With all due credit to my addiction to the Press Pass Pre-Game Notes from mlb.com...

Friday’s Cub starter, Rich Hill (5-5, 3.13) is 1-1, 3.29 against the Brewers in ’07, having beaten them on April 6th in Milwaukee and lost on April 24th at Wrigley. The Brewers’ Game 1 starter, rookie Yovani Gallardo (1-0, 2.70), is starting his third Major League game. He was Milwaukee’s #1 prospect coming into the season, according to Baseball America.

The Cubs are 18-20 at home this season; the Brewers are 16-19 on the road.

This is the latest date the Cubs and Brewers have met while occupying the top two spots in the NL Central. Previous late date was 6/14/01, when the Cubs were in first and the Brewers were in second, six games back.

Cubs have the NL’s second best record this month (16-10, .615). First? The Brewers at 16-8, .667.

With 28 hits this month, Mike Fontenot has the third-highest June hit total among NL rookies...right behind the Brewers’ Ryan Braun (33). Houston’s Hunter Pence has 36.

Since June 2nd, the Cubs’ team ERA is 3.37, second in the majors to the Padres’ 3.13, and the Cub bullpen has stranded 90.6% of the baserunners it has inherited, best in baseball.

This is me talking now, not the Pre-Game Notes:

Riding high on the six-game winning streak, including the last three at Wrigley where the team hadn’t play well at all, the Cubs look good today. Saturday, with Ben Sheets pitching for the Brewers against Sean Marshall, looks tough. Sunday (David Bush vs. Jason Marquis) should look better than it does, what with Marquis pitching more and more like Marquis.

Two-of-three would be sufficient, I think. More would be fabulous. Less would simply be Cub-like.

From the Sports section of this week's The Onion:

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Home Run"

Too much going on to post last night. Plus, after watching the Cubs flounder week after week after week, I have found the current six-game winning streak completely disorienting. Ever since the Monday Night Miracle, the mere idea of writing about the suddenly successful Cubs has caused me to suffer dizzy spells and nausea.

A couple of odds and ends on this off day:

–Earlier today at The Cub Reporter, I posted a review of a new DVD collection produced by A&E Television which celebrates great games in Cub history between 1984 and 2005. The review appears here, and if you're interested in purchasing the collection, you can do so here.

Long review made short: there are some great moments captured on these discs, but overall I didn't think the set was worth the cost ($39.98). I was surprised to see how many TCR readers disagreed and either bought the DVDs after reading the review or said they were planning to do so soon.

I would be happy if the article led to a noticeable bump in sales. It's not that I or TCR are in line for any sort of commission, but I'm thinking that if there are some incremental sales, A&E might want to engage us again in the future.

Or maybe they'll just have James Gandolfini drop by my house to say hello.

–Still no new progress on the Jacque Jones trade front, though the Minneapolis Star-Tribune had this angle on the story:

"The Twins were interested in dealing for Chicago Cubs outfielder and former Twin Jacque Jones before Jones' trade to the Marlins fell through. But indications are that the Twins and Cubs won't be able to rekindle talks because of finances.

According to sources, the Twins looked into the deal before the Cubs agreed to send Jones to Florida for a minor leaguer. The Cubs reportedly were willing to eat $6.6 million of the $7.2 million remaining on Jones' contract through 2008.

Now there are indications the Cubs have decided they can't afford to eat that much salary, causing the deal to fall apart. The club is expected to keep trying to trade Jones, who's batting .233 with two homers and 20 RBI. The Chicago Tribune has begun a 'Jacque Watch,' on its website."

As for that failed deal with the Marlins, when it still looked like Jacque and several million Tribune Company dollars were Miami-bound, I got to wondering, who would replace JJ as the Cubs mvp (most vilified player)?

With Michael Barrett no longer in the running, I'm thinking Scott Eyre would have the inside track on the job. And if Eyre was pushed off the roster? Then I don't know who would be next in line.

We might have to get Neifi Perez back from Detroit to fill the slot.

Somebody needs to tell the Brewers they're not good enough to win the division.

Has any team ever been scarier with a late-inning, four- or five-run lead than the Cubs?

If the Cardinals do anything this season with Todd Wellemeyer in the starting rotation and the late Troy Percival in the bullpen, Tony LaRussa should be named Manager of the Year...for life.

That Manny Sanguillen sure makes the Pirates fun to watch.

Even more amazing than Craig Biggio closing in on his 3,000th hit is the fact that in 59 games this season, the Astros have given lead-off responsibilities to a guy with an OBP of .279.

Take THAT, wonderboy Homer Bailey!

I don't have a hobby to speak of, but after this weekend, I've decided I really, really enjoy schadenfreude.

Now, looking ahead...

If the Cubs are, in fact, planning to add a 12th pitcher, someone on the current 25-man roster will have to go. Multiple reports over the weekend suggested Jacque Jones was somewhere-else-bound, though all of the reports seemed to sidestep the fact that Jones is having a most unattractive season.

From Ken Rosenthal at foxsports.com, who also addresses rumors that Ken Griffey could soon be a Cub:

Good luck to the Cubs in their continuing efforts to trade outfielder Jacque Jones, who has a .295 on-base percentage and two homers in 201 at-bats. Oh, and forget about the Cubs acquiring Reds right fielder Ken Griffey Jr. If the team can't sign right-hander Carlos Zambrano due to its ownership change, then it certainly can't take on Griffey's $12.5 million a year contract through '08, plus a $4 million buyout or $16.5 million club option for '09.

Tonight's return to intraleague play brings the Rockies to town, with Jason Marquis (5-4, 3.38) facing Jeff Francis (7-5, 3.44). Marquis hasn't won a game since May 9th, which is compatible with the fact that he has pitched like hell. Francis, who has three no-decisions and a 9.19 career ERA against the Cubs, is coming off an excellent outing against the Yankees in which he allowed one run and struck out a career-high nine over 7 innings.

This game should also mark Aramis Ramirez's return to 3B after he served as DH over the weekend against the White Sox. According to the Tribune...

"(Lou) Piniella wouldn't say where he'd put Mark DeRosa when ...Ramirez returns to third base... 'It might surprise you,' he said."

Unless the position is something other than shortstop or right field, I'm thinking most Cub fans won't be surprised.

When Carlos Zambrano is performing at the top of his game, as he did today and as he has in all four of his starts since "The Slugout In The Dugout" three weeks ago, it almost doesn't matter who's behind him in the field.

(For the record, Zambrano's numbers since June 1st: 3-1, 1.14 ERA, 35K and just 13 hits allowed in 31 2/3 IP.)

But since the Cubs' won-loss record is still a less than mediocre 33-39 and there are still 8 1/2 games separating the Lou Crew from first-place Milwaukee, I'm looking for something--ANYthing--to feel good about, and the latest fielding statistics at The Hardball Times do paint something of a rosy picture.

THT is now publishing Baseball Info Solutions' Zone Ratings for all Major League fielders and updating the numbers daily. Hardball's Dave Studeman explains Zone Ratings this way:

"The central idea is to evaluate the fielding of individual players by analyzing only those zones in which the average fielder at that player's position fields at least 50% of balls for outs. This method allows you to split the playing field between fielders and assign responsibility for many batted balls."

The latest Zone Ratings show Derrek Lee ranking 14th among NL first basemen (Albert Pujols is 1st). However, Aramis Ramirez comes up 4th among third baseman (Pedro Feliz is 1st), Cesar Izturis is 3rd among shortstops (Omar Vizquel is 1st); and Alfonso Soriano leads the way among all NL leftfielders. No other Cubs have played enough games at their respective positions to qualify as Regulars in the rankings.

In the team figures, the Cubs are looking quite strong, having turned 46 more of the opposition's batted balls into outs than could be expected. That's the second most in the NL: the Mets are first with 59.

Breaking the numbers down even more, the Cubs are 5th in the NL at turning ground balls into outs, but they're the very best in the league at turning balls hit into the air into outs. (Thank you, Alfonso and Felix!)

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The Cubs completed their first-ever visit to Arlington, Texas today, and what means is, another team's home fans have been exposed to the special brand of ineptitude that is so very Chicago Cub.

Robinson Tejeda. Kameron Lee. Vicente Padilla. It's a mind-expanding concept that a Major League team could start those three pitchers on consecutive days, let alone that another Major League team could defeat that trio only once in three tries.

Thursday afternoon's defeat was a full-blown, 100% unqualified doozy. The blown rundown play in the last of the 9th (see photo) was just the Maraschino cherry atop the whipped cream of Ted Lilly gopher balls over the sundae of missed scoring opportunities.

The Cub offense is so pitiful so often, I would guess that a majority of Cub fans, like me, figured the team would probably not push a run across when they loaded the bases with none out in the second inning.

Ryan Theriot is showing himself to be a living, breathing example of what can happen when a team's management and fans disregard a player's long-term professional performance record in favor on shorter-term numbers that cast him as something he is not. In this case, a Major League hitter.

I was happy to see Felix Pie moved down in the order today. The problem is, even the #8 hitter has to hit eventually.

Has anybody even considered teaching Felix how to drop a bunt?

Next up are the White Sox, who, lately, have been even more creative in their failures than the Cubs. They're also lifeless and playing like a thoroughly demoralized group of 25. Thing is, if there's a single series on the remainder of their schedule that would inspire them to play with determination so they can shut up their fans and the local sports media, this weekend's series is it.

The White Sox' starting pitching has been decent most of the year, which is sobering considering how Cub batters have fared against many lesser pitchers--Kyle Lohse!--over the season's first 71 games.

Bottom line--I can see the White Sox winning two out of three, not only dropping us 9 or 10 games back of the Brewers in the NL Central, but also arguably leaving the Cubs looking like the second best baseball team in Chicago, which is flat-out sickening.

It's certainly not an unfamiliar position, however.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

As if to underscorer the major question raised by Wednesday's trade of Michael Barrett to the Padres--Could the Cubs really afford to part with Barrett's offense?--the Cubs are turning in a feeble effort against the Rangers' Kameron Loe, a bad starting pitcher on the staff of the worst team in the American League.

(As I finished that paragraph, Koyie Hill was hitting a two-run homer to pull the Cubs to within 6-3, and Texas is lifting Kameron Loe. I'm going to stick to my thesis nonetheless.)

Even at full strength, the Cub lineup is long on question marks: Felix Pie is looking once again like he's overmatched by most big league pitching; among our middle infield troika of Theriot, Izturis and Fontenot, we might have one good hitter...maybe; Aramis Ramirez will be trying to rebound from a knee problem that could well rob some of his power; our best hitter, Derrek Lee, seems to have developed an allergy to home runs; and then there's the matter of whether the newest Cub, Rob Bowen, can fill the void left by Barrett's departure.

Oh, well. At least Scott Eyre was effective tonight.

It was all I could do to stay alert and awake through the bottom of the ninth of Tuesday night's seemingly interminable Cubs-Rangers game.

Actually, it was more than I could do. I dozed off after the bottom of the eighth and then awoke in time to hear Len Kasper gushing over Ryan Dempster's strikeout of Gerald Laird for the second out in the bottom of the ninth.

All in all, a dazzling effort by the Cub bullpen tonight: five perfect innings with nine strikeouts; 67 total pitches thrown, 44 of them for strikes.

And though Sean Marshall was tagged tonight, the Cubs outhit the Rangers overall, 11-5, with two of the Ranger hits (both home runs) and three of the Texas RBI coming off the bat of second baseman Ian Kinsler.

If we can just hire someone to hide his car keys tomorrow and prevent his ever getting to the ballpark, it could be smooth sailing for Jason Marquis.

One other thing that will cause me to have sweet dreams tonight--we kept Ol' Musclehead from hitting #600.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

On Monday, rumors about ex-Cubs and an ex-Cub executive were flying around like San Diego Padre home runs in Wrigley Field.

The Orioles, who, I have to occasionally remind myself, are still in the American League, fired manager Sam Perlozzo. Under the stewardship of Perlozzo, who replaced Lee Mazzilli in 2005, the O’s went 122-164. The Orioles are currently last in the AL East at 29-40 and trail first place Boston by 15 games.

According to The Baltimore Sun, Orioles execs have targeted former Cub catcher and former Marlins manager Joe Girardi to replace Perlozzo, and they’ll be traveling to Chicago tomorrow to interview Joe G. In addition, sources tell the Sun that Davey Johnson, a longtime Oriole, short-time Chicago Cub and the last man to manage the O’s to a winning season, might be interviewed. Even Johnnie B. Baker could be in line for a sit-down, according to the paper.

While the managerial search is just beginning, the Orioles’ quest for a Chief Operating Officer is apparently over. As first reported Monday morning by Buster Olney of ESPN, the team is going to hire former Cub President Andy MacPhail as its new COO, pending the resolution of some minor contract issues between Andy Mac and the Orioles’ despicable owner, Peter Angelos.

Since MacPhail was widely rumored to be next in line for Bud Selig’s job, his hiring in Baltimore may be a benefit to baseball fans nationwide. As for the fans in Baltimore, I defer to David Pinto at Baseball Musings, who deftly points out that…

“…during MacPhail's twelve seasons running the Cubs (1995-2006), Chicago's record was 916-1011, a .475 winning percentage, 22nd in the majors. Twenty third were the Orioles at 911-1014, .473. If they're going to hire someone new, shouldn't it be someone with a track record that's different from your team's own history?"

(Logo from logoserver.com)

In the Cubs' 4-1 victory over the Padres this afternoon, Cub starter Ted Lilly retired twice as many San Diego hitters on pop-ups and fly balls (14) as he did on ground balls (7). From my seat along the third-base line, it looked like Lilly benefited at least three times in the early innings from a wind off the lake that stopped long fly balls before they could land in the bleachers. But then, that same wind wasn't mighty enough to prevent Mike Fontenot's sixth-inning, two-run homer off David Wells, nor Alfonso Soriano's blast onto Waveland Avenue just a couple hitters later.

As for the two incidents of apparent fan interference the sports radio guys are now analyzing to death, there's no great mystery in it to me:

Many if not most of the fans who populate Wrigley's bleachers are intoxicated and/or not terribly interested in the game. That, coupled with the design of the bleachers--specifically the ease with which one can dip a hand or a baseball gloves in front of the wire home run basket--is a recipe for what happened today. Twice.

According to the Tribune, the second offender, who foiled Cliff Floyd's attempt to catch Adrian Gonzalez's long drive to right in the Padre sixth, was escorted from the park. That's a start.

If the Cubs will continue to punish any "fan" who feels the need to insert himself into a game, I think it will ultimately have more of a dampening effect on the behavior than any architectural modification the Cubs could possibly come up with.

...the Cubs outhit the Mariners 12-3 Thursday afternoon but almost lost.

...Mariners starter Jeff Weaver, who came into the game with an ERA above 12, gave up just three runs over six innings, none after the first inning.

...the Mariners scored all four of their runs in one inning, a rally started by a hit batsman…who happened to be Mariners starter Jeff Weaver.

...the big hit of the inning, Raul Ibanez’s three-run double, was the only hit of the inning.

...the winning hit for the home team was delivered by Cesar Izturis.

...somebody suffered a disappointing, one-run loss today at Wrigley Field. And it wasn’t the Cubs.

(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

One of the things I find galling about the Cubs being semi-no good so far this year is that it's getting in the way of my fully enjoying the meltdown on the South Side.

If memory serves, Baseball Prospectus pegged Club Ozzie to lose 90 or more games this season and BP was called out as just a bunch of know-nothing statheads.

The team at BP knows a lot, and in this case it's looking more and more like the doomsday forecast was right on--maybe a tad bit rosy, even.

Without the stellar pitching, defense, and longball-hitting that carried the day for his team in 2005, Ozzie Guillen is easy to see for what he is. Not a colorful, passionate leader who steps over baseball clichés on his way to the naked truth, but rather, just another loud-mouthed, baseball uniform-wearing jerk.

With each passing day, each six-hop throw from short right field by Jacques Jones and unexplainable lapse in judgment or physical failure by the rest of the Northsiders, I'm growing more resigned to the idea that the Cubs will be on the sidelines in yet another October, no matter how pathetic the NL Central. If my resignation is destined to be validated, there's a part of me that wishes the Cubs would just fall out of contention before the final days of the season.

At least that way, I'll be able to relax and turn on Comcast and listen to Hawk and DJ and be really, really focused when the Sox lose number 90.

(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy from espn.com)

Earlier today I theorized what Pat and Ron's "Country Music Night" interview with no-talent, numbskull, former American Idol contestant and recent breast-enhancement-receiver Kellie Pickler would sound like. I looked forward all day to hearing the actual interview during the 7th inning. (I had high hopes this would eclipse P&R's sitdown a few years back with Dawn Wells of Gilligan's Island fame.)

I was working on the computer and looking in on the game from time to time via Gameday until late in the 6th inning, at which point I flipped on my Walkman, only to hear that Kellie Pickler had ALREADY done her Pat & Ron time!

If you heard the interview and can relate the high points, I would appreciate it. That way I can compare my predictive report with the real thing.

As for the actual game, I'm writing with the Cubs at bat with two outs in the last of the 10th and Jacque Jones on first. I hope the Cubs win, but after the scoring opportunity they blew in the last of the 8th--bases loaded, none out--it seems like the kind of game Lou's Boys are destined to lose.

There seem to be lots of those kinds of games this year.

April 11, 2007 will long be remembered as the day that a honey bee mite--one of the most serious of all bee pests--was discovered at a bee farm in Manoa, Oahu Hawaii.

It was also the day that the game between the then 3-5, fifth place Cubs and the 3-5, fifth place Astros was rained out at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs won the makeup game Monday night behind Carlos Zambrano, who homered and hurled eight innings of eight-strikeout, one-run ball (though I think it took something like 350 pitches for him to do so). Though going up against journeyman Woody Williams, the Cub offense needed Zambrano's help: the rest of the lineup could only generate three hits, two by recent callup Mike Fontenot, who tallied the Cubs' first run when he was driven in by former college teammate, Ryan Theriot.

With Aramis Ramirez now on the DL because of a balky knee, these close, low-scoring games may become the norm for awhile.

In honor of the Cubs' latest, one-sided victory--they get tedious after awhile, don't they?--I have a brief, no-big-deal post at The Cub Reporter.

I'm just too upset by developments on the Paris Hilton front to write any more this evening. Did I say upset? Oh, sorry. I meant amused.

For the second year in a row under Scouting Director Tim Wilken, the Cubs drafted a position player with their first pick in the First-Year Player Draft, selecting 17-year-old third baseman Josh Vitters from Cypress High School in Anaheim.

(A somewhat queasy-looking Vitters and his parents are pictured here. Do you think the shot was taken before or after he learned he had been selected by the Chicago Cubs?)

According to the scouting report available at mlb.com, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Vitters was “one of the most polished high school hitters in the draft class,” with “the potential to hit for average and power.” He is slow-footed, and his defense is “a touch below average, but mostly because he hasn’t worked on it as much as he has his hitting.” With work, “he should be an average third baseman.” If he can’t learn to play third, “he’ll hit enough to man a corner outfield spot.”

Last year's #1 pick, outfielder Tyler Colvin from Clemson, is currently playing at Class "A" Daytona, where he's hitting .297 with 4 HR and 41 RBI in 209 AB. In eight of 11 years before last season, the Cubs' #1 pick had been a pitcher.

The draft was broadcast for the first time ever, on ESPN. The production format generally followed the network's NFL coverage with a spider web of graphics on the screen at all times, showing which team was on the clock, who was next up, which players had already been selected, etc., etc. It was fun to see the baseball draft get that kind of coverage.

I just hope the Cubs aren't picking third next year.

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack from espn.com)

The Cubs have not just won three games in their last four, they've won three games decisively.

Wednesday's 6-2 win at Milwaukee was something of a coming out party for Felix Pie, who had 3 hits, including his second home run of the season, and 3 RBI. Cub fans were also treated to 117 pitches-worth of Carlos Zambrano, who struck out nine, allowed just two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings, collected two hits and an RBI of his own, and didn't even come close to socking any teammates in the eye, while improving his record to 6-5.

The day's downer--there HAS to be a daily Cub downer; I think it's a law--had to do with Aramis Ramirez, who left the game in the second inning after apparently straining his knee while running to first. He is to undergo an MRI in Chicago on Thursday.

The healthy Cubs, meanwhile, will move on to Atlanta for four games starting Thursday, when Rich Hill goes up against the Braves' Chuck James.

Also on tap for Thursday is baseball's amateur draft. At Baseball Prospectus, Kevin Goldstein figures the Cubs are going to take Cypress High School 3B Josh Vitters, offering this analysis:

While the Cubs would love to take (Georgia Tech catcher Matt) Wieters, he’s yet another (Scott) Boras client. The Cubs have no problem with Boras, nor with his expected bonus demands, but Major League Baseball does. With the Cubs ownership situation in limbo, the Cubs have been instructed by MLB to adhere strictly to the slot system, with no well-over slot bonuses, and certainly no big league deal—and Wieters will require both. Rumors that the Cubs would go the super-cheap option with Virginia first baseman Sean Doolittle are more than a little silly, but they’ve been bearing down hard on Indiana high school righty Jarrod Parker of late, with GM Jim Hendry and special assistant Gary Hughes in attendance at multiple Parker outings in May.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash from espn.com)

Traveling on business today and engaged in related activities tonight, I was unable to watch a minute of Tuesday evening's Cubs game. The following impressions, therefore, are a function of what was delivered to me through the miracle of cellular technology and ESPN Mobile:

Ted Lilly gave up some long balls as the Brewers built an early advantage. Michael Wuertz let the Brewers extend their lead. In a plot twist reminiscent of what unfolded Monday night, the Cub offense, drowsy in the early going, finally bore teeth late in the game. This time, however, Alfonso Soriano struck out in a key at-bat in the eighth inning, and Cliff Floyd, then representing the tying run, was retired in the top of the ninth as Francisco Cordero recorded his 22nd save.

As I said, that's what I got from my fancy cellphone and ESPN Mobile. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about any of the above or let me know if by not actually viewing the game, I missed any compelling aspects, e.g., funny camera shots of Lou Piniella up in the pressbox as he watched his team's nascent winning streak go pfffft!

Regarding my travel and the headline on this post, tonight I found myself at a Dayton Dragons Class "A" Midwest League game for business-related reasons for the second time this year. (2007 Dayton Dragons games seen in person--2; 2007 Chicago Cubs games seen in person--1.) Tuesday's game was won 5-4 by Dayton, a Reds affiliate, over the Lansing Lugnuts, formerly a Cub affiliate but currently part of the Toronto Blue Jays system.

The game was entertaining and close throughout, so much so that I felt I just HAD to make a pronouncement to several co-workers that 95% of all the fans who attend Major League games couldn't tell the difference between Class "A" Midwest League ball and the big league version.

Not 90 seconds later, Lansing's centerfielder dropped a fly ball that hit squarely in the center of his mitt. This allowed Dayton to score the go-ahead run and proved that where the great similarity lies is between Class "A" Midwest League baseball and the Chicago Cubs version.

(Image from brittanica.com)

Lost in all the recent Cub bloodshed—figurative and literal—has been the quality pitching of Sean Marshall, Sunday’s winning pitcher.

Three starts into his 2007 season, Marshall is looking like he might be that rarest of commodities: a quality, #5 starting pitcher. Big Sean's numbers through Sunday's start:

20 IP
16 H
22 K
5 BB
2.25 ERA

I had a vague recollection that Marshall also started out well last season, and after checking with the Mother Ship, I can report that my recollection was right. Marshall's key stats through his first six starts last year:

34.2 IP
20 H
26K
11 BB
3.12 ERA

Handsome stuff. Things got very ugly between starts 7 and 24, however. Only three of Marshall's last 18 trips to the mound were anything to be proud of, and a couple--including a 3 2/3-inning, 9-run catastrophe against the Giants and a 3 1/3-inning, 7-run effort against the Marlins--made the young lefty look like he was downright out of his league...unless his league was maybe the Northwest League.

As the season wore on, Marshall's control suffered too: 3-, 4- and 5-walk starts became his norm. It seems likely that the strained oblique muscle that sidelined Marshall in August was a contributing factor to the onset of his general ineptitude, though it's hard to know for sure.

Maybe the last remaining major cause for optimism about the rest of this Cubs season is the possibility that some of the veterans who haven't performed up to their career standards so far will finally do so. If young Marshall could continue pitching the way he has started out 2007, and the way he started out 2006, it would certainly help the cause.