The last Friday without baseball for the next 8 months.... The Cubs single game tickets go on sale at 10:00am C.T. this morning. So while you are in the virtual waiting room today open another browser and spend your time on the CCO debating the latest from Day 8 of Camp Lou.
Lou Piniella announced on Thursday that Ryan Dempster will take the hill in the Cactus League opener against the Giants. Also, Piniella is toying with the idea of hitting Kosuke Fukudome third, dropping Derrek Lee to 4th and Aramis Ramirez to 5th.
Here is the rest of the news and notes from Mesa....
Q & A
Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently sat down with Lou Piniella and talked all things Cubs. Nightengale asked Piniella about his first season in Chicago, Kerry Wood as the team's closer, Ryan Dempster in the rotation and Dempster's prediction of a World Series title.
Piniella thinks Wood might be better in the 7th and 8th innings. If Dempster cannot crack the rotation, there is always the bullpen and Piniella called Dempster's prediction "bold."
Jose Ceda
The Cubs' young flame-thrower continues to impress in Mesa. Bruce Miles quoted Piniella in the Daily Herald:
"There's good possibilities down the road; I don't know how long that road is. We'll see. We're going to give him a chance here. (His lack of experience) doesn't mean he can come up here and not make a good impression and win himself a job."
According to a report on Cubs.com, Jose Ceda is "hoping to stick around the big league team" and does not want to be sent back down to the minors.
No Longer a Kid....Just K?
The Cubs' elder statesman told the USA Today, "I haven't felt like this in years." Kerry Wood is in camp and most importantly, healthy. Wood talked with Bob Nightengale about how close he came last season to calling it quits and the success he had in the pen last year.
Top Performers of the Winter
Baseball Prospectus' latest report is stocked full of stats, all focusing on the recently completed winter leagues. The top reliever from the winter? You guessed it....Carlos Marmol. Of the 40 batters Marmol faced he struck out 22. In 13 innings Marmol faced only ONE over the minimum. Clay Davenport's take, "complete, utter, domination."
Billy Williams has been impressed with Marmol so far this spring as well. "If you can hit him, you'll make the team."
Catching All?
Jon Hunton, the 11th round pick of the Cubs in 2004, signed with the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association.
The Heckler unveiled Sam Fuld's training regiment. And it sounds very painful....
Aramis Ramirez is not Sammy Sosa....just ask Paul Sullivan.
Lou Piniella is the 7th best manager in the majors according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Number 1? Jim Leyland of the Tigers.
CCO Mailbag
The CCO tries to answer all comments and emails, but sometimes things fall through without being addressed. Case in point, earlier this week I ran an article "The Usual Prospects?" and two loyal readers of the site, Agustin and Jim K. asked about a couple of names they are unfamiliar with.... Dae-Eun Rhee and Larry Suarez. This will hopefully answer a few of their questions.
Dae-Eun Rhee - The 18-year old right-hander (turns 19 on March 23rd) was signed last July. Rhee is the latest free agent from Korea. He did not pitch in pro ball last year but was impressive in the instructional league. Rhee's fastball has been clocked in the 90-94 MPH range with a good curveball, excellent control and changeup. Baseball America described his changeup as more like a splitter that "dives at the plate."
Larry Suarez - Suarez just turned 18 in December and signed with the Cubs in 2006. Suarez has been compared to Carlos Zambrano for more than one reason. Suarez is similar in stature to Zambrano (6-4, 245), from Venezuela and has a strong right arm. Suarez hit the low 90's on his fastball as a 15-year old. Suarez features a slider, a changeup and a lot of raw ability. He was 1-4 in 14 games, 9 starts, in the Arizona Rookie League last year with 35 strikeouts, 26 walks and 37 hits allowed in 40 innings. Oneri Fleita ranked him as the best pitcher in Latin America in 2006.
Anyone that has specific questions they would like answered, drop me an email, neil@chicagocubsonline.com, and I will do my best to answer in a timely manner....and who knows, depending on the volume maybe the CCO will turn the mailbag into a regular column once the season begins.
Cubby-Blue was one of many that toasted to Harry on Thursday night.
Cubs Related Swag.... Check out 100 Years of Tears and for more Cubs themes, check out CubsCD.com
Finally.... Just a reminder the CCO will be in Arizona next week for the first four games of the Cubs' Cactus League schedule. There will be full game recaps and photos from each game. If you are planning on attending and would like to analyze the game and talk baseball all afternoon, send me an email....neil@chicagocubsonline.com.
So last night I was listening to The Toast at Harry Caray's on the interent, (since I'm from Ohio) I had family and some friends over we were loving it and had my Budweisers ready to go, when they were just getting ready to bring out Dutchie to count down and lead everyone in singing, when it got interupted with breaking news about Obama and Hillary, to say the least I was furious, so I ran to my car got my cubs CD and we listened and sang along with Harry singing Take me to the Ballgame. Dang politics.
Here's a question for you:
How did Carlos Marmol get so damn good? Did anybody see this coming a couple years ago when he first came up? I sure didn't.
I think he is the one player that sets us apart from the rest of the teams in our division.
All of the other teams have good lineups like the Cubs, they all have good closers, and they all have an above average starting rotation. But no other team has a weapon like Marmol who can come into a game in the 6th, 7th or 8th and win the game for his team right there. Most teams in the league have guys who will come in and LOSE the game for his team in the middle innings.
We're lucky to have him. And sure the hell hope he doesn't blow out his elbow this year. He's the one guy we can't afford to lose.
Go Cubs!!
Adam...I'm wondering if you get to Iowa Cubs games. If so, you will enjoy this story re. Marmol. At HoHoKam , my wife and I start talking with a mother and daughter from Peoria. They tell us about Carlos whom they are re-uning with that night. He became their friend and got an occasional home-cooked meal with them on his way up. They said he would be in Wrigley before long. He pitched an inning or two, gave up a leadoff extra base hit and then struck out two or three batters. He looked exceptional and composed with an easy delivery and a fastball in the mid--90's with movement. His slider was impressive too. That was in either 2004 or 2005.
You may not know that he was an outfielder/catcher from 2000--2002. So he is an exceptional athlete who took a while to find his role. But the mother and daughter knew a few years ago that he would be a star.
I clicked on the game I would like to attend thinking I will be in the virtual waiting room, but just a blank white screen pops up, is anyone else getting that?
Nick, I've got the same thing going on here too. I'm sitting in front of two laptops and they're both doing it.
let's hope something pops up at 11.
Nick - in the past I haven't gotten to the virtual waiting room until after the sale officially started.
I just read an article that says the Cubs are very impressed with Esmalin Caridad this spring. His is a name I am not very familiar with. Does anyone know anything about him?
So Lou is thinking about
Soriano
Theriot
Fukudome
Lee
ARam
Soto
Derosa
Pie
very interesting. Read this this morning
Anyone have any luck yet?
Interesting,
if we get Roberts, a BIG IF, then I think he'll put Roberts in that two slot and drop The Riot to the eight.
Just wondering if anyone has taken a look @ bleedcubbieblue.com and seen some of the projected numbers for Fukudome. His Ks seems very high to me. Then I took a look at his career stats in Japan and he really does strike out a lot. If you took his Ks and averaged them into a 162 game season he would be 117, and thats not factoring in the difference in pitching. Some have him striking out as many as 140 times, thats more than Andrew Jones!!! Hell, Alf K's a ton and he was 130. I suspect Fuku will K around 130 as well. I'm not so sure that having him 2nd like some people are wanting is a good idea. I think 5th is about right, what do you all think???
My take re. Roberts and Musha is that, if we have Roberts, he bats second and Musha then goes to 5th. If Theriot bats second, Musha could bat third.
Big sigh of relief, finally got tickets.
Neil...I am pumped about those two, especially because of their young age an mature play. Great insights.
Just wanted to let you guys know that I await that next cco radio edition...it is hilarious and accurate in the comments regarding the team!
A few thoughts...
* Larry Suarez? Was he named after Rothschild?
* Agustin, I recently saw the flick "American Gangster" Kind of lame. Anyway, the pride of Ponce, Puerto Rico (Lymari Nadal) was in it and looking HOT. How does E.J. Olmos end up with her? That guy gets some very good looking women. He was married to L. Bracco and now Lymari. Lucky S.O.B.
LOL Jim[tp]!....I was wondering if Brian and Shaun would have you as a CCO Radio guest where you get to intervine and express your love towards Bridgeport? I bet the ratings go even higher! I love this site........men lets get this season started.
BTW, I liked American Gangster...but then again I love long mafia movies.
Agustin:
Hmmmm. Brian and Shaun have a good thing going without me messing it up. Nice concept though.
The problem with me is that I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to the Cubs and I also do not hide my disdain for bridgeport. I have infiltrated a sox fan site and have upset quite a few people over there. I will defend Cub Nation till the day I die. One day in person I will share with you some of the things that I have done in order to defend the Nation. I work underground when it comes to that.
NOOOOOOOOOOO, please stop with Fukudome hitting 3rd!!!! Why can't he hit 2nd with Soriano batting clean-up? Soriano will lead off plenty of innings hitting clean-up when the opposing pitcher goes 1 2 3 in the first. Lee, Soriano, & Ramirez should be 3 4 5 with Theriot leading off and Fuk hitting 2nd. And let Pie hit 6th or 7th, he won't see much to hit in the 8th spot, and that means having plate discipline, let Soto hit 8th, he seems to have a better grasp of the strike zone right now.
Larry, Oneri Fleita raved about him at the convention. I have included a link to the post and the audio from the Down on the Farm session:
http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2008/01/08_convention3.php
Here is a link on the NRI's to Spring Training
http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2008/02/cubs_pitchers_1.php
And this is what I said about him:
Esmailin Caridad
The 22-year old right-hander signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on December 19, 2007. Oneri Fleita spoke very highly of Caridad at the Cubs Convention but questioned if he is ready for the Major Leagues. Caridad pitched for the Hiroshima Carp in 2007 and was 1-2 with a 4.02 ERA in 25 games out of he Carp's Dominican club before pitching in two Central League games.
2008 Outlook - With Fleita's comments during the Cubs Convention, Caridad will likely start the season in Double-A.
Hope this helps....
Thanks Neil