The Cubs close out a kinda-sorta two-game series against the Reds (and, for the third straight time, they won’t lose the series!). Ryan Demspter returns from the disabled list to take the start, on this, his 35th birthday. Across the aisle is another birthday boy, Homer Bailey, who turns 26.
Tony Campana gets the day off, but maybe he can pinch run his way to those 100 steals.
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (9-15) at Cincinnati Reds (11-12), 11:35pm CT on CSN.
Game Thread and Series Preview
The Game Thread lives here. You should participate in the madness. And, of course, for those who aren’t into message board-style game threads, please feel free to use the comments on this post for your in-game commentary/outbursts.
The Series Preview for this series lives here.
Starting Pitchers
Ryan Dempster (0-1, 1.33 ERA, 0.934 WHIP)
versus
Homer Bailey (1-2, 3.60 ERA, 1.360 WHIP)
Cincinnati Reds Lineup
1. Chris Heisey, CF
2. Willie Harris, 3B
3. Joey Votto, 1B
4. Brandon Phillips, 2B
5. Jay Bruce, RF
6. Ryan Ludwick, LF
7. Devin Mesoraco, C
8. Wilson Valdez, SS
9. Homer Bailey, P
Chicago Cubs Lineup
1. David DeJesus, RF
2. Darwin Barney, 2B
3. Starlin Castro, SS
4. Bryan LaHair, 1B
5. Alfonso Soriano, LF
6. Ian Stewart, 3B
7. Reed Johnson, CF
8. Geovany Soto, C
9. Ryan Dempster, P
i HEART day games.
Go CUBS!!!
Me too. Nothing better than WGN on in the background while I work.
I heart morning baseball.
I’m about to fall asleep as I work graveyard. This game on WGN?
CSN.
CSN is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. $25 a month for MLB.tv, while worth it (got to watch Weaver’s no-no last night), could just as easily be spent on an extra case of beer.
After a very long interview for C level position in Omaha I am ready for the game to start. Got home late from the last nights game. Was up at 5 am finished my business at 11 am and off to the game. Hope Dempster matches the Shark’s performance from last night. Anybody on here from Omaha? Would love to here what the city is like.
I grew up in a small town outside of Omaha. I love the city. It’s no Chicago or anything, but it’s a nice mid-size city with lots of amenities and low cost of living. The economy is good because of all the Buffett money floating around the city. Plus, you’d have the chance to catch the College World Series every year at Rosenblatt stadium. If you’re a college football fan, you’ll have to understand it’s Cornhusker country, and the fans are die hard. All in all, it’d be a great place to raise a family.
Everything Max has said is true, except the CSW is in TD Ameritrade park now.
Also direct flights from Oma to Chicago on Sw are cheap. Not hard to travel back and forth at all.
I just checked Dempter’s stats against the Reds. It appears he’s done quite well against them in the past. About the only player who’s had moderate success against him is Ryan Ludwick. Should be interesting to see if he can keep it up against them on his first start back.
Anyone from Omaha on BN. Looks like we might be moving there in the next month. Never been there. Currently live between Dayton and Cincinnati. I was thinking Florida or someplace south was our next stop on the life journey. God only knows why he is leading me to Omaha. Would love get some impressions on that geographic area. Are there any lakes for boating?
One good thing is my possible new SVP is a Cubs fan.
As for fishing, you’d have the Missouri river. There are a few lakes around the area. In general, Nebraska is pretty good for outdoor sports. But, the landscape is something to be desired. As you head west on I-80 it becomes flat and brown. There’s much prettier geography on the Iowa side of the Missouri river.
Was just watching CSN talk about LaHair. 2nd highest through 24 games in Cubs history. Dudes a stud. Isn’t he younger then Josh Hamilton was when he finally broke out with the Reds.
Well, minus the whole 4 years of drug problems….
Actually, Hamilton was 26 when he hit it with the Reds.
You mean after the Cubs traded him to the Reds? Another in the long line of brilliant Hendry moves.
No, no, no. Criticize Hendry for failing to draft Hamilton with the intention of keeping him maybe (but you could lob the same criticism at a number of folks). It wasn’t a real trade. It was a favor.
Agreed. I will criticize him for failing to draft him with the intention of keeping him. I remember it very well and was pissed at the time too. I do realize Hendry didn’t shop him like a normal trade, and was asked to do this by the Reds. But the fact that he was willing means he didn’t feel Hamilton was worth the pick, which is where my anger lies.
Remember the Cubs were coming off their abysmal 2006 season, and to top it off the minor league system was about where the White Sox are now (void of talent), so being able to grab a former #1 overall pick for free was a gift. Obviously no one knew Hamilton would turn out this good, but it also wasn’t a stretch to say if he got his head screwed on straight he would be a pretty good player that costs only $50k. Two years later Hendry spent $21million to sign a guy with a long history of off the field concerns (Bradley), so can’t even say he was philosophically against adding character issues. Just seemed to me at the time to be a no lose situation that he wasn’t willing to cash in on. Hind sight is 20/20, but it still irks me that the left handed bat we’ve needed over the past 5 years was here and gone like that.
This was a player-centric decision by Hendry. I geniunely think that Hendry though that if Hamilton stayed in the Cubs organization it might have turned out terribly for Hamilton. At the end of the day, I think what happened was for the best because it has turned out good. Sure I wouldn’t mind having Hamilton in CF than Byrd, Campana, Mather, Jackson, etc… but if the guy was going to end up as a homeless drunk, dead or just not in a good state then it isn’t worth it.
Remember (and I forget this from time to time), these are actual people, no different than you or I, sometimes the best decision for the organization and the best decision for the person don’t line up. When the potential consequences are as severe as they were for Hamilton, you ALWAYS side with the person.
I love how this myth continues to float around. The draft and trade by Hendry was done because Hamilton had family (or close to it) in the Reds organization and they were worried that Hamilton would get selected by the time it got to them. Hendry wasn’t planning on drafting anyone so the Reds approached him. From what I have read, it was more of a last ditch effort to save his life, not snake a future all-star from the Cubs. I would say that Hamilton’s current success is greatly attributible to what the Cubs and Reds did.
Agree with Hansman…
I can’t believe people take issue with not giving a 26 year old suicidal heroin addict (was it H?), who hadn’t played above single A in over 4 years, a guaranteed roster spot on a team trying to contend.
Good GM’s have TARDIS’s. Everyone knows that…..
“‘Doc’PeterWimsey”
are you……………..the 12th doctor?!!?!?!? lmao.
If I was, then we’d be in a time stream in which someone “remembered” to tell Leon Durham to keep his mitt down in Game 5 in 1984, and where someone “remembered” to lock Dusty in a bathroom in Game 2 in 2003 and mimic his voice in a call to the pen to yank Prior after 5 innings……
(I’ll be the guy in the snazzy waistcoat sitting next to the good looking, scantily clad English lady asking why the Bowler doesn’t run before hurling a good googlie….)
The Cubs made the pick for the Reds without knowing ahead of time whom the Reds wanted. I recall it was repayment for some sort of player deal they had made earlier.
Wow, thought I was going to be able to watch the game on FSN Ohio, but instead they have English premier league soccer on. WTF?! Needless to say, I’m a little upset
So the Reds Fox Sports affiliate not covering the game today and even though I pay $200 a year for DirectTV package and $120 a year for MLB.TV, I can’t watch the game?!?!?… I LOATHE you MLB and your archaic regional blackouts!!!
I mean what kind of idiot has this thought process?? … Well, I REALLY have to watch this game… Ohhh it’s not on Television?? (even though you probably wouldn’t know that until an hour before first pitch), well… I guess that means I have to drive 75 miles up the road and buy a ticket then!! Let’s GO!!
Brett,
With Lahair hitting another Homer, when do you think you will start writing him in the lineups as LaDiculous™? Does he have to reach 10 before the end of May? Get on base 30 straight games?
Homer Bailey’s living up to his name today!
Ha,ha nice. He used to be considered the can’t miss prospect, I guess that’s half true. Okay, mine was lame…
Wow, Dempster is doing REALLY well right now. And considering he is just coming off the DL, wow. Our starting pitching (minus Volstad, 50% of the starts that Maholm makes, and Wells’ bad Phillies game) is really underrated. If Marmol can pitch like he did last night, we’d have at least 2 more victories for our starters. Garza is continuing to pitch great, Shark is turning out to be a great gamble, and Dempster is pitching like he used to (thank God), just need Maholm to pitch like he did against the Phillies and we will have quite an imposing front four starters.
Getting close to bullpen time. Brace yourselves, Cubs fans…
Dear Ryan:
I hereby humbly apologize for every time I ever called you “Dumpster.”
Dear Alfonso:
Sorry, no apologies for you.
Dear Carlos:
Nah!
Not me, Game 1 of the 2008 playoffs is still too fresh in my mind.
Depending on how the rest of the game proceeds, the EBS might be slightly delayed.
Uh oh. Who’s gonna pitch the 9th?
Oh, boy. Here we go…
This would be comical, if it weren’t so pathetic.
Marmol is such a joke.
Oh, God, not again!!!
PUT IN RUSSELL!
There goes the shutout… Please take Marmol out and bring in anybody. Hell, I wouldn’t mind if some drunk fan pitches, he’ll be more accurate than Marmol!
For the love of God, please NEVER let Marmol pitch in a meaningful spot ever again.
Agreed, but somehow, he will again!
Anyone at the game with a sniper locked on Marmol please pull trigger.
Why, God, why….
Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Carlos Marmol’s Got To Go!!!
It really gets old with Marmol….
WTF did Sveum expect after he watched the fist walk? There is no history that says Marmol will get it back if he looks awful to begin with. The fact that he got 5 batters is ridiculous. Bad managing.
Amen
ya, this one is shame on Sveum. I am confident we will see a MUCH shorter leash with Marmol in the future.
I dont know why we’d expect Sveum to change now? Marmol either has something on him or he has shit for brains. the writing was on the wall on the second pitch to votto. it read: “MARMOLS FUCKING DONE”. Dale reminds me more and more of Quade everyday. I know our bullpen sucks, but everyone in there is better than Marmol…. everyone. turn the plane around! Maine back to Chicago! Marmol released, or traded for a clean pair of socks (dirty socks are an acceptable substitution). The guy once had some stuff, its been more than one season of total suck, he’s done.
sveum has about 2 weeks to prove that his head has been removed from his ass, and the hole surgically closed to prevent re-entry, and then im done.
And this is why you don’t give huge 4 year deals to relievers with great stuff but no control. Please just release Marmol.