Billy62

It is kind of surreal here. A lot of similarity between this teams woes and the "85" Cubs. After winning the division in "84" and then laying an egg against the Padres in the playoffs, the league missed what might have been a great Cubs-Tigers World Series. Then we reset and got ready for the following season. Had some trouble at the plate, and the entire rotation went on the shelf, and guys nobody knew anything about were on the hill. It was mostly bad, but I do remember a guy I think is name was Steve Engel, who pitched halfway decent. Never saw him again, I wonder what became of him.

Just a little bit more to add to the drama. Is it a reason? or is it an excuse? I am nowhere near medically qualified to tell the difference. But, with millions of dollars, playoff and postseason hopes on the table, and an adoring fanbase drinking the company Kool-Aid, Kyle should have been more forthcoming to the Cubs. If he has been then the Cubs should have been responsible enough to get it healed. If that meant shutting Kyle down for two months so be it. If this is the reason for the poor play as of late and then you ask the question "what if they had brought Caissie up sooner?" Although the answer to that question is not clear due to the sample size. Is Cassie hitting .280 or so with 10 Hrs and 40 RBI, or has reality set in and we see a guy with pedestrian numbers because he wasn't quite ready. We will probably know the answer to that question at the end of the month. If Owen is the real-deal and we balked on bringing him up and might have added 6 or 7 wins to our record, then we would be right in the thick of a divisional race, if not then it really does not impact us at all. The plus side is if Kyle is all healed up now and is going to be Tuckeresque from here on, and Caissie is as advertised, then we might be looking at a really strong finish that could lead us into the post-season as a team to watch. Being careful here though, been burned too many times before to go all in just yet, but I am guardedly optimistic.

Anyway, with the Tucker reset, at least it gets us a glimpse into the future. I believe it very doubtful if the Cubs bring Tucker back next season, and so far the early returns on Caisie are encouraging. I don't believe for a second that the teams woes are all on Tucker, although many seem to want to jump on that bandwagon. Yes, he has not produced going on two months now, but he is not alone. Suzuki, Happ, PCA, even Kelly have been cold to lukewarm for a while now. But, if this series is an indicator, I sense that the bats might be waking up a bit.

This winter when the Cubs signed Turner I liked the deal. It was not a lot of money, and if he could hit like he had done in the past, I did not really see a downside to the addition of a 40-year old. I thought he would play at least part time and would impart his wisdom on the kids coming up. I envisioned him getting a few more at-bats than he currently is getting. Its hard to stay fresh with so few at-bats, but he has shown that he still has a little power left and can still provide the clutch hit from time to time. I realized when he was signed that this was only going to be one season, but I am not sure if we are going to see a few more clutch hits out of Justin.

I can't seem to recall the year, but it seems to me somewhere in the mid 70's we saw this movie before. A strong season from April to June followed by a complete collapse in the second half of the season. This time it really has not been a total collapse, frustrating to be sure, but the team has been treading water albeit at an under .500 pace while the Brewers have been hotter than the sun. When you have a lineup like the Cubs with several hitters who are above the norm you expect periodically that individually one will fall into a slump here and there. Nowhere do you expect the entire lineup to go into the tank for an extended period. What makes it even more frustrating is that the starting pitching has been top notch, only adding to where you think this team could be if the offense wasn't so anemic currently. And then of course you have the trade deadline. All the talk of Hoyer making a gigantic splash at the end of the deadline bringing aboard a big stick and probably a couple of top notch arms. In the event, the Big Splash was hardly a ripple. I think this not only frustrates fans, but players as well. We already have seen our division lead evaporate, and I think we are kidding ourselves that we have a shot at righting the ship and catching the Brewers. Unless of course they start to tank and we grab a hunk of the sun as well. I know we are sitting ok for a wildcard spot, but that too can evaporate if the team continues to play at this level. I think Tucker's woes are part of the problem, but definitely not the whole enchilada. Still a fan here, and still paying attention to the games, but my early season elation has been replaced with frustration.

Now we come down to it. For more than a month we were inundated about the "big splash" the Cubs were going to make at the trading deadline. The names were paraded in front of us, and we were looking to the end of the day like a kid on Christmas morning. Then reality set in and the "Big Splash" was hardly a ripple. I think we have improved our bullpen, but so have other teams. Offensively I thought we were pretty well set, but if a big thumper suddenly became available, maybe we would seize on it. Pitching was our primary area of concern. Starters as well as the bullpen. We started the season losing Justin Steele to injury. Imanaga and Taillion have had stints on the shelf, and pitchers like Boyd and Colin Rea have really stepped up. I know money is the issue, and rightfully so. I mean nobody knows what the Tucker demands will be, and guys like PCA, Busch, Shaw, and a couple of others are going to have to be paid better next season. It makes perfect sense, still the carrot was held in front of us and now many feel a little betrayed. Maybe this works out and we have another parade, or more probably, we just get into the playoffs and then get beat in the first or second rounds. This will leave yet another winter when we will wonder what could have been. Still a fan but admittedly a little disappointed.

There are ballplayers and then there are ballplayers. You root for a team long enough and you will see the roster change over many times. Some players come and go with hardly a thought. Then there are players who come and leave footprints in your heart before they move on. For me, Ryne Sandberg filled that bill. Maybe it was because I was already a fan of the team before he arrived. Maybe it was because like many other fans, he thrilled me with his upper tier level of play and often exciting performances on the field. Or maybe just because he was an excellent human being. Perhaps it was all of those. When I heard of Ryno's passing I felt a deep sense of loss, like if I just found out that we had lost a good friend. Then I thought on it and came to the conclusion that that was what had exactly happened. No, I never actually met the man, but I held him in high esteem and mourn his loss on the same level as if we were personal friends. Why is that? What makes a ballplayer more than just a ballplayer in your heart and mind? I wish I could put my finger on it. I have been a Cub fan since the late 60's and have seen a multitude of players over the years. But this kind of intimacy is reserved for a select few even though I have enjoyed the play of so many more. The #23 will always be etched in my mind of a man with an infectious smile, and a down to earth persona that just made him that much more likeable. Add to that a level of play far above the norm and you get a person and player worthy of remembrance. Rest in Peace Ryno, you will never be forgotten and you will be sorely missed.

It’s a pickle to be sure. I think if Justin Turner was given a series of consecutive at-bats, I believe his numbers would improve. But, at age 40 consistent play without rest does invite the injury bug. But, there are a few plug and play assets that can be utilized. At least for the short term.

As. Inconsistent as that bullpen can be, that offense is so electric. Go Cubs Go. 🙂

Another bullpen failure tonight. Let’s hope our offense can pull the fat out of the fire….again.

Of course this injury is huge. However, one of the things this team has been beating into our heads the last couple of seasons is our depth. With this injury we will now start to see how true that is. Initially I was very pleased with our winter, and where we are now against the level of competition we have faced has been very satisfactory. But, if there is one part of our team that causes one to raise an eyebrow it would be our bullpen. Especially the back end. Every team will experience severe let downs occasionally in the later innings, but this is only April and the team has blown five or six late inning leads. This was a problem last year and I thought we had addressed it. But have we?

This is actually an easy decision. If Cease is only going to be here for a season and then hit the FA market, then it would be shortsighted to trade away so much future talent. But, if you can work out a deal that keeps him in a Cub uniform for 2-3 seasons, then such an investment makes sense. But what you have to spend and what you get back has to be analyzed.

Can't really say that I agree here Statyllus. I mean this is just a bench move. I don't think you would want to expend millions of dollars to improve your bench. The big money goes to your starters and maybe specialty pitchers. Of course if an established player who is short on time comes popping up on your doorstep that might be an exception. I think they might be looking Shaw's way for 3B, or maybe there is somebody else in their sights. This is what the off-season is all about.

Matt, not really surprised that the Cubs cut ties with Matt Mervis this winter. Actually I pretty much expected it. However, other than just removing him from the roster with a DFA or just letting him languish in Iowa, they got a little value in return. This spring Brujan should get a look, and maybe find a spot for himself on the roster, and then maybe not. Mervis had his shot and with a decent sample size showed that he was not able to consistently hit major league pitching, with a fair amount of swing and miss. It takes some of the 1B depth away from the Cubs, and pretty much cements Michael Busch's presence there. Which of course I am ok with. Not an earth shattering deal by any means for the ball club but does show at least an effort to move some pieces on the board. Really curious as how the Suzuki situation is going to play out. Suzuki for an established closer? or does he bite the bullet and accept the DH assignment? I'd love to keep him as a DH, but realize if that lowers his morale, what would that mean to his effectiveness? Regardless, if the Cubs deal him, they should get some value in return. Still pumping cubbie blue here and am hoping for an improved ball club. 🙂

I like this deal. You get the slugger you feel has been missing from the line-up. You had to give up some talent to get him, but I think this deal improves the ball club. The only question is for how long. He comes in with a sticker price of $16.7 million for this year, I am not clear on what his option status is, I can only hope the team can ink him to a deal that doesn't lead to him being a free agent next year. But yes this is what we have been looking for. Still got some pieces to work out and now we have a new hole at 3B. But a nice start.