Cubs cringe as key arms become concerns
Posted: Saturday, September 06, 2008 11:39 AM
What should be a comfortable time for the Cubs as they come down the stretch to the playoffs became uneasy with Friday’s report of Carlos Zambrano’s rotator cuff tendonitis.
The ace of the Chicago staff has thrown more innings than all but four pitchers in the last five years so some sign of wear on his arm should not surprise. But the timing is obviously awful for the team. The Cubs have proven themselves the class of the National League – with a strong chance to end their World Series drought and the only NL team that can be seriously regarded as a threat to win the Fall Classic.
But that is with a healthy Zambrano anchoring a starting trio which also includes Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden. Now, Z doesn’t pitch until next weekend at the earliest. The Cubs can’t count on more than three regular season starts from their ace. At the same time, Harden has “discomfort” and skips two starts, notable news from a pitcher who has never thrown 150 innings in a season.
And here’s where the September schedule rears its head. The Cubs lost the first game in Cincinnati of a closing stretch that will challenge -- 16 on the road of the final 22, six games with St. Louis, three in Houston (a late kick has the Astros breathing), four at Shea and the final three in Milwaukee. Any slippage and the Cubs could find themselves hearing comparisons to the 2007 Mets.
Other Cubbie concerns:
Kosuke Fukodome has hit a wall. Perhaps the length of the U.S. season is the reason but post All-Star break he has been non-existent. Just a .230 average and .323 OBP may see the Cubs giving Reed Johnson more playing time in the final weeks.
Does Jim Edmonds have enough in the tank? He’s only had 82 at-bats since the All-Star break.
Can Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and Sean Marshall pitch well enough to get leads to a superb bullpen, made stronger by rookie Jeff Samardzija?
Now remember that the Cubs have a PLAYOFF cushion of eight games over Philadelphia for second place in the wild card standings if they should falter in the NL Central. But also remember that the Mets felt secure at this time last year.
And the Cubs season has created visions of the World Series. A first-round playoff exit will play as a disappointment in Chicago. Thus a serious medical watch will exist on Zambrano and Harden over the next three weeks.
FIVE MORE SWINGS:
1. GREAT MOVE: Catching up on Baseball America with tennis just about over and I read about the July Breakthrough Series in SoCal, an urban initiative that provided tryouts for 60 high school kids from around the country including 20 from the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. Great to see MLB pushing to develop a greater African-American presence at youth levels.
2. HAVE YOU NO SHAME SIR? The words once directed at Sen. Joseph McCarthy could well be uttered towards Scott Boras. I wrote here a few weeks ago that the agent “won” with the huge bonuses secured by draft picks at the Aug. 15 deadline. But Boras pushed for a grievance to be filed by the MLBPA seeking to invalidate deals he struck on behalf of Pedro Alvarez (Pittsburgh) and Eric Hosner (Kansas City). Why? Boras claims MLB violated the Basic Agreement in extending the midnight deadline by minutes. Alvarez himself personally accepted his deal by phone to Pirates general manager Neal Huntington. BUT, rival agent Casey Close got Buster Posey (drafted No. 5) a bonus that exceeded Alvarez by $200,000. Boras can’t stand that. And kudos to Bill Madden of the NY Daily News for calling out Boras on this matter. Most baseball writers protect Boras in order to preserve “sources.”
3. SINCE HE CAME TO THE YANKEES…Pudge Rodriguez has hit .222 with 2 HR and 3 RBI and only plays three of every five games. Turning 37 in November, time and the grind of catching, appear to have caught up to Pudge, whose career as a regular appears over.
4. DANIEL MURPHY IS SOME IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE: Watched his ninth-inning at-bat against Brad Lidge Friday night and Murphy worked the closer for 10 pitches, never looking overmatched. Word is the Mets will look to move him to second base next year as they try to incorporate much-needed youth.
5. NUMBERS HARD TO BELIEVE: Miguel Tejada, playing in a hitters’ paradise, has 12 HR and 57 RBI in 551 AB.
