on pythags, this is a 9-7 team. Right now, they are underperforming based on RS/RA.

 

While I'm as disapointed as anyone, with the current team record, it's still really early. There's time to turn it around and I think it is possible for that to happen.

 

More or less what I think as well, though I do think they should cut out dead weight in the form of Cedeno, Ohman, and Jones, if at all possible.

Jones is fine, Ohman has debatable value as a loogy. I think Wade Miller is causing more damage than any other single person's persence on the team. Every game he starts is another waste.

[third eye]

I agree that it is way too early to pass judgements on this team. The Cubs in aggregate have given up the fewest runs in the division and have scored the second most. We have been getting really hurt in the close games. I tend to think that will even out, given time. Unless people really think the players on this team are too "unclutch". I don't really want to open that can of worms, though.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Pythags still have us at 10-8 which would still be tops in the division. It's way too early to give up on this team.

 

Furthermore, I think some changes could be in order to make the team better. Miller is likely out by the end of April. I figure he'll be replaced by Guzman, but it's possible a deal for a starter could be made mid-season.

 

I'd like to see the Cubs give Theriot a shot at shortstop, but I doubt that happens.

[gflore34]

Pythags still have us at 10-8 which would still be tops in the division. It's way too early to give up on this team.

 

Furthermore, I think some changes could be in order to make the team better. Miller is likely out by the end of April. I figure he'll be replaced by Guzman, but it's possible a deal for a starter could be made mid-season.

 

I'd like to see the Cubs give Theriot a shot at shortstop, but I doubt that happens.

 

Upon Soriano' return why wouldn't Lou go with Theriot at SS, DeRosa at 2B, Soriano in LF, Pie in CF, Jones/Murton/Floyd in RF? This means Cedeno will probably be DFA, along with Miller (I hope).

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Pythags still have us at 10-8 which would still be tops in the division. It's way too early to give up on this team.

 

Furthermore, I think some changes could be in order to make the team better. Miller is likely out by the end of April. I figure he'll be replaced by Guzman, but it's possible a deal for a starter could be made mid-season.

 

I'd like to see the Cubs give Theriot a shot at shortstop, but I doubt that happens.

 

Upon Soriano' return why wouldn't Lou go with Theriot at SS, DeRosa at 2B, Soriano in LF, Pie in CF, Jones/Murton/Floyd in RF? This means Cedeno will probably be DFA, along with Miller (I hope).

 

Well Cedeno doesn't have to be DFA, nor should he be. He's still young with options.

 

But, I would love a line-up that looked something like this:

 

LF Soriano

SS Theriot

1b Lee

3b Ramirez

RF Jones/Murton/Floyd

C Barrett

2b DeRosa

CF Pie/Jones

 

For whatever reason, they don't seem to want to put Theriot at SS.

 

But, could Theriot play CF? Pie could be sent back to Iowa, and Theriot could get his ABs splitting time with Jones in CF leaving RF for Murton or Floyd.

[gflore34]

Pythags still have us at 10-8 which would still be tops in the division. It's way too early to give up on this team.

 

Furthermore, I think some changes could be in order to make the team better. Miller is likely out by the end of April. I figure he'll be replaced by Guzman, but it's possible a deal for a starter could be made mid-season.

 

I'd like to see the Cubs give Theriot a shot at shortstop, but I doubt that happens.

 

Upon Soriano' return why wouldn't Lou go with Theriot at SS, DeRosa at 2B, Soriano in LF, Pie in CF, Jones/Murton/Floyd in RF? This means Cedeno will probably be DFA, along with Miller (I hope).

 

Well Cedeno doesn't have to be DFA, nor should he be. He's still young with options.

 

But, I would love a line-up that looked something like this:

 

LF Soriano

SS Theriot

1b Lee

3b Ramirez

RF Jones/Murton/Floyd

C Barrett

2b DeRosa

CF Pie/Jones

 

For whatever reason, they don't seem to want to put Theriot at SS.

 

But, could Theriot play CF? Pie could be sent back to Iowa, and Theriot could get his ABs splitting time with Jones in CF leaving RF for Murton or Floyd.

 

 

But if Lou wants to go with 12 pitchers doesn't that mean one of the positions players has to go?

[TruffleShuffle]

For whatever reason, they don't seem to want to put Theriot at SS.

 

Lord knows why. I'm pretty sure he played SS his whole time at LSU, and has played some SS in the minors. At worst he'd be adequate, and his bat is so much better than Izturis/Cedeno that it'd make up for the difference in defense.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

For whatever reason, they don't seem to want to put Theriot at SS.

 

Lord knows why. I'm pretty sure he played SS his whole time at LSU, and has played some SS in the minors. At worst he'd be adequate, and his bat is so much better than Izturis/Cedeno that it'd make up for the difference in defense.

 

Yeah. My guess is they don't think his arm is strong enough to play SS, but hell that hasn't stopped Eckstein.

[gflore34]

For whatever reason, they don't seem to want to put Theriot at SS.

 

Lord knows why. I'm pretty sure he played SS his whole time at LSU, and has played some SS in the minors. At worst he'd be adequate, and his bat is so much better than Izturis/Cedeno that it'd make up for the difference in defense.

 

I too, believe he'd be at least adequate defensively, his bat and baserunning are far superior to Cedeno/Izturis.