Ivy Walls

whomever the Cubs play in the NLDS they are going to win in either a sweep or 4-1.... This is the best team in the NL since June 20th and tied for the best since June 1st. The question will be how they play at the next level.

My father knew we could get tickets on the day of the game late on Saturday morning, he was right less than 12,000 people showed up where buying grandstand seats we could eventually move down to the box seats. He took my brother who was just 12 and more interested in the venders faire than the game. I was 15 and had just finished playing baseball competitively in Colt League. Pappas was in command, but the Padres had a poor lineup with only two players of any threat, Pappas was not dominant but seemed efficient. The Cubs jumped out to an early 2-R lead in the first inning with singles by Cardinal and Hickman driving in runs. Early on Padres hit a couple of liners at people. As the game wore on Pappas got better with K's and lazy fly balls, it was about the 5th inning that my father and I gave each other a look, then as Pappas got through the 6th the ground began to get on their seats. It was then my brother looking up from a Santo pizza or something blurted out that "hey there is a no-hitter going on!" As the Andy Frain began to scatter we moved down into what was the club boxes behind the Padres dugout. The 7th Pappas got an easy pop up, another K and an easy grounder to 1B.....now the crowd was really getting excited. The 8th inning Pappas was facing the bigger hitters, he got Colbert to ground out to Kessenger, big Gaston struck out and an easy come-backer to the mound..... Cubs then exploded for 4 runs so the game was out of reach. The 9th my father got us up again and found 3 seats about 4 rows behind the on deck circle, the crowd was on top of the plate all around. Each pitch was excruciating, Then a Padres hit a liner into CF but what a catch by Billy North. Kendall's father then hit a easy grounder to Kessenger and there was 2 outs....Naturally there was a pinch hitter..... Not only was ball 4 a horrible call but also ball 2....in fact we were all over Froemming because if he had called ball 2 a strike Pappas strikes him out at 2-2.......When Froemming blew the call my father among other adults were so angry that the profanity was extreme....Cubs sent security down the aisles but the next guy basically hit a can a corn and the game was over. Five years ago I sent Pappas my scorecard and he signed it.

Piniella has done what a manager can do, control who plays and when they play. The other day when DeRosa went 5 for 5 and the game winning hit he said in an interview that the club is really excited and he just hoped Lou will have him in the lineup tomorrow. Imagine that...DeRosa in the midst of a 10 for 10 streak and he is hoping Lou is playing him tomorrow. Now the only starters that are assured regular have been Soriano, Lee & Ramirez, naturally but lou has sat Rami regularly. You can say the next tier has been DeRosa, Theriot and now Jones, but only since July 1st or so. Fontenot pushed DeRosa for a while. After that the next tier has been Kendall and Floyd but now Soto is supplanting Kendall and Floyd is as fragile as glass. Murton seems to be getting his hits now that he is spot starting. But few players outside of Soriano, Ramirez and Lee are sure they are playing the next day. BTW, Cedeno got another RBI hit today, this is the third in his third straight appearance. Just thought I would mention it. Oh and Soto has a 1.281 OPS, think he should start tomorrow?

Cubs are 12-13 against lefties since June 1st, 5-2 since August 26th, they are hitting left handers and tomorrow they will mash this AAA starter again.

challenge...a win tonight and tomorrow would put them 76 losses with 8 to to play....tipping them back towards a straight .500 record. By Thursday this whole affair could be over if the Cubs take care of business.

What separates Piniella and other top managers is they are a step ahead of the rest of the league and fans. Lou is managing the team as if they are going to the playoffs, the only way to manage, so he is riding his veterans and insisting on those others in roles do their job. in the playoffs Z and Lilly will be asked to pitch on three days rest anyway...so he is seeing what he's got and this way he has both Trachsel and Marshall ready for a long relief anyway.

everything was going well there until the dempster starting part Dempster approached the Cubs during the year and a promise was made, his arm has recovered and he can be a strong middle of a rotation starter...Using Marshall as trade along with Murton or Jones and Ohman could produce Hawpe or even Abreu.

Brewers will reasonably win 2/3 with Cincinnati, win 2/3 @ Houston (they are 11-4 against the 'Stros), lose 3/4 to Atlanta, beat StL 3/3 and split with SD....total 10-7 Thus the Cubs need to go 10-6 and have a nervous end of the month.... 85-77-CHC, 84-78-Milw, although I think the Cubs do better, Win 3/4 against StL, 2/3 against Cincinnati, 2/3 Pittsburgh, 2/3 against Florida and 2/3 against Cincinnati 11-5...86-76... Cubs reach 86 in Cinci full of Cub fans 9/29...while Milwaukee reaches 84 that night also, SD wins the final game for the WC by one game over surging CO. Baseball is estatic as two races come down to the wire.

Whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not is immaterial to the new owners and their aim to the team except that the owners [hopefully] are more pointed to making the Cubs a perennial winner. Now this year it comes down to Piniella and staff finding a way to win 10-11-12, 13 or more improbable 14 games. 10 probably gets us in a one-game playoff with Milwaukee, 11 either wins or at the outset is another playoff, 12 probably wins the division outright with a game in reserve, and 13 more likely and 14 they clinch with 3 games to spare. Next year the Cubs have some decisions to make. First is whether getting a RF'er or force Soriano to play RF and get a LF'er. Next is to make a decision at catcher, (probably Soto and another veteran), and then CF. I think Theriot is the SS for 2 more years and DeRosa at 2B. I think Cubs go with Pie & Soto in the middle with two veterans as backup. Cubs also need to move their payroll to $130M. I think getting a new GM is wasteful, the moves are self evident, Cubs have Marshall or Hill to trade, Murton, Jones, Blanco, Ohman, Eyre, Cedeno. I think they resign Dempster as a starter and move Marmol, Howry up with Wuertz, Wood as the main four with Shark and possibly Veal coming up with the Cubs finding a LOOGY.

Marmol 48 AP....55.2-IP 5-1, 13-hlds, 1-save. Howry 65-AP, 67-IP 17-hlds 7-saves, 5-7 Wuertz 64-AP, 64-IP 8-hlds 0-saves 2-3 Ohman 49-AP 32.2-IP 12-hlds 1-save 1-4 Eyre 45-AP 44.1-IP 4-Hlds 0-saves 1-1 too bad Guzman is not well Guzman 12-AP (3-GS), 30.1-IP 0-1 (1-blown save) Dempster 53-AP 54-IP, 2-blsave, 25 saves, 2-4 record. Wood 12-AP, 13.2-IP 0-1 maybe this is why they are moving Marshall to the pen for a few weeks and possibly why Trachsel could also move there in the post season

this year Cubs lost big... 7/27 to StL and lost the next game 5-4 to Cincinnati (Hill pitched) 8/02 to Phila and then lost the next game to NYM 6-2 (Z pitched) 8/11 to CO and then lost again 6-3 in the same series (Marshall pitched) 5/31 to Houston 6-1 and then won 4-3 the next day (Marquis pitched) First half (after June) 6/09 Atl lost 9-5 and then lost the next game 5-4 (Hill pitched) 6/17 lost 11-3 to SD and won at Texas 5-4 (Marshall pitched) 07/04 lost 6-0 to Was and won the next day 4-2 (Marshall pitched) This is why a veteran was acquired even a 5th starter veteran. Tomorrow Cubs will need to on their A game and take on a tired LAD team and win a close game and even the series.

Sean Marshall has done his job quite well as a bottom of a rotation starter, albeit averaging just over 5-IP but he is 25 years old and showing wear and tear. Over the next three weeks the Cubs will play 19 games in 18 days...skipping Marshall one start and having him adjust to a long relief where Piniella can pull a starter early with Gallagher also ready is a big advantage, but then setting him up for the DH in StL us huge. Trachsel is a better 5th starter right now and the bet is that a 36 year old will focus in on 5 starts remaining.

Ohman is recalled and put on verbal probation, if he performs as a LOOGY and middle reliever he is respected and accepted. Soto is called up and will even get some starts plus some PH opportunities, a hot September and he could go with the playoffs. Cedeno is recalled and gets a few spot starts resting Theriot in the remaining 19 game stretch in the 18 days. Pignatiello, another LOOGY but he will have to carry the pink bag. Patterson, only for that periodic pinch running situation especially when the time is that Ward and Floyd get back to back hits in the late innings. Because of Trachsel I think Gallagher gets a nice pat on the back, Fox is told to keep prepared and eventually if Pagan is healthy he is taken off the DL.

Always take a chance on genuine talent and pass on marginal talent. What is Wood's upside? Each week he pitches he gains confidence and it he has turned the corner physically he will continue to be ever more effective. Come on how many of you thought Marmol was valuable after last year's rookie performance....none of you......but he has talent... Wood has talent to develop into a powerful set up man next year and learn the reliever game and could possibly turn into a closer....that is talent...

That schedule reminds me of the 2004 Cubs, who had no days off for about the last month of the season (longer than normally allowed under the CBA) because of having to reschedule an entire series against Florida due to a hurricane. I always thought the Cubs were burned out by the last week of the season and that was one of the reasons for blowing the Wild Card. Hopefully the schedule will have a similar effect on the Cardinals. They don't have the starting pitching and team defense to sustain that kind of pace....basically the Cardinals have to win 85 games to have a chance of tying the Cubs....(who can win 86 games by taking all the series's down the stretch except StL)... To win 21 games the Cards have to go 11-5 against the (16) non contenders they face outside of resurgent Cincinnati (meaning imploding Milwaukee, plus Pitts & Houston). Then they have to go 10-8 against AZ, Phil, Chic, NY...Cinc... Two swings will spell Cardinals fate as a contender... 7 games traveling between AZ-Chi-Cinc on the road....I say the best they can expect is 3-4 (but 2-5 might be reality). That would mean they would have to win either 7 out of 11 against Phil(3) NY(1) Chic(4) Cinc(3)...one on the road....let us say they lose that other make up game in NY....that means they have to win 7 of 10 against Phil, Chi, Cinci or take all series with just one loss....all that to make 85 wins! Worse than the Blues Brothers leaving the resort wearing sunglasses.

Naturally it depends on what kind of organization or investor group takes over but in all probability whether or not the Cubs make the playoffs this year depends on the players on the field and coaches in the dugout. Obviously Hendry has provided the talent pool to compete as they are leading the division with 33 games remaining. Now the question really is does Hendry have a long term future with the club? My guess is that yes as does Piniella and staff through at least 2008 depending on the performance. The real culprit was not Hendry it was MacPhail who handcuffed the Cubs payroll so MacPhail could make the case that he is Commissioner material, pandering to the small and mid market clubs (KC, Mil, Minn, Pitt, TB, FL, Oak, Was, and mid-market clubs; SD, AZ, Clev, Cinc, StL, Den, SF's, Balt, Tex, Seattle, Tor, Det) who actually own the majority votes against the 10 biggees: NYY, BSOX, NYM, LAD, LAA, Cubs, CSox, Phil, Atl, & Hou It is about payroll and MacPhail put the Cubs in the mid-market payroll category and not the big market category....($125-135M) which would have given the Cubs a real RF'er, all star catcher or starting pitcher and another bench performer), but he kept the Cubs at $90-100M....That is your culprit.

Sweeping the Brewers is not on he radar yet all you sooth sayers. Yes the math does indeed tell you that somewhere over 85 wins probably wins the division, each successive win above that number and the percentage increases since StL has 39 games remaining and 61 wins right now (8-2 in their last 10), they would have to go 27-12 (.692) probably the max of possibility), Cubs now need to go 23-14 (.621, in line with their previous two month stretch but also a big push). Milwaukee has a heart beat but they have emotionally run their table, even with Ben Sheets coming back sometime in the last 15 games that will not be enough. Let us get back to the Cubs taking care of business in SF...sweeping the hapless SF. Here is a team waiting for the Sept call ups. That is the question that is unanswered, those teams the Cubs and other play in September; Houston, Cincinnati, Florida, Pittsburgh they will have their call ups and which will be playing for playing time and which will see a surprising star emerge.

I think people are actually in love with Murton, hey boss...listen....talent is talent...wishing someone has talent does not infuse talent....talent is expressed over time... Soriano might not be having a 40-40 season but he has established himself as talented player, his defense is good at catching most balls but more so in throwing out runners who take a chance, his baserunning is more than average but not statistically driven, (he got hurt aggressively running the bases) and his batting is solid...he was in the top 5-7 in runs scored....and leading the team in HR's. Murton is probably a top 75 OF'er in the league, his ceiling might be top 25 in a given career year, maybe top 20. He is no Pujols, best would be an Alou...

Give Kendall some time to get his feet underneath him here. Not like he's 0 for the century. OBP is .310 right now and batting .231. Give him a little bit of time. 7/28 @Cin 2-4 2-Runs 7/27 @Cin 1-3 7/26 @StL 2-4 (1-2B) 7/24 @StL 0-4 7/22 AZ 1-3 last five games he is 6-18 after going 0-8 in his first three games. Kendell appears to have aged to the level of a platoon catcher to be effective, that is all.

the future? unless im mistaken he's a free agent after this season. I don't think he's a very good player anymore but this isnt the worst deal hes done. the money isnt an issue for the Cubs and its a buy low chance. there's a pretty damn good chance kendalls obp is .340+ the rest of the season. power? no but as long as hes not an auto out im happy. There really are uninformed fans here...first thing A's and Pirates are basically paying for Kendall, Cubs getting $1M, second he is FA after this year, no risk. 3rd Bowen was simply a body and some knowledge regarding what SD knows on Hill...Blevins is not a real prospect of note, a chance average FB, change and curve. That all said, what Kendall has is a CERA...best in baseball, hmmm that is not an offensive number for the fantasy heads, and he did have a good June at the plate, back at his usual numbers. Is he Gaitti or Karras, possibly but you guys know it all...

The rule is quite simple: Obstruction and the play is basically dead, in this case the offended player was called out, which the rule states he gets his base without liability.....play is dead, all subsequent runners are to take their base... Ozzie had to do something so he got tossed and the Sox still got shutout. I expect that Kenny Williams begins backing up the truck this week. ChiSox or Black-hose have now lost 22 out of 27...5-22 and I think Ozzie asks Ozzie Osborne for some happy pills.

Ramirez has been playing with a tweaked knee for about 3 weeks now and has been favoring it...he hustled and hurt it more.... ARAM is what he is, he is a bat....a glove two steps left or right .... and an important part of this team... Now people are going to see why Cubs signed DeRosa....who will probably play 5-7 games at 3B....

than you don't know what you are talking about.....clutch hitting is a talent, or not choking..... Jones is one of the best examples of choking...jeter is an example of clutch hitting, but what do you know....Cubs stats show they are not clutch or good situational hitters Clutch is laughed at because it is not a player intangible. "Clutch" does not make you a better hitter. It's more or less f*cking luck. There is a such thing as a clutch play or a clutch hit, but not a clutch player. HUH? That's not true. what part of his post is not true?

Yesterday's game I think was a message to the entire Cub organization how Lou is going to approach every game. Barrett described it at his fund-raiser but essentially it has been a developing thing since spring training, be prepared and this is a team. Yet this roster is far from what Lou needs to have to play the kind of situational game he is demanding. The first order of business was having Marquis run for the second time this year after a dinged Floyd drew his walk. The second was moving Soriano to 2B in a pinch, this showed the brass that with the obvious OF jam Lou is pinched on the IF. The last is having not having a long reliever. Here are my thoughts: Cubs are more likely willing to trade Floyd or Murton and not Jones (unless some team comes and overpays) as Jones has played well. The problem in trading Floyd is he would have to waive his no trade clause that runs through May and he is now hurt. This might negate any movement. Murton also has limited versatility and can only play a corner OF. What are the Cubs looking for? A Freel or Figgins type of player who can actually hit, Figgins would be perfect and Cubs might trade Murton who could replace their injured LF out possibly half the year and receive Figgins and a prospect. Figgins could play 3B-SS-2B and CF. probably LF & RF in a pinch. This year Figgins is hitting barely above .100 but he is a pretty good .270-.290 hitter. Let's face it Murton right projects to be a Craig Wilson/Mientkowicz/Hinske/Nixon type of OF'er but from the right side. Cubs are set in two OF positions and next year's FA market of Ichiro, Hunter and Abreu or resigning Floyd or playing Jones in his last year is far more advantageous than lovable Murton. Figgins fills two spots, backup CF'er for Jones this year and versatile utility IF'er for Lou-ball.

Floyd who is always brittle was held out for back issues I was told personally via email from a friend who has a media pass. No telling what it is, (spasms) or how long but it could be precisely what the Cubs are looking for in a roster delay to keep Pie up and offer relief of a corner OF jam. As for Jones playing CF they are playing with fire as it is an important defensive position especially when they are not strong at SS or 2B and C defensively. The question with Jones is what the Cubs can get in return.