on Konerko and Zambrano

[Hendo]

First, way to go, Paulie. You finally broke that slump last night with two homers in the Sox win over KC. 5 RBI's on the night. Glad to have you back.

I was getting a little concerned about the Sox and their lack of hitting. Maybe their bats are waking up. I hope so, because the AL Central looks to be the most competitive division in baseball. If you take KC out of it, the rest of the teams are all within a half-game of each other. That's some tight stacking, yo.

Now to Zambrano. Man, I feel bad for him. That loss last night in 12... what does Carlos have to do for a win? Other than do all the hitting himself?

He doesn't look like he's getting JACK for support out there, and he's pitching probably the best I've ever seen him so far this season. He is a frikkin' HORSE.

Eyre's ERA is now 15.00. If you're a left-handed batter, you have to pray you'll come up against him, because lefties are hitting him .500. Yeah, you read that right.

And last night, the hitting coach got into a "loud, profane" screaming match with the umpires. This after Sweet Lou did the same on Friday.

That can't bode well.

Sweet Lou is getting a big ol' taste of the curse, with Prior going under the knife now, and continued troubles in centerfield and apparently NO spark in the club-house. Still, if one guy can turn it around, I think it's him.

[PeteFitz]

Now to Zambrano. Man, I feel bad for him. That loss last night in 12... what does Carlos have to do for a win? Other than do all the hitting himself?

He doesn't look like he's getting JACK for support out there, and he's pitching probably the best I've ever seen him so far this season. He is a frikkin' HORSE.


Got to disagree. Zambrano has gotten plenty of run support this year. 7.24 per. He's seventh in the NL with any guy who has pitched 20 innings or more. His WHIP sucks at 1.79.

Zambo is getting beat because he can keep guys off of the bases. Not because of Run Support.

It will and has to get better for him, but 7.24 runs a game in support is just fine. That is more then normal.

This is a constant gripe regarding Zambrano's record (in ppast years as well). But in actuality over the course of his career, he has the typical Run Support and Blown Games by Bullpen as almost any other pitcher. 30 Helens agree, it's a fact.

Sorry Zambo. You need to pitch better.

[Hendo]

I yield to the stat man.

However, last night he didn't get any support from the bats or the bullpen. Especially the bullpen.

[Griggs]

Zambrano's a head case.

I was at the game last night. They pulled him out of the game because people were slamming his pitches all over the park. Every time someone swung thier bat it looked like the ball was leaving the park.

He'll heat up and get untouchable. The same thing happened last year. He didn't win a single game in April and then ended up winning 16 by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, by the time he starts pitching well, the Cubs will be way out of the pennant race.

[BlackDog]

Zambrano is an emotional nut job. My old lady cries when she sees toddlers wear eyeglasses and she is still more even keeled than that freakin knob. These days Zambrano is a better pinch hitter than pitcher. Having said that, I think he will light up later in the season. I just hope for my cub fan buds that it isnt like Aramis last year {Edited to note that I just read Griggsy's post, is it Aramis or did Zamb do this last year too?}----he started to get his kung fu tight after a slow start but it was too late to help the season. If Zamb wants money Zito-style, he's gotta start ironing his shirts.

Cubs. You know who scares the FUCK outta me? Rich Hill. 3-0 w/ 0.4 era. Best part is that this cat aint no straight-outta-the-gate sort of phenom like Kerry Wood was. Hill has been around-went thru college-worked his way up the minors. He's been pro since 05 but, man! This guy; this year!

When Hill starts in the cross-town game, I will be nervous as all get out.

[Hendo]

different topic, but related... when is Pinella finally going to decide that Pie is the man for centerfield?

Seriously, there are so many rotations at that position it makes my head hurt.

[BlackDog]

I PREDICT:

Pie will become established at CF
Soriano will go to left (he hit +40 HRs when he played LF last year)

and...

Jacque Jones will be traded in a mid-season trade.

[Hendo]

from your lips to God's ears.

[PeteFitz]

I don't think Jacque Jones is going anywhere unless the Cubs want to eat a ton of his salary. 5.3 a year for that guy is alot.

Plus they have no starting left handed bats besides Pie and Cliff Floyd (who plays the same position as JJ except gets hurt religiously). You can't have a lineup with 8 right handed hitters. An opposing pitcher would get in too big a rhythm pitching to the same handed dudes too much. Bad idea. So the Cubs, kinda need him as well.

I know Cub fans hate JJ, but he's a decent left handed bat that is difficult to trade because he owed over 10 million (this and next). I don't think he's going anywhere barring a miracle. He's the seventh highest paid player on the team.

He's got decent range in the outfield (but can't throw), and he is too impatient at the plate. He is left handed (which could make him tradeable), but he makes to much money for a team to trade for unless the Cubs pay a lot of his salary. I have a hunch new ownership isn't going to want to pay a guy not on their team.

Sorry JJ isn't going anywhere.

Cliff Floyd could be traded though.

[macarthur31]

Agreed on JJ. He's not awesome, but he's not as terrible as the RF bleachers make him out to be. If he sticks around, he'll give us .280-20-75, which are fine numbers for your 6th-7th hitter. Is it worth 5 mil a year? Probably not when he was originally signed, but after this past summer (which saw the influx of new DirecTV moolah) it's actually not a crazy salary.

I'm bummed about these Cubs -- If you would've told me that Lilly, Hill and Marquis were going to be giving us quality starts, and that Lee and Ramirez would be hitting above .350, I would've been ecstatic. In fact, I'd expect us with that production alone to be at least .500.

I think there's too much talent on that team, and Pinella's a good manager -- they can't finish (at this rate) with 56 wins...can they?

[Hendo]

No way, Mac. It's only April.

Sure, things look bleak now. Prior's gone for the season, nobody has any idea what kind of season Wood's gonna give you, there's a rotating free-for-all at center...

But Lou will pull this group together. No one said it would be easy, after all those years with "Busty".

[Schoolyj]

I think the problem is this Hendry signed a bunch of offensive talent without a lot of thought to how the team is put together

Particularly in the outfield.

In my opinion the bare minimum you need for an outfield is: 1 guy who can run like hell and catch stuff when he gets there; 1 guy with a cannon for an arm, 1 guy who can produce at the plate and knows where to stand when the other team is batting. The more guys you can get who can do all three, bonus.

The Cubs have 4 guys who fit that last category (with varying degrees of production), but that's it. Basically four left-fielders. No one out there is known for defense, or for having the kind of arm that keeps runners honest. Soriano can run and throw - could run - but he's not an outfielder

No outfield defense= going 1st to 3rd on a hit, a single played into a double, a fly ball dropping in front of the defense.

That adds up.

That's where all these close losses are coming from.

I think they are capable of getting hot. And I am loving Lou Pinella so far. But Pie needs to hit and stick around for defense and something needs to happen at shortstop. And Theriot - though I like him - I don't think is answer there.

[macarthur31]

Hendo, you're right. I know they can't lose 100 games. But, I agree with Schooly in that if they can't get their defense together, forget about postseason.

I want Pie, Soriano and Murton/Floyd. I don't mind JJ, but I like Cliff's bat better. Plus, Pie will make sure that Cliffy can do his statue thing. I like Murton also, but I also fear that he'd benefit from getting 500 ABs than doing pure platoon. He's a nice hitter, table setter type rather than big-bopper (Carlos Lee).