No decision has been made on what type of a role he will have long term with us. I will leave all of that up to Dr. Gryzlo and Dr. Yocum who are treating him for his shoulder injury. I will tell you that I think that if he is out for a while it is probably unrealistic to think that he will just go right back into the rotation when he returns. When you miss a few months with an arm injury you cannot just go right back to pitching six innings or more when you return so I would think that he would be in the pen when he does come back this season.” — Jim Hendry
I’m concerned enough about Andrew Casner’s ability to stay healthy in the rotation at this point that this is really the only decision that makes sense to me. Perhaps at some point down the road you revist this, but right now the goal has to be to keep him healthy. It would also be nice if the Cubs could extract some value of their 2009 first round pick and that’s probably not going to come from him as a starter. If the Cubs think his arm is healthy enough to start next season, then I suggest they give him some time in the minor leagues to get stretched out before putting him in the big league rotation.
The Cubs rotation moving forward will be Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Matt Garza (assuming he returns on time, which I’m skeptical of), Randy Wells and either Doug Davis or Casey Coleman. Speaking of Davis, a lefty, the Cubs currently have way too many lefties on their team. The Cubs have Sean Marshall, James Russell, John Grabow and Scott Maine currently in the bullpen. How many lefties do you need?
I can’t think of any reason the Cubs shouldn’t send down Maine and release John Grabow. Say what you want about Russell, but he’s dirt cheap. He’s also been effective in the bullpen though it’s a very small sample.
Comments
(dying laughing)
Oh, you were serious.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb](dying laughing)
Oh, you were serious.[/quote]
Well, as serious as Cubs baseball gets.
MishQuote Reply
The Cubs should sign Will Ohman, Scott Eyre, and Neil Cotts. The Power of 7!
jtsunamiQuote Reply
[quote name=jtsunami]The Cubs should sign Will Ohman, Scott Eyre, and Neil Cotts. The Power of 7![/quote]They surely have some other lefties in the minor leagues they can call up as well.
mb21Quote Reply
Since they’re fixated on left-handedness they should turn all their pitchers into switch-pitchers.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Posey’s leg looks QWOPish in the AP photo. It probably snapped at some point in the ankle or lower tibia/fibula area. Yikes.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15201747
Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. What would you do?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]
Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. [/quote]False
Suburban kidQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15201747
Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. What would you do?[/quote]
Did Quade think the Cubs were about to score?
WaLiQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15201747
Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. What would you do?[/quote]
Shoot the guy on second.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=WaLi]Did Quade think the Cubs were about to score?[/quote]
Quade thinks a lot of things.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I forgot who was on base, but I think Starlin Castro was at-bat.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
http://aeryssports.com/a-league-of-her-own/the-cubs-are-starting-to-get-to-mike-quade/
Aisle424Quote Reply
I heard conflicting reports re: thunder and lightning at Wrigley. I don’t think Pat and Keith said anything about it, and the video with Len and Bob suggested that it was just a weak rain although it looked pretty harsh to me. I could hear the thunder and see lightning to the north from my vantage point on the South Side so I thought the umps made a good call. Most Cubs fans probably disagree with me though.
Also, I know it’s bad weather and all that, but Wrigley is about as empty as whatever they call the stadium the Marlins play in these days.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Just our luck that the good pitching prospects we have are just far enough away to not be replacement candidates.
When your AAA squad’s average age is 26.5 years old, you are probably in trouble if someone gets hurt.
jtsunamiQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]I heard conflicting reports re: thunder and lightning at Wrigley.[/quote]
Check with Alvin. I’m sure he was there.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]Check with Alvin. I’m sure he was there.[/quote]
I think he’d have called it a light drizzle. Alvin’s perception does not seem to be the most keen.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]I think he’d have called it a light drizzle. Alvin’s perception does not seem to be the most keen.[/quote]
He would have used more words and puncuations than that.
“As clouds, most likely nimbus clouds, were rolling over Wrigley Field, the stadium where the Cubs play (which is in need of renovation [note: Ricketts tried to get tax payers to pay for these renovations, which did not pass], especially the troughs), it began to lightly drizzle, which reminded me of the time Ronnie Woo Woo was lightly drizzling on me in the left field bleachers, soaking my balogna sandwich (although this did make it taste better!).”
WaLiQuote Reply
See?!
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]See?![/quote]
Holy shit.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]I forgot who was on base, but I think Starlin Castro was at-bat.[/quote]
I’m retarded. It was the top of the seventh, not the bottom. Derp.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I may not be around later to do it, so the Bulls game thread is already up on UV.
http://obstructedview.net/unobstructed-views/general/chicago-bulls-vs-having-to-pay-attention-to-the-cubs-again-game-5.html
Aisle424Quote Reply
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
I think Joe Poz is making fun of Ari Kaplan:
http://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/05/26/jo-jos-circus/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Campana in CF today.
Which means Soriano and Fukudome can just set up lawn chairs and sit their defensive innings out.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Or they could just have six infielders.
ACTQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]I heard conflicting reports re: thunder and lightning at Wrigley.[/quote]
I was at the game last night. It started lightning and thundering about 5 min after Quade’s tirade. It was miserable out. The only reason I stuck around was to hear Bill Wennington sing the 7th inning stretch, and then they called the game 1 out before that could happen (dying laughing)
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=ACT]Or they could just have six infielders.[/quote]
Brilliant.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Aisle424]I may not be around later to do it, so the Bulls game thread is already up on UV.
http://obstructedview.net/unobstructed-views/general/chicago-bulls-vs-having-to-pay-attention-to-the-cubs-again-game-5.html[/quote]
(dying laughing) Nice finish
MishQuote Reply
Wow. Wouldn’t be surprised if that Posey injury is more or less a career ender.
BerseliusQuote Reply
[quote name=Berselius]Wow. Wouldn’t be surprised if that Posey injury is more or less a career ender.[/quote]I wonder if they make a ring around him he’ll get better?
/Pun’d
jtsunamiQuote Reply
Dayum.
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
I liked this, from Calcaterra’s questions/answers thread at HBT:
MishQuote Reply
[quote name=ACT]Or they could just have six infielders.[/quote]They kinda need that anyway.
mb21Quote Reply
I’m also glad that Noxick was mentioned.
MishQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]They kinda need that anyway.[/quote]Yeah, on the other hand, Sori is more like 0.5 infielders at most.
ACTQuote Reply
[quote name=ACT]Yeah, on the other hand, Sori is more like 0.5 infielders at most.[/quote]
He can be the “extended dive” for Ramirez at 3B.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15201747
Men on 1B and 2B with two outs, tying run at bat. What would you do?[/quote]
The Mets were batting, not the Cubs.
Bubba BiscuitQuote Reply
[quote name=Bubba Biscuit]The Mets were batting, not the Cubs.[/quote]
Indeed, I have already punished myself by not eating dinner in a few hours.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=mb21]the Cubs currently have way too many lefties on their team. The Cubs have Sean Marshall, James Russell, John Grabow and Scott Maine currently in the bullpen. How many lefties do you need?[/quote]
I think the Cubs are one of the perfect teams to try out a new pitching staff theory that I am currently writing up after doing research on it. I wish I had data on it other than theory, but no one has tried it for any extended time in the current era of almost 100% 5 man rotations.
Bubba BiscuitQuote Reply
[quote name=Bubba Biscuit]I think the Cubs are one of the perfect teams to try out a new pitching staff theory that I am currently writing up after doing research on it. I wish I had data on it other than theory, but no one has tried it for any extended time in the current era of almost 100% 5 man rotations.[/quote]
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
Always leave them wanting more. No honestly, I expect to have it finished up by the end of June.
Bubba BiscuitQuote Reply
Is your idea 4-man rotations?
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
[quote name=Jame Gumb]Is your idea 4-man rotations?[/quote]
*twitch* *nervous tic*
No! No, no, not 4! I said 7. Nobody’s comin’ up with 4. Who throws out 4 pitchers?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Rice Cube]*twitch* *nervous tic*
No! No, no, not 4! I said 7. Nobody’s comin’ up with 4. Who throws out 4 pitchers?[/quote]
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
Cubs could try it like in The Book, with Garza, Dempster, and Z all pitching normally, and using Wells/Coleman on the 3rd and 5th days with one starting and one relieving the other when his turn comes around in the batting order. That’s probably not doing justice to Wells, but it would limit the damage done by the 5 slot, which is basically a guaranteed loss at this point.
PerkinsQuote Reply
[quote name=Perkins]Cubs could try it like in The Book, with Garza, Dempster, and Z all pitching normally, and using Wells/Coleman on the 3rd and 5th days with one starting and one relieving the other when his turn comes around in the batting order. That’s probably not doing justice to Wells, but it would limit the damage done by the 5 slot, which is basically a guaranteed loss at this point.[/quote]
I thought that was a nifty idea though I can see why most managers and teams wouldn’t want to try it. I also thought the platooning of relievers with one in LF and the other on the mound was awesome; I read it about a year and a half after Lou did it with Sean Marshall.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Oooh.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Toronto-Blue-Jays-Jose-Bautista-should-not-face-questions-about-steroid-use-052511
Rice CubeQuote Reply
[quote name=Perkins] it would limit the damage done on days ending in Y, which is basically a guaranteed loss at this point.[/quote].
Dr. Aneus TaintQuote Reply
new crap: http://obstructedview.net/chicago-cubs/articles/the-all-average-woba-hitters.html
mb21Quote Reply