Howry is killing us.

It was a bad send in the 5th. The ball just wasn’t hit deep enough into the outfield.

Lee, Ramy and Dome have done nothing in July. These guys have to get going.
I would hold onto Howry, but finding another arm is going to be tough. Hell the majority of the playoff contenders are searching for arms.
I sense some anger Al in the post, And I have to say I am getting frustated with this team right now. I Have had enough of the Marlins, time for this Cub team to get going again.

The biggest problem with this team since the break has been the offense. Fukudome hasn’t really been a factor for 2 months, Aram is ice cold, Dlee is cold, Soriano is doing is going to take his usual tme to get back in the swing of things to get hot again.

I don’t know whats going to happen with Howry. I don’t know if we do have any better options. Kind of like with LaTroy Hawkins, he was bad but the ream really had no options.

Win the next 2 vs the Marlins and this game can be forgotten.

The second pitch to the backstop wasn’t a wild pitch, it was a pitchout, and Jeff’s throw blew it. They had Ramirez dead to rights, which is not to mention he wouldn’t have been on base if we had the natural SS playing SS and the natural 2B playing 2B, but I digress.

Second, the Farnsworth comparison is just not apt. The only thing he has in common with Farnsie is the 97 MPH stuff. It ends there. Farnsworth never had the movement on any of his pitches, especially the fastball, that Samardzija is able to get. Also, Farnsworth never had the breaking ball that Samardzjia has. It’s still too early to know what Jeff is, but I think it’s safe to say he’s not Kyle Farnsworth.

I know before this season he was expected to be a type B when he became a free agent at the end of this season. I’m assuming so since he didn’t finish the season with us.

after Wood and Marmol there is no one down there Lou has any trust in whatsoever.

Lou likes guys who throw hard, throw strikes, and strike people out, such as the Nasty Boys in 1990, and he has been trying to find that kind of guy to be the third guy in the pen.

Howry used to match the make-up Lou is looking for but he is is D-E-D dead. Hart is not ready for prime-time. The rest of the pen is afraid to go after hitters because they either a lack confidence or the stuff to challenge major league hitters.

So DFA Howry. It will make you feel better for 10 minutes but it won’t solve any problems in the pen. In fact it will for Hendry’s hand in trade negotiations and put more pressure on an already tired pen.

Of course it isn’t going to be a cakewalk. I though Morrissey’s column in the Tribune today was spot on. A lot of Cubs fans thought this was going to be a coronation. It’s going to be a fight to the finish. I do think the Cubs will prevail, because they have the best team in the division (although not by much over Milwaukee).

Al, I don’t think you DFA Howry. He is nowhere near LaTroy Hawkins territory. Maybe you put Howry in some low-stress situations for a while and see if he can work things out. If he can’t, you’ve got plenty of time to decide what to do with him.

Meanwhile, I think we all need to take a deep breath and focus on the next 59 or so games, not this one.

1. Ramy is swinging a tired bat. I think those two trips to the DR have caught up with him. Hopefully, DeRo is at 3B tomorrow.
2. I’d like to see Dome moved down to #6 or #7. He’s pressing, and could use some lower-pressure ABs (also a few more off-days; Lou didn’t rest him nearly enough in the first half.
3. Maybe a little lineup roulette would help guys break out of their funk: maybe Ramy #3, Lee #4, Soto #5. That would give everyone a fresh look.
4. Soto played way too much in the first half (and I think Lou’s excuse of Sori missing is a crock), and I’m worried that he will tail off. That puts more pressure on Ramy and DLee.
5. I don’t think that we should DFA Howry (mostly because I don’t have any more confidence in Wuertz or Ascanio in high-leverage situations), but he could use a few days off and a few lower pressure appearances.
6. Theriot needs more days off, especially if Cedeno is going well. Remember what happened to him last year?
7. I don’t think any of us realizes how much it takes out of DeRo to constantly switch positions. His bat has seemed a bit tired in the last three weeks. He needed today off, but he can’t have adequate days off himself and rest everyone else. Maybe RJ can play some RF (“platoon” with Dome) when Edmonds is back?

I guess the thing that concerns me most is that Lou went to the whip on the first turn, and the horse is tired on the back straightaway. Marmol, Howry, Soto, Dome, Riot, Ramy, DeRo and DLee were all overworked in the first half. But, once everyone gets his second wind, I think we’ll be fine.

Now we know why the Brewers have been so motivated in their latest streak:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080725/ap_on_fe_st/odd_mower_madness

I know, two in the last week. Any others?

our bats are putting WAY too much pressure on the pitchers. We have swung the bats well in 2 games since the ASG. Look at our record in spite of all the quality starts. No one can have a perfect bullpen and we are struggling without our closer for over two weeks.

Wouldn’t it be nice if our big bats step up? THE BATS BEING COLD SEEMS TO BE OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM. If you look at the Brewers 4 wins in StL, most of the runs came in the 5th inning or later? Remind you of how we were scoring runs when we were hot?

IT IS NOT JUST THAT OUR GUYS ARE COLD, THEY ARE NOT GETTING CLUTCH HITS EITHER. I do think this will turn around, I just hope it happens before the team heads to Milwaukee on Monday. Clutch hitting takes pressure off of pitchers and makes everything work better.

Or is their play lately more indicative of their overall talent? DLee is hitting at about his career averages and we don’t yet know how good Fukudome is. ARAM of the other hand is really falling. This loss today was extremely painful as have all of the recent losses. After their playoff performance last year, I just don’t trust them.

Comment all we want but the bottom line—

Do you feel comfortable from this point on with Howry entering the game? Personally, I am fed up with Lou bringing in Howry for any other reason than to try to get a few outs in a game in which the Cubs are behind by at least 7 or 8 or one in which the Cubs are ahead by at least 7 or 8 runs.
Earlier in the season, when Howry was struggling, numerous people said ” he’ll work his way out of it - just get past the first couple of months and he’ll be okay - he did it in 2007, he’ll do it again this year.” Well here we are in late July and here we have Howry with no idea how to control his one off-speed pitch and with nothing left on his straight-as-an-arrow 90 MPH fastball.
DFA, release, or whatever the Cubs want to do, I personally do not want him around. Hendry can search for someone on a non-contender’s roster or search harder in the farm system, but the bottom line is -
GET RID OF HOWRY !!!
Just one more blown save or blown hold is one more than the Cubs can afford with this guy. IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON !!!
There is absolutely no reason for this guy to be here any more.

The aforementioned names in the system? There’s a lot of huffing and puffing here and knee-jerk reaction.

If this team is scoring runs, we’re not even discussing this. In the last game thread—I said there’s no longer room for an error by the pen in all of these close games.

With multiple-run leads, like the Cubs had early in the season—the pen would be ‘fine’ in everybody’s eyes.

All problems are magnified when the pen has to be perfect 100% of the time. I agree with Not Bruce…..this team has to start swinging productive bats.

is a ‘tradition” that needs to end. This ain’t 1937. What’s the point? If the team must announce a loss to some poor soul that is without a newspaper , a TV, a radio, The Internets, Twitter, a cell phone, and God knows what else—just put the score on the Clark & Addison board, where it rotates with advertisements.

The flag is symbolic of too much frustration. Make it go away.

Little things – Are our coaches & GM up for the challenge ???

1) Lee & Rami are getting nothing to hit. Do we see them making adjustments to drive the ball into right field
2) Why was the 0 – 2 pitch that Samardzija let go up the middle even close to the plate. We seem to allow alot of 0 -2 hits when we are struggling
3) What the hell was Soriano doing trying to score on the hard hit by Lee, you could see off the bat he had no chance.
4) Ward = What purpose ???
5) Batters are now making Marmol throw closer to the zone. Thats why his pitch count is way up. righties are laying off the silder that winds up out side
6) Save the pen for days like today, not with 6 run leads

This teams is not adjusting and the rest of the NL is.

The starters have done great lately and nothing to show for it. The team should be 30 games over right now with a good bull pen and timely hitting

We need Roberts & Sherill from Baltimore now !!! Give up Felix, Ronnie and whoever else they want now.

We all know Soriano is not a lead off hitter, but Lou will always fold

Line up
Roberts
Theriot
Soriano
Rami
Soto
Dome
Lee
Edmonds / Johnson

You have Dero play 3 – 4 times a week to give guys are rest. & he would be good off the bench.

As a long suffering cubs & ny rangers fan, what I remember most about the rangers cup run in 1994 was the 2 deals they made right at the deadline.

The fan’s were upset but it got them to the finals and the cup.

Jim if you were ever to take your shot the time is now.

Win the central or get the wild card & go make some noise