SB Nation User Blog: SackMan

Has the mis-management of Jake Fox cost the Cubs 1st place?

SackMan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:30:04 -0000

Aramis Ramirez finally comes back today, after missing the last 49 games... and the Cubs are 40-39, miraculously just 2.5 games out of 1st place. After Ramirez got hurt on May 8th, Jake Fox repeatedly pleaded with Iowa Cubs manager Bobby Dickerson to play third base, but was repeatedly turned down for some inexplainable reason.

Meanwhile, the Cubs were using a combination of Mike Fontenot, Bobby Scales, and Ryan Freel to fill in at 3rd. After an initial spark, winning 5 in a row, they dropped 8 in a row (getting swept in St. Louis), and had a span where they scored 5 runs in 6 days. They were losing games 3-0, 2-1, 3-1, etc, and couldn't generate enough offense to take advantage of stellar pitching. That horrible offensive trend continued throughout May (and June).

On May 27th, Hendry finally called up Jake Fox, who was absolutely ripping the cover off the ball in Iowa. However, Fox was relegated to the bench and only got PH opportunites. Alan Trammell started working with him to play 3rd base, three miserable weeks after Aramis Ramirez went down. And, in a 8-2 loss to the Dodgers on May 31st, Fox subbed-in at 3rd in the 5th inning.

Dumfoundingly, Fox somehow never got another chance to play 3rd, and on June 10th, he was sent back down, despite hitting .417. The Cubs dropped the next 4 games in a row to Houston (2-1, and 2-1 in 13 innings) and Minnesota (7-4 and 2-0). Fox, meanwhile, went to Iowa and instead of playing 3rd base to get more reps, he played 1B and RF in four games... yet, another head scratcher from management.

The Cubs re-called Fox on June 17th, and two days later, Lou announced that he would be starting at 3rd vs lefties, because they needed his bat in the line-up. Since then, he's started 15 of the last 17 games (almost all at 3rd base). In that span, he's driven in 13 runs with 4 HRs, giving him a total of 15 RBIs on the year... all while playing very adequate in the field. Just to put Fox's production in perspective to our season so far: Fox has 15 RBIs in 71 ABs (1 RBI every 4.73 ABs), and Milton Bradley has 19 RBIs in 196 ABs (1 RBI every 10.32 ABs). Our team leader, Derek Lee, has 51 RBIs in 260 ABs (1 RBI every 5.10 ABs).

Since Ramirez went down on May 8th, the Cubs have lost 10 one-run games, and have been shutout 7 times. With our horrible team stats with RISP, and Jake Fox driving in runs at an awesome pace... it's no stretch of the imagination to think the Cubs could be 44-35 right now, in 1st place, if Fox had been playing 3rd base since May 27th.

A list of Hendry's transactions for 2009, and how they've turned out.

SackMan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:33:13 -0000

CAUTION: The results are pretty awful. Three of the guys we acquired this off-season to be a part of this team aren't even with us anymore (Gathright, Vizcaino, and Bako). And, a fourth guy has been on two fake DL stints and is likely on his way out the door (Miles).

Joey Gathright
12/16/08 Signed OF Joey Gathright to a one-year contract.
05/08/09 Outrighted CF Joey Gathright to Iowa Cubs.
05/08/09 Traded CF Joey Gathright to Baltimore for Ryan Freel.

Mark Derosa
12/31/08 Traded Mark DeRosa to Cleveland for RHPs Jeff Stevens and Chris Archer and LHP John Gaub.
06/27/09 Hendry contacts Cleveland to inquire about trading back for Mark DeRosa.
06/30/09 Mark DeRosa is currently playing for St. Louis, batting .263 with 50 RBIs (would lead the Cubs in RBIs).

Aaron Miles
12/31/08 Signed INF Aaron Miles to a two-year contract.
05/27/09 Placed 2B Aaron Miles on the 15-Day disabled list retroactive to May 26, 2009. Right shoulder strain (fake injury #1).
06/29/09 Placed 2B Aaron Miles on the 15-Day disabled list retroactive to June 21, 2009. Hyperextended right elbow (fake injury #2).

Jason Marquis/Luis Vizcaino
01/06/09 Traded RHP Jason Marquis to Colorado for RHP Luis Vizcaino.
04/23/09 Designated RHP Luis Vizcaino for assignment.

Milton Bradley
01/08/09 Signed OF Milton Bradley to a three-year contract.
06/30/09 Milton Bradley currently has played in only 59/73 games, suspended once, and batting just .238 with 17 RBIs

Michael Wuertz
02/02/09 Traded RHP Michael Wuertz to Oakland Athletics for Minor League OF Richie Robnett and IF Justin Sellers.
06/30/09 Michael Wuertz currently owns a 2.72 ERA with 41 Ks in 36.1 IP.

Aaron Heilman
01/28/09 Acquired RHP Aaron Heilman from the Seattle Mariners for LHP Garrett Olson and INF Ronny Cedeno.
06/30/09 Aaron Heilman currently owns a 3.89 ERA.

Kevin Gregg
11/13/08 Acquired RHP Kevin Gregg from the Florida Marlins in exchange for RHP Jose Ceda.
06/30/09 Kevin Gregg currently owns a 3.93 ERA with 13 saves and 3 blown saves and 6 HRs allowed.

Paul Bako
01/30/09 Signed free agent catcher Paul Bako to a one-year contract.
03/30/09 Released C Paul Bako.

New book about Halas and the Bears

SackMan — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:51:08 -0000

New book about Halas and the Bears

You be the GM. Trade Harden, and acquire a bat to win this division.

SackMan — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:03:38 -0000

I don't know what the long term plans are for Rich Harden, but if the Cubs aren't going to give him a new contract... then deal him now.

This division is clearly up for grabs... nobody's playing well right now, and at .500, the Cubs are a laughable 2.5 games out of 1st place. With the team constructed the way it is, it'll be a miracle for the Cubs to stay within 2.5 games until Aramis Ramirez comes back at the All-Star break.

We have a wealth of pitching right now. For those of you who haven't been paying attention, the stats below show how the Cubs stack up by the numbers in the most significant pitching categories. Unfortunately... we can't hit the ball worth a damn. We rank #27 in runs scored, and #26 in batting average. Our team leaders in RBIs have just 27 (DLee & Soriano tied). To put that in perspective, there are 110 players in MLB with more RBIs than Lee & Soriano.

Something has to be done... and with the way the roster is constructed, it needs to be done up the middle of the infield.

The Yankees, Phillies, Rangers, and Angels are all contenders who need pitching help. Now, I have no disillusions here... nobody's gonna trade Cano, Utley, Kinsler or Figgins for Harden. But, he's our best trade bait. We need to sign him, or move him.

A more realistic target might be Dan Uggla... who may be hitting a mere .220 right now, but has driven in 40 runs already. With the way Aaron Miles is butchering second base, Uggla's defense is about equal. The Marlins aren't in a position to add Harden's salary, but they may want to get out of Uggla's contract for prospects, if we can make the numbers work. Then, you can re-load on prospects by dealing Harden to a contender, and keeping the payroll about where it is.

So, I'm asking you guys to play GM today... on an off-day. Make us a deal.

MLB Team Pitching Stats (ESPN)

ERA
1. LA Dodgers 3.57
2. San Francisco 3.61
3. Seattle 3.74
4. Chicago Cubs 3.82
5. Cincinnati 3.89

Quality Starts
1. Chicago Cubs 38
2. Colorado 37
3. Pittsburgh 36
4. Arizona 36
5. Minnesota 34

Runs Allowed
1. San Fransisco 233
2. LA Dodgers 240
3. Chicago Cubs 245
4. Seattle 265
5. Cincinnati 266

Earned Runs Allowed
1. San Fransisco 220
2. LA Dodgers 228
3. Chicago Cubs 229
4. Seattle 235
5. Cincinnati 245

Batting Average Against
1. LA Dodgers .235
2. Chicago Cubs .238
3. Milwaukee .245
4. San Fransisco .246
5. Cincinnati .249

Bears Family Day at Soldier Field on Sale: $7 tickets

SackMan — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:34:09 -0000

Soldier Field: Sat, Aug 8, 2009 12:00 PM

Come see the Chicago Bears practice at Soldier Field! Enjoy a host of pre-practice festivities outside the stadium before watching practice inside Soldier Field. Family Day is a great cost effective way to show Soldier Field to your family.

Buy tickets now!

This promo was e-mailed to me today from the Bears. I just bought 6 tix, total was $63.40 after fees. Make sure to use the promo code on the flyer: "bearsdirect"

This special sale promo lasts until Tuesday June 9th at 4pm Central Time.

Get to know your opponent: Cubs pitching matchups vs FLA & SF

SackMan — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:35:58 -0000

The Cubs are guaranteed to end this short roadtrip today at .500 or better. That's a plus. Then, they come home to host Florida for 4 games, and San Fran for 2.

If the Cubs want to pick up any ground on first place over the next 7 games, they're gonna have to start playing some great baseball... because after tonight, St. Louis will get a 4 game set with Washington, who may likely be the worst team in baseball this year. The Cardinals follow that up with a 2 game set vs the Phillies, where they'll face the struggling Cole Hamels and his 7.27 ERA.

Cubs vs Florida: After coming out of the gate on fire, Florida dropped 7 in a row, before winning yesterday. The Cubs are somewhat fortunate that the one starter they will not see is ace Josh Johnson. However, they haven't seen much of the Florida starters before, which draws a little red flag. In recent years, the Cubs have had a tendency to struggle against guys they don't know too well.

Game 1 - Sean Marshall vs Chris Volstad: They haven't seen much of 22 year old Volstad, who's off to a fine 2-0 start with 2.72 ERA. At 6'7", he's very imposing on the mound. Soriano has the most offical at bats vs Volstad, going 0 for 6. The Marlins have hit Marshall pretty well. Uggla is batting .385 in 13 ABs, and Ramirez is batting .400 in 10 ABs, with 1 HR, 3 RBIs, and 2 BBs.

Game 2 - Rich Harden vs Graham Taylor: They've never even seen lefty Graham Taylor before. And, for some reason, when the Cubs have never seen a young lefty before, he usually gives them trouble (maybe there's a scouting issue there). Harden has 10 Ks in 35 ABs vs this line-up... pretty much par for the course. The Marlins are batting .200 vs him.

Game 3 - Ted Lilly vs Anibal Sanchez: Aside from Soriano's 13 ABs, nobody on our roster has really seen much of Sanchez. Soriano likely accumulated those ABs with Washington. The Marlins have put a hurtin' on Lilly. They're batting .367 against him, and Dan Uggla has 2 HRs and 5 RBI in just 5 ABs.

Game 4 - Carlos Zambrano vs Ricky Nolasco: The Cubs get to see their former farm-hand, Nolaso, who's off to a horrendous start with a 6.92 ERA. Only 3 Cubs have any ABs vs Nolasco: Soriano, Miles, and Ramirez. The Marlins are batting a collective .169 vs Big Z.

Cubs vs San Fran: The Giants are currently 9-10, and have scored the least amount of runs in all of baseball (68). However, they're pitching staff has only given up 76 runs, 3rd best in the majors behind Pittsburgh (74), and Kansas City (73). The Cubs will face a young lefty they haven't seen before, and Mr. Cy Young. They're gonna have to play solid fundamental baseball and move runners over to win this set.

Game 1 - Ryan Dempster vs Jonathan Sanchez: Sanchez, like the entire Giants staff, is off to a good start with a 2.60 ERA. And, he's a lefty... and almost nobody on the Cubs has faced him. Again, that's a bad formula for the Cubs. Rich Aurillia (.360 in 25 ABs) and Edgar Renteria (.316 in 19 ABs) have given Dempster trouble in the past... but the rest of the Giants haven't seen too much of him.

Game 2 - Sean Marshall vs Tim Lincecum: Last year's Cy Young award winner has held the Cubs to a collective .194 team batting average. Marshall hasn't faced the Giants a lot, but the team is batting .306 against him.

Schedule courtesy of ESPN

Wed, Apr 29 @ Arizona 3:40 PM Dempster (1-0) Davis (1-3)

Thu, Apr 30 Florida 8:05 PM Marshall (0-1) Volstad (2-0)

Fri, May 1 Florida 2:20 PM Harden (2-1) Taylor (0-1)

Sat, May 2 Florida 1:05 PM Lilly (2-2) Sanchez (1-2)

Sun, May 3 Florida 2:20 PM Zambrano (2-1) Nolasco (1-2)

Mon, May 4 San Francisco 8:05 PM Dempster (1-0) Sanchez (1-1)

Tue, May 5 San Francisco 2:20 PM Marshall (0-1) Lincecum (1-1)

"The Bears and LB Mike Rivera a Perfect Fit:" from Rock Chalk Talk

SackMan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:49:15 -0000

From SBN's Kansas Blog: Rock Chalk Talk

How the Resurgence of the 3-4 Scheme Made the Bears and Mike Rivera a Perfect Fit

It would be easy to assume that maybe Rivera just doesn't have the upside or talent for the NFL and that's why he was passed on, but throw in a stellar pro day for Rivera where his numbers rivaled some of the best linebackers at the combine and a vertical that was off the charts and it would appear that Rivera is healthy, as athletic and explosive as we all thought, and well prepared for playing in a 4-3 defense.

The Bears take notice...Rivera goes undrafted...Rivera signs with the Bears...and while the end of this story is far from being told this is a great situation for Rivera and could be a very good pickup for the Bears. Should Rivera make the squad which I hope he can, he'll see time at special teams to start out, he'll have a chance to learn from some very solid pro backers and maybe just maybe Rivera himself can turn into an above average pro.

Continue reading...

Bears sign Mizzou QB Chase Patton (Matt Cassel v2.0)

SackMan — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:46:28 -0000

Now that "WE GOT JAY CUTLER," it's kind of hard to generate any excitement over a new QB prospect.

In years past, any new QB we added to the team became an instant fan favorite. It didn't matter if he was drafted in the 1st, or 7th round... signed as a free agent... came from Canada... or walked into Halas Hall off the streets. Whoever he was, he drew a following.

Well... it should be noted that the Bears signed an undrafted free agent, who may very likely find himself on the final roster this year. Chase Patton (No, not my man Chase Holbrook) was Chase Daniel's backup at Mizzou, and has been talked about as being more NFL ready than Daniel.

Patton has been invited to this weekend's rookie camp. If all goes well, he will compete with two other recent undrafted free agents, Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez, for a spot on the QB depth chart behind Jay Cutler. With no major investment tied to either Hanie or Basanez, Patton has a wide open shot to land the 3rd string job.

The 6'4" 230 pound QB was touted as a possible Matt Cassel-type in the October 2008 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

ONLY THE NAME IS THE SAME
by Seth Wickersham, ESPN The Magazine

Here's a prediction for the 2012 NFL season: Three weeks in, a superstar quarterback blows out his knee. He's lost for the year. Crushed fans write off their team because the backup, a 2009 seventh-rounder out of Missouri named Chase, has hardly played. And in fact, he starts out looking pretty shaky. But then he completes a few passes. And a few more. Soon he's winning regular-season games…then a divisional playoff game…then a conference championship…then…yes…the Super Bowl! Suddenly, Chase is worldwide. There he is chuckling with Conan. That's him with Regis and Kelly. Now he's inking a multiyear deal. Reporters scramble to Columbia, Mo., looking for clues to his unlikely success. Meanwhile, humiliated NFL scouts wonder how, after Tom Brady and Kurt Warner and Tony Romo, they missed an other hidden star.

Bears land 4 of the "Best Available Prospects" on Day 2

SackMan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:22:51 -0000

The Bears chose to sit on the sidelines of the first day of the draft, by trading their only pick (#49) on Day 1. However, that didn't stop them from landing some of the best prospects.

After the first two rounds of the draft concluded on Saturday, many web sites started to publish their lists of the "Best Players Available on Day 2." So, how did we do?

Well, surprisingly, the Bears were able to grab 4 of the consensus top players available on Day 2 of the draft:

Round 3, Pick #68 - Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose State
Round 3, Pick #99 - Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma
Round 4, Pick #119 - D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
Round 5, Pick # 154 - Marcus Freeman, OLB, Ohio St.

From a value standpoint, you have to give the Bears credit for trading down, and still finding a way to select a handful of the best prospects on the second day.

Let's take a look at the lists:

From SBN's MockingTheDraft

18. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech, 6’7, 258
29. Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma, 6’5, 335
33. Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa, 5’11, 235
34. Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri, 6’6, 252
40. D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt, 5'10, 184 - Bears #119
44. Victor Harris, CB, Virginia Tech, 5'11, 194
49. Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose State, 6’6, 280 - Bears #68
50. Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State, 5’9, 205
51. Derrick Williams, WR, Penn State, 6’0, 196
52. Jonathan Luigs, OC, Arkansas, 6’4, 314
55. Nate Davis, QB, Ball State, 6’1, 218
56. Michael Hamlin, SS, Clemson, 6'3, 206
58. Gerald McRath, ILB, Southern Miss, 6’3, 224
59. Asher Allen, CB, Georgia, 5'10, 198
62. Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty, 6’1, 232
63. Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati, 6'0, 190
67. Chip Vaughn, SS, Wake Forest, 6'2, 221
68. Dannell Ellerbe, ILB, Georgia, 6’1, 236
69. Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina, 6’5, 240
71. Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma, 6’0, 204 - Bears #99

From CBSSports

Antoine Caldwell, C, Alabama
D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt - Bears #119
Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond
Jarron Gilbert, DT, San Jose State - Bears #68
T.J. Lang, G, Eastern Michigan
Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
Jason Williams, OLB, Western Illinois
Rhett Bomar, QB, Sam Houston State
Andre Brown, RB, North Carolina State
Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama
Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina
Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma - Bears #99

From DraftCountdown

1. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
2. Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss
3. Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama
4. Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina
5. Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
6. Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida
7. Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
8. Jarron Gilbert, DT, San Jose St. - Bears #68
9. D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt - Bears #119
10. Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond
11. Derrick Williams, WR, Penn St.
12. Troy Kropog, OT, Tulane
13. Alex Magee, DT, Purdue
14. Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin
15. Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri
16. Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma - Bears #99
17. Andre Brown, RB, North Carolina St.
18. Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest
19. Marcus Freeman, OLB, Ohio St. - Bears #154
20. T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan
21. Donald Washington, CB, Ohio St.
22. Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa
23. Kaluka Maiava, OLB, USC
24. Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona
25. Kraig Urbik, OG, Wisconsin
26. James Casey, TE, Rice
27. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
28. Coye Francies, CB, San Jose St.
29. Ramses Barden, WR, Cal Poly
30. Rhett Bomar, QB, Sam Houston St.
31. Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty
32. Victor Harris, CB, Virginia Tech
33. Jasper Brinkley, ILB, South Carolina
34. Antoine Caldwell, C, Alabama
35. Bradley Fletcher, CB, Iowa
36. Mike Wallace, WR, Ole Miss

From ESPN

1. D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt - Bears #119
2. Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama
3. Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida
4. Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond
5. Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Mississippi
6. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
7. Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina
8. Jarron Gilbert, DT, San Jose State - Bears #68
9. Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
10. Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa

Draft Day Poll: You make the call. Offense or defense?

SackMan — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:09:12 -0000

The football offseason can be broken down into four phases:

Phase 1: Free Agency
Phase 2: The Draft
Phase 3: June Cuts
Phase 4: Training Camp

The Bears are now moments away from completing Phase 2. In Phase 1, the Bears made huge splashes to address the offense with Cutler, Pace, Omiyale, and Shaffer. However, no major additions were added to the other side of the ball, aside from new D-line coach Marinelli, and a couple of veteran safeties to provide competition (Bullocks and Earl).

And, perhaps the Bears biggest need on offense, a veteran WR, will be addressed in Phase 3, with the addition of a veteran who is cut in June.

So... with Lovie taking over the D this year... major needs at FS & DE... and a Phase 1 that was focused primarily on the offense, you make the call.

Poll

Which side of the ball will be the focus of the Bears 1st pick in the 2009 draft (#49 overall)?

Offense (WR, O-line)

25 votes

Defense (Safety, DE)

26 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed


Wed, Apr 29	@ Arizona	3:40 PM	Dempster (1-0)	Davis (1-3)
Thu, Apr 30	Florida	8:05 PM	Marshall (0-1)	Volstad (2-0)

Fri, May 1	Florida	2:20 PM	Harden (2-1)	Taylor (0-1)
Sat, May 2	Florida	1:05 PM	Lilly (2-2)	Sanchez (1-2)
Sun, May 3	Florida	2:20 PM	Zambrano (2-1)	Nolasco (1-2)
Mon, May 4	San Francisco	8:05 PM	Dempster (1-0)	Sanchez (1-1)
Tue, May 5	San Francisco	2:20 PM	Marshall (0-1)	Lincecum (1-1)