7/10/09 Cardinals(Carpenter) @ Cubs (Harden) 1:20 PM WGN

[Little Slide Rooter]

Problem is now, Carpenter is on pace to pitch 8 innings easy, and we wont do crap against Franklin.

[Fred Hornkohl]

Ludwick singled to right field

[genbar]

....What's with all the hot dog hate? This is Chicago. That's blasphemy.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Rich Harden is not a good pithcher.

[SouthSideRyan]

Because over the course of a season pitching to Pujols is a better strategy than walking him every [expletive] time he comes to the plate.

[A-Cal]

....What's with all the hot dog hate? This is Chicago. That's blasphemy.

 

personally, i prefer sausage

[Maclowery]

I like how he admired a pitch that scraped the back side of the basket.

I like how we've let their one hitter account for 3 of their 4 runs. really smart.

 

Your best hitter has accounted for all of your runs too :D

[big_shooter17]

Rich Harden is not a good pithcher.

 

Definitely won't be missing him next year. That is until Duncan almost assuredly gets his hands on him and his ERA drops below 2.

[hawkeyecub]

When he misses it's not close and when he throws strikes they're up and on a tee.

[laurens]

Rich Harden is not a good pithcher.

 

Yeah, we understood the first time you said that.

[Irrelevant Dude]

....What's with all the hot dog hate? This is Chicago. That's blasphemy.

 

personally, i prefer sausage

 

I'm not gonna touch that one...

[Hall7810]

....What's with all the hot dog hate? This is Chicago. That's blasphemy.

 

personally, i prefer sausage

 

Uh?

[gflore34]

I've had my fill of Harden, he's hurt and doing himself a disservice to himself and the Cubs by continuing to pitch. I'd take my chances with a healthy Harden vs Pujols. Get him out, put him the DL, replace him with Marshall. Edited July 10, 2009 by gflore34

[A-Cal]

Rich Harden is not a good pithcher.

 

Definitely won't be missing him next year. That is until Duncan almost assuredly gets his hands on him and his ERA drops below 2.

 

he isn't going to improve until he goes under the knife...duncan dust can only do so much

[SouthSideRyan]

Rich Harden is not a good pithcher.

 

Definitely won't be missing him next year. That is until Duncan almost assuredly gets his hands on him and his ERA drops below 2.

 

And, I'm out again. Are any of you remotely self-aware?

[gflore34]

Rich Harden is not a good pithcher.

 

Definitely won't be missing him next year. That is until Duncan almost assuredly gets his hands on him and his ERA drops below 2.

 

Unless he's healthy never going to happen.

[B]

....What's with all the hot dog hate? This is Chicago. That's blasphemy.

 

personally, i prefer sausage

that's what she said

[Fred Hornkohl]

Ankiel grounded out to second, 4-1

[A-Cal]

....What's with all the hot dog hate? This is Chicago. That's blasphemy.

 

personally, i prefer sausage

 

Uh?

 

Mr. Sausage

[Hall7810]

The ole' 4-1 putout.

[illiniguy]

Rich Harden is not a good pithcher.

 

Definitely won't be missing him next year. That is until Duncan almost assuredly gets his hands on him and his ERA drops below 2.

 

And, I'm out again. Are any of you remotely self-aware?

Come on guys the Cardinals never polish up a turd.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Looking at next year's FA list, Harden is probably the best SP option out there. I wouldn't mind resigning him if we fall out of contention and then shut him down and make him have surgery.

I like Harden, but that's crazy talk. With as many holes as this team has, the Cubs can no longer afford to take that risk.

 

What holes can they actually fill?

 

Soriano isn't going anywhere. There's your LF.

It's about a 100% guarantee that one of Fukudome/Johnson will be in CF next year. 99% chance that it's both again.

Bradley will be in RF again.

Ramirez at third, Lee at first.

Theriot will either be at short or second, with one of the spots needing to be filled via FA because they can't go with Fontenot again.

Catcher is set.

 

Starting pitchers: Z, Lilly, Dempster for sure. Probably one of Wells/Marshall, and then you need a fifth. I doubt they go with both Marshall and Wells in the rotation (and one of them will probably be traded).

They'll add some bullpen arms, but not many.

 

We may have a lot of holes, but contracts make it so we don't have much leeway to do anything. And it's not like we have a good farm system.

 

As you said, probably either second base or the bullpen. They don't have very much money to spend this offseason. And it might be in the Cubs best interest to pocket the money and wait to become major players after 2010.

 

The farm system still isn't great position player wise, but it's starting to have lots of quality pitching. The Cubs will have several options next year if they want to go that route. Samardzija, Marshall, or quite possibly Coleman at the start of the year (Coleman will never be a great pitcher but could already be close to major league ready) with possibly either Jackson or even Cashner later in the year, although the Cubs might not want to rush those two with their upsides.

 

It might be, but I can't imagine that happening. The new owner might want to make a splash instead of maybe accepting we need a year or two to save up some money before doing anything major.

[genbar]

....What's with all the hot dog hate? This is Chicago. That's blasphemy.

 

personally, i prefer sausage

 

I'm not gonna touch that one...

 

 

Wowzas, you both set yourselves up!

[UMFan83]

It seemed like the last few years we somehow found a way to contain Pujols mostly. But this year he is on a different level and is absolutely murdering us. He doesn't get himself out anymore. Either the pitcher makes presise pitches that hit the right spots or pujols puts you on sportscenter.

[E.J.]

Great catch by Fukudome.