Cubs | The Baseball Zealot

Rich Hill update: It don’t look good from here

After successive starts at AAA Iowa where he obviously lacked control and confidence, the Cubs’ Rich Hill was sent all the way to Mesa in the Rookie League to work on the fundamentals and maybe get his head together.

Please tell me if I’m saying the obvious here but I have to wonder if Hill is just done. In his first start at Mesa yesterday, he didn’t even get past the first inning. Pitching 1/3 of an inning, he gave up five runs, three earned including 3 walks.

The Cubs organization is considering giving Hill a break altogether to see that might work. I don’t see what other option they have.

hehe… The Cubs Brickyard have heard some other “news” about his future plans.

13 WINS IN A ROW FOR BALLGAME & SOX

Cub fans had pretty much wiped their feet on the Sox after sweeping them at Wrigley the previous weekend, now it was time for the Sox to return the favor. Like I said before, I missed seeing the middle game of this Crosstown Classic at the Cell, Lindskoog Family Reunion. But was able to watch the game on TIVO Saturday night. And was able to watch Carlos Quinten take Carlos Marmol yard with what turned out to be the game winner. Just before the homer, FOX showed a closeup of Kerry Wood in the bullpen double flipping the bird to White Sox fans, no one said a word.

Mark Buehrle was on fire as he entered the finale of this three game set, matched up against a soft throwing lefty Sean Marshall. I was a bit concerned, as sometimes Sox hitters have troubles against this type of pitcher. But not Sunday night, Quinten hit a solo shot in the 4th to left, Brian Anderson hit one out with one on in the 5th, and Jim Thome blasted a two run bomb off a reliever in the 8th. The final score 5-1 Sox.

Even though the Sox won by four, there was plenty of drama & excitement. Cubs manager Lou Piniella was ejected early on for disagreeing with the firstbase umpire on whether Joe Crede checked his swing with runners on 2nd & 3rd and nobody out in the third. Nick Swisher made three great fielding plays at firstbase in this game. First he caught a throw from Buehrle that was ticketed from the rightfield line, then he grabbed a hurried off the mark throw from Alexei Ramirez (Ramirez tried to double the runner off 1st, Swisher from the seat of his pants threw to 2nd to double up the runner there), and then Nick put out a threat by snaring a 9th inning nobody out liner & doubling up a wayward Mark DeRosa off 2nd base. After going 5 for 5 on Saturday Derrek Lee struckout three different times on Sunday on high heat.

Monday night was halfpriced night at the Cell, only $8.50, to see the White Sox play the Indians, a fullhouse, with 8,000 walkup. A.J. Pierzynski was not in the lineup for Polish/American Night, go figure. Among those in the house were NickyV & Kathy, Al & Anthony, Tade, Big Bob, KevinS & his friends, Phil, Caramel-Corn Mike, and Jackie stopped by to visit.

It was a beautiful night for baseball on the Southside of Chicago as Gavin Floyd would be facing Jeremy Sowers, another softthrowing lefty. Jim Thome took a heater(?) on a line drive ride to left that cleared the fence with two aboard & two out in the 1st to turn a 1-0 deficit to a 3-1 lead. With two out and Orlando Cabrera on 2nd after a leadoff third inning double, Jermaine Dye ripped a single off the thirdbaseman for an RBI sinle. Later in the 3rd Nick Swisher stepped to the dish with the sacks drunk and unloaded for a grand slam to put the Sox up 8-1. The lead looked out of sight.

The lead was still a comfortable 8-4 one when Floyd left after six innings of work. Octavio Dotel pitched one inning of scoreless ball before giving way to Nick Masset. The Tribe relievers only allowed one run over the last five innings, another Swisher homer, this time from the left side. Things got a little tight as Masset, who hadn’t worked in a while allowed five hits & three runs (two unearned) in 1 2/3 innings, before Matt Thornton was called to save the day. The lefty Choo got an RBI single off the southpaw Thornton, which brought the tying run to the plate in the person of Casey Blake. Matt got Blake to fly to right to end the game and preserve a 9-7 win. Jhonny Peralta had a career night, going 5 for 5, with three doubles, a homer, three RBI’s and three runs scored, but it wasn’t enough.

Going back to the Cell Tuesday & Wednesday nights with Cliff Lee & C.C. Sabathia toeing the rubber for the Tribe, before I head out to Waupaca for the weekend of the 4th.

IT’S THE BADDEST PART OF TOWN

Last week I got tickets to see the Sox play the Cubs Friday & Sunday at the Cell. That was before going to Waupaca while the Sox lost three straight at the un-Friendly Confines. The Cubbies then hosted the Orioles from Baltimore, losing two of three to the Birds. While the Sox traveled across country and took two of three from the Dodgers. So now it was time for the rematch. I was not looking forward to sharing my home with Cub fans, but at least I wouldn’t be at Wrigley. I was excited to back the Sox as they tried to hang onto their 1/2 game lead over Minnesota. Remember I’ve got a ten game winning streak.

The Cubs had their best pitcher on the hill, Ryan Dempster, but he hadn’t won on the road. Dempster hadn’t lost at home, would the Cell feel like home, with all the Cub fans in the house? Jose Contreras started for the Good Guys in Black. The Cubs hamered Jose last weekend on the northside.

Derrick Rose threw out the first pitch, a strike, to Mark Buehrle. I’ve had season’s tickets for the Bulls for 30+ years. I REALLY wanted the Bulls to draft local kid, Memphis point guard, two time Illinois State Champion at Simeon High School in Chicago. So I was very excited to give Rose a big Chicago welcome.

The Cubs leadoff man reached base, but with one on & one out, Derrek Lee grounded into a doubleplay. The Pale Hose jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead, but that didn’t look like it would hold up, as Contreras lost control & got into a bases loaded jam, but DP Lee obliged once again.

The Sox pushed the envelope with aggressive baserunning, especially against Eric Patterson (who didn’t look any better than brother Corey & he wasn’t up to the challenge of playing LF). I wore my Nick Swisher tee, as luck would have it, Swish stepped in with the bags juiced, and took the ball the opposite way for a grand slam to put the game on ice. Dempster was tagged for eight earned runs, the Sox were up 8-0, enroute to a 10-3 drubbing of the Cubs.

Alexei Ramirez wasn’t available, as his wife went into labor. There were lotsa Cub fans there to see their team, but there were also some of my good friends, Adele, her cousin Mary, Dick & Bea, Steve, Caramel-Corn Mike, and new/old friend Dennis.

Rich going down-Hill?

What’s happened to Rich Hill? It looks like after his stint with the AAA Iowa Cubs, he’ll be demoted once again.

Three starts ago with the I-Cubs, he allowed only one hit in five innings. Cynics will joke that opponents could only get one hit because he couldn’t get the ball over the plate. In that game, he allowed seven walks.

The downward trend continued on June 11 when he gave up three runs in four innings while walking six. Unlike the previous game, Hill got the loss.

Finally, last Friday, Hill didn’t last even one inning. In 2/3 of a frame walked four and allowed three hits and six runs in front of a home crowd. Apparently, that was the last straw for Cubs management as he’s been sent down to AA.

At this point, I don’t expect him back for a while, if at all.

Hill came up through the Cubs system highly touted and while he’s had his ups and downs in the majors, he put together a solid season in 2007. There’s no doubt the hard throwing lefty has talent but confidence has been an issue. At this point, is it an over-statement to say he has a case of the yips?

Steve Blass, anyone?

Incentive is a wonderful thing for Carlos Zambrano

Carlos Zambrano says he wants to be healthy so he can pitch in this year’s All-Star game. The reason is simple: He wants the National League to win so his Cubs will gain home field advantage.

“I’m ready,” he said Thursday. “I want to pitch in the all-star game. I want to be there. I want to help the National League, so we can be in the World Series and get homefield advantage. With a little help from me, (Arizona’s Brandon) Webb and (Cincinnati’s Edinson) Volquez, and the rest of the hitters and pitchers, we can finally win one.”

I like his optimism… and his motivation.

Z is likely to come off the 15-day DL on July 4th, just in time for the midseason classic. He’ll begin throwing from a bullpen mound Sunday.

Lou and Ozzie "rap" for Chevy dealer

There are obvious perks to being a manager of a Chicago major league team in Chicago. You’re famous and you have the respect and adoration of at least half the town. You get to hang with people like Derrick Lee and umm.. Nick Swisher.

Ozzie gettin’ his groove on for a Chevy dealer

But then there those days where you throw all your self-respect out the window. All for an ad for a two-bit Chevy dealership.

C’mon Lou… was this in your contract or are you really that hard up for money??

CUBS WIN!!!

The Chicago Cubs have completed the Crosstown Classic at Wrigley Field why the Chicago Cubs are in first place. It has nothing to do with anything, but a mighty fine baseball club. The White Sox dropped all three games this past weekend playing at the un-Friendly Confines. Friday’s game was close, maybe with a bunt, following a leadoff 9th inning double, and the outcome could’ve been different. That’s like saying if IFs, ANDs, & BUTs were CANDY & NUTS everyday would be Christmas.

Aramis Ramirez was the star of the series, hitting two out Friday (including the game winner), knocking a three run blast that put Saturday’s game on ice, and hitting his 4th of the three game series was just the cherry on top of a Delicious Cubbie Sundae! The Cubs have the best record in baseball and are unbeatable at Wrigley.

Of course I’m a White Sox fan, but I’m willing to give the Cubbies their do. I’ll be at the Cell this coming Friday & Sunday to see the Southside version of the Crosstown Classic. I’ll be rooting for the Sox to return in the favor this weekend. My winning streak is at ten, hopefully I can increase it to twelve, and maybe the Sox can win one without me on Saturday. LET’S GO WHITE SOX!

ARam went twice where AJ could only go once

Way to go Cubs!

Midway through the Cubs-Sox game today, A.J. Pierzynski had his mug on the on the front of mlb.com’s website. This was due to his fifth homer of the season which put the Sox ahead 3-1 in the third inning. Meanwhile, Aramis Ramirez was just getting warmed up.

Aram followed up a Derrick Lee solo shot with one of his own to tie the game in the seventh. Two innings later, hit a walk-off homer against Scott Linebrink to win it all 4-3.

A.J. KOed by Wood!

A.J did have a chance with a runner in scoring position in the top of the ninth. But AJ Pie got called on a swinging strike going just a little too far. AJ wasn’t none too happy about that, throwing his helmet to the ground and neither was Sox manager Ozzie Guillen who threw up a dismissive hand.

A tough no-decision by John Danks who allowed just one run in six frames for the Sox. On the other hand, the bullpen (this time Howry and Wood, who got the win) came through for the Cubs something they haven’t done in a few games.

Let’s get them tomorrow!!

Cubs swept by the Rays: It’s a good thing I don’t drink

“I need a three-day vacation from Tampa-St. Petersburg.”

– Lou Piniella after getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays

Man, I thought Lou was making the right decision by not bringing in Neal Cotts tonight. I guess I was wrong…

I don’t know what else could have gone wrong with the Cubs in series against the Rays. Ok, I’m not pushing the panic button just yet but this isn’t the kind of series we needed going into the Sox weekend.

The Cubs became the last team in the majors to lose three in a row when the bullpen just couldn’t get the job done once again. This time, we had a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of 7th. Then the Rays exploded for 7 runs ensuring a Rays sweep. Marmol and Eyre bore the brunt of the Rays’ attack giving up all seven runs.

That’s bad enough. Now we play the waiting game with Zambrano undergoing tests on Friday. He’s already scheduled to rest on Tuesday. A likely candidate to take Z’s spot in the rotation is Sean Marshall.

Were that not enough, both Jim Edmonds (plantar fascitis) and Reed Johnson (back spasms) sat out Thursday’s game as well.

Shall we add some more? Kevin Hart, pitching his first game for the Iowa Cubs, was hit in the head with a line drive and suffered a Grade 1 concussion. Welcome to Iowa, Kevin.

But I’m not I’m panicking yet. We’re still 17 over .500 and we get to play the Sox at home this weekend. Time to make up for those three games with a sweep!

JEREMI GONZALEZ STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

A sad note, former Cub pitcher, Jeremi Gonzalez was killed on May 25th in Venezuela when he was struck by lightning. Jeremi was 11-9 in 1997 & 7-7 in 1998, before being out of MLB for nearly five years due to three surgeries and a variety of injuries.

In 2003, he was rewarded by Tampa Bay with the Out of Nowhere Award. Gonzalez ended up being the Rays’ most consistent pitcher, despite his 6–11 record. He allowed three runs or fewer in 17 starts, but received the lowest run support of any AL East starter. He was known as Jeremi Gonzalez until he was traded to the Brewers in 2006, at which time he informed the team of the proper spelling of his name.

At the time of his passing, Geremi Gonzalez was only 33 years old.