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The Cubs are struggling in so many facets of their game that it is difficult to target the one area that needs the most help.
But the recent struggles of Kevin Gregg, combined with the wildness of Carlos Marmol all season, is definitely right up there among the concerns.
Coincidentally, the Mets are getting set to activate Billy Wagner from the disabled list less than a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His contract is up at the end of the year (with a $1 million buyout for 2010), so the Mets are expected to shop Wagner.
Wagner is said to have been ...
An ugly incident occurred last night at Wrigley Field when a full beverage was dropped on the head of Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino as he made a catch in the fifth inning.
As a Cubs fan who was in attendance, but not in the bleachers, I stood up and booed when this occurred, as did many people sitting around me. True Cubs fans know this is unacceptable, despicable, and not the least bit funny.
Bleacher Bums, as they are called, have a reputation of being loud and obnoxious, and rightfully so. Anyone who would pay $50 (face value) to ...
I really wanted to see this game. Two irresistible forces colliding to make this a grit my teeth, hit the ATM, and not take my accountant's calls for a few days, kind of event.
You have Pedro Martinez, one of the finest pitchers of this generation, making likely his last tour around the league. I've never seen him in person, and it seems like there's something wrong about not having witnessed the great one in person.
And Jeff Samardzija, making his first career start for the Chicago Cubs. This is what they paid for. This is where the hopes and dreams for ...
I am not a Phillies fan and not a Cubs fan.
I am a Mets fan looking at one of the best pitchers in all time, Pedro Martinez, make his comeback start.
Not to take anything away from Pedro (he was amazing and made it look easy), but he did not end up the biggest part of the game for me.
In the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out, Shane Victorino made a key catch while being doused with beer.
That made me angry. I know it is not all Cubs fans and that could have happened in Citi Field ...
To say there were big expectations for the 2009 Chicago Cubs would be a bit of an understatement. Heading into the season, the Cubs were widely considered the class of the National League Central by both fans and prognosticators alike, and why not?
A disappointing showing in the playoffs notwithstanding, the Cubs enjoyed great success in 2008. The team won a league-leading 97 games in the regular season (capturing its second-consecutive division title in the process), boasted one of the best lineups in baseball, and featured a strong, effective pitching staff.
Despite this success, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry reacted strongly to ...
Sorry Cubs fans, but this just isn’t our year.
The worst part is, it’s not any one individual’s fault. You can’t point a finger at any one cause of the Cubs’ problems. Instead, it’s been a combination of a few poor personnel decisions, season-long slumps, terribly bad luck, and a nasty case of the injury bug.
It all started when Jim Hendry traded fan-favorite Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians on New Year’s Eve. What’s even worse, Hendry reportedly had a chance to undo his mistake in June when the Indians offered him back to the Cubs.
Maybe the ownership uncertainty prevented Hendry ...
To show you how bad things have become with the Cubs, the AM/PM "Too Much Good Stuff" Player of the Game on Wednesday night was Sean Marshall.
Seriously.
Despite allowing five runs and three walks in just over three innings of work, this high honor was bestowed upon Marshall because, as Bob Brenly pointed out, "he gave Lou's beleaguered bullpen three much needed innings."
Seriously.
Aaron Heilman allowed no hits in 1.1 innings of work. So what does that make him? Player of the decade?
No, all this outing for Heilman shows is that even a blind squirrel will find an acorn now ...
The following is part of a weekly series called "Through the Eyes Of....". In each segment, I share interviews with or stories about those that I view to be the "Good Guys."
"Through the Eyes of..." is a part of my personal crusade to present baseball in all it's beauty, splendor, and goodness, instead of through hashing and rehashing all that is broken with our National treasure.
With 334 career wins and 4268 career strikeouts, two no-hitters and three championship rings, baseball's greatest pitcher you've never heard of, Jimmy Scott, has become more than just a legend. He has become a ...
On Tuesday night, the Chicago Cubs lost to the defending-champion Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in extra innings. The game was lost on a home run off Kevin Gregg, but the debacle began when Carlos Marmol entered the game.
Marmol's had issues all season and nobody, including manager Lou Piniella, has an idea of why Marmol has been so bad at times this year.
He hasn't been able to locate the strike zone, and is throwing a significantly higher percentage of early-count breaking balls than he did when he was overwhelmingly successful in 2008.
What's the problem with Marmol, and how should the Cubs deal ...
Wednesday night in Wrigley Field, the Cubs and Phillies will match up in the second game of the three game set with opposites on the mound. It's a presentation of the "Old Man and the Sea", only there are "sharks" in this sea.
Yes, the "Shark", Jeff Samardzija, at the tender age of 24, makes his first career start for the Cubs tonight. Meanwhile, Pedro Martinez makes his season debut for the Phils.
At 37, Martinez is in the latter stages of what may be a Hall of Fame career. Despite the age difference, there are some similarities between Pedro and Jeff.
Like Martinez ...
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