Joakim Soria-Recorded his 22nd save of the season on 8/17 despite giving up one run on two hits and two walks while striking out one batter in the ninth inning.
AmericanLeague
Baltimore Orioles
(CL) Kevin Gregg (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/15 in a non-save situation giving up just one hit in the outing.
(SU) Jim Johnson (R)– Picked up a spot-save on 8/14 after Kevin Gregg couldn’t get the job done pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
(MR) Mike Gonzalez (L)–Picked up his 5th hold of the season on 8/15 after pitching 1.1 innings striking out three batters.
(MR) Jason Berken (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/17 giving up one walk on eight pitches thrown in the outing.
(MR) Brad Bergesen (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/17 giving up one hit in the outing.
DL–None
Boston Red Sox
(CL) Jonathan Papelbon (R)–Recorded his 28th save of the season on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Daniel Bard (R)–Picked up his 28th hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning striking out two batters.
(MR)–Matt Albers (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up three runs on three hits in the outing.
(MR) Alfredo Aceves (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 8/17 giving up one hit while striking out three batters.
(MR) Franklin Morales (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
DL–Rich Hill, Bobby Jenks
Chicago White Sox
(CL) Sergio Santos (R)–Was charged with a blown-save on 8/16 after giving up one run on two hits and one walk in one inning of relief.
(SU) Matt Thornton (L)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Jesse Crain (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one hit and three walks while striking out three batters.
(MR) Chris Sale (L)–Picked up his 11th hold of the season on 8/16 despite giving up one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two batters in two innings of relief.
(MR) Jason Frasor (R)–Picked up the win on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless 14th inning striking out two batters in the outing.
DL–Tony Pena
Cleveland Indians
(CL) Chris Perez (R)–Recorded his 26th save of the season on 8/17 after needing to get just two outs in the ninth inning.
(SU) Vinnie Pestano (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/16 giving up two hits and one walk while striking out two batters.
(MR) Tony Sipp (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up two hits in the outing.
(MR) Rafael Perez (L)–Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on 8/16 needing just nine pitches to get through the outing.
(MR) Joe Smith (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one hit while striking out one batter in the outing.
DL–None
Detroit Tigers
(CL) Jose Valverde (R)– Recorded a blown save and got a loss on 8/17 giving up two unearned runs on two hits and one walk in the ninth inning.
(SU) Joaquin Benoit (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/17 needing just two pitches to get through the outing.
(MR) Daniel Schlereth (L)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/15 surrendering three runs on two this and two walks while striking out three batters.
(MR) Phil Coke (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/16 needing just one pitch to get through the outing.
(MR) Ryan Perry (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/14 giving up just one hit on 12 pitches thrown in the outing.
DL–Joel Zumaya, Al Albuquerque
Kansas City Royals
(CL) Joakim Soria (R)–Recorded his 22nd save of the season on 8/17 despite giving up one run on two hits and two walks while striking out one batter in the ninth inning.
(SU) Aaron Crow (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one run on three hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Tim Collins (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/16 needing just 14 pitches to get through the appearance.
(MR) Nate Adcock (R)–Pitched three innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out two batters.
(MR) Blake Wood (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/15 striking out both batters that he faced in the appearance.
DL–None
Los Angeles Angels
(CL) Jordan Walden (R)–Was charged with a blown-save on 8/14 after giving up one run on two hits in the ninth inning.
(SU) Scott Downs (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/17 striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Hisanori Takahashi (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/15 surrendering four runs on three hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Fernando Rodney (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/16 giving up two hits and two walks while striking out one batter.
(MR) Rich Thompson (R)–Pitched 1.2 innings of relief on 8/15 giving up two runs on three hits while striking out two batters.
DL–Francisco Rodriguez
Minnesota Twins
(CL) Joe Nathan (R)–Recorded his 11th save of the season on 8/17 despite surrendering one run on two hits while striking out one batter.
(SU) Glen Perkins (L)–Failed to record an out in his last appearance on 8/17 giving up one run on one hit and two walks.
(MR) Matt Capps (R)–Picked up his 7th hold of the season on 8/17 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning.
(MR) Alex Burnett (R)–Failed to record an out on 8/15 after giving up one run on two hits in the seventh inning.
(MR) Phil Dumatrait (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief giving up two runs on one hit and one walk
DL–None
New York Yankees
(CL) Mariano Rivera (R)–Recorded his 32nd hold of the season on 8/16 striking out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) David Robertson (R)–Picked up his 26th hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning striking out one batter.
(MR) Boone Logan (L)–Picked up his 7th hold of the season on 8/16 after striking out one batter in one inning of relief.
(MR) Rafael Soriano (R)–Picked up his 14th hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching 0.2 innings of relief striking out one batter.
(MR) Cory Wade (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/13 giving up one hit while striking out one batter in the appearance.
DL–Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte, Sergio Mitre
Oakland Athletics
(CL) Andrew Bailey (R)–Recorded his 15th save of the season on 8/17 giving up one run on three hits while striking out two batters in the ninth inning.
(SU) Grant Balfour (R)–Picked up his 21st hold of the season on 8/17 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit and one walk in the outing.
(MR) Brian Fuentes (L)–Picked up his 5th hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching 0.2 innings of relief giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Craig Breslow (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/15 needing just 15 pitches to get through the outing.
(MR) Fauntino De Los Santos (R)–Picked up his 1st hold of the season on 8/17 after striking out two batters in a scoreless seventh inning.
DL– Michael Wuertz
Seattle Mariners
(CL) Brandon League (R)–Recorded his 30th save of the season on 8/15 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning giving up just one hit while striking out one batter.
(SU) Jamey Wright (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 giving up one walk on 17 pitches in the outing.
(MR) Jeff Gray (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/14 giving up two runs on two hits in the outing.
(MR) Josh Lueke (R)–Pitched three innings of relief on 8/16 giving up three hits in the outing.
(MR) Tom Wilhelmsen (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up two runs on one hit and two walks.
DL–David Aardsma, Chris Ray
Tampa Bay Rays
(CL) Kyle Farnsworth (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/17 in a non-save situation needing just 13 pitches to get through the outing.
(SU) Joel Peralta (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/12 in a non-save situation striking out all three batters that he faced.
(MR) J.P. Howell (L)–Gave up a hit to the only batter he faced on 8/11 throwing just two pitches in the outing.
(MR) Jake McGee (L)–Picked up the win on 8/10 after pitching just 0.1 innings of relief giving up two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) Brandon Gomes (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/13 surrendering three runs on three this and two walks.
DL–None
Texas Rangers
(CL) Neftali Feliz (R)–Recorded his 24th save of the season on 8/17 after giving up just one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Mike Adams (R)–Picked up the win on 8/14 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning needing just 10 pitches to get through the outing.
(MR) Koji Uehara (R)–Picked up his 17th hold of the season on 8/17 despite giving up one run on one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Darren Oliver (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/14 giving up two hits in the outing.
(MR) Yoshinori Tateyama (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 8/14 striking out two batters in the outing.
DL– None
Toronto Blue Jays
(CL) Frank Francisco (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/17 in a non-save situation needing just 10 pitches to get through the outing.
(SU) Shawn Camp (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/16 giving up two hits while striking out four batters.
(MR) Casey Janssen (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Jesse Litsch (R)– Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 giving up one walk in the outing.
(MR) Luis Perez (L)–Picked up the win on 8/16 after pitching four innings of relief giving up one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters.
DL–Jon Rauch
NationalLeague
Arizona Diamondbacks
(CL) J.J. Putz (R)–Recorded his 30th save of the season on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning giving up one walk while striking out two batters.
(SU) David Hernandez (R)–Recorded his 11th save of the season on 8/14 with J.J. Putz unavailable pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
(MR) Bryan Shaw (R)–Picked up his 6th hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit in the outing.
(MR) Brad Ziegler (R)–Failed to record an out in his last appearance on 8/17 giving up one earned run on three hits.
(MR Joe Paterson (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 giving up two hits in the outing.
DL–Juan Gutierrez
Atlanta Braves
(CL) Craig Kimbrel (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/16 in a non-save situation giving up one hit while striking out two batters.
(SU) Jonny Venters (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/16 giving up two hits while striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Eric O’Flaherty (L)–Pitched a scoreless inning of relief on 8/16 striking out two batters in the outing.
(MR) Cristhian Martinez (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/17 giving up two hits and one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) George Sherrill (L)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/13 in a non-save situation giving up one hit in the outing.
DL–Peter Moylan, Kris Medlan
Chicago Cubs
(CL) Carlos Marmol (R)–Took the loss and blown-save after surrendering four runs on three hits and one walk in the just 0.1 innings of relief.
(SU) Sean Marshall (L)–Picked up his 26th hold of the season on 8/15 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning striking out one batter.
(MR) Kerry Wood (R)–Picked up his 17th hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) John Grabow (L)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 8/17 giving up one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) Jeff Samardzija (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 striking out one batter on 13 pitches thrown in the outing.
DL–Andrew Cashner
Cincinnati Reds
(CL) Francisco Cordero (R)–Recorded his 24th save of the season on 8/17 giving up one hit and one walk in a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Aroldis Chapman (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/14 giving up one run on two hits while striking out two batters.
(MR) Nick Masset (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/14 giving up one run on one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Bill Bray (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/16 giving up one hit in the outing.
(MR) Sam LeCure (R)–Pitched 2.1 innings of relief on 8/14 striking out one batter in the outing.
DL–Matt Maloney, Logan Ondrusek
Colorado Rockies
(CL) Rafael Betancourt (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/13 in a non-save situation striking out two batters.
(SU) Matt Reynolds (L)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 8/17 giving up one earned run on two hits in the outing.
(MR) Matt Belisle (R)–Picked up the win on 8/15 after pitching 1.2 scoreless innings striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Rex Brothers (L)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 8/15 striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Edgmer Escalona (R)–Pitched three innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two batters.
DL–Matt Daley, Huston Street, Matt Lindstrom
Florida Marlins
(CL) Leo Nunez (R)–Recorded his 33rd save of the season on 8/16 despite giving up two runs on three this in one inning of relief.
(SU) Edward Mujica (R)–Picked up his 12th hold of the season on 8/15 after pitching 1.1 innings of relief giving up just one walk in the outing.
(MR) Mike Dunn (L)–Picked up his 12th hold of the season on 8/15 after striking out the only batter that he faced in the sixth inning.
(MR) Steve Cishek (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/13 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) Randy Choate (L)–Gave up a home run to the only batter that he faced on 8/15 throwing just four pitches in the outing.
DL–None
Houston Astros
(CL) Mark Melancon (R)–Recorded his 12th save of the season on 8/17 after giving up two this in a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Wilton Lopez (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one run on two this while striking out one batter.
(MR) Jeff Fulchino (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/13 giving up one run on three hits and one walk while striking out two batters.
(MR) Aneury Rodriguez (R)–Picked up the win on 8/16 after pitching 0.2 innings of relief striking out one batter.
(MR) Sergio Escalona (L)–Picked up his 5th hold of the season on 8/17 after pitching 0.1 innings of relief.
DL–Alberto Arias, Brandon Lyon, Enerio Del Rosario
Los Angeles Dodgers
(CL) Javy Guerra (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/12 in a non-save situation throwing just 13 pitches in the outing.
(SU) Matt Guerrier (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/16 needing just 11 pitches to get through the appearance.
(MR) Hong-Chih Kuo (R)–Took the loss on 8/16 after failing to record an out in the ninth inning giving up one run on one walk.
(MR) Mike MacDougal (R)–Failed to record an out in his last appearance on 8/16 giving up two hits and one walk in the outing.
(MR) Scott Elbert (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 8/17 needing just nine pitches to get through the outing.
DL– Jonathan Broxton, Vicente Padilla, Kenley Jansen
Milwaukee Brewers
(CL) John Axford (R)–Recorded his 36th save of the season on 8/17 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning striking out three batters.
(SU) Francisco Rodriguez (R)–Picked up his 8th hold of the season on 8/13 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning striking out two batters.
(MR) LaTroy Hawkins (R)–Picked up his 19th hold of the season on 8/17 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit in the outing.
(MR) Kameron Loe (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/12 in a non-save situation striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Takashi Saito (R)– Picked up the win on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning needing just 10 pitches to get the job done.
DL– Brandon Kintzler
New York Mets
(CL) Jason Isringhausen (R)–Recorded his 7th save of the season on 8/15 after giving up one hit and one walk in a scoreless 10th inning.
(SU) Bobby Parnell (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/17 striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Pedro Beato(R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/16 giving up two runs on three hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Tim Byrdak (L)–Walked the only batter he faced on 8/17 on five pitches in the seventh inning.
(MR) D.J. Carrasco (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/16 needing just four pitches to get the job done.
DL–Taylor Buchholz
Philadelphia Phillies
(CL) Ryan Madson (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/17 in a non-save situation giving up one walk while striking out one batter.
(SU) Antonio Bastardo (L)–Picked up his 12th hold of the season on 8/17 needing just seven pitches to get through a scoreless seventh inning.
(MR) Michael Stutes (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/13 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) Brad Lidge (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/12 in a non-save situation giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) David Herndon (R)–Picked up his 4th hold of the season on 8/10 after pitching one inning of relief.
DL– Jose Contreras
Pittsburgh Pirates
(CL) Joel Hanrahan (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/16 in a non-save situation giving up one run on one hit and one walk.
(SU) Jose Veras (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/16 giving up two hits while striking out two batters.
(MR) Chris Resop (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/16 giving up one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) Daniel McCutchen (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 giving up one earned run on three hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Joe Beimel (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 giving up one hit in the outing.
DL– Evan Meek
San Diego Padres
(CL) Heath Bell (R)– Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 8/15 in a non-save situation giving up two hits while striking out one batter.
(SU) Luke Gregerson (R)– Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 8/16 needing just 11 pitches to get the job done.
(MR) Chad Qualls (R)–Picked up his 13th hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching a scoreless seventh inning giving up one hit in the outing.
(MR) Josh Spence (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/17 striking out the only batter that he faced on five pitches.
(MR) Anthony Bass (R)– Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 8/17 giving up one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one batter in the outing.
DL–Ernesto Frieri
San Francisco Giants
(CL) Brian Wilson (R)–Took the loss and blown-save on 8/15 after surrendering three runs on three hits and two walks in the ninth inning.
(SU) Ramon Ramirez (R)–Picked up a spot-save on 8/14 after striking out the only batter that he faced in the ninth inning.
(MR) Javier Lopez (L)–Took the loss on 8/16 after giving up one run on three hits and one walk.
(MR) Jeremy Affeldt (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/17 giving up one unearned run on one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Guillermo Mota (R)–Pitched 3.1 innings of relief on 8/16 giving up two hits and one walk while striking out two batters.
DL–Sergio Romo
St. Louis Cardinals
(CL) Fernando Salas (R)–Was charged with a blown-save on 8/16 after giving up one run on two hits and two walks.
(SU) Jason Motte (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/16 giving up just one walk in the outing.
(MR) Mitchell Boggs (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 8/15 giving up one run on two hits and one walk while striking out three batters.
(MR)Octavio Dotel (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Kyle McClellan (R)– Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/17 needing just seven pitches to get through the outing.
DL–Eduardo Sanchez, Brian Tallet, Lance Lynn
Washington Nationals
(CL) Drew Storen (R)–Recorded his 33rd save of the season on 8/16 after striking out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Tyler Clippard (R)–Picked up his 31st hold of the season on 8/16 after pitching 1.2 innings of relief giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Sean Burnett (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 8/17 surrendering one run on two hits and one walk.
(MR) Todd Coffey (R)–Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on 8/17 striking out two batters in the outing.
(MR) Henry Rodriguez (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 8/17 striking out one batter in the outing.
DL–Doug Slaten, Cole Kimbrall
The primary purpose of the graphic is to detail how the team with the best record in baseball has done in terms of winning the World Series. The short answer is not well.
Only the Yankees seem to have a hold on winning the big one when they dominate the league.
A new infographic shows how the team with the best record in baseball isn't necessarily going to take home the title.
In 1998, New York won 114 games and may have been the most dominant team of the last 30 years on their way to the title. In 2009, the Yankees won 103 games and finished six games ahead of the Angels for the best record in baseball.
Only in 2002 did the Yankees not close it out when they had the best record in the game. But that season, Oakland tied for the best mark and the Angels were just four games back and one game off 100 wins when they “upset” the Bronx Bombers.
Boston took home the title in 2007 after tying Cleveland for the best mark with the Angels and Yankees just behind them. The winner of the American League pennant that season was going to be clearly better than the National League representative in the Series no matter who it was. So it was no surprise that the Sox were able to finish it out after conquering the more dominant circuit.
The Cubs appear on the chart just four times, representing a different heartache for fans over the years.
But this isn’t about the inability to make the playoffs, but rather the inability to capitalize on the chances that were there.
In 1998, the Cubs snuck into the playoffs as the wild card, but had no real business being there. It took a one-game playoff to place Chicago into the mix instead of San Francisco, and Atlanta, Houston and San Diego were all better positioned for a deep run.
The 163rd game that the Cubs played that season was more of a game of Russian Roulette for who would be swept by Atlanta pitching staff that season.
That the Braves didn’t ultimately face the Yankees in the Series is somewhat of a disappointment to this day. How Kevin Brown and Andy Ashby powered the Padres past Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux is still a mystery.
The division title in 2007 is more of the same. The Cubs wouldn’t have been higher than third in the other two divisions. The sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks hurt, but only because Arizona was without Randy Johnson.
That Doug Davis was able to take care of the Cubs so soundly just proved how outmatched the team was.
So it all comes down to 2003 or 2008 as possibly the most disappointing playoff run for the Cubs.
Most fans will choose 2003 because the Cubs were so close to something that they hadn’t tasted in over 50 years.
But it took a miracle to get that far into the playoffs.
The Cubs were the worst of the four National League playoff teams that season, after going 18-8 over the final month of the season to earn the division title by a single game.
Going into September, the Cubs were just 70-66 and were 1.5 games out of the lead. They didn’t take over the lead for good until September 27, after sweeping a double header from the Pirates.
The team was lucky to be in the playoffs and it probably cost the arms of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood just to get that far.
By the time that the Cubs finished off Atlanta in five games, they were mostly winning on momentum. Eventually the better Florida team was going to catch up with them.
Need we remember that the Marlins managed to defeat the seemingly indestructible Yankees in the Series that year. The Cubs were built to do that.
Losing the way they did hurts, but maybe it should compared to 2008.
The Cubs won 97 games that season, finishing 7.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and for the division title and a full five games better than Philadelphia for the best record in the league. Only the Angels who won 100 games had a better record in all of baseball.
And for winning the division, the Cubs got to face Los Angeles, who had barely won half of their games. The Dodgers had just the 15th best record in all of baseball.
This was a gift for the Cubs if there ever was one.
Yet Chicago was swept in three games. They only showed life in the final game of the sweep, but couldn’t push across more than a single run against the Los Angeles bullpen.
The losses stung because the Cubs were a better team all season long. This was a season that didn’t have the last gasp effort to make the playoffs. This was a year of dominance.
A season ticket holder said after the sweep that he seriously considered not getting his tickets again; that the loss was too much given all the effort that he put in season after season following the team.
This was a letdown that eclipsed the 2003 loss for him. It made him question his fanhood.
And it is hard to blame him.
Now it is laid out again for all to see in color, and Cubs fans will get to remember again how this team can break your heart.
Just like in 2003, and most of all, like the cliff drop in 2008.
If the Cubs went to a four man rotation, Rodrigo Lopez would only appear as a reliever. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Since Andrew Cashner’s only start of the season, the Chicago Cubs have used four pitchers to try and complete the back end of the rotation.
The James Russell experiment was a disaster.* Doug Davis was nothing more than a longshot.
Ramon Ortiz is lucky he hasn’t fallen apart, and Monday, Rodrigo Lopez will take his turn toeing the rubber and attempt to fill what has become a black hole for the Cubs.
The sad fact is that the Cubs just don’t have the fifth starter that they desperately need.
It seemed clear back when Russell was continually getting pounded but it doesn’t seem that the front office has realized it yet. Instead it took the last man in the rotation getting pounded to the tune of a 6.54 ERA.
It doesn’t take a math whiz to realize that the Cubs offense isn’t scoring enough to make up for that kind of performance.
Which is why the Cubs need to attempt something that seems drastic today, but was commonplace not too long ago.
The Cubs need to go back to a four man rotation.
There is probably not another team in the majors that could honestly attempt the change. No one would be willing to risk young arms that tend to makeup the rotations by making the uptick necessary on their innings and pitch counts.**
The Cubs are unburdened by this. Dempster is 34, Zambrano is 30, Randy Wells is 28 and Matt Garza is 27.
Of the four arms, the only one who the Cubs might be concerned about is Garza, who should figure in the rotation for at least the next few years.***
But at 27, Garza should have learned how to pace himself so that he is able to turn around on short rest. He hasn’t had to do it often in his career (only two starts on three days rest), but it seems like a change that he could make without ruining his stuff.
The thing is that the change doesn’t need to be permanent. It doesn’t have to be every time through the rotation that the Cubs use just four pitchers.
In fact, there is only one stretch between the end of August and into the beginning of September when the Cubs will likely need to use a fifth starter with some regularity. They have 19 straight games during that stretch and might throw in a fifth arm here and there to give a little extra rest.
But in general, with off days, the Cubs pitchers will often have four days between starts, more than enough time to get work in on their throw day and still be fresh for the main event.
The Cubs could still keep an extra arm on the roster to help because the starters may not go as long. And using the fifth man sparingly would be a better use than trying to coax any kind of decent performance from him consistently as they do now.
It would take some buy-in from the players, which may not be easy given the reactions of Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster to some of the pitching decisions.
But it is doable, and it makes sense to get this team on the winning track.
Even if the pitchers’ performances were down from their norms, they can’t be worse than a 6.54 ERA can they?
It is something the Cubs should consider, because the current situation isn’t working and the Cubs are looking like they have gone insane inside the front office. Heck, they signed Dave Bush to a minor league deal and it won’t be long before he takes his shot in this spot. Does anyone really want that?
And wouldn’t everyone feel better about the Cubs chances tonight if Garza were taking the mound against Halladay instead of Lopez?
Don’t even bother answering that.
* I have said before and I will say again that I am not sold on Russell as a reliever either. He may have a low ERA as a reliever, but that only counts the runs credited to him. He has also allowed over 20 percent of his inherited runners to score, bringing his total runs allowed to 10 in 33 innings. His WHIP of 0.87 is intriguing, but it would nice to see the run numbers a little lower.
** This isn’t necessarily as radical an idea as it seems, and it comes up quite often. In fact, almost 20 years ago, Tim Kurkjian asked the question in an SI article, and seemed to get the answer that it is the correct move for most teams, especially given the results of the fifth man. Seems like someone should have been paying attention 20 years ago.
*** And better considering that the price paid for him looks more and more costly as the time goes on. No, not Sam Fuld. Hak-Ju Lee has the makings of a star and could have been a great pair with Starlin Castro in the center of the diamond.
Starlin Castro's All-Star appearance might do the budding star more harm than good (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
I missed most of the All-Star game Tuesday night. Having just returned from a long vacation with little television watched, it was hard to get entranced by a game that saw almost 11 percent of all the players in the majors invited.
But I did manage to find a seat to watch the last couple of innings, and Starlin Castro, the lone Cub player on the All-Star roster.
Yes, the second half is underway, so it seems a bit late to be quibbling over an All-Star game that is meaningless in the grand scheme of things.*
Yet this is more about what a game like this can do to a player like Castro rather than a rant about the game.
Sure the young short stop earned the chance to show off his speed, something that he is rarely able to do when playing for his actual team. The Cubs need every runner they can muster, so giving Castro the green light is a dicey proposition even if he probably would be successful more than 75 percent of the time.
And Castro earned the opportunity to show all baseball fans what the Cubs fans already knew: he needs to work on his fielding.
Castro’s error in the ninth inning ended up not mattering in the grand scheme of things. The National League still won the game, and the Phillies/Braves/Giants will enjoy playing at home in game one of the World Series.
The error does highlight that maybe Castro isn’t ready for this kind of stage.
It’s not that he isn’t a major league quality player. He has shown enough with his bat to disprove any thoughts like that.
Castro is a star in the making; the problem being that he is not a star yet.
Yes, on the Cubs, he is that star, but mostly because the Cubs lack other personalities to get excited about. The veterans on the team are past exciting the crowd. Most of the young players have failed to deliver on the promise that they once had.
Only Geovany Soto behind the plate offers Cubs fans a real reason to be hopeful about a player in the lineup beyond next season.***
Castro is being forced to mature at the big league level. He has the raw talent to succeed, but he hasn’t yet refined his game to where his name would be at the top of everyone’s list for one of the best players in the league.
Yes, he was drafted as part of the Franchise Draft on ESPN. But that is also based on his raw talent and potential.
The Cubs organization though has shown little ability to mold that talent or potential into a player that is a true force to be reckoned with.
At some point, Castro’s free-swinging style is not going to be the best thing for the Cubs. He may never take walks at the rate he should, but he also limits his ability to be a true quality hitter at the plate by rarely taking pitches.
Perhaps it is a team style issue. The Cubs need as much contact as possible, because walking just isn’t going to help them score runs.
He is swinging away because the patient hitter isn’t going to thrive in the Cubs lineup. Contact matters, gap power matters, speed matters.
Walks, not so much.
Can Rudy Jaramillo change Castro? Probably not overnight. It would help if some of the more adverse role models for hitting were gone from the team (like Alfonso Soriano).
But it can change over time. It took Rod Carew almost four full seasons before he changed his plate discipline in a way that made him one of the best hitters in baseball for more than a decade.
The real question will be if the Cubs can wait until Castro is 25 for the change to occur, although they probably don’t have a choice.
The other issue is Castro’s fielding, which continues to haunt him and came to light in the All-Star game.
There is no telling exactly how many errors that Carlos Pena has saved Castro from this season, or how many other mistakes have not been marked in the official book as errors.
As it stands, Castro leads the National League in errors with 18, and if it weren’t for Baltimore’s insistence to play Mark Reynolds, he would lead the Majors in the category.
He is costing his team runs in the field, and it isn’t getting any better.
Castro does reach balls that most short stops are not going to put a glove on, but it is what he does with the ball once he handles it that is the concern. In some ways, this is a mental issue of knowing the situation and what to do with the ball as much as it is a physical one in terms of accuracy in his throws.
Which is why having Castro as the Cubs rep in the All-Star game might not have been the best thing in the world for him or the team.
He is still a young player, one who needs quite a bit of fine-tuning to be ready to handle the “star” label that is being forced upon him.
Having him elevated on a pedestal this early in his career could have damaging effects on any efforts to help correct the holes in his game later on.
Sure there is the benefit of having Castro sit in the dugout with the games greats and get a little extra coaching from some players who have been through what he is going through (and getting him away from Soriano and Ramirez).****
But the worry still has to be there that this will make the coaching process that has to occur with Castro (and need we add, all of the Cubs prospects) that much harder.
One day, Castro should headline this game for the National League, alongside Andrew McCutchen, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. He should be that good.
That day though is still years away.
*Bud Selig would like you to believe that this game counts and the mainstream media keeps serving as the megaphone for this nonsense. Since 1990, the World Series has gone seven games exactly four times, or 20 percent of the time. Since 2003, when this game started to count, there have been no seven game series, and just two that have gone six games. Only the 2003 series even looked in danger of needing the all-important seventh game. Add in that baseball has the worst home-field “advantage” in all of the major sports and you can see why this farce of making the All-Star game count for anything is just sad. Now that Selig is retiring, perhaps his successor can end the charade that this game is anymore than a glorified exhibition that rarely has any drama, let alone star power participating.**
** Man, reading that is harsh, and I really like the All-Star game.
*** And even Soto might be gone. There is speculation he could be moved thanks to positional depth in the system. It might be a bit early for the Cubs to make that switch, but then again, it isn’t like they are going anywhere this year, or next.
**** Yes, this makes out the two vets as demons in the locker room, but tell me their lackadaisical play at times hasn’t rubbed off at least a little on Castro. The last thing the Cubs need is a Hanley Ramirez-type attitude from their best player.
