Results tagged ‘ Darwin Barney ’

WHAT A MESS

What a mess that the Cubs have right now.  We aren’t going anywhere this year and probably not next year either.  We had the chance to deal Carlos Pena to the Yankees, but decided to keep the great fielding, power bat and .225 average.  Starlin Castro was railed on by Bobby Valentine on ESPN recently during a game where the young shortstop was lackadaisical on the field.   Veterans Ryan Dempster and Aramis Ramirez have options for 2012 for $14 million and $16 million respectively.  That’s a lot of money for a couple of guys in their mid 30s.  Quade keeps getting ejected from games…6 for season now and it’s obvious that he is frustrated with this team’s performance.  The bottom line is that this team is a mess and it’s going to take a while to clean it up.

Now for the good news!  Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney seem to be a potentially really good double play combo for the next few years.  Andrew Cashner may be be joining the Cubs in September after suffering a rotator cuff injury in April.  Brett Jackson, Cashner, Chris Carpenter and Trey McNutt are some of our younger players scheduled to play in the Arizona Fall League this year.  Tony Campana has had a positive impact on the Cubs this summer and has a strong chance of making the team in 2012.  Tyler Colvin has been getting regular playing time and has hit the ball hard despite having a terrible average.  Matt Garza is pitching much better than his record would indicate too.

Even with all our troubles we have a lot to look forward to.  It’s just going to take a little time.  I hope the Cubs are patient and make the right moves with our players and future General Manager.

ANOTHER ONE SLIPS AWAY

Well, after taking a 4-3 lead in last night’s game against the Pirates, I really thought we were going to get a win.  Our bullpen has been one of our strengths this year in my opinion.  Some could blame the bullpen for being overworked, but closer Carlos Marmol didn’t make any excuses for last night’s performance.  I like that!

Still the Cubs cannot seem to put it all together.  Carlos Pena has been hitting homers left and right since the start of May.  Aramis Ramirez has been on a tear for about a month now.  Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro have been solid all season.  Our outfield has been plagued by inconsistency and injuries unfortunately and the same thing can be said for our starting rotation as well.  However, like I said earlier, our bullpen has been one of our strengths this year.  Unfortunately, they let one slip away last night.

Going into the All Star break the Cubs will be baseballs only team without a 3 game win streak this season.  That’s pretty sad.  It shows how inconsistent we have been.  Some of that inconsistency can be blamed on the large number of injuries we’ve sustained, but good teams have deep benches that pick up the slack.  However, even our bench players have seen time on the DL this year.  Both Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker have spent time on the DL this summer already and they are 2 of our better bench players when healthy.

When it’s all said and done, we just aren’t winning baseball games.  Our starting pitching is weak mainly due to injuries.  Our defense has also been a weakness, but I feel like it has improved some and we need that to continue.  Our bullpen is usually very good, but even they have bad games.  It’s everything combined together that is causing the Cubs to lose games.  Hopefully, we can turn that around after the All Star break.

THE DREADED “L” FLAG

This is a picture that Cub fans are getting used to seeing this year.  It’s not one we want to see either.  Until the Cubs start playing better or until I change my mind, this will be my gravatar picture.

Don’t get me wrong, I want the Cubs to win, but it’s hard to do so with so many injuries and overall poor play.

 

Now some good stuff!  The Cubs have three players that I think are worthy of making the All Star game this year.  Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro and Sean Marshall.  Barney and Castro are both hitting over .300 while Marshall boasts a 1.07 ERA as of this post.

On another bright note, both Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez just homered off Bronson Arroyo in Cincinnati!!!!

That’s all for now.  I’m going to finish watching today’s game!  GO CUBS GO!!!

BYRD, ALL STAR VOTING & COLORADO

Well, I wasn’t very pleased with the three game series the Cubs just played against the Red Sox.  We were fortunate to win one game, but the Red Sox were simply the better team.  There were some things that happened in the series that I thought I would talk about though.  The first being Marlon Byrd getting beaned in the face.  If you haven’t seen it then I suggest you look it up.  It was terrible. I was surprised that Marlon was able to maintain consciousness after getting hit.  It was obvious he was in an extreme amount of pain.  I wish him a quick and full recovery.  The pitcher who beaned Byrd, Alfredo Aceves, did not appear to hit him on purpose.  I believe it was a pitch that just got away from Aceves and unfortunately Byrd was unable to get out of the way.  Also, several Red Sox players were concerned about Byrd throughout the game and were asking Cub players for updates.  With Byrd being out for a while I imagine that Reed Johnson will get the majority of the playing time in center field.  I also look for Tony Campana to get some more playing time as well.  I also wonder who the Cubs will call up when Byrd is placed on the DL.

Well, I’ve voted for the All Star teams a few times now and I believe that there are only two Cubs deserving  of my vote at this time.  Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney.  Unfortunately, I have to write-in Barney’s name since he isn’t listed on the ballot.  If you look at these two player’s stats and compare them to all of the other players at their respective positions I think it’s obvious that they deserve your vote.

Finally, it appears I will have to go to Denver in July for something work related.  While I’m out there I plan on going to see the Brewers and Rockies do battle.  I’ve never been to a game at Coors Field, but I’ve hear great things about it.

THE OPTIMISTIC CUB FAN THAT I AM

The Cubs have been off to a relatively slow start this season.  If you’ve read any of my posts over the last month you probably know that I’ve been frustrated with their play.  However, things are beginning to look up.  We just finished a road trip with a winning record.  Wells and Cashner are getting closer to returning from the DL.  Carlos Pena homered in consecutive games against the Dodgers.  Ryan Dempster had a great outing last time out.  Castro and Barney are exceeding my expectations and look like they could make a great pair up the middle for years to come.  

I’m expecting Aramis Ramirez to start hitting home runs soon if he can get some protection in the lineup.  If Pena’s power burst continues then I think A-RAM will start hitting bombs too.  If that happens, then we could see a domino effect and several guys may start hitting better.  At least, that’s what I am hoping for.  
Alfonso Soriano is hitting homers like we have been wanting him to since he signed with the Cubs.  Now we need to get some men on base when he is batting.  I like him lower in the lineup too.  It gives us a major power threat in the 6th or 7th spot that many teams don’t have.  
This nine game home stand we are about to start tomorrow may be a big boost for us if we can win more than we lose.  I know it’s early still, but this home stand could be huge for us.  Let’s hope we step it up and wins some ballgames!

MEDIOCRE PLAY WON’T WIN THE CENTRAL

The Cubs have started this season by playing mediocre baseball in April.  When we’ve had decent pitching, our defense or offense has let us down.  Other times we’ve hit the ball, but our pitching let us down.  Sometimes it’s the starters and other times it’s the bullpen.  When we get guys on base and in scoring position we are not driving them in.  Our defense was terrible in spring training and it hasn’t been that good to start the season either.  Our manager has also made a few mistakes as well.  Combine all of this together and we get mediocre baseball!

First, let me start with something positive.  Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney are hitting great at the top of the lineup.  Both players have really impressed me.  It’s encouraging when your younger players come to play everyday and put up numbers like they are.  Castro is capable of hitting anywhere in the lineup in my opinion while DB has shown that he’s a capable number two hitter.  As of this morning, Castro is hitting .357 and DB is hitting .320.  They are also rank number two and three on the team in RBIs.  Soriano leads the team with 15.  That’s where the bad news starts to come in to play.  Marlon Byrd has only 5 RBIs.  Not what you want from your number three hitter.  Even though he’s hitting .293, he’s not driving in runs when he has the opportunity.  He’s hitting .185 with runners in scoring position and he’s unfortunately killed several rallies.  I hate saying this because Byrd is one of the players I really like on this team.  He plays the game the right way and never gives up.  I think he’s better suited batting somewhere else in the lineup.  I hope Quade realizes this soon.  Anyway, these failed opportunities are also hurting Aramis Ramirez, our cleanup hitter.  He has a good average, .329, but only 1 homer and 9 RBIs.  With runners in scoring position he’s hitting .286 with 6 RBIs.  Those are respectable numbers, but Byrd has limited his chances of driving in runs.  
Next we have issues with our starting pitching.  It doesn’t help when two of your starters go on the DL right after their first start of the season.  There is also something that is bothering me that is probably not that big of deal.  Our manager seems to trust our veteran starters, which is a good thing, but in my opinion, there’s been several times when he’s left the starter in too long.  This happened on Dempster’s first start of the season against Pittsburgh (a loss), also against Houston on the 11th (a win….barely) and again against the Dodgers on the 23rd(a win).  I think Quade needs to trust his bullpen more and not leave our starters in there too long.  I may be way off on this, but it’s frustrating when your team is winning and you can tell the starter is about out of gas and Quade tries getting another inning out of him.  It’s April for crying out loud!   There’s no need to push the starters to the limit this early in the season.
I guess the bottom line for me is that we aren’t scoring enough runs and I believe changing our lineup would help tremendously and that we need to trust our bullpen more.  We also need to play better defense.  I know the homers for Ramirez will come.  I also hope Pena starts hitting bombs into the bleachers in right field.  That would help a lot too.  Until then, we are just playing mediocre ball.

RANDOM STUFF

The Cubs took two of three from the Astros, but it wasn’t easy.  In the two wins, both starting pitchers were left in too long, in my amateur opinion, and the Astros almost came back and won each game.  I’m hoping Quade recognizes this and makes the appropriate adjustments.  In the game we loss during the series, it was a horrible display of baseball by the Cubs.  Lack of hustle, poor hitting and terrible defense.  That’s all I’ve got to say about that!

I am still not happy with Marlon Byrd batting third.  He’s off to a good start this season, but should be batting somewhere else in the lineup in my opinion.  I think the number three hitter in your lineup should be your best run producer.  I believe Aramis Ramirez is best suited batting third. He’s a proven run producer in his career.  Meanwhile, Byrd is batting .353, but only has four RBIs!  With runners in scoring position this year he’s hitting .214.  We need to make a slight change in the lineup so we can score more runs!
Kosuke Fukudome’s hamstring is bothering him and it’s allowing Tyler Colvin to play every day.  This is good news and I expect Colvin’s bat to wake up!  
Darwin Barney has been excellent this spring and seems like a good double play partner with Starlin Castro.  Everyone expected Castro to be playing well, but I don’t think very many people even knew who DB was before the season started.  I’ve said it before, but he reminds me of Ryan Theriot when he first came up with the Cubs.  That’s a good thing!
Former Cub, Sam Fuld, is turning into a human highlight reel for the Rays in Tampa.  He’s playing great defense, stealing bases and hitting the cover off the ball.  I’m glad he’s getting a chance to play and that he’s playing so well.  Even though he’s no longer with the Cubs, I will keep rooting for you!
The abrupt retirement of steroid user and cheater, Manny Ramirez, seems like a fitting end to his career.  I believe he had great talent, but I wonder how much of his talent was due to his steroid use.  
The Cubs are gearing up for a weekend series against the Rockies in Denver.  I hope we can win another series and that Matt Garza has a good game tomorrow night.  I hope he sticks with his fastball more than he did last outing against the Brewers.

EARLY OBSERVATIONS

The season is still young and the Cubs haven’t played as well as I had hoped.  We’ve also been bitten by the injury bug with Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells going down.  Here’s my thoughts on the team at this early point in the season.

Marlon Byrd is hitting the ball really well.  I just wish he was in a different spot in the lineup.  He’s batting third and that’s where I would want Aramis Ramirez hitting.  I would like to see Byrd bat, 1st, 2nd or 5th.  I think he would excel hitting in one of those three spots.  It would also allow Ramirez to bat third.  I think ARAM is a proven run producer and would help us score a few more runs hitting there and Byrd would ignite the offense a little better batting in one of the three spots I mentioned earlier.

Darwin Barney has continued to impress me.  He plays solid defense and produces with his bat.  I think he could be a good number two hitter or 8th place hitter. 
Starlin Castro also continues to impress.  He’s maturing before our very eyes.  I am very encouraged with this young man and his play. 

Alfonso Soriano is hitting with some pop.  I know he’s not a stolen base threat anymore, but we could sure use his power if we want to have any success in 2011. 

Carlos Pena continues to struggle at the plate while playing superb defense.  I wish he would stop looking for walks and start hitting the ball.  Myabe that’s my perception, but I think he’s too patient at the plate.  I would like to see him be more aggressive early in the count.

Overall, I’m still hopeful that we can compete in the NL Central.  Realistically, I think we are a .500 team that will finish around third or fourth in the division unless some things start to change. 

WRAPPING UP SPRING TRAINING

With spring training almost over, the Cubs are looking pretty good believe it or not.  We are relatively healthy and have had some solid performances by key players this spring.  Here’s my breakdown of some players that impressed or even won a job in spring training and some others that didn’t. 
 
Ryan Dempster, or Dumpster as my Cardinal friends refer to him, was selected as the Opening Day starter by Manager Mike Quade early in the spring.  Dempster has posted a 2.57 ERA in 28 innings at the time of this post.  That’s what you want from a team leader and your number one pitcher. 
 
Randy Wells won the 4th spot in the rotation by having an amazing spring training.  He posted an ERA of 2.10 in 25.2 innings so far and looks more like the 2009 version when he went 12-10 with a 3.05 ERA.  I don’t know if the rumors about him partying last year are true, but it appears he is strictly business this year.  I hope his performance this spring continues as the season starts this weekend.
 
Marcos Mateo has won the final spot in the bullpen by posting a 1.29 ERA so far this spring in 7 innings pitched.  Mateo turns 27 next month and may be a surprise strength for our bullpen.  The way I see it, he came to ST and earned his spot on the team.  I wish more players would do this!
 
Tyler Colvin has had a decent spring seeing action in rightfield and first base.  I would prefer him as our everyday rightfielder, but we still have Fukudome and I foresee them splitting time at the start of the season. 
 
Starlin Castro has had a great spring batting .350 so far and leading the team in home runs and RBIs surprisingly.  I think he’s going to have a solid second year in 2011.  He’s our shortstop of the present and future!
 
Darwin Barney has won the job over Blake DeWitt to platoo
n at second base with Jeff Baker.  Baker will see most of the action against lefties and Barney should play the rest of the time.  DB is batting .362 so far this spring and brings a lot of energy to the field.  Kind of reminds me of Ryan Theriot when he first came up with the Cubs.
 
Unfortunately, Blake DeWitt has had a difficult spring offensively and defensively.  He’s only hit .193 and has played himself out of a starting job.  For now, it appears he will be a backup infielder logging time at second and third base for the Cubs.  I believe he would be better off starting the season in Iowa so he could play everyday.  He’s still young, only 25, and could use a little incentive.  I think he could be the future second baseman for the Cubs with Barney being a backup middle infielder in the near future.  However, if Barney keeps hitting then that won’t be the case. 
 
Marlon Byrd, Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto have all had a decent spring.  These are three key players for the Cubs to be successful in 2011…..especially, Ramirez!  Meanwhile, Alfonso Soriano and newly acquired Carlos Pena have struggled this spring and that’s not a good sign.  Hopefully, both of these veterans will turn the corner once the regular season starts Friday against the Pirates.
 
I like the direction the team is currently heading.  We still need to improve our defense and base running.  Our pitching may end up being our biggest strength this year.  However, we need to score some runs if we want to contend for the NL Central title.

TRADE IDEAS…..AGAIN

Now that the Cubs roster is beginning to take shape I think the Cubs would be wise to make a trade or two before the season starts.  I have 3 players in mind to trade away.  They are Jeff Baker, Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Silva.  I would like the Cubs to get Chris Davis in return for any of these players.  If you’ve read my blog some this winter then you will know that this is something I have mentioned several times.  

Here’s my thoughts on Baker.  We could trade him and replace him with Chris Davis.  Davis is a true corner infielder.  He could backup Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena.  This would allow Darwin Barney to backup Starlin Castro and Blake DeWitt.  Davis has a lot of power and would be a power threat off the bench.
If the Cubs were to trade Fukudome it would open up an everyday position for Tyler Colvin.  While some Cub fans may not be sold on Colvin, I am.  Also, if we were to trade Fukudome that would allow Reed Johnson and Fernando Perez to both make the team strengthening our outfield defense and give us a lot of speed off the bench.  
Finally, trading Silva would allow one of our younger pitchers or one of our veteran non-roster invitees to make the starting rotation.  I know Silva had the blow up with Ramirez, but that’s not the main reason I would like to trade him.  He hasn’t pitched all that well this spring and I believe he will be on the DL by mid-summer.  
As long as we got Chris Davis in a deal I would be happy.  There are no other players that I have in mind at this point.  Maybe we could get some low level minor leaguers in a deal.  Plus, we could unload Fukudome’s and Silva’s contracts to a team willing to pay them.  I don’t think a trade will happen soon, but these are just a few ideas.  

GO CUBS GO!!!

« older posts | back to blog home |
Theme: MLB “fan” | Get a free blog at WordPress.com
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 483 other followers