CUB OFFENSE IN HIDING; LOSE TO SOX AGAIN at Cubsquest.com

12 July:

If one wants to take a positive spin out of yesterday"s loss to the #White Sox you could say it was at least better than Friday"s performance.

They did score a run. They only struck out 11 times instead of 12, and only hit into 1 double play rather than 3. You could also say Jon...
Check it out at Cubsquest.comCUB OFFENSE IN HIDING; LOSE TO SOX AGAIN

CUBS SHUT OUT BY SOX at Cubsquest.com

10 July:

The #Cubs turned in one of their poorer efforts of the year Friday afternoon.

The numbers tell the tale:

12 strikeouts and 4 double plays. #Castro, the black hole of the lineup, hit into 2, #Bryant one and the other was a "strike "em out, throw "em out" one. To say that the...
Check it out at Cubsquest.comCUBS SHUT OUT BY SOX

CITY SERIES PREVIEW at Cubsquest.com

10 July:

The last series of the first half is upon the Cubs, and it couldn"t be more appropriate.

Their nominal rivals from 35th and Shields, the Chicago White Sox. It is a series that means both much and little, and it serves as a nice fence post to begin the evaluation of this...
Check it out at Cubsquest.comCITY SERIES PREVIEW

BLACKHAWKS WHEELING AND DEALING TO STAY UNDER CAP at Cubsquest.com

TREVOR BLOCK on the HAWKS

Chicago, IL – The NHL offseason rages on and the Blackhawks’ salary dumping is in full swing.

The offseason began with a bang with the blockbuster Brandon Saad trade, and since the Chicago Blackhawks have not let up. The primary item on the front offices’ agenda is...
Check it out at Cubsquest.comBLACKHAWKS WHEELING AND DEALING TO STAY UNDER CAP

HALFWAY POINT: WHAT LESSONS ARE LEARNED? at Cubsquest.com

9 July:

The Cubs have what is probably a much needed day off.

The White Sox series will be followed by the four day All Star break. This, too, will allow some of the little "owies" and just plain exhaustion, both physical and mental, to subside.

It"s also a time for...
Check it out at Cubsquest.comHALFWAY POINT: WHAT LESSONS ARE LEARNED?

CUBS, STROP COUGH UP LOSS TO CARDS

8 July:

Somebody famous once said ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results’ – a paraphrase, for sure.

But it always did ring true. BTW, it was, indeed, Alfred Einstein. You all knew that one.

Joe Maddon is not a physicist. He’s an scientist performing ART. An alchemist in the truest sense of the word.

Merlin the magician, born in 1136 although most likely a composite, would heartily accept one Joseph John Maddon, an Aquarius from Hazleton, Pa.

They would have gotten along just fine.

However, when you mix and make magical potions for a living things can go, invariably, wrong.

The Cub Cardinal game tonight comes front and center in this deep story rife with talismans. The potion would be three parts Jason Hammel to two parts Rizzo, a sizeable pinch of Bryant, and hoping the bench guys (Denorfia, Coghlan) can pick up for the non-producers.

Starlin Castro.

If ever a player as hit his dead end in this city it’s him.

Even the local media has tossed him overboard, pretty much unceremoniously, about a month ago.

You won’t read an article out there that doesn’t exalt a struggling Addison Russell over the possessor of over 1,00o hits at 26 out there.

BIG change.

Look at it THIS way:

Would any other team have given a player with his demonstrable weaknesses SUCH an opportunity?

Luis Valbuena is another prime example. A minimally skilled player, was given a shot at driving the baseball, and he became a .226 hitter who can hit 16 homers in 520 at  bats.

He’s got 19 homers in the amusement park in Houston while hitting .203.

With only THIRTY SIX rbi’s. Lot’s of solo homers there. And very little contact. Castro is just a better version; more talent, less game. But essentially fringe players.

Castro will never see another All Star game. Why is all of this important?

Because no matter HOW good a magician, he needs to have the right mix of potions. And, once again, the weak spots in a crucial situation were the aforementioned shortstop and Pedro Strop.

How many epic fails by these guys do you really need to see?

Strop can be demoted back to the 6th and 7th, where he can just mow people when he has a lead.

Castro is just a black hole in the middle of a team desperate to win. He makes a little contact tonight and Strop is an afterthought.

The rest of the team played GREAT.

That’s the most agonizing thing about it…

Off day tomorrow. The White Sox throw stud draft pick Carlos Rondon against Kyle Hendricks; 3:05 start, CSN TV, WBBM radio

CUBS, STROP COUGH UP LOSS TO CARDS

CHRIS DENORFIA: JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS HE?

7 July:

He had a nice spring, although once again shortened by nagging leg issues. Started the season hot, and then pulled the hamstring yet again. Landed him on the DL, and he wasn’t very happy about it. You see, guys like Denorfia think they’ve died and gone to puppy heaven getting to play at Wrigley.

Having played for the Reds, A’s and Padres he’s used to a sparser crowd, for instance.

Not to mention the peripherals of being here. The media presence, the national nature of the franchise and such.

Yep, he was damn happy to be offered that one year, $2.6 million with $400 k in incentives. He also knew how good they are going to be. Already he’s become one of the most valuable guys on the team.

His .330/.364/.784 ops sure helps.

So, too does his defensive flexibility; he’s a better outfielder than Coghlan (and Soler as well) and gives you slightly above average play at the corners and average at center.

His swing is what he calls ‘low maintenance swing’. He hits a lot with his hands, and off of his front foot. But he keeps his hip rotation tight and can explode when given a center cut meatball. He has more power than you think but is quite pleased to put a lot of spin, both top and back on balls depending on the situation.

He keeps it on the ground but jerked a walkoff sacrifice fly when tasked to.

The Wheaton College grad hails from ESPN’s backyard in Bristol, Connecticut. The 34 year old knows the time is now to make a grab at the golden ring both for himself and the team, and is taking it all with a fervor.

The Cubs have a lot of rookies, and some of them either playing out of position, or learning one on the fly. They needed a couple of skilled role players, and added Dexter Fowler.

But they might have grabbed their biggest steal right here…

CHRIS DENORFIA: JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS HE?