LATEST STORIES FROM CUBS F/X
Converging Marmol
A picture is worth a 1000 words, right? This picture plots over 6300 pitches thrown by Carlos Marmol since 2007. Notice the drop in velocity followed by an increase in his slider velocity only (lower clusters).
While his fastball velocity has dropped, his slider has picked up speed and is back to as-fast-as-ever. One key for Marmol is having separation between his two pitches...
Via Cubs f/x
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August 17, 2011
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August 17, 2011
Discuss
Vance Worley Preview
On the hottest day Chicago has seen in a decade, rookie Vance Worley will take the ball for the Phillies against the Cubs. Worley was drafted after high school and again three years later, both times by Philadelphia, signing the second time around as a third round pick in 2008.
Worley's big league debut was just about one year ago and this will be his 12th Major League start...
Via Cubs f/x
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July 20, 2011
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July 20, 2011
Next Challenge: The Resurgent Pirates
I was born in 1971 and went to my first Major League game in 1979. I graduated from college in 1993. By virtue of my age, the quality baseball being played by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011 is not a shock to my system--I've seen it before.
The Pirates of the 1970s were always first or second in the National League East, with the exception being the lone sub-.500 season of...
Via Cubs f/x
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July 08, 2011
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July 08, 2011
What to Expect from Ramon Ortiz
With Big Z on the DL, Ramon Ortiz will make his first big league appearance since last May. He'll face Ross Detwiler, who is also making his first start of 2011 (a quick note on his stuff is at the bottom of this post).
Ortiz's 30 innings as a Dodger in 2010 were his first in the show since 2007. He spent 2008 in Japan pitching for Orix, returned to the States as a Fresno...
Via Cubs f/x
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July 05, 2011
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July 05, 2011
Jordan Zimmermann, Two Years Later
Happy 4th of July. Here's a look at two young starters facing off in DC today. Casey Coleman is filling in for Ryan Dempster and he's got his work cut out for him today.
The Nats' Jordan Zimmermann is an interesting pitcher. He has power stuff with finesse results. The real story his he's a first class strike thrower, a Wisconsin kid who, at age 25, is now pitching...
Via Cubs f/x
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July 04, 2011
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July 04, 2011
Giants Return
Barry Zito is coming off the DL to make his first start since April. Ryan Vogelsong opens the twin bill with his second appearance against the Cubs. Vogelsong will face Doug Davis and Rodrigo Lopez will get the ball from Mike Quade for the nightcap.Tim Lincecum has matured/developed/changed, but it is still a power game. He'll face Ryan Dempster. The final game of the set will...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 28, 2011
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June 28, 2011
Middle Game in KC - Danny Duffy Preview
Danny Duffy will face Carlos Zambrano in just a few minutes. The skinny on Duffy: high three-quarter delivery, left-handed, throws hard, rookie. He was a 3rd round pick in 2007, right out of High School.Level IP G GS
Rookie 46.1 15 13
Low-A 81.1 17 17
High-A 140.2 27 27
Double-A 39.2 7 7
Triple-A 36.0 7 7
Majors...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 25, 2011
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June 25, 2011
Playing the Slots with Bruce Chen
Bruce Chen is coming of the disabled list* to face the Cubs tonight. Chen has been with the Royals for a couple of years, they're his eighth team and approximately third life in baseball.
*left lat strain per numerous Google search results
Chen was a free agent from Panama and signed by the Braves way back in 1993. He's now 34-years old, and the hard-throwing left...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 24, 2011
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June 24, 2011
Mark Buehrle: World Class Nibbler
To appreciate Mark Buehrle you really need to do one thing--look at where he puts the ball. To set the stage, however, a quick refresher on his stuff.
First and foremost, he does not throw hard. He throws five pitches--the rare slider (crammed into his cutter and curve below) and possibly a second look on his change-up (crammed into his change-up and cutter below) aside.
...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 21, 2011
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June 21, 2011
Keep an Eye on Ben Wells
Ben Wells of the Boise Hawks will be on MiLB.tv Wednesday night. The Hawks' Opening Day starter gets the home opener, too.
Wells was selected by the Cubs in the 7th round of the 2010 draft and signed for $530,000. Barely 18 now (born 9/10/92), the big righty could be a fun one to watch as he develops. A graduate of Bryant High School and a native of Alexander, Arkansas, he...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 21, 2011
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June 21, 2011
Gavin Floyd's Subtle Changes
Crosstown series starts tonight at The Cell. Gavin Floyd is Ozzie's game one starter against Big Z.
Floyd's been a solid part of the White Sox rotation for four years now, even making ten starts back in 2007. His numbers are coming out just fine again, despite some slight changes in his pitch mix and results.
Year Age W L W-L% ERA GS GF CG IP...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 20, 2011
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June 20, 2011
Yankee Staff Overview
Note: this will be updated a few times today as I add notes and charts. The overview and details on Freddy are up already -- HP 10am 6/17
Interleague play round 2 starts today, the Cubs host the Yankees before a series against the White Sox on the South Side next week. The Yankee pitching staff has been in flux with lots of injuries and roster moves. As of Thursday night, this...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 17, 2011
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June 17, 2011
The Cubs Offense So Far
What a road trip. 10 games, only two wins, merely 28 runs scored. The Cubs were actually in the Philadelphia games, but walked away with three straight losses after taking the opener.
The trip closed out with a second straight, but still rare, rough outing from Sean Marshall and news of a blister shutting down Kerry Wood.
Now the first place Brewers are meeting the team...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 13, 2011
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June 13, 2011
Philly Staff Overview
Cubs are riding a one-game win streak into Philadelphia. They'll miss Cole Hamels and face the sixth starter (Joe Blanton is on the DL) in game one. The Big Three of Four remain over the weekend.
Click images for larger versions, the table between the image sets is sortable (summary, images, table, images ... go forth and scroll). All pitch classifications are my own.StartersKyle...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 09, 2011
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June 09, 2011
Getting Beat by Pujols
Albert Pujols is good at baseball, as was obvious yesterday. He hit a two-run home run off a Randy Wells fastball early in the game and won the game with a walk-off shot off a Jeff Samardzija cutter slider.
The fastball was up in Albert's sweet spot--he kills the high pitch down the middle, usually to right-center field, usually into the bleachers. The slider was down below...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 05, 2011
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June 05, 2011
Will Demp Keep on Track? Will Jaime Bounce Back?
Ryan Dempster and Jaime Garcia kick-off a three game set between the Cardinals and the Cubs tonight. Garcia has been solid-to-outstanding this year, until a disastrous outing against the Rockies. Dempster has been solid-to-awful, with the awful almost washed away.
Check out the game scores posted by the two starters this season.
The Cubs are reeling, so a good outing to...
Via Cubs f/x
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June 03, 2011
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June 03, 2011
Hello Rodrigo
In a move that's sure to put Ramon Ortiz into a deep funk, the Cubs sent Ryan Buchter to Atlanta for veteran inning eater Rodrigo Lopez. I don't like the term inning eater, but it applies. He'll get you into the sixth inning, throw strikes and get hit hard.
Lopez is a 35-year old native of Mexico who has been in pro ball since 1993. The Padres signed him in 1995 after pitching...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 26, 2011
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May 26, 2011
Aww Gee Whiz
Here's a graph and data dump on Dillon Gee, the Mets starter for tonight's game. Of course his name makes me think of old number 10.
I'm too stunned by Tuesday's blowout by the Cubs to do much more than this. It's Casey Coleman against Gee, hopefully nobody gets hurt. And hopefully the weather cooperates.
Actual values:Pitch#MPHSwingWhiffFoulB:CSIWZChaseWatchnkSLGGB%LD...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 25, 2011
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May 25, 2011
Samardzija Devolves
Tracking Jeff Samardzija's development from college wide receiver to big league reliever has been somewhat of a hobby over the past few years. From figuring out what he threw, to the change from slider to curve and, most recently, optimism over the curveball/cutter combo.
I started to see signs of what I would call "progress" earlier this year--in terms of his stuff. His curveball...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 25, 2011
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May 25, 2011
Mets Better Than They Look, Cubs Worse, Notes on Niese
The Mets are in town as the Cubs return home from a 3-4 trip that sure seemed a lot worse than that. The North Siders are coming home without the services of Marlon Byrd for the foreseeable future, opening the door for Tyler Colvin's return ... but Hendry and company chose door number two, Lou Montanez.
The former first round pick joins Tony Campana and Reed Johnson, giving...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 24, 2011
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May 24, 2011
Once Every Century: Red Sox f/x Preview
Interleague play, love it or hate it. Either way, might as well enjoy the Cubs visiting Fenway Park for the first time since the 1918 World Series. Saturday's game will feature throwback uniforms to mark the occasion.
The Red Sox are whittling down their pitching stock, resulting in spot starts for Alfredo Aceves on Saturday and ageless knuckleballer Tim Wakefield on Sunday...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 20, 2011
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May 20, 2011
Volstad f/x
The Cubs actually won. It contained ugly play, but Wednesday night in Florida ended up being a nice change of pace from the Ohio debacle. Casey Coleman will match-up against fellow Floridian Chris Volstad in the second and final game of the series. Volstad, a former first round pick, will tower over Coleman in terms of height and stuff.
Volstad's most memorable moment in...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 19, 2011
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May 19, 2011
Please Find Some Mojo in Florida (Nolasco f/x)
What a brutal stop in Cincinnati. The Cubs "embarrassed" Mike Quade on Monday, leading to a team meeting. Futility won over, as the Reds scored seven unearned runs in another cruddy loss.
Now it's off to Miami to face the Marlins, who are playing pretty good baseball. The Cubs will face Ricky Nolasco and Christopher Volstad and then head to Fenway for a three game weekend against...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 18, 2011
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May 18, 2011
Garza and Volquez Rematch, Scott Maine Recalled
The Reds and Cubs will send out the same pitchers they used against each other on May 6 in Wrigley Field. Matt Garza was on the wrong end of things against Edinson Volquez while defending his home field. So Volquez will be looking to do the same as his team and sweep a foe in a two-game set. Yea, false drama.
The Cubs made a few roster moves, sending Tyler Colvin and Marcos...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 17, 2011
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May 17, 2011
Double Dip Road Trip Opener
Following a split it what turned into a 1.67 game series against the Giants, the Cubs are starting another short series tonight This two game set is as-scheduled against the Reds in Cincinnati. Same plan in Florida, two games and out the door. From there it's off to Fenway for interleague play.Carlos Zambrano's tilt with Tim Lincecum was washed-out, moving Big Z into tonight's...
Via Cubs f/x
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May 16, 2011
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May 16, 2011
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