Chicago Cubs vs. Kansas City Royals Preview, Sunday 6/26, 1:10 CT
by Al Yellon on Jun 26, 2011 11:00 AM CDT
in Chicago Cubs Game Threads
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PrintKANSAS CITY -- Sunday has dawned sunny and sultry here in northwest Missouri, probably the warmest day of the baseball season so far for the Cubs. Will that wake up their bats?
I know, stop posing rhetorical questions. I wanted to call your attention to this note in Paul Sullivan's game recap from last night's loss:
The Cubs have won the first game of the last five series they have played against the Phillies, Brewers, Yankees, White Sox and Royals. Yet they're 2-9 in the other games of those series.
Why is it that they can't win games like this, after starting series with wins? (Stop asking rhetorical questions!) The only two wins, noted above, that they have had after winning the first game of those series, are the two wins they had over the Brewers in that four-game set at Wrigley Field, which is the only series the Cubs have won this month.
Perhaps today will be different. Or not. It's kind of sad, really.
For BCB'ers in Kansas City who want to meet up, I will be in section 223, row JJ today. I am leaving to drive back to Chicago right from the game, so the recap will be written somewhere from the road, wherever I can find some wifi. (Yes, I'll stop first before writing.)
Cubs lineup:
Fukudome RF, Castro SS, Ramirez DH, Pena 1B, Johnson CF, DeWitt 3B, Soriano LF, Soto C, LeMahieu 2B
Royals lineup:
Cabrera CF, Hosmer 1B, Butler DH, Gordon LF, Francoeur RF, Moustakas 3B, Treanor C, Escobar SS, Getz 2B
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Randy Wells has, obviously, never faced the Royals. Alcides Escobar, formerly with the Brewers, is the only current Royal with a significant number of at-bats against Randy (6-for-12).
Luke Hochevar has never faced the Cubs; the only current Cub he has faced has hit him hard. That would be Carlos Pena, who is 5-for-9 against him with a double.
Today's game is on CSN Chicago and FSN Kansas City. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Royals site Royals Review.
Today's first pitch thread will be up at 1 pm CDT and the overflow threads will post at 2 pm, 3 pm and 3:45 pm CDT. If you need more overflows due to extra innings or rain delays, post them in the fanshot section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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Trends that need changed today
1-10 on Sunday
3-9 in rubber games.
Let’s Go Cubbies!
All those in KC drive careful back home.
Three games that we could have DH'd Soriano and not once does he take advantage of it.....
Amazing managing!
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Jun 26, 2011 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
So true...
the only reason I can come up with is that Soriano’s knees must stiffen up fairly quick if he just DHs and then sits the bench in between ABs. If that’s the case, then any chance of trading him to the AL to DH, whether the Cubs eat 75% of his salary or not, is pretty moot…he can NOT run anymore. It’s a shame, too. He was a superb ball player at one time, who now will just stumble through his final years…oh, and making a shitload of coin doing it.
With the 1st pick in the 2012 Baseball Amateur Draft, the Chicago Cubs select...
How about Baker who can actually Hit in LF or Campana who can actually run...
And DeWitt where he should be…on the bench
I was just about to say this, I noticed a few things looking at our stats.
Out of our top 5 bullpen guys (Marmol, Marshall, Grabow, Russell, Shark) Marmol has 2nd least innings, and Shark and Russell have the most. To be fair, Russell has been pretty good coming out of the pen, however. also, DJLM hasn’t drawn a single walk all year in 33 at bats. Not good.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on Jun 26, 2011 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Did DJLM draw a lot of walks in AA?
I’m asking because if I was DJLM and saw how Quade used his Minor League call ups, I’d be hacking away at every opportunity, too.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Jun 26, 2011 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Very few in fact
But he’s ridiculously drawn even less in the majors. That’s what happens when you call a guy who hadn’t even proven he could get it done at AA to the big leagues and don’t give him regular work.
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Just North of Wrigley Field
by jameslcrockett on Jun 26, 2011 2:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Not surprising...
that’s how many bullpens work, some efficient, some not. Most team’s pay their best reliever too much and don’t use him enough or in the best situations. Others pay their best reliever very little, use them all the time and more effectively than their highest paid… but that’s usually just luck, not by design.
Your premise isn’t exactly correct though. As a reliever, Marmol is only bested by Marshall and Samardzija as far as innings as a reliever go. Russell is only 6th highest in fact. You were factoring in his innings as a starter. I’d like to see Russell get more appearances, but he’s just not going to face enough batters as a LOOGY to move up this list… also he’s getting extremely lucky on balls in play since moving to the pen (same goes for Carpenter, who’s also really lucky to be stranding so many runners).
I’m ok with Marshall having more innings than Marmol because he’s really, really good. And Shark is only in front of both of them because he has so many 2 and 3 inning appearances, which have become less and less frequent in his current role.
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Just North of Wrigley Field
by jameslcrockett on Jun 26, 2011 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions
It is actually his natural positon, though he may not remember that
after all his starts in LF
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either
by Doggie Stalker on Jun 26, 2011 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions
He has a natural position?
Ha ha. Guess I always remembered him as a 2Bman in L.A.
by stuartscottslefteye on Jun 26, 2011 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions
he's my boy!
Blake "The Franchise" DeWitt will lead us to the promised land
by jesus christos on Jun 26, 2011 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Shhh!!!
SG will come in here and say we are all ungrateful.
R.I.P. to my grandfather, Andrew Wiley
The reason I am a Cub fan forever
The way he talks about this team.
One would argue if he actually is the Cubs GM.
R.I.P. to my grandfather, Andrew Wiley
The reason I am a Cub fan forever
Under SG's leadership this team will go places!
His thoughtfulness and intelligence makes me believe he has a great wealth of knowledge of all things baseball.
by ubercubsfan on Jun 26, 2011 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes!
No accountability! Blake DeWitt will be the cornerstone of the franchise. Did you know he’s only 25?
R.I.P. to my grandfather, Andrew Wiley
The reason I am a Cub fan forever
Wow!
He hasn’t even hit his prime years? That is great to know! Get him in the lineup as much as possible to develop into that power hitting 3B from the left side of the plate!
by ubercubsfan on Jun 26, 2011 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Nope he is freaking awesome.
Mike Quade should be manager of the year. He does no wrong!
R.I.P. to my grandfather, Andrew Wiley
The reason I am a Cub fan forever
No I'm being honest!
He is awesome.
R.I.P. to my grandfather, Andrew Wiley
The reason I am a Cub fan forever
Those moments on the CSN made me have goosebumps.
R.I.P. to my grandfather, Andrew Wiley
The reason I am a Cub fan forever
JUMP
If the Cubs still have a chance, no matter how small, it’s still Go Cubs, damn the math and pass the KoolAid.
My lineup would have looked like this...
Dome RF, Castro SS, Baker 3B, Ramirez DH, Pena 1B, Johnson LF, Soto C, DJ 2B, Campana CF.
What's wrong with playing DeWitt at 3B...
with a RHP on the mound if they’re determined to use Ramirez at DH? Baker really shouldn’t be an option opposing a RHP. He has a .501 OPS this year facing them.
As the Cubs have also done mistakenly, Johnson should never hit behind Pena and Ramirez… probably not Castro either. It’s just wasting his value to bat him in lineup positions where he’ll be the one asked to drive in runs, while he should be in front of them. Of course, when DeWitt, Soto and Soriano have performed like they did today, it doesn’t matter much. The problem today is with the top 4 guys, with no guarantee it would be any different just because Reed is thrown in that mix… they should give it a try though before ever batting him 5th.
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Just North of Wrigley Field
by jameslcrockett on Jun 26, 2011 3:00 PM CDT up reply actions
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