Three Finger

In a sport where players tend to overstay their welcome, I find it hard to believe that the Raging Bull will be gone in five. Its possible, and as a previous poster noted, I believe that Zambrano believes that right now, but in a few years time I think his competitive spirit will keep in him in the game for at least another five years after that. I just hope its in a Cubs uniform.

Agreed. Last I checked Fukudome was something like 4th in the NL in OBP. Fuku is our only player performing as well as he should be.

ha yes http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=4136793 Perhaps I'm misguided, but if you ask me .OBP is second only to team wins as far as important statistics go.

The difference being that in 2004 we won 89 games. This years team has "ten games below .500" written all over it.

Seasons like this seem to be what being a Cubs fan is all about. We entered the season as the only team in the league without a player on the disabled list, and now we're overwhelmingly mediocre. Its disgusting.

Very good observation-- should have noticed that myself.

I'm a big fan of small ball & sacrifices in general, but it generally is a better idea when your team is a high contact team, especially with RISP, that actually more often than not cashes in on a man on second with one out. Statistics show that you have a better chance of scoring with a man on first and 0 outs than a man on 2nd with 1 out. Really? I'm interested to see those statistics. http://www.tangotiger.net/RE9902.html A little dated, but still works... Am I reading this right? 95% of the time during that time span, a lead off single lead to a run?

I'm a big fan of small ball & sacrifices in general, but it generally is a better idea when your team is a high contact team, especially with RISP, that actually more often than not cashes in on a man on second with one out. Statistics show that you have a better chance of scoring with a man on first and 0 outs than a man on 2nd with 1 out. Really? I'm interested to see those statistics.

I'm a big fan of small ball & sacrifices in general, but it generally is a better idea when your team is a high contact team, especially with RISP, that actually more often than not cashes in on a man on second with one out.

I get a sick feeling in my stomach whenever we go into extras, but especially on a night when our started took a no-no into the 7th. Bullpen comes to the rescue once again.

Is Hill still trying to add a third pitch to his repertoire that he can rely on? A sick curve and a heater isn't enough to be a star unless you're Sandy Koufax

That's a really cool piece of memorabilia. Bill Murray signed baseball seems weird-- when I initially read this post I went to see if there was a baseball player named Bill Murray I had never heard of. It probably came from a game where Murray through out the first pitch--where one wouldn't necessarily have their copy of "Ghostbusters" handy.

I'm not about to have a bronze bust of Rothschild on my desk any time soon, but I am willing to admit based on the evidence provided that I was mistaken in thinking he was pedestrian. I think my biggest issue was lack of homegrown talent being successful as far as pitchers go since coming to the majors. (Hill, Mitre, Prior despite one season) But you're right, I was mistaken.

I think this is a good move, considering I don't think Marshall is as talented as everyone thinks. Riding the hot hand is the right idea. Marshall has had a good season so far aside from the egg he laid against the Dodgers, but I'm willing to get behind anything to shake up our awful bullpen.

Portland? Completely agree... Portland needs a baseball team.

Anyone else think Sandberg is being primed to be the next Cubs manager after Piniella gets fired or retires?

Jake Fox has no development left in him. His future is as a bench player, so how does it hurt to have him as a bench player right now? It's not like they aren't trusting him in pinch-hitting situations. He's getting his at-bats, but he's getting them the way he likely will get them for most of his career..1 a day. You really think the occasional pinch hitting in a high pressure situation or a throwaway at bat late in a dugout is the way to use a 26 year old? There is always time for more development, and he gets little out of it. He needs to go through the motions of being a starter. If he's not starting two or three times a week he ought to be elsewhere. Or, if the Cubs don't think he's good enough to start, find a team that does. The Cubs have been trying to find a team who thought he was good enough to even be a consistent bench player since this past winter. There has been very little interest from any other club. Jake also still carries the label as being uncoachable from his history in the minors. That combined with his terrible defense makes him a poor fit for pretty much every team. I really don't see how his defense is going to develop. It hasn't developed in a variety of positions over the last 4 years..another couple months isn't going to make much of a difference. If he's going to stick in the major leagues, it's either going to be as a pinch-hitter, a DH, or possibly a 1st baseman for a team who is desperate. Let's put this another way. This should be Jake Fox's last option year. If he stays in the minors all season, he has to either be traded (without options, you wouldn't get anything for him) or he'd have to make the major league team next year out of spring training. If he's going to have to make the major league team as a pinch-hitter next year, what's the problem with bringing him up as a pinch-hitter this year? I have no problem with that assessment if that is actually what the plan is for him. If its his destiny to make the roster as a pinch hitter, then let him pinch hit, but if your intention is to use him as a full time player in the future it seems counter-productive to have him warming the timber.

Even in his weak last season, Kosuke ended up with a pretty good .359 OBP. I don't think its time to worry about Kosuke yet, but keep an eye on his monthly stats come the end of June. Last year, his production in pretty much every offensive category when down each month. He's been warming the bench a lot lately--maybe the rest will do him good.

Jake Fox has no development left in him. His future is as a bench player, so how does it hurt to have him as a bench player right now? It's not like they aren't trusting him in pinch-hitting situations. He's getting his at-bats, but he's getting them the way he likely will get them for most of his career..1 a day. You really think the occasional pinch hitting in a high pressure situation or a throwaway at bat late in a dugout is the way to use a 26 year old? There is always time for more development, and he gets little out of it. He needs to go through the motions of being a starter. If he's not starting two or three times a week he ought to be elsewhere. Or, if the Cubs don't think he's good enough to start, find a team that does.

You'd do well to consult a physician about whatever's ailing your gut. Wish I could! No health insurance.

I believe Marshall has been above expectations. His ERA is over 4.00, but that's mainly because he's taken out with runners on base that the reliever fails to strand. I have seen numerous times that Marshall pitched a gem, but the RP screws him over. Marshall has actually been one of our best pitchers this year so far. I agree with you on this year. I think my problems with Marshall in the past have been more mental. He has great stuff, it just seems like he's pitching scared sometimes-- but maybe I'm crazy.

It seems plainly counter-productive to a young player's development to have him warming the bench at all, but especially when he is playing well. He would be better served remaining in AAA where he can get at-bats than watching from the bench. Might as well just buy him season tickets and leave him off the roster if they're not going to play him.

I don't know that Marshall has preformed more than expectations. He's been fine, but about what we thought he would be. Rich Hill was a bust. As has Guzman been so far, though lately has looked a bit better. Mitre was crap. Maybe I'm wrong in this, I guess its just a gut feeling he hasn't been what he should be.

Fixed. The starting pitching hasn't been bad. Fair enough, it has been average. Lilly has been good, but Dempster and Zambrano both have a bit inflated ERAs based on what they've had to go up against (4.48, 4.22). Perhaps I just expect too much more out of Zambrano than he is actually capable of, and I've been spoiled by Dempster's 2.96 ERA last year.

I'm not sure if this is a topic that comes up much around here (newbie), but I have to ask the general opinion on the quality of work that Larry Rothschild has done as the pitching coach for the Cubs. Without doing too much digging into statistics, my gut says that each year our pitching has been below expectations-- all these starting rotations that have seemed great on paper have failed to click, and the only young pitcher to come up and succeed under Rothschild as far as I can see is Carlos Marmol, who hasn't been phenomenal lately. Although you cannot put injury issues sorely on the pitching coach's shoulders, I think he definitely has to answer for it a little. Isn't it part of the pitching coach's responsibility to make sure our arms are staying healthy, and if they are injured, come back well? After the eggs laid by Prior, Wood, and others, it seems that Rothschild has done a rather pedestrian job at best. Being that he has been the pitching coach for seven years now (since 2002), it seems like its about time to let him go, if not now, then at the end of the season. Maybe Greg Maddux wants a job?