Yardbarker: Reed Johnson

Bill James 2010 Projections for Cubs

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:44:58 -0500

Fangraphs is once again going to list the projections on their player pages from a variety of sources, Bill James, CHONE, Marcel....maybe more. Bill James projections are up first and here's how the Cubs ranked by wOBA and their 2009 wOBA (explanation of wOBA here). I'll try and expand when new projections are released. Age is their 2010 playing age. You can click on their names to get their full slash line predictions and more.

Player
Age
2009 wOBA
Bill James 2010 wOBA Projection
Derrek Lee
34 .412 .386 Aramis Ramirez
32
.392
.375
Jake Fox
27 .332 .375
Milton Bradley
32
.345
.365 Geovany Soto
27 .310 .362 Micah Hoffpauir
30
.315 .350 Kosuke Fukudome
33 .346 .349 Jeff Baker
29
.338 346 Alfonso Soriano 34
.314 .346 Mike Fontenot
30
.296 .334 Ryan Theriot
30
.318
.319
Sam Fuld
28
.367 .317 Tyler Colvin
24 .205 .316
Reed Johnson
33
.321 .312
Aaron Miles
33
.212
.300 Koyie Hill
31
.279
.289
Andres Blanco
26
.271 .285

For the pitchers, here's their projected ERA and FIP (explanation of FIP here).

Player
Age 2009 ERA
2009 FIP
2010 James Projected ERA
2010 James Projected FIP
Carlos Zambrano 29 3.77 3.61 3.60 3.90 Ted Lilly
34 3.10
3.65
3.76
4.30
Ryan Dempster
33
3.65
3.87
3.83
3.92
Randy Wells
27
3.05
3.88
4.16
4.10
Sean Marshall
27
4.32
4.19
4.06
4.34
Tom Gorzelanny
27 5.55
3.91
4.11 4.01 Jeff Samardzija
25 7.53
5.90
5.44
5.47
Carlos Marmol
27 3.41
4.06
3.45 4.00
John Grabow
31 3.36 4.20
4.00
4.17
Aaron Heilman
31
4.11
4.37
3.88
4.25
Angel Guzman
28
2.95 4.44 4.03
4.11

Alright, nothing too surprising in any of these numbers, although I can't tell you how much it makes my heart flutter to see the Cubs highest paid position player in the middle of the offensive pack.

Two pitchers stood out to me...Gorzelanny and Guzman. I was a bit down on Gorzelanny but his peripherals were pretty strong last year...9 K/9 rate and a 1.15 HR/9 to go with a 3.26 BB/9 rate. Definitely a legitimate 4th/5th starter candidate with an even higher ceiling considering his age and the very nice 2007 season he had. Guzman on the other hand, had a mere 6.93 K/9 rate last year with a 3.39 BB/9 rate with a miniscule .209 BABIP. A little luckier than I had previously thought, but he does keep the ball in the park and the James projections do expect an increase in his K/9 rate...although no guess on when he'll hit the disabled list.

Anyway, they're merely projections, nothing to take too seriously. They sure didn't nail Soto, Soriano or Fontenot's demise last year, so just consider it some fun off-season fodder.

Be sure you don't miss Arizona Phil's Top 15 prospect list...

Elias Rankings for Cubs Free Agents

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:13:49 -0500

The official Elias rankings are out and they don't differ too much from the reverse-engineered list that MLB Trade Rumors was putting out (courtesy of Eddie Bajek).

Type A - John Grabow, Kevin Gregg

Type B - Rich Harden

Reed Johnson didn't make the cut and even if offered arbitration, the Cubs would not get any draft picks if he signed with another team. A Type A free agent - if offered arbitration by his previous team - nets a first round pick and a supplemental pick if he signs with another club. A Type B free agents nets a supplemental pick. The Cubs weren't going to offer Gregg arbitration as is, since the chances of a team signing him and giving up a draft pick are between zilch and none. Grabow may get offered arbitration because the Cubs just want him back. Rich Harden should be offered arbitration because he's one of the two most talented pitchers available on the market and even with his arm issues, a one year deal is pretty low risk even at $10Mish a year. Plus Ted Lilly is broken.

In terms of some players the Cubs might have some interest in and who might get offered arbitration.

Type A - Chone Figgins, Billy Wagner, Johnny Damon

Type B - Mark DeRosa, Mike Cameron, Randy Johnson, Randy Winn

2010 Cubs Top 15 Prospects

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:58:38 -0500

Here are my “2010 Cubs Top 15 Prospects.”

This is just my opinion based mostly on my own observations of the players, and I'm sure many of you have your own idea of who should be where. I probably tend to place greater weight on players at the higher levels because I believe it means something to actually prove yourself by performance on the field against better and/or more-advanced competition, and I also sometimes consider a player to still be a prospect after others have written him off. However, I do consider talented players from further down the pipeline as well.

I use the same criteria Baseball America uses to rate their Top Ten prospects (maximum 50 MLB IP or 130 MLB AB, but not concerned with MLB service time), so Jeff Samardzija and Jake Fox are no longer eligible for consideration. If they were eligible for inclusion, I would place Samardzija between Josh Vitters and Welington Castillo, and J. Fox between Tyler Colvin and Darwin Barney.

For the first time in many seasons, the Cubs best prospects are predominately position-players. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any Top 15-quality pitching prospects in the organization, just that Scouting Director Tim Wilken has put a greater emphasis on drafting & signing position players over the past couple of years than was the case under the previous scouting regime.

Note that the Cubs also have about dozen or more MLB middle-relief prospects (Caridad, Berg, Stevens, Gaub, Parker, Patton Russell, Dolis, Cales, McDaniel, Williamson, Huseby, Mateo, Papelbon, Schlitter, and Maestri), and although I wouldn’t put any of them in this year’s “Top 15” (because as things stand right now, I doubt that any of them will be closers at the big league level), several of them should surface in big league bullpens over the next few years.

2010 CUBS TOP 15 PROSPECTS:

1. Andrew Cashner, RHP (2008 1st Round - TCU) - age 23

COMMENT: Cashner was drafted by the Cubs in the 29th round of the 2007 out of a Texas JC but didn't sign, instead transferring to TCU where he developed into the nation's #1 college closer. Then the Cubs drafted him again in 2008 (this time as their 1st round pick), and this time the Cubs did sign him. Cashner was rusty (he hadn't pitched for about three months) when he reported to Fitch Park in 2008, and then he had a lot of difficulty throwing strikes at Daytona through the month of August, before (finally!) throwing "lights out" in the FSL playoffs in September. He received an NRI to Spring Training, and then was assigned to Daytona to start the 2009 regular season, where the Cubs converted him to a starting pitcher to get him more innings and to force him to use his secondary stuff. He later was promoted to Tennessee, and went a combined 3-4 with a 2.60 ERA, and a 1.18 WHIP, allowing only 76 hits (just one HR) and a 42 BB/75 K over 100.1 IP combined at Daytona and Tennessee, The lanky 6’6 Texan is presently pitching in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) for the Mesa Solar Sox, and is one of the top pitchers in the AFL, having thrown eight consecutive scoreless innings over his last two games. Cashner has been throwing a 94-96 MPH fastball in the AFL, and he also throws a power slider and a change-up. His fastball topped out as high as 98 MPH and his slider ran into the high-80’s when he was used as a closer, so I suspect the bullpen (8th inning set-up man or closer) might be his ultimate destination, although he could remain a starter indefinitely if his change-up continues to improve. While whether he is moved back to bullpen or remains a starter is yet to be determined, he almost certainly will get another NRI to Spring Training 2010, and then will likely begin the season at AAA Iowa, with a mid-season promotion to Chicago a possibility. The only reason the Cubs might hesitate to bring Cashner up to the big leagues next season is to keep his MLB service time and option clock from starting earlier than necessary (Cashner won’t be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft until post-2011), but if he is pitching well at Iowa and he’s needed in Chicago, service time and minor league options won’t keep the youngster out of Wrigley Field.

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2. Jay Jackson, RHP (2008 9th Round - Furman) - age 22

COMMENT: Jackson is an advanced pitcher who throws four or five different pitches for strikes, with a 94 MPH fastball and a curve being his two main "out" pitches (he also throws a slider and a change-up). He was drafted in 2008, and was promoted all the way up to Daytona in August and started a game in the ’08 FSL playoffs. He has a lot of confidence and doesn’t get rattled. He began the 2009 season at AA Tennessee, before getting a disciplinary demotion back to Daytona in July. He didn’t pout or sulk, though, and got a September bump up to AAA Iowa. Combined at three stops, the 6’1 195 Jackson went 8-7 with a 2.98 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP, allowing 109 hits (11 HR) in 127 IP, with a 46/127 BB/K (he was second among Cubs minor leaguers in strikeouts). Jackson was a rotation starter in college at Furman, but he also played CF when he wasn't pitching. He is an excellent all-around athlete (he was also an outstanding basketball player in HS), and being able to hit and field should help him win a few more games than the average pitcher. With his basketball background, cool self-confidence, and the ability to hit (with power), he almost seems a bit like Bob Gibson. Jackson should get an NRI to Spring Training in 2010, and then begin the season in the starting rotation at AAA Iowa. A mid-season call-up to Chicago wouldn’t be a big surprise, although (as with Cashner) the Cubs won’t bring Jackson up unless and until they feel confident he is ready for The Show.

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3. Starlin Castro, SS (2006 NDFA – Dominican Republic) - age 19

COMMENT: Castro has been everything the Cubs hoped Ronny Cedeno would be, but never was. I can’t recall any Cubs minor leaguer who has developed faster than Starlin Castro. Signed by the Cubs as a 16-year old out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, Castro made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2007, where he hit .299 with 13 SB in 60 games. Then in 2008, Castro came to the U. S. and was a part-time SS-2B-3B at Fitch Park (AZL Cubs), where he hit 311/364/464 and played good defense at all three INF positions. While he showed some promise both in the DSL in 2007 and in the AZL in 2008, Castro really responded to coaching in the AZ Instructional League post-2008 (where he was easily the most-improved player from beginning to end) and at Minor League Camp this past March, earning him a “challenge” promotion all the way up to Advanced-“A” Daytona (Florida State League) on Opening Day 2009 (skipping both Boise and Peoria). And he accepted the challenge, too, hitting 302/340/391 in 96 games for the D-Cubs while earning a spot in the FSL All-Star Game and a mid-season promotion to AA Tennessee. Castro continued to hit at Tennessee (288/347/396), and helped lead the Smokies into the Southern League playoffs. Then he was assigned to the Arizona Fall League post-2009, where he presently leads the AFL in hitting while playing stellar defense at SS. Castro is still somewhat impatient at the plate (only 66/110 BB/K in 977 career PA), and seems to prefer to hit “first-ball fastball.” Although he also played 2B and 3B prior to the 2009 season, Castro played only SS at Daytona and Tennessee in 2009. He has plus-range and a strong arm, and while he made 39 errors (combined) at Daytona & Tennessee this past season, he has made only one error so far in the AFL while making several spectacular stops & throws, and he played in the AFL “Rising Stars” this past weekend. He has put on about 15 pounds over the past couple of years (and he still has room to grow) and could develop HR power as he matures (he’s still only 19). Castro is his own player, but he reminds me a little bit of a young Edgar Renteria

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4. Josh Vitters, 3B (2007 1st Round - Cypress, HS - Cypress, CA) - age 20

COMMENT: Vitters was the Cubs #1 draft pick in 2007, and the Cubs signed him just prior to the 8/15 deadline (Vitters had signed an NCAA NLI to attend Arizona State). He was sick the latter part of his senior year in high school, and reported to Fitch Park in August 2007 weak and out of shape. He didn't look much better in the 2007 AZ Instructional League, and then he had a sore hand in Spring Training 2008 that delayed the start of his season. But once he got healthy, Vitters showed what he could do as a hitter. He hit 328/365/498 in 61 games at Boise, and was named the Northwest League's #1 prospect by Baseball America. He began the 2009 season at Peoria, where he hit 316/351/535 while going on a mid-May HR binge (he hit 15 HR in 70 games at Peoria). That got him a promotion to Daytona, where he struggled (hitting 238/260/344 in 50 games). He has walked only 28 times in 830 career-PA, although he hasn’t struck out all that much for a power-hitting prospect, either (129 K). Only 20 years old, Vitters was assigned to the Arizona Fall League post-2009, where he is presently hitting 360/385/460. He is just an average runner, but has outstanding bat speed and plus-power and should develop into a 25+ HR guy. He has the actions of a third-baseman and he looks like a third-baseman, but he needs to spend as much time working on his defensive play at 3B as he does working on his hitting. (He really seems to enjoy BP, never gets tired of it). He says he cares about defense, but I would describe his play at 3B (so far) as somewhat lackadaisical (“defensive indifference”). Now, he is the steotypical laid-back Southern California dude, so that might be part of his seemingly casual approach to dealing with his deficiencies. Hopefully Vitters won’t turn out to be another David Kelton, but he is the Cubs top prospect most likely to turn out be a bust. It's possible that Vitters could eventually end up at 1B, and if it wasn’t that Alfonso Soriano is signed through 2014, I would think that the Cubs might seriously consider moving Vitters to LF at some point, but the Cubs REALLY want Vitters to make it to the big leagues as a third-baseman, if at all possible. Vitters will probably get an NRI to Spring Training next February and a promotion to AA Tennessee in 2010.

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5. Welington Castillo, C (2004 NDFA - Dominican Republic) - age 22

COMMENT: Castillo’s defense has mostly been more projection than performance so far. He has a strong arm and is fairly athletic behind the plate, but too often he is careless and foolish with his throws and inconsistent with his receiving, resulting in a ton of errors and passed balls in 2008. However, he cut his passed balls in half and improved his fielding % this past season (both still need further upgrade, however), while leading all catchers in the Cubs organization with a 44% CS rate (he threw out 36% opposing base-stealers in ’08). Concentrating on improving his defense apparently affected his hitting in 2009, as he struggled at the plate pre-All-Star Break after hitting 287/337/383 at Daytona and Tennessee (combined) in 2008. But he caught-fire post-ASB at Tennessee, hitting 319/357/519 while clubbing 11 HR. He was assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox (AFL) post-2009 (he’s currently hitting 357/438/571 in the AFL), and will almost certainly get added to the Cubs 40-man roster later this month. Since he is only 22 years old and still somewhat raw, he could start the 2010 season back at AA Tennessee, especially if that’s where he would get the most playing-time. If Geovany Soto has another year in 2010 like he did in 2009, and if Castillo can build on his 2009 second-half at the plate and continue to improve his defense, he could be the Cubs #1 catcher by 2011.

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6. D. J. LeMahieu, SS (2008 2nd Round – LSU) - age 21

COMMENT: LeMahieu spent two seasons as the starting shortstop at LSU, including the 2009 season when the Tigers won the CWS. He was selected by the Cubs as a draft-eligible sophomore in this past June’s MLB Rule 4 Draft, hit 323/376/384 in 41 games (combined) at AZL Cubs and Peoria after signing with the Cubs, and was the best hitter at AZ Instructs last month. Even though he has an opposite-field stroke, LeMahieu is a strong kid and can really put the hammer on the ball, ripping line drives back through the middle and into the right-centerfield alley. He hits right-handed pitchers OK, but he really crushes lefties. He’s also a good base-runner with above-average speed for a big guy (6’4 185). While he didn’t hit any HR after signing with the Cubs, he did turn on the ball and clubbed a homer over the LF fence at Papago Park (vs A’s) the last week of Instructs. More than any other player in the Cubs system, LeMahieu reminds me of Ryne Sandberg. Like Sandberg, LeMahieu is a natural shortstop who will likely eventually get moved to either 3B or 2B, and he has the type of line-drive stroke that (as happened with Sandberg in 1984) could possibly be tweaked into a pull-power HR stroke, if LeMahieu can just learn to turn on pitches more-often. While he may not remain at SS, LeMahieu looks most-comfortable there, and while he may not have the best range, he has a fairly strong arm and finds a way to make most-all the plays. His body-type projects more as that of a 2B or 3B, but so far Lemahieu has not taken to 2B (he looks awkward turning the DP from the 2B side), and he hasn’t even been tried yet at 3B. If it wasn’t for the presence of so many other shortstop prospects in the organization, LeMahieu would probably remain a shortstop indefinitely. As it is, I suspect he will play SS for at least one more year, and then will get re-evaluated. He will likely begin the 2010 season at Daytona, with a mid-season promotion to AA Tennessee a distinct possibility. I would love to see LeMahieu play for Ryne Sandberg this year, just to see if Ryno can help LeMahieu discover some pull-power.

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7. Brett Jackson, OF (2009 1st Round – Cal) – age 21

COMMENT: Jackson hit the ground running after signing with the Cubs in July, going 318/418/488 with 8 HR in just 53 games and 249 PA and 13 SB (2 CS) at three stops (Mesa, Boise, and Peoria). Jackson was on fire at Peoria (7 HR in 26 games) when he developed tendonitis in his wrist that shut him down for a month, causing him to miss the Midwest League playoffs, and when he returned to action in October midway through the AZ Instructional League, he looked rusty and struggled at the plate. He has a funky swing that involves a big leg kick, but he makes up for it with plus-bat speed. He is a hyper-aggressive defender and an outstanding ball-hawk--a “natural” CF, but with a slightly below-average arm that would probably preclude him from playing RF. He has well above-average speed and is an aggressive base-runner who likes to take chances. He has HR power, hits LHP and RHP about equally-well, and is fairly patient at the plate (31 BB in 249 PA in 2009), although he does strike out a lot (56 K in ’09). Presuming his wrist is OK, Jackson should begin the 2009 season at Daytona, where he will play CF and hit somewhere in the top third of the batting order.

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8. Hak-Ju Lee, SS (2007 NDFA – South Korea) - age 19

COMMENT: Lee got a $700K+ bonus (equivalent to “2nd round money”) from the Cubs in 2007, when he was considered the best HS player in South Korea. Named the #1 prospect in the Northwest League (NWL) by Baseball America, Lee hit 330/399/420 at Boise in 2009. He is one of the fastest players in the Cubs organization and can out-run a throw to 1st base if an infielder doesn’t play a ground ball aggressively. He also is a big-time base-stealer who led the NWL in stolen bases (25 SB in just 61 games) in ’09. A “natural” shortstop with plus-range and a decent arm (he had TJS post-2008), Lee is still VERY raw defensively (27 errors in 61 games this past season) and might have to be moved to another position (possibly CF) at some point in the future. He was a scrawny 17-year old at AZ Instructs in 2008, but he put on some muscle last off-season and he hits the ball with more authority now. A left-handed hitter, Lee’s stroke is somewhat similar to Ichiro’s. He waits until the last second and then sprays the ball all over the field while cheating out of the box toward 1st base with most every swing. He had an impressive AZ Instructs last month and showed some improvement in the field, and as he continues to mature physically he could develop some incidental HR power. He will likely spend the 2009 season at Peoria, teaming with Boise buddy 2B Logan Watkins to form a talented DP tandem.

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9. Chris Carpenter, RHP (2008 3rd Round – Kent State) - age 23

COMMENT: A 6’4 220 RHP, Carpenter had TJS in college, and began his pro career somewhat unimpressively in 2008, going 4-2 with a 4.64 ERA while allowing 34 hits (although only two HR) and 23/25 BB/K in 33 IP (combined) at Mesa (AZL Cubs) and Boise. However, he had a solid AZ Instructional League post-2008 and opened the 2009 season at Peoria, where he went 4-3 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, with only 55 hits allowed and a 33/60 BB/Kin 73.2 IP. He then got a mid-season promotion to Daytona, going 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in five starts. That got him another promotion, this time to AA Tennessee, where he was 0-3 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in seven starts. Overall, he fanned 118 hitters, putting him 4th among Cubs minor league pitchers in strikeouts in ’09. Carpenter features a 92-94 MPH fastball, a curve, and a change-up, and (unlike Cashner) has been a starting pitcher throughout his career. Carpenter should begin the 2009 season back in the AA Tennessee starting rotation.

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10. Kyler Burke, OF (Selected by San Diego Padres in 2006 Supplemental 1st Round – Ooltewah HS – Ooltewah, TN) - age 21

COMMENT: Acquired from the Padres for catcher Michael Barrett in June 2007, Burke has spent all or parts of the past three seasons playing in the Midwest League (MWL). He was projected as a power hitter deluxe when the Cubs got him from San Diego, but he had major problems making contact, striking out about once in every four PA 2006-08, with a career .233 BA through the 2008 season. It appeared that he might have to seriously consider a move to LHP, but then he altered his batting style, becoming more a of a line-drive hitter. And it worked, too, as he hit 303/405/505 with 15 HR and a MWL-leading 43 doubles in 555 PA at Peoria this past season, while being named the “Cubs Minor League Player of the Year.” While he can make contact versus LHPs, he only displays power and drives the ball versus RHPs. Defensively, Burke has the best OF arm in the organization, and is a prototypical RF, although he has played CF, too. He also went 14/2 in SB/CS in 2009. Burke should be the starting RF at Daytona in 2009.

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11. Ryan Flaherty, INF (2008 Supplemental 1st Round - Vanderbilt) - age 23

COMMENT: Selected with the compensation draft pick the Cubs got for losing FA catcher Jason Kendall to MIL after the 2007 season, Flaherty played SS at Vanderbilt, 2B with Team USA, SS at Boise in 2008, SS, 2B, and 3B at Peoria in 2009, and then mostly 3B in the AZ Instructional League post-2009. His future is probably as an offensive-first multi-positional IF-OF. He hit 276/344/470 with 20 HR in 131 games at Peoria in 2009 (309/372/498 post-ASB), and then he had an impressive month at the plate in the AZ Instructional League. He has plus-power, and if he can learn to play a passable corner-OF, he could morph into a left-handed hitting version of Mark DeRosa. While he mashes right-handed pitching, he struggles against lefties (hitting just .219 vs LHP in 2009), and so he could end-up as a LH platoon guy at the higher levels. Son of a college baseball coach, Flaherty is a savvy and mature player who understands how to play the game the right way. I would expect Flaherty to begin the 2010 season at Daytona and play all over the place, although a jump over Daytona to AA Tennessee wouldn’t be a big surprise.

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12. Sam Fuld, OF (2004 10th Round – Stanford) - age 27

COMMENT: Fuld gives the impression of being a brittle and fragile player, spending much of his career battling and rehabbing from injuries (torn labrum, broken hand, strained oblique, sprained wrist) that resulted from hyper-aggressive play in the field and on the bases, not to mention dealing with diabetes and insulin shots every day of his life since he was a teenager. But when he’s healthy, Fuld has managed to hit 287/370/407 in 507 minor league games (2211 PA), not to mention winning the 2007 AFL MVP Award (and the “Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award”) when he hit .402 for the Mesa Solar Sox while leading the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, and doubles. Besides being a Gold-Glove caliber defender with a plus-arm, Fuld is an outstanding base-runner with above-average speed (23 SB/5 CS at Iowa in 2009). He is a patient hitter who rarely strikes out (38/24 BB/K in 370 PA at Iowa in 2009), and he hits LHP as well as he does RHP. He could probably hit lead-off for some clubs in the big leagues right now. He is a “character” guy (and a schmart guy, too), having earned a degree in economics from Stanford. He is now pursuing a Masters degree in statistics, and has interned with Stats Inc. He has all the earmarks of a future MLB General Manager, once his playing career is over.

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13. Tyler Colvin, OF (2006 1st Round - Clemson) - age 24

COMMENT: Colvin played most of the 2008 season with a left-elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery. He then spent the first part of the 2009 season as the DH at Daytona while rehabbing from the TJS before getting a mid-season promotion back up to AA Tennessee, where he hit 300/334/524 with 14 HR and 50 RBI in 84 games. He got a call-up to Chicago in September after the conclusion of the Southern League playoffs, and made a couple of really nice catches in CF. He has plus-speed and plus-power with the potential to hit 20+ HR, 30+ doubles, and 10+ triples. He has been working on being more patient at the plate over the past couple of seasons, and he actually takes a fairly normal number of walks and doesn’t strike out much versus RHP, but against lefties, he never walks, and he strikes out with much greater frequency. However, if he can get a pitch to hit from a LHP before he gets behind in the count, he can put the ball in play with authority. So he might project as a platoon player in the big leagues. Although he is still a bit raw as an outfielder, he is also an athletic defender capable of making big-play defensive stops in the outfield. He probably doesn’t have enough arm to play RF, but he can handle either CF or LF. He was moved to LF at Clemson to take advantage of his speed and athleticism, but his "natural" position is 1B, and so he could play some 1st base again someday. Colvin will probably be the starting CF at Iowa in 2010, and will board the Des Moines-Chicago shuttle when needed.

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14. Darwin Barney, SS (2007 3rd Round – Oregon State) - age 23

COMMENT: Although other shortstops in the Cubs organization may be more highly-regarded, Darwin Barney is no slouch. Playing college ball at two-time CWS champion Oregon State, Barney rocketed through the Cubs system after getting drafted out of OSU in 2007, jumping up to Daytona in 2008 where he hit 262/325/357 with 22 doubles in 123 games, and then playing in the Arizona Fall League (and holding his own) post-2008. Barney got an NRI to big league camp this past Spring Training, and then began the 2009 regular season at AA Tennessee, where he hit 317/368/401 before getting a mid-season promotion to AAA Iowa, where he hit 264/304/330. While he may not have the “ceiling” of Castro, LeMahieu, or Lee, Barney is nevertheless a legitimate MLB prospect, and (at this point, anyway) is closer to the big leagues than the other three Cubs SS prospects. Barney is a polished player, a solid hitter with above-average speed (22/7 SB/CS in 309 career games), and while his errors were up in 2009, he can make all the plays at shortstop. Barney will likely get another NRI to Spring Training with the big club in 2010, and will probably be the starting shortstop at AAA Iowa again next season. Barney looks a bit like Derek Jeter and has some of Jeter’s mannerisms in the field, although (obviously) he certainly isn’t as talented as the Yankee shortstop.

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15. Brandon Guyer, OF (2007 5th Round – Virginia) – age 23

COMMENT: After spending the first two months of the 2008 season rehabbing from elbow surgery at Fitch Park, Guyer was assigned to Peoria where he hit 269/331/498 with 14 HR and 19/63 BB/K in 88 games. A strong AZ Instructional League season post-2008 earned him a “challenge” promotion to AA Tennessee to start the 2009 season, but he struggled there (190/236/291 in 57 games and 205 PA) and was demoted to Daytona, where caught-fire and hit 347/407/453, with 34/67 BB/K in 73 games and 305 PA. He was the best all-around player at Instructs last month (he was there mainly to work on his strength & conditioning, and to try and rediscover his power-stroke), getting several big hits and home runs, while also making a couple of spectacular diving catches in CF. Guyer has above-average speed, and is an aggressive base-runner and a good base-stealer (he had 30 SB and only 7 CS combined at Daytona and Tennessee in 2009). He played 3B in HS, but was moved to LF when he arrived at the University of Virginia, mainly because Ryan Zimmerman was already firmly ensconced at 3B for the Cavaliers, but also to take greater advantage of his speed & athleticism. Although he looks most-comfortable in LF, Guyer has seen action at all three OF positions for the Cubs over the last couple of seasons. He plays an all-out “crash & burn” style of OF defense in the mold of a Reed Johnson or an Eric Byrnes, laying his body on the line without fear. It would not surprise me if the Cubs begin to move Guyer around the field a bit more next season at AA Tennessee, maybe getting him some PT at 3B and 1B, or possibly even at 2B. His future is probably as an MLB IF-OF-RHPH-PR.

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JUST MISSED THE CUT:
16. Rebel Ridling, 1B
17. Logan Watkins, 2B
18. Chris Archer, RHP
19. Marquez Smith, 3B
20. Casey Coleman, RHP

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LAST YEAR’S TOP 15 PROSPECTS:
1. Jeff Samardzija, RHP (no longer qualifies)
2. Josh Vitters, 3B
3. Andrew Cashner, RHP
4. Welington Castillo, C
5. Ryan Flaherty, INF
6. Kevin Hart, RHP (traded to PIT 7/09)
7. Tyler Colvin, OF
8. Jay Jackson, RHP
9. Micah Hoffpauir, 1B (no longer qualifies)
10. Esmailin Caridad, RHP
11. Mitch Atkins, RHP
12. Donald Veal, LHP (selected by PIT in the 2008 Rule 5 Draft)
13. Jovan Rosa, 3B
14. Brandon Guyer, OF
15. Dan McDaniel, RHP

The GM Meetings Begin Today

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:07:36 -0500

I had thought of something to write about these meetings and then realized I didn’t really care. Nothing will happen that wouldn’t have happened without the meetings. We’ll hear a few rumors over the next few days and read about how the GM Meetings lay the groundwork for trades that take place weeks later or don’t even take place at all. I’m pretty sure the GMs can lay the groundwork for trades without being in the same location. I’m not really sure w...

Cubs Rumor Round-up: DeRosa, Harden and Johnson

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:30:59 -0500

- Buried in this Stltoday.com artcile is this nugget:

DeRosa, coming off wrist surgery, figures to field an offer from the Chicago Cubs, at the least.

Seems like idle speculation than anything legit, but at least the Wrigley-ites would be cheering for the right team if it did happen. (Hat tip to Bleacher Nation for the find)

- Paul Sullivan says the Cubs are ready to let Rich Harden and Reed Johnson test free agency.

But Harden's injury-plagued history makes a multiyear deal unlikely, and Johnson may have to take a salary cut to stay.

Well if this is indeed the case, offering Rich Harden becomes even a bigger no-brainer. Johnson has never been more than a good short-side platoon player that shouldn't be too difficult to replace. Jayson Stark supposedly suggested Marlon Byrd as an option.

- Sammy Sosa takes this vampire a craze a step too far.

The official line was that he going through a rejuvenation process for his skin.

Cubs seem ready to let Harden, Johnson go

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:36:59 -0500

Free agents' contract situations a difficult fit for Cubs' plans There's no question Rich Harden and Reed Johnson would prefer to return to the Cubs in 2010, and in a perfect world, Jim Hendry would probably re-sign both.

Weekend Update ... Talkin' Cubs Rumors

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:27:43 -0500

The first two days of the off-season have seen quite a bit of movement across the league ... except for on the North Side of Chicago. The Cubs completed their organizational meetings on Friday in Arizona and other than Reed Johnson and Rich Harden declaring free agency, not much out of the Cubs' camp. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Jim Hendry has little payroll flexibility and will likely rely on making trades to improve (or fix) the big league team for next season. It is only t...

Aaaaand Here We Go…

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:13:24 -0500

The cap to one helluva busy day, MLB transaction-wise is, at least for Cub fans, the kickoff of the Cubs offseason, as Reed Johnson and Rich Harden filed for free agency: The Cubs’ Reed Johnson and Rich Harden didn’t waste any time. Johnson and Harden were among the 79 Major League players who filed for free agency on Thursday, the first day they were eligible to do so. So, there’s that. Harden is a Type B FA, meaning of the Cubs offer him arbitration (they won’...

Harden and Johnson File for Free Agency

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:33:37 -0500

According to a report on Cubs.com, Rich Harden and Reed Johnson were among the 79 players to file for free agency on Thursday. The Cubs have exclusive negotiating rights until November 20 to work out new contracts with all of their potential free agents ... Reed Johnson, Rich Harden, John Grabow, Kevin Gregg and Chad Fox.

Will Lilly's Surgery Affect the Cubs' Off-Season?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:45:00 -0500

Congratulations to the New York Yankees on their 27th World Series Championship. The 2009 season ended exactly one month after the Cubs campaign came to an end ... Warm up the oven, it's time for the Hot Stove Season. The 15-day free-agent filing period begins on Thursday ... teams have exclusive negotiating rights for the next 15 days in order to try and re-sign their would-be free agents. The Cubs are expected to re-sign John Grabow to a contract at some point over the next two weeks...

Crystal Ballin'

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:44:02 -0500

I would expect the following to happen over the next few weeks:

1. NO LATER THAN THE 4TH BUSINESS DAY FOLLOWING CONCLUSION OF WORLD SERIES: Clubs must decide whether to add any of their Rule 55 minor league free-agents to the 40-man roster.

Probably the only Cubs candidate is RF Brad Snyder, who could be another Garrett Jones or Casey McGehee (an apparent "4-A guy" who gets written off but is in reality just a "late bloomer"). Along with Kyler Burke and Nelson Perez, Snyder has one of the top three OF arms in the Cubs organization, has plus-power (he was on a pace to hit 50 HR for Iowa when he broke his wrist in May), runs well for a big guy (he looks like he could play TE in the NFL), and is a decent defender who can play all three OF positions (although RF is best position). His only negative (and it's a big one) is an inability to make consistent contact.

Snyder is presently playing for Mexicali in the Mexican Pacific League (LMP). He is out of minor league options, so adding him to the 40 would mean he would be exposed to waivers again at the end of Spring Training if he doesn't make the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster. If the Cubs don't add him to the 40, they could try and re-sign him to a minor league contract with an NRI to Spring Training, but if given the chance, he will probably sign with another club where he would get a better chance to play in the big leagues next year. My guess is the Cubs let Snyder walk.

2. FIRST 15 DAYS AFTER CONCLUSION OF WORLD SERIES: Window during which MLB Article XX free-agents can file for free-agency.

Cubs free-agents Chad Fox, John Grabow, Kevin Gregg, Rich Harden, and Reed Johnson will file for free-agency, bringing the Cubs Reserve List (40-man roster) down to 33 players.

3. NO LATER THAN 11/20: Deadline for adding minor league players who are eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft to the MLB 40-man roster.

I believe the Cubs will add C Welington Castillo, LHP John Gaub, and RHP Blake Parker to the 40-man roster, and they will also outright RHP Marcos Mateo to the minors (presuming he isn't claimed off waivers). This will bring the Cubs 40-man roster up to 35 players.

It's possible that the Cubs will also add RHP Rafael Dolis and/or IF-OF Matt Camp to the 40-man roster on 11/20, too, because if they don't, Dolis and Camp are good candidates to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Adding Dolis and Camp to the MLB Reserve List would bring the Cubs roster up to 37.

4. DECEMBER 1ST: Deadline for offering arbitration to MLB Article XX FAs.

I believe the Cubs will offer salary arbitration to Type "A" FA John Grabow, but not to any of the other four. Because Grabow is a Type "A" FA, the Cubs would get a 1st or 2nd round draft pick plus a "sandwich" pick between the 1st and 2nd round if Grabow signs with another club, which would mean most clubs wouldn't be interested in signing him because signing him isn't worth losing a 1st or 2nd round pick. That should drop Grabow's value down and the Cubs should be able to sign him for below market-value. (I say the Cubs should be able to sign him for below market-value, not that they will). But one way or another, I believe Grabow will re-sign with the Cubs. This will bring the Cubs roster up to 38 players.

Reed Johnson might get re-signed eventually, too, but I doubt that he will be offered salary arbitration on 12/1. Before they re-sign Johnson (or offer him arbitration), the Cubs need to know whether they will be exchanging Milton Bradley for a CF or another RF (presuming Bradley even gets traded during the off-season). Because if the Cubs trade Bradley for a CF (like Aaron Rowand, for instance), I doubt that the Cubs would re-sign Reed Johnson to platoon with Kosuke in RF. In fact even if Fukudome plays CF again in 2010, the Cubs might opt to try and make a trade for a cheaper RH hitting OF like Rajai Davis (A's), who is eligible for salary arbitrationn as a "Super Two," but still won't be getting "Reed Johnson money" ($3M per year). I suspect the A's would take Sam Fuld back for Davis.

5. DECEMBER 12TH: Deadline for clubs to tender 2010 Major League contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man roster (auto-renewal guys and arbitration-eligibles).

I believe the Cubs will non-tender only one player, and that is LHP Neal Cotts (who is at Fitch Park rehabbing from July 2009 TJS). They then will try and re-sign him to a 2010 minor league ontract with an MLB split ($150K while he rehabs, then a prorated $900K if and when he is ready to pitch in the big leagues in 2010 and gets added to the 40-man roster). And I believe Cotts would probably take such a deal, too, partly because he isn't likely to get a better offer elsewhere, and partly because I doubt that he would want to uproot his family and change trainers and facilities in the middle of his off-season rehab.

Non-tendering Cotts on 12/12 would bring the 40-man roster down to 37, and would clear another slot to be used for any FA who might get signed (or re-signed, if it's Reed Johnson) after 12/12.

It's also possible that the Cubs will non-tender Andres Blanco on 12/12, but only if they know for sure that they can sign him to a 2010 minor league contract. To do this, the Cubs would probably have to offer Blanco at least $250K plus an NRI to ST. That way, if he makes the Cubs 25-man Opening Day roster, he can be added back to the 40 at the end of Spring Training. And if he doesn't, he can be sent to Iowa (and be available to get called up if needed later in the season) without having to clear waivers at the end of Spring Training (Blanco is out of minor league options).

While I don't think any of the other Cubs arbitration-eligibles will get non-tendered, I would not be surprised if Aaron Heilman gets traded before Spring Training (as happened with Michael Wuertz last off-season).

I also expect Jake Fox to get traded sometime prior to Opening Day, since he is out of minor league options and does not appear to have a spot for 2010.

From the Wire ... Fuld Recalled

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:30:50 -0500

According to a report from the Tribune, Sam Fuld accompanied the Cubs to Miami on Thursday and will take Reed Johnson's roster spot on Friday. The Cubs are expected to option Mitch Atkins to Triple-A to make room for Fuld. John Grabow will be in uniform on Friday and available out of the pen for Lou Piniella. Grabow will wear number 43, he asked for 34 but told it was not available.

Game 93 Recap: Cubs 10, Phillies 5

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:57:46 -0500

The Phillies Don't Go to 11.

W - Zambrano, (7-4), "working" from home and watching afternoon Cubs games, ending someone else's winning streak. L - Moyer, (9-7), making the same reference to the same movie that everyone else always makes.
S - Gregg, (19)
Box Score, Photos Things to Take from This Game

1. A Balanced Attack Seven different Cubs had RBI today, without benefit of a home run. Bradley, Soriano and Ramirez all had two-hit games, Theriot had both 3 hits and stolen bases. Perhaps most interesting, Bradley's five ABs were with a runner in scoring position; he went 2-4 with a walk and an RBI. None of the hits were rockets, but I'll take it.

2. Well-pitched early...
Moyer had the Cubs fooled for the first three innings, and Z pitched well through the first five.

3. ... tense moments late. The Phillies left the bases loaded in both the seventh and the eighth. Marshall faced on batter, Dobbs, who singled in two runs that got charged to Z. But Guzman then escaped from the inning, and eventually turned the game over to Gregg who escaped from the eighth and pitched an uneventful ninth for an impressive save. The Cubs also finally did some damage to the Philly relievers, getting to both Durbin and Lidge, allowing our relievers some breathing room.

The 5-2 Roadtrip details, below.

Game Recap Inning 1 - Top

After waiting for Moyer to get his shoes tied, a first-pitch 81 mph fastball for the strike. Next pitch fouled off, 0-2 to Reed Johnson. Eventually K's swinging over and in front of a change-up.
0-1 to Theriot, and next pitch lays down a perfect surprise bunt up the third base line. Feliz makes the throw, but there was no chance.
1-2 count to Lee, as Moyer's getting ahead of everyone. Watches a slider, maybe, over the outside corner for strike three.
Radar gun seems not to be picking up Moyer's breaking and off-speed pitches, as they're too slow. It's similarly tough for me to distinguish his changeups from his breaking pitches, as they're all just exceptionally slow.
Theriot steals second easily, and a wild throw into center sends Theriot to third. Nice "manufacturing" going on by Theriot this inning. Now, if someone would help him out...
Ramirez coaxes a walk.
2-0 count to Bradley, he chops one off the plate and toward the third-base side of the mound. Moyer comes over to snag it, throws to first. Inning over. Very early results on LouPa's Extreme Hitter Makeover project not looking so encouraging.

Inning 1 - Bottom

Strike one to Rollins, Z working quickly, as usual. three balls from there, and a fourth. Walks Rollins.
Victorino lines sharply to left-center, but Johnson goes back and easily makes the catch.
Z throwing over to first a bunch to check on Rollins.
Full count to Utley. Rollins runs, and Utley strikes out on a high fastball, with Rollins thrown out by a mile at second - doesn't bother sliding, just half-heartedly tries to spin away from Theriot's tag.

Inning 2 - Top

called strike, then jammed foul bloop for an 0-2 count to Soriano. Next pitch a high "fast"ball, Soriano with a soft popup to Howard.
Baker lofts one down the right field line, a fan in the seats that jut out near the playing field tries to catch it bare-handed, and it pops away from him. Fan gets booed.
Baker then grounds out to Feliz.
Hill also grounds to Feliz, making a nice play ranging to his left.

Inning 2 - Bottom

Howard flies to straight-away right.
Werth walks.
Called strike one to Dobbs, in for Ibanez today. Eventually lines a single right past Z's glove-side into center. Len points out that Werth, on par with the alert Phillies baserunning we've seen this series, was eyeing Reed Johnson for any hint of a chance to take an extra base. Nope, has to hold at second.
Feliz squibs one to Lee for a long-toss 3-1 putout at first. Z inexplicably fires across the diamond to third, trying to catch Werth rounding too far around the bag. Werth easily gets back. Dumb, dumb throw by Z.
Len and Bob cheer old-school Moyer, who warms up in the on-deck circle by swinging a pair of bats.
Z busts Bako's bat, a little bloop out to Theriot who fights off the sun and makes the catch.

Inning 3 - Top

Z pops a looping hit foul down the first base line, and Howard makes a nice (if lumbering) over-the shoulder catch for the out.
Johnson walks. Then, with maybe a two-step lead at first, takes off for second, looking in to home plate all the way. Theriot takes, and Johnson is out by a mile. Busted hit-and-run, I assume.
Theriot with a slow chop out to Rollins. Nearly beats it out, but inning over.

Inning 3 - Bottom

Moyer quickly K's.
Rollins swings at first-pitch fastball, flies right to Soriano.
Victorino singles through the right-side hole.
Utley K's looking.

Inning 4 - Top

Lee singles to left, Ramirez singles right back up the middle, and quickly 2 on, no outs for Bradley.
Bradley does a nice job going with the pitch, hitting it into right. Three singles to load the bases for Soriano.
0-2 to Soriano
Soriano floats one into shallow center for a single. Station-to-station baseball, but 4 singles = one run. 1-0 Cubs
Baker lines one just to Rollins' left, Victorino runs over and makes a sliding stop to keep it from getting to wall. Throw in to second to get Baker, but the ball gets away and rolls through the infield, allowing Soriano to score, and Baker going to third. 4-0 Cubs
Hill grounds out to Rollins
as does Z. Not good ABs with runner at third and no outs
Johnson K's looking. Cubs fans gnash teeth in spite of a four-run outburst.

Inning 4 - Bottom

Len tells us it's not Moyer, it's the radar gun just not working. Howard bounces one to what ought to be about straight-away second baseman's position. Theriot, maybe 6 steps deep in the outfield, takes a step to his left, grabs it and throws him out.
Werth grounds to the real second-baseman, Baker.
Dobbs rolls to Theriot. Quick inning.

Inning 5 - Top

Theriot sneaks a grounder past Rollins. It's Moyer's 4000th hit allowed, and nobody cares.
Moyer wants a called strike two on Lee, a changeup off the outside corner, doesn't get it. Wanders around the infield for awhile in annoyance. Or senility. Take your pick.
Lee with a high fly ball out to left-center.
Theriot with another good jump, steals second uncontested.
Ramirez walks
Bradley is up for the third time in a row with RISP. He singles a grounder thorugh the left-side hole, and Theriot scores easily on Dobbs throw toward home. 5-0 Cubs
Soriano pops to Howard on the infield.
Baker grounds into a 5-4 force.

Inning 5 - Bottom

Feliz with a big chopper off the plate, down the third base line. Z gets there, makes an unneeded throw to first. Feliz safe.
and Bako with a soft liner over Baker into right. Feliz to second.
John Mayberry Jr. hits for Moyer. Inside-outs a soft bloop hit into right field, loading the bases for Rollins.
Rollins flies to medium center. In an odd development, Feliz tags and breaks for home, and Johnson throws toward third base. Feliz, however, decides to return to third, presumably thinking Reed was throwing to home and just intended to bluff. Fans boo Feliz
Victorino grounds to Lee, can't quite turn it quickly enough for a 3-6-3. Feliz scores on the force out. 5-1 Cubs.
Len can't stop referencing Tom Hanks movies today.
full count to Utley, k's swinging, losing the bat on the swing. Rough couple of games for Utley, nice work escaping the inning with only one run allowed.

Inning 6 - Top

Clay Condrew in to pitch.
Hill hits a fly into deep left-center, Victorino does a nice job running it down.
Z grounds slowly out to Rollins, even more slowly jogs down to first.
Johnson lines out to Werth.

Inning 6 - Bottom

Howard hits a sinking liner to Baker, who is playing in the shift at a point too deep to throw out Howard once concluding he needed to pull up and wait for the hop.
Werth pulls one into the hole, Theriot gets there nicely, makes a Jeter-style jump throw to second, but it's wide of the bag and rolls into right field. Howard to third, Werth to second. Brenly is pretty peeved at Bradley for not backing up the throw on the play.
Brenly still at it. He's really been going after the Cubs in the last several games for lazy fundamentals.
Z K's Dobbs looking at a fastball on the outside corner. Nice pitch.
Feliz singles to center, Johnson throws in to try to get the second runner, Werth, who is sort of cruising in. Werth makes an awkward leaning-back-and-to-the-right evasion to get around Hill, standing up. Two-run single, 5-3 Cubs
Bako K's on a swinging foul-tip. The ball hit in the dirt before skipping up into Hill's glove, meaning it should be a foul ball and not a strike out, and Manuel comes out to argue the point. Bako still out, Manuel ejected.
Stairs hits for Condrey, K's looking.

Inning 7 - Top

Durbin in to pitch
Theriot walks on a full count.
Nearly picked off at first. Actually, Howard tagged the dirt, not figuring just how late Theriot would be in getting back.
Full count to Lee, walks.
Ramirez lines a shot in the right-center gap, scoring both Theriot and Lee. A very encouraging stroke from A-ram. 7-3 Cubs.
Bradley with yet another AB with RISP today, this time from the left side. 3-1 count. Walks on the next pitch, low and away.
Soriano hits a lined shot just past Feliz's left. Bases loaded.
Fontenot to hit for Baker
Scott Eyre in to pitch.
Fox now in to hit for Fontenot.
Sharp liner, right to Dobbs, and Ramirez easily scores on the sac. fly. 8-3 Cubs
full count to Hill, lines sharply to Feliz, who tries and fails to double off Bradley at second.
Z stays in to hit. 3-1 count. Big rip at a fastball, misses, 3-2. Likewise on the next pitch, for the K.

Inning 7 - Bottom

Rollins grounds to Lee, unassisted
Fox appears to be out of the game, so Hill has to not get hurt, to save us from seeing Randy Wells catch.
Victorino singles into right.
Utley hits a sinking liner into right, Bradley makes a nice, tough (if awkward) sliding basket catch
Howard walks.
Dobbs pulls a single into right, Bradley charges hard on the ball, keeping Victorino at third. Throw to the plate was offline, but doesn't matter. Bases loaded.
Marshall in to relieve Z.
Decent pitch by Marshall, down, a bit over the plate, and Dobbs serves it into left field, scoring two runs. 8-5 Cubs. LouPa has used his only lefty reliever, against a team full of powerful left-handed bats, to pitch to one batter. Hmm. Runners 1 and 3
Guzman in to pitch to Feliz.
Feliz lines to Soriano, just short of the warning track. Phew.

Inning 8 - Top

Eyre still in for the 8th. Goes 3-0 to Johnson. Called strike, then lines out to Utley.
Theriot lines one up the middle, off of Utley's glove as he dives for it.
Theriot steals his third base of the day, this time on a good throw from Bako, but better jump by Theriot.
Lee walks.
Ramirez serves one into right-center, Werth takes a weird path, but gets to the deep fly ball. Theriot was running, but gets back in time.
Bradley up for the fifth consecutive time with RISP. Ball one, then a broken-bat grounder to Rollins to end the inning.

Inning 8 - Bottom

Bako rolls one right to Ramirez, who seems to be scooping it up and throwing it before it's fully in his glove. Error.
Len just now points out that all 11 philly hits are singles
Ibanez in to hit for Eyre, rolls out to Theriot. To weakly hit to get the lead runner.
Rollins bounces to Lee, unassisted, Bako to third.
Victorino walks on four pitches, bringing up Utley representing the tying run. Fun, Fun.
Fukudome in for Bradley, Gregg in for Guzman in the double switch.
Strike one to Utley, but from there to 3-1 count. And four in a row, a walk. Loaded, Howard up as the go-ahead run.
Howard reaches for an outside fastball, pulls it to Lee, unassisted. Another inning concluded with the bases loaded.

Inning 9 - Top

Lidge in for Eyre.
Soriano Ks swinging
At some point, Blanco came in to play second. He's rewarded for his surruptitious substitution by getting hit by a pitch in the left elbow. Only Hoffpauir left on the bench, so Blanco better rub some dirt on it.
and Hill quickly walks, bringing up Fukudome.
Fukudome swings at the first pitch, singling into right. Werth makes a very good throw to the plate, with Blanco holding at third.
Reed Johnson quickly down 0-2.
Johnson bloops one into right, just in front of Werth, who decoys the runners into thinking he'll get there. Blanco just does manage to reverse directions and score, with Fukudome barely beating the throw at second. 9-5 Cubs
Full count to Theriot, K's on a slider.
Game has slowed down drastically from the first four innings or so. Len points out the Cubs have 8 walks today.
3-1 to Lee. Walks, 10-5 Cubs
Ryan Madson in for Lidge, BRuntlett in for Howard at 1st in the double-switch.
Ramirez pops to Utley

Inning 9 - Bottom

Werth flies out to Fukudome, on a very rare swing at a first pitch.
0-2 on Dobbs, fastball misses outside for 1-2. Swings through a high fastball for the strikeout.
Feliz lofts an easy fly to Soriano, ending the game.

Parachat Recap Inning 1

Alone in parachat for the first few batters, I discuss my online financial account numbers and passwords,my social security number, my medical history and love life, and my real opinions about abortion, war, racism and drugs. Shocking, shocking opinions.
big_lowitzki joins, and chad.
Chad sprays something all over parachat. big-L diplomatically calls it "optimism." If by "optimism" you mean rage-fueled despair.

Inning 2

I "boo" Chad for his lackadaisical parachat effort.
big_l reminds us that mullets always lose.
- except for Chad's.
What do you imagine other TCR'ers look like?
- I try not to.
Z's dumb throw to third.

Inning 3

Is Brian the Same Brian?
- Brian thinks so.
The busted hit-and-run caught-stealing.
Jersey Fried Chicken.

Inning 4

Bradley's AB
Moyer's record against the Cubs
Chad whines about how our power hitters can't drive in runs
- Cheering as Cubs drive in four runs.
Real Neal joins, after having grabbed his.... comp.
The LaRoche trade

Inning 5

Theriot's throws make Real Neal's rotator cuff hurt.
big_l must have one bad fantasy team
- I'm amused that I abbreviate big_lowitzki as big_l, which realy looks like a big I or a lowercase l.
Rollins' weak season, comparing batted-ball numbers to prior seasons. interesting stuff.
Free (Felix) Pie.
The sadism behind Spilled Ice Cream Humor.
Good, non-"moran" Cubs ABs today.
A long and weighty colloquium on the moral and strategic merits of running out infield flies, from Real Neal. Many thoughtful interrogatives followed from the audience.
Double-standards in Bradley's benching compared to Soriano?
Feliz's base-running.

Inning 6

Cubs' historical success against premium hitters.
How much is Weiters worth in a keeper fantasy league?
What would it take to get Wilson or Sanchez from the Pirates?
The Theriot throw to second and lack of Bradley back-up
Could we get Escobar from the Braves?
- not a chance.
an umpire's plea for help

Inning 7

Evaluating Bonds' career against the cubs. Interesting stuff from big_l, Real Neal. Then devolves into trying to explain OPS to Chad.
The laser-beam wielding Questec robot that eventually will Destroy All Humans.
Was Bradley supposed to be a key or complementary piece to this year's offense?
What would be a good second half from Bradley?
More on the LaRoche trade
What is Danish Cheese?
LouPa's use of Marshall in relief

Inning 8

Hooray, it's Ted Lilly Fan Club!
Scott Eyre jokes.
More on Bradley's year.
Getting very nervous about this game.
Rob exhorts Gregg to get out of this inning for ****'s sake.
- Gregg must be concerned about the sake of ****

Inning 9

Real Neal works to prove my previously quarter-assed theory, upgrading it to half-assed.
LaRoche trade, revisited, again.

Cubs move to a modest 3-5 in my most recent round of recapped games.

How Fast is Reed Johnson?

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:56:20 -0500

When you're a young guy, hair that grows in places other than your head is pretty important.
I was a freshman in football this one time when a guy named Paul Holland completely ran me over in a tackling drill.
One of the coaches screams at me, "SOUERS, YOU AIN'T GOT NO HAIR ON YOUR ASS!"
I could tell right away that hair meant huevos, balls, intestinal fortitude.

In college I decided to grow sideburns.
Why not?
Grew 'em for about 3 weeks.
Wellll, on one side I had to painstakingly and artfully blend hair from my head to mix with all of maybe 14 actual sideburn hairs.
And all that blending was for naught because only 5 actual sideburn hairs grew on the other side.
Bald patch between the head hair and the 5 sideburn hairs - not good.
I cannot grow a mustache or a beard, I have no hair on my chest, and my leg hair kinda petered out in 6th grade.
Reed Johnson seems to be able to grow beards at will and overnight. I am SO jealous.
But you never know - I may still be maturing.

Well, that hopefully took your mind off of Geovany Soto's "mild" oblique strain and the sloppy, rotten, foul-tasting 1-4 loss to the Braves yesterday.
Kevin Hart came up to take Dempster's place in the rotation.
He did okay, really.
Buncha walks, but okay.
It's these damned wimpy Cub bats.
They have no hair.
And here come the Cardinals...
A little perspective - the Phillies lead the NL with 432 runs scored, St. Louis is 6th with 377, and our favorite team is 15th with 337.
I'm sure you're aware that that's 15th out of 16.
So...not so good.
I'd put a little hair tonic on those bats, boys.
Do that thing where everybody on the team grows a beard or something.
You are going to need to score some runs in these next 4 games.
And if you do, you will have a chance to knock these guys down a peg.
And even though I don't, as a Cub fan I would at least feel like I had some hair on my ass.

Tim Souers is the illustrator and author of Cubby Blue and appreciates the opportunity to guest blog here at The Cub Reporter.
http://www.cubby-blue.com

This illustration is in the current issue of VINE LINE.

Fukudome is a dirty word

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:48:20 -0500

by DCScrap, on 205th magazine Cubs fans would probably agree right about now, but bad baseball is not why Fukudome is considered a bad word. Elgin High School sophomore had to remove her Kosuke Fukudome jersey and wear a gym T-shirt to class Wednesday because of a misunderstanding about how to pronounce the All-Star right-fielder's last name. "Someone stopped me in the hall and asked me what the back of my jersey said," Jill said. She replied that it was the name of Cubs player,...