Letting Go of the Big Z

As of this writing, the deal isn't 100% done but like the rest of us, I found out early this morning that the months-long "Zambrano to the Marlins?" rumor just lost its question mark and it's now certain that Zambrano is headed for the Miami Marlins in exchange for Chris Volstad.

This isn't really an analysis-based post...The Flagrant Fan has broken down this trade very efficiently in this post, which is so far the best and most humble assessment of the pending transaction, starting with Scrabble, confirming my own belief that Volstad's updside outweighs Zambrano's risk, and ending with my similar lament of the absence of Zambrano's killer bat. Pitchers who can hit are sexy; Zambrano is one of the best hitting pitchers I've ever seen.

Beyond this, I think Chris Volstad is a very good pitcher - here are 2 games I've got on record featuring his work:

7/31/2009 CHC 2, FLA 5 - I scored this game from a WGN Radio broadcast, Volstad held his own against Rich Harden (who struck out 11 and walked 3)...Harden left the game after th 5th inning and 2ER, Volstad had the Cubs handcuffed until the 7th when Jake Fox' 2-run HR tied the game at 2. It was Carlos Marmol who blew the game apart and allowed the Marlins to win.

8/27/2010 FLA 7, ATL 1 - This was the 4th game of our BIL Tour 2010 baseball trip, where Tommy Hanson gave away HR as the Turner Field gameday promotion. Volstad wasn't necessarily all that and a bag of chips (it was Hanson's game to lose, and he did) but he did last 8 innings and only gave up 1 run, which is just fine.

As for Carlos Zambrano, I'm not going to lie...I will miss him quite a bit. When he was good, he was magical... obviously, that's the Big Z I will miss the most. When he was bad, he was abysmal...and that's baseball, especially if you're a pitcher. Zambrano was consistent in his greatness and badness, this gave my enjoyment of his games a truly heightened sense of gut-wrenching drama. Carlos Marmol comes close to this, but only for one inning and at the end of a game. Zambrano delivered the drama throughout, whether it was 2 innings or 7, you never knew when he would explode...or not. I will never forget his nonchalant, cap-off-brow-wiping attitude on the mound; you could never tell how he felt about how he was doing, great or horrible. I can't tell you if he will ever be remembered as one of the most intimidating pitchers in baseball but for me, he certainly will be.

In 2009 and 2010, I watched and/or listened to Zambrano pitch in 12 games that I scored. He started 9 of them, won 4 of those games, and lost 3. It’s a small sample size, but so is Carlos Zambrano. Think what you want of him, of course, but set aside his public emotional outbursts for just a moment. He has been and will be one of my favorite pitchers, and also one of my favorite Cubs.

I also saw him start against Louisville native and ex-Cub Todd Wellemeyer and the St Louis Cardinals at Wrigley on August 9, 2008, I didn’t score this game but remember it well as it was the day that I pitched the idea of the BIL Tour to Mark and he bought in. The Cubs took the series, but Zambrano only lasted 4.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and 9 ERs, 4 of those hits were HR. Here’s a picture I took of Big Z at bat during the 3rd inning of that game (sorry about the screen), and another picture of his solo HR trot that followed that plate appearance…
Theriot congratulates Big Z with a pat on the neck…

Now that I’ve written all that, bring back into focus his public meltdown episodes…baseball drama at its finest. Or maybe weirdest. Coincidence reigns, as the day we find out the Zambrano era with the Cubs is probably over is also the same date in 2009 that Milton Bradley became a Cub. His flair for the dramatic wasn’t nearly as much fun as Zambrano’s, you can’t really compare.

I’m sure he’ll be fine with the Marlins, although I wonder what ever happened to his July 2009 sentiments that he would retire at the end of his contract; he pulled this one again after his August 2011 meltdown, but Zambrano just can’t retire. He wants to compete, and maybe he wants to work with Guillen and the Marlins to help bring him to a place that the Cubs couldn’t. You might feel the same way if you worked under guys like Dusty Baker, Lou Piniella, and Mike Quade…but maybe you wouldn’t.

At 30 years old, Zambrano is a lot more like many of us are (or were) at the same age, sans being a Venezuelan millionaire starting pitcher. I don’t believe that Zambrano’s temper or temperament was a key contributor to his struggles over the past few years, but rather they are just pieces of a psyche that belongs to a passionate individual who still doesn’t know what his destiny is, but is very much attached to the large amount of money he makes to be in this state of mind, and therefore takes it out on Gatorade machines in the dugout.

Wikipedia: Carlos Zambrano was the only NL pitcher to have won at least 13 games in each year from 2003-2008.

I’m going to miss him, yes…but I have moved on. As a Cubs fan, I’m ready for a change. Zambrano’s probably been ready for a couple of years, but pride kept him from being more proactive about this.

Butch succumbed to “pride” in Pulp Fiction and ended up a winner (any time you can leave a movie script riding on a ‘chopper,’ you are a winner). Hopefully Zambrano can do the same, now that he’s making what is probably going to be the best move in his career to date.

8/14/11 Chicago Cubs 6, Atlanta Braves 5

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA
Game 3 of 3

Brandon Beachy is a GREAT pitcher!He’s also the only professional baseball player that I know of whose alma mater is the same as my own…so WORD, Brandon Beachy!!

The ‘rubber match’ of the strangest Cubs series of the season could only end on a stranger note than the way it started, so let’s recap with a quick game of “Cubs: TOAD or HERO?”

Game 1: TOAD = Carlos Zambrano
Game 2: HERO = Randy Wells
Game 3: HERO = Carlos Pena With one swing of his bat, he makes a 2-run HR difference between the Cubs winning and the Cubs losing.

Beachy strikes out 8 Cubs; the entire Braves pitching staff strikes out a whopping 18 Cubs total, my goodness. No Cubs walk, at all.

In his end-of-the-year ”Strange stuff…in 2011 regular season” article on ESPN.com, Jayson Stark lists this game as one of his “Five strangest but truest games of the year”:

”Only the Cubs could win an Aug. 14 game against Atlanta in which they struck out 18 times, drew no walks and committed four errors. How many other teams in modern history have won a game in which they did all that? None, of course. But remember, they're the Cubs!

Cubs fans are well-accustomed to this type of notoriety, and while it’s true that it’s been a long time since the Cubs were really this weird, in retrospect I’m glad that I not only watched this game, but committed it to record with my scoresheet…if neither had happened, I wouldn’t appreciate the events of this game quite as much.



Beyond the weirdness alluded to in Stark’s article, there is more!

Brandon Beachy (see above) really is amazing. In a weird way.

Dan Uggla’s hitting streak ENDS at 33 games; in his 3rd plate appearance Darwin Barney robs him of a clean base hit in a brilliant defensive play at which he had no real shot at making…thereby making him the most unpopular man in the entire state of Georgia.

The Cubs fail to successfully execute one of my favorite “rundown” plays ever: the less-than-traditional “6-5-plunk Jose Constanza in the back-6” play.

Those 4 errors in the game? All throwing errors.

Atlanta does not get any extra base hits.

The Cubs win 11 of their last 14 games, and they win their 4th consecutive series.

Last, but not least, Jose Constanza (who was discussed in my Game 2 post) is finally caught on camera licking his bat after getting a piece of a fastball.

First he gets a whiff of the wood, something many batters do…Then, there goes his tongue…YES, his tongue…as he gets a taste!A different angle…Can you believe this??

SCOREKEEPER’S NOTE: You read my dissertation in the Game 2 post regarding Chipper Jones being charged with an error, then seeing it vanish into thin air after the fact…in this game, the Official Scorer apparently learned the hard way that “you don’t charge Chipper with an error and get away with it,” as Chipper once again fails to make a routine throw to first in the top of the 9th, allowing Aramis Ramirez to reach 1B safely with 2 outs. Yes, the home field Official Scorer would rather give Ramirez credit for a base hit as well as open up the possibility for Craig Kimbrel to end up with at least 1 earned run, should anybody score in this inning, rather than go through the headache of charging Jones with an E and having to answer for it later on. Due to the game situation, I concur with the Official Scorer’s ruling this time around and don’t charge an E against Jones.

Why, you ask?




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8/13/11 Chicago Cubs 8, Atlanta Braves 4

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA
Game 2 of 3

Hi, my name is RANDY WELLS…did you miss me?Yes, we did, buddy. It’s much too late now for you to save the Cubs in 2011, but it’s nice to know that you are “back,” even if it’s for one game…especially at a time like this!

With Game 1 behind us, this is already a series that Cub fans want to forget. Yesterday, Carlos Zambrano absolutely freaked out, in front of a packed crowd of Braves fans gathered to see Bobby Cox have his number retired. Aside from the scurried responses of Mike Quade and the rest of the Cubs, Jim Hendry had to call Braves GM John Schuerholz personally to apologize for this most outrageous Z moment of the year (and so far, of his career). Not only that, but the Cubs lost and the Braves are doing wayyy better than the Cubs, well on their way to a postseason berth.



Enter Randy Wells, who was the Cubs’ knight in shining armour in 2010 but has been inexplicably confusing in performance this year, being both hindered by a lengthy spell on the DL and by a 6.63 ERA, 1-4 W-L record from his return on May 28 through July 28, allowing at least 3 ER in each start except for his electric performance against the Houston Astros on July 23, lasting 6 innings and only allowing 1 ER. His starts in August until today were just as baffling, with a good outing in Pittsburgh on August 2 (6 IP, 2ER, 7K, 1HR) and another poor outing against Cincinnati at Wrigley on August 7 (7 IP, 6ER, 1K, 3HR).

Tonight, the Cubs couldn’t have asked for a better situation given the circumstances of last night’s atrocity exhibition. Wells cruises through 5 innings of 8-hit, 2-ER baseball with 1 K and a HR. Trouble early in the 6th after hitting Dan Uggla to lead things off gets him out of the game early, but the Cubs provided much-needed run support in the 5th, so Wells leaves as the pitcher of record and Jeff “The Shark” Samardzija retires the side to preserve the lead.

Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney are a big part of the Cubs’ run support, each batting 4-for-5 in the game; Carlos Pena’s RBI double in the 5th and Geovany Soto’s RBI fielder’s choice in the 6th (scoring Tyler Colvin, who reached base on a wild triple that popped right out of Michael Bourn’s glove). 6 Cubs drive in runs tonight, a great show of support for Wells and the team as a whole.

Dan Uggla extends his hitting streak to 33 games, the media is really starting to pick up on this.

It’s good to see Jose Constanza in a Braves uniform and seeing some action in the big leagues. Constanza spent 6 years in the Indians’ farm system, never making it to the Majors that entire time. He was signed by the Braves as a free agent at the end of the 2010 season and was called up on July 29 of this year. Constanza is on record as a switch-hitter, but has only batted from the left side of the plate since a hand injury in 2005. His big urban legend is his propensity for licking his bat, an act we don’t get to see in tonight’s game but do get it on record in Game 3 of the series.

SCOREKEEPER’S NOTE: I’ve written many times about charging errors to players, and have shared examples of instances where I have disagreed with the Official Scorer and kept my own ruling intact, regardless of whatever else happens during or after the game. Another well-known factor in charging errors rests in the tendency for “homers” as Official Scorers to sway their decisions in favor of a particular player and/or situation. We also know that team officials can protest the Official Scorer’s rulings, and often do. When you’re scoring on your own (at home or at the ball park) you run into this from time to time.

Tonight, we are exposed to an example of a ruling on a play that was changed after the fact, and since we’re in Atlanta we have to consider the influence of one Chipper Jones…who is no doubt a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and more prone than others to exercise his option of disputing a Scorer’s ruling…even at the detriment of one of his teammates’ own record. Even if that teammate is Mr. Derek Lowe!!

Here’s a screenshot of the final linescore, complete with a Castro/Barney hug that will melt the heart of any Cub fan:You will note 2 Errors for Atlanta; this is what my final scoresheet tally resulted in as well. Jones nearly bobbled a softly hit Geovany Soto grounder (the very same play that scored Tyler Colvin, mentioned earlier) but absolutely over-gunned the throw to first. Since Jones chose the play at 1B, Geo reaches on a fielder’s choice (yes, a “fielder’s choice, no PO play,” as detailed in this post). I will agree with this, and will not argue that Jones’ best option was to hold Colvin at 3B or better yet, throw him out at home plate…however, his throw to 1B was bush league at best; for a guy with his skill and experience, that is positively an error…on the flip side, why should Lowe earn this run? There is no reason, period.

Fast forward to the next morning on MLB Gameday, where the Jones error has vanished, Lowe has now earned all 5 runs he allowed, and just like that, Jones’ bonehead throw is off of the record books for all time. I can’t verify a protest was filed, but given the circumstances, yes, you can count on it.

Why, you ask?


THAT'S WHY!

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6/25/11 Chicago Cubs 2, Kansas City Royals 3

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Game 2 of 3

Chris Getz: from “Toad” to “Hero” in less than 24 hours…

In Game 2 of the “yin-yang series” (my post of Game 1 sheds more light on this) the ‘toad’ of Game 1, Chris Getz, becomes the ‘hero’ of Game 2…or is Jeff Samardzija really the ‘toad’ of Game 2?



Danny Duffy (who will later become better known as #PulledPork) faces Carlos Zambrano in the highest-attendance game at Kauffman Stadium since Opening Day 2011. Duffy stays in the game past the 6th inning for the first time in 9 career starts, but leaves the game in a no-decision deadlock with Zambrano, each allowing 2 runs apiece after 7 innings of work.

Alex Gordon makes a Gold Glove worthy outfield assist in the 3rd inning, allowing Matt Treanor to catch Reed Johnson at home plate…Johnson’s run would have been the first of the game, and probably would have been the difference for the Cubs later on.

The Royals get on the board first, with RBI singles by Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler in the 5th inning. Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto respond by touching Duffy for 2 back-to-back HR in the 6th; Soto’s blast will be important in later innings.

With the score tied at 2 apiece in the 8th, lefty John Grabow starts the inning in relief of Zambrano; Grabow only faces Gordon, with a one-pitch flyout to RF, and is lifted in favor of the Shark. Enter Jeff Samardzija, who offers bases-on-balls to Jeff Francoeur (pinch-hitting for Mitch Maier) and Mike Moustakas (Francoeur steals second during Moustakas’ PA)…with only one out in the inning, Jeff is unable to end it here, and faces Wilson Betemit (pinch-hitting for Matt Treanor). With the count 2-2, Samardzija lobs an 86-mph high and outside pitch to Soto that gets away; the doofus pitch is scored as a passed ball that allows Francoeur to advance to 3rd and suddenly, this game is on the line for the Cubs.

I still question the PB scoring, and only do so because of how high and how outside this potato was; Soto covered a great deal of ground to receive the pitch, therefore, one might disagree and have a valid basis for disagreement…however, let’s just stick with the PB ruling for now…

Soto’s passed ball might have been the move that cost the Cubs the game, but with Gordon’s earlier assist and Soto’s own solo HR to erase this run, the error (by no fault of its own) cancels that HR out and Soto’s game account is even. Technically, Baseball-Reference’s Box Score
credits Soto with a WPA of 0.073, higher than any other Cub in the lineup (even higher than Ramirez’ WPA of 0.052); despite the PB it’s hard to make a claim that Soto blew the game.

Let’s get back to the game…Betemit is still at the plate, and Samardzija strikes him out. 2 down, 2 on, and 2 in scoring position. Chris “The Toad” Getz works a 2-2 count from the Shark before hitting a dribbler that banks off Samardzija’s glove, allowing Francoeur to score. Getz’ WPA is 0.177, that of a “Hero,” not a “Toad,” and Joakim Soria strikes out the side in the top of the 9th, bringing the Royals a well-earned win and tying the “yin-yang” series 1-1.

Incidentally, Francoeur’s timely BB after working a full count, SB, and winning run scored yielded in the Royals’ highest player WPA for the game, 0.199.

Alex Gordon continues his consecutive hit streak at 12 games, Starlin Castro continues his at 9 games.




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5/27/11 RSS Feed Favorites, with DECAF

The Return of the OSAKA TIGERS?!?

“Focus on these GREAT SOCKS!!”

Today's pick o' the RSS Feed, going DECAF today for the weekend...

NPB Tracker:
2011 Uniform Roundup, Volume 1 by Patrick Newman
First of a two installment semi-annual review of NPB uniforms so far, check out the assortment of alternate and throwback unis this season…of course, my favorite are the Hanshin Tigers, are you surprised? Those socks, when I first saw them (thanks, Tug!), made me want to sing "Rokko Oroshi" on the spot!!

Kings of Kauffman:
Luke Hochevar: An Infographic by Gage Matthews
This post was my main reason for even doing RSS favorites today, as I actually have other things to do this morning but just had to share this…I really really like Luke Hochevar, when he loses it I am often reminded of the pain I used to feel when Carlos Zambrano would have one of his “bad days” back in 2008 and 2009…before anger management and his amazing and consistent performance since then. But I digress…I am not a fan of printing these things, but I feel obligated to keep a copy of this in my scorekeeping clipboard so it’s handy for games Hochevar is pitching, that way I can understand his tendencies…especially the ones that are pushing my stomach through a paper shredder…

Enjoy your weekend…I’m still getting caught up at updating posts of games I’ve scored, look for a recap soon.

Eien no tomodachi,
Stevo-sama

5/21/11 Chicago Cubs 9, Boston Red Sox 3

Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Game 2 of 3



As if the talk in last night’s game about the historic 1918 World Series (the last time the Cubs were at Fenway Park to face the Red Sox) wasn’t enough for you, today we got a very awkward and unique visual representation of that contest…throwback unis…HARD!



We’ll get to the game in a moment…first, let’s get our throwback uni freak on! Here’s Alfredo Aceves in his first start for the Red Sox (and his first start about 2 years).Matt Vasgersian make a pretty good joke about how hard it will be for MLB to sell replicas of the Red Sox unis to their fans…it’s just a white hat, white jersey and pants, with red stockings (of course)…no logos or anything. Just White. And Red.

Here’s Carlos Zambrano modeling the Cubs unis, with a scratch. These uniforms have more ‘snazz’ than Boston, but at first glance, I’m thinking…”prison garb??” The “Cubs” logo as represented looks like “UBS” at first (the “C” is actually an open, elongated rectangle around the “UBS”), so I drift from the prison uniform impression to some kind of a bizarre public utility worker uniform…with stirrups.

Here’s both team, in action, sporting the throwbacks.


Mike Quade is probably grimacing about something else, but I’d like to think he’s perhaps making adjustments to seeing these unis on the field…

Where Game 1 of this series was pretty much mostly forgettable for Cubs fans, we won’t be forgetting this game for quite some time…and not in a very good way, either. Aceves is “effectively wild” during his 5 innings of work; he hit the very first Cub he faced, Kosuke Fukudome. During the 2nd inning, Marlon Byrd’s very first at bat, Aceves hits Byrd in the face, sending Byrd reeling to the ground in pain.It’s apparent Byrd isn’t hit on purpose, but he’s hit just the same, and for a few minutes, we are all pretty much in pain as Byrd writhes in agony.
Kevin Youkilis at 3B winces when Byrd is hit (his stirrups style leads to some amusing comments from Vasgersian and Eric Karros).

There isn’t much more to say; Reed Johnson comes in as a pinch-runner and the Red Sox take the lead early in the game, with the score at 3-1 entering the 8th inning. This is when the Cubs pull off an extraordinary 8-run 8th inning, lighting up relievers Matt Albers (6R, 5 of them earned) and newly-acquired Franklin Morales in his first appearance for Boston (2 ER). 2 RBIs in the inning are credited to Johnson.

Youkilis is hit by Zambrano in the 5th, apparently in retaliation for Byrd. We get an indication of this when HP umpire Alfonso Marquez issues warnings to Quade and Francona. Quade is enraged, holding up 2 fingers (and not as a peace sign)…indicating he is “owed” for 2 beanings. This is a historic HBP for Youkilis, his 72nd, that has him passing Mo Vaughn’s previous record with the Red Sox.

Another Red Sox Milestone: David Ortiz hits his 300th tater as a Red Sock…over the Green Monster, of course.

In one of the strangest Catcher’s Interference calls I’ve ever seen, Jacoby Ellsbury gets on base in his very first PA of the game, when on a 1-2 pitch, the end of his bat as he swings knocks off Koyie Hill’s glove…




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4/16/11 Chicago Cubs 8, Colorado Rockies 3

Coors Field, Denver, CO
Game 2 of 3



Well, what ELSE could I call this pair after this game?!?

We came into this game mighty fearful (c’mon, you know it’s true!), facing the Rox whilst they sported a formidable 7-game winning streak and enjoying the best W-L record in the MLB. This streak was effectively blasted by the fighting Cubbies…the Rockies went 0-for-12 with RISP, Casey Coleman pitched 5.2 very good innings, and Starlin Castro…really?!?

AJ Walsh is probably not sure why I don’t LOVE Castro yet, but as we joked during this game, I am enjoying this period of lust…I’m afraid if I express my LOVE, the relationship might go ‘foul’ and I am really enjoying this ride a bit too much to break up the party!



Troy Tulowitzki wasn’t exactly reserved but he wasn’t exactly hot either (2-for-4, R, 2 flyouts)…my private tears fell for Ian Stewart, the current lump on my fantasy league roster. Chris Iannetta pwned the Rockies offense today with a solitary 1 out 2-run HR (the Rockies’ only other run driven in by Seth Smith).

Casey Coleman (4H, ER, 3BB, 3K, 2HB, 96 pitches total; 51 strikes, 7 balls in the air, 7 on the ground) was near-deadly during his outing but not exactly lights out…and that’s just fine with me, he challenged the best team in baseball and he WON. With help from the Rockies, who stranded 13 total in the game. And with help from the CUBBIES.

He hit 2 batters, Rockies starting pitcher hit 1 in response. That’s OK, it’s baseball. And the benches didn’t clear. NICE. I love this stuff.

As for this guy, Starlin Castro…if there’s one Cub on the roster that’s going to get me off of my Carlos Marmol Tums Addiction, maybe he really will be the one. Dude went 4-for-5 with a run scored, 3 driven in (on a most excellent 3-run HR), and a groundout in his final plate appearance. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Darwin Barney with back-to-back doubles and Alfonso Soriano with a solo HR! Kosuke Fukudome came up with a dazzling Broken Bat RBI Single. Was I pinching myself? Quite.

I love the CUBS. I really like this team…it’s only April, but you know what…I’ve already began the process of believing that there’s more to Castro than the “Cuban Hustle Crisis,” I have re-acclimated myself to the fact that Carlos Zambrano is a great pitcher, I still believe that Matt Garza is AWESOME, and I don’t find myself caring about Carlos Pena’s Mendoza numbers right now (mostly because I think I didn’t expect them to change). The Cubs are NL Central contenders in April…they weren’t in April last year, so THIS is an improvement. I am still worried about the Cardinals…I am a Cubs fan, that’s the way it goes. This is a marathon.

I just realized I forgot to tally the Pena Shift on my scoresheet; the shift was on in 4 of his 5 plate appearances, but was not effective in his first at-bat, a single to (where else?) the second baseman.

Strike up the band…no doubt about it…the CUBS are on their way.

4/2/11 Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Chicago Cubs 5

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Game 2 of 3

So, the Pirates pwned the Cubs last year…and they pwned us on Opening Day, thanks to Ryan Dempster and “Cubs Nemesis” Neil Walker. Certainly, this pwnership just cannot last. And what of Carlos Pena?



Believe it.



The Pirates score one run each in the 1st, 3rd, and 7th innings. Carlos Zambrano does very well (he is a GREAT pitcher, fact…) but when he leaves the 7th inning after giving up the solo shot to Garrett Jones, the Pirates pwn us again and the Cubs are scoreless.

Enter Evan Meek…and a wild 8th inning…5 runs are scored by the Cubs and what do you know…we WIN!

Len and Bob, recalling his grand salami on Opening Day, refer to Neil Walker as “Cubs Nemesis Neil Walker,” so I will too.

Starting this season, I will welcome Carlos Pena to the team by documenting the Pena Shift…you can see on my scoresheet, for every plate appearance, look for the circled “22,” that means the shift was on. The shift was on for 2 out of 4 plate appearances. The shift is REAL.

Alfonso Soriano received a considerable amount of flack from the Wrigley crowd on what was seen as a baserunning blunder in the 7th inning on a perceived dropped 3rd strike. Soriano stuck out swinging, and the ball was dropped on a wild pitch. No need to boo Fonzie here, the ruling and play are as follows, per Bob Brenly:

With less than 2 outs, 1st base covered, the batter is out automatically, regardless of whether…the pitch gets by the catcher. With 2 outs, this is not the case. Fans were encouraging Soriano to RUN, but he was OUT.

The 7th Inning Stretch was led by Ferguson Jenkins. Go CUBS.

3/13/11 LA Dodgers 3, Chicago Cubs 4

Cashman Field, Las Vegas, NV
(Las Vegas Exhibition Game #2)

Second game of the Las Vegas Exhibition series, this time hosting the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Another one run game, lower scoring than yesterday, but this time the W ended up on the right side!



Zambrano was great, 5 IP, 6H, BB, 3K, only 1 run! Kyle Smit needs to gain a few pounds!! Jeff Baker is good at baseball!!!

Starting for the Dodgers today: Rubby De La Rosa, I saw him start for the Chattanooga Lookouts this summer. Jerry Sands and Dee Gordon were also in the Lookouts lineup for that game, and made appearances in this one as well.

Dodgers' relief 1st baseman Gimenez hits a HR in the 8th inning that "killed" the inflatable cow on the RF wall.

Watching the game on WGN, I got my first glimpse of Trey Hillman in a Dodgers uniform. Ewwwww.

5/8/10 Chicago Cubs 2, Cincinnati Reds 14

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
Game 2 of 3

The second game of the infamous "lopsided series" of May 2010, always remembered and otherwise known as the "Starlin Castro debut series." The first game of the series shocked all but a handful of Cubs fans (and some Reds fans also), this game provided nearly as many surprises, but not nearly enough to the Cubs' benefit.

CHC 2 12 2
CIN 14 15 0

So this was really a nearly-evenly matched pitching duel, just looking at the SP lines:
Aaron Harang (CIN) 6.2IP, 7H, 2ER, BB, 9K, WP, 27 total batters faced
Tom Gorzellany (CHC) 6IP, 9H, 3ER, BB, 9K, HR, 27 total batters faced

Harang had a slight edge over Gorzelanny. As Len Kasper and Bob Brenly would comment during the next game, this was a very close game until the Cubs bullpen had the door shown to them by the Cubs defense. Yes, two routine ground balls, two back-to-back errors (one of them Starlin Castro's first MLB error), two Reds on base and IT hits the fan. When the brick dust settles, 4 Cubs pitchers face the entire Reds lineup twice in 2 consecutive innings, 11 runs scored by the Reds (only 6 of those earned) on 6 hits. Can't throw a phone book at all of them at once.

Rather than go further into game detail, I want to officially unload on the Fox Sports Ohio broadcasting team of Chris Welsh and Thom Brennaman. I've been unreasonably forced to watch baseball games on this channel, as it is my local sports affiliate (things have been better since MLB Network came along)...it's bad enough they are Reds games, better when they are Cubs/Reds games, but sometimes nothing can disguise the smell of manure.

In a way very different than the dream team of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, Welsh and Brennaman continue to demonstrate consistently their own brand of incompetency. Where Miller and Morgan (mostly Morgan) were inspired by egotism and a personalized and unsightly view of the game (as it relates or not to the game you are watching), these bozos are usually barely entertaining in their gaffes behind the mic.

Factoring out forgetfulness...I mean, we loved it when Ron used to forget who was up next, and Pat would tease him about it, it was part of their banter. When Welsh says the pitcher's spot is due up at the top of the next inning and you know without looking at your scoresheet that the pitcher was the last batter of the last inning, I guess that happens. Blame it on your scorebook, Welsh, as you always do. But what follows are example from this game of things these two boobs do all the time.

When Carlos Zambrano is entering the game out of the bullpen, after the obligatory discourse over his controversial assignment to the bullpen and anger management issues, the pitcher's stats appear onscreen and Welsh attempts to let all of us know what to expect.

WELSH: So here we get a look at Carlos Zambrano...the thing about Zambrano here, you know, we've seen him so many times as a starter, but take a look at the number of innings pitched...

There is a pause as K/BB numbers are circled on the screen graphic:

WELSH: ...and the number of striekouts. He's got 11 strikeouts in 24 innings, that's 4 and a half, bases...or, uh...4 and a half bases on balls per 9 innings, he's walking a lotta guys is what I'm saying...

Well, Chris Welsh, at this point even fans of the Reds don't know what the hell you're saying, I had trouble following it, and you obviously didn't even understand the graphic in front of you that you were circling as you were speaking...if you don't have a clue just don't even go there. It's apparent that up to this point he had 30 strikeouts in just over 24 innings, which means over 1 strikeout per inning, and a walk every other inning. This makes a little more sense than the oatmeal you were trying to squish through your teeth. Stay away from the stats, leave that for Joe Morgan. The punch line: right after this Brennaman says "All I know is the Reds need at least one more run." Well said, Charlie...

Welsh and Brennaman make it worse by trying to say Zambrano's 2.99 ERA is deceiving, again, with more random stat analysis. All in defense of Harang as a great pitcher, of course.

One of their typical 'baseball strategy' quotes also appeared in this game, as Jay Bruce gets a complement on defensive play, grabbing a big fly ball on the warning track:

WELSH: well, you know, when you think about right field, you don't think defense, I mean you think first of all, that right fielder is gonna give you plenty of pop at the plate...

WHAT?!? So if a guy is a big hitter, and lousy at defense, he's suitable for right field? This is why Welsh isn't a manager, I guess.

The rubber match is tomorrow, on WGN though. I can't stand Fox Sports Ohio.




I scored this game on 2/27/11.