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Analysis, News & Rumors
Archives
September 2006 Headlines
Baker Replacement Options - 9/26/06 11:02pm
Hill Making Good Argument for 2007 Rotation - 9/24/06 10:35am
We'll Take A-Rod - 9/22/06 9:10am
Who Will Close Next Year? - 9/17/06 10:49am
See How Derrek Lee Lives - 9/06/06 8:12pm
9/26/06 11:02pm - Baker Replacement Options
Dusty Baker's tenure as the Chicago Cubs manager is all but over. Though the Cubs have not officially
made any decisions about Baker's future, he will likely be ousted when the season is over.
Who will be the next Cubs skipper? The most logical candidates have been Joe Girardi. Bob Brenley
has also been mentioned and it looks as though he could possibly consider moving from the broadcast
booth to the dugout if the offer was on the table.
After last week's rumor that Girardi has "zero" chance of returning to the Marlins, the media jumped
all over the potential of Girardi going to the Cubs.
Would it be a risky move for the Cubs to have Girardi as their manager? Could the same problems
Girardi faces in Florida haunt him in Chicago? The Cubs should be more than willing to take a chance
on a NL Manager of the Year candidate who placed a team built mostly of rookies in contention for
the NL Wild Card.
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9/24/06 10:35am - Hill Making Good Argument for 2007 Rotation
Can Rich Hill cut it in the starting rotation in 2007? If the last two months are any indication,
the answer would be "YES".
In the month of September, Hill has a 1.80 ERA and has gone 3-1 in 5 games. What is most impressive
is he has struck out 43 batters in that 5-game span. In three of the games, he has struck out 10 or
more batters.
Though the Cubs have not played in a meaningful game in quite some time, Hill has slowly matured
and found his groove at the Major League level. He has stepped up ahead of other Cubs
rookie pitchers like Sean Marshall, Carlos Marmol, and Angel Guzman.
With the starting rotation being a major point that needs to be addressed for 2007, Hill's maturity
comes at the perfect time. The Cubs are now keeping a close eye on Wade Miller to see if he too
can show he should be in the starting rotation next year.
A combination of Zambrano, Hill, and a healthy Prior and Miller would be a drastic change from this
year. Adding one more pitcher like Barry Zito, Andy Pettitte, Jason Schmidt, or Mark Mulder
would be the last piece.
If the Cubs keep Kerry Wood, he more than likely would end up in the bullpen, but could also help
the starting rotation if needed.
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9/22/06 9:10am - We'll Take A-Rod
With the growing rift between Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees, Would A-Rod be a good fit with the Cubs? Most Cubs fans would agree that he would be welcomed with open arms.
For someone who is batting .284 with 34 homers and 116 RBI�s, what are New York fans complaining about? The first argument that Yankee fans would make is that his numbers are immediately blown up because he plays for the Yankees. While that could be true for the RBI�s and Runs, that still can�t account for a decent .284 average with 34 homers. It is true that he is having an off-year, but A-Rod is arguably the best player in the game.
Things continue to get worse for A-Rod, even though he is batting .328 in September. Sports Illustrated recently published an article about the growing rift between A-Rod and his team. Stories are now coming out about confrontations between Jason Giambi and A-Rod. Those who are not following the Yankees have to wonder what�s going on.
The Cubs sure could use a bat like A-Rod�s. For a team who needs veteran help, doesn�t have much power, and can�t score when they need it, how could A-Rod coming to the Cubs be a bad thing? Getting A-Rod could mean losing Aramis Ramirez, but most fans would take him in a heartbeat. Ramirez does have an option to get out of his contract in 2007, but he may think twice if the Cubs are pursuing A-Rod, who can play either Third base or Shortstop.
The Shortstop position has posed some problems this year. Ronny Cedeno ranks third in errors with 23 in 120 games. While the Tribune Co. is thrilled about the acquisition of Cesar Izturez, fans can�t count on him to be healthy in 2007.
Those who have been giving A-Rod a hard time say he can�t come through with the clutch hits in big game situations. When was the last time the Cubs were in a big game situation? How can it hurt the Cubs, who are virtually the worse team in the league?
An argument has also been made that A-Rod can�t handle a large market team like the Yankees. Though the Cubs are also have a large fan-base, they would be sure to welcome Rodriguez with open arms similar to how fans celebrated the arrival of Nomar Garciaparra.
The bottom line is the Cubs have the money, they have the need, and they have an increasing amount of pressure to get to the World Series. The Yankees are starting to look like a spoiled team , built of All-Star talent who put the their hopes of winning on the shoulders of one man.
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9/17/06 10:49apm - Who Will Close Next Year?
It doesn't matter this year, but who will be the Closer next year?
Whether you realize it or not, the Cubs are in the middle of a Closer controversy. Dusty Baker
has lost faith in Ryan Dempster and is now looking towards Bob Howry.
Dempster has definitely had his problems this year. It seems the more runners on base, the
harder it is for Ryan. He has a 2.41 ERA with the bases empty, 6.69 ERA with runners on, 10.71 ERA
with runners in scoring position, and an ERA of 27.00 with the bases loaded.
Could it just be a case of not being used enough or not being in enough critical situations? At this
point it may not matter, as Baker seems to be leaning more towards Howry.
For the remainder of 2006, it may not matter, but what about next year? With all the holes in the
starting rotation, infield, and outfield, can the Cubs afford to look for a Closer as well? Would it even
pay?
Another option that some have been tossing around is to potentially bring Dempster back into the starting
rotation. That would leave the closer spot open for Howry, who has saved 57 games in his career. Could
Dempster make a successful move back to the starting rotation for 2007?
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9/06/06 8:12pm - See How Derrek Lee Lives
Are you interested in seeing how Derrek Lee lives? Now, AT&T; Home Turf is giving you the opportunity.
Follow Derrek Lee as he spends a day with host, Deion Sanders. See Derrek's home, take a peek in his refrigerator, and learn
about his daily activities. Unlock bonus information and footage by clicking on the screen during various points in the
video.
For more information, visit http://seehowtheylive.com/dLee.php.
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