Bleacher Report - Articles by Johnny Green

Cubs Aggression Leading To The Dark Side

Johnny Green — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:48:49 -0400

The honeymoon is over, the Cubs right fielder, Kosuke Fukodome is here to stay.

He's funny, left-handed, great in the field, and has a proven track record across the ocean. He also leads the team in walks. But he stopped taking them, and the Cubs recent woes are caused by impatience.

When Jim Hendry shelled out 48 big ones to land Kosuke Fukudome, he had no idea that one player could turn a free-swinging offense (the same guys who laid down for three October games against upcoming Arizona) into a walk-happy, on base leading powerhouse.

Teams and analysts all rave about the Cubs lineup, producers of the second most runs scored in baseball, behind perennial powerhouse Texas. One through eight, there's no easy out in Chicago's lineup -- until now.

The Cubs have scored four runs in their past three contests. Getting shut down by Tim Lincecum is no surprise, the Giants youngster is a freak-phenom. However, the mightiest of NL offenses should not struggle with journeyman starters like Wandy Rodriguez and Brian Moehler. The pitching has been consistent, and the bullpen remains mostly untested. The offense, especially on the road, is the problem.

Fine, don't take walks, Aramis Ramirez has done it for years, making himself the fearsome hitter who ALWAYS gets pitched to. This team HAS to walk, or they will not win. No player will hit .400 on this Cubs team, but they can reach base at a .400 clip.

Ryan Theriot's recent plan has been to rip the cover off the ball, doing his best Mike Fontenot in July 2007 impersonation -- Theriot's clipping along at a .386 average in July -- but even Theriot has walked a ton this year, bring his OBP up near .400.

Strangely enough, Fukudome's recent struggles at the plate have coincided with the team's sputtering engine. As his average has fallen, so has his patience; the only thing not falling are the balls he puts in play.

And while Kosuke has faltered at the bat and on the bases, the Cubs in general have taken fewer pitches. Back to back losses to a sub-.500 team in Houston, and the common denominators are : One run scored on a solo Home Run and zero walks.

Fontenot, Jim Edmonds, and Reed Johnson are all plate patient hitters who take pitches and work at bats; the key is for the every day players to step up and not swing. When Geovany Soto, Derrek Lee, Ramirez, and Mark DeRosa can reach first without putting the ball in play, the Cubs will win consistently again.

Just so we're clear, when this happens in the next four games, and they start to win, I don't want everyone to be fooled by the media into thinking it's because Alfonso Soriano returns from the DL. Soriano will definitely give an offensive boost, and help our solo HR totals, but it is unlikely he will help our on base percentages.

Sean Gallagher: Worth the Trade?

Johnny Green — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:38:16 -0400

Hi, my name is Sean Patrick Gallagher. I'm 6'2", 235 lbs. and I'm from Boston, Massachusetts. I play baseball for a living and I am a right handed pitcher.

I've worked in relief before, but I prefer to start. Recently, I've gained some infamy. The Chicago Cubs, the team that drafted me in the 12th round of 2004, traded me to the Oakland A's. I already know that many A's fan don't care for me, simply because I'm replacing an ace they came to love, Rich Harden.

I know popularity comes and goes in baseball and I know it'll take time to win over the fans. But I want to speak my mind, and get something out here. Give me a chance.

I'm only 22-years-old, my debut was only last June and I've only made 10 starts at the major league level. Could it be that I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of my potential? Could it be that Lou Piniella was right, when he told me I need to learn to "waste" my breaking pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone?

Maybe I'm venting for no reason, but every write-up I see about the trade throws me in the mud. I get it, Cubs fans don't want me hurting their chances, learning on the fly.

It's the same reason Rich Hill got kicked out so early. Guy makes two bad starts and it's a national crisis. Look, Cubs fans will always have their passion, and their high expectations. I just need some time to develop.

Another thing that irks me are some of the writers here on B/R. Do you watch baseball? Or is all your information based on bitter disappointment because you didn't win your fantasy league?

Do you get your information from other sportswriters? Are you spoon-fed by your teams' announcers? If you know something about the game, write about it.

Otherwise, leave the articles that say "Sean Gallagher will never amount to anything" on your parent's counter-top, so they can post them on their fridge. I've barely pitched 130 innings, give me some time.

Best luck to Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin and all my friends on the Chicago Cubs. Matt Murton and I will enjoy the more relaxed environment in Oakland, and we'll enjoy starting.

Bold Prediction: Institution of Marshall Law in Chicago

Johnny Green — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:19:40 -0400

The Chicago Cubs have the best record in the National League, they have the best run differential in the game, and this team is favored by many fans. That much you already know.

Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano lead the pitchers, each with nine wins and respectable ERAs. Ted Lilly has also chipped in nine wins, despite getting off to a bad start.

Jason Marquis, Sean Gallagher, and Sean Marshall contribute as well—these six pitchers threw seven quality starts in eight tries (the lone exception being Gallagher's performance in SF, where he was pulled early to save his arm for the bullpen).

Hypothetically, this team has a chance to have three 20 game winners. However, my focus is not on the known horses, but the dark horse, Sean Marshall. Since debuting with the Cubs, he has quickly become one of my favorite pitchers.

I sympathize with him when I see his low run support in the past. But the 96 loss Cubs of 2006 are gone, and the team with seven All-Star selections remains. So despite only having made three starts, and despite not making the first start until June 24, I will predict 10 wins for lefty Sean Marshall.

The small smattering of statistics for Marshall show no such evidence. He was replaced by Steve Trachsel down the stretch last season. He was only a starter in 2006 because Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Wade Miller, and Angel Guzman had all become non-options.

He's had 43 starts before this season and only recorded 13 wins. This season, as of Sunday, he has one.

So what reason can I possibly give for making this suggestion, this prediction, of a breakout half season for Sean Marshall? Empirical evidence? None. True, his Hit Batters, Walks, ERA, and HRs allowed all improved from '06 to '07. But to the casual fan, they'll have no reason to believe me.

Maybe I like the fact that he's 6-foot-7 and has a devastating curveball AND a devastating slider. Or that strikeout per inning he's going to average this year. Mostly, I have to think it's the quiet way he goes about his game, never showboating, trash talking; he is the ice to Zambrano's fire.

And as left-handed aces go, the Cubs answer to the Brewer's C.C. Sabathia.

Cubs-Giants: See-Saw Battle Decided by 5'7" "Giant" Second Baseman

Johnny Green — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:38:19 -0400

On Wednesday night, I had the distinct privilege of celebrating my brother's 29th birthday by taking him to the Cubs game.

From 1997 on, I have faithfully followed the Cubs, and this particular brother has been the closest thing I've had to a fellow Cubs fan. While baseball is not his favorite sport, he knows and understands the game, and can appreciate the nuances. Most importantly, he's not a Giants fan.

Living in California as a Cubs fan, I've long since learned to block out the jeers of the Giants fans by which I'm surrounded.

I was in the left field bleachers, watching Bonds take his position for a few games, including Nomar Garciaparra's debut, Greg Maddux's 300th win, and the game in which former Cub Juan Pierre robbed Bonds of his 714th Home Run.

California life as a Cubs fan could be much worse.

I picked my game carefully at first, watching the rotation, to see which game Carlos Zambrano would be featured in, only to find my favorite player would miss this series by one game.

I thought about watching the Cubs power coming off the bats of Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano, only to see they wouldn't make the SF series either.

With reluctance, I felt at least the new Cub, the one I liked so much, maybe he would patrol center field for my Cubbies. Alas, Reed Johnson, the gritty hard-nosed grinder, would miss the first three games of this series, including the game to which I had tickets.

So I made my trek to San Francisco, determined to witness Ryan Dempster's first road win in three years, confident that if he could defeat an offense on the road, surely the Giants' woes would be his salve.

And yet, Ray Durham's eagerness to hit a first pitch fastball, and Carlos Marmol's desire to get in front of the next hitter left me and Dempster shaking our heads in disbelief.

I thought up and down the lineup, looking for a pinch-hitter who could make the difference, a speedster who could steal that base, and I nearly overlooked the shortest Cub in recent memory, Mike Fontenot.

He's a great little player, a full five inches shorter than me, but he came up big in July last season, and has played a useful and versatile role for Chicago this season. But let's not forget his recent outburst of power.

Being limited to occasional spot starts or pinch-hitting duties has kept Fontenot from his high average we fell in love with when he first debuted.

However, his two big flies against the crosstown White Sox, and his game winner tonight, and you can bet Lou Piniella will be finding some more starts for this Giant-killer, no matter how tall he stands.

Tampa and Wrigley Celebrate First World Series

Johnny Green — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:47:41 -0400

October 1st has come and gone, and all eagerly anticipate many World Series firsts. Kosuke Fukudome and Akinori Iwamura will be playing in their first World Series games. Troy Percival and Derrek Lee return to the Series for the first time each since 2002 and 2003, respectively.

The Chicago Cubs play in their first World Series since World War II, and the Tampa Bay Rays host their first World Series of their young franchise.

These two teams had the best records in baseball on July 1st, best records at the All-Star break, and best records at the end of the regular season. This is the first meeting of best record teams since 2000, when the Mets were crushed by the Mighty Yankees of the turn of the century.

This is the first World Series since 2001 to exclude at least one Wild Card team. So why so many firsts? Why these two teams? Why did the best records make it through the playoffs?

These two teams are marked by one commonality: pitching. Sure the Cubs led the majors in runs scored for most of the season. Sure the Rays did everything right, with the hit and run play of Iwamura, Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, and the home run pop of Carlos Pena, Eric Hinske and Evan Longoria. But the constant throughout the season was the pitching.

Much has been made of the Cubs deadline acquisition of ----- ------. While this arm made a significant contribution to the team, the pieces where already in place. Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly compliment each other very well, mixing contrary styles. Z throws grounders, sinkers, and records a few strike outs. Lilly throws fly balls, big overhand curves, and loves to strike out a dozen at a time.

Ryan Dempster and Jason Marquis have been more than average, eating innings and dominating games from time to time. Then the bullpen, with middle men Jose Ascanio, Neal Cotts, Scott Eyre and Michael Wuertz getting the ball to Bob Howry, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood.

This team goes deep into ballgames, and they hold the lead.

Similarly in St. Petersburg, Matt Garza, James Shields, Scott Kazmir and Andy Sonnastine are known to dominate through the sixth inning or more, and the pen featuring Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour, Percival and the rest.

These two offenses will have their hands full, with both staffs more than capable of shutting down lineups . A slight edge goes to the Cubs, if you believe you learn more from a loss than a win; the Cubs took that adage to heart, when they dropped three in a row to the Rays in a June series. But the games were close, and could have easily turned into a Cubs sweep, had the bounces off the turf been kinder.

First time in a franchise history, or first time in 100 years? Weigh in!

Jim Edmonds Shedding Ex-Cardinal Label

Johnny Green — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:50:38 -0400

So, you say you're a Cubs fan... you say you like Jim Edmonds batting fifth, because he supplies the lefty power Piniella has pined for...you say, "Who cares that he used to be a Cardinal, he's a Cub now!!"

Or, you say you're a die-hard, bleeding blue, Billy Goat-hating Cubs fan, who HAS hated Jim Edmonds for years, but you feel he made himself a true Cub this weekend, by hitting two opposite field home runs for the Cubs.

Perhaps you're the skeptical type, holding out for the next Cubs-Cardinals matchup, to see if Edmonds is secretly a redbird spy, sent by the lowly Padres to infiltrate our club, and give the Cards the advantage they need against us.

Baseball is a game of passion, where tempers run hot, blood boils, fights break out, and purpose pitches play chin music all summer long. A game of great history, many fans think back about the all time great players, the men who played entire careers with one team, maybe two.

Ty Cobb never won a World Series, playing all but two years with the Detroit Tigers. Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio won many, all with the New York Yankees. Bob Gibson was a Cardinal, Sandy Koufax was a Dodger, and Willie Mays was a Giant.

Players have come to be seen not as individuals, but rather parts of the whole team. This causes many fans to dislike players who behave like individuals, demanding higher contracts, extensions, or trades.

Many players understand the team concept. In 2006, in the middle of an abysmal season for the Chicago Cubs, a sure-fire Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux went to his long-term friend, Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry, and informed him he would accept a trade. Forgetting his own personal reasons, he offered himself for the team's sake.

Today, many fans favor hating opponents over cheering on their own players, sometimes simply because the opponents last longer than their own team's players.

So next time you hear a fellow Cubs fan say they will always hate Edmonds, or they're learning to let him in, just know that many afternoons and evenings were ruined by the collective efforts of the St. Louis Cardinals, a team Edmonds formerly represented. Baseball memories die hard...these things take time!