DANNY JACKSON AWARD: The Danny Jackson Award for bad starting pitching by a Cubs starter to Ryan Dempster. Dempster pitched 3 2/3 innings, giving up 7 earned runs, 9 hits, and 3 walks.
posted by Thomas at 8:39 AM
WEDNESDAY'S GAME AT ARIZONA: I am not convinced Ryan Dempster is the answer as the number five starter for the Cubs and Wednesday's game did nothing to change my mind. About the only positive one could come away with was atleast the Arizona hits off of Dempster were not a lot of extra base hits just a lot of balls hit were they ain't.
posted by Thomas at 8:26 AM
TUESDAY'S GAME AT ARIZONA: A tough 5-4 loss last night as it looked like the Cubs were going to tie it up in the top of the ninth with two outs and Derrek Lee on second, pinch-hitter Neifi Perez hit a ball up the middle that looked like it was going through but Royce Clayton for the Diamondbacks got to the ball, scooped it up and threw out Perez.
Greg Maddux did not pitch horribly, except when facing Luis Gonzalez who homered twice and was walked once. Which is like saying the Titanic was sailing along ok until it hit that nasty iceberg.
On the positive side the bullpen looked good with Mike Remlinger, Michael Wuertz, and Chad Fox each throwing an inning, and only giving up one hit.
posted by Thomas at 5:17 PM
MONDAY'S GAME AT ARIZONA: I can take 161 more Cubs games like Monday's 16-6 pounding of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Corey Patterson went 3 for 5, Todd Walker 3 for 4, Garciaparra 2 for 5, Aramis Ramirez 3 for 4 (1 HR), Derrek Lee 4 for 6 (1 HR), even reliever Cliff Bartosh got a base hit. Hopefully our bats are that good and it was not just Javier Vasquez and the rest of the Diamondbacks pitchers being that bad.
On the negative side, Carlos Zambrano gave up seven hits and walked four in 4 2/3 innings while making 106 pitches. Carlos then threw his usual temper tantrum when events do not go his way. Zambrano's ERA is 5.79, it is too bad that he often acts like that is his age as well.
posted by Thomas at 4:39 PM
2005 PREDICTIONS: The 2005 season begins tonight with the Boston Red Sox at the New York Yankees. Time for some more (highly inaccurate) predictions.
AL EAST: New York Yankees, Boston (WC), Baltimore, Toronto, Tampa Bay
AL CENTRAL: Minnesota, Cleveland, Chicago White Sox, Detroit, Kansas City
AL WEST: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland, Texas, Seattle
NL EAST: Atlanta, Florida, New York Mets, Philadelphia, Washington
NL CENTRAL: St. Louis, Chicago Cubs, Houston, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh
NL WEST: San Diego, San Francisco (WC), Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona, Colorado
ALDS: New York Yankees over Minnesota; Boston over Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
ALCS: New York Yankees over Boston
NLDS: St. Louis over San Francisco; Atlanta over San Diego
NLCS: St. Louis over Atlanta
WORLD SERIES: New York Yankees over St. Louis
posted by Thomas at 4:50 PM
