Bleacher Report - Articles by Damen Jackson

Re-Signing Mark DeRosa Will Not Make the Chicago Cubs Better

Damen Jackson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Filed: Nov. 18, 2009

Have you ever found yourself reading a well-written piece and feeling like it all sounds logical and sensible, but then you think about it a little more and wonder if the writer is off his meds?

I had a moment like this when I read a recent piece by Fox Sports writer Dayn Perry , who proposes in the column a number of moves that teams need to make this offseason.

It reads like something of a wild farce through a fantasy league, although I do recommend that you read it. You'll find ideas like:

1) The cash-strapped Tigers ignoring that they can't sell tickets (or dump salaries) and spending even more to pick up a free agent closer;

2) That Mike Cameron should ignore his ego, talent, and reputation and go man a corner spot for the Cardinals, which would then give them one of the best outfield defenses in the league—his words, not mine;

3) That the Yankees should continue to march Johnny Damon out to left field for the next three years—and at likely a premium price for the trouble;

And oh, my favorite: that the Cubs should re-sign Mark DeRosa to man second base next season.

Ouch. Now even Perry is drinking the Kool-Aid?

You guys know me. I generally like the idea of getting the band back together, and when DeRosa was good, he was very good. But the team has moved on; they've changed. General manager Jim Hendry needs to recognize that and not have this turn into another offseason of bad moves and poor lineup construction.

The long and short of it is that the Cubs don't need right-handed power. You've got four RH hitters capable of hitting 25-plus homers a season. You don't need a super-utility man either. Jeff Baker has spent time at every position on the field sans shortstop, and even being arbitration eligible, he should likely slot into the 2010 roster at at least half the cost of re-signing DeRosa.

What they do need is a left-handed hitter capable of getting on base and some help with run prevention, neither of which can be expected from a 35-year-old DeRosa playing second base.

The Cubs still missed plenty of bats in 2009, but it's very evident that the biggest advantage that the Cubs could give themselves next season besides better health is improving their up-the-middle defense.

No more Kosuke Fukudome in center, a real defensive second baseman, and if they were really smart, quietly showing Ryan Theriot the door, but I guess that last one is a conversation for another time.

Quite simply, with Rich Harden leaving and a lack of power arms in the pen, look for more balls in play in 2010, and the need to cover more ground to not have to extend starters and get into what so far is looking like a very thin middle relief situation.

I'm going to make a modest proposal. Rather than pandering and playing the PR game as Perry suggests, how about improving the team on the field? If shuttling Milton Bradley doesn't return a left-handed-hitting infielder in return, may I suggest Felipe Lopez or Orlando Hudson, both of whom should be expected to see deals in the same neighborhood as DeRosa, if not cheaper?

Not to mention that both are younger, able to swipe a base, and perfectly suitable for the top-of-the-lineup role that Hendry and manager Lou Piniella have suggested an interest in.

Whatever the case, you simply can't go home again. Trading Mark DeRosa was never the problem. Shipping him off so as to sign the likes of Milton Bradley was. It's done. It didn't pan out. Move on.

Will the Cubs Be Welcoming Mike Cameron Back to Chicago?

Damen Jackson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:18:00 -0500

No, it hasn't come to fruition yet, but I suspect that it's a phrase that we should all start practicing.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired center fielder Carlos Gomez in a swap with the Twins for J.J. Hardy, relegating Mike Cameron, at least temporarily, to the ranks of the unemployed.

Can't blame general manager Doug Melvin. As a cash-constrained team, especially one desperate for pitching, they simply couldn't afford the luxury of Mike Cameron. Between his salary and Hardy's, they look to free up a very good chunk of change, enabling them to dip into the free agent market for a pitcher or two.

Personally, I think they need to wake up and deal Prince Fielder to get it, but hey, every man is free to make his own mistakes.

But back to Cameron, who has frustrated me for years with his long swing, and strikeout tendencies. Pair him and Alfonso Soriano together in a lineup, and I'm certain they'll eclipse 300 strikeouts next season without trying. That's the bad news.

Fortunately, the good news is two-fold. Cameron is something of a hallmark on consistency, being not only still a superior defender in center, but someone you slot in your lineup, and just ring up the stats. You'll get 20-25 homers, and .800 OPS, and double-digit steals. Little more, little less.

There's been very little deterioration in his game over the last season, in my opinion. He still appears in very good health, better spirits, and with the same professional work habits. You might do well to spell him just a little more with a left-handed hitter, so as to cut back his starts just a touch.

But a two-year (with or without option) deal for a team shopping for a bat would seem like smart business, especially given that he should slot a bit below Bobby Abreu's most recent deal.

But here's the rub: Lou Piniella and Mike Cameron are probably each other's biggest fans. Their welcomes are warm, the conversations always long, and praise always high, going back to their Mariner days. Cameron is everything that Piniella likes in not only a player, but a person. Consider me shocked if Piniella doesn't insist that the Cubs at least kick the tires.

Bottom line, he's a Lou guy; someone Piniella has always respected, and gives the Cubs a solid, short-term, reasonably-priced solution for 2010—minus the headaches.

We'll all have to wait and see how the Milton Bradley trade scenarios play out, but with Cameron now available, I'd look for rumors of hot and heavy conversations between them to start as soon as this week.

Chicago Cubs, John Grabow Talk Multi-Year Deal...Wait, What?!

Damen Jackson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:16:00 -0500

Filed: Nov. 3, 2009

Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 is reporting that the Cubs and reliever John Grabow are in the midst of heavy talks for a multi-year deal. Levine reports that the offer is reportedly to be a $6.5 to $7.5 million pact, with a third year being a possibility.

Some people never learn. I expected the Cubs to make a meaningful offer to retain John Grabow, especially given that he was effective down the stretch for the Cubs. If, at the end of the day, the Cubs can lock him up at under $6.5 million, preferably with the second year as an option, then this is a win-win in my book.

But I'm seeing the continuation of disturbing trends here that I hoped would cease with the ownership transition. Multi-year deals for relievers are reserved for lights-out firemen, closers, and guys with an established history of success. Not for lefties with average stats, pitching in low-stress innings for a perennial loser in Pittsburgh.

The formula is to have these guys on one-year deals, where they play for their pay, allowing your club the most financial flexibility possible, and giving them to ability to concentrate on allocating money to players who provide the best return on the investment. And those are usually not guys pitching in 60 innings of middle relief a season.

The Cubs have seen this as recently as a couple of years ago, when lengthy deals made to Scott Eyre and Bob Howry had both hanging around at least a year too long, for various reasons.

Here's the real problem though. At the end of the day, the Cubs are bidding against themselves. Grabow, a likely Type A free agent, is probably the softest of the lefties hitting the market this offseason. With Joe Beimel (better stats, and playoff experience), Mike Gonzalez (potential closer fallback), Billy Wagner (same), and Ron Mahay on the market as well, there are any number of lefties here that either won't cost a team a first round pick, or can better justify that compensation in their signing.

The Cubs need only offer John Grabow arbitration, and his free agent status deteriorates to the point where he's almost forced to return to the Cubs, likely on a one year, $4 million dollar package. Simple, easy, and cost controlled.

And if he leaves, the Cubs collect not one, but two picks in next year's draft. Where's the downside here?

Wanting John Grabow back is fine, and if Jim Hendry can get him with one, plus an option, I think he should do that. But upwards of $4 million per, with a potential third year vested added in is pure nonsense.

Too much money, too many years, and bidding against yourselves. The more that I hear that, the less I like it.

Meet the new Cubs owners: "We've one agenda, and that's to win"

Damen Jackson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:54:00 -0400

Filed:October 30th, 2009

Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts

And with one 20 minute press conference this morning, an historic event has come and gone, with the Ricketts family officially announced as the Cubs owners.

The new group, fronted by Tom, with a board led by family members Peter, Todd, and Laura, promised first and foremost a World Series championship, and a legitimate commitment to establishing a perennial contender. In fact, Tom stated that the key to bringing a winner to Chicago was putting a playoff caliber team on the field every year, and his goal was to make sure that this happened.

Further, Ricketts went on to state that in his opinion, the incoming talent alone for next season was enough to not only be playoff caliber, but to carry the team into the World Series. I'll stop here, and give you a moment to collect yourself after that. I take this as a sign to don't look for any significant signings this off-season, with this statement as cover to help hide the financial strains that the purchase of the team put on the family.

And how are the Cubs going to create this winner? Amongst some of his finer points were:

1) A legitimate commitment to hiring both the best on-field and front office personnel.

2) Improvements to Wrigley Field, immediately by improving the game-day experience, and long-term with improvements to the stadium conditions, and the addition of the triangle building.

3) Increase in payroll for next season, albeit with "slight" increases in ticket prices to fund it.

4) Promising to leave the baseball decisions up to the front office people, giving them the leeway to make the required decisions for the ball club.

And what he won't do? Well, he won't be hiring a baseball man to head to the team, making a commitment to both Jim Hendry and Crane Kenney, at least for the 2010 season.

And while the family expects to be active owners, they won't be puling Jeffrey Loria moves, disrupting the team in the process. Most importantly, they won't be committed to profit margin above all else, stating a willingness to not only spend, but reinvest profits willingly and aggressively, with a long-term view. Great news for those who still remember the dollars above all else initial years of the Tribune ownership.

It was a good first day. These are definitely fans, they definitely understand baseball, and understand the magnitude of their purchase. Coupled with Tom's deft sidestepping of a hypothetical question about eating cash on contract **cough, Milton Bradley, cough, cough **, and this was a pretty good introduction to the masses.

Especially after watching this conference, I stand by the notion that 2010 looks lean, but I’m convinced even more now that the Cubs long-term future looks pretty bright.

And for those of you looking for additional coverage, NPR will be doing an extended interview with Tom tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. You can find the details and podcast at www.npr.org.

Chicago Cubs Sign Rudy Jaramillo, My Christmas Comes Early

Damen Jackson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:23:00 -0400

Sigh. After the lost season for the Cubs, I could have easily stayed away until the organizational meetings next month. But when someone delivers you a gift, such as the Cubs in signing Rudy Jaramillo to serve as the new hitting instructor, you're obligated to say "Thank you!"

Say it with me now. A hitting coach is now a panacea. A hitting coach is not a savior. A hitting coach is often only as good as the talent that he has to work with.

Okay, now that we have gotten this out of the way, here's what signing Jaramillo is though, in my opinion. First, it's an excellent organizational move that puts one of the league best coaching talents on to a Cubs staff that continues to be one of the best in the business.

And as important as the accolades that you'll hear about are: excellent communicator, record number of 800-run seasons under his tenure in Texas, virtually unprecedented Silver Sluggers awards, among others, is the fact that this is a guy known and respected for taking average talent, and maximizing their abilities.

Need an example? Look no further than Mark DeRosa, a good glove, no-hit infielder before arriving in Texas, who after working with Jaramillo for two seasons, became the solid everyday player that we know today.

Or Marlon Byrd, he of the career sub-.700 OPS before hooking on with the Rangers. He's since found both power and plate discipline, enjoying three straight .800-plus OPS seasons with the Rangers.

Hell, even Andruw Jones resembles a passable player again after only a season working with Rudy.

I could go on, but you get the idea. You'll hear some of the critics, who'll say that the strikeouts on Jaramillo squads are a major shortcoming, and that the bandbox nature of Rangers Ballpark puffs up his accolades, but this is still someone regarded as the finest hitting coach since Walt Hriniak. And he's with your favorite team now.

But the second, and arguably most important thing, is that this is a signal that the new ownership means to win, and will not be afraid to make smart expenditures. This level of commitment—three year, $2.4 million—is not only somewhat unprecedented for a hitting coach, but for any coach in baseball, as they usually work under a series of one-year deals.

Identifying the best, and locking them up is a move that serious people make when they're serious about winning.

The worst thing that the Ricketts family could do this first off-season is to even remotely suggest to fans that they aren't committed to winning, or refuse to spend the money indicative of the Cubs stature and media market.

Cheapskate owners can taint the fan base for years, and new owners need to be especially sensitive to the microscopic inspections of their initial moves, as fans and media search for guidance. From both a baseball and PR standpoint, they hit this one out of the park.

Welcome to Chicago, Rudy. Looking forward to seeing you at the Cubs Convention.

Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye: Cubs End 2009 with 5-2 Loss to Diamondbacks

Damen Jackson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:32:00 -0400

Filed: Oct. 4, 2009

(Click here for the photo gallery of this weekend's games.)

It's over.

The Cubs ended the 2009 season in a game that pretty much sums up the year: They got some good pitching, someone homered, and in the end, they couldn't come through in the clutch, this time losing 5-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs finish the season 83-78.

Yes, I said good pitching. I mean, Ryan Dempster was not terrible, even with allowing five runs in five innings. He struck out 10, was generally in the zone, and really his only mistake was with Chris Young—never miss high with this kid—who jacked a three-run, first pitch homer in the fourth to drive in three. Take that back, and we're having a much different conversation about the day.

And the bullpen? Flawless. The combination of Sean Marshall, Justin Berg, Aaron Heilman, and Esmailin Caridad combined to hold the D-Backs scoreless the rest of the way.

There's talent there, to be sure. Rough, but existent. Maybe not Heilman though, who gave me my only bright spot of the day, watching him jump into his car outside the players' parking lot and make a hasty exit. I'm not ashamed to say that I think the club will make an immediate improvement simply by making him and Aaron Miles disappear.

Congrats to Sam Fuld too. First major league homer. First career RBI. First multi-RBI game. He's made a believer out of me. The kid can be my fifth outfielder anytime. Watching him makes me almost embarrassed that the club thought giving Joey Gathright close to a million last offseason to do the same thing was a good idea.

But this is about the season, where perception is reality, and the perception is that this team could have done much, much better. I say perception because as recently as six years ago, if you told fans that the Cubs would have three consecutive winning seasons—a first in over 35 years—and win a couple of division titles, it would have been a joyous notion.

Today, with a triple-digit record of futility, increased ticket prices over that time, and a taste of what's possible, well, let's say that Cubbie Nation is a touch more...demanding. See Milton Bradley.

And that's the environment the Ricketts family enters as they assume the reins, hopefully sometime within the next month. Good luck.

I've some thoughts that I'll share later in the week about what they might be best served doing, but the best thing is to ensure a transparent transfer of power leading into the organizational meetings in November and commit to putting what is at least perceived to be a much more competitive team on the field in 2010.

Anything that has the Cubs handicapped this offseason or fielding a loser in their first year of ownership has repercussions that could last for years.

So, in the meantime, while they're checking their exit interviews, player evaluations, and personnel reports in preparation, I'm going to do something I rarely have a chance to do during the season: Put down the notebook and the camera, think a little less, and just watch some games.

For the record, big Yankee fan. Bigger Red Sox fan, but I've no issues with the Yankees, and I do believe that this is that special year for them. We'll see.

As such, I'm going to get a little scarce for the next month or so and let the playoffs, well, play out. Also, begin the upgrades for Cubbie Nation, plan my trip to catch the Arizona Fall League, and start work on coverage to bring you once the free agency ofifcially begins.

In the meantime, keep your head up. Personally, I couldn't have been more sad Sunday watching the players pack up and exit Wrigley for the final time this year, almost to the point of anger.

But this ain't Kansas City. Hell, it's not even the Mets. The Cubs have talent, money, and a new ownership group looking to make their mark. The Cubs will be back, and soon.

Let the countdown to pitchers and catchers reporting begin.

Cubs win game, lose season in 6-0 victory

Damen Jackson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:52:00 -0400

For as much as I expected the Cubs to finish the season strong, it wasn't going to make up for the fact that a number of teams in front of them in the Wild Card chase are not only better composed, but are actually riding pretty good hot streaks.

You watch the Rockies play, and realize that the likelihood of a September fade is unlikely. Yesterday, the Rox took another step toward the playoffs with a 7-5 win in 11 officially ending the Cubs hopes in the process.

We can now all start the wait till next year process.

Fortunately, we at least got treated to some amazing baseball last night, as Ryan Dempster went the distance in beating the Pirates 6-0.

Ted Keith recently described Ryan Dempster as one of the worst free agent signings of last offseason.

Hmm...Well, that's now 11 wins, a 3.50 ERA, 195 (likely to finish above 200) innings, and a 1.30 WHIP. Now, it was bad enough that Mr. Keith appears to have never actually picked up a ball, let along played a sport. But if this is his definition of free agent bust, then I really have to ask what is he doing covering sports for SI.

Try Carlos Silva, Jason Schimdt, Barry Zito, Andruw Jones, or Gary Matthews, Jr. if you want examples of a bust.

But back to the game, where "The Bust" goes out and dazzles the Pirates for most of the evening, throwing 120 easy pitches in the win. There were a lot of first pitch strikes; Ryan was very sharp with the off speed pitches, and never once got into a high-stress situation.

Just some good catch-and-toss, in front of 35,308 chilled fans.

Quite the contrary to the Pirates and Kevin Hart, who never could quite get out of their own way.

Poor Kevin is almost a shell of his former self. That sharp slider he was throwing when he came up in 2007 is completely gone. The breaking ball is a mess, and he's overthrowing in an attempt to stay in the low 90's with the fastball.

It wasn't pretty, especially with the Cubs knocking him around from jump. They'd score three in the first, all but batting around in the inning. Jeff Baker would cap things off with a two-RBI double.

A comedy of errors and bad execution by the Pirates would lead to another trio in the fourth, when a Delwyn Young error that should have been an inning-ending double play, extended the inning, and a Derrek Lee two-RBI single smacked off of Luis Cruz, all but put the game out of reach.

The route was on, and frankly, the Pirates didn't look like they wanted to put up much of a fight.

But hey, we've known this day of disappointment was coming for awhile, so we'll just have to deal. But if you want something to perk you up, with the win Tuesday, the Cubs are assured of their first stretch of three consecutive winning seasons since 1970 - 1972. Before this, I've never enjoyed a perennial winner on the North Side, let alone a perennial contender.

This ain't the Mets. You don't have to blow them up to get them back in the mix.

We'll see better days next season.

Chicago Cubs: One Is the Loneliest Number

Damen Jackson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:42:00 -0400

Sigh. One week.

There are two times of the year that I absolutely hate. The first is that week between Christmas and New Year. Everything is slow, no one is around, it's cold, and all you're really left to do is watch bad bowl games and reflect on a year that probably didn't live up to your expectations.

The other is this week—that last week of the baseball season when your playoff hopes have (often) been dashed. And you know that at this time next week, the gates at the park are shut and players will be jetting off to warmer climates.

And you're left with nothing but rosterbating and a calendar to mark down the season to the first day of spring training.

That's where we're at. The Cardinals are in, and after debating whether to acknowledge it, I'll go on record as saying that I have a new-found respect for the franchise.

Personally, I still think they shop at the A&P way too often for a team with that strong a fan following, but they have a strategy. More importantly, they execute it. You have to respect that.

They don't try to win championships in January. They maintain a competitive team most seasons, and when the season goes their way and they're close, the Cards make big moves at the deadline. And I mean big moves.

When they're not, they'll hedge their bets and fight another day.

This year, when things were close, they grabbed Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Julio Lugo, all of whom have been productive. The Cards grabbed John Grabow and Jeff Baker, then hoped for the best.

With Holliday doing his best Larry Walker impersonation, the Cardinals look primed to go places. I wish them luck, and just know that we'll pick this up next season.

As for the wild card, with elimination just one game way, I'll not even hold my breath.

It's likely that the Cubs will be officially eliminated by tomorrow night when action picks up for both them and the Rockies.

So, for this last homestand of the season, I'm going to relax and take in as many games at Wrigley Field as I can. Hopefully, the memories will keep me until February.

Game Over: Controversial Chicago Cub Milton Bradley Suspended for Rest of Season

Damen Jackson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:32:00 -0400

Filed: Sept. 19, 2009

In a surprise move, the Chicago Cubs have suspended outfielder Milton Bradley for the remainder of the season over controversial comments made about the organization and its fan base to the media.

With the move, Bradley's career as a Cub has, in all likelihood, drawn to a close. Outfielder Tyler Colvin is expected to be called up from Double-A on Monday to provide outfield help.

The crux of the matter is comments made in an interview recently with Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. In it, Bradley makes a number of negative comments about the team and its fans, including the following:

"It's just not a positive environment. I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment. There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly. Everything is just bashing you. You got out there and you play harder than anybody on the field and never get credit for it. It's just negativity. And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is."

In defending the suspension, Jim Hendry released the following statement:

"There have been a lot of issues that we've lived with during the year, but the last few days became too much for me to tolerate, to be honest with you. I'm not going to let our great fans become an excuse, I'm not going to tolerate not answering questions from the media respectfully. Whether you feel like talking or not, it's part of our jobs. I'm not going to allow disrespect to other people in that locker room and uniformed personnel."

Now that we've the official stuff out the way, let me frank; this isn't about those comments. I was at the game Thursday, where Milton Bradley pulled himself from the game in the sixth inning.

The players and organization would have you believe that this was a pre-planned event, an arrangement made earlier in the game with the Cubs trainers. I call bull%#$%@#!!

It's one of the joys of being at games with a great seat, a good camera, and a big lens. You get to see things that you never see on TV. There didn't appear to be one person in the dugout who wasn't caught by surprise when Bradley headed in.

We walked in, talked to no one, and headed down the tunnel, where he had a conversation with someone, I believe trainer Mark O'Neal. The Cubs appeared to debate who to send in before grabbing Bobby Scales, who, to me, didn't look like he had been down the tunnel warming up.

I've talked to a few folks who were also at the game, and they saw much the same thing. I suspect that was really the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back, with the Cubs putting on a good face to keep things manageable in the clubhouse for the duration of the season, and hopefully not further minimize Bradley's trade value.

And he will be traded. With a third year likely taken off the table due to his injury, his contract becomes a very manageable one-year deal, in the $12 million neighborhood. And even if 2011 becomes guaranteed, you'd like to think that someone—likely in the AL—will be interested, especially if you're just giving him away.

Some reports have considered Toronto and Kansas City as likely destinations. I think that's a stretch, especially given that any talks with Toronto would center on taking the albatross that is Vernon Wells' contract off of their hands.

There will be others, though, as teams will try to dump their own bad contracts, and hope that Bradley has an inspired, bounce-back season in 2010.

Personally, I suspect that the likeliest destination will be either 1) New York, where Omay Minaya's desire to dump the Luis Castillo contract—and need in LF—will outweigh the Bradley factor, or 2) Washington, in which case Jim Hendry would cry uncle, hold his nose, and get Adam Dunn to replace Milton in right field.

Whatever the case, Bradley is gone, and his tenure may mark the worst case of hubris that I've seen in a non-political setting. Expecting Milton Bradley to be healthy, productive, and reasonably well adjusted in Chicago for three seasons was something that 20-year old bloggers knew wasn't going to happen.

That a knowledgeable baseball man, given time enough to do his research, would not only think otherwise, but would bid against himself for the right to take this risk is nonsense.

Jim Hendry probably needs to start worrying about whether he gets shown the door, too.

Chicago Cubs: A Moratorium on in Memoriams

Damen Jackson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:38:00 -0400

Filed:Sept. 16, 2009

The Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano (Cubbie Nation/file)

Stop it. Everybody.

I know playoff hopes are slim. That writers, bloggers, and editors are hard-pressed to deliver meaningful musings as the season winds down, and teams are eliminated from contention. And frankly, it understandable that fans are dreaming of big free-agents signings and resurgent teams in 2010.

But when you start—and I’m pointing a big finger at large media outlets—completely disregarding teams that are still at least technically in the playoff mix, and even worse, running players out of town, you’ve gone too far.

This trend initially caught my eye a few weeks ago, with this piece from Gordon Wittenmyer, a lightweight hack job on shooing Milton Bradley out of town that reads like a print version of a drive-by. I read this, and I don't think provocative, thoughtful journalism, so much as payback from a writer who hasn't been given what he feels is the proper amount of respect from a player. It's amateur night.

I'm no Milton Bradley fan, but it's hard not to at least sympathize when reading nonsense like this. At best, Gordon should have kept this in his pocket until after season's end, and at worst, should have done some more research, as his thesis is frankly, flawed.

Now come yet another flawed piece from Wittenmyer, suggesting that the Cubs are interested in trading their ace, with not even so much as an unnamed source referenced. This at a time when the team is finally getting hot, and showing at least some small chance of a postseason appearance.

Interesting thing is, you read this story, and while there a great deal of personal opinion, and some reasons why this might be a good idea, it hardly matches the title "Z to the Shopping Block?" There's not even so much a real rumor mentioned.

At least a similar post from the Tribune attempted to hide behind a fig leaf. That one from Paul Sullivan including the following:

Despite the fact that Zambrano has a full no-trade clause, the Cubs plan on shopping him this off-season, sources said, believing he'll waive the clause to go to the right team, as Jake Peavy eventually did when the Padres consummated a deal this summer with the White Sox.

As if anyone in the Cubs organization would actually talk to Sullivan, or that you could be assured that they'd even still be with the club once the Ricketts family takes over, even if they did.

When you see strained relationships between players and the media, it's often these sorts of hack jobs that are at the root of the problem. Media outlet demanding multiple daily submissions force writers to come up with utter nonsense, challenging readers to separate fact from fiction.

I'm not picking on Wittenmyer, merely using him as an example of the drivel I've seen recently, as sports pages come up with ever crazier, mostly baseless thoughts in order to retain eyeballs and page views.

That said, I'm going to make a suggestion. If you want to check out on this season, I don't blame you. Want to talk free agents? I'm in. If your team is eliminated, I say all bets are off. But until your favorite team—or the one you cover—has been mathematically eliminated, allow these players the dignity to finish the season, without needless distractions, personal attacks, and "Player X must go!!!" missives.

Everything that we're hearing may be true, but asking a signed player whether he's amenable to trade scenarios during the season, without so much as a peep from the front office suggesting that this player is being shopped, is just plain wrong. Stop it.

Cubs-Pirates: Just Come on Home, Boys

Damen Jackson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:05:00 -0400

Filed: September 9th, 2009

Source: Cubbie Nation

I consider the Pittsburgh Pirates a balm. A cure-all, really. Whatever is wrong with your team, sprinkle in a series with the Pirates, and apply liberally.

Need a little offense? Try that pitching staff, with their 4.63 ERA, good for 14th in the NL.

Want to give your bullpen a rest? Your starters are practically sure to go long against an offense ranked 13th.

Hoping for a few lucky breaks to go your way? Hey man, with the worst fielding percentage in the league, you will get good bounces against that team.

As it turns out, the Cubs needed all of the above, and found it in Pittsburgh, beating the Pirates 8-5 Wednesday afternoon to finish off the three-game sweep.

Now, as far as the game itself, you'd be hard pressed to find fault with the Cubs. Carlos Zambrano was effective, limiting the Pirates to a pair over six innings. You'll hear some controversy over an animated discussion he had with Lou Piniella after getting yanked in the seventh, but it seems awfully overblown.

The bench was productive, with Micah Hoffpauir, Bobby Scales, and Mike Fontenot going a combined 5-10 (3 walks), including a Hoffpauir homer in the fifth off of ex-Cub Kevin Hart.

Really, the only downside was another bad outing from Kevin Gregg, who would surrender a three-run homer to Ronny Cedeno to make the end needlessly interesting. Carlos Marmol would be forced to come on in the ninth to pick up the save.

Thanks, Kevin.

But honestly, given the Cubs 22-6 record against the Pirates over the last two seasons, not even the sweep is enough to make up for what's been a disappointing end to a disappointing season.

Beating them is becoming a bit like kissing your hand, and it still doesn't fix the debacle in New York.

And so, after a 4-2 road trip, the Cubs will take the day off Thursday, then play the next-to-last home series of the year, a seven-game stretch against the Reds and Brewers.

Oh, and be a half-game worse in the Wild Card standing than when they left. All can say is, let's get this over with.

I mean, when you're giving extended at-bats to Micah Hoffpauir and Bobby Scales in September, and your manager is dropping lines like "This season is slip-sliding away from us," you've given up; and most likely, many of the players have, too.

If that's the case, there's not much left to do but hope the players finish out the season with as must dignity as they can muster, and let your postseason dreams die in whatever way you think best.

Oh, and get ready for a Bears playoff run.

I'll see you at Wrigley. Maybe we'll yet see that good, long winning streak that we've all been hoping for. And if not, at least the NFL kicks off this weekend.

White Sox 5, Cubs 0: Just Pick Someone To Blame for Latest Windy City Shame

Damen Jackson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:14:00 -0400

Filed:September 3rd, 2009

Milton Bradley strikes out in the sixth inning to the background of cheering Sox fans (Cubbie Nation)

"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"—John Maynard Keynes

Shut him down.

And I think we all know who I'm referring to. You can look all over the place to find blame and fault over the Cubs 5-0 loss to the White Sox. Really. Lou Piniella. Milton Bradley. Jake Fox. Sean Marshall. Aaron Miles, who once more came up empty, this time in an eighth-inning pinch-hit appearance.

Really even the entire Cubs offense, for yet again making a previously unseen young pitcher look like the second coming of Cy Young, because a group of supposed professional hitters won't read the advanced scouting reports, and adjust.

Personally, I've got my eyes dead red on Alfonso Soriano, the $136 million dollar man that I can't find a Cubs fan willing to pay $136 dollars for this morning.

His at-bats over the last few days were amongst the worst I've seen this year. His inability to take pitches even with the Cubs in the most desperate need of base runners in the ninth inning was a lesson to young players on what not to do. He'd strike out on some of the worst breaking balls that one could imagine.

But his miss of the A.J. Pierzynski fly ball down the left field line which allowed Gordon Beckham to score, and the Sox to turn what should have been an easy inning into game breaker, has convinced me that's it's time to shut the kid down for the year.

I know, I know. He's injured. And I suppose there's something to be said for a player wanting to earn his pay. The problem is that we've not only reached the point where his poor play is costing the team victories, but he's embarrassing himself and the franchise.

Once a player no longer has that confidence, that swagger, that comfort in his physical abilities, he's worthless.

Maybe I'd feel differently if there wasn't a better substitute. However Jake Fox is hitting a healthy .286/.332/.526, which is just good, but those are Soriano numbers when healthy. Fox still leaves me breathless tracking fly balls, but at this point, you'll have a tough time convincing me he's worse than Soriano.

So, here's some advice to the Cubs. Put the proverbial dirt on this loss, and walk it off. Shut Mr. Soriano down for the next week altogether, and then use him as needed to finish the season. And try making some in game adjustments so that you don't make guys like Carlos Torres—who'd pick up the win yesterday—look so damn good.

Chicago Cubs 2, Houston Astros 0: Ted Lilly Pitches Gem in Win

Damen Jackson — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:11:00 -0400

Click here for the photo gallery to Wednesday's game.

Quick. Well-played. Successful. If the Cubs are going to make up any playoff ground in September, Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Astros is going have to be the template for that success.

How quick? Unofficially, about 2:17, which is less time than it took to write this post, and edit photos from the game.

Cubs fans got treated to quite a pitching duel, as Ted Lilly face up against a surprising effective Felipe Paulino for the Astros. I like this kid. Big guy, with some major heat, a big over-the-top curveball, and you can kind of see the light turning on for him a bit on the mound.

I've got a good feeling that he'll find a way to stick with the Astros in 2010, especially if he keeps pitching games like this, with two runs over six innings, striking out seven. His only mistake was to Derrek Lee, who took one out to the left field bleacher in the fourth, for what proved to be the game winner.

But this was really a Ted Lilly story, who delivered yet another Wrigley Field gem. Ted went eight innings of scoreless ball, and honestly looked like he could have finished this game, even with 105 pitches. For those not counting, he's now 7-1 in 2009 at Wrigley, with a 1.72 ERA. Pretty much just unbeatable.

Ted allowed only a pair to reach second base, but the Astros never seriously threatened, as Lilly rather easily worked himself out of problems in the fourth and eighth innings.

Carlos Marmol would provide some excitement, walking Hunter Pence, and allowing a Carlos Lee hit to put a pair on, with one out. But he'd come back to get a flyout on Miguel Tejada, and a pop-up on pinch-hitter Geoff Blum to close out the game, and collect his eighth save of the season.

With both Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano sitting, this was exactly the sort of pitching performance that the Cubs had to have. And with August in the rear view mirror, the Cubs are undefeated so far in September, heading into Thursday's makeup game with the flailing White Sox.

Pitching, defense, and the long ball. Maybe Earl Weaver knew what he was talking about.

Astros 5, Cubs 3: Rich Harden Staying, but He Didn't Show Up Monday

Damen Jackson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:37:00 -0400

Click here for the photo gallery of Monday's game.

Well, let me give you some good news first. August is over. The Cubs can hopefully forget about their woeful 11-17 record for the month, and begin September with a clean slate, a sound head, and some respectable play on the field.

And I'm going to try to forget that the Cubs front office basically chose to stand pat, silent while the team basically imploded in front of their eyes.

The bad news? August is over. Those coming to the park last night were treated to unseasonably cool weather—that means jackets—and the first real signs that Cubs fans are checking out for the year, given the 36,990 in attendance. It's football time, you know.

Oh, and Rich Harden had a terrible outing that probably made a few of those fans scratch their heads and wonder if the Cubs shouldn't have sent him off to Minnesota. He walked six, and allowed all five Astros runs in a 5-3 Cubs loss.

What can I say? He was wild. Not missing in the zone wild, but Mitch Williams buck wild.

And Harden got into all kinds of trouble in the third, walking a pair to load the bases for Carlos Lee. You can guess the outcome. With nowhere to put him, and forced to throw get-me-over pitches, Lee whacked Rich for a two-run single.

Lee would later take it up a notch, when in the fifth he jacked a two-run homer to extend the Astros lead, and mercifully send Harden to the showers.

Sometimes it's just not your night, and as the young lady sitting next to me so eloquently put it after watching him struggle early in that third inning, "It's a good thing I'm not staying till the end tonight."

Was it the weather? The distractions. The trade talk? I wondered, but it wasn't to hear Rich tell it:

"You can't just ignore [the rumors]," he said. "But the whole thing was ridiculous and had nothing to do with my performance today. I won't make excuses. I still knew I was starting on Monday and I had to prepare myself, and I got prepared and I just didn't get it done."

And the rest of the Cubs? Well, they picked up a pair in the fifth themselves, on a pair of RBI singles by Koyie Hill and Ryan Theriot.

But Astros starter Roy Oswalt was sharp, dropping 67 mile-per-hour curveballs in for strikes like he was pitching pennies. He went seven innings strong, before turning things over to Latroy Hawkins—who gave up his obligatory run, this time a Derrek Lee solo shot in the eighth—and Jose Valverde.

Well, at least they can still take two of three.

Cubs-Astros: Tonight's Starter is...

Damen Jackson — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:14:00 -0400

Evidently, Rich Harden.

The waiver deadline has come and gone, and Rich Harden is still a Cub. He'll make his next scheduled start tonight against the Astros.

Odd, odd move.

My biggest complaint with this Cubs team has been that they they've been happy to maintain the status-quo.

They won't go into sell mode, and start some early planning for next season. And worse, they won't upgrade a terribly flawed team, even as they hang on to some hope of a wild card berth.

So what do they do? True to form, spend a week in serious talks to move Harden, only to walk away, evidently happy to play on.

A couple of needed wins against the Mets have put them within five games or so of the front-running Giants, and probably didn't help things in deciding whether to shut it down for the year.

The Cubs will continue to fight on, and hope that there's a hot streak in them leading into the end of the season, when they'll face the Giants and Cardinals in the final weeks.

That said, I'm happy to hear Rich is staying. The Cubs should be able to pick up two high draft picks in the off-season should Harden sign elsewhere, making the pair of prospects that the Twins reportedly offered a bit less interesting. And yes, I hope do hope the Cubs avoid the temptation to give him a long-term deal, regardless of his strong finish.

But more importantly, this team of all teams has something of an obligation to fight to the end.

Chicago has consistently had some of the most loyal fans in sport, continuing to put millions in the seats regardless of the team on the field.

Some will say that's due to the Wrigley Field charm, and they're part right.

I think it's mostly that Chicago fans have a deep, genuine love for the team. And if there is any chance, in any season, for the Cubs to get a postseason ticket, they owe it to those fans to try.

I know it's probably not going to happen, but it's September, and there's a chance. Selling on Rich Harden would have meant the end of the 2009 season, and we the fans just aren't ready to let it go yet.

Stay the course; we'll stay with this sinking ship till the end. And here's hoping to another good outing from Rich tonight.

Washington Nationals 15, Chicago Cubs 6: There's Really Nothing Left To Say

Damen Jackson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:34:00 -0400

Filed:August 25th, 2009

Carlos Zambrano makes an early exit Tuesday in the fifth inning (Cubbie Nation)

Click here for the photo gallery of last night's game.

Quit looking to the stars Carlos; even divine intervention won't help the Cubs now.

Let's just say it. As much as I hate to see any team swept, this series against the Nationals was one that almost required a sweep. Worst team in baseball comes to your home park, with you reeling, and your team's playoff hopes fading. You just got to have it. No excuses.

Well, instead of showing a touch of mettle, the Cubs went off weakly into the night, as the Nationals used the long ball to romp the Cubs 15-6.

No heart. No guts. No life.

Last time I rolled through Wrigley Field to catch a Nationals game, it was about this time last year, and the National used a Willie Harris grand slam to get a 13-5 win. This time, it was another unlikely hero, Elijah Dukes, who deposited a Aaron Heilman pitch into the bleacher in the fifth to put the Nats up 9-1 at the time, and from there they cruised.

Pity actually. Carlos Zambrano, making his first start fresh of the D.L., was just plain rusty. Not terrible, just rusty. On a different night, or with a bit better luck, he might have survived this and given his team a chance to win. Tonight though? Not happening. He was able to get through the first trip through the Nationals lineup intact, but by the fourth, Zambrano was just running out of gas. The Nationals picked up a pair in the inning on a Josh Willingham homer—his first of two—and a Eijah Dukes double.

But it all came undone in the fifth, when he just got lit up. He'd load the bases after back-to-back walks, then exit in favor of Aaron Heilman, and well, you can guess the results.

How bad were things at Wrigley. By the sixth inning, the place looked like a minor league park; dark, half-empty, and everyone kind of depressed, with the place so quiet that you could hear Woo-Woo in the bleachers..from behind home plate.

With both the Cardinals and Rockies winning last night, there's just nothing good to be said. I'll leave it at this, and wait to see if the Cubs want to actually come out and play baseball Wednesday. I'd love to know though what the Cubs are going to do in a week or two when the park looks that empty to start a game, as opposed to when it ends.

Cubs 3, Dodgers 1: Chicago Still Not Good, but Lucky

Damen Jackson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:14:00 -0400

Well, in the end the Cubs were able to salvage some semblance of dignity on this latest road trip, using seven innings of one run ball, and a 4-4 day from Jake Fox to beat the Dodgers 3-1.

Sigh. A 2-5 road trip. This is probably going to be the week that the Cubs playoff hopes for 2009 died. With the Cardinals winning 5-2 today, the Cubs are sitting eight games out with 40 to play, and there's not much to do but let the season play out.

Wild card? Yeah, I don't think so. I see easily three really good-looking teams in front of the Cubs right now, and they don't look to fade.

It's good to see the team show a bit of heart though. You got a real nice outing from Ryan Dempster today, holding the Dodgers to three hits over seven innings. What can you say? Dempster loves L.A., putting together almost a repeat performance of his May 30 outing against the Dodgers.

Actually, given his now 6-3 career record against the Dodgers, it makes you wonder what the hell happened in the NLDS last year.

But for as much as he was good, the Cubs were equally so lucky. After the Cubs gave John Grabow the ball in the eighth, the Dodgers had every opportunity to come back and win this game, putting two on, with no outs.

But first the Cubs would get a generous call on a Ryan Theriot throw to Mike Fontenot to force out Tony Abreu. He was very safe, but fortune shined on the Cubs, with Abreu being ruled out.

Then pinch-hitter Orlando Hudson would pop up to Theriot, but Ryan would drop the ball, allowing Russell Martin to score. Or not actually, when third base umpire Wally Bell was discovered to have had called timeout before the pitch, sending the runner back to third. Hudson would later ground into a double play to end the inning, with a suddenly effective Carlos Marmol coming on to close the game out in the ninth.

I appreciate a little grit, and some toughness as this team plays out the stretch. I'll take a little luck too though.

But yeah, if you want some good news, here you go. The Cubs are now heading home for a 10-game homestand, with nine of those games against sub .500 teams. Seventeen of the next 23 are at home, and—wait for it—22 of those 23 games are against teams currently under .500. All this leading up to one final series against the Cardinals.

So, this team, healthy as they've been all season, at least once Carlos Zambrano returns Tuesday, will have one last stab at a post-season spot. I don't think that they have it in them, but I get proven wrong on something at least daily. I've no complaints about being proved wrong on this.

Cubs reach agreement with Ricketts: Meet the new boss...

Damen Jackson — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:45:00 -0400

Filed:August 22nd, 2009

I'll keep an open mind about whether they're better than the old boss. But it's official: after weeks months years of negotiations, the Tribune company has reached a definitive agreement to sell the Chicago Cubs for $845 billion to the Ricketts family, led by broker/financier Tom Ricketts.

Here's a quick snippet from the announcement:

Tom and Joe Ricketts will have management control of the joint venture as its 95 percent owner. Tribune Co. -- which owns the club, Wrigley Field and approximately a 25 percent interest in Comcast SportsNet -- will retain a five percent ownership interest.

I'm happy to see the deal done, especially after watching Sam Zell as recently as last week tell interviewers that multiple offers were still being considered, and that the deal was still up in the air. And while I've concerns about the short-term competitiveness of the team, given the rather expensive financing -- $450 million total at last check -- I'm confident for now that the Ricketts will make solid major league owners long-term.

But the short-term competitiveness of the team is a big concern. Interest payments on half a billion is a lot of coin; frankly, you wonder how deep pocketed they actually are after the attempt earlier this year to sell deep-pocketed Chicago fans non-voting stakes in the club. Sorry I didn't have 25 million handy at the time. And given the escalating 2010 payroll, still weak consumer spending, and a 2009 team that doesn't look to have people running for the advance ticket window, I'm curious to see how the 2010 expenses will be handled.

That's besides the fact that the agreement is still subject to numerous approvals, including the bankruptcy court. I wouldn't be worried if this were a straight up sale, but the joint venture looks like another Zell tax-advantaged entity, deferring compensation, and shielding earnings from both creditors and the tax-man. Will creditors howl? Maybe, but I don't see this just getting rubber stamped.

The Tribune envisions this wrapping up quickly, and transition occurring by year end. While I tend to agree, I'm inclined to think late December. Awfully late in an off-season to start making decisions about the on-field personnel. Do you keep a Rich Harden? Do you offer arbitration to players like Reed Johnson and Aaron Heilman? Do you start targeting free agents to help the club?

All tough decisions normally, but even more problematic without ownership and your front office personnel firmly in place.

It's all interesting backdrop coming off what's looking to be a tragically disappointing 2009 season. This year has been bad, but 2010 could quickly shape up to be the lost season for the club.

Padres 6, Cubs 3: And, We're Just About Done

Damen Jackson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:58:00 -0400

...And by that I mean the 2009 season.

Six week left.

Six games out.

Four teams above them in the Wild Card race.

Adding to that was their latest loss, a 6-3 debacle against the Padres, that I think just about put the final nails in this season's coffin.

Nasty game, where a Kyle Blanks inside-the-park home run off Angel Guzman offset a very good seven inning performance by Ryan Dempster. Personally, I think scoring three runs off Cesar Carillo, a guy making his second major league start, was the real killer.

But once again, I suspect that lack of review on the advance scouting was the cause here.

So, with the offense again cold, the bullpen in tatters, and players in a season-long slump, I think it's time to start acknowledging that this team just doesn't have it, and won't be getting it.

I mean, where's the catalyst? Normally, I shy away from the hyperbole, especially early in the season.

I figure the season is long, and when you deal with veterans—yes, I still hate rookies— you'll get the expected production eventually, at least usually. No need to get too much into on what's working or not until you can get a nice, long look at your team.

At some point though, usually after 100 games or so, I think you have to settle into the notion that things are what they are. You're either heading toward something, and fine tune at the deadline, or you're not, and you start planning for next season.

Or, you find a catalyst.

I thought the Cubs had done that, finally giving up the ghost, acknowledging that Milton Bradley just wasn't going to slug from the left side, and sliding him into the two-hole. A move long overdue, in my opinion.

If a pair of hitters at the top of the lineup getting on at a .375 or better won't kick-start an offense, nothing will. Then Lou Piniella decides to shake things up, and hit Kosuke Fukudome fifth.

Reminded me of the Latroy Hawkins drama all over again. Bad, bad idea that everyone, including Lou, should understand by now.

Deadline moves?

Nope. A top-flight reliever would have been just what the doctor ordered, yet the Cubs settle in on John Grabow, and hope for the best.

Post-deadline?

Aubrey Huff found his way to the Tigers, giving their offense a boost. Could the Cubs have used him, spelling all four corner men through the rest of the season, and providing some lefty pop?

You tell me.

Now I here John Smoltz is considering signing with the Cardinals. One of the decade's best relief men is available, the back end of your bullpen is a mess, you've just demoted your closer, and your interest isn't even strong enough to merit having your name pop up in the rumor mill.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Listen, I've got no problem with this not being the year. That's baseball. You make a plan, and sometimes it works great, sometimes not, and you move accordingly.

But what angers me about this team is that they thread water, hoping to see a change with the current roster that's just not forthcoming. They don't get better, and they won't use this situation to better position themselves for next season.

Maybe they want to convince the masses to keep coming to Wrigley Field as long as possible this season. Who knows, maybe it does all comes down to the beer sales.

A colleague of mine recently described this 2009 team as unlikeable. I didn't quite understand what he meant at the time, but I do now.

Chicago Cubs 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 1: Gorzelanny Sharp in Wrigley debut

Damen Jackson — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:55:00 -0400

Lastings Milledge? Brian Bixler? Steve Pearce?

Seriously, I had to rub my eyes and think about it a second to confirm that the Cubs weren't playing the Indy Indians, the Pirates AAA affliate. Quite a few of these guys I saw on my last stop at Victory Field, and they weren't any good there.

So call me unimpressed at the Cubs 3-1 win over the Pirates Saturday, given the level of talent on the field. It's expected that you take two of three at home from teams like this; honestly, at this point, you're almost obligated to sweep, given the circumstances.

So perhaps if I see something closer to another 17-2 victory, I'll have kinder words tomorrow for the team in general.

But I do have a couple of kind words for some recent acquisitions—Jeff Baker and Tom Gorzelanny.

I would have preferred trade deadline acquisitions with a bit better track record, but Jim Hendry is proving yet again that his evaluation of major-league talent is very good. Excluding the Aaron Miles debacle, of course.

Gorzelanny was sharp, certainly more so than I expected him to be this season. Ball stayed down, breaking ball worked, and he didn't try to do too much. I'm troubled by the three walks in five innings of work, but he struck out eight, and from a lineup of guys who know his stuff pretty well. A

nd it's still a much better walk rate than we've seen from him over the last season and a half, which is encouraging.

And Jeff Baker? Well, it's amazing how quickly a player can be relegated to "Who?" status, as is the case with Mike Fontenot. After yesterday's 2-4 day, inlcuding a solo homer, I'd look for Baker to keep that second base job full-time for about as long as he wants.

How much confidence does Lou Piniella have in him right now? Baker batted fifth, and still produced.

Good stuff, especially against a good pitcher in Pirates starter Zach Duke. Now, hopefully they'll finish the job Sunday and sweep this team out of town.

Philadelphia Phillies 12, Chicago Cubs 5: Roadkill

Damen Jackson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:45:00 -0400

I really wanted to see this game. Two irresistible forces colliding to make this a grit my teeth, hit the ATM, and not take my accountant's calls for a few days, kind of event.

You have Pedro Martinez, one of the finest pitchers of this generation, making likely his last tour around the league. I've never seen him in person, and it seems like there's something wrong about not having witnessed the great one in person.

And Jeff Samardzija, making his first career start for the Chicago Cubs. This is what they paid for. This is where the hopes and dreams for Jeff lie. Would he shine? Would he find a way to get his team a win? Could he take the heat against the World Series champs, and cement his stature as something more significant than a nice reliever, in need of work?

Couple that with a Cubs team very much in need of a win, having lost four of the last five, and this may have been the defining game of the season.

What was the Cubs' response to all of this excitement and pressure? Implosion. Jeff Samardzija would get knocked around like a stumblebum, and the Phillies would go on to wear the Cubs out 12-5 on Wednesday.

And don't think that this is all on Samardzija, though he was terrible. The Phillies were standing him up, and wearing him out from the start, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning on some of the hardest hit balls that I've seen. I'll spare you the hyperbole, but let me say it like this; when you're giving up two easy triples, one of which is by Ryan Howard, you are getting racked.

It only got worse from there.

Shane Victorino would serve him with a two-run homer in the third, a blast into the cheap seats in right field. Then, the Phillies would erupt on the Cubs in the fourth, chasing Samardzija, batting around in the inning, and scoring eight runs in all, to make this whole affair sad.

The Cubs just couldn't stop the bleeding; hit after hit, first off Samardzjja, then off of his relief, Sean Marshall. It went like this all inning, until finally Raul Ibanez put the exclamation point on, with a three-run rocket off of Marshall.

Fortunately, Marshall settled down enough to hang around for a few innings, to keep from adding insult to injury by having to burn through the bullpen to boot, in this shoddy affair. But that's about the only good thing that I can say about the game.

Jeff Samardzija, your bus to Iowa is calling. I saw better work from the Cubs' Triple-A relievers on Sunday. This is probably a good time to talk about swapping him out for Justin Berg.

And as for Pedro Martinez?

Well, this wasn't the Pedro "I've got more pitches than a used car salesman" Martinez, but he was still a pleasure to watch. He'd hang around for five, before getting the early hook. There's really nothing that I can say right now past that he looked very, very hittable, and I suspect a more competent offensive team would have sent him to the showers even earlier.

It will be very interesting to see if he can give the Phillies something down the stretch, especially in their homer dome of a park.

Two quick side notes: Check back later in the media gallery for photos of last night's game. I think you'll really enjoy them. And thanks to smash! for providing the winning caption for our little Baseball Reference contest. And Cubbie-Tim, well, that White Sox Beer Guy bobblehead is waiting for you.

A Different Perspective: My Road to Wrigley Weekend

Damen Jackson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:32:00 -0400

Well, with the Cubs out of town, summer finally arriving in Chicago, and a chance to see something a little different, I decided to veer off a bit last weekend, and catch the non-MLB games at Wrigley Field. Besides, I figured if that second career as a sport photographer is to bloom, you have to shoot whenever and wherever you can.

First up was the Under Armour All-America game on Saturday. It's a great game actually, featuring a few dozen high school All-Americans broken into teams; the Baseball Factory squad and Team One. Both companies are co-sponsors of the event.

Never let it be said that there isn't something to professionalism.

Bloggers have chided me for years about having things like a domain name and business cards. They came in handy Saturday, as a quick conversation and flash of the card at the gate got me private scouting material for the event, credentials, and a great perch in the photo bay for the game.

The best part? My companion—besides the lovely Kirsten Arnason from PBR—was none other than Jim Prisching.

Yeah, I know; you don't know him. You probably wouldn't unless you spend way too much time like I do checking photo credits. Now tomorrow, stop by cnnsi.com, check out last week's cover featuring the Mark Buerhle no-hitter, and check the credits.

Yeah, that guy.

I probably gleaned more from him in an hour about sports shooting than I have in months. Jim is a super nice guy, who was more than willing to share his expertise.

Two interesting notes. First, the guy isn't all that big on baseball. And second, he was constantly heading off to the seats to get a better look at things. Hilarious considering amateur sports photographers spend their time trying to get into the bay, and these guys just want to climb into the fan seats for something different.

Talk about the grass always being greener.

Nick Castallenos hit the winning shot during the Home Run Derby (Cubbie Nation)

And the game itself? Super fun. I won't bore you, but two guys that you really need to keep an eye on are Nick Castellanos and Trey Griffin.

Castellanos is an absolute beast, first winning the home run contest before the game, then spraying balls around during like it was still batting practice. I had to offer a couple of scouts a pocket square to wipe the drool off.

I'm told he projects as a third baseman, which I can see. Big power, and a decent arm. I'm like to see a bit more bulk, but there's a ton of potential there.

Trey Griffin hits a broken-bat single in the eighth inning during the Under Armour All-Star game (Cubbie Nation)

And Griffin may be the most exciting young player I've seen in years; He did a bit of everything, all of it well, and even stole home to prove his speed. Amazing talent, and a bunch of fun.

Sunday, it was on to the Road to Wrigley game, featuring the Iowa Cubs vs. the Las Vegas 51s. It was fun. I mean, we got to see some old friends, such as Bobby Scales, Justin Berg, and MIcah Hoffpauir, and a few new as well.

Bobby Scales tags out Travis Snider attempting to steal (Cubbie Nation)

Everyone seemed to have a good time, and I think the players genuinely loved it. Well, maybe not Micah, who couldn't quite get this half smile, half grimace look off his face all day, but I guess that's understandable. The I-Cubs set an attendance record Sunday, with 16,280 on hand braving 90 degree-plus heat.

The I-Cubs would win 5-4 on the strength of a John-Ford Griffin homer in the sixth that Vince Perkins and Blake Parker were able to make hold up, even with a pair of Travis Snider home runs for the 51s making things interesting. Enjoy that peek while you can. With Alex Rios potentially on the move, Vernon Wells as mess, and Joe Inglett playing in left for the Blue Jays, he won't be staying on the farm long.

Nate Spears steals third base against the 51s (Cubbie Nation)

A great weekend. Now I guess it's back to work following the Cubs. Stay tuned for a Cubs-centric post tomorrow.

Cubs-Cardinals: Honor Must be Restored

Damen Jackson — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:54:00 -0400

Long-time readers of this blog know I'm a baseball fan, probably more than anything else. Give me a notebook and a camera, and you can get me to watch and root for about anyone, anywhere.

In the last few weeks alone, I've been to numerous cities, countries, and even to the South Side to root for the White Sox—some would say that's a whole 'nother world. Okay, I'd actually lost a bet on that one, but still, if you're not playing the Cubs, I generally wish you and your team well.

But someone forwarded something to me recently that left me a bit rankled, and to be honest, plotting a touch of revenge. An anonymous Cardinals fan had sponsored the Baseball Reference home page for the 2008 Cubs, adding the caption:

All Cardinals fans sponsor(s) this page.

Thank you for your 100 years of failure. May it continue for 100 more.

As if last year wasn't upsetting enough.

Normally, I'd let this slide. But then Viva El Birdos, a fine SB Nation Cardinals blog site, picked it up, and have spent the last few days hyping it up, asking readers to vote on a better caption. I'll spare those with delicate sensibilities samples, but let's just say that the recommendation involving a dog's *** is probably not the worst one suggested.

Now, I'm not petty... okay, I am sometimes, but that's another story. I couldn't let this stand. As such Cubbie Nation has purchased the home page for the 2004 Cardinals, a World Series team, if you recall, and would like to enlist your help in writing a caption. Right now, I'm leaving my original placeholder on the page:

St. Louis - Armpit of America since 1876

I think it's a pretty good one, but I'll bet some smart reader out there can top it.

I have a forum open for suggestions here. Stop by, leave a suggestion or two, and I'll pick a winner at the end of beginning of the next home stand. Registration is required, so if you've been lurking, now is the time for proper hellos. Winner gets a couple of nuggets from my box of Cubs swag; all unopened, new goodies. And yes, I do have bobbleheads.

Worst idea gets my White Sox Beer Guy figurine. You've been warned.

Lines have been crossed. There must be repercussions.

Cubs 6, Reds 3: Lefty Moves Done Right

Damen Jackson — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0400

Every once in awhile, I get to be truly impressed, and well, even surprised.

That might be how I'd best describe my impression of the performance of Tom Gorzelanny on Tuesday, as the Cubs used a solid performance by him to beat the Reds 6-3 at Great American Ballpark. Seven plus innings of one-run ball, to be exact.

I figured when the Cubs picked him that he'd be someone useful; no issues there. But after seeing Gorzelanny three times in person this season alone, I didn't think there was much to see right now.

He needed work as recently as a few weeks ago, and I suspected that AAA for another month was about the best way to go.

What happened?

Maybe Larry Rothschild really was able to fix him. Keeping the fastball down was a big help, to be sure. However, he used the breaking ball early and often to get hitters out, throwing the changeup even on the rare occasions when he was behind in the count.

Tom would fan six, and more important, produce a ton of weak ground balls, which are very reflective of a lefty sinker pitcher going right.

The Cubs gave him plenty of support though; with a Kosuke Fukudome solo homer in the first, then batting around the lineup in the sixth inning to break the game open. They'd pick up four runs off of Reds starter Johnny Cueto, highlighted by a Koyie Hill two-run double that just missed clearing the fence.

Derrek Lee would add to it in the eighth with a solo shot of his own off Nick Masset.

This would have been an even greater story with a 6-1 win, but the bullpen proved to be problematic again late as Angel Guzman ran into plenty of trouble in the ninth.

He'd hit Jonny Gomes to start the inning, then serve up a Wladimir Balatien two-run homer to make things interesting. A Craig Tatum double would bring Carlos Marmol up in the pen, but for the second night in a row, it was Willy Taveras to the rescue, grounding out almost to the same spot as on Monday to again end the game.

Great job by Gorzelanny. And see—we've forgotten Kevin Hart already.

Cubs 4, Reds 2; No Closer Controversy Here

Damen Jackson — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:10:00 -0400

Aaron Harang looked as sharp as ever Tuesday, but a fat pitch to Mike Fontenot in the second inning resulted in a three-run homer and proved to be the game-winner in a 4-2 Cubs win.

Randy Wells is awesome. And I don't say that because of his talent, or the hot winning streak that he's on right now.

I say it because he's a great reminder that for all of the scouting reports, draft analysis, prospect evaluations, and farm system rankings, players still have to go out and play, and average guys are capable of making big contributions.

A few years ago, guys like Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, and Ryan Theriot were coming up without much fanfare and still made major contributions to the team during their last two playoff runs.

Now, it's converted catcher and 38th-round draft pick, Randy Wells. I can't flip a sport show on without him now being labeled as the trendy Rookie of The Year pick. It's a great story, and for me probably a fresh reminder that I need to take stats and paper evaluations with a grain of salt.

His performance last night was flawless. He had changing speeds, good movement on his pitches, and proved to be durable when Lou Piniella decided to bypass middle relief and pitch him into the eighth inning.

But when Alex Gonzalez served up a pinch-hit homer—really more of a fatigue hit than a mistake—it was time to go.

John Grabow would come in and induce a Brandon Phillips' double play to end the inning, although not before plunking Joey Votto. An accident I'm sure, but one I viewed with a certain amount of perverse pleasure, given the way Votto has abused the Cubs this year.

But these are the Cubs, so even a Monday game in "Cincy" was sure to have drama.

This time it was in the ninth, when Marmol came in instead of Kevin Gregg, which surely excited the blogosphere writers who've been clamoring for this move.

Sorry guys, it's just a tired arm, and as Lou so eloquently put it when asked if he'd make that move permanent, "Why should I?"

Good question, especially given that Marmol, likely the next, most capable closer, is still something of a mess.

Were it not for the grace of light-hitting Willy Taveras, who grounded out in the ninth with a pair of runners on to end the game, we'd be having a very ugly conversation this morning.

Although, I think that conversation may have taken place last night when, before retiring Taveras, Piniella had a very animated discussion with his closer—one I suspect is not suitable for print.

It's bad times in "Cincy" for the Reds, now losers of their last seven. But Tom Gorzelanny—who's looked a lot more hittable in AAA than the stats show—has gotten the call for tonight against Chicago. This could be very interesting.

Marlins 3, Cubs 2: Florida Wins In Walkoff Fashion

Damen Jackson — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:28:00 -0400

I'm beginning to hate the Marlins.

Whether it's this nonsense about trotting goats out on the field, their stab at fat, male cheerleaders, or the fact that they helped break my heart a bit in 2003, I'm growing very weary of these guys. And I say this as someone who spent most of the weekend at U.S. Cellular catching the Sox-Yankees series; I like most teams when they're not playing the Cubs.

Point is, the walk-off homer by Cody Ross Sunday to give the Marlins a 3-2 win was probably about my line to cross. The win gave them the series victory, and is probably going to leave way to many people debating the merits of Kevin Gregg as closer.

First thing, can we all agree not to? Please?

Maybe I'd be more worried if he wasn't coming off of a really good stretch before these back-to-back blown saves. Or if the entire team didn't stink just a bit on this trip so far.

But the thing is, you've got to acknowledge at least the possibility that after two seasons of watching him pitch—and believe me, everyone is very attentive when you're closing out games—the Marlins might just have his number a bit.

The timing. The release point. The break.

So, until I see that he's flinging sh...stuff all over the place, he gets the benefit of the doubt with me.

Who doesn't is Aaron Heilman, who could have removed all this nonsense by even just keeping the ball in the park Sunday. Instead, he comes in for the seventh inning, and serves up a homer to Cody Ross, his first of the game.

Listen, I like a science experiment as much as anyone, but this isn't working.

It was one thing when it was the beginning of the season, and the Cubs neither wanted egg on their faces, or to eat the contract. But it's late in the game, and he just isn't dependable. B.J. Ryan had another nice appearance on Saturday for the Iowa Cubs.

May I suggest that it's time to make that change?

Either way, it was a crappy series, and thanks to Derrek Lee, who helped the Cubs avoid the sweep in Florida. Fortunately, it's on to Cincinnati, losers of their last six. Nothing wrong with getting well on the road against bad teams. Here's to hoping that the Cubs do.

Cubs 12, Astros 3: Cubs Win in a Rout, Lefty Help on the Way

Damen Jackson — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:57:00 -0400

Filed:July 30th, 2009

New Chicago Cub Tom Gorzelanny (Cubbie Nation/file)

It amazes me how quickly the Cubs can take me through an emotional range sometimes. First, they completely destroy Russ Ortiz and the Astros, 12-3 at Wrigley this afternoon, taking 3-of-4 in the series.

However, that happiness turned to sadness at the news that they had acquired John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny from the Pirates in exchange for Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio.

Not that I'll miss either.

I've always felt that the league would get around to figuring Hart out, and his start this afternoon just confirmed that in my mind. Let's just politely call him hittable and move on. And as much as I like Ascanio, the Cubs can't throw a rock without hitting a right-handed reliever waiting to be called up. If there's one thing their farm system can turn out, it's righty relievers.

But these are two very hittable lefties. Grabow, 30, may revert back to 2008 form, which proved to be a stellar year for him. But with a 1.50 WHIP this season, I'm not holding my breath at the likelihood of him being more than a nice LOOGY, especially with Marshall playing an enhanced role out of the bullpen.

And Gorzelanny? Forget about it. I've seen the guy three times this year, most recently in Indy in his start against the Bulls...which was unimpressive. I can only hope that the Cubs option him immediately to Iowa and let him continue to work out his delivery. He doesn't belong on a big-league roster right now, regardless of his AAA stats. Even the Pirates knew that.

Honestly, Joe Beimel would have been the better target. He has a history of thriving in playoff chases and mostly better peripherals. Even George Sherrill would have been better, though he was traded today to the Dodgers. I know. The money. The money.

Truth is, this move leaves me lukewarm and smacks of another Cubs bout of lefty madness. Let's just grab any old bunch of lefties, and we'll get what we need somehow. It didn't work for the hitters. I have no idea why they think it will work for the pitchers.

And the game today? What can I say? It was Russ Ortiz at Wrigley Field. He got tagged, like you knew he would. It's like I said yesterday: Hampton, Moehler, and Ortiz on the same staff? Bad, bad idea.

Cubs 12, Astros 0: Theater of the Weird

Damen Jackson — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:32:00 -0400

Filed:July 29th, 2009

Another rough day at Wrigley for the Houston Astros (Cubbie Nation/file)

Ever seen Platoon? Great stuff. There's a scene, after a firefight in the brush, in which Tom Berenger's character muzzles a screaming G.I. shot in the conflict while urging him to "Take the pain. Take the pain".

Poor Cecil Cooper must have been having a Platoon moment Wednesday as starter Mike Hampton was coming completely undone in the first, and given his bullpen issues, had no choice but to leave Hampton in to get pounded.

The end result? A 12-0 beatdown that seems even odder than the previous night's game. It was another win for a suddenly unbeatable Randy Wells, winner of seven of his last eight.

I'll say this again. Any team that's featuring Mike Hampton, Brian Moehler, and Russ Ortiz on the same staff is not going anywhere. I don't say this as an insult to the franchise or it's fans. It's just a fact. And the sooner that their front office gets serious about bringing front-line pitching back to Houston, the sooner we'll all be enjoying them in the playoffs again. And yes, I can enjoy the Astros in the playoffs, as long as the Cubs are there with them.

But back to the game in which we find out, yet again, that Mike Hampton is a mess. It wasn't that he made any particular mistake, but he just couldn't stay closed. Ball outside. Ball outside. Ball outside.

The Cubs batted around on him in the first, stringing together a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Aramis Ramirez. Then, when he finally was able to get a pitch over the plate, it was thrown—not pitched—and served up as a fastball so fat that Alfonso Soriano had no problem jacking it out for a three-run homer.

I suppose you could give him credit for at least keeping it together for a few more innings—sort of—but when the Cubs grabbed another pair in the fourth on RBI hits from Derrek Lee and Milton Bradley it closed the book on Hampton. Four innings. Nine runs. And a shiny 5.36 ERA for the season.

One other nice moment was in the ninth when, with the game in hand, Mitch Atkins made his major league debut and pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Randy Bush mentioned in the offseason that he felt Atkins had a major contribution to make to the team this year. Well, now's his chance. Personally, I'd be happy if he stuck around longer than Justin Berg.

Bad news for Cubs fans though, as Reed Johnson suffered a fractured toe on a foul ball in the first. He's out a month, and I've no idea how to counter that. I wouldn't trust Fukudome out there every day for certain though. And while the idea of sticking Bradley in center to start a game and maybe putting Fox in right once or twice a week is tempting. Then again, this may be a case where you just break down and find yourself a utility guy to give the club some flexibility.

And the Cardinals were able to keep pace with the Cubs when Albert Pujols got the game-winner in the 15th inning against the Dodgers. The 15th? Geez, NL Central bullpens are going to look like a M.A.S.H. unit by the end of the week at this pace.

Cubs 5, Astros 1 F/13: All Is Forgiven Soriano

Damen Jackson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:34:00 -0400

Click Houston+Astros/default.aspx" target="_blank">here for the photo gallery of Monday's game

It took almost four hours (3:49) and 13 innings, but the Cubs came out on top Monday when Alfonso Soriano hit a walk-off grand slam off Chris Sampson to lead the Cubs to a 5-1 win.

No questions, no doubt. Deep to center, and everyone knew it was gone off the crack of the bat.

So, after starting the game 0-for-5, with a double play, three strikeouts, and some bad luck that appeared to shake even his faith a bit, he delivered in a way that's just so Soriano.

This was a good baseball game all around actually, especially for a Monday night game. There was plenty of entertainment from the onset, as Carlos Lee playfully taunted and entertained the left field fans, then turned around and smacked a solo homer off Carlos Zambrano out their way to remind them that he was here.

Derrek Lee would counter with a solo homer of his own in the fourth, and then we were treated to some very good pitching on both sides for the next nine innings. How often do you get a game's worth of a pitching duel and offensive excitement in the same set?

We were even treated to theater in the eighth, when Latroy Hawkins—god, he must hate Chicago by now—was tossed by umpire Mike Everitt over what looked like some gestures with dubious intent. Watching him come undone was priceless, and I actually worried he was going to do something very, very stupid. He was livid.

But it all came down to the 13th inning, when, with both bullpens depleted, Cecil Cooper went to Chris Sampson.

It was pretty obvious it wasn't going to be his night, as he looked bad from the warm up tosses. This was his first game back from the DL, and to be honest, he was throwing junk. He walked Lee, then give up a single to Aramis Ramirez. The Astros would then intentionally walk Milton Bradley to set up force outs at each base. After that, Soriano was happy to drive whatever junkball pitch that was Sampson served up deep into center field.

Great stuff. If you get a moment, stop by the photo gallery and check out some of the photos from the game. I think it was some of my finer stuff.

And we love you again, Soriano. For now.

Cubs 5, Reds 2: First-Place Cubs Sounds Mighty Fine

Damen Jackson — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:20:00 -0400

I got back from Toronto late this morning, so with photos to edit, posts to write, and a lot of dirty laundry piled up, instead of heading over to Wrigley Field, I settled in for the baseball fan's version of Afternoon Delight: a sunny Sunday afternoon game on TV.

And what we got treated to was a tack-sharp Rich Harden, who lead the Cubs to a 5-2 win over the Reds. The win gave Chicago not only the three-game sweep, but coupled with the Phillies beating down the Cardinals 9-2, sole possession of first place in the NL Central.

This team will try your soul. As will many of the players on it.

Take Rich Harden. After weeks of debate on when, where, how, and if to pitch Harden, what you got Sunday was a start that should at least settle the arguments for awhile. Making his 17th start of the season—which was my over/under—he put together the finest performance that I've seen from him this season, firing a one-hitter over six innings.

Like I said, tack sharp. His only mistake was a high fastball in the first inning that Joey Votto muscled out to right field for a solo homer.

The Cubs offense gave him some good run support, in a style similar to the 2008 team; taking walks, getting their extra-base hits, and not being afraid to take the extra base when it was there.

They picked up a run in the second on a bases-loaded Kosuke Fukudome walk, then again in the second on an Alfonso Soriano double off of Micah Owings, who left after three with shoulder tightness.

Just as an aside, am I the only one who thinks that Owing's highest and best use is as a hitter? I'm asking this seriously actually, because while I wouldn't go so far as to call him a bum as a pitcher, when your ERA stays above 5.50 in the senior circuit, maybe it's time to think about doing something else. And he can definitely swing the bat.

Anyway, the Cubs were happy to tack on against the overworked Reds 'pen, picking up a run in the seventh, and a pair in the eighth, when Koyie Hill tripled—no, seriously—past a diving Chris Dickerson. Dickerson would leave the game, apparently injured on the play, with his status undetermined.

That wasn't the only incident in the eighth though. The Reds would actually load the bases with one out against Angel Guzman, only to have pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. fly out to center. Edwin Encarnacion would tag up on the play and be called out at the plate by umpire Laz Diaz, in what might have been the worst call in recent memory. I mean, he was safe by a mile, which resulted in both Encarnacion and manager Dusty Baker coming undone, and deservedly so.

That's how things go though in baseball. When they're going bad, as with the Reds in their now six-game losing streak, you can't catch a break. And when you're going good, as with the suddenly resurgent Cubs, you can do little wrong.

It's four in a row now, with a big set coming up this week against a dangerous Astros team. Things just got interesting.