Cubs Recall Chad Fox - press release

[Tim]

CUBS select right-handed pitcher chad fox

from double-a tennessee

OPTION righthander Kevin Hart TO TRIPLE-A;

Outright righthander juan mateo to single-a daytona

Friday, May 2, 2008

 

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today selected right-handed pitcher Chad Fox from Double-A Tennessee. To make room for Fox on the 25-man roster, righthander Kevin Hart was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. In a separate move, the Cubs outrighted righthander Juan Mateo to Single-A Daytona.

 

Fox will wear uniform No. 44 and be available for tonight’s game in St. Louis. Chicago’s 40-man roster is at 38 players.

 

The 37-year-old Fox last pitched professionally in 2005 with the Cubs, posting no record and one save with a 6.75 ERA (6 ER/8.0 IP) in 11 relief appearances before landing on the disabled list on April 26 with a right elbow strain, an injury that ended his season. He had since been out of professional baseball before signing a minor league contract with an invitation to Cubs major league spring training on January 11, 2008.

 

Fox made just one spring training appearance with the Cubs this season before being slowed by right tricep strain. In addition to time at extended spring training, he made four minor league relief outings, three with Single-A Daytona and one with Double-A Tennessee. Fox tossed four scoreless innings in Daytona, allowing only one hit, before allowing four runs in 0.2 innings in his one Double-A appearance.

 

The righthander is 10-11 with six saves and a 3.57 ERA (89 ER/224.1 IP) in 214 major league relief appearances in all or part of eight big league seasons with Atlanta (1997), Milwaukee (1998-99, 2001-02), Boston (2003), Florida (2003-04) and the Cubs (2005). He has 261 strikeouts in 224.1 innings pitched, an average of 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings, and has limited opponents to a .231 batting average.

 

Fox enjoyed his best major league campaign with the Brewers in 2001, going 5-2 with two saves and a 1.89 ERA (14 ER/66.2 IP) in a career-high 65 appearances. Fox was also a member of the 2003 World Champion Florida Marlins, going 2-1 with a 2.13 (6 ER/25.1 IP) in 21 outings after signing with the club that August.

 

Hart, a member of Chicago’s Opening Day roster, went 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA (9 ER/16.0 IP) in 10 relief appearances with the Cubs, collecting his first two big league wins.

 

Mateo has pitched for Iowa and Tennessee this season, combining to go 1-0 with a 16.20 ERA (15 ER/8.1 IP) in six relief appearances.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Neal Cotts must have really done something to piss someone off. I mean besides pitch horribly.

[jersey cubs fan]

WTF! He's like the 19th best option. Who was taken off the 40-man to make room for him? Why not wait 3-4 days for Eyre? This move is dumb.

 

I was thinking maybe he's on some sort of hot streak and the team is trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

 

4 2/3 innings, 6/1 k/bb, 4 ER. Sounds like one of those weak "the manager trusts the guy" moves. Did they have an early May callup or release contract?

[Keener98]

Wow, we are seriously resorting to a 37 year old Chad Fox? Wow

[Guest]

We'll see if Mateo retires.

 

And if Lou is nicer to Fox's arm.

 

Really would like to have seen Cotts called up though.

[Athletics36]

This moves makes no sense as the Cubs clearly had better options than Fox. Ascanio had been pitching well to name one and Fox's last outing in AA didn't go well.

[Athletics36]

We'll see if Mateo retires.

 

And if Lou is nicer to Fox's arm.

 

Really would like to have seen Cotts called up though.

 

Actually Mateo has already been removed from the 40 man.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

my guess is somebody lost a bet

[Guest]

We'll see if Mateo retires.

 

And if Lou is nicer to Fox's arm.

 

Really would like to have seen Cotts called up though.

 

Actually Mateo has already been removed from the 40 man.

 

Correct, but that was to create space for Fox on the 40-man. That doesn't necessarily mean Mateo will retire (though I'm guessing he already retired), he could stick it out and report to Daytona.

 

I agree that Ascanio would have been the much better choice as would a second lefty in Cotts. Fox was horrid his last time out and Ascanio and Cotts have been fantastic all season. And of course, Ascanio and Cotts were already on the 40-man.

[SouthSideRyan]

I thought it was Jake Fox from the headline. This somehow made even less sense than that.

[CoolHandLuke]

Uggh

[Jehrico]

Is this the same Mateo that the Cards took in the rule 5 draft the other year? Wow, did he get injured or something, or has he really fallen off that far? I hadn't really followed him since his taste of the bigs with us.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Well, if he sucks then the experiment will be over quickly and it will get Ascanio to Chicago quicker.

[Guest]

Is this the same Mateo that the Cards took in the rule 5 draft the other year? Wow, did he get injured or something, or has he really fallen off that far? I hadn't really followed him since his taste of the bigs with us.

 

Yes, it's the same Juan Mateo. He did have a shoulder injury that slowed him last season and when he came back, he was only average last season. But this season he's been abysmal (ERAs over 10 at 3 stops in the minors this year), so I'm not sure what's up with him.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Somehow I don't think this experiment with Fox is going to work out well....and I'm wondering why not Ascanio?

[jersey cubs fan]

We'll see if Mateo retires.

 

And if Lou is nicer to Fox's arm.

 

Really would like to have seen Cotts called up though.

 

Actually Mateo has already been removed from the 40 man.

 

Correct, but that was to create space for Fox on the 40-man. That doesn't necessarily mean Mateo will retire (though I'm guessing he already retired), he could stick it out and report to Daytona.

 

I agree that Ascanio would have been the much better choice as would a second lefty in Cotts. Fox was horrid his last time out and Ascanio and Cotts have been fantastic all season. And of course, Ascanio and Cotts were already on the 40-man.

 

According to the Cubs there was space with or without Mateo.

[Andy]

Pointless, but hopefully Fox can do well.

[snoodmonger]

I wouldn't worry too much. I give Fox 5-10 appearances max before his arm explodes again. Let's just hope he doesn't do too much damage in that limited action.

[E.J.]

Someone needs to make some Dusty Dice for Hendry. It seems like he's picking names out of the hat at this point.

[Post Count Padder]

Wow. That's surprising, but good for Chad. I hope he does well.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Fox with throw two innings tonight and hurt himself in the process.

[Andy]

Fox with throw two innings tonight and hurt himself in the process.

Well, he stabbed about a million Cubs fans through the heart, that might be good enough.

[E.J.]

Fox with throw two innings tonight and hurt himself in the process.

Well, he stabbed about a million Cubs fans through the heart, that might be good enough.

 

I was pretty much expecting the Cards to score once I saw Fox was coming back out for another inning.

[NCCubFan]

We'll see if Mateo retires.

 

And if Lou is nicer to Fox's arm.

 

Really would like to have seen Cotts called up though.

 

Actually Mateo has already been removed from the 40 man.

 

Correct, but that was to create space for Fox on the 40-man. That doesn't necessarily mean Mateo will retire (though I'm guessing he already retired), he could stick it out and report to Daytona.

 

I agree that Ascanio would have been the much better choice as would a second lefty in Cotts. Fox was horrid his last time out and Ascanio and Cotts have been fantastic all season. And of course, Ascanio and Cotts were already on the 40-man.

 

According to the Cubs there was space with or without Mateo.

Exactly; there was already room for Fox on the 40-man (it would only have been at 39 even if Mateo weren't derostered). Perhaps this is a percursor to another move; otherwise it's unnecessary.

[Keener98]

Fox with throw two innings tonight and hurt himself in the process.

Well, he stabbed about a million Cubs fans through the heart, that might be good enough.

 

I was pretty much expecting the Cards to score once I saw Fox was coming back out for another inning.

Yup another brillian move by our hall of fame manager. Lous a joke