Not Again

You can look at a lot of reasons the Cubs got off to such a slow start; Lou didn't know is players, Soriano in centerfield, the Zambrano contract talks, etc.  But more than anything, the inefficiency of relief pitchers Bob Howry and Scott Eyre was the main reason the Cubs came out of the gate so slowly. And although it's only spring training, it's beginning to look like it will happen again. 

  Carlos Zambrano started the game against the A's, and pitched well,  go four innings and gaving up only one run.  More impressive is how Z has thrown so few walks.  He has walked only one batter in nine innings while striking out eight.  During his career, Z is known for throwing too many pitches, going to deep counts against mediocre talent.  Most of the time, Z is close to 100  pitches by the sixth inning. If spring training is any indication of how he will do during the regular season, he may get his coveted Cy Young award. 

The Cubs offense struggled against lefty Greg Smith, who gave up two hits over four scoreless innings, striking out two. The Cubs were able to get a little rally going after Smith left the game.  Down 1-0 in the fifth, the Cubs got two runs on two hits and one walk in one inning off of reliever Huston Street.  Sam Fuld, trying to swipe Pie's job,  hit a two-out, RBI triple in the fifth. Fuld then scored on pinch-hitter Casey McGehee's single, giving the Cubs a 2-1 lead.  Although the Cubs would score two more runs, the heart of the order killed them today.  Soriano led off, and was 2-4.  Theriot had a nice day, going 2-3 with an RBI and a walk.  Fukudome also had an RBI, and was 1-3, but Derek Lee continued his horrible spring training, going 0-3 with a strike out and grounded into a double play.  This means Lee is 3-24 in spring training, but apparently Lee is not worried;

"I'm definitely not in sync," Lee said. "I also don't think I'm at the point where [I need extra work]. I know what I have to do. I don't feel like I have to get four at-bats [per game] to get ready."

Sooooooo, could you give us a clue about what you have to do?  Lou would rather go with a different approach then Lee.  Lou wants his regulars in more;

"I was looking at at-bats today, and over these next 2-½-to-three weeks in camp, we need to get a lot of at-bats for these guys," Piniella said. "We're way behind schedule. I like 60, 70 at-bats for everyday players, and we're not going to be able to do that -- so we better get 50, 60."

Now, as bad as the offense was, the Cubs still had a 2-1 lead.  Kerry Wood pitched a nice scoreless inning in the fifth.  He gave up a lead off single but got the next batter to hit into a double play.  Then came Scott Eyre in the sixth inning.  In 2/3's of an inning, this fat @$$ gave up three runs on two hits (one of them a 3 run home run) and two walks.  Eyre was pulled before he even got three outs.  Eyre was charged with a blown save and the loss.  Lou had enough of Eyre and called Bob Howry out of the bullpen.  He the sixth for Eyre, but can't get out of the seventh.  He gives up two hits and Lou has Michael Wuertz come into the game.  Wuertz gives up a two RBI double, but Howry should have never let anyone on base.

Lou has stressed the importance of getting off to a good start, especially with so many home games in April and May and so few home games in September.  If Howry and Eyre stumble out of the blocks, don't expect Lou to be as patient as he was last year.  They have a lot of good young arms to replace them.  I don't understand why Howry keeps getting off to these slow starts, but I have a harder time understanding how Eyre got so bad after looking so good in 2006.  At least Howry was able to turn around his season after May.  Eyre never looked good last season, ever.  I really didn't even want him on the playoff roster.  These two guys need to get their act together.

Second Round of Cuts

The Cubs made their second round of cuts today.  Pitcher Jeff Samardzija was optioned to Double-A Tennessee and pitcher Shingo Takatsu was granted an unconditional release, thank God. The Cubs also optioned right-handed pitcher Juan Mateo and outfielder Jake Fox to Triple-A Iowa, and reassigned non-roster invitees Ed Campusano, Luis Figueroa and JD Closser to Minor League camp. Now, I don't object to any of these guys being sent to the minors, and I know Samardzija needs some more work, but couldn't you have released Les Walrond instead and given Samardzija a little more practice against some of the better talent?  Just wondering.  The spring roster is now 42 players, including 21 pitchers, three catchers, 11 infielders and seven outfielders.

Trade Buzz

The deal that will never die!!  The Sean Gallagher, Ronnie Cedeno (take him, please), Matt Murton, and Donny Veal for Brian Roberts picked up steam when the Baltimore Sun reported that the O's were asking the Houston Astros about the availabliity of second baseman Mark Loretta.  I don't think I would ever spend so much of my time reading the Baltimore Sun!!!  There are also rumors that the Cubs want to send Sam Fuld and Jason Marquis to Boston for Coco Crisp.  I don't mind losing Fuld and Marquis, but all Crisp would do is take at bats away from Pie.  Not much of an upgrade at all. 

Death and Taxes

Apparently, Cubs fans, who pay the second highest ticket prices in baseball, should also have to pay a "ticket tax".  The ticket tax will be anywhere from 25-50 cents per ticket and would be used to help pay for the renovations at Wrigley.  If the team added a 50-cent surcharge on every one of the 3.25 million tickets it sold in 2007, it would have generated more than $1.6 million in additional revenue.

"We're trying to restore Wrigley Field. The theory we're operating under is that the people who contribute to that renovation should be the people who benefit from the restoration," said a source familiar with the idea."The Tribune will contribute because a restored ballpark would allow the team to make more revenue. But the people coming into the ballpark are another group that benefits. They're going to a ballpark that's a nicer place. A ticket tax is one of the sources of funding we may go to."

Anyway to get more money out of us.  Pretty soon I am going to start selling my blood to keep getting season tickets.  Maybe I can sell a lung or kidney on the black market??  Jeez

Hopefully Ted Lilly looks good tomorrow against the Rangers and Fukudome/Lee/Ramirez can start whacking the ball.

Go Cubs!