Cubs Sign Corey Koskie to Minor League Deal
The Chicago Cubs are going to bring in at least one more infielder to compete for that last bench spot. That the guy, for now, is former Twin and Brewer, Corey Koskie.
Koskie last played in the bigs in 2006, and put up a very nice .833 OPS in limited play due to post-concussion syndrome. The injury – and the emergence of Ryan Braun (though he subsequently moved to LF) – cost him his 2007 season as well, and then the Brewers decided not to bring him back in 2008.
It’s possible he’s finally ready to come back, and he’s actually always been a very solid hitter. Due to limited space on the Cubs bench, however, it’s hard to see how a guy who has only played 3rd base in the last 8 years is a good fit for this team.
Full press release, after the jump
Yeah, Milton Bradley is Officially Hurt
Call me cynical when it comes to Chicago Cubs injuries, but when a guy with a long history of injuries – most recently leg injuries – is yanked super early in a game with a “strained quad,” and then a couple days later is sent him for lingering soreness, he’s no longer “sore,” he’s hurt.
One day after injuring his left quad, Bradley was both sick with flu-like symptoms and sore from the leg injury.
“He said he was a little sore, so we sent him home,” Piniella said. “I would think that (playing) this weekend is probably in doubt.” Hardball.
I’m not seething or peeing my pants, but only because it’s still so early. This, however, is going to be a recurring theme throughout the year:
Step 1. Milton Bradley leaves game or does not start game he was expected to start.
Step 2. Injury is not called an injury, and the nature of it is somewhat ambiguous.
Step 3. Cubs say he’s fine. Milton says he’s fine.
Step 4. Milton doesn’t play for a week or more.
Step 5. ?????
Step 6. PROFIT!!!
Enhanced Box Score: Cubs v. Rangers, February 27, 2009
Lou Piniella Hates Mark DeRosa, Until He Doesn’t
Everyone was surprised when the Chicago Cubs dealt Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians for prospects two months ago – well, except those of us who (erroneously) assumed the deal was merely a precursor to a trade for Jake Peavy.
Two months later, Mark DeRosa is still surprised. And it sounds like he kinda thinks Lou Piniella hates him.
DeRosa never seemed to hit it off with manager Lou Piniella, who arrived before the 2007 season along with DeRosa. During the 2008 playoffs, Piniella bristled when DeRosa said the Cubs were in a do-or-die situation after a Game 1 loss to the Dodgers.
Did DeRosa feel Piniella was pushing for his exit?
”I don’t know. I really don’t,” DeRosa said. ”I didn’t ask questions once they told me. It was done, it was New Year’s, the ball dropped and I had a new mind-set.
”They could say they are too right-hand dominant, they don’t have to justify to me why they did it. I use it as motivation.”
Not sure what was going on behind the scenes the last two years, as DeRosa was roundly thought to be a positive presence in the clubhouse. But at the same time, after the NLDiSaster, Lou Piniella was very vocal that right-handedness of the lineup was the bane of his existence. So does Lou actually hate DeRosa?
Lou strikes back, after the jump
Bradley Says Quad Strain is No Biggy, Cubs Fans Say Kill Me
So as we noted yesterday, the Chicago Cubs’ offseason prize, Milton Bradley, left his first Spring Training game very early with a strained quad. He says it’s not a big deal, but you’ll have to forgive me if I’m already near panic-stricken.
”I felt it warming up,” Bradley said. ”I just let them know I felt tight, tighter than I should have been. And since we’ve got a quarter-season worth of games in spring training, I thought the best course of action was to let them know right now. If it’s April 6, then I’d play.”
Even if the quad gets worse before it gets better, Bradley doesn’t seem concerned about missing time in spring training.
”Spring is spring,” he said. ”I had like five at-bats last spring and hit .320 [during the season]. So spring is overrated.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
That’s probably true. But if you’re already feeling a mild strain – when you should be as loose as you’re going to be all season – what’s it going to be like in a month? Two months? Five months?
Read what Lou has to say about it, after the jump
Spring Training Positional Battlewatch: February 26, 2009
Yesterday, the Chicago Cubs meaninglessly took down the Milwaukee Brewers (though Milton Bradley meaningfully hurt himself, but whatever) 7-4. On to what is really important, the high points of the various positional battles:
- Joey Gathright, in a mini-battle to make the Cubs’ bench, went 3 for 3 with a walk (crap). You just know he’s going to hit like .580 in Spring Training, and then revert to his career average .004 batting average during the season.
- Aaron Miles, duking it out with Mike Fontenot for at bats at second base this year, went a mere 1 for 4 and left three on base.
- Jake Fox had a big day to match Micah Hoffpauir’s grand slam Wednesday and not horrible 1 for 4 with a walk day yesterday. The Cubs would probably prefer Fox make the team as the 25th man, as they’ve been working him out at 3rd base, where they’ve stated the need for a backup. More likely, though, Fox is going to be showcased for American League teams.
- Sean Marshall and Chad Gaudin weren’t particularly sharp, but Angel Guzman threw a scoreless inning and struck out some end-of-the-game sap.
Sweet Jesus, Is Milton Bradley Hurt Already?
Granted, regulars get yanked early in Spring Training for a whole host
of reasons completely unrelated to health. But when the yanking takes
place after one at bat, and the yankee (not the team, the guy being
yanked) is Milton Bradley (or Rich Harden), we’re going to take note.
Apparently Bradley had to run hard to snag a fly ball in the first
inning, and coupled with the early yankage, I’m nervous.
Holy God (and sweet Jesus – see, I meant them nicely), this is going
to be a long season.
Why the 2009 Cincinnati Reds Suck
Every sports publication in the world puts out season previews. Some are interesting, some aren’t. For the most part, folks just don’t have the time necessary to do the kind of in-depth preview that is going to be of any use to a reader that actually follows the team being previewed (the team previews going on at Sharapova’s Thigh are the exception that I’ve seen).
So most previews end up being pretty surface level, and boring. Well, we’re not going to do that here at Bleacher Nation. It’s much more interesting (read: easy) to simply examine why the team currently sucks and is going to suck in 2009.
So enjoy – we’ll be previewing the suckiness (suckeyness?) of the other teams in the National League Central over the next five weeks.
First up after the jump is a team that holds a special place in all Cubs fans’ hearts because of the lovable scamp at the helm – the Cincinnati Reds.
