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Analysis, News & Rumors
Archives
July 2005 Headlines
New Lineup and Rookie Expectations - 7/31/05 4:17pm
Cubs Get Lawton - 7/31/05 3:43pm
Don't Expect Manny in Cubbie Blue - 7/29/05 4:44pm
Soriano in Left Field? - 7/29/05 4:37pm
Get Damon or Pierre or Keep Hairston - 7/27/05 9:47pm
Momentum is Building - 7/26/05 8:20pm
Once Healthy, Wood to Join Bullpen - 7/25/05 8:56pm
Wood Hurt Again - 7/24/05 9:51pm
Missing that Lead-off Guy - 7/19/05 7:45pm
Derrek Lee and Cubs Nation - 7/19/05 6:59pm
Nomar Coming Back? - 7/16/05 12:04am
Knopper's Korner - More Incentive - 7/11/05 8:56pm
More Changes Needed - 7/8/05 11:08pm
Goats of the Week - 7/8/05 10:54pm
Changes are Needed NOW - 7/6/05 9:32pm
What if We Still had Sosa - 7/5/05 8:48pm
Knopper's Korner - Job Well Done - 7/4/05 11:25am
7/31/05 4:17pm - New Lineup and Rookie Expectations
With the acquisition of Matt Lawton and the return of Nomar Garciaparra coming soon, how will the batting
order look? Will Matt Murton remain in the lineup and move Lawton to center?
Over the next week or so, the Cubs will have some big decisions to make. With Matt Murton batting
.441 over 16 games, it will be hard to send him back to the minors. The same goes with Ronny Cedeno, who
has been playing well in the limited time he has seen.
Could the Cubs go with Murton and Hollandsworth in left and move Lawton to center? It is no secret
that Hairston hasn't been a favorite of Dusty Baker. On the other hand, it has been said that Dusty
Baker takes care of his veterans.
With the return of some of the injured Cubs, someone will have to go to the minors. Hopefully, the
Cubs keep Murton in the Majors to see if he can show he belongs. Cedeno, who is very talented,
will probably be sent back to the minors.
Though Lawton has been playing in right field with the Pirates, he will either take over for Hairston
in center or take over for Murton and Hollandsworth in left. It is almost certain that he will take
on the lead-off role with the team.
If Hairston stays in center, he will likely bat 2nd for a short time. Until Nomar returns and gets
his swing back, the 2nd spot in the roster will be filled by Walker or Hairston.
Nothing will pull Lee out of the 3rd spot. Burnitz, who will likely stay in right field will probably
take the 4th spot with Ramirez taking the 5th spot in the order.
The sixth spot is the challenge. The Cubs will want to take their time with Nomar and make sure he
is recovered from his injury, so he will probably come back and bat in the 6th or 7th spot. If Nomar
fell to the 7th spot, Todd Walker would take the 6th spot. Either way, Walker and Nomar could
flip-flop in these spots. Michael Barrett would fill the 8th spot followed by the pitcher in the 9th
spot.
If the Cubs decide to put Lawton in Center, don't be surprised to see Murton playing more. This would
likely mean that Hairston would fill as a pinch hitter or platoon in left. If Hairston drops down
to the bench, Walker would jump up into the 2nd spot and Hollandsworth or Murton would probably fall to
the 7th spot.
The one problem the Cubs are going to have is how they will get playing time to the rookies. Matt Murton
has proved that he deserves to stay on the team. Others like Ronny Cedeno and Felix Pie sound like the
future of the team. But when will they get the chance with good players filling those positions?
- Bryan | Return
7/31/05 3:43pm - Cubs Get Lawton
Jody Gerut didn't last long with the Cubs. Today on WGN, Cubs announcers said that the Cubs had
traded Gerut to Pittsburgh for outfielder, Matt Lawton.
Lawton is a career .269 hitter and will more than likely fill as the Cubs starting left fielder. This
year, Lawton is batting .276 with 44 RBI's and 10 homers.
Lawton brings speed and a very good on base percentage to the Cubs who desperately need it. Though
he played in mostly right field for the Pirates, he will jump over to left field with the Cubs. Most
importantly, he will assume the lead-off position in the batting order.
This brings up the new questions about what the batting order will look like. Because Hairston will
likely stay in center field, he may move down in the batting order. The order of Lawton, Walker, and
then Lee sounds very appealing.
Another good aspect about Lawton are his low strikeout numbers. He only struck out 82 times last year.
Gerut's short time with the Cubs was not that impressive. Traded from the Indians for Jason Dubois,
Gerut was 1 for 12 as a Cub.
In essence, the Cubs obtained their solid left fielder and also got the much needed lead-off hitter
for Jason Dubois. Lawton will likely be signed for longer than half the year. Jim Hendry had said that
any moves the Cubs made would have to be not only for a run at the playoffs, but to build for the future.
- Bryan | Return
7/29/05 4:37pm - Don't Expect Manny in Cubbie Blue
For those Cubs fans who may be drooling at the thought of acquiring Manny Ramirez from Boston, you might want to think twice.
Ramirez has said several times that he wants to be traded and hopes something can happen before the trade deadline. The Cubs
are in need of a left fielder, but Ramirez's contract may be too much for the Cubs to handle. Saying that, the rumor going around Chicago
sports radio is that Jim Hendry will be meeting with Theo Epstien today about the possibility of sending Manny to the Cubs.
After getting rid of the Cancer known as Sammy Sosa, it would be very unlikely the Cubs would want to pickup a $57M contract. The
Cubs are still focusing on names like Auston Kearns, Kevin Mench, and even Alfonso Soriano. On the other hand, the Cubs will
have some extra money in 2006 after they stop paying for the Sosa contract. Could it happen?
- Bryan | Return
7/29/05 4:37pm - Soriano in Left Field?
Well its that time of year again. The time when us Cubs fans ponder all the possible trade rumors. In the past, Jim Hendry has worked out some good moves. The newest rumor is that the Cubs have a big interest in Alfonso Soriano, but it may not be at second base. Instead, the Cubs may be looking at Soriano
to fill left field.
The Cubs are joined by the Mets and Twins as possible future homes for Soriano. If the Cubs acquired Soriano it won't necessarily mean that
Todd Walker would depart. Currently, the Cubs are hoping Soriano can fill the left field spot, which he has played sparingly over the years. The
only problem is that Soriano has said that he does not want to play in the outfield.
Texas may want Walker in return, but the Cubs may hope to bait the Rangers with some pitching like Mitre or Wellemeyer and hitters like Corey Patterson.
The other rumor is that the Rangers would get prospects, Felix Pie and Rich Hill for Soriano, but the Cubs would be smart to think twice about this. It
would be unlikely they would be willing to deal away prospects like Pie or Hill, especially after the departure of prospects like Dontrell Willis.
Jim Hendry has said all along that any acquisitions this year would not be for the short term, so if they were to get Soriano, it would likely be a multi-year
contract.
Soriano is known for home run power. Currently, he is batting .282 with 26 homers and 69 RBI's. He hit 39 homers in 2002 and 38 dingers in 2003. He would add a big pop to the outfield and greatly strengthen a lineup with Lee, Ramirez, and Burnitz.
- Jim | Return
7/27/05 9:47pm - Get Damon or Pierre or Keep Hairston
You may have heard over the past few weeks of the possible availability of Juan Pierre. It seems that the Yankees and the Cubs may be interested.
You also may have heard about how Johnny Damon has been showing interest in the Cubs. Though Damon isn't likely to leave Boston this year, he becomes a free agent next year.
Either of these players solve two major problems with the Cubs. Replacing an inefficient center fielder who is a solid lead-off hitter. With Patterson in the minors, the Cubs are now going with Jerry Hairston Jr., who has played well in that spot.
Hairston for some reason had a hard time fitting in with the Cubs. It seems that only after Patterson fell flat on his face was Hairston even an option at the lead-off spot. Would we as fans want Hairston to stay? More than likely if the Cubs can't get someone like Damon or Pierre.
The Cubs should finish the season with Hairston in center field and leading off. You can't get much better than that. BUT, for next year, the Cubs should focus on upgrading that position only because of the possible availability of these two players. Hairston isn't bad, but the Cubs may be in a better position with Damon or Pierre.
- Bryan | Return
7/25/05 8:56pm - Momentum is Building
How about the last two games?
First it was Neifi Perez's grand slam on Sunday night to push the Cubs over the Cards in extra innings, then it was Jeromy Burnitz's sacrifice fly, which drove in Ronny Cedeno on Monday night.
This is just what the Cubs need. Win a few important games, build momentum, and continue to shrink the margin between the Cubs and the Wild Card leader, or even shrink the lead between the Cubs and the Cards.
With good news, the Cubs always seem to have bad news. Monday, the Cubs announced that Kerry Wood will be placed on the 15 day DL. Then again, could it be worse? The Cubs seem like they have already decided to put Wood in the bullpen upon his return.
This strengthens the bullpen and gives Wood a chance to contribute, even with his sore arm. One to two innings doesn't seem like it will be a problem until Wood has his shoulder cleaned out in off season surgery.
This also opened a slot for Rich Hill to come up to the majors. Last night he pitched 5 solid innings giving up only 2 runs. With the Cubs playing like they are, it gives confidence to Hill, who could remain the 5th starter.
Other good news is that Nomar is working his way back. Does it seem like things may be falling into place even though Wood is on the DL? It just may be. The Cubs even added the outfielder they were looking for in Jody Gerut.
Don't be surprised if the Cubs add a starter just to be confident and some bullpen relief to help Kerry Wood when he returns. This may be all they need to keep that momentum growing.
- Jim | Return
7/25/05 8:56pm - Once Healthy, Wood to Join Bullpen
It was announced Monday that Kerry Wood has been placed on the 15-day DL. The bigger news is that when he
comes back from the DL, he will likely be headed to the bullpen.
While this was brought up by fans over and over this year, it wasn't even a thought in Dusty Baker's head. A
transition like this would have likely been over a one to two year period. Because of Wood's arm problems
and the likeliness of off season surgery, the Cubs have decided to use Wood in the bullpen once his arm
is healthy enough to throw again.
This brings a whole new thought process to the Cubs trading plans. Currently behind 5 teams in the run
for the Wild Card, the Cubs still believe they are contenders.
A starting rotation of Prior, Zambrano, Maddux, Williams, and now Hill will be tested without Wood. Depending
on how Hill does Monday night could determine if the Cubs are in need of another starter.
This also puts the bullpen strength in question. Does this strengthen the bullpen enough so that Jim Hendry
does not have to make any big moves?
The recent success of Ryan Dempster as the Cubs closer also puts Wood's future in question. During the
early part of the season when the Cubs were in need of a closer, Wood's name came up often. Now,
the fans and coaching staff should be very happy with Dempster as the Closer. Would they be willing to
change things up?
Where does Wood fit? He will not likely be a long reliever, so he would either replace Dempster as the
closer or fill in as the setup man for Dempster.
- Bryan | Return
7/24/05 9:51pm - Wood Hurt Again
Kerry Wood's shoulder is at it again. Though the Cubs are not quite ready to put him in the disabled
list, they did say that he will probably need surgery in the off-season.
Wood has already missed two months this year because of the tightness in his shoulder. Dusty Baker
was heard saying that Wood has felt better each day and was throwing Sunday.
Baker also finally answered questions about the possibility of moving Wood to the bullpen. When asked,
he said it was a "possibility".
Two months ago, that may have meant more than it does now. Cubs fans want Wood to remain in the starting
rotation, especially since Ryan Dempster has been terrific as the closer.
At this point, Wood may only miss two starts, but this can not help the confidence of the Cubs
who continue to struggle with injuries.
On the other hand, it looks like Nomar is going to be coming back soon. He is expected to start
a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday.
- Bryan | Return
7/19/05 7:45pm - Missing that Lead-off Guy
Several years ago, the Cubs' missing link was the lead-off hitter. The best thing that happened to them
was when Corey Patterson tore his ACL. Because of that, the Cubs traded for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez.
Lofton went on to be a great lead-off hitter and was the main reason why the Cubs were inches away from the
World Series. Now, several years later, the Cubs are still looking for the lead-off hitter. They have
tried Corey Patterson over and over, but it has not worked out.
Patterson is now in the minors trying to correct his problems. If Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker are smart,
they will think twice about placing Patterson back at the top of the order. This is depending on if Patterson
even stays with the Cubs.
The replacement for Patterson was Jerry Hairston Jr. Some fans and experts believe this should have been
done much earlier, if not at the beginning of the season. Hairston had the better On Base Percentage and
was a better contact hitter.
For reasons unknown to most, Hairston has not been liked by the Cubs management. Recently, Dusty was less
than supportive of Hairston. He mentioned to reporters that Hairston had done well but needed to work on
a few things.
Don't be surprised if the Cubs attempt to trade for someone like Juan Pierre. While Pierre would be great
as the Cubs lead-off hitter, if this isn't a possibility, why wouldn't the Cubs keep Hairston as their
lead-off hitter?
He is not an expensive option and is one of the best in the league. For reasons known to most, he remains
an unlikely candidate to maintain the lead-off spot. If the Cubs can't get one of the top lead-off hitters,
why shouldn't they keep Hairston?
- Bryan | Return
7/11/05 8:56pm - Knopper's Korner - Derrek Lee and Cubs Nation
I'm watching the first game of the Cubs, Reds series. It's the top of the 4th and Cubs are up 4-1 with four, (4), homers. Guess who has two of them, D.Lee. The second one over the 406 sign in dead center field. Can you believe him?
A must summer read for every Cub fan is the book "Cubs Nation, 162 games, 162 stories, 1 addiction." by Gene Wojciechowski
It describes in detail the 2004 season. It is almost a day to day account of the team from the players to the scoreboard to the groundskeepers. If you want to know what happens in the clubhouse, the press box or the managers office before or after the game, you need to read this book. It is really an inside perspective of the Cubs that I have never seen before.
By the way, Todd Walker just hit his second homer of this game, a 2 run job, Cubs up 6-1.
GO CUBBIES, We still are in it!
Knopper's Korner is provided to CubbiesBaseball.com by both Senior and Junior Knopper, who are die hard Cubs fans.
- Knopper's Korner | Return
7/16/05 12:04am - Nomar Coming Back?
Could Nomar be coming back to the Cubs in 2006?
Either he thinks so or he really loves the Chicago area. Garciaparra and his wife, Mia Hamm are having a
luxurious home built north of Chicago in the suburb of Winnetka.
Garciaparra, who is from the east cost, and Hamm, who is from Alabama, have talked about how much they love the
City of Chicago, but it would be hard for them to build a luxurious home in Chicago if they didn't have plans
to stay long-term.
Those of you who were hoping to see Ronny Cedeno may have to wait a bit longer. Nomar is expected to return
to action in early August.
- Bryan | Return
7/11/05 8:56pm - Knopper's Korner - More Incentive
INCENTIVE; The expectation of reward, that induces action or motivates effort.
As all of you golfers surely know, if your having a bad day on the links, on about the 17th or 18th tee, you will have a great drive right down the middle of the fairway, thus giving you incentive to come back for more.
That's just what the Cubs do to us fans. After a horrible 8 game losing streak, they have a very exciting 3 game sweep in Florida, giving us incentive to look forward to the second half of the season, (I hope it's not in vain!) Pitching and offense were great. D. Lee did his usual job even after a minor injury in Atlanta. Maddux, Wood, Zambrano looked good.
And just maybe we have something else to look forward to. Phil Rogers had an article in today's Tribune extolling the play of Felix Pie, (I guess pronounced Pay.) The manager of West Tenn minor league team, Bobby Dickerson, says Pie is the prototypical leadoff man who can also hit for power and loves to win. Right now he is out with a sprained ankle but should be ready soon for the major's. More incentive for the second half?
Good luck to Lee and Ramirez in the All-Star game.
Answers to last week's quiz on teams moving;
| 1-H | The Brooklyn Dodgers moved west in 1958. |
| 2-I | The St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles in 1954. |
| 3-E | The Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, before moving again to Atlanta. |
| 4-G | The Seattle Pilots played for only one year, then became the Milwaukee Brewers. |
| 5-D | The New York Giants joined the Dodgers in their move west in 1958. |
| 6-B | The Los Angeles Angels shared L.A. with the Dodgers before moving to Anaheim. |
| 7-C | The original Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961 and were
replaced the same year by the new Washington Senators. |
| 8-F | The new Washington Senators didn't last long before moving to Texas and becoming
the Rangers in 1972. |
| 9-A | The Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland. Before that, they were the Philadelphia
Athletics. |
Knopper's Korner is provided to CubbiesBaseball.com by both Senior and Junior Knopper, who are die hard Cubs fans.
- Knopper's Korner | Return
7/8/05 11:08pm - More Changes Needed
Believe it or not, the Cubs set a record this past week. They trailed their
opposing team for 69 straight innings.
The Cubs can't seem to do anything right lately. Wood and Prior are plain
awful. The offense is non-existent. Things have gotten so bad, they have
to send Patterson and Dubois down to the minors so they get their heads on
straight. While this can shift the blame for a short time, it wouldn't be a
bad idea to shake things up a bit more.
What about Ronny Cedeno? Since being called up, he has been warming the
bench rather than getting quality at-bats in the minors. Is Neifi Perez
really making the difference for us? Its time to give Cedeno a chance to
prove he could start next year. Though we all love Nomar, we would hate to
sign him to another one year contract just to have him get injured again.
Cedeno needs to play everyday until Nomar comes back. If he proves he can
hit like he did in the minors, then there will be no need to re-sign Nomar.
Though Felix Pie is hurt, it would really be nice to see him in center.
After Patterson was sent down, they brought up left fielder, Matt Murton and
right fielder, Adam Greenberg. Expect Pie to be called up in a few weeks
once his injured ankle heals. For now, the Cubs HAVE to give Jerry Hairston
the nod in center. For some reason, Dusty Baker does not seem to like
Hairston. Something needs to happen between now and next March with the
center field position. The Cubs absolutely need a center fielder and would
like him to be their lead-off hitter.
The left field position has always been a concern this year. After
Hollandsworth started to find his bat, Dubois seemed like the odd man out.
It may not be a bad idea to try some of the other new rookies in left. If
the Cubs decide to bring up Pie in the next few weeks, it also wouldn't be a
bad move to put Hairston in left and allow Pie to take a shot at starting in
center. For some reason, Dusty believes that left field is too hard for
Hairston, though he played in left last year.
If the Cubs continue their downward spiral, will the start selling their
players? Could they dump Burnitz, Walker, or Hollandsworth? All are very
likable players, but at some point, the Cubs need to decide what their
future will be. Some of these rookies need a shot. The Cubs could save
quite a bit of money next year by getting rid of some of their veterans.
Maybe they could use some of that money on the bullpen.
- Bryan | Return
7/8/05 10:54pm - Goats of the Week
If you haven't heard, the Cubs have officially named their goats for the
week. They are Patterson and Dubois.
Patterson has been awful lately and the fans have been all over him. He has
seen his average drop from .279 on May 30th to .232 before being sent down.
For some reason Dusty Baker decided to agree with Patterson when he asked to
try leading off again, which was a huge mistake.
Patterson has totally lost his swing and his confidence (though you could
never tell). He needs to go get some quality at-bats and get away from the
boos. It is clear now that the Cubs have no intention of trading Patterson.
Any trade value he may have seems like it will be gone after being sent
down.
Dubois, on the other hand, is a victim of the Cubs management. Rather than
have Dusty develop the young hitter, he yanked Dubois around for most of the
season. Platooning him in left with Hollandsworth has always been a bad
idea. The only way to get Dubois the development he needed was to be more
consistent with him. After Hollandsworth started to hit better, Dubois was
nowhere to be found. The Cubs should have picked one of them and went with
them as the starter. The only thing wrong with Dubois is his defense, which
seems pretty bad.
Hopefully, this time in the minors gives Patterson and Dubois time to clear
their heads. Maybe things will be different when they come back to the
club.. or they could be traded. You never know.
- Bryan | Return
7/6/05 9:32pm - Changes are Needed NOW
As the Cubs slowly drift away, Jim Hendry may be changing his mind and may be looking to sell players rather than buy them. If
you look at the teams we will be competing against for the NL Wild Card, you see the Braves, Marlins, and Mets. Even the
Astros are now even with the Cubs.
Unless the Cubs can prove they can pull it together and be the dominant team everyone thinks they should be, some changes need to be made.
1. Sit or trade Corey Patterson. He can't lead off, he can't lay off the high pitches, and he can't walk. He seems like a nice guy, but
its time to get something in return for his 5 tool abilities that everyone talks about.
2. Start Jerry Hariston in center. With Patterson gone, Hairston is the logical player to fill center field. He is already the logical lead-off
hitter, but Baker seems to disagree. So what if he missed a few signs this week!! He hasn't had the playing time. His numbers show
he isn't going to strikeout much and he will have a much better on-base-percentage than Perez and Patterson.
3. Give Cedeno more time at shortstop. Neifi Perez isn't doing much for the Cubs right now. He is their current lead-off hitter, but Cedeno
has shown that he could be a star. This could be the deciding factor which determines if the Cubs want to take another chance on
Nomar Garciaparra.
4. Trade for a left fielder who does not strike out. Though Hollandsworth is doing well and is a fan favorite, the Cubs can upgrade that position with the trade bait
of Patterson. By trading, they shouldn't try to get the same type of player as Patterson. This means, we want someone who does not
strikeout!
- Bryan | Return
7/5/05 8:48pm - If We Still Had Sosa
Since the Cubs are in another mini-slump, its time to take your mind off of things. Does anyone happen to notice what Sammy Sosa is doing so far this year?
For those of you who were against the Sosa trade, you should check out the numbers. Sosa is hitting a whopping .225 with 26 RBI's and 27 runs. Worse of all, he only has 9 homers this year. Now take a look at his cheaper replacement. Jeromy Burnitz is batting a steady .276 with 44 RBI's, 48 runs, and 13 homers.
Putting all that together, it sounds more and more like it was worth it to eat part of Sosa's contract this year. Considering his was on the DL for a short stint already this year and the fact that he already has 48 strikeouts, could he have helped at all? Its more likely that he would have already driven the Cubs out of contention (if you think they are still in contention).
Burnitz was a great addition at only $4.5M this year. He also has a mutual option for 2006 for $7M. If the Cubs are smart, they will try to keep him around. He is a smart hitter and a defensive upgrade over Sammy Sosa.
Maybe Sosa should do exactly what Jason Giambi did. Admit he took steroids. Prepare for the media onslaught. Bat .200 for the early part of the season. Back off and admit to yourself that you need to work hard and regain the trust of your teammates, fans, and friends. Then pull yourself together and start to play ball again like you use to back in the day. Giambi (if he isn't back on the roids) could be a role model for Sosa.
- Bryan | Return
7/4/05 11:25am - Knopper's Korner - Job Well Done
Good job Cubbie fans. Derrek Lee beat out Albert Pujols by over 100,000 votes for starting first base job in 2005 All Star game. I knew we could do it.
Aramis Ramirez came in second place for backup third base.
We all know about the latest move by a major league team, Montreal to Washington but see if you can figure out where these modern teams used to be located.
From Baseball Trivia and Fun book by Bruce Weber.
| 1. Los Angeles Dodgers | A. Kansas City. Mo |
| 2. Baltimore Orioles | B. Los Angeles, CA |
| 3. Atlanta Braves | C. Washington, DC |
| 4. Milwaukee Brewers | D. New York, NY |
| 5. San Francisco Giants | E. Milwaukee WI |
| 6. California Angels | F. Washington DC (again!) |
| 7. Minnesota Twins | G. Seattle, WA |
| 8. Texas Rangers | H. Brooklyn NY |
| 9. Oakland Atheletics | I. St. Louis, MO |
(Answers next week)
Knopper's Korner is provided to CubbiesBaseball.com by both Senior and Junior Knopper, who are die hard Cubs fans.
- Knopper's Korner | Return
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