Casey Coleman, who starts tonight, is still relatively young, but he’s quickly running out of opportunities to show that he should even be in the 2012 rotation conversation. He has the ability to be a successful back-end starter in the bigs, but his control will have to improve dramatically. He’s not a guy who can miss spots – ever – and get away with it, to say nothing of walking guys.
To put the Starlin Castro inattentiveness issue to rest, before last night’s game, Mike Quade said he was “really disappointed [and] very surprised at [Castro]. It is something that we have been after him from Day 1 focus-wise. It is something, to be honest with you, with his talent, [that is] the toughest challenge for him. Not acceptable, not good. He feels terrible. Talked to him today. We’ll give him the day.”
So, Castro got the day off, and he apologized to his teammates. “I want to say I’m sorry to my teammates and it will never happen again,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m real embarrassed. There’s no excuse for that. That can’t happen in a game. That will never happen again.” I’m not looking to Bobby Valentine this kid into the ground, but it is important not to understate how terrible this lapse was. But, for now, let’s move on – go forth and sin no more, Starlin.
As for the Quade piece, it’s a bummer for him – while it may well be the case that he would have noticed Castro’s lapse after the game while reviewing video, it didn’t play out that way. Now, he looks like a bozo who couldn’t see what was happening right in front of his face, and who has lost control of his players. It looks like he benched Castro to quell the wave of hostility that had built up because a TV commentator called him and Castro out. I doubt that’s the case, but perception is the thing these days.
Phil Rogers speculates that, whoever the next GM is, Ryne Sandberg has a better than 50/50 shot of being the Cubs’ next manager. To me, that seems like a crazy prediction without knowing the GM. But, then again, maybe that was the point, because here I am talking about it.
For those wondering why the Chicago sports media talks about Crane Kenney like he slept with each of their mothers, Paul Sullivan offers an explanation in his mailbag: “[T]he Greek priest/holy water episode from the 2008 playoffs, and the ticket-pricing tier that prevents average fans from being able to attend more than one game, and pretending Wrigley Field is his own private playground.” I’m sure there’s more to it than that (Sullivan is often joking in his mailbag answers), because I still don’t feel like that explains how consistently and openly Kenney is reviled among the media. Until I hear the definitive explanation, I can say no more than this: I think the Cubs would have been better off with a “baseball” president – and still do (though, increasingly, it seems like Ricketts himself wants to be that guy) – but Kenney must be doing something right on the “business” side of being president.
Interesting read from the Hardball Times recounting the sins of Jim Hendry.
Marlon Byrd writes up his thoughts on Hendry, mostly affectionate.
Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here.
Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.
I know that Joe Buck is a polarizing broadcaster. Some people love him. Some people hate him. I also know that he seems to have gone through phases in his career where there were stretches I thought he was mutably...
Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show last night, which I mean in the most literal sense. It was more like a performance than a baseball game. Bases-loaded HBP while showing bunt? OK, sure. Running easily to first on a dropped...
Northwestern will be making a return to Wrigley Field not just once this season, but twice! Due to the construction of their brand new football stadium, the Cats will be playing five of their seven home games at its temporary...
The Cubs come back home from the Pittsburgh-Atlanta road trip having split it 3-3, and I gotta say, that's a pretty solid outcome when (1) you're facing Jones and Skenes, (2) you're playing three in Atlanta where they'd lost just...
Just about as soon as I could talk about how Brennen Davis had homered for the third time in four games, he homered AGAIN, making it four times in five games. And this time, just for fun, B.J. Murray Jr....
The Chicago Cubs' bats finally came alive last night in Atlanta, albeit with a little bit of help from Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton. On the other side, Javier Assad was brilliant once again. Good win. Needed win. Enjoy the...
The Cubs took the lead on the very first pitch of the game and didn't look back. They needed that. I needed that. Offense up and down the lineup. Two extra-base hits for Seiya Suzuki. Three times on base for...
There's fast, and then there's Curt Casali fast. Er, well, not his basepath speed, but the speed with which he went from catching at Triple-A Iowa for the Cubs to starting behind the plate tonight for the Giants in San...
The Cubs scored exactly zero runs in their last 18 innings in Atlanta. But Mike Tauchman did not let that streak continue long tonight. On the first pitch of the game, Tauchman lifted one over the left field wall for...
CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs have dropped each of the first two games in this series, failing to score a single run. Let's see if the following Cubs lineup can have any more luck against Charlie Morton and the Braves...
The Houston Astros (18-25) host the Oakland Athletics (19-26) at 8:10 PM ET Thursday for a sluggers' duel between two of the best home-run hitters in baseball. Kyle Tucker has racked up 13 homers this season (No. 1 in the...
The Chicago Cubs (25-19) are set to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (19-25) Thursday at 7:40 PM ET, airing on MARQ. The Cubs are listed as -132 favorites by sportsbooks, while the underdog Pirates have +113 odds for the contest.Justin...
I know that Joe Buck is a polarizing broadcaster. Some people love him. Some people hate him. I also know that he seems to have gone through phases in his career where there were stretches I thought he was mutably...
It appears we won't be getting a repeat performance from last year's PGA Championship darling Michael Block. The club pro from Mission Viejo, California had an epic underdog run during last year's event at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester....
Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show last night, which I mean in the most literal sense. It was more like a performance than a baseball game. Bases-loaded HBP while showing bunt? OK, sure. Running easily to first on a dropped...
Entering Thursday's matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies (31-13), the New York Mets (19-23) are on a three-game losing streak. The contest starts at 6:40 PM ET on MLB Network with the Phillies listed as -143 favorites, while the are +122...
The Boston Red Sox (22-21) and Tampa Bay Rays (22-22) meet Thursday at Fenway Park, with first pitch at 7:10 PM ET on BSSUN. The Red Sox are -110 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Rays are favored against...
The Chicago Cubs (25-19) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (19-25) square off at Wrigley Field on Thursday at 7:40 PM ET, beginning a four-game series.The probable starters are Justin Steele for the Cubs and Jared Jones (2-4) for the Pirates.Cubs vs....
The Oakland Athletics (19-26), who lost their previous four games, face the Houston Astros (18-25) at Minute Maid Park on Thursday. First pitch is at 8:10 PM ET.The Astros will give the nod to Cristian Javier (2-1, 4.01 ERA), who...
Things are a little groggy for me today because allergies and a cold did quite a number on me last night. It'll be a chicken noodle soup day (recipe courtesy of my friend Jim) for me. The Chicago Bears 2024...