Sweep! Well, Sort Of. Cubs Win Split-Squad Pair vs. White Sox And Reds
by Al Yellon on Mar 13, 2010 7:56 PM CST
in Recaps
48 comments
Neither game was pretty and there's some potentially bad news coming from Mesa, but the Cubs won twice this afternoon, 8-7 over the White Sox in Las Vegas (sweeping the pair there), and 11-4 over the Reds in Mesa.
The bad news is that Aramis Ramirez left the Mesa game with a sore tricep; he's day-to-day. (Aren't we all?) Let's hope this early exit was just a precaution -- that's usually the case in spring training, although Derrek Lee was supposed to return today from fouling a ball off his foot. Now we hear he may not be back until Tuesday.
Fortunately, there are still three weeks till Opening Day.
Bryan LaHair came in to replace Ramirez (and play 1B with Chad Tracy moving to third), and he made a nice defensive play and went 2-for-4 with a home run. Reds pitchers Micah Owings and former White Sox Jon Adkins got pounded after starter Homer Bailey did pretty well, as did the Cubs' Sean Marshall. So far, Marshall has the leg up in the fifth-starter derby -- at least that's what I think. Good news: Ted Lilly's ahead in his rehab schedule, so maybe he'll even be ready to take a turn by mid-April and we won't have to worry too much about starting pitching.
In Las Vegas, Ryan Dempster was touched for only one unearned run in his three innings, but J.R. Mathes (who's probably not in the running for a bullpen slot) got nailed for four. John Gaub and Justin Berg looked pretty good -- Berg gave up an unearned run in the ninth inning when substitute left fielder Matt Camp made a Brant Brown-like drop of a fly ball. Fortunately, Berg got the next hitter on an easy ground ball. To be fair, it looked extraordinaily windy in Vegas -- you could see jerseys flapping around in the breeze -- and that made the fly ball to Camp definitely not routine, especially because he was looking into the late afternoon sun.
Jeff Baker, who hasn't hit much this spring, had two RBI, and Micah Hoffpauir (.133 so far) doubled and scored.
It's starting to get to time, even with three weeks to go, that some more playing time is going to be given to those who are going to come north; the first roster cuts are expected on Tuesday. Randy Wells will go tomorrow, his third outing, which means he should go four innings, the first starter to do so.
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Those Cubbies might just be OK this year...
I’m very encouraged by the pitching so far. Yes, it is only Spring Training, but Z, Wells, and Demp have really impressed me thus far. I also think that EVERY player has a better, more humble, attitude this Spring compared to last year.
Having Ramirez and Lee out is a little bit troubling, but it sounds like it is just precautionary. Hey, it’s better to let this crap play out now than during the regular season. Remember when the ’09 Cubs broke Spring Training with nobody on the DL?? Maybe this day-to-day stuff is a blessing in disguise.
A-well-a Byrd, Byrd, Byrd, well the Byrd is the word.
You're not just woofin' about the wind, Al....
…if anything it was colder for today’s game in the sunshine than at last night’s game. Some thoughts:
1) Kevin Millar was especially nifty around the first base bag with a great diving stab 3-unassisted and an adjustment on a ball that hit the bag on the fly.
2) Robinson Chirinos had a great game and 2-run double.
3) Sam Fuld threw out a runner at the plate.
4) John Gaub had a very nice inning and got the win.
5) and you’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: Ryan Dempster is one of the nicest professionals in all of sports. Standing in the crowd in a sports jacket, dress shirt and jeans and talking to the fans, posing for pictures, shaking hands, asking fans what they do for a living while looking like he would do it all day if time allowed it. As long as he wants to pitch, I want him on my team.
I agree with you completely regarding Dempster...
He is a class act, and I wish more guys would be like him. He is one of the best of all time, in my opinion, with the fans and with his overall attitude in general. He knows how blessed he is to be a professional athlete and he respects us, as fans, for our dedication and support for him and our team. Here’s to you, Mr. Dempster.
A-well-a Byrd, Byrd, Byrd, well the Byrd is the word.
That's really nice to hear about Dempster.
I know that’s exactly the way he is. For lack of a better term, he “gets it”.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Agreed. Demp is a gem and we're lucky to have him.
I hope he stays working for the Cubs in some capacity after his playing days are done- which I hope is a long time away from now.
"Look, what do you want me to do?"
+10000
He and Theriot were the only ones after a ST game to stop outside the Cubs parking places to sign an autograph for my kids.
"I'm not much of a chemistry guy, you know. Chemistry to me is a pinch-hit double with the bases loaded"--Jim Frey, Chicago Tribune, 1985.
Agree 100%
I’ve been fortunate enough to have a chat with him a few times, and he is a genuinely nice guy. Hope he continues to perform well because he is exactly what this club house needs.
"The more i practice, the luckier i seem to get" -Yogi Berra
But if we have "nothing to worry about..."
We wouldn’t hear from BLou
How very true.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 13, 2010 8:49 PM CST up reply actions
Enjoy
your inevitable engreenation.
''I'm really not a Facebook or Twitter guy. I'm a prime rib and baked potato guy.'' - Sweet Lou
This is a SWL special
in case anyone didn’t see it in the interview thread….
by LT on Mar 13, 2010 9:41 PM CST up reply actions
Very cool.
"I'm not much of a chemistry guy, you know. Chemistry to me is a pinch-hit double with the bases loaded"--Jim Frey, Chicago Tribune, 1985.
Not sure "I THINK this is piss" is the right wording
BLou does not THINK, He KNOWS.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Mar 14, 2010 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions
What time is the game tomorrow?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 13, 2010 8:48 PM CST reply actions
3:05 pm on WGN America.
Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour.
OK I don't know shit about basketball.
by SoulEater7 on Nov. 5, 2009 9:51 PM CST
Thanks.
My cell phone, which set itself automatically, is what I use for my alarm clock … but it didn’t go off this morning at the set time. My body woke itself up about 40 minutes later.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 14, 2010 6:19 AM CST up reply actions
Gaub, Diamond, Parisi, and Berg all look OK so far
One or two could be in the pen when the season starts.
Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"
Parisi gets an edge because he is rule 5
Use him or lose him
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Mar 13, 2010 10:13 PM CST up reply actions
Jessica, regarding your post in the gamethread
HJ Lee got his first appearance this weekend because minor league camp just opened a week ago-ish.
With the SS DH in different states, many of the ‘kids’ got their first chance.
Thanks
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Mar 13, 2010 11:46 PM CST up reply actions
Working on that the last few minutes
Groupings
DL Guz, Gray, Lilly
IN EsCar, Demp, Grabow, Marmol, Wells, Z
Looking like IN Marshall, Gorz
Makes 8
Next group: Parisi, Shark, Silva, Diamond, Russell
Makes 13
Next group, OUT: Atkins, Berg, Coleman, Gaub, Parker, Stevens,
Next group, further OUT: Dolis, Mateo, Patton, Cashner, Mathes, Perkins
Go, NOW: Kennard
Those are the 40-man guys plus Pitcher NRIs
Assessments on my lists welcomed, I think. It is still early, but the 2 groups after the groups to 8 are still in contention, with the first five in line more for a slot. Is Parisi worth an edge over the others? I agree with Jessica, but those 5 are close.
I would not count Gaub out yet.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Mar 13, 2010 11:50 PM CST up reply actions
Sorry, but your opinion must be ignored
DD was a FA acquistion, and BLou says Hendry is lousy at his job. You must be disregarded.
j/k
LOL
I like Diamond too. I don’t think Parisi has any “edge” just because he’s rule 5. I’d hope the Cubs would have learned that lesson after last year’s Patton debacle.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Patton WAS a debacle
I can’t remember how he did in ST. However I still think if things are close you go with Parisi. If he sucks , you do NOT hold onto him like Patton, you let him go assuming the Cardinals want him and call the next guy up. Cubs seem to have a lot unknowns in the last few bullpen spots in which case I think you have to give Parisi a slight edge. If he sucks or Berg, Gaub, Stevens etc. are lights out then forget it, but in a tight race you go with Parisi.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Mar 14, 2010 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions
Al
iirc, it was vizcaino, shark, gaudin, guzman, and patton for the last five spots. Viz and Gaudin were terrible. Shark wasn’t much better. Guzman was the best of the five. Patton had deceptively good numbers.
Our bullpen looked worse last year than this year.
Who should we have kept instead?
Gaudin? Shark? Vizcaino?
We kept one of four bad options for the last pen spot. Which is why i will (in thread) revisit the situation of who we should keep until April. We have better pen options now, but it isn’t like we kept Patton over someone really good.
oops
Guz, Viz, Gaudin, Shark, and Patton for the last 2 spots.
I probably would have kept Shark.
If he had had a regular role in last year’s bullpen, he’d probably have done fine.
It would have been better than jerking him back & forth between the Iowa rotation and the Chicago pen, where he never got used right anyway.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Good news for Lee
that the x-ray came out negative. However the triceps soreness for Ramirez is troubling. Considering how long the triceps is and the baseball related movements it involves it could be a problem for a while.
Its funny, you spend most of your life gripping a baseball. And in the end, its almost always the other way around.
It's something to monitor
At least the Cubs seem to have a solution for any potential time Ramirez misses this season between Baker and Tracy.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
Do we know if it's his throwing arm?
Could be related to a different range of motion after his injury last year… working the muscle a different way, taking some time off, and then going right back to game speed can’t be all that good. Delayed onset of muscle soreness is common though, plenty of water, rest, and some range of motion exercises and I’m sure he’ll be right as rain in no time.
The wind in Vegas was really strong,
one could see the camera shaking. Playing under these conditions was surely not easy for any of the players.
On the whole, I feel guardly optimistic about the upcoming season. It’s not going to be 2008 redeux but also not 2009. If the Cubs can avoid injuries, I see them as having a real chance at winning the Central. However, with a bit of bad luck it could also end up being a disappointing year. Either way, 2010 is promising to be very interesting.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
by eths on Mar 14, 2010 4:46 AM CST via mobile reply actions
The footage was making me seasick!
"Keep pushin till it's understood,
And these badlands start treating us good."
For me it was the commentary.
Hawk and stone wouldn’t stop crying about an outside strike called ball.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Mar 14, 2010 10:32 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
From yesterday's game?
Or was it a call from last season?
"There's more to life than profits...like, you know, slurpees and stuff." ~Randy Marsh
We're almost there!
Just three more weeks!
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 14, 2010 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions
How many do they usually cut? Is it a set number?
Because I have an idea of a couple who will be going back to Tennessee or Iowa.
Yesterday in Mesa
it was just about the perfect weather, I enjoyed the game, the conversation and grass seats as well as any spring game I have been to. Going again today. And Al, they are still not opening the line to the outfield until BP is over. More foul balls targeting everyone in line with their back to the hitters.
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
is there an "official" reason they don't open up the outfield to everyone during BP?
They don’t want to pay workers for the extra hour? Somebody got trampled once and sued? It’s a covert plot led by Jerry Reinsdorf to deny Cubs the extra concession money?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
A kid got hit once and rushed to hospital
with a BP HR ball. But tell me is it more dangerous to have 500 people standing in a line facing away from home plate talking and not paying attention or sitting and facing home plate watching BP? Makes no sense to me. Cubs are the only team to not open grass seats until BP is over.
I knew the kid who got hit too. Maybe 8 years ago. He got a lot of cool stuff from the cubs.
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
It's not an unreasonable thing, BUT....
… maybe they could just put some security people out there and watch out for kids.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
one thing
we dont need already is an injured ramirez. heres hoping he is ready for openng day. if not do we put fontenot back there or does tracy make the team? i dont remember players being so delicate back in the 70,s.
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