Chicago Cubs: 7 Thoughts After 7 Days
The 2011 season for the Cubs is officially seven days old, and while that is a relatively small sample size as compared with the entirety of a 162-game season, there still has been much to learn. And, naturally, not all of it is good news.
The Cubs have played six games in those seven days, but on the seventh day, they cannot rest. Oh no. These Cubs are just getting started.
Speaking of "starting," just who will start will be a challenge every fourth and fifth day until Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells come back from injury.
Meanwhile, I'm going to share some thoughts that have occurred to me after the 3-3 beginning to the season. Please feel free to add your won.
So let's "start"...
1. Ouch!
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It's very, very early but injuries are starting to mount for the Cubs. Two-fifths of the rotation (Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells) are down for maybe a month, and retreads like Casey Coleman and Jeff Russell will be taking their place.
"Ouch" is right, especially when you consider that both Cashner and Wells pitched solid baseball in each of their first starts, while Russell and Coleman are simply not very good.
Even Carlos Pena is dinged up, though he's not expected to miss much time, and Carlos Zambrano cramped up again in his first start.
It's called el agua, Carlos, check into it!
2. Starlin Castro Continues to Impress
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One bright spot for the Cubs thus far has been the maturity and play of shortstop phenom Starlin Castro. No homers, but two doubles and two triples show his power may be coming, and meanwhile, the hits keep coming.
Hopefully, the butterflies from his rookie season are gone and with increased confidence, comes fewer mistakes in the field. So far, so good.
This kid is going to be a multiple all-star.
3. Mike Quade's Managerial Style
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I truly hate to make assumptions based on such a small sample size, but there have been some flashes of concern about the way Quade has handled the team so far.
I know all teams nitpick about their managers, and nobody is perfect. Still, I was at least mildly surprised by the following:
- Quade let Dempster throw 114 pitches on opening day. It was obvious, even to the untrained eye, that he was tiring but Demp was allowed to continue even though he was pitching poorly.
- Quade let Sean Marshall bat for himself with the bases loaded and two outs. Sure, they won but a hit there would have blown the game open wide.
- Quade let Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood pitch three consecutive games. That's a reason why he allowed Marshall to bat for himself in that 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks.
It's pretty foolish to pitch Wood three games in a row, especially so early in the season and considering his injury history. Even Marmol, who hasn't had arm trouble but throws a nasty slider which puts strain on the arm, is on shaky ground pitching that much this early.
Most managers live or die by how they manage the bullpen, but there are successful managers who simply fail at it repeatedly. Joe Girardi comes to mind.
So, this doesn't spell doom for Quade as a major league manager. Still, it bears watching going forward.
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4. Come Back Carlos, We Were Just Kidding...
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The starting rotation, which just a couple weeks ago appeared to have a surplus, is now hanging by a thread.
Injuries to Cashner and Wells, combined with the poor starts by Ryan Dempster (0-2), almost make us wish we had Carlos back. I did say "almost."
But in all seriousness, though I think it was the right move at the time, the decision to release Silva would not have happened in hindsight. At least not now.
In fact, the Cubs had hoped that Silva would agree to a trip to Iowa as an insurance policy. But he said no thanks, and now the Cubs will be paying his salary while he pitches for another team.
The prospect of paying Silva the minimum is much more appealing, so it's not surprising that he will be soon signing with a major league team. The Cubs could use him right now, I hate to admit.
By the way, Jeff Suppan, about those retirement plans...
5. The Offense: Slow, Slower and Cubs
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To say this Cubs team lacks speed is an understatement, similar to saying that Charlie Sheen lacks solid judgement occasionally. But we knew that.
So far, one unsuccessful stolen base attempt is all the team has been able to muster, while opponents have been successful in six of eight chances against Geo Soto and the pitching staff.
The Cubs are the only team in the major leagues not to steal a base.
Some more power would be nice as well. Sure, three early homers by Alfonso Soriano is a nice surprise, but we're waiting for the first one from the likes of Marlon Byrd, Carlos Pena and Geo Soto.
Scoring runs hasn't really been the problem, as 26 runs in six games comes out to an average of 4.3 runs per game, which is fifth in the NL. Even their OBP ranks fifth.
However, hitting with men in scoring position continues to be an area of struggle for the Cubs so far, much like last season.
6. Jeff Samardzija, the Bears Are Calling
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As a major league pitcher, Jeff Samardzija makes one hell of a wide receiver. It may be too late for him to go back to his football career, but if I were him, I would strongly consider the possibility.
This isn't based on just two lousy innings either. This is based on the fact that "The Shark" just isn't good at baseball.
If he continues to pitch poorly, they have to send him down. So what if he's out of options, what team would claim him anyway?
And get a haircut, son!
7. Are Fans Boycotting or is it the Economy?
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The first six games of the season included attendance totals as follows: 41,358; 35,782; 30,857; 26,292; 27,039 and 32,272. Total capacity at Wrigley Field is 41,159. That means that the park has been at 78.4 percent capacity thus far.
If you compare that percentage to Cincinnati, who are coming off a division title and have also played all six games at home thus far, and the Cubs total looks good. The Reds are only averaging 61 percent capacity.
But this is the Cubs we're talking about, they're supposed to be filling the park, day in and day out, win or lose. What has happened to the eternally optimistic Cubs' fan, and the world's largest outdoor tavern?
Meanwhile, there are four teams which have played all of their games at home thus far, like the Cubs , and all have higher capacity averages so far (Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees and Texas).
Now, on the one hand, you have to consider that there is less disposable income for many people these days, and the weather early on isn't always very good.
But perhaps Cubs fans just aren't that excited about this team. Maybe Cubs fans are finally getting smart and refusing to blindly support a franchise where the GM has put the Cubs in a financial bind and are hitting the Ricketts where their wallets are.
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