The first half has been a crappy enterprise for the Cubs, so there’s no reason that the final game before the All-Star break should have been any different. The shine has worn off Ramon Ortiz, and John Grabow took a steaming dump on his perceived trade value (whatever that was coming into the game. The offense didn’t do much of anything either.
Brett Taylor is the editor and lead writer at Bleacher Nation, and can also be found as Bleacher Nation on Twitter and on Facebook.
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Andrew McCutchen is having a breakout season, speed on the base paths, great defense in center field, 2nd in the NL in WAR, an awesome .291/.390/.505 line, and his splits have continued to get better each year. His rookie contract runs out this year and he is only 24. Am I the only one who thinks THIS is the kind of player who deserves a long-term deal in the six-year range. Pittsburgh would be a absolutely stupid not to re-sign this kid. I’m seriously thinking the Cubs should make an offer to him ASAP.
Can someone tell me what the deal is with Neil Walker? Ever since I saw his hit his first career home run last year in Pittsburgh (the eventual game winner in the 8th) off Ted Lilly, he has absolutely demolished the Cubs. Someone should look at his stats against the Cubs compared to everyone else. I think he is doing it just to personally rub it In my face.
Ugh. iPad typos. Makes me look like I have been posting after drinking too much on a Sunday afternoon. (holding beer in hand) Er . . . Okay, bad example.
.
*long-term deal in the six-year range?
*would be absolutely stupid not to re-sign this kid
*saw him hit his first career home run
.303/.361/.485 in 36 PA against the Cubs
.424/.459/.606 in 37 PA against the Astros
.381/.536/.667 in 28 PA against the Reds
So the Cubs aren’t his bitch! They’re just one of his bitches.
He hasn’t done too well against the Brewers and only has 13 PA against the Cards, but he’s torn them up to the tune of .385/.385/.693
He won’t be a FA until after the 2015 season.
You’re right. I hate the layout Baseball-Reference mobile website, sure made it look like he was on the last year of his contract. Knew it was too good to be true.
When the Pirates can’t afford him, maybe the Cubs can trade for him.
Looks like he is having himself some success against the NL Central.
I dug a bit deeper and looked at Walker’s career numbers against the Cubs:
72 PA, 69 AB, 18 R, 28 H, 10 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .406/.431/.696
“Now batting for the Pirates. . . Ted Willia. . . er . . Neil Walker!”
A bit better than his career .276/.335/.418 numbers, don’t you say?
A-Rod is having surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks. I hope Yanks make a play for Ramirez. It would be a good move on their part. I bet they do within 24 hours.
I’d like to see that.
Only four to six weeks? I would have assumed longer. That makes me wonder whether the Yanks plan on riding it out without making a move. I’ll have a post on Ramirez rumors up tomorrow, complete with some things I’ve been hearing.
The surgery is minor. Rodriguez considered waiting ’til the end of the season but opted to take care of it now.
I think a more likely landing spot might be the Tigers, actually. If they want to compete with the Indians, there’s just no way they can allow Brandon Inge’s .184 BA to hang around that lineup anymore.
I think Neil Walker has hit safely in every game he has played against the cubs. Grabow sucks.
Thursday would be a good day to say adios to Ortiz and Quade. Can anyone explain a really good reason why Barney didn’t play? There was just a blurb on how he has the highest AVG with RISP, so they leave him out to rest him? Really, with the next game on Thursday? He’s 25 not 35. WE need Spock as the manager. He would at least bring logic.
My bad, I had heard earlier that Barney was going to be rested and went off on one of my tirades. I was wrong. But, still a good idea to get rid of Ortiz. He’s not the answer unless the question is, who should retire first on the Cubs? Still like the Spock idea too.
The person they should have rested was Castro, he could use it since he’s going to the AS game
RoughRiider you’re obviously a douchebag bangwagon fan who doesnt watch games ..your first take on Barney not playing, ON the same enhanced box score post that Ace worked so hard on, that shows Barney started the game makes you lose all credibility & makes me shake my head ..& then to come back 5mins later and try to laugh it off is pathetic ..pathetic ..”fans” of any team like u make me sick because you’ve probably more than likely have never seen Ortiz throw a pitch
That was harsh, we make mistakes and RR is no bandwagon fan and admitted the mistake. We have plenty to attack with the Cubs performance without attacking each other… we aren’t White Sux fans are we?
Geez Paul, I don’t remember the Cubs getting that many walks tonight
No need to question his fandom brother. Not everyone celebrates, or in this case, mourns the Cubs like you do, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We all live under very different circumstances that affect the nature of our relationship with the Cubbies. Maybe RR’s has been framed for a crime he didn’t commit and has been wrongfully convicted and he’s in prison and he needed to hand make his computer out of paperclips, cigarette butts, and gum wrappers just to be here with us? One never knows? He saw his mistake, and he atoned for it. Shit, anyone who is reading the box score right after their team got pummeled on a Sunday evening is pretty okay in my book.
lol
I admitted my mistake. If I could have removed the post I would have. I live in Arizona and problems with my cable prevented me from seeing the game. However, I don’t know for sure of course but, I’ve probably been a Cub fan longer than you have been alive. I saw Santo hit his first home run and my first favorite player was Walt Moryn. I check the Cubs and Minor League Box scores every day. “Bandwagon fan”? Hardly. When I was in the Navy I had the Tribune sent to me at sea and even in Saudi Arabia. Every time I was in the U.S. I saw a game if the season was going on. I set my leave up in 1984 to be in the U.S. at the end of the season. I almost wish I could be a “bandwagon fan”. But, being a Cub fan is the family curse.
I won’t lower myself to your level and use a disparing remark to insult you. You’ve already accomplished that for yourself.
Well said RR
say? when will the cubs actually make there first move? ohh and i looked this up – NO team has ever gone to the postseason without a 3 game winning streak in the 1st half. but if the cubs can get the pirates to make a trade we’ell be good.. aramis,colvin,and maybe soriano or a few decent prospects.. for pedro alvarez and jose tabata. its a longshot BUT the pirates have to know that there gonna fade away eventually
Way to increase your trade value Grabow!
psh.. he already has no value
Was there a point where he did?
Post all star game think outside the box……Koske, Pena and Ramirez bye bye…Soriano to first base and Castro to third…Lamehu (sp?) to SS…..Colvin to right and Campana to left…Carpenter and Smardja to 4th and 5th….Keep Dempster and Big Z…make a run for it by playing small ball…Lineup—-Campana, Barney, Castro, Soriano, Byrd, Colvin, Lamehu, Soto ….55-15 run the table….
nobody in their right mind would trade for grabow unless they wanted to get themselves fired.
If the Yanks do make a play for Aramis, it would make sense for them to have at least a little interest in Grabow too, even though he sucks, he is left handed.
And the Yanks have a weakened bullpen and Rothchild might think he can use him effectively, he could be a nice throw in for a team inneed of a lefty
Is there some kind of rule that during the all star break there are no trades? Isn’t there such a rule about not maing major announcements during the World Series? I hope there’s no such rule. I’d like to see the cubs do something besides sink lower in the standings.
die hard, i like your optimism but the only run the cubs are making in the second half is to their travel agent for their offseason travel plans. this team has quit and will end the season at least 30 games under .500. i respect a person’s right to dream, but their are only nightmares in the cubs future for the rest of this year.
Wheres Brenly been?
Taking a break to see his son.
Juan Rivera would be a nice pick up…the Blue Jays released him..he can play right and has a decent bat
33 years old. IF Hendry has a plan, it should be to get younger.
Ha-ha. You wrote “Hendry” and “plan” in the same sentence. good one!
At least he would be going cheaper, if not younger. If the Cubs do manage to move Fukudome he would be a fine stopgap in RF, unless he would play over Colvin full time.
im really proud of us, what a mature group we are that no one pointed out “quiet-y” on the box score. oh shit, i just did it, what a childish boob I am
brett, good observation about russell. i remember fearing him as a reliever last year. i think he was part of the 14 run shelling (or whatever disgusting number it was) by the rockies in 2010. might have been schlitter or berg or cashner but probably all of them.
You childish boob…
The blue jays have to pick up the rest of his salary..soo the Cubs could get Rivera for the league minimal ..and he’s a better power option then fukodummy
Just read the following over at Bleed Cubbie Blue:
Here’s all you need to know about the first half of the 2011 Cubs season.
“In games started by Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza (53 starts), those three starters posted a collective 4.61 ERA. That isn’t great, but in those games the Cubs have managed to post a 28-25 record (even though the three starters’ record combined is only 16-17, more proof that the W-L record for starting pitchers in modern baseball is virtually meaningless).
In all other games, Cubs starters have combined for a 6.43 ERA. If you take out Andrew Cashner’s one start, a good one, that jumps to 6.57. The team record in those games is 9-30.”
WOW, although I’m sure Hendry is using this to excuse this season and try to convince Ricketts to keep him around next year,
Of those 3, Garza has the best ERA+ at 94. Z carries a93 and Demp an 80 at the moment. So even the 3 decent pitchers the Cubs have been sporting this year are below average.
That is SHOCKING. Obviously I follow these things pretty closely, but that just made even my jaw drop open.
Shocking is right. When it’s laid out like that, I think it’s easy to see where our biggest need is (i.e. not at first base) In regard to some other comments about coaching performance etc.:
Obviously the 9-30 mark with the 4 and 5 pitchers is on Hendry. He’s responsible for the players to the team, and the pitching core he has assembled throughout organization simply SUCKS! They could be coached by Fergie Jenkins, and they would still be a bunch talentless hacks. Ladies and gentlemen, Jim Hendry hired these guys.
The poor play of the starters falls squarely on the coaching. There is a lack of respect, discipline, and accountability that seems to have come with the Quade regime. I think it’s clear loosing Rothschild has a significant effect. I think the starters, Dempster and Z, did take responsibility for their poor outings. Though they still struggle occasionally, they have taken it upon themselves to at least give their team a chance to win, somehow. Garza has done that most of his starts anyway; ironically, he wasn’t able to in the game they won against the Nats.
I don’t see how Riggins and Quade can’t be to blame for the poor performance of our starting pitching this year. They are obviously unable to bring out,coach, or prepare the staff for success. What concerns me the most is the lack of consistancy from those three from game to game, that is typically a lack of preparation or coaching. The only other thing I can relate this to is whoever is calling the pitches, last year it was Rothchild anyone know who is calling pitches now?
Er . . . don’t you think that the pitchers themselves might have something to do with it?
Yes, but good coaching should get the best out his pitchers and we are getting the worse out of ours, and regardless of fault or fairness, the manager is ultimately responsible for performance. This is same in all professions, baseball is no different.
I believe you have just given me license to blow off work tomorrow and not to worry about it, as my absence must simply be reflective of poor management by my boss.
OR I could assume responsibility for my poor work attitude and performance and assume that, like Dempster, Z, and Garza, I have been a professional long enough to know when my failings are truly my own.
If you didn’t show up and/or had poor performance your boss would be held accountable especially if you aren’t the only one underperforming. I’m not saying you wouldn’t be held accountable but your actions and performance has a ripple effect upward and is reflected in your boss and ultimately the company at large, and right now the poor performance on the field is covering the entire organization in shit. Yes it is possible that Quade/Riggins are doing everything right, but ultimately the managers must be held responsible… The fairness of that is always up for debate but it is the reality of the world.
Oh, I doubt that Quade/Riggins are doing everything right, but managers and coaches are convenient *ahem* scapegoats for poor player performance. And our starting pitching has been bad to poor more often than not. And we have a hand in creating reality. We have the ability to decide if managers are ultimately responsible by following some arbitrary rule or if there is empirical evidence that suggests so.
Agreed, and unfortunately managers are measured by player performance and ultimately W/L record.
For the record, the trial of Russell as a starter makes for a good argument supporting mismanagement.
It still makes me irate when I think about it.
I made this point the other day, but since you brought it up I’ll say it again. Two things about Riggins/Quade are most concerning:
Every pitcher in the rotation, sans Cashner’s one start, is pitching well below what we have seen in the past. And more concerning:
The injuries. Someone has to be to blame for this, no?
Exactly, it may not be fair or correct but someone has to be responsible and managers are the ones to take that blame first.
That is pretty damn crazy. 9-30, wow. It makes you think our offense isn’t AS BAD as it appears to be. I mean, we have a winning record when Garza, Demp and Z have started and yet all 3 of them haven’t pitched as well as they are capable. If they were having strong seasons that 28-25 record could be even better than that. Obviously if we didn’t have a revolving door for the 4 and 5 starters then we would probably have more wins on our record too. Our team ERA is 4.62, which is 28th in MLB. Only 14 points lower than the Orioles ERA, the worst in the MLB. We also lead the MLB in errors. Those are certainly some issues. We’re just 6th in the MLB for team batting average although we are last in walks. Our offense definitely struggles, but I think our pitching has just exaggerated it.
I’m loud-y fighting for the good name of James Russell, one online discussion at a time.