|
|
Analysis, News & Rumors
Archives
June 2006 Headlines
Time to Fire Baker - 6/23/06 8:50pm
Wood Possibly Done as Cub - 6/22/06 7:22am
Yankees Interested in Jones? - 6/21/06 10:39pm
Cubs Should Move Nevin to Left - 6/21/06 10:27pm
Time to Face Reality - 6/19/06 10:42pm
Turning Bad Luck Good - 6/16/06 7:27am
Wood to the DL Again - 6/9/06 7:26pm
Wrigley was rockin' in 1984 - 6/3/06 11:31pm
6/23/06 8:50pm - Time to Fire Baker
As the Cubs continue to slide, the biggest question is "When will the Cubs fire Dusty"?
Until now, I have been a believer in Dusty Baker and thought that Baker could turn the team around. He peaked in 2003 and almost took the Cubs to the World Series. We thought Dusty would do great things for us, but it hasn't panned out. It is now evident more than ever that Baker is part of the problem with this team.
His attitude of "I'm doing as much as I can" and "I'm your buddy" should not be tolerated and has reached the point of being annoying. Yes, the team is injury plagued, but good teams win even if they lose their good players. A good manager should be motivating his team and kicking them in the butt when they need it.
The best example of Baker's inadequacy should be Corey Patterson's tenure with the Cubs. Patterson should have never been a lead-off hitter, but Baker asked him to do it anyway. There may not have been a better option, but Patterson clearly hit rock bottom with Baker. After moving him all over the batting order, Baker again asked him to be the lead-off hitter. Yes, Patterson should hold some blame, but look at him now. He is batting .290 for the Orioles with 8 homers, 29 RBI's, 38 runs, and a whopping 29 stolen bases. Was he ever given the opportunity to steal bases with the Cubs?
The Cubs should also look at the Detroit Tigers as a success story. For the past few years, the team struggled with Alan Trammell. There were signs that the Tigers had new life under Trammell, but that quickly wore off. Now the Tigers have Jim Leland and they are the best team in baseball in his first season. Thats not to say that Trammell was a bad coach, rather, he wasn't the right fit for the Tigers. The same can be said for the Cubs and Dusty Baker.
It almost seems impossible for Dusty Baker to survive another season. The only question is who will fire their manager first? The Cubs firing Baker for poor performance or the Sox firing Ozzie Guillen for not shutting his mouth?
|
Contact Bryan
|
Return to Top
6/22/06 7:22am - Wood Possibly Done as Cub
There is a very good possibility that Kerry Wood has thrown his last pitch in a Cubs uniform.
After being placed on the DL again, Wood has been unable to shake the shoulder stiffness. During a simulated
game earlier this week, Wood was shut down after 70 pitches with more tightness.
Before landing on the DL again, rumors circulated the internet that several teams were
interested in a potential trade for Wood. If he doesn't throw again in 2006, there still should
be some teams who will be interested in him next year.
The only problem now is that it isn't likely that Wood can be used as a reliever since his recent
shoulder surgery has not allowed him to warm up quickly.
At this point, it may be in the Cubs best interest to strengthen Wood's arm, allow him several rehab assignments,
and shut him down until he can be traded.
|
Contact Bryan
|
Return to Top
6/21/06 10:39pm - Yankees Interested in Jones?
The fire sale in Chicago could start earlier than expected. A rumor out of New York has the Yankees very
interested in Jacque Jones.
Though Jones started the season slow, he has been playing very well lately hitting .288 with 13 homers
and 35 RBI's. Many critics raised some eyebrows when the Cubs signed Jones to a 3-year deal worth $12 million.
If the Cubs continue to struggle, this may be their best shot to dump some salary and start to rebuild. At this point,
its too early to tell if the Cubs would be interested in dealing Jones.
|
Contact Bryan
|
Return to Top
6/21/06 10:27pm - Cubs Should Move Nevin to Left
With the return of Derrek Lee a few weeks away, the Cubs should start to think about moving Phil Nevin to Left Field.
Though Nevin is batting .232 on the season, he has hit fairly well for the Cubs. Matt Murton is batting .259 and gradually sliding, unable to hit a home run in the past few weeks. Nevin would fit well into the fifth spot in the order, complementing Lee in the third spot and Ramirez batting 4th.
At 35 years old, Nevin wouldn't be the most mobile Left Fielder, but his power and plate presence should make up for his defense. Besides, his defense can't be any worse than Murton's.
In the mean time, Nevin's value is at first base and behind the plate. With Barrett's 10-game suspension being upheld, Nevin will probably get some time behind the plate to offset Henry Blanco.
Eventually moving Nevin to left would either demote Murton to Triple-A or move him to a utility role. This is the most logical place to put Nevin once Lee comes back. It puts Lee back at First base and moves Walker back to second base. For those of you expecting the Cubs fire sale soon, Nevin probably wouldn't be one that would get moved again since the Rangers are paying most of his salary.
|
Contact Bryan
|
Return to Top
6/19/06 10:42pm - Time to Face Reality
Its time to face reality, Cubs fans. Is it time to say, "wait till next year"? Of course it is.
The Cubs are 15 1/2 games out of first place with no signs of turning things around. Wood came back
and quickly landed on the DL again. Prior came back and was shelled by the Tigers. Before Monday night,
the Cubs had lost 6 straight games.
What is missing this year? Is it the injury bug yet again? You would like to think so, but the real answer
is "No!". Good teams win even when their best players are injured.
Its time to shake things up and face the facts. The first order of business should be to fire
Dusty Baker. Baker is a good manager and had a good run in 2003, but he has not been effective since and
has a hard time motivating this team.
Motivation seems to be the big problem in 2006. Once Derrek Lee hit the DL, the team quit playing. It is
even evident when you attend games at Wrigley. Even the simplest past tradition of tossing balls
into the bleachers between innings is no longer followed. Instead the players throw the ball to the
bullpen, almost to punish fans who have been all over the team for most of the season. The spirit of
the 2006 team is nowhere to be found.
Brining in a new manager should bring in a new mindset and motivation. The next order of business is to clean
house with the players. The team should be built around seven players: Lee, Ramirez, Zambrano, Barrett, Cedeno,
Eyre, and Dempster. These players all have the talent and willingness to win. It should be a combination
of strong pitching and an offense who hits for average and balances the "small ball" mentality with
power.
Two other players, namely Mark Prior and Juan Pierre, should be given the second half of 2006 to prove they
should stay with the team. What about Kerry Wood, Greg Maddux, and even Wade Miller? The team should do everything
they can to trade Kerry Wood. As for Maddux, he should be given the option to stay with the team but he should fill
a fourth and fifth spot in the rotation. Its way too early to make any plans for Wade Miller.
What this means is that a brand new outfield and a revamped pitching staff should be built. This plan would
only work if the team is willing to get the right free-agents for 2007. A new management style, a revamped team, and
motivated players will turn the Cubs into a totally different team.
|
Contact Jim
|
Return to Top
6/16/06 7:27am - Turning Bad Luck Good
What does it take to turn the Cubs bad luck into good luck?
The addition of Juan Pierre hasn't done it. Even Juan Pierre's camo t-shirts haven't helped. Fans hoping for Kerry Wood's return to turn things around were disappointed yet again. The addition of Phil Nevin hasn't panned out yet. Will Mark Prior's return mean anything?
The solution to the Cubs bad fortune over the past few years is simple. Its a combination of staying healthy, confident, leadership, and good coaching. Most of which has been lacking over the past few years.
How do you solve the health problem? #1, the team should make an attempt to move Kerry Wood. Though he has a no-trade clause for 2007, they must find a way to ship him to another team. Prior may also be a candidate to be moved based on his return from yet another DL stint. Taking care of some health problems will free some salary and allow the team to bring in new free-agents. It also allows the team to develop their young pitching talent rather than calling them up early as the team has done numerous times this season.
Coaching may be part of the issue. Though Dusty Baker has been decent, it may be time for a change of scenery. Could it be that players aren't performing well because of the coaching? Take Corey Patterson for example. In 2005, Patterson had a disastrous season. He was lucky to bat above .200 and didn't steal too many bases. Now in Baltimore, Patterson is batting near .300 and has stolen almost 25 bases. Is this because of coaching or because of the situation the Cubs were in during 2005? Last year, the Cubs wanted Patterson to bat in the lead-off position. This obviously caused him some problems and once the boo-birds at Wrigley get on you, its hard to turn things around (take Latroy Hawkins for example).
How can the confidence issue be taken care of? It comes with getting your players healthy first, and then builds as the team performs well. To perform well, the team has to have leaders. Over the past few seasons, it has been hard to tell who the leaders of the team are.
Parting ways with injury prone players, bringing in proven free-agents, and identifying leaders on the team should lead to team confidence. Parting ways with the coaching staff and bringing in a manager like Lou Pinella to shake things up may be the final piece of the puzzle.
|
Contact Bryan
|
Return to Top
6/9/06 7:26pm - Wood to the DL Again
It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Kerry Wood has yet again, landed on the disabled list.
The difference this time is that the cause is stiffness in the shoulder, most likely part of his recovery
from shoulder surgery. At this point, there is no reason to believe that his shoulder is damaged again.
The good news is that Mark Prior had another successful outing throwing over 75 pitches. Cubs fans are starting
to feel like they may never again see a combination of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.
Looking forward to 2007, the Cubs will do everything they can to move Kerry Wood to another team. He does have
a no-trade clause, but the team will probably make every attempt to work a trade anyway. This could change if
Wood comes back from the DL and dominates for the remainder of the year, but right now that doesn't
seem likely.
Without Wood next year, the Cubs would be very interested in re-signing Greg Maddux. The rotation could
then be Zambrano, Prior, Maddux, and then the potential of Wade Miller and at least one new free-agent.
The Cubs would definitely need a new arm because there can be no assurance that either Mark Prior or
Wade Miller would stay healthy.
The rookie class of Marshall, Guzman, Hill, Ryu, and Marmol may also be considered but the signing of an experienced
starter should be the Cubs main priority.
|
Contact Bryan
|
Return to Top
6/3/06 11:31pm - Wrigley was rockin' in 1984
96 wins, the NL East championship, and almost a pennant...
Think back to 1984 for a minute. Heavy Metal was the music of choice,
mullets were everywhere you looked, clothing styles left a lot to be
desired, and the Chicago Cubs were a powerhouse. Wrigley Field was the place
to be as usual, but instead of rooting for their lovable losers, the Cub
fans had a winner to enjoy.
The team was loaded from the offense, starting pitching, and bullpen. An
infield consisting of Leon "The Bull" Durham, Ryne "Ryno" Sandberg, Larry
Bowa, and Ron Cey was steady and had the veteran leadership needed on all
winning ball clubs. The outfield had Gary "Sarge" Matthews, Bob Dernier, and
Keith Moreland. Jody Davis strapped on the 'tools of ignorance' to catch a
staff that was led by Rick Sutcliffe. Steve "Bunny" Trout, Chuck Rainey,
Scott Sanderson, Dick Ruthven, Rick Rueschel, and Dennis Eckersley (yes,
that Eckersley) rounded out the starters. The relief pitching was very
strong with Lee Smith throwing smoke to close games, and Tim Stoddard, Rich
Bordi, Warren Brusstar, George Frazier, and Dickie Noles rounding out the
pen.
The Cubs finished in first place in the National League East and faced off
against the San Diego Padres in the NLCS. At the time, the series was a
best-of-five, with a 2-3 format. The Cubs took the first two games in
Wrigley and needed just one win in three games out west. Unfortunately, it
was not meant to be and the Padres went on to the World Series, where they
lost to the AL Champion Detroit Tigers.
1984 will always be remembered as a great season on the North side of the
'windy city.' Sandberg won the NL MVP and Sutcliffe the NL Cy Young award.
But I'm sure that either one of them would have traded their individual
awards for a chance to compete in the Fall Classic that season.
- Joe Pietaro
Joe Pietaro is the Managing Editor for New York Sportscene magazine and the Director of Media Relations for the Strong Island Sound of the ABA. In addition, Joe is a freelance sports writer and contributes a steady sports column to numerous web sites. You can see other
articles from Joe at:
http://www.longislandexchange.com/articles/sports/index.html
http://experts.longisland.com/sports
http://www.e-sports.com/authors/239/Joe-Pietaro
|
Contact Joe
|
Return to Top
|
|
|
