Thursday, April 30, 2015
Pirates Crush Cubs 8-1 Wednesday Night In Chicago
The Pittsburgh Pirates ended the Cubs' four game win streak by blasting them 8-1 Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Pittsburgh Pirates (12-10) 8
at Chicago Cubs (12-8) 1
WP-Pittsburgh: Gerit Cole (4-0)
LP-CUBS: Kyle Hendricks (0-1)
CUBS Record (12-8)
Second Place (NL Central , 2.0 GB St. Louis)
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Cubs Recall Junior Lake From AAA Iowa Tuesday
The Chicago Cubs have recalled OF Junior Lake from AAA Iowa for Tuesday's game with Pittsburgh. The Cubs made room for Lake by sending RHP Brian Schlitter to Iowa.
Lake responded by hitting a double and driving in a run in Tuesday's win over Pittsburgh.
Surging Cubs Take Out Pirates 5-2 Tuesday Night For Fourth Win In A Row!
Don't Look now but the Chicago Cubs might just have the most potent lineup in baseball. The Cubs cruised to their fourth straight win with a 5-2 victory over the Pirates Tuesday.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Pittsburgh Pirates (11-10) 2
at Chicago Cubs (12-7) 5
WP-CUBS: Travis Wood (2-1)
LP-Pittsburgh: Jeff Locke (2-1)
HR-Pittsburgh: Starling Marte (6)
CUBS Record (12-7)
Second Place (NL Central 1.0 GB St. Louis)
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Hammel & Cubs Blank Pittsburgh 4-0 Monday Night In Chicago
Jason Hammel threw 8 shutout innings as the Cubs blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday night at Wrigley Field.
Monday, April 27, 2015
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Pittsburgh Pirates (11-9) 0
at Chicago Cubs (11-7) 4
WP-CUBS: Jason Hammel (2-1)
LP-Pittsburgh: Vance Worley (2-2)
CUBS Record (11-7)
Second Place (NL Central 1.0 GB St. Louis)
Monday, April 27, 2015
Cubs-Pirates Probable Pitchers Monday Night
Pittsburgh-Vance Worley (2-1, 4.00)
at CUBS: Jason Hammel (1-1, 5.19)
Game Time: 8:05 EST
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Cubs-Pirates in second place tie in NL Central (2.0 GB St. Louis)
at CUBS: Jason Hammel (1-1, 5.19)
Game Time: 8:05 EST
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Cubs-Pirates in second place tie in NL Central (2.0 GB St. Louis)
Russell Propels Cubs Over Reds 5-2 Sunday Afternoon
Cubs' 2B Addison Russell's three run double helped lift the team over the Reds 5-2 Sunday in Cincinnati.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
at Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH
Chicago Cubs (10-7) 5
at Cincinnati Reds (8-10) 2
WP-CUBS: Jake Arrieta (3-1), Save-Hector Rondon (4)
LP-Cincinnati: Anthony DeSclafani (2-1)
HR-CUBS: Miguel Montero (3)
Reds: Todd Frazier (5)
CUBS Record (10-7)
Second Place tie with Pittsburgh (NL Central 2.0 GB St. Louis)
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Cubs-Reds Rained Out Saturday In Cincinnati
Saturday afternoon's game between the Cubs and Cincinnati Reds was rained out in Cincinnati
Herrera Lifts Cubs Over Cincinnati 7-3 In 11 Innings Friday Night
Cubs' utility man Jonathan Herrera drives in Anthony Rizzo with game winning run to give Cubs 7-3 win in 11 innings Friday night. Jason Motte picked up the win in relief.
Jon Lester had his best outing since coming to the Cubs but came away with a no decision.
Friday, April 24, 2015
at Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH
Chicago Cubs (9-7) 7
at Cincinnati Reds (8-9) 3
11 innings
WP-CUBS: Jason Motte (1-0)
LP-Cincinnati: Burke Badenhop (0-1)
HR-CUBS: Anthony Rizzo (2), Chris Coghlan (1)
CUBS Record (9-7)
Second Place (NL Central)
Friday, April 24, 2015
Edwin Jackson $52 Million Dollar Mop Up Man!
Edwin Jackson has a lifetime record of (83-104, ERA 4.62)
(Edwin Jackson in action, either checking his investments or ordering a pizza!)
Edwin Jackson is a prime example of why you don't sign a mediocre pitcher to a multi-year $50+ million dollar deal. Jackson has been 15-33 since signing with the Cubs and is one of the worst free agent signings by the team since (Danny Jackson, Dave Smith, Jose Guzman, Mel Rojas, Tom Gordon take your pick!)
Maddon Bullpen Bumbles Continue As Cubs Fall To Pirates 5-4 Thursday Afternoon
Thursday, April 23, 2015
at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Joe Maddon came to the Cubs with a reputation of being a bullpen magician. But so far in 2015, his pitching decisions have been nothing short of awful. It seems as if every time Maddon comes to the mound to make a pitching change, bad things happen and the Cubs lose. Maddon's bad pitching moves continued Thursday, when he pulled Cub starter after just 5.1 innings. Relievers Edwin Jackson and Brian Schlitter were pounded and the Cubs let another game slip away. The bullpen was a strength in 2014 under manager Rick Renteria, this year it has been dismal!
Chicago Cubs (8-7) 4
at Pittsburgh Pirates (8-8) 5
WP-Pittsburgh: Radhames Liz (1-1)
LP-CUBS: Brian Schlitter (0-2)
HR-Pittsburgh: Sean Rodriguez (1)
CUBS Record (8-7)
Second Place (NL Central 1.5 GB St. Louis)
Cubs at Cincinnati Tonight 7PM
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Do You Really Want Your Cleanup Hitter Walking With The Bases Loaded?
Everybody these days goes on about how great it is that sluggers like Anthony Rizzo and Joey Votto draw so many walks. But that is not their jobs, they are supposed to drive in runs! If your middle of the order is busy drawing walks, you are putting the job of driving in runs to your weakest hitters!
Kris Bryant just walked instead of swinging the bat with bases loaded. Sure, he got an RBI but then Castro hit into a double play killing off the potential big inning. This is just plain stupid!
Kris Bryant just walked instead of swinging the bat with bases loaded. Sure, he got an RBI but then Castro hit into a double play killing off the potential big inning. This is just plain stupid!
Chicago Cubs Almanac Is A SABR Metrics-Free Zone!
That's right, no OPS OPS+ ERA+ BABIP, XFIP, WAR Ultimate zone rating, pitch framing! Keep that horseshit out of baseball!
Song Of The Day: The Squires-Going All The Way (1966)
Killer punk from Bristol, Connecticut circa 1966 (about 10 miles away from me!)
Pirates Edge Cubs 4-3 Wednesday Night In Pittsburgh
Cubs' 2B Addison Russell got his first MLB hit Wednesday
Wed. April 22, 2015
at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Chicago Cubs (8-6) 3
at Pittsburgh Pirates (7-8) 4
WP-Pittsburgh: Vance Worley (2-1), Save-Tony Watson (1)
LP-CUBS: Jason Hammel (1-1)
HR-Pittsburgh: Gregory Polanco (1)
CUBS Record (8-6)
Second Place (NL Central 1.5 GB St. Louis)
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Promising Cubs' Pitcher Drott's Career Cut Short By Injuries
Rookie righthander Dick Drott led the 1957 Cubs in wins with 15. However, a series of injuries derailed his career before it really got off the ground. Drott bounced around with the Cubs until 1961 (then ended his career in 1963 with the Houston Colts)
Castro Carries Cubs To 9-8 Win At Pittsburgh Tuesday Night
With all the hype surrounding Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, it's Cubs' 25 year old veteran Starlin Castro who has been the team's MVP thus far in 2015. Castro went 3 for 5 with a HR and 4 RBI's (that included two clutch 9th inning ribbys) to help the Cubs come back to beat the Pirates 9-8 Tuesday night at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Cubs' manager Joe Maddon was taken off the mat after his continued bullpen bumbling led a 4-2 lead get away in the 6th (Travis Wood was sailing along when Maddon yanked him in the 6th.) Exiled starter Edwin Jackson got the win for the Cubs in relief.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Chicago Cubs (8-5) 9
at Pittsburgh Pirates (6-8) 8
WP-CUBS: Edwin Jackson (1-0), Save-Hector Rondon (3)
LP-Pittsburgh: Mark Melancon (0-1)
HR-CUBS: Starlin Castro (2), Welington Castillo (2)
Pittsburgh: Josh Harrison (2), Starling Marte (5)
CUBS Record (8-5)
Second Place (NL Central 1.0 GB St. Louis)
Song Of The Day: Peter Hammill-The Future Now (1978)
This could be the Cubs theme song with the callup of Addison Russell!
Cubs Recall IF Addison Russell From AAA Iowa Tuesday April 21
Apparently the future is NOW! The Chicago Cubs have promoted IF Addison Russell from AAA Iowa for Tuesday night's game with the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
Russell was hitting .318 with 1 HR and 9 RBI's, 4 doubles in 11 games at Iowa. With Russell in the lineup maybe Joe Maddon can finally abandon his idiotic batting order (but of course he probably won't.)
Starlin Castro Poised For Breakout Season
Maybe it's finally time to cut Cubs' shortstop Starlin Castro some slack. Every since this kid has come into the league he has hit. But all anybody ever talks about are his occasional defensive lapses. If you remember Hall Of Famer Robin Yount started his career the same way.
Castro was thrown into an impossible situation at age 20. He was asked to be the savior on a team that was going down fast and being ripped apart in a major rebuilding program. He was thrown into the leadoff spot, then later expected to bat cleanup. It's amazing the kid has hit at all.
The SABR metrics geeks complained he didn't take enough walks. All Castro has done is hit. In fact he is off to a Derek Jeter type start to his career (Jeter is the Yankees' all time leader in strikeouts by the way.) Castro is a three time All Star and has nearly 900 hits at age 25. He in fact has the most hits by any shortstop in MLB since 2010.
Castro has done remarkably well with the Cubs with virtually no protection in the batting order. Now that he has some potential boppers around him in the lineup, Castro can fade into the background and do what he has always done HIT!
Starlin Castro is currently hitting .327 ho hum! (he is on his way to being the Cubs' best shortstop since Ernie Banks.) If the Cubs trade this guy, they are out of their minds!
Soler, Rizzo, Bryant Power Cubs Over Pirates 5-2 Monday Night In Pittsburgh
The Cubs got a glimpse of the potential of their heart of the order Monday night in Pittsburgh, when Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo all contributed in a big way to the Cubs' 5-2 win over the Pirates at PNC Park. Jake Arrieta was outstanding again, picking up his second win of the season.
Monday, April 20, 2015
at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Chicago Cubs (7-5) 5
at Pittsburgh Pirates (6-7) 2
WP-CUBS: Jake Arrieta (2-1, 1.74)
LP-Pittsburgh: Caminero (0-1, 5.40)
CUBS Batting: 2B-Jorge Soler (2), Kris Bryant (2), RBI-Kris Bryant (2,3,4), Jonathan Herrera (2), SB-Rizzo (3), Jonathan Herrera (3)
CUBS Record (7-5)
Second Place (NL Central 1.5 GB St. Louis)
Monday, April 20, 2015
Joe Maddon Batting Order Idiocy Continues
You would think Joe Maddon would have learned by now that his idiotic practice of batting the pitcher eighth is costing the Cubs wins. Yesterday the pitcher Jon Lester came up twice in bases loaded situations and couldn't get the job done.
It happened again in the fourth inning tonight, when pitcher Jake Arrieta just snuffed out another rally by hitting into a double play in the eight hole. Maddon seems intent on keeping up this lunacy so as not to disappoint his SABR metrics buddies, who think every move "The Genius" makes is pure gold. Let's see if this nonsense bites Maddon on the ass again!
Chicago Song Of The Day: The Outcasts-I'm In Pittsburgh (And It's Raining) 1966
Cubs in Pittsburgh tonight to begin four game series. Weather forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms.
Lester Remains Winless as Cubs Fall To Padres 5-2 Sunday At Wrigley Field
Cubs' manager Joe Maddon's bizarre batting order came back to bite him as the Cubs' had two bases loaded situations snuffed (due to Maddon's batting the lifetime 0-40 pitcher Jon Lester 8th.) The Cubs fell to the Padres 5-2, with big ticket free agent Lester remaining winless as a Cub.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
San Diego Padres (8-5) 5
at Chicago Cubs (6-5) 2
WP-San Diego: Andrew Cashner (1-2), Save-Jaoquin Benoit (1)
LP-CUBS: Jon Lester (0-2)
Home Runs: San Diego-Will Middlebrooks (3), Yan Solarte (1)
CUBS Record (6-5)
Second Place (NL Central 2.0 GB St. Louis)
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Maddon's Batting Order Just Plain Stupid!
It has to be said now that Joe Maddon's idiotic SABR metric batting order of hitting the pitcher eighth just ran the Cubs out of a rally in today's game. This blunder had lifetime AL pitcher Jon Lester up with bases loaded (of course Lester weakly grounded out to third killing the rally.)
It's time Maddon stops this cutesy nonsense before it costs the Cubs games. As I write this Jon Lester gave up a 2 run homer wiping out the Cubs' lead. From where I sit, Maddon has not been an impressive game manager so far!
Non-Chicago Song Of The Day: Swervedriver-I Wonder (2015)
From their great new album I Wasn't Born To Lose You (Their first LP since 1998)
Castro Leads Cubs Over Padres 7-6 in 11 Innings Saturday
Starlin Castro drove in Anthony Rizzo with the game winning run in the 11th inning of the Cubs' 7-6 win over San Diego Saturday at Wrigley Field.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
San Diego Padres (7-5) 6
at Chicago Cubs (6-4) 7
11 innings
HR-CUBS: Miguel Montero (1,2)
San Diego-Kemp (1)
CUBS Record (6-4)
Second Place (NL Central 1.0 GB St. Louis)
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Chicago Song Of The Day: John Fallon-Picture Yourself Today (2012)
Chicago native John Fallon (formerly of The Steppes) with his first solo single)
Kris Bryant Gets Off On Wrong Foot In Chicago!
You just knew Cubs' ultra prospect Kris Bryant was going to choke the chicken in his MLB debut Friday at Wrigley Field (didn't you?) If you didn't know that, then you haven't been a Cub fan for very long.
The stage was set. First there was Bryant's repellent greed-head agent Scott Boras popping off in spring training that the Cubs were not dedicated to winning if they sent his prize client to AAA Iowa to start the season (so the Cubs would have an extra year of Bryant before he can become a free agent.) It's agents like the money-grubbing Boras that forces teams to send players down in these type situations.
Then there was the extremely ill-advised billboard that Bryant's sponsor Addias set up right across the street from Wrigley (when it was announced that Bryant would start 2015 at Iowa.) You gotta believe Boras was in on that cheap stunt at some level.
Bryant started his MLB career Friday afternoon by being humiliated by San Diego pitcher James Shields. Shields carved Bryant up like a turkey on Thanksgiving. All the while, we had to endure shots of Bryant's father and Scott Boras in the crowd (Boras trying to look California cool in his dark shades but looking like an utter fool.)
To be fair, Bryant made a couple of outstanding plays at third. But at the plate, he looked like the second coming of Javier Baez. Meanwhile, the much less celebrated Cub prospect Jorge Soler continues to show that HE is the team's best prospect by far!
By all accounts, Kris Bryant is supposed to be a classy kid but aligning himself with the hated Boras, he is going to bring heat down upon himself (remember what happened to Boras client JD Drew all those years ago in Philadelphia?)
It's very possible that Bryant will live up to the hype. But his opening day performance was a total flop and made him look like a punk for agreeing to that hideous billboard across the street from Wrigley.) Should Bryant continue to struggle things will get REAL UGLY, REAL FAST (Jon Lester is already hearing boos!)
Was Kris Bryant WORTH THE WAIT? We will all find out soon!
Padres Come Back To Defeat Cubs 5-4 Friday Afternoon In Chicago
Joe "The Genius" Maddon got tossed in the 7th after his pitching move backfired on him, when Cub pitcher Brian Schlitter gave up a three run game winning HR to San Diego's Will Myers. Ultra-hyped Cubs' prospect Kris "It's Worth The Wait" Bryant made his MLB debut by striking out 3 times and killing a bases loaded rally with a weak ground ball to third.)
Friday, April 17, 2015
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
San Diego Padres (7-4) 5
at Chicago Cubs (5-4) 4
WP-San Diego: James Shields (2-0), Save-Craig Kinbrell (4)
LP-CUBS: Brian Schlitter (0-1) (Starting Pitcher Jason Hammel-ND)
HR-San Diego: Middlebrooks (2), Will Myers (1)
CUBS Record (5-4)
Second Place (NL Central 1.0 GB St. Louis)
Friday, April 17, 2015
Cubs All Star First Baseman Phil Cavarretta (1941)
First Baseman Phil Cavarretta was a three time NL All Star and won the NL MVP in 1945 (which was a year he led the NL in Batting at .355 with 6 HR and 97 RBI.) Cavarretta also managed the team from 1951-1953.
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