Hot damn!

What a game last night! It was one of those that leaves you giddy - kind of like a roller coaster ride. Which is pretty much exactly what the Cubs are: a horrifyingly unsafe small-town roller coaster, operated by a guy with more fingers than teeth but not many of either. Even if it doesn't kill you, it'll take a couple years off your life thanks to sheer terror.

I've heard a lot lately from a certain blog about how Darwin Barney is not more than a replacement level player. And it's true, his minor league numbers are not exactly astounding: .299/.333/.378 with Iowa last season. Essentially, he doesn't walk, and has no power. But so far this year, he's at a much more respectable .345/.394/.448. It seems that hanging out with Marlon Byrd (they're totally not gay, you guys) and Rudy Jaramillo has done him some good in the slugging department. I've heard that Jaramillo doesn't place much emphasis on walks and tends to create hackers, not patient hitters, but Barney is also walking a lot more than he did last year (3 BB out of 34 PA so far this year; he only had 23 walks in 2010). That's not to mention the fact that Castro and Barney have been tearing it up in the one and two spots. The odds are that neither of them will stay anywhere near this hot, and we'll see them both regress to their respective means; but it seems being in the bigs agrees with Barney, so I'm not ready to write him off based on his minor league numbers. I'm holding out hope that he'll be better than expected. (Also, his current WAR is 0.2. Which puts him ever so slightly above replacement level. So there.)

Yes, I know he dropped a (relatively) routine fly in right last night. But I'm blaming that on Tyler Colvin, who can't seem to do anything good when it actually matters.

Congrats to Big Z on his homer last night. I actually saw him hit a home run at Minute Maid - I can't confirm which year it was, but I think it was his 2005 home run off of Roy Oswalt. I was sitting in the right field bullpen boxes, behind Orlando Palmeiro, and the ball hit the wall below me. Which, now that I think about it, means that it was an opposite field HR, or Z was batting lefty - which would make sense, since Oswalt is a RHP. I dunno, I'm gonna have to do some more checking on this. I'll let you know what I find.

Quade is showing shades of Lou Piniella last season - leaving his starters in just a little too long, until they get roughed up bad. I sincerely hope he picks up on the pattern quickly, and also that he more fully embraces the concept of "long relief." Though, I guess we have to keep the bullpen use to a minimum whenever possible, given that our fifth starter at the moment seems to be... the bullpen.

But still! A big, shiny, dramatic win! Yay!

Mike FonteNotes: Sounds like there was some damn fine baseball in San Francisco last night. The Giants won on a go-ahead home run by our LBR, who also smacked a second-inning RBI double - both off of none other than our very own Terrible Ted Lilly of the Valley of the Shadow of Death (I miss him). Hate to see Teddy boy take the loss, but I'm glad Fontenot got a shot at a start and made good. I'm actually going to a Dodgers@Cubs game on the 26th... cross your fingers and pray to the baseball gods, and maybe I'll get to watch Lilly at Wrigley again.

Go Cubs go!

Right Posterior Rotator Cuff Strain

Thanks, Brad Lidge. I was all set to believe that Cashner would be back in a month. Now you're down with the same injury he's got, and you're not expecting to be back until the All-Star break. But you're ten years older than Cash, so clearly you're an old broken fogy who needs forever to rehab, and he's young and spry and will be back on the mound in no time. Right? Right. Glad we settled that.

::cries quietly::

Injuries; Minor-League Ball

All of these pitchers are injured right now (not counting Brian Wilson, who was just reactivated after a strained oblique). What the hell is going on around the MLB? I'll admit, I felt at most a brief sense of relief when I heard we wouldn't be facing Wainwright this season, but I'm really just disappointed - I'm a fan of great pitching, possibly more than anything else in the game. Throw the freak emergency appendectomies of Holliday and Dunn on top of the pile, and you've got an argument for cosmic retribution against the entire sport. I was excited to read that Strasburg may be back before the end of the season, though - I know he's probably over-hyped, but I still can't wait to see what he can do.

In happier news, today is Opening Day for minor-league ball clubs! I'm planning to pay much closer attention to the Cubs affiliates this year, especially as we've got some veterans on the big club who will probably be heading off for greener pastures before too long. Since there is no Cubs game tonight, I'll probably turn to the minor leagues to get my fix, but I'm having trouble deciding who to follow. Hayden Simpson, last year's first round draft pick and #8 prospect, is starting for the Peoria Chiefs (A) tonight. The Tennessee Smokies (AA), where most of our top prospects hang out, are rife with players that I want to track: Kyle Smit, Trey McNutt, DJ LeMahieu, Brett Jackson, Josh Vitters... They're also playing against the Dodgers' AA affiliate, the Chattanooga Lookouts, which would give me a good trash-talking opportunity with my Hollywood buddy. Then, of course, there's the Iowa Cubs (AAA), who are playing my hometown team's affiliate, the Round Rock Express. Not to mention the Daytona Cubs, where an injured Welington Castillo (whoever nicknamed him "Beef", I love you) is rehabbing.

I've got 99 first-world problems, but a baseball game ain't one. (Or should that be "won"? ::rimshot::)

Mike FonteNotes: Holy crap, did you see Tim Lincecum strike out thirteen over seven innings last night? Between Mikey, the Freak, and the Beard, I'm really growing to love the Giants - or at least these Giants. They cater to my love of scrappy misfits while (mostly) not sucking.

Go Cubs go!

Ryan Dempster

Well, we're only six games into the new season, and my compulsive desire to talk baseball with everyone all the time is already rearing its ugly head. So to this abandoned corner of the 'Net do I return, seeking a release valve. I have loads of scattered thoughts that I'll tack on at the end, but the main thing I'd like to talk about is Ryan Dempster.

Demp got knocked around pretty bad on Opening Day (6 earned runs) and, to a lesser extent, today (4). But he also struck out seven and six respectively, and especially today, really seemed to be hammering the strike zone. He threw 114 pitches on opening day, 73 of which were strikes (64%); today he threw 94 pitches, 68 for strikes (72%). I was wondering idly on my way home whether perhaps his BAbip was unusually high, resulting in a lot of baserunners. I checked Baseball Reference when I got home, and was surprised by what I saw. Dempster's BAbip is actually low - only .250, where the average is typically around .300. The rest of his batting against stats are pretty much in line with what we can expect - all except for slugging, which is up at .600, way higher than normal. So it turns out that when they've been hitting Demp, they've been hitting him for power. Now, this is not something random over which the pitcher has no control (like BAbip); obviously, if Dempster serves up a fastball over the heart of the plate, that pitch has far more potential to earn the runner a high number of bases than, say, a changeup low in the zone. Neither is it a defense-independent stat, as Byrd's whiff on Chris Young's triple today demonstrated. So basically what I'm saying is that I'm not sure what to make of this, except that I think it will probably come down significantly - that, or Demp is just out there throwing BP.

Maybe he should hit the strike zone a little less.

(Now that I've said that, he'll walk seven in his next start.)

Notes:

• Starlin Castro: OMG. So much fun to watch. This kid is gonna be great, and he's off to a phenomenal start. But And Counting said it over at Obstructed View: he's gonna regress to the mean. Please let's don't boo him into oblivion when he does.
• Soriano, Byrd, Fukudome: I know "clutch" isn't really a thing. But these guys have been way clutch-er, and really hitting much better, than I expected at the start of the season. None of them have been the automatic out that my anxious, depressed, shrivelled, anemic little Cubs fan heart has anticipated. Fukudome won't stay that way; you could set a watch by his dismal yearly decline in May. Byrd, on the other hand, is practically guaranteed to continue improving after his slow start.
• Cashner, Wells: Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Been feeling sick about this one all day. Here's hoping they don't stay on the DL any longer than absolutely necessary, especially after that shockingly good performance from Cash. I'm expecting to see Casey Coleman, and honestly, I wouldn't mind it if James Russell got a shot at starting. I really liked the kid last year, and he might do better if he gets a chance to settle in and pitch for more innings. Then again, it might be terrible, but when has that ever stopped the Cubs?
• John Grabow: Pleasantly surprised. Could some of his suck really have been knee-related? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
• Darwin Barney: My new favorite light-hitting middle infielder. Though this time, I seem to have picked one that actually has great defense, and he's even hitting pretty well at the moment. We'll see what happens.
• Autographs: My first trip to the ballpark was on Monday, which was a great game. I froze my ass off in the windy upper deck, but it was well worth it. After the game, I waited my usual stint at the players' parking lot, not expecting much - but wouldn't you know it, well-known awesome guy Sean Marshall decided to come sign. Followed by Keith Moreland. Followed by Cash and Colvin, who apparently carpool. Followed by Marlon Byrd, notoriously infrequent signer. Followed by Blake DeWitt. Add that to the Castro and Dempster autographs I already had from Saturday and Sunday respectively, and you've got a whole big pile of HOLY SHIT AWESOME running through my head.
• The Dempster signing: Demp signed autographs at a candy shop in Lakeview after the game on Sunday to benefit his foundation. Turns out, the rumors are true: he's just about the nicest guy that ever existed. In front of me in line were a little girl in a Dempster jersey and her mother. Mom told me that they'd met Demp before, during the winter, while sledding in a park; he'd taken a picture with her daughter, and later autographed said picture. When they approached him on Sunday, he instantly remembered them, and was happy to take more pictures and chat for a bit. When it was my turn, he sounded deeply flattered that I would have come out to see him. My brain froze, naturally, and all I could get out was "It's a real pleasure to meet you" but I think he knew I meant "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND AM TRYING NOT TO BE CREEPY /drool". I shook his hand, you guys. Also, Demp totally got in the driver's seat of a Peep car. I'm not even making that up.

Mike FonteNotes: Little guy's got a ring now! Good for him, although I wish it could have come with the Cubs. LBR also smacked a 2-run homer against the Pads in Spring Training. So far in the regular season, he's had 3 plate appearances and is still hitless.

Off day tomorrow. If the jitters get too bad, expect to see a rambly post, probably detailing why I love Darwin Barney so much.

Z gets the start vs Randy Wolf at Miller Park on Friday. Sound familiar? It should.

Poor Randy Wells.

After last night, that's pretty much all I have to say.

Bullpen Shenanigans

I know I'm late to the party, but Bleacher Nation just told me that the Cubs are looking at Bob Howry. Really? Howry? We got rid of him for a reason, guys.

Also, apparently some switches have been made - Caridad to the DL, and a pitcher named Jeff Stevens has been recalled. I'm not surprised that they didn't bring Samardzija up - I don't trust that kid. But still, it seems like there were better options than Stevens. I'll have to research it a little more before I can have any loud opinions. But at least Lou won't be tempted to use Caridad now.

Also also, Tom Gorzelanny is a line-drive magnet. First the Astros, now the Phillies. I couldn't watch the game tonight (pesky date), but it sounds like he was lights-out. That sixth-man problem is looking tougher and tougher.

Cubs beat Rockies 6-2

The game last night was pretty spectacular. I ruined my voice screaming and shouting, just in time for a date today. (The date still went well, in case you're curious.) The Cubs seem to be getting a little more clutch - which, as we all know, is kind of a meaningless term, as it can be entirely replaced with "lucky". But it seems like we're producing more across the board, rather than in sporadic clumps throughout the lineup and throughout the game, and a more constant level of production will result in more runs. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Aramis Ramirez is getting it together.

Carlos Silva - improves to 5-0 after a combined 5-18 with the Mariners. This guy hammers the strike zone, and with the solid fielding that we showed behind him, he can get away with it. He pitched pretty predictably, inducing loads of groundouts and a couple double plays, with few strikeouts and only one walk.

Tyler Colvin - had a HUGE night, getting on base with THREE solid hits and being driven in twice. I was worried about him for a little while, especially because he doesn't seem terribly patient at the plate. He only has 7 walks on the season (which, honestly, is more than I was expecting when I looked up that number). But if he gets the bat on the ball that well, then I can't say I mind if he likes to take his hacks.

Starlin Castro - also had a pretty huge night. He made a great double play with Lee, and also (if I remember right - I don't have my scorecard in front of me) got on base quite a bit. I retain grudging respect for the kid.

Geovany Soto - had three walks. THREE! That puts him at 29 walks, with an OBP of .463, both of which lead the league. Could this season be a return to form for him? Well, maybe, but only if he swings the bat as well as he can lay off. He only has eight extra-base hits on the season, four of which are home runs.

Derrek Lee - had a nice double, but unfortunately struck out three times too, which is kind of unusual for him. Like I said before, not much to do but watch and wait.

Now for the relief pitchers:

Esmailin Caridad - Why do we still use this guy? He got up, threw four balls, and sat back down. His ERA is 11.25. Good lord. I hate seeing him warm in the pen. Send him back down to the minors for some more fine-tuning (or radical tuning, as the case may be) and bring up Casey Coleman or Jay Jackson.

James Russell - At first my hero in a shaky bullpen, Russell had a tough outing against the D-backs at the end of April. But since then, he has been solid, and last night, he was spectacular with two strikeouts (and one hard-fought at-bat against Todd Helton). I loved watching him celebrate as he left the mound. I think we need to give him more chances to shine.

Sean Marshall - <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Carlos Zambrano - How is this not "short relief"? I'm confused, Lou. But it was still good to see big Z gain back a little confidence.

In all, a good game. I still think we left a few too many on base - our team LOB was 9 - but at least we're getting hits more consistently.

On a side note, what happened after the game was pretty exciting for me. I went out to the players' parking lot to shill for autographs like I usually do - not realizing that they were all getting on a bus to head to the airport right behind me. Still, I saw a fair few players, and got several of them to wave at me. Nobody signed for me, but at least they were nice about it. I even had a verbal exchange with - you guessed it - Mike Fontenot! I also met a couple of really nice guys who are in it for the same reason I am - not to eBay the autographs or for the sake of having a piece of something famous, but because we love the Cubs players. These two had been collecting autographs a lot longer than I have, and they gave me a bunch of tips and tricks (thanks, David and Cody!). So we'll see how I do next time the Cubbies are in town! Leave any tips or tricks of your own in the comments. Go Cubs go!