Cubs Midterm Report Card

This team was supposed to waltz through this division and is only a .500 team. I know more than their share of injuries have hampered them but i think we should expect better.Soriano and Bradley are F’s for sure.How anyone could give them a passing is beyond me

He has 12 quality starts in 16 games started. He’s had some bad outings, but he’s been fairly consistent.

I also disagree with Marshall. In terms of relieving, he has been great.

Gregg: C (he’s been an average closer)
Marshall: B+ (his role is consistently undefined, but he’s been outstanding at times)

Soto: C (he’s been an average catcher)
Hill: C (average backup catcher)

Ramierez: D (hasn’t contributed much to the team)
Scales: B (unexpected contributer)
Theriot: B (already a career HR year)
Dome: B (great april and july, generally an A defender, obp leader)

Neither Heilman or Bradley should get passing grades: D

Ryan Dempster: B- Dempster hasn’t been as effective as last year but he’s still a solid starter but there’s room for improvement.

Kevin Gregg: B He came into Chicago with an aurora surrounding that he was the Kerry Wood replacement. He’s been effective on most accounts in closing but to get an A you should be perfect in saves.

Angel Guzman: A- For the most part he has done everything asked of him. He came onto a team where he could have easily been sent down to AAA. Instead, he’s found a niche at being a 7th or 8th inning reliever and has offered needed competition to Heilman and Marmol.

Rich Harden: C When Harden is bad, he’s bad. When he’s good, he’s our best pitcher. He’s been on the DL once but it was very minor. There’s all the reason to believe he’ll improve and there’s room for improvement. I would have given him a C- but he moves up a grade for working on his batting this year.

Aaron Heilman: B- I’m being generous. He gets a B- because Lou should know how to use him better. Heilman is not good when he has inherited runners. In fact, last night he probably shouldn’t have been pitching in the 9th. However, when Heilman starts in innings, he’s been effective and had a very good June.

Ted Lilly: A Lilly has been great this year. Anytime you have a win/loss well over .500 with a .500 team you’re doing your job (see Zambrano in 2006). Lilly is on pace to have over 15 wins again for third straight year as a Cub.

Carlos Marmol: D If it were anyone else I’d give them a D. Our most feared reliever by batters is now most feared by fans. Lose the walks and you get a B+. He still has only given up like 25 hits in 42 innings which is excellent.

Sean Marshall: B+ This guy takes everything in stride. He moves to bullpen and contributes. He starts and he does OK with little run support. However he seems to have found his niche as a reliever and left fielder.

David Patton: C He might not be major league ready but he’s on the team. He’s pitched some bad games but there have been times when Cubs have needed him to step in for 2 innings and he’s done great. He’s in over his head at the time but has performed at what we all thought he would.

Randy Wells: A Who knew what to expect from Wells. He surpassed every expectation so far. He’s had only 2 poor games (if you want to count last night as poor) and should have 3 more wins than his record says. He might end up having best ERA at end of the season.

Carlos Zambrano: B He’s pitched very well for most of the year. He’s done even better in the last 5 starts. We know what to expect from Z and had he been healthy all year, it might be better.

Catchers

Koyie Hill: C He’s hit and caught as expected and no better. So he gets a C.

Geovany Soto: D+ He should be playing better. There was an improvement and when he returns from injury he might be in old form. Who even knows how long Soto was hurt before being on a DL. That might explain his slow start.

Infielders

Jeff Baker: Inc.

Andres Blanco: B- C for his bat and B+ for his glove = B-.

Mike Fontenot: C- He can only improve and has over the last 10 games. He was in a tough spot this Spring working at 3B for many games.

Jake Fox: B – Still too small of a sample size. He can’t be any lower than a B but by end of the season I’ll hopefully give him an A.

Micah Hoffpauir: C+ He hasn’t hit well, strikes out a lot and doesn’t talk walks. But the hits he has had have been game changing. I can’t give below a C+ for someone who has helped us win games.

Derrek Lee: A . I’d give him an A+ if we were in first place. DLee has done all he can to get this team winning. Without him, we could be 10 under .500.

Aaron Miles: Inc. He’s been injured. We might not even see him for rest of the season. And I dislike him too much to want to write anymore.

Aramis Ramirez: INC – In a month I can re-evaluate this.

Bobby Scales: C A nice spark plug and story but he wasn’t doing anything to help the team.

Ryan Theriot: A- Nice bit a power, solid batting average, nice defense lately. He has done well. Anyone who gives him below a B just doesn’t like him and will never give him credit for his hard work.

 Outfielders

Milton Bradley: C – He’s improved and his .OBP has jumped. He’s heating up and should do better. Plus, Chicago is not a good city for him with the media but he hasn’t cracked yet.

Kosuke Fukudome: C His OBP in June was even more horrific than his batting average. He seems to do well in the leadoff spot so there is hope.
Sam Fuld: A-

Reed Johnson: B- He just hasn’t played enough to get a higher grade even with his excellent defense.

Alfonso Soriano: F Even with a torrid April, he has failed in almost everything else. He has improved since moving down the lineup but with a gigantic salary, he must do better. The big question is, would Cubs have been better had he gotten his “annual injury” for the last 40 games?

because of injury, but I think you did a fine job.

If someone would have told me that Soriano, Ramirez, and Bradley had 24 HR and 71 RBI between them on July 13, I would not have believed it. And it’s no wonder why we are a mid-level team right now?

We most certainly expected about 45 HR and 155 RBI at this point from those 3.

the TEAM grades…

OFFENSE F

RISP F

STARTING PITCHING A-

PEN C/C-

DEFENSE – A-

SCRAPPY-NESS – B

Starting Position Players – ALL F’s & D’s save for DLEE, Theriot, and A-Ram (of the regulars)

BENCH – C-

MB has been trending upward. A good sign.

Yesterday after smoking a double off Wainright, of course he gets stranded with one out in a key moment. The bottom of our order blows.

Just how its going this year so far.