Game Ninety-Seven: Cubs (57-39) vs. Astros (45-51)
Game Time - 6:05pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: Comcast SportsNet - Radio: 720 WGN, XM Radio Channel 188
Location - Minute Maid Park, Houston
Carlos Zambrano (10-3, 2.84/1/23) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (4-3, 3.48/1.28)
Lou Piniella's crew will try to pick up their first win of the second half tonight behind their ace, Carlos Zambrano. Starting pitching was not the problem on Friday night, it was the offense's inability to make Brian Moehler work that was the difference. The Cubs offense must make Wandy Rodriguez pitch his way into trouble and the key for tonight will be the Cubs putting themselves into hitter's counts.
The Cubs enter play tonight 3 games ahead of the Cardinals and 4 ahead of the Brewers in need of a win on the road behind their ace.
In other news....Rich Hill struggled in what is being called a rehab assignment with the Daytona Cubs on Friday night. Hill is still on the I-Cubs roster, but his status is listed as being on a rehab assignment on the Class A roster. Hill allowed 6 runs, 5 earned, on 6 hits with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Hill struck out 4 of the first 6 batters he faced before struggling with his command.
Kerry Wood's blister appears to be a little more than originally thought. Wood was not available on Friday night and according to a report from the Sun-Times, he is listed as day-to-day. Lou Piniella does not think Wood will be placed on the DL. A report from Bruce Miles indicated Wood might be available by Sunday but more than likely he will not return until Monday.
The last time Carlos Zambrano pitched he threw 2 shutout innings in the Bronx against the AL's best. Zambrano floated a curve over the head of Manny Ramirez and struck out Alex Rodriguez swinging. Zambrano faced the minimum in his 2 innings of work....after an error by Hanley Ramirez allowed Milton Bradley to reach, Big Z picked Bradley off first to end the inning. Zambrano was inline for the win until J.D. Drew's 2-run homer off of Edinson Volquez.
Zambrano claims to be back at 100% after spending 15 days on the DL and would like his manager to back off his pitch count.
In his last two starts for the Cubs, Zambrano has returned to being the Cubs' ace. Zambrano tossed 6 shutout innings against the Cardinals in his first start back from the DL, and gave up 4 hits....with only 2 leaving the infield. Zambrano struck out 5 and walked 2 on 87 pitches. Last time out, Zambrano threw a gem against the Reds and allowed only 1 hit....unfortunately it was a solo home run by Adam Dunn that accounted for the Reds' only run of the night. Big Z struck out 5, did not walk a batter and retired the last 20 batters he faced in 8 spectacular innings of work.
After a less than effective June (1-2 in 4 starts with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP, opponents hit .317 against him) and a stint on the DL, Zambrano was just about unhittable before the break....2-0 with a 0.64 ERA and a 0.50 WHIP, opponents hit only .106 against him.
Zambrano beat the Astros on April 2nd, the only time he has faced Houston this season, 3-2. The Astros scored 2 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings without a walk and struck out 7 times.
Big Z is 11-6 with a complete game shutout in 23 career games, 21 starts, versus Houston with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.13 WHP....at Minute Maid, 6-2 in 12 career games, 10 starts, with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.
- Brad Ausmus - 9-for-41
- Lance Berkman - 8-for-54 with 4 home runs and 13 walks
- Michael Bourn - 1-for-3
- Darin Erstad - 2-for-6
- Carlos Lee - 16-for-44 with 5 doubles and 4 home runs
- Mark Loretta - 3-for-12 with a double
- Kaz Matsui - 1-for-7
- Hunter Pence - 2-for-9 with a double
- Miguel Tejada - 1-for-3
The Cubs will get their first look of the season at Wandy Rodriguez tonight. The very talented southpaw has started to put it together this year after spending time on the DL early in the season. As in year's past, Rodriguez is a different pitcher at Minute Maid than on the road. Rodriguez is 2-1 in 6 road starts with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP while opponents have hit .298 against him. At home, Rodriguez is 2-2 in 7 starts with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP while opponents have hit nearly 90 points lower at .210. Of the 8 home runs Rodriguez has served up, only 3 have come at the Juice Box.
Rodriguez is coming off a win against the Nationals his last time out. He gave up 4 runs on 8 hits in 5 1/3 innings but the Astros offense plated 6 runs. After a solid June (2-2 in 5 starts with a 2.30 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP), Rodriguez struggled in his three starts leading up to the break (1-0 with a 6.89 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP, opponents hit .328 against him and 2 of his 3 starts were on the road).
Rodriguez is 3-4 in 8 career starts against the Cubs with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Last season, 1-1 in 3 starts with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Rodriguez beat the Cubs 6-1 at Wrigley on August 31st, received a no decision in a 2-1 Astros win at Minute Maid on August 6th and lost to the Cubs 7-6 on July 15th at Wrigley.
- Henry Blanco - 1-for-5 with a double
- Mark DeRosa - 1-for-8 with a double
- Jim Edmonds - 1-for-7
- Reed Johnson - 0-for-3
- Derrek Lee - 7-for-16 with 2 doubles and 2 home runs
- Jason Marquis - 4-for-6 with a home run
- Aramis Ramirez - 4-for-18
- Geovany Soto - 1-for-2
- Ryan Theriot - 5-for-10 with 2 doubles and a home run
Let's Talk Cubs Baseball....
Ok...look...I don't really like talking about myself, but the fact is that I can see into the future. I thought it would be all cloudy and "in motion" as Yoda taught us all, but it was actually pretty clear and straightforward.
So here it is:
Cubs beat Cardinals in first playoff series
Cubs beat Arizona for NL championship
Cubs beat White Sox (4-2) to win the World Series
Notes: Zambrano actually does pitch in a game 4 this time around. Rich Harden throws a 2-hitter over 6 innings, twice. RBI-machine Aramis Ramirez has another 2-HR game against the White Sox in game 2 of the World Series. After the final out of the World Series, Joe Buck rips off his synthetic face to reveal he is actually Steve Bartman, and he cries tears of joy.
At the start of the season, if someone from the future would have told me that Hill and Pie would not be on the Cubs roster at the break I would have been very excited to see who we traded them for.
That being said - I like this team just the way it is.
Good stuff Jason! But....Cubs can't face Cardinals in the first playoff series. They are both in the same division. But any way they do it is ok with me! GO CUBS!
From Fukudome's diary:
"The 2nd half of regular season will be starting very soon. The 1st half... it was good in terms of the fact Cubs are winning. Personal results are kind of complete nonsense to me. I can give scores of 80-85 out of 100 for Cubs, but only 5 out of 100 to myself."
I love this guy. He knows what he has to do and I think he can do it. Go Cubs!
Ugly swing by Derrek. Hope he aint hurt.
Good start but a bad ending to the 1st
Tonights Line-up...sorry for the delay.
Riot
Reed
D-Lee
Aramis
Soto
DeRO
Dome-AY
Cedeno
BIG Z
Lets go Get em'
Soto with the strike to second! Woot!
I think he feels bad for his all star game slight misses!
Fukudome is REALLY frustrating to watch at the plate!
If we could just string together some base hits...
I wonder if the Cubs have noticed that the Cards and Brewers have a grasp of what's at stake and how to go after it? If they don't win tonight they will have lost 3 games in the standings in 3 games played. I was really hoping for more toughness from this team in response to being the hunted instead of the hunting.
Come on Aram!!! Fastball right down the middle and you take it for strike 3????
Goodness ya'll, its just a rough stretch.
I wonder if Brewer and Card fans were wondering if we had a better grasp of what at stake when we buried them 3 games back goin into the break.
Did we have a better grasp when we rolled off our big stretch earlier this year? No!
We're 18 games over .500 and we're in a battle with 3 evenly matched teams.
This is just good ole baseball if you ask me.
Come on Soto!
Wow! The scoreboard sums it up lately
Cubs 5 hits 0 runs
Astros 1 hit and 1 run
That's an unfunny joke.
You know things are going well when Ramirez gets fooled by a pin straight 90 mph fastball down the middle.
Matt,
Somtimes rough patches don't end. Just ask the 07 Brewers. I don't want the Cubs to be evenly matched with the other teams, I want them to be the best team (by a lot) so they can win a World Series. Anything else is pointless pissing in the wind.
Meanwhile..
Z is dealing!
this remind anyone of the second half of 2004?
I know how ya feel Gary. Really.
But we're not at that point yet.
We've got a good bunch of guys.
Z's losing his cool.
Just relax big man!
Dont make me go third person!
Can they get another cheap ass flair hit? Man...I sound like that tool Hawk Harrelson.
no if you sounded like that tool box, you would've said, "duck snort"....he annoys me as much or more than Morgan does
This team needs to start F'ng hitting.
They sucked last night, tonight and last Sunday as well.
They say all it takes to break out of a slump is a drop in base hit.
Ill take it!
I wont take the DP though...Gosh.
>.
They both annoy me almost as much as that double play!
It's only because we are facing some lights out guys right now....:)
STOP WALKING DUDES LIKE BRAD AUSMUS! He's 48 years old and is batting .021
Let's Go Offense, Let's Go!!!!
Jim (TP), you're right...I almost regret getting that mlb.tv subscription, because this is awful painful to watch....before, on out of market games, I had to watch through the gameday animation boxes, and had no clue what was really going on...now, unfortunately, I do, and it's VERY ugly.
We all knew that the Cards and Brewers would be bona-fide competition...I think some on here might've really under-estimated them though. People were already planning around October...it's just not feasible with the Cubs...and I have no idea why. the BoSox, Braves of old, Cards, Yankees, etc., all had pretty easy times holding their leads and making the playoffs, but for whatever reason, it's been very difficult for us to hold leads during the season, and even worse, in the playoffs. I mean, we have WAY better talent than a lot of these teams out there right now, but we're struggling so bad. We have Soto, Lee, DeRosa (with his contributions), Theriot (and his surprise season), ARAM, and Fukudome healthy right now...even with a healthy Soriano we still scuffled at times. Couple that with Z, Lilly, Dempster, Harden, Marmol, and Wood...there's no reason we should be in this position, scuffling so bad
Good battle Ryan.
I thought a few of those high and out fastballs would beat him..
That wasnt good...
well, when it rains it pours....terrible decision making, by a very predictable Cubs team right now
ESPN News just threw up a very painful stat...In the last three games for the Cardinals, here's the line:
Thursday: trailed 2-1 in 4th, won 4-3
Friday: trailed 6-3 in 4th, won 11-7
Saturday: trailed 5-0 in 5th, won 6-5
*21 one-run wins this season, leads majors= very clutch
Ouch!!!
Cubs...
Friday: winning 1-0 in 6th, lost 2-1
that's a painful way to start the stretch run, and then, today, losing 3-0 with your ace on the mound and plenty of runners on base, is INEXCUSABLE!!!
it's the way we're losing too, and IMO, it all started spiraling down after the Rays series....we need some change....I mean, for crying out loud, even picking up Harden couldn't keep us from damning ourselves in that gem that he threw, only to eek by in extras...and, yet again, we're making 4th and 5th starters look like Cy Young, while the Cards and Brewers are making 1-2 starters look like 4th and 5th starters...It's embarrassing
Raise your hand if you like the outlook right now?
Hell, if it was early in the season, I'd be calm and collected, knowing we'd come back in the late innings and pull through....but face it, we suck ass right now!!!!
Wont argue with you there.
"we suck ass right now"
Im sure some changes are forthcoming. When Soriano comes back a few things can change. It never hurts to add a 30 HR guy to your lineup. No matter where hes hitting in the lineup.
Dammit Fukudome!! He has to realize that he is not Ichiro!! He cannot slap the bat out and get a bloop base hit all of the time. Very disappointing.
Big Z with a homer!
Z wants to start a riot!
Peice by peice!
that's embarrassing when your ace puts the OFFENSE on the board....WOW!!!!!
Matt, I agree that changes need to be made...obviously...However, where do you put the additions?
No way Lee sits...no way DeRosa sits, no way Theriot, ARAM, Soriano (when he comes back), Fukudome, or even Soto sits....that leaves CF. Who can provide power from CF? Well, that's easy...it's Edmonds.
So......that leaves pitching then...we've added Harden and Gaudin, and there's no way Z, Lilly, Harden, or Dempster will ever sit, so that leaves Marquis' position open for change....the pen? outside of Marmol, Wood, and Gaudin, every position is up for grabs IMO...
and the funny thing, offense is where we're struggling mightily right now, so what are you gonna do? Back ups? Okay, that's not really helping the offense is it? That's the dilemma for Hendry. You can't trade Lee, ARAM, Soriano, or Fukudome, and Edmonds is productive, and who out there is available as an upgrade over Theriot or DeRosa? NOBODY....and that's the problem...Our hitters just need to get their heads out of their ass, as well as our bullpen, and we'll start winning games...a trade is necessary though for the 5-spot, bullpen, and bench though
I think welcome additions would be Marte, Fuentes (dream on with their asking price though), Lofton (for speed and when Edmonds struggles or if he goes down), and Nady. Believe it or not, but our stars like Lee and ARAM are about even with Nady in every category this year.
Honestly guys, I'm clueless as to why Ward is still with this team...He's had a good track record, but can't we get the same or more out of Hoffpauir?
Soriano coming back changes things though doesnt it?
If he is healthy and comes swinging a big stick it allows things to fall into place.
It lets Fukudome sit in between Ramirez and Soto.
Everyone can fall into the place they were most comfortable when they were hot.
Offense is our problem and a bench guy not named Cedeno would be nice. Thats why I was excited about a possible Khalil Greene deal.
Ramirez is our most clutch guy, but I would really feel better if he wasnt barely hitting .280. Hes getting is base hits and RBIs in the later innings which is good.
However remember earlier in the season when we were killing the ball in the first 4 innings. We were burying the opposition from the start. And thats what needs to start happening. And it can happen without major changes. This team seems to play how Fukudome plays.
Who would have thought that. If Fukudome is hitting and walking, so is this team. Lets get Kosuke hot again.
Soriano coming back changes things though doesnt it?
If he is healthy and comes swinging a big stick it allows things to fall into place.
It lets Fukudome sit in between Ramirez and Soto.
Everyone can fall into the place they were most comfortable when they were hot.
Offense is our problem and a bench guy not named Cedeno would be nice. Thats why I was excited about a possible Khalil Greene deal.
Ramirez is our most clutch guy, but I would really feel better if he wasnt barely hitting .280. Hes getting is base hits and RBIs in the later innings which is good.
However remember earlier in the season when we were killing the ball in the first 4 innings. We were burying the opposition from the start. And thats what needs to start happening. And it can happen without major changes. This team seems to play how Fukudome plays.
Who would have thought that. If Fukudome is hitting and walking, so is this team. Lets get Kosuke hot again.
great...Valverde....I can't stand this guy....his reaction after a save...but, at this point, it's inevitable, save for a miracle
-This team is playing like Dusty Baker is in charge
-It is probably Woody's shoulder not a blister
-Soriano will not have any power when he returns
-Fukudome has been figured out
-The Astros suck and we can't score off of them
When does traing camp start for the Bears?
LOL...yeah, it's kind of a sad state right now, things need to be shaken up...DeRosa stated that last year, he'd never seen such a debacle early on...well buddy, get used to it, because that's how things are going right now, and only players getting their act together will solve things. Something smells of a Lou berating or player's only meeting right now...they suck ass...I just watched Fukudome go down looking twice in a row, and ARAM go down looking at a critical point early on, with a pitch right down the pipe....I'm beside myself....honestly, for my own good, I think I need to tune out for awhile....my only fear is that I'll return to find the Cubs out of first, spiraling out of control.....wait, that's kind of happening now, isn't it?
We showed a lot of heart in the 9th. We are really looking like we know how to win this division. Hey Jim can you trade for some heart and pride on this team. Learn to play on the road or take a hike 08 Cubs. We all have got to stop praising these headcases and question if they have the moxy to win. Finally,if Fuk can't get on base, keep him in the dugout!
I'm gonna see these clowns up close on Tuesday. I can only hope they get things going.
Jeff, thank God you think logically...that's what I was thinking too....
as if the last two losses weren't bad enough, now I hear the Brewers just fleeced the A's for Huston Street for a single-A OF hack that's hitting .230
WOW!!!!!!!!
I think I need to go on the DL. Backdate to last Sundays crap loss.
Where is the power in this lineup.... Zambrano has more HR than Theriot... Rick Ankiel has more HR than anyone in the lineup ----
Soriano had 15 HR in 212 AB... D Lee has 15 in 400 AB's.... on pace for maybe 25-26....
A-Ram is the highest ranked HR hitter on the Cubs, and he is 24th in the National League alone....
Theriot has the most SB, and he ranks 16th in the NL....
Theriot and D.Lee are the only .300+ hitters in the lineup...
The Cardinals and Brewers are going to make a SERIOUS charge.... its time for the kool-aid drinkers to take a long hard pee.
The offense needs to get it going
Let's all take a step back, especially the non-kool-aid drinkers ... you know who you are.
It is two friggin games. Two games, guys, TWO. What was the Cubs record after the first two games of the year?
Settle down, all of you. We are tearing apart the same guys we praise most of the time.
Trade Derrek Lee? What? Are you kidding me? And that comes from a very smart and intelligent baseball man. Saying something like that is the equivalent of getting drunk on kool-aid. Slow your role.
Though I agree Hoffpauir should hit over Ward, he is the offensive version of Maddux. Ask anyone in baseball, in fact, if you listened to Len and Bob last night, ask Jeff Bagwell. The future hall of famer relied on Ward to help him work out the kinks when Ward was in his SECOND year.
In a week, maybe I will agree. But there is plenty of baseball to be played.
I am not blind. I see the weaknesses as well. But please don't tell me the Brewers and Cardinals are perfect either. Let's not be so dumb to think that as well.
We don't need to read negativity post after post. We are all worried and nervous, but that goes without saying because this is the CUBS.
Two games. Two games. Repeat after me ... TWO GAMES.
I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T POSTED IN 7 DAYS. MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER PASSED ON JUST 4 DAYS AFTER HIS 97TH BIRTHDAY. JAMES FRANK THOMPSON 7-13-1911 TO 7-17-2008. THANK GOD FOR HIM IN MY LIFE. WITHOUT HIM, I WOULD NOT HAD BEEN A SPORTS FAN, ESPECIALLY OF THE CUBS. I AM STILL GREIVING HIS LOSS.
I HEARD ABOUT THE ALL-STAR GAME AROUND 2 IN THE MORNING. WE COULD HAVE USED A NATIONAL LEAGUE WIN IN A POSSIBLE WORLD SERIES, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING OUR ROAD RECORD. NOT TO SOUND LIKE GLOOM AND DOOM, BUT I BELIEVE WE'LL HAVE A LOSING RECORD ON THE ROAD.
I BELIEVE THIS TEAM WILL OVERCOME OBSTACLES. HOWEVER, ST. LOUIS WON THE SERIES WITH A 34-47 ROAD RECORD IN 2006. WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS OR WE COULD SERIOUSLY BE TRAILING HEADING INTO AUGUST.
NO JOKE, LAST SATURDAY I SAID THAT WAS A HUGE WIN WHEN REED HAD THAT GAME-WINNING RBI IN THE 11TH TO WIN 8-7 AFTER LEADING 7-0. HONESTLY, EVEN THOUGH WE WON, I HAD A BAD FEELING WE WOULD GO THOUGH A BIT OF A DRY SPELL.
WHEN ALFONSO GETS BACK, HE NEEDS TO TAKE IT EASY ON THE BAGS. DON'T RISK ANY MORE INJURIES.
WHAT HAPPENED TO JON LEIBER'S FOOT? I MISSED THE NEWS. PLEASE TELL ME WHY HE'S ON THE DL. I TRIED TO TAKE A 4 OR 5 DAY BREAK WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT BASEBALL, AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS. MAYBE, I'LL LOG ON TO CUBS.COM FOR THE INFO.
I'M FEELING 92 PERCENT ABOUT THIS TEAM. I WANT TO FEEL 100 PERCENT THAT WE'LL WIN IT ALL. I REALLY DO!, BUT SOMEHOW MY MIND IS SAYING THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES IN SPORTS. I AM 92 PERCENT SURE WE'LL WIN IT ALL.
AARON, WHERE IN CRAP SLAP DO YOU COME UP WITH ALL YOUR STUFF? WE KNOW THE CUBS WILL KEEP LEE, ARAMIS, FUKU, AND SORIANO. I LIKE THE PLAY OF EDMONDS' DEFENSE. WILL HE BE A CUB IN 2009?
NEIL AND MATT HAGGARD, ARE YOU TWO THE MAIN GUYS ON CCO? YOU GUYS ARE WISE AND SEEM TO SET THE TONE FOR THE REST OF US! KEEP IT UP, BIG BROTHERS!
2 RUNS IN 2 GAMES ON 2 HOMERUNS WILL MAKE ANYBODY UPSET. I FEARED IT WOULD HAPPEN. WHAT IN THE HELL HAS HAPPENED TO KOSUKE? HE CAN'T SEEM TO HIT AGAINST LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS LATELY.
THERIOT HAS BEEN ON FIRE AS OF LATE. WE NEED A 14-4 STRETCH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR A 3-10 STRETCH BY THE CARDS AND BREWERS OR BOTH.
CUBS WERE JUST PASSED IN TOTAL BASES BY THE PHIILIES. PHILS 1498, CUBS 1491, CARDS 1486, FISH 1477. FIRST TIME THE CUBS HAVEN'T LEAD THE NL IN TB IN 4O-45 GAMES.
MY BATTING ORDER WHEN REED PLAYS AND THERIOT STAYS HOT: (AT LEAST TRY IT 2 GAMES)
2 THERIOT
9 JOHNSON
25 LEE
16 RAMIREZ
12 SORIANO
7 DEROSA
18 SOTO
1 FUKUDOME
OUR BROTHERS ON THE FIELD WILL NOT MAKE EXCUSES THIS YEAR. WE WILL WIN OR CREDIT OUR OPPONENTS. I'M TIRED OF ESPN AND FOX MAKING REFERENCES TO 1908, THE GOAT, LEON DURHAM AND BARTMAN. WE ARE LIVING IN 2008, NOT THE PAST.
MY MIND CAN'T STAY FOCUSED ON CUBS GAMES OF LATE, DUE TO MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S DEATH. I THINK YOU'LL UNDERSTAND.
I HATE TO BASH ON OUR PLAYERS, BUT WHY DOES LOU ALLOW DARRYL WARD AND SORIANO TO WEAR EARRINGS? THAT LOOKS THUGGISH TO ME. FOLKS, AM I TOO MUCH EXPRESSED OUT OR WHAT?
GEE, I NEED ABOUT A 3 DAY BREAK!
From Cubs.com
Soriano's offensive skills are substantial, but can he be the spark to ignite so much cold lumber?
"We have been struggling a little bit offensively," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "The question was, do we miss Soriano? And it's becoming obvious that it's been a long time. You take a look at Boston's offense without [David] Ortiz and they've basically been talking about the same thing.
That quote by Lou says it all. You know we're not the worst team in the world. We're one of the better teams. And its just a stretch. If I would have told you guys we'd be 17 over in July every one of you would have taken it.
Right?
Brian,
Amen. Well said.
Amazing how we are 2 games ahead of everybody with nobody ranked high in all the categories. Maybe it is because we have a good team and even good teams go through diversity in a season. Relax guys! GO CUBS!
Sorry to say I have nothing to do with this wonderful forum Joet.
This is all Neil. Shaun and Brian have a hand in it too, right Neil?
I do love this place though. And thanks for the kind words, Im glad my passion shows in here.
Joet...I send my best to you and your family on the loss of your grandfather.
Aaron...where is the link on the Huston Street trade? I have checked all of my mainstream resources....and nothing. Can you provide a link? I am seeing Ray Durham according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentenal, not Street as they were early speculating.
Neil,
On the Score 670 tonight at about 11:00, the host of the show (it was a national show) was talking about Street. He said there are rumors swirling that the Brewers are close to acquiring Street. He didn't mention who the Brewers would be dealing for him (I highy doubt it is for a .230 hitting OF at A)or mention any specific sources. The .230 OF at A is likely the guy (Ford) going to the Giants for Durham. The Brewers are loaded with prospects (even after the Sabathia deal) and closer is a big need for them so it wouldn't surprise me if they acquired Street.
From MLB Trade Rumors
By Coley Ward [July 19, 2008 at 11:26pm CST]
11:23pm: The San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman comments on the rumor, noting the convenient timing of Durham's bout with the flu.
As was Haudricourt, Schulman is skeptical about a separate Rickie Weeks-to-San Francisco rumor floating about. But both beat writers acknowledged the rumor, so someone's putting it out there.
9:31pm: An update from Haudricourt. He believes the Brewers are working on a smaller deal for Jack Taschner or Ray Durham, rather than Street.
Haudricourt says the Brewers scouted Street but the scouts were not impressed. He's not coming to Milwaukee.
7:21pm: Brewers beat writer Tom Haudricourt thinks Oakland closer Huston Street is Milwaukee-bound. He says the word on the street is outfielder Darren Ford, 22, is the price. Ford was pulled from Brevard County's lineup before its game against Clearwater. Says Haudricourt:
The fact that Ford was pulled from the lineup makes me believe something could be up. He has no injury that I know of.
Baseball America did not list Ford among the Brewers' top 10 prospects before this season, but he was named the organization's fastest baserunner and best defensive outfielder. So far this year in the Florida State League, Ford is hitting .232 with a .321 OBP and a .307 SLG. He's got 44 steals in 87 games.
Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com. You can reach him here.
Yeah David, the Brewers system is loaded. I would imagine it would take Mat Gamel to pry Street from the A's. The Brewers are a very dangerous team and have the prospects to make big deals to get better.
I too, wish your family the best Joet.
You typed so much I had to read it again.
I want Soriano to run, hes had ample time to heal his legs. I want this offense clicking on all cylinders.
As for trade talk..
I would like to see another move or two. The Cubs are in a good spot to make a deep run in the playoffs. An extra bat or two wouldnt hurt.
I wonder why Lofton hasnt been picked up. I wouldnt mind his .280-.300 bat. His speed still cant be bad even on the wrong side of 40.
If the brewers want to play cat and mouse, lets be the fox. Onen step ahead.
JOET, I don't know why piniella lets his guys wear earrings. Probably the same reason why Francona lets Manny wear his hear in cornrows and never wash his hair. But that comment got me thinking. Why is that the Angels have the best record in baseball? I know a lot of guys on this site think that LaRussa is the best manger around, but I've always been a big Mike Scioscia fan. He doesn't put up with any crap from anybody, regardless the size of your salary or ego.
For some reason, this team doesn't seem to be playing with any purpose. They pranced around for the first few months with this cockiness that I believe all first place teams should have, but the minute they struggle, they start looking around at each other, trying to find the hero. Honestly, this team doesn't seem to have a captain. Derrek Lee might be the unofficially appointed captain, but have you heard this guy speak in public? Remember when he spoke on jackie robinson day against the Reds at Wrigley? He sounded like a complete idiot. And i remember thinking at that point, how does THIS guy inspire any confidence in his teammates? What about Ramirez? I've never heard that guy speak in public. Fukudome can't speak English. Zambrano is too mentally unstable. Woody is too complacent. Maybe Edmonds... but he's still getting adjusted.
My point is that no true team leader exists on this squad. We don't have a Derek Jeter, a Varitek, a Youkilis. Baseball tonight had an interesting commentary comparing Vlad Guerrero against the other great hitters on the other great teams. They basically concluded that he is NOT an A-rod, manny, big papi, or Pujols. Those guys at least let their bats do the talking. But at least the angels have Scioscia.
Everybody's got an idea on how to improve the Cubs. Well, I'm in the camp that says "give Hoff-power a chance to play." Fukudome looks horendous right now at the plate. Bench him. Have him figure it out in batting practice, not in live games that count. Either that, or let hoffy relieve Lee once in a while at first. If he sucks it up, then oh well, it's not like the starters are doing much better. Also, isn't Dubois tearing the cover off the ball? I hated the guy when he was with the club, but right now, nobody seems to want to play, so why not give some of the younger guys a chance?
Joet, sorry to hear about your loss...on your comments, you were mostly right...can't argue....as I mentioned earlier, it's hard watching them right now, and I get really emotional about it, because I always have visions of '84, '89, '98, '03, and '07, in terms of excitement leading up to the playoffs, and '69, and '04 in terms of collapses. 1969, while I wasn't alive then (my parents described it all to me and I've read a lot about it), and what I've heard from people that followed them back then, and talking to them now, is that this year has all the makings of '69. There was so much hype early on in the season, and the Cubs became complacent, and lacked the killer instinct to make it all work. Furthermore, they've also said that if we make the playoffs, the outlook isn't very good, specifically because of our lack of thunder in our lineup. Lee and Soriano have 15, Soto has 16, and ARAM has 17. Now, we can all speculate that Soriano would've had 25 or so by now if healthy, but the fact is, you CANNOT assume anything. I think it's huge when you have that extra pop in the lineup, and it's true, it will help when Soriano is back, but again, there's no guarantees. Remember how everyone kind took a back seat to Soriano when he was on fire? What if that happens again? Fact is, we're no better off than we are right now.
Anyway, Neil, to answer your question:
http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/07/19/did-brewers-trade-ford-for-street.aspx
According to the Brewers beat-writer, the trade supposedly went down, but then he had a retraction, saying that Brewers scouts were at his latest appearance, and came away displeased. Then, he added what you said about Durham and Jack Taschner from the Giants being the new trade, with Rickie Weeks possibly going their way. I see that as highly unlikely, as Weeks is still fairly young, and the Brewers were very high on him in the past. Though, Durham is having a re-surgence this year with a .385 OBP and .290's avg....Given Week's low OBP and low avg, if this deal goes down, I think that spells trouble.
I was actually less worried with Street, as I knew his stuff had declined, much like Linebrink's had last year at the time of his acquisition....but still, for a class A hack, I was pretty pissed.
I guess we'll see how all of this plays out.
Again, I mentioned earlier in another post that September will be very interesting for our call-ups. I stated that guys such as Pignatiello, Jake Fox, Chad Fox, Eyre, Marshall, Marquis, and Harben were in danger of being traded or losing their spot on the 40-man roster while other more deserving plays like: DuBois, Scales, Torres, Wellington Castillo, Ceda, etc. would probably be brought up. However, as I mentioned before, offense is our major problem right now, and none of our guys will be on the move, other than Hoffpauir being shuttled back and forth between Iowa....Where does that leave us? Here's a chilling stat....depending on where your mind is at present....
Ready for this one....
NOBODY in our lineup except Edmonds has an OBP under .360....the only other team that comes close to that in the NL is the Cards...and I tell you what, Glaus, Ankiel, Ludwick, and Pujols, really scare me....WAY more than Soriano, Lee, ARAM, and Soto would if I was another team.
Again, it goes back to what I was saying before....What the hell are we going to do? I'm researching everywhere I can lately, and the vibe I'm getting from other teams is that they feel that our pen has MAJOR holes, and our lineup is easy to get through.
Furthermore, I'm reading that other teams are saying Zambrano is a head case, and that he was caught on camera tonight cussing out Soto...not a good thing in difficult times as it is.
Additionally, I recently spoke with a scout friend of mine out here in Colorado, and he was telling me that his sources stated the Harden move was NOT in the works before as Hendry and the Cubs brass had stated, and it was a knee-jerk reaction to the Sabathia trade, which the Cubs though would never happen. In other words, he said that the Cubs were planning on doing NOTHING. I guess they were content with what they had supposedly. Furthermore, he said that if anything happens again trade-wise in the division, it will NOT be the Cubs acting first....because they are REACTIVE more than proactive.
I had heard rumblings about that fact, but I took it as unsubstantiated rumors. Hearing it from a scout definitely changed my mind, as I'd even given credit to Hendry for pulling it off.
Now, I can't fault Hendry btw, at least now, because he went on to say that what he was hearing is that the Cubs can only make reactive trades, as they have to justify adding additional salary....so unless they can get someone to take on Marquis' contract, it'll be difficult for them to be proactive in trades. If the Brewers make a trade for Durham, or any other move for that matter, you can be almost certain the Cubs will make another move. Similarly, if the Cards make a move, expect much of the same. I think everyone under-estimates the impact this sale situation with the Cubs is affecting everything. They had to justify the Fukudome signing in the offseason because of the early exit in the playoffs. Other than Fukudome, who did we add in the off-season? Edmonds was picked up for the minimum, so that didn't have to be justified. Harden was picked up to keep pace with the Sabathia trade. I don't know what's going to happen, but I hope Zell doesn't have any influence, because so far he's shown that he's a retarded owner, trying to sell Wrigley separate from the team and all. I wonder if he'd even approve of adding more. Who knows?
Aaron,
I will trust the vast array of journalistic sources who said the Harden thing was in the works for at least three weeks over your "scout friend," any day of the week.