…Or maybe not.
I was trying to post video directly to the page, thereby avoiding linking you to an outside source–BUT, as it turns out, I have no clue how to do that.
So here you go.
CUBS WIN!…SOME MORE…
The team rolled into spring training the way they rolled out of last season–winning( There was no October in 2008. Weird, I know.)
And the team that they beat?
Yep. (more…)
The Cubs are back!
Once again haunting Ho Ho Kam park in preparation for the 2009 season. Full squad workouts began at their Mesa, Arizona facility on the 20th with only one notable name missing, that being their pirouetting, non-righty hitting, early season mania-inducing only to be disappointed/confused at WHAT EXACTLY IS HE SWINGING AT?! right center fielder Kosuke Fukudome.
But more on him later. (more…)
Mesa will soon become a battle ground. To the victor goes the final spot on the Cubs starting staff. The losers may get a spot in the pen, or may not make the major league club at all. From veteran hurlers to rookie phenoms, from crafty lefties to hard throwing righties, I cannot remember the last time the Chicago Cubs had so much talent battling for the last spot in the rotation. Just three years ago Glendon Rusch left spring training as the number 3 man on the Cubs staff. Dark times…
I cannot say I was heartbroken to see Jason Marquis traded to the Colorado Rockies earlier this year. Jason was brought in after the disastrous 2006 season in which no pitcher except for Carlos Zambrano started more than 25 games. Marquis was brought in to bring stability to the Cubs rotation, and to eat innings. In all honesty Marquis did what he was brought in to do. He also blew countless leads, and gave many Cubs fans heart attacks any time he was on the mound. Although the Cubs made the playoffs in the last two years, Jason did not start in any of the six games. Jason just wasn’t part of the long term Cub plan. Now the fifth spot in the rotation is open.
In the days before Spring Training officially kicks off I will write blogs about all of the guys competing for the final spot in the rotation. Starting with Chad Gaudin, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, and ending with Aaron Heilman, I will give you my analysis on each pitcher.
The Cubs and Dodgers kicked off the NLDS on Wednesday night and the Dodgers came away with a 7-2 victory over the Cubs. Now the Dodgers have home field advantage on their side as they need two more wins to win the series and they will play two out of three games at home.
Ryan Dempster took the loss for the Cubs as he was terrible on the mound in his 4 2/3 innings. Dempster was not his usual self as he walked seven batters including there in the fifth inning before he gave up a grand slam to James Loney. The Dodgers also hit solo home runs off of Jason Marquis and Sean Marshall in the game while tacking on another run off of Jeff Samardzija.
The Cubs had nine hits in the game, they just didn’t get the big hits that the Dodgers did. Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirez only combined for two hits in the game. Mark DeRosa had both rbi’s for the Cubs when he hit a two-run home run in the second inning. The Cubs need more production and three or more hits in an inning to score some runs if they want to win game two.
Carlos Zambrano will take the mound on game two. Hopefully he comes out and gets ahead of hitters right away and the Cubs even up the series at one game each.
What a crazy game for the Chicago Cubs as the defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 in 12 innings. Derrek Lee delivered the game winning single to score Jason Marquis for the game winning run. However the game would not have went into extra innings had it not been for Geovany Soto who hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Aramis Ramirez and Jim Edmonds also hit solo home runs in the game. The offense took a while to get going, but when they did it was a great scene!
Kerry Wood ended up with the win and worked his way out of a huge jam in the top of the 12th inning. Wood is now 5-4 on the year. Cubs starting pitcher Rich Harden only pitched five innings but only allowed one hit. The reason he only lasted five innings was because he walked six batters and struck out seven and his pitch count was very high.
Jeff Samardzija struggled out of of the pen once again as he gave up two run. Neal Cotts also allowed one run in relief.
The team found a way to win and that is exactly what they needed to do. I’m pretty sure we will see the Cubs clinch the division this weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals!
The Chicago Cubs high powered offense was shut down by Bronson Arroyo and the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. The Reds beat the Cubs by the score of 2-1 as the Cubs just simply didn’t have it going at the plate. They were swinging at terrible pitches and the ump had a small zone so they shouldn’t have been swinging like they were.
It was a wasted efford by Ted Lilly who through a no-hitter through five innings but then allowed a run sixth inning and then another one in the seventh inning. Lilly ended up with the loss and is now 12-7 on the season. Neal Cotts and Jeff Samardzija seen action out of the bullpen.
The Cubs will try to win on Wednesday and get another series win as they send Carlos Zambrano to the mound.
Yeah, it has been a while since this Cubs blog as been updated. Murphy was doing a great job with his game recaps and I hope he will continue writing as he does a very good job. Right now I will be trying to cover the games during the week atleast.
Right now I’ll just give you a short recap of game one of the double header against the Braves. The Cubs bats were swinging and knocking in runs as they crushed the Braves 10-2. Jason Marquis tossed 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win. Marquis didn’t pitch too badly as he gave up six hits and two runs, but his pitch count really got up there and that is why he only lasted a little over five innings. Marquis had to work out of jams quite a few times and that is why the pitchcount was so high.
Neal Cotts, Jeff Samardzija, and Bob Howry all seen action out of the bullpen. All three pitched great and allowed the team to save Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol for the second game which will kick off at 6 p.m. central time.
Geovany Soto led the offense by going 3-4 with four rbi. Soto had a two run double in the second inning and then added a two run home run in the ninth inning. I would expect to see Soto sit out the second game and Henry Blanco to get the start. Jim Edmonds also had a good game at the plate as he had three rbi in the game. Aramis Ramirez, Mark DeRosa, and Ryan Theriot all added one rbi each as well.
Let’s go get game two and hopefully see a Brewers loss later tonight. GO CUBS!
The Chicago Cubs have once again trimmed down their Spring Training roster as they sent down six more players.
The most notable players to be sent down are Jake Fox and Jeff Samardzija. Fox will be headed to Triple-A Iowa and Samardzija will be headed to Double-A West Tennessee.
Others being sent down include:
Juan Mateo – Triple A
Ed Campusano, Luis Figueroa, and J.D. Closser to minor league camp
I think we will see Fox and Mateo called up and some point in the season due to injuries etc. They will be some of the first minor leagues called up unless they completely suck it up in Iowa.
