CSN and Dempster Say Dempster in Rotation; CSN Backtracks

[Have a seat, Neifi]

FWIW Lou also was quoted as saying after yesterday's game that he might still consider moving Dempster into the rotation later on this year, despite the fact Dempster will remain as closer for now.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm getting the feeling that Lou's managerial moves are akin to a monkey throwing poo at a wall.

[C.C.]

I'm getting the feeling that Lou's managerial moves are akin to a monkey throwing poo at a wall.

 

Unfortunately it's still Poo.

[YearofDaCubs]

Wow, this team is a mess.

 

Just grasping at straws now I guess. I have to believe el presidente is a little put off by the public image Hendry and Lou are setting with this circus.

 

 

Zambrano still looks like a mess. Dempster sounds like a guy who doesn't want to close anymore, and we all know he can't start. The best 5th starter option is now going to be a middle reliever. Marquis's early season streak of luck may be running out. Just when the offense starts putting up crooked numbers on a regular basis, the pitching staff steps into a more all-around funk, as opposed to when it was just one guy at a time.

 

For all the happiness and excitement of winning a the first two against the (highly mediocre) White Sox, it's tough to ignore the fact that the Cubs are under .500 and about to embark on their yearly "oh crap please done implode" west coast swing. Then, after 3 vs Florida at home, they play 10 games against Atlanta and Milwaukee.

 

Now is not the time you like to be experimenting with ill advised roster shakeups. And yet the Cubs decision makers can't seem to make a sound decision and stick to it.

What a disaster this season is becoming..

[RynoRules]

Moving on, can someone summarize what the hey is going on with this Dempster thing? Is it true that he is going into the rotation or is that Lou having fun with the media and distracting from what is really happening? I would think its bad policy for him to play the media for fools, but he may not care.

 

After yesterday's game, Dempster said he was going to the rotation and after meeting with Lou, took it back 30 minutes later. We're not really sure if Dempster misunderstood Lou or if Lou changed his mind.

 

Wow. This is really weird. On the one hand its entertaining, and on the other disconcerting that they cannot seem to get on the same page. I don't mind shaking things up, but moving Dempster is a bad idea. How about getting someone else who can hit?

[waffle]

Wow, this team is a mess.

 

Just grasping at straws now I guess. I have to believe el presidente is a little put off by the public image Hendry and Lou are setting with this circus.

 

 

Zambrano still looks like a mess. Dempster sounds like a guy who doesn't want to close anymore, and we all know he can't start. The best 5th starter option is now going to be a middle reliever. Marquis's early season streak of luck may be running out. Just when the offense starts putting up crooked numbers on a regular basis, the pitching staff steps into a more all-around funk, as opposed to when it was just one guy at a time.

 

For all the happiness and excitement of winning a the first two against the (highly mediocre) White Sox, it's tough to ignore the fact that the Cubs are under .500 and about to embark on their yearly "oh crap please done implode" west coast swing. Then, after 3 vs Florida at home, they play 10 games against Atlanta and Milwaukee.

 

Now is not the time you like to be experimenting with ill advised roster shakeups. And yet the Cubs decision makers can't seem to make a sound decision and stick to it.

What a disaster this season is becoming..

 

we are right around .500 and have yet to play good baseball. I think we have it in us to play good baseball. I don't expect Lou to prevent us from playing good baseball.

[killthegoat06]

Wow, this team is a mess.

 

Just grasping at straws now I guess. I have to believe el presidente is a little put off by the public image Hendry and Lou are setting with this circus.

 

 

Zambrano still looks like a mess. Dempster sounds like a guy who doesn't want to close anymore, and we all know he can't start. The best 5th starter option is now going to be a middle reliever. Marquis's early season streak of luck may be running out. Just when the offense starts putting up crooked numbers on a regular basis, the pitching staff steps into a more all-around funk, as opposed to when it was just one guy at a time.

 

For all the happiness and excitement of winning a the first two against the (highly mediocre) White Sox, it's tough to ignore the fact that the Cubs are under .500 and about to embark on their yearly "oh crap please done implode" west coast swing. Then, after 3 vs Florida at home, they play 10 games against Atlanta and Milwaukee.

 

Now is not the time you like to be experimenting with ill advised roster shakeups. And yet the Cubs decision makers can't seem to make a sound decision and stick to it.

What a disaster this season is becoming..

 

we are right around .500 and have yet to play good baseball. I think we have it in us to play good baseball. I don't expect Lou to prevent us from playing good baseball.

 

We should be playing better than good baseball. That has never stopped us from doing terribly.

[YearofDaCubs]

Wow, this team is a mess.

 

Just grasping at straws now I guess. I have to believe el presidente is a little put off by the public image Hendry and Lou are setting with this circus.

 

 

Zambrano still looks like a mess. Dempster sounds like a guy who doesn't want to close anymore, and we all know he can't start. The best 5th starter option is now going to be a middle reliever. Marquis's early season streak of luck may be running out. Just when the offense starts putting up crooked numbers on a regular basis, the pitching staff steps into a more all-around funk, as opposed to when it was just one guy at a time.

 

For all the happiness and excitement of winning a the first two against the (highly mediocre) White Sox, it's tough to ignore the fact that the Cubs are under .500 and about to embark on their yearly "oh crap please done implode" west coast swing. Then, after 3 vs Florida at home, they play 10 games against Atlanta and Milwaukee.

 

Now is not the time you like to be experimenting with ill advised roster shakeups. And yet the Cubs decision makers can't seem to make a sound decision and stick to it.

What a disaster this season is becoming..

 

we are right around .500 and have yet to play good baseball. I think we have it in us to play good baseball. I don't expect Lou to prevent us from playing good baseball.

I understand that were are close to .500 but if our bullpen was a little better I actually wouldn't be surprised if we were tied for the NL Central lead. What I don't like is our inconsistent bullpen and talk of Dempster going back to the rotation. Dempster is a terrible starter and probably one of our reliable arms save for that blow up last week. Guzman was doing well as our 5th starter, and moving him to the pen isn't a great idea IMO. Howry isn't the same pitcher, neither is Eyre. Something needs to be done with our bullpen but I don't believe sending Guzman to the pen while still leaving the same guys who have issues there a solution to the problem.

[cubfan1955]

Dempster to 5th starter is far from dead:

 

But Piniella is firm in his original decision and the move is imminent, according to a source close to the manager. The plan is to ease Guzman into the role, the source said.

 

Even Dempster raised Guzman's name as a possible replacement when he got out of his meeting, after saying he didn't know who it would be during Round 1 with the media.

 

Dempster's short-term role is closer and mentor for Guzman, and if Guzman takes to the late-inning role, Dempster goes to the rotation -- possibly within the next two weeks.

 

''Lou just said, 'Hey, listen, I think we need a little bit of time on this,''' Dempster said. ''And I'm cool with that.''

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/394457,CST-SPT-cub21.article

[YearofDaCubs]

Dempster to 5th starter is far from dead:

 

But Piniella is firm in his original decision and the move is imminent, according to a source close to the manager. The plan is to ease Guzman into the role, the source said.

 

Even Dempster raised Guzman's name as a possible replacement when he got out of his meeting, after saying he didn't know who it would be during Round 1 with the media.

 

Dempster's short-term role is closer and mentor for Guzman, and if Guzman takes to the late-inning role, Dempster goes to the rotation -- possibly within the next two weeks.

 

''Lou just said, 'Hey, listen, I think we need a little bit of time on this,''' Dempster said. ''And I'm cool with that.''

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/394457,CST-SPT-cub21.article

Dempster as a starter is a terrible move.

[jersey cubs fan]

How can the Cubs consider Dempster for the 5th starter role?

He had one good year as a starter, at 23, and every other seasons has been a disaster. His ERA is a full run higher in his career as a starter. His OPS against goes from roughly 650 to 800 moving from reliever to starter. His brief stint as a starter to open 2005 was just flat out brutal.

 

He's just not a good candidate to start a major league baseball game. He's got a live arm and some talent, but he has proven he isn't worthy of the role. He's been decent as a major league closer, probably because it's a lot easier to not give up a run in 1 inning of work than it is to not give up 4-5 runs in 5-7 innings of work.

Edited May 21, 2007 by jersey cubs fan

[RichHillIsABeast]

Lou needs to stop tinkering with stuff.

[Soul]

Dempster to 5th starter is far from dead:

 

But Piniella is firm in his original decision and the move is imminent, according to a source close to the manager. The plan is to ease Guzman into the role, the source said.

 

Even Dempster raised Guzman's name as a possible replacement when he got out of his meeting, after saying he didn't know who it would be during Round 1 with the media.

 

Dempster's short-term role is closer and mentor for Guzman, and if Guzman takes to the late-inning role, Dempster goes to the rotation -- possibly within the next two weeks.

 

''Lou just said, 'Hey, listen, I think we need a little bit of time on this,''' Dempster said. ''And I'm cool with that.''

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/394457,CST-SPT-cub21.article

Dempster as a starter is a terrible move.

 

I wonder if he'll at least be better than Miller. My sense is yes, marginally, but still not good. I also wonder if he'll burn out his arm since he hasn't started in a long time.

 

The problem is, Guzman to closer doesn't address or help our middle relief situation, does it? That's where the real wrench in the works lies.

 

I must admit, I'm basically thoroughly confused at this point. I guess I'll just have to wait to how it all shakes out.

[jersey cubs fan]

I wonder if he'll at least be better than Miller.

 

You would think he could, but that's not even a guarantee, given the fact that he hasn't started much in several years now and was really bad when he did.

 

I have to think the Cubs are thinking they did such a great job transforming Marquis from a crappy starter to a servicable one that it'll be just as easy with Dempster. Of course, Dempster actually has a worse history than Marquis with starting and has the whole "stretching out his arm" issue to work with. Plus, the shine may be coming off the Marquis experiment with his 7+ ERA in the past week and unimpressive peripherals for the season as a whole.

[mg420]

I wonder if he'll at least be better than Miller.

 

You would think he could, but that's not even a guarantee, given the fact that he hasn't started much in several years now and was really bad when he did.

 

I have to think the Cubs are thinking they did such a great job transforming Marquis from a crappy starter to a servicable one that it'll be just as easy with Dempster. Of course, Dempster actually has a worse history than Marquis with starting and has the whole "stretching out his arm" issue to work with. Plus, the shine may be coming off the Marquis experiment with his 7+ ERA in the past week and unimpressive peripherals for the season as a whole.

 

if you are looking for guarantee's then you are rooting for the wrong sport.

[jersey cubs fan]

I wonder if he'll at least be better than Miller.

 

You would think he could, but that's not even a guarantee, given the fact that he hasn't started much in several years now and was really bad when he did.

 

I have to think the Cubs are thinking they did such a great job transforming Marquis from a crappy starter to a servicable one that it'll be just as easy with Dempster. Of course, Dempster actually has a worse history than Marquis with starting and has the whole "stretching out his arm" issue to work with. Plus, the shine may be coming off the Marquis experiment with his 7+ ERA in the past week and unimpressive peripherals for the season as a whole.

 

if you are looking for guarantee's then you are rooting for the wrong sport.

 

Baseball has something along the lines of guarantees, if not just great bets. There are some guys you can be pretty certain will be better starters than Miller, ie Guzman. Most guys should be able to be better starters than Miller, but Dempster has been just as bad at times and hasn't started effectively in years.

[mlarner]

So, what happens if they go through with this and then Guzman gets hurt? He does not exactly have a history of health the past few seasons...who gets to close then, and what happens when we have to reshuffle the entire make-up of the bullpen again? Do we then ask Dempster to go back to the pen (either as a set-up guy or the closer) and make him get used to that role all over again?

It drives me nuts that this team has no advanced planning/organization. If they are talking about all of this now, after basically one bad outing, then it was obviously a viable possibility when the season started. So why not make these decisions then when you can take the time to get these guys used to their new roles? Why wait until the heart of the season and just throw everything up in the air (seemingly) just to say we are making changes?????

[CubinNY]

It drives me nuts that this team has no advanced planning/organization.

 

That is the epitath of the Jim Hendry led Cubs.

 

Hendry has all the classic signs of ADHD. He's always doing something but his action demostrate a lack of organization and long term thinking.

 

Get that man to a behavior specialist.

[waffle]

Lou needs to stop tinkering with stuff.

 

See, I think that is the biggest criticism of Lou. We busted on Dusty for being a status quo guy to a fault

 

I'll take a guy with guts and a proven track record of getting the most out of his players. Like Lou

 

He needs to tinker BECAUSE 1) guys are not being consistent (he realizes that is a catch 22, some guys need consistent PT to get consistent and 2) he was given too many mediocre/high priced/high potential guys to play with. I wish he had FEWER pieces to move around (namely, Jones and Floyd, frinstance).

 

Do you really think he will tinker the whole year? No, guys have to step up and take what is being offered. And because Lou has b*lls he will stick with them.

 

In the end, I blame management for the team they put together more than I blame Lou. I loved the fact that they spent money, I was/am not so thrilled what they spent it on.

[jersey cubs fan]

It drives me nuts that this team has no advanced planning/organization. If they are talking about all of this now, after basically one bad outing, then it was obviously a viable possibility when the season started. So why not make these decisions then when you can take the time to get these guys used to their new roles? Why wait until the heart of the season and just throw everything up in the air (seemingly) just to say we are making changes?????

 

I'm not so sure this was an option before. It seems to me that Lou just flipped a lid, decided he needed to make a change, then spent a couple days figuring out what kind of change he could make. It's very disheartening to me how willing this organization is to make decisions based off the most recent outcome.

[cubsfan5150]

What about the possibility of Piniella giving in to Dempster's plead to start, just so that he can implode and then we bring up Marshall to fill the fifth starters role while putting Dempster back into the bullpen or trading him and cutting lose Eyre. Edited May 21, 2007 by cubsfan5150

[Yestheydo]

I guess I'll just have to wait to see how it all shakes out.

 

And you call yourself a Cub fan? Hang 'em first!!! Ask questions later!!! My way or the highway!!! Get with the program, buddy!!! I'm not sure you're allowed to post here unless you know everything.

[jersey cubs fan]

What about the possibility of Piniella giving in to Dempster's plead to start, just so that he can implode and then we bring up Marshall to fill the fifth starters role while putting Dempster back into the bullpen and cutting lose Eyre.

 

That would certainly be an interesting way to go about getting the most out of your players. It would cement his reputation as acting very fatherly, giving his boys enough rope to hang themselves only to show them the errors of their ways.

[USSoccer]

What about the possibility of Piniella giving in to Dempster's plead to start, just so that he can implode and then we bring up Marshall to fill the fifth starters role while putting Dempster back into the bullpen or trading him and cutting lose Eyre.

 

That would be a very stupid way to manage. This team isn't good enough to waste starts.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Dempster as a starter is a terrible move.

 

so is putting Guzman in the bullpen