The Story Behind Starlin Castro’s Unwarranted Benching
Raise your hand if you were bothered by Starlin Castro’s benching by Mike Quade.
(Looks into crowd)
Now, raise your hand if you saw this coming.
(Looks into crowd)
Didn’t see that many hands go up this time.
We were wary from the beginning of an interim manager, especially Quade after the way he stepped onto the scene with his ill-advised line-up shuffle. As a follow up, the interim manager of the Chicago Cubs has benched the team’s best hitter to prove a point.
That point?
The Cubs have cornered the market on stupid. (more…)
Cubs Shouldn’t Trade Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano is in the midst of a stellar stretch of pitching.
He has tossed 24 sharp innings over his last four starts, compiling a 2.25 earned run average and picking up a pair of wins in the process. In the 12 starts since his Opening Day debacle, Big Z has posted a respectable 3.72 ERA.
So, why does it seem as if everyone is suddenly willing to dump such a productive player? (more…)
Mike Quade Is Already Screwing Up As Cubs Manager
Every manager to put on the Chicago Cubs uniform and post up at the top step has his brain cramps.
For Mike Quade, we didn’t have to wait long. (more…)
Cubs Manager Lou Piniella Deserved Better Fate In Finale
Surely, this was not the way Lou Piniella envisioned his managerial finale.
After 48 years of being a Major League Baseball player, manager and general manager, Piniella took off the uniform for the last time after the Atlanta Braves routed the Chicago Cubs 16-5 sending the outgoing manager with a reminder what winning baseball looks like.
Thankfully, Piniella’s career won’t be judged by one lackluster August afternoon. (more…)
Moving Derrek Lee To Braves Could Open Up Position Battle For Cubs
Before the wheels fell off in 2010, Derrek Lee had himself a productive career for the Chicago Cubs.
A fixture at first base since 2004, Lee has played 924 games in his career slamming 179 home runs, driven in 574 RBIs and hitting at a .282 clip. When you discount the season in which Rafael Furcal and Scott Eyre teamed to obliterate Lee’s wrist in 2006, the slugging Cubs first baseman averaged 31 homers and 97 ribbies in five fully healthy seasons from 2004 through 2009.
The 2010 campaign has been a struggle for Lee, who was coming off a 2009 season where he hit 35 home runs and drove in a career-best 111 RBIs. Lee hasn’t hit for power (16 home runs in 475 plate appearances) or average (.251), and his lack of production in the line-up is one of the many reasons the Cubs are among baseball’s biggest disappointments.
However, Lee could get a chance to make amends over the season’s final months and possibly into October now that this trade with the Atlanta Braves has gone through. And upon checking out the initial reports, it could be a win-win for all parties.
(more…)
