Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Preview, Monday 8/1, 6:05 CT: Hello, Derrek Lee
by Al Yellon on Aug 1, 2011 4:00 PM CDT
in Chicago Cubs Game Threads
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PrintWell, this is unexpected. After Derrek Lee signed with the Orioles last offseason, I figured this was his last year, and since the Cubs weren't playing Baltimore this year, I thought we wouldn't see him again.
Surprise! D-Lee is now a Pirate, although according to some tweets yesterday, some Pirates personnel weren't real happy that he chose not to take the quick train ride from New York (where the Orioles were playing) to Philadelphia, where the Pirates spent the weekend. Instead, as is his right, he chose to wait until tonight.
Lee's not having a good year, but since July 8 he is hitting .309/.356/.632 with 5 HR and 16 RBI in 18 games. Maybe they figure that having him in a pennant race -- he did pretty well with the Braves last August and September -- will help energize him.
In any case, now we get to see D-Lee seven more times, starting with the four-game series which begins tonight -- with him batting cleanup for the Pirates. Lee gave the Cubs three outstanding seasons, two decent ones, one injured one and half a bad one before he was traded last year. He was a big part of two division title teams. I'll always remember him fondly.
Cubs lineup:
Johnson RF, Castro SS, Baker 3B, Soto C, Byrd CF, Soriano LF, Pena 1B, Barney 2B, Zambrano p
Pirates lineup:
McCutchen cf, Jones rf, Walker 2b, Lee 1b, Ludwick lf, Alvarez 3b, Cedeno ss, McKenry c, Maholm p
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I have little idea what to say about Carlos Zambrano any more, so I'm not going to try. He and Paul Maholm matched up on April 2 at Wrigley Field. Z pitched pretty well, but Maholm was better that day. The Cubs wound up winning that game after Maholm was taken out. Z's Pirate nemesis is Garrett Jones (5-for-12, .417, two home runs).
Paul Maholm has faced the Cubs two other times this season and won the other two games, one of them a CG shutout on May 28 at Wrigley Field. His ERA in 23.1 innings vs. the Cubs this year is 0.39 (one earned run); he's given up just 12 hits and two walks in those innings, while striking out 15. Clearly -- even more clearly than usual -- we are doomed.
Today's game is on CSN Chicago Plus. "Check local listings". It's also on ROOT Sports Pittsburgh -- you may wind up with that feed if you have Extra Innings. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout.
Today's first pitch thread will be up at 6:05 p.m. CDT and the overflow threads will post at 7 pm, 8 pm and 8:45 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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Sigh.
What is the point, really? He’s got to play EVERY DAY so we can find out if he can hit LHP!
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Correct....So he has started in what 2 of the 5 games since he has been back up?
Next DeWitt will be starting ahead of him again.
LOL...or else what?
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Aug 1, 2011 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions
I dunno.
Just felt like saying that.
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But...But...But...
Reed Johnson is a key member of next years team!!!
When you are going through hell, keep going- Winston Churchill 1940
Exactly....
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Aug 1, 2011 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions
How I'll remember the 2011 season:
The year when the Cubs used both Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker as #3 hitters.
by Jody Jody Davis on Aug 1, 2011 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
And Starlin Castro!
Even though he’s a .224 hitter batting third!
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hurt himself in his lazy boy
"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Cubs win....what a lucky break!!" ---Harry
I usually
feel awkward wearing jerseys of players that have been traded…. but I still rep my D-Lee jersey from time to time. Good memories of him in a Cub uniform.
Dlee: class act, during his prime a feared NL hitter.
We'll miss you Big Boy. #10 for Hall of Fame.
by mrcubsfan on Aug 1, 2011 4:15 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
my fear is that the cubs win.
and keep winning, and give some credence to this squad. deep thoughts here: if I root for the Cubs to lose, and in losing show that they as a team are not good and provides enough of a reason to lose 50% of this roster and Jim Hendry and Mike Quade is that in essence rooting for the cubs to win?
I look at it this way
If Ricketts can’t see the incompetence at this point, and a good run will save Hendry/Quade, then the guy is just going to mess up the next hires even if we go on that losing streak.
OK
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Aug 1, 2011 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Beavis and Butthead...the once greatest comical team ever...until...
Hendry & Quade.
Fire Jim Hendry. Injuries aren't the problem.
Wrigley Field:
Where players go to age, enjoy the ride, and hide behind NTCs and Jim Hendry.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
23rd in batting age, 25th in pitching age.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2011-misc.shtml#teams_miscellaneous::4
All the pitching teams below us are playoff teams, and the majority of the batting teams are. So there’s that.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
Always liked Derrek...
Very good player and a classy individual.
Glad to see that Colvin's playing again tonight!
I missed his name in the box score last night, but I’m sure he played because Hendry said he was going to play every game the rest of the year!
True, but that doesn't explain why Colvin didn't play last night.
by Jody Jody Davis on Aug 1, 2011 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Actually, If IIRC
his spltis are pretty similar, and he was actually hitting lefties extremely well in AAA.
For those on this blog who want aram gone
I give you todays line-up!
Phil Rogers apparently thinks
the Cubs didn’t make any moves so as to not affect attendance. Not a surprise to me. I guess you can hardly blame Rickett’s since he need to pay the bills.
Yeah, that does make total sense.
The quality of the team on the field is so good that any changes could disrupt its feng shui. Good point, Phil. Strong thinking.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
Phil Rogers thinks a magician makes the sun come up every morning.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
by chilango2 on Aug 1, 2011 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
rec!
"On offense, your most precious possessions are your 27 outs" - Earl Weaver
by RiskyBusiness on Aug 1, 2011 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Phil Rogers as a youngster:
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
by chilango2 on Aug 1, 2011 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
I personally believe that damaged ligaments and tendons (among other abrasions) aren't the reason for the team playing so poorly relative the rest of Major League Baseball, so accordingly, James Hendry should be relieved of his highly important duties as General Manager of the Chicago Cubs franchise.
by jesus christos on Aug 1, 2011 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Serious Question
Many of us are rooting for the Pirates to win the division and many have developed extreme anger at the Cubs and have suggested they might as well just lose, so who is rooting for the Pirates tonight.
FYI not me but my big moral dilemma tonight is White Sox Vs Yankees. I guess it is not THAT hard, but living in NYC I really, really, really hate the Yankees, however for the next few days I will be forced to hope they win. YUCK.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either
I'm not going to say I'm rooting for the Pirates,
but I’m surely rooting for 100+ losses.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
You think they'll have a free "100 losses" t-shirt give-away game next season?
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Aug 1, 2011 4:49 PM CDT up reply actions
It will come free with the purchase of a $3 beer special.
"Stuff like this is why they should shut off the internet."
by Orval Overall on Dec 17, 2010 1:19 PM CST
I hope the Pirates win out the rest of their schedule, except the games they play vs. the Idiots.
As much as I despise this group, I can’t root against them.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
by chilango2 on Aug 1, 2011 4:49 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
no, never!
"Well-behaved women seldom make History"---Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
by cooliogirl47 on Aug 1, 2011 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
you can...just let go of your feelings...
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Aug 1, 2011 4:55 PM CDT up reply actions
LOL. Good one, Jose!
"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.
Derrick Lee: I love the guy.
I wish I were in Chicago today…I’d go listen to Sir Paul.
"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.
Mrs. Zeke works with a diehard Pirates fan.
She’s dreading the Cubs getting swept.
There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Who says baseball isn't a religion?
by Zeke on Aug 1, 2011 5:16 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
In a four-game series?
I dunno… the way the Cubs are playing…
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Rather sad state of affairs when going 1-3 would be considered a success in my house.
There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Who says baseball isn't a religion?
No Colvin again? ::sigh::
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning the devil says, "OH CRAP, SHE'S UP"!
I guess we'll only find out if he can hit right handed pitching. Otherwise he won't play much.
I just wonder if this is the future of baseball. Have a right hand and left hand batter for every position and just alternate depending on the opposition pitcher.
It's not the future with the Cubs.
It’s the fact. That’s why guys like Baker and Johnson and DeWitt are untradeable.
If it wasn't for the injuries, we'd be printing WS tickets right now.
I plan on taking a nap during the first couple innings.
I wonder what kind of LOLs I’ll wake up to! How exciting!
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
Jerry Reinsdorf just
said the Sox fans hate the Cubs but Cub fans don’t hate the Sox but hate the Sox fans.
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning the devil says, "OH CRAP, SHE'S UP"!
On a positive note:
After the trade deadline, Cubs are NO WORSE OFF…and…(wait for it…wait for it…) Houston got worser?!
"So sad, This Cubbie Thing" Courtesy of E-Man, 6/25/2011
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