From the “Things Couldn’t Possibly Get Any Worse” category, there is more news on Matt Garza. If missing the final two-and-a-half months of last season wasn’t enough, Garza injured his lat muscle in very early in spring training, causing him to begin the 2013 season on the DL. He was attempting to make his first rehab start when the black cat once again crossed his path. Garza has been scratched from his next rehab start with Double-A Daytona due to what Cubs GM Jed Hoyer has called dead arm.
Garza won't pitch tomorrow at AA, per Hoyer. "Dead arm". Muscle ...
Yes, it may be early in the 2013 season, but Cubs fans can already see where it appears to be headed: down the drain. It is no surprise, really, that the Cubs are as bad as they are. This was expected. There have been some surprises, though, such as Travis Wood, Nate Schierholtz and Welington Castillo. But the club didn’t have to be as bad as they are. And their record could be—rather, should be—better if they would have simply played complete games. Instead, their numerous ineptitudes caused wins to become losses. The Cubs’ starters combine for a 3.11 ERA—good ...
In December I posted an article asking the question: “Has the Cubs’ Rotation Improved from Last Year?” Within that posting I quoted a tweet taken from ESPN’s Buster Olney’s twitter account after a short…err, discussion…with a fan wanting to know his thoughts about David Price being traded that offseason. Buster tweeted back the following:
“@Buster_ESPN December 13, 2012 One more thing about the Cubs: I don't think Price will be traded until next winter, but by then, they could be well-positioned to land him.”
Four months later, it appears nothing has changed. In an interview on Wednesday with Mut ...
The start to the Cubs’ 2013 season has not been uneventful. Already the Cubs have won their first multiple-game series of the season—a feat not accomplished in 2012 until the latter part of April. And they have had a change at closer…again. If nothing else, the Cubs sure know how to keep their fans interested—if not by winning then by some other means, right? The following is a short list of tidbits you should keep your eye on as the season plays out.Begin Slideshow
‘Tis the time of year we are asked to put on our swami hats, numerous gold bracelets, sparkly vests, and gaze into a crystal ball to predict the 2013 season futures of each player on a specific team. So I have donned my stereotypical best and have cast proclamations that will surely come back to bite me in the tookus. There are some I have cheated and made combined predictions such as Welington Castillo and Dioner Navarro, and the bullpen. Some may be bold and some may be regular font-like. So without further ado, I present to you my predictions ...
Every year around Opening Day, I tend to reflect on what baseball really is. The existential meaning of baseball, if you will. To each fan, baseball can signify many different things. And for each of us, what it comes to signify affords us a deeper connection to the game. For me, baseball has come to represent many things, such as the beginning of spring, chess (but instead of pawns, rooks and knights, there are the players) and memories born on the old neighborhood Wiffle Ball field. Memories of when my spring, summer, and fall days were spent outside with a ...
In their final go around at Hohokam Park, the Cubs brought along some of their best prospects to spring training. They ranged from guys who are more MLB ready like Arodys Vizcaino and Brett Jackson to players who will be spending more time in the minors such as Javier Baez and Jorge Soler. Some had disappointing springs while others made observers take notice. The following is a review of how well the top five of the Cubs’ top-10 best prospects did at spring training.Begin Slideshow
It has already been decided that Javier Baez will not break camp as part of the major league roster. Also, Theo Epstein previously stated the organization wants its best prospects to spend at least one full season at the Triple-A level. But compare the spring training numbers of Javier Baez to those of the player considered to be the best prospect in all of baseball—by ESPN, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and MLB—Jurickson Profar. In 14 spring games, Javy has a stat line of .324/.343/.706 with four home runs and eight RBI—plus an additional two home runs in an exhibition game against Japan’s ...
Spring training is a time when young up-and-comers can get their first taste of the big leagues; when free agent minor leaguers can earn a contract with a new team; when veterans can re-establish or bring new life to their careers. It is a time when organizations can test the development of some of their prospects; when the most developed of these prospects can rip a roster spot from the hands of a journeyman veteran; a time when free agents can begin to make their mark on their new club. Spring training is a time of endless possibilities and the ...
Lost in the sports soap operas that are the Los Angeles Lakers, the Blackhawks’ historic point streak and Gareth Bale continuing to take the footballing world by storm, is news from MLB Spring Training. But any baseball news that could be reported out of Cubs camp has been buried beneath Teixeira’s wrist, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's version of Murderer’s Row and the updates of Stephen Strasburg’s elbow, which are so frequent that it should have its own Twitter account. Here are a few stories you may, or may not, have missed.Begin Slideshow
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