Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview, Wednesday 9/14, 6:10 CT: Looking Ahead
by Al Yellon on Sep 14, 2011 4:00 PM CDT
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Earlier today, the Cubs' 2012 schedule was released. 14 games still remain on the 2011 schedule, and if you are getting a little sick of seeing the Reds -- seven games within an 11-day period -- you'll be just as sick of them early next year, because six of the first 26 games on the 2011 schedule will feature Dusty Baker & Co.
And then the Cubs won't see their division rival again until... August. When they'll play them seven times in 10 days. It's oddly comforting to know that the computerized schedule-making, in effect since 2005, is still as bizarre as ever.
Cubs lineup:
Castro SS, Johnson RF, Ramirez 3B, Pena 1B, Soriano LF, Byrd CF, Barney 2B, Soto C, Coleman P
I mean, come on. Where's Bryan LaHair? DJ LeMahieu? Tyler Colvin? This is getting a little ridiculous. Did Mike Quade forget that Johnny Cueto is a righthander?
Reds lineup:
Phillips 2B, Renteria SS, Votto 1B, Bruce RF, Heisey LF, Francisco 3B, Stubbs CF, Hernandez C, Cueto P
And it doesn't matter that Dusty is doing the same thing.
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One of Casey Coleman's few good early-season starts was against the Reds on May 7 at Wrigley Field, where he allowed just two runs in six innings. After some really bad outings, he has improved to a 4.00 ERA (yes, not great, but improved) in his last three starts. Besides, he's got to be upset now that his father Joe Coleman is no longer the last Detroit Tigers pitcher to win 23 games -- Justin Verlander won his 23rd on Tuesday. (Joking about him being upset. I think. Let it motivate him.)
Johnny Cueto has a win, a loss and a no-decision in three starts vs. the Cubs this year; the ND came last week, Sept. 7 at Wrigley Field, a game the Cubs won. Overall this year he has a 4.32 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in those three starts. Current Cubs are hitting .304 against Cueto (51-for-168) with six home runs (Alfonso Soriano, three; Aramis Ramirez, two; Geovany Soto, 1).
Today's game is on WCIU (so not available to many of you outside Chicago) and FSN Ohio. Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter.
Today's first pitch thread will be up at 6:10 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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Where's Bryan LaHair? DJ LeMahieu? Tyler Colvin?
Waiting for their nicknames perhaps? Can’t tell the players without a nickname!
by doofus cubs guy on Sep 14, 2011 4:04 PM CDT reply actions
I thought Dusty was bad...
Dusty would rather kiss a pig than play a rookie and Quade seems just as obtuse.
by sandiegocubsfan on Sep 14, 2011 5:59 PM CDT up reply actions
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a horrible lineup!!!!!!
What a horrible manager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope they get No-Hit
I want something horrible happening to them too,
but not to break the only good streak they have going. I’m sick and my brain is too fried to think of possible scenarios to replace the no-hit, but you get the picture.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
There you go. Something like this. But the Cubs still get one hit.
"I'm not a broadcaster! I'm me!"--Ron Santo
How about
a pinch hit by LaHair?
"'Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, 'If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic." - Lewis Caroll, Alice Through the Looking Glass
by chitownhawkeye on Sep 14, 2011 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions
But would he register on a scan for intelligent life?
With the way he’s managed, seems like the Cubs are short on brains… and courage too. They got heart and spunk, but that’s about it.
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 10:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Maybe...
Quade can do something SO stupid and offensive on the field and he gets himself suspended for the remainder of the year.
he's either
too smart or too dumb for that.
he can be set up though. Tie the lights at a Wrigley night game to a clapper in the Cubs dugout. Whenever he claps, which he does every game, the lights go out, go on, go out. And the umpires would think he’s pulling shenanigans and get him tossed like Cox did in that one Cubs-Braves game at Atlanta maybe 2 years ago.
Not sure how to turn that into a perpetual suspension though.
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 10:40 PM CDT up reply actions
What happened to playing
Colvin on a regular basis? Same old crap we’re used to. Why not find out what the young guys can do. It’s depressing. Quade’s probably trying to finish strong and save his job. I understand that, but apparently no one else (interim GM or Ricketts) has any input into the lineup, even at this time of year.
Agreed
I don’t understand the affection Quade has for Byrd. If Quade thinks he has a shot at retaining his job with a strong finish, he wouldn’t be playing Byrd. It makes absolutely no sense.
If Quade...
can heat food up to the proper temperature to cook it, then he has a place in Wrigley next season!
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions
After whining about the difficulty
of playing Colvin and LaHair, Quade has found the most respectful solution. Bench both of them. Quade, I can’t wait to see you and your idiotic rationalizations on the first bus out of town. And don’t expect a Christmas card.
If it wasn't for the injuries, we'd be printing WS tickets right now.
This is beyond stupid...
It’s like Quade is STILL playing for somethin’. Is catching the Pirates that important to him? The man hasn’t a clue. He really makes one miss Lou.
You know life is good when you hear "Die Hard 5" is in production. Yippee ki-yay, &%^##(&(#&%-ers !
At least he's managing a crap team.
Can you imagine if this team had the talent to be in the race, and we had to watch him screw it up?
Seeya Jimbo! Good job, Tommy Boy!
what is stupid is that if he believes that, Colvin knocked in 3 last time he played....
Thats like a month for Byrd….
Keep riding the players that got you 5th place…..They have EARNED IT!!!
That Quade fella sure does suck at his job.
Seeya Jimbo! Good job, Tommy Boy!
by shoemile on Sep 14, 2011 4:09 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
No doubt about it.
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning the devil says, "OH CRAP, SHE'S UP"!
Quade with the big FU to the Cubs.
He knows he is gone so he doesn’t care about the future.
John Grabow: $4.8 million in 2011.
by rlpete on Sep 14, 2011 4:10 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Now now
he’s too upbeat for that. He’s been on cloud nine all season. Even when he gets angry to get tossed, he doesn’t look really angry. He just looks at the calendar, says “Looks like I should get tossed in one of these games”, goes out there and puts on an unconvincing show.
And he’s too incompetent to be intentionally sabotaging the team. He’s just a smiling, clapping idiot.
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions
No, Al
This is getting a little ridiculous.
This went beyond a little ridiculous a long time ago. Its at the level of stupidity and ignorance at this point.
He’s making Bush & Ricketts looks like asses. He should be removed IMMEDIATELY.
by John916 on Sep 14, 2011 4:11 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
Yeah, you're right.
It’s getting a LOT ridiculous.
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Fool me once,
shame on you. Fool me 150 times (we’ll give him a pass on last season), shame on who?
Is there really no one else who can manage? What about Riggleman? Bobby Valentine? Charlie Sheen? He has some ‘experience’ on the mound and he certainly would make for some entertaining games. Or is Quade’s clapping hypnotic?
Ricketts: “Mike, you know… you haven’t really been a good manager for this team. You haven’t really inspired your players. We think…”
(Quade claps a few times)
Ricketts: “umm… Great work. Keep it up”
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 10:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Yep....If Ricketts really wanted to score with the fans, he would fire him right now and announce it with a different lineup...
Just say something like, I couldnt watch it anymore either….
Yep
Ricketts would get a pass with me for at least a year if he did something like that.
I'm done for the year
I will officially not watch one more second of another road game. There’s is absolutely no point, it time wasted in my life that I will never get back, 14 days until Quade is done. I’m gonna go to the game Saturday and say goodbye to the people I know, if it’s sunny out, I may stay for one inning. Maybe.
Al, are you actually going to watch the astros/cubs over bears/saints on sunday?
Al, are you actually going to watch the astros/cubs over bears/saints on sunday?
Yes. Football doesn’t come into focus for me until the World Series is over.
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Is it at all possible...
…that Quade learned of his fate for next year the same time Hendry did?
You know life is good when you hear "Die Hard 5" is in production. Yippee ki-yay, &%^##(&(#&%-ers !
Possible, I suppose.
But then why didn’t they let him go on August 18?
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Good question...
…maybe didn’t wanna can the guy before he has at least a full year in? Dunno.
You know life is good when you hear "Die Hard 5" is in production. Yippee ki-yay, &%^##(&(#&%-ers !
I doubt it.
But I’m sure Ricketts knows that canning him is gonna be a no-brainer for the next GM.
Seeya Jimbo! Good job, Tommy Boy!
Interview Question.
So as the new Cubs G.M. what is the first decision you will make?
Any answer other than fir Mike Quade will lead to instant disqualification.
It doesn't have to be the first decision.
It just has to be made.
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I don't know.
It has to be fast so the new manager can be hired and player pieces can be moved. With so few quality free agents the Cubs cannot sit around for long.
Probably
went in one ear, out the other, express train, no stops inbetween.
or maybe he was informed but didn’t hear it because he was clapping at the time.
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions
Why isn't Hill playing?
I’m so sick of this.
Football? Football? What's a football?-Ralphie Parker
by katie casey on Sep 14, 2011 4:14 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
Today is the 25th anniversary
of that very memorable day in SF when Roger Craig inexplicably put Bob Brenly in the lineup at 3rd base and BB tied a major league record by committing 4 errors in one inning.
Brenly went on to go 3 for 5, with 2 home runs, including the walk off game winner with two outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Without question Bob’s most amazing game as a player,
Dig that crazy crowd
of 8500 at Candlestick Park. The Giants are now up to what…75 straight sellouts (41,000+)?
What a difference!
looking at the play-by-play
I’m not sure if I’m reading it correctly, but it appears as though it was four errors on Brenly in one inning, with 2 of those coming on the same play?
by NorCalCubsFan on Sep 14, 2011 4:39 PM CDT up reply actions
He's given Soriano a single game off in September
I get it that Quade feels some pressure to win, and to play veterans for multiple reasons. I know that’s an unpopular view around here, but I think you’d find most teams try to keep a semblance of a major league lineup and not play just the kids the entire month of September.
But this is ridiculous. This is a game that will have ZERO impact on the pennant race since both teams are out of it; and he is starting ZERO call-ups. Not a single one. Meanwhile, Soriano has been in the starting lineup every single game except for one (on September 4 – a game that LaHair started in his place and went 2 for 4 with an RBI).
What the hell? It’s not disrespectful to Soriano to sit him once every third game (or more often) to give younger guys some extra chances to play. He’s an older player and you know exactly what he can do. COME ON!!!
Agreed, but at least he sits Byrd occasionally.
I’d love to see LaHair and Colvin in LF and RF on most days; or RF and 1B. But I’d settle for one of them in the lineup every day, which would just require benching one of Soriano, Byrd or Pena each day. Bench two and you get them both in the lineup.
Unreal.
by Orval Overall on Sep 14, 2011 4:19 PM CDT up reply actions
They both should be playing everyday
To bench Colvin for 3 days after getting 3 RBI (OR about 1/9 Byrds season total) is unbelievable…..
To be fair, 3 RBI is closer to one-tenth of Byrd's season total
by Jody Jody Davis on Sep 14, 2011 5:00 PM CDT up reply actions
To be really, really fair
Colvin has > 200 AB’s this season, and is hitting .153/.209/.316 for an OPS of .525. Marlon Byrd has twice as many AB’s, and is hitting .285/.331/.399 for a .730 OPS. If Byrd has been bad (and I think mediocre is probably a better term for it), then Colvin has been atrocious.
I agree wholeheartedly that Colvin should be playing regularly, but its not because he had 3 RBI one night and that makes him a more effective player than Byrd. The only reason to play him is to further his development and see if he can show something that merits getting another chance next year. It’s not because Colvin is this impressive slugger whose absence from the lineup has held the Cubs back this year.
by Orval Overall on Sep 14, 2011 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Byrd should be sitting.
He has done next to nothing, his line does not look bad but most of his hits are empty ones with nobody on and two outs. His clutch is pathetic and his approach is worse. Play Campana, Colvin, LaHair, even Montanez.
I agree with you
Although I could have also pointed out that Byrd has more than twice as many plate appearances as Colvin but only one more HR and 9 more RBI than Colvin does.
But you’re right on your general point, which is that as bad as Colvin has been this year, this is the time to see what he can do, and sitting him for three consecutive games after his good day at the plate on Sunday is beyond ridiculous.
by Jody Jody Davis on Sep 14, 2011 5:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Like TJ said...
…keep riding the players that got you 5th place!
Who's putting that pressure on?
Seriously.
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There is no pressure and if he was really trying to win , there are kids playing better than the vets.
Its all about his country club and kissing up to his boys….
"there are kids playing better than the vets."
There is one guy – LaHair – who fits in that category.
Colvin had a nice game yesterday, but has been horrible this year overall. I don’t see him as an upgrade. The reason to play him is to continue his development.
The other “kids” should be playing for developmental reasons as well, not because they necessarily give the Cubs the best chance of winning. All else being equal, swap LaHair for Byrd in the above lineup, move Johnson to CF, and you probably have your best chance of winning right there.
by Orval Overall on Sep 14, 2011 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions
I mean pressure for himself.
Think of it this way – if you spent 20 years in the minor leagues waiting for a chance; got that one chance and saw the writing on the wall that it would be your only chance; wouldn’t you want to finish with as good of a record as you possibly can?
Years from now people won’t care or remember that he was the guy who denied opportunities to young call-ups. He’ll surely care whether his team ends up with 65 wins versus 70 versus 75. Hell, at 75 he might even be able to say years from now that he was judged unfairly and should have gotten another chance, and maybe someone will believe him.
by Orval Overall on Sep 14, 2011 4:32 PM CDT up reply actions
I claim no knowledge of the man's thinking
I’m just saying that wouldn’t surprise me. And I think it’s natural more so than it’s selfish. But reasonable minds can disagree.
by Orval Overall on Sep 14, 2011 5:07 PM CDT up reply actions
If he wants to keep managing in the big leagues...
one would think he would have shown more concern for his team at any number of points this season.
If/when the Cubs fire him (at this point, I think the management is dumb enough to keep Quade on), what other major league teams might actually make him their manager?
Or is the manager slot still open in that new Major League movie? I’d love to see him in a new Clapper ad though.
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 10:58 PM CDT up reply actions
I would like to see Quade get ejected on the first pitch of the game.....
Then have the kids PH for everybody
Trying to find a positive out of this lineup....
…imagine our future GM checking the Cubs line-up today, and thinking “Well, I was going to talk to this Quade guy, and see if I would retain him, but this is terrible.”
In a season of bad news, I try to find some positive where I can.
F*ck those f*ckin' fans who come out here and say they're Cub fans that are supposed to be behind you, rippin' every f*ckin' thing you do.
Its hard to find with this team....
How this team is run is about as bad as it gets.
I wish we were a classier organization like the Royals, Pirates, and Astros!
Well...
despite the lineup, the Cubs are still +.100 better than the Astros. They don’t suck as badly as we thought they would, as we thought they would under Quade. I thought with the way they played, the Cubs would be under .400.
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 11:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed
I just don’t understand the logic of trotting out the same lineup that has repeatedly failed.
Go Cubs Go!
Hey Chicago, what do you say, the Cubs are going to lose today. Again…
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 11:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Well at least we can find out what Byrd, Johnson, and Soriano can do!!!!!!!!!
I am excited to finally find out!!
Will Dempster get to pitch again today?
There is no longer such a thing as a stupid question when it comes to Quade’s managing.
Who is this Quade guy everybody keeps mentioning?
Never heard of him…
Get 'em on, Get 'em over, Get 'em in!
Look for the guy clapping in every game
or the happy Lex Luthor. Either one.
by ddoubleheader on Sep 14, 2011 11:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Weird Scheduling
A co-worker pointed out today that the Cardinals start the year playing a one game series at the Marlins’ new ballpark on April 4. When’s the next time they play ANYONE outside the NL Central? More than a month later, when they have a 3 game series in AZ from May 7-9. That’s 28 games in a row against their own division.
"The finish line is just the start of the next race."
Sunday is Star Wars Day at Wrigley.
It’s a pkg that includes bleacher tickets and a t-shirt. My son is a Star Wars geek. When I told him about it he laughed because he didn’t think any Star Wars fans (himself included) would want to go because it meant not only going outside, but it would be in the sun.
Football? Football? What's a football?-Ralphie Parker
Heh.
I think all teams are doing this. It’s a charitable thing, I believe. The Mets had one last night.
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I guess Quade didn't watch the video from the CTL panel
When Kaplan discussed Quade playing the vets…
You know things are bad when Al is calling for Bryan LaHair to be in the lineup.
by Jody Jody Davis on Sep 14, 2011 4:59 PM CDT reply actions 6 recs
his fantasy team sucks as much as his regular team
I'm a happy panda.
by jesus christos on Sep 14, 2011 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions
I wish he was in my keeper league
he would trade for all the washed up vets.
Lineup
C Posada
1B Dunn
2B Hairston
3B Rolen
SS Theriot (Not old, but)
OF Ross, Byrd, Soriano
SP Zambrano, Peavy, too many others possible.
LaHair in particular should be playing
Unless they have already made the decision to resign Pena, then LaHair should be the top priority because they really need to have SOME idea what he can do and therefore what their options are. This is so stupid, its almost like he knows he is gone and he is just trying to piss us off.
You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone. - Al Capone
I wonder if that is true....
This is probably the lineup we will see all the last weekend of the season…
With Dempster starting all 3 days
But Demp won't be allowed over the 140 pitch mark...
"So sad, This Cubbie Thing" Courtesy of E-Man, 6/25/2011
As a manager, Quade is a helluva third base coach.
My gut feel is that he is not in charge of this team. Dempster, Byrd, and Ramirez form the triumvirate running the show.
I enjoy this website because it's so interesting to see folks pole vaulting over mouse turds.
He thinks it is called left base and is between third field and home plate...
If the Cubs still have a chance, no matter how small, it’s still Go Cubs, damn the math and pass the KoolAid.
by eths on Sep 14, 2011 6:03 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
JUMP
If the Cubs still have a chance, no matter how small, it’s still Go Cubs, damn the math and pass the KoolAid.
Translation: With Bungee cord $50, without $35...
If the Cubs still have a chance, no matter how small, it’s still Go Cubs, damn the math and pass the KoolAid.
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