TheBenjamin
Apr 19th 2009, 6:26 pm
With the rainout of today’s Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals game, the first series of the year between the two bitter rivals comes to an end. Also with the rainout, the Cubs have finished off their fourth series of the year without losing one. They have won three of their first three series, and split a two gamer to open up the home stand. There is a lot that can be taken from this series, as with the first few series of the season. Many of these issues I will cover over the course of this current blog concerning the Cubs.
After a stretch of impressive games, our bullpen threw out a complete clunker on Thursday giving up five runs is only four innings. I guess the plus that came out of those four innings pitched, was that they only gave up two walks, which were both issued by David Patton who also gave up two of those runs taking the loss. On Friday and Saturday the bullpen redeemed themselves pitching seven innings only allowing one run. Sadly that one run came off of our stud reliever Carlos Marmol. In his first inning of work on Saturday, Marmol cleaned up the mess that Neal Cotts put us in after walking his first two batters on eight straight pitches. I will get back to Cotts a little later. Back to Marmol, in his second inning of work, the wheels fell off the bus for him. He gave up back to back doubles, which allowed the tying run to score then hit another. Enter Kevin Gregg who pitched two perfect innings. In the end, Angel Guzman got the first win of his professional career. I have a feeling that this is what our bullpen is going to be like for a majority of the year. They will deliver for us, but also give us times that we want to pull our hair out, just like Cotts.
The biggest problem in our bullpen, is our left handed “specialist” Cotts who is probably the biggest piece of crap to ever wear the Cubs pinstripes. That is a statement which goes a very long way when you go back through history and remember all the crap that we dealt with through the years. Todd Hundley, LaTroy Hawkins just to name a few. At this point, I couldn’t care less if we don’t have a left handed pitcher in the bullpen or not. What difference does having a left hander in the bullpen if he cant get anyone out? Why keep him around just to walk people? He is a waste of a roster spot that someone who is much more qualified could occupy; that person is Jeff Samardzija. If I was Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry, I would cut all ties with Cotts immediately and call up Samardzija to give our bullpen a lift. We have more then enough talent in that bullpen to fill in for Cotts. A lot of our right handed pitchers can get out the left handed bats. Screw Cotts, send him out of town of the first bus, hell I will even drive him there. He is completely worthless, and I have never hated anyone as much as I hate him. That is saying something, because if you are on the Chicago Cubs, I defend you through and through. Tough times and good times you are my guy, however I can not do that anymore for Cotts. If you think he is worth keeping around, please, tell me why.
Our offense, while they have looked better as of late, has fallen asleep in key moments. Our boys are still leaving far too many men on base, which has left our team stuck in close games. Granted, they have had a lot of key hits late in games, but those late inning heroics would not have been needed if our offense would have come through in any of those bases loaded with less then two out situations that they have been in. Our offense needs to wake up and start getting more clutch hits. These late inning heroics wont always come to bail us out at the end of the game. Alonso Soriano’s two run bomb in Milwaukee was amazing, and Aramis Ramirez’s walk off two run bomb Saturday against the Cardinals was something that will always make you jump out of your seat. However, that isn’t something I want to depend on happening all year long. For one, I don’t know we can survive waiting until the final inning to win every game, there will be a lot of ulcers formed in Cub fans stomachs by the all star break if that is the case.
While we are talking about our offense, I would not be doing you a service if I did not say a few words on what happened with Milton Bradley, and his forthcoming suspension. In a bases loaded situation on Thursday, Bradley got out to a quick 3-0 lead in the count, and was eventually called out on a looking strike. He disagreed with the call, argued with the ump and was immediately ejected. I have no problem with that for two reasons. First, if you argue balls and strikes you are going to be tossed no matter who you are. Second, there are a number of players who would have been arguing that called third strike. Upon further review, that pitch was inside and should have been called ball four forcing in a run. Anyway, while Bradley was arguing his call, apparently the brim of his helmet made contact with the home plate umpire’s cap. With that “contact” Bradley landed himself a two game suspension which he is appealing, and rightfully so. If Bradley was not who he was, and did not have the past that he had, there would be no suspension. But because of who he is, he gets tagged with a two game suspension. This is the biggest pile of bull**** I have seen in baseball in a long time. Bradley said what he had to say ,then he turned and left. There was no reason for a suspension in this situation, none whatsoever. I can only hope that his appeal is heard by a fair moderator who has no bias against him, because this should be over turned. At very least reduced to only a single game suspension.
With the rainout the Cubs have a two day break, which is much needed with as much work as the bullpen did this series. I am beginning to feel more confident wit our bullpen, despite the blowups. Outside of that piece of **** Cotts, I don’t mind anyone that is currently in our bullpen. They have all had their struggles, but they have also all shown that they can get the job done. Everyone except Cotts that is, he is just worthless, I can not remember the last time he recorded an out and didn’t walk or hit someone. Please, for the love of God, get him off our team.
Thank you for your time, share your thoughts.
After a stretch of impressive games, our bullpen threw out a complete clunker on Thursday giving up five runs is only four innings. I guess the plus that came out of those four innings pitched, was that they only gave up two walks, which were both issued by David Patton who also gave up two of those runs taking the loss. On Friday and Saturday the bullpen redeemed themselves pitching seven innings only allowing one run. Sadly that one run came off of our stud reliever Carlos Marmol. In his first inning of work on Saturday, Marmol cleaned up the mess that Neal Cotts put us in after walking his first two batters on eight straight pitches. I will get back to Cotts a little later. Back to Marmol, in his second inning of work, the wheels fell off the bus for him. He gave up back to back doubles, which allowed the tying run to score then hit another. Enter Kevin Gregg who pitched two perfect innings. In the end, Angel Guzman got the first win of his professional career. I have a feeling that this is what our bullpen is going to be like for a majority of the year. They will deliver for us, but also give us times that we want to pull our hair out, just like Cotts.
The biggest problem in our bullpen, is our left handed “specialist” Cotts who is probably the biggest piece of crap to ever wear the Cubs pinstripes. That is a statement which goes a very long way when you go back through history and remember all the crap that we dealt with through the years. Todd Hundley, LaTroy Hawkins just to name a few. At this point, I couldn’t care less if we don’t have a left handed pitcher in the bullpen or not. What difference does having a left hander in the bullpen if he cant get anyone out? Why keep him around just to walk people? He is a waste of a roster spot that someone who is much more qualified could occupy; that person is Jeff Samardzija. If I was Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry, I would cut all ties with Cotts immediately and call up Samardzija to give our bullpen a lift. We have more then enough talent in that bullpen to fill in for Cotts. A lot of our right handed pitchers can get out the left handed bats. Screw Cotts, send him out of town of the first bus, hell I will even drive him there. He is completely worthless, and I have never hated anyone as much as I hate him. That is saying something, because if you are on the Chicago Cubs, I defend you through and through. Tough times and good times you are my guy, however I can not do that anymore for Cotts. If you think he is worth keeping around, please, tell me why.
Our offense, while they have looked better as of late, has fallen asleep in key moments. Our boys are still leaving far too many men on base, which has left our team stuck in close games. Granted, they have had a lot of key hits late in games, but those late inning heroics would not have been needed if our offense would have come through in any of those bases loaded with less then two out situations that they have been in. Our offense needs to wake up and start getting more clutch hits. These late inning heroics wont always come to bail us out at the end of the game. Alonso Soriano’s two run bomb in Milwaukee was amazing, and Aramis Ramirez’s walk off two run bomb Saturday against the Cardinals was something that will always make you jump out of your seat. However, that isn’t something I want to depend on happening all year long. For one, I don’t know we can survive waiting until the final inning to win every game, there will be a lot of ulcers formed in Cub fans stomachs by the all star break if that is the case.
While we are talking about our offense, I would not be doing you a service if I did not say a few words on what happened with Milton Bradley, and his forthcoming suspension. In a bases loaded situation on Thursday, Bradley got out to a quick 3-0 lead in the count, and was eventually called out on a looking strike. He disagreed with the call, argued with the ump and was immediately ejected. I have no problem with that for two reasons. First, if you argue balls and strikes you are going to be tossed no matter who you are. Second, there are a number of players who would have been arguing that called third strike. Upon further review, that pitch was inside and should have been called ball four forcing in a run. Anyway, while Bradley was arguing his call, apparently the brim of his helmet made contact with the home plate umpire’s cap. With that “contact” Bradley landed himself a two game suspension which he is appealing, and rightfully so. If Bradley was not who he was, and did not have the past that he had, there would be no suspension. But because of who he is, he gets tagged with a two game suspension. This is the biggest pile of bull**** I have seen in baseball in a long time. Bradley said what he had to say ,then he turned and left. There was no reason for a suspension in this situation, none whatsoever. I can only hope that his appeal is heard by a fair moderator who has no bias against him, because this should be over turned. At very least reduced to only a single game suspension.
With the rainout the Cubs have a two day break, which is much needed with as much work as the bullpen did this series. I am beginning to feel more confident wit our bullpen, despite the blowups. Outside of that piece of **** Cotts, I don’t mind anyone that is currently in our bullpen. They have all had their struggles, but they have also all shown that they can get the job done. Everyone except Cotts that is, he is just worthless, I can not remember the last time he recorded an out and didn’t walk or hit someone. Please, for the love of God, get him off our team.
Thank you for your time, share your thoughts.