OOTP 7 Dynasty: Cubby Blue & Wrigley Field

[DawnBTVS]

Only two years after finishing at 73-71, the Chicago Cubs would finish the 1997 season under head coach Jim Riggleman at a woeful 68-94 record, a year before Sosa's home run chase and wild card berth in the playoffs.

New general manager, David Hunter, a transplant of Boston and longtime Red Sox fan has been hired at the age of 39 to oversee the Chicago Cubs entering the 1997 season. The year before, they finished 10 games back of a .500 record at 76-86 with only 3 games separating them from the last place Pittsburgh Pirates. Needless to say, Cubs fans are not only thirsting for a World Series ring after a lengthy drought only rivaling the Sox but are no longer in the mood to accomodate a losing squad nor be second rate to their other Chicago counterpart, the White Sox.

A man coming from the school of thought popularized by Bill James and Palmer, he is sure to earn the scorn of Chicago writers like Jay Mariotti and possibly face expulsion from the Windy City if things don't go right in short form. Not to mention the use of new fangled stats will be sure to confuse the ballplayers just as much as the fans. Tread lightly or go in guns blazing? Well, since I'm lacking six shooters I guess I'll have to mimic a penguin and hope I don't offend the Tribune Company.

Quick Note on League Settings: The DH has been disabled in both leagues and imports will come courtesy of the Spritze/Garlon DB. Also all ratings and stars have been turned off.

[DawnBTVS]

Now let's take a look at the pitchers of the Cubs. Since they did win 76 games, there must be some solid arms right? Solid, kind of. Winners? Well, we can't all be losers, which some of these guys should be lucky that such a phrase exists given their 1996 seasons.

Miguel Batista: Coming over at age 25 from the Florida Marlins, he was largely used as a reliever, starting only 4 games. Even with the arguable help of a relief role, he only put up a 4.28 ERA in 40 innings of work. He got lucky with a .262 BABIP but there is some hope! He only allowed 3 HR and that's about all he has to go with. His 4.28 BB/9 isn't inspiring nor is his 5.40 K/9. Only upside is that he's cheap at almost $248,000. I may utilize him as a spot starter, much like Florida.

Frank Castillo: Entering his prime years at 27, he saw his BABIP rise to .304 and his ERA skyrocket as a result. A small comfort is that his rate stats largely remained the same but he threw 27 fewer innings. Impeccable control (2.21 BB/9) plus a solid K rate (6.88) gives me hope. Could be the star of my staff. Where's Chris Bosio when you need him?

Terry Mulholland: Evidently he's been busy trying to find that perfect white picket fence home as this will be his 5th team in 4 seasons. Between Seattle and Philadelphia he had a combined 4.11 ERA last year and at 33 he's a veteran. We needed somebody with a grizzly beard, squinting eyes, and intangibles to manage our not so young pitching staff. Who better than Terry? How a bout a guy with an arm that can throw it faster than 87 MPH?

Kevin Tapani: Another old veteran at 32. Solid year last season but $5.58 Million is steep. He had a lucky .266 BABIP, like seemingly every pitcher on this staff. I expect an implosion during the course of the year but he's wily, maybe he can get tips from Wile E. Coyote. Or keep the voodoo going on defensive help. Somebody find Pedro Ceranno and tell him where his boa constrictor went.

Steve Trachel: Our best pitcher, young at 26 years old, and a guy that makes me sigh with bliss that there's an arm who doesn't suck. Then I see his .235 BABIP and 1.31 HR/9 rate. Okay, flukish numbers but he has control: 2.67 BB/9 and... he can't strike guys out. A 5.81 K/9 won't cut it, even with a 92 MPH fastball. Maybe the defense will bail him out again. Or maybe not.

Well, the starting rotation won't be intimidating anybody, not even the grandmothers in the walker baseball league but maybe the bullpen will be more up to speed.

Terry Adams: 23 years old and one of the best relievers in baseball. He won 8 games (threatening some of the starters...) but he did throw 101.2 IP. That's a lot for a young arm and makes me want to wonder how Dusty Baker materialized in a Cubs uniform. Like Batista, he has no control but a decent K/9 if he were a starter. He's not, he's a reliever so his K/9 isn't great either. I renege my statement that he is one of the best relievers in baseball. Oy.

Kent Bottenfield: He has field in his name and it's quickly dawning on me that the Cubs defense is great. The pitchers, not so much and I shudder to think of the Cubs offense right now. Kent mirrored Terry but he's 28 and has great control. As with the other arms, he thinks a strikeout is a Japanese term (4.85 K/9).

Larry Casian: A 31 year old lucky as hell pitcher. He's had consecutive 2.92 ERAs but had more BB than K in 1995 and had 7 more strikeouts than walks in 1996. This staff is really filling me with the blossoming rays of sunshine. I think I've landed in hell. Pretty sure of it.

Mel Rojas: Here's a stud! He's old at 30 but he's coming from Montreal and I hear he speaks fluent Spanish. We need more of that on this squad. He's thrown a lot of innings but he can actually strike out hitters (10.31 K/9) and combine that with great control (2.99 B/9). If only I could throw him into the starting rotation. I bet he'd last 3 innings before his arm falls off. Wait, I think I already see muscle fibers. Eww.

Amaury Telemaco: Well, he's 22 years old and that's about all he has going for him. He had 17 starts and was woeful to the tune of a 5.25 ERA. As is the case, solid control and no strikeout ability but he may battle with Batista for the #5 spot in the rotation.

Turk Wendell: A relieving legend but not for good reasons. Had a career year last year so I have no faith he'll repeat it, especially with a 4.89 BB/9 rate. He could be a solid setup man but his wildness concerns me. Hell, he's a Pittsfield native so being a Mass boy, he'll give me something. It's in the contract that New Englanders perform for each other. At least he has his superstitions.

Bob Patterson: Our resident grand wizard at a timeless 37. He's one of our best relievers and had an 8.80 K/9 with a 2.96 ERA last year. I think we've found our setup man ladies and gentlemen!

[DawnBTVS]

Well, the pitching staff won't be overpowering very many National League teams so I think it's up to the offense to impose their will and win games because the rotation won't be helping matters much.

At catcher, we have a couple of interesting names although neither is a stunner.

Tyler Houston: Only 25 years old and our probable starter for the season. He had a small sample of 223 AB but he was able to make good contact (.305 BA) and had a 0.788 OPS despite 15 BB. He's ambidextrous too so he has that going for him.

Scott Servais: Hitting his peak at 29 but the braintrust felt he should start and get 444 AB last year. Smart move because he only walked 30 times (6.75%. Similar to Tyler) but he has no ability to make contact nor can he show power with a .383 Slugging rate. He'll backup Tyler and expend his veteran knowledge.

At first base we only have one option but he's the modern day Mr. Cubby and is a spry 32 years old.

Mark Grace: One of the few hitters that make me think I did a good thing accepting this job. One of the best 1B in baseball and although he has no home run power (9 in 545 AB), he still put up an .845 OPS last year and had 20 more walks than strikeouts. Why can't the other hitters learn from him?

At second base we have an interesting battle.
Jose Hernandez: He has power, slugging .379 despite a .239 BA but well, he sucks otherwise. He's had a .286 OBP and .291 OBP in the past 2 seasons and I'd rather rip my teeth out than have to start him.

Ryne Sandberg: A Cubs legend and 37 years old. He hit .241 in 1996 but has more power than Hernandez, socking 25 HR with a .442 SLG. I don't care if he limps around the bases, he'll be our starter for the power alone. Hernandez can reflect on the merits of getting on base.

At third base we have a similar battle although again it's clear who the starter will be.
Kevin Orie: A literal unknown at 24 years old, he has zero statistics to his name but he's almost making $248,000 so that's something I guess.

Dave Hansen: Ah... Dave Hansen. A gem of a Saber player despite hitting only .252 last season in 250 AB with Los Angeles. He has no power to speak of, hitting like Sally Blue Eyes, but he had a .339 OBP and walked 13.60% of the time. He should be a solid starter and one of the few bright spots on this team.

At shortstop we really only have one option.
Shawon Dunston: 33 years old but a bit of a Cubs staple. He can't walk if you spotted him 4 balls but he can make contact (.304 in 289 AB with San Francisco) and still has some power to his name despite smacking only 5 home runs. He put up a .747 OPS so I guess it could be worse, until I see he's making $2.475 Million. I guess it could be a lot better too.

In the outfield, we have one memorable name, and a slew of players who make the fans scratch their head and long for the 1960's.
Brant Brown: Who can forget this Cubs player? He put up a .777 OPS because he slugged .472 and forgot that taking a walk won't send you back to California, specifically Porterville. He managed to walk only 5.60% and makes me want to scream at his lack of discipline.

Doug Glanville: A bane of Sabremetricians, he was even worse than Brant Brown despite being a year older at 26. He put up a .298 OBP in 250 AB and will be happily admiring the sun and ivy from the bench this year if I can help it.

Brian McRae: At 29 years old, he won't be peaking much but he'll be one of the 4 Cubs on this team that fills me with a sense he can hit when he goes up to bat. He can walk (72 BB in 622 AB) and had a .780 OPS with 17 HR. It's sad I'm getting excited over such low OPS' but you take what you can get with this squad.

Sammy Sosa: Slammin' Sammy is making $2.47 Million but unlike Dunston he's worth it and is easily the best player on this whole Cubs team. He's a perennial 40 home run player despite a .270 BA and a woeful .321 OBP. He swings for the fences everytime and it shows, 34 BB against 134 K. Only hope is that he sees the benefits of walking like he did in 1995 with 67 BB and returns to being a bit more patient.

Dave Clark: He's old at 34 years old but he was great with Pittsburgh in 210 AB to the tune of an .823 OPS. He can get on base (.361 OBP) and 30 BB (14.29%) so I'm thinking of testing him in left field to replace Brant Brown's inability to walk.

[DawnBTVS]

What about the minor leagues? The farm system is pretty barren of talent but it's chock full of inept Cub players that seem to fit right into the mantra of the Tribune Owners. What that mantra is, I'm not quite sure but I know that it's probably not, "Get on base, strike out guys, and win ballgames."

Kevin Foster: He'll be sticking in AAA after a 5.98 ERA in 87.1 IP. He had an atrocious 1.65 HR/9 and can't seem to keep the ball in the park.

Geremi Gonzalez: Much like Kevin Orie, a 21 year old who seems to have materialized out of thin air. We'll see how he copes with AAA. A young SP is a good sight to see though.

Marc Pisciotta: A 26 year old warm body at reliever for AAA. No stats to his name but he can throw his fastball at 89 MPH and has a groundball rate of 63% so there's some hope.

Dave Swartzbaugh: He'll stay at AAA after a 6.11 ERA as a reliever. He had 34 BB and 32 K which is just mind boggling.

Rodney Myers: A 27 year old closer who's interesting. He had a 4.54 ERA despite a low BABIP of .266. His lack of control is keeping him in AAA but his 6.70 K/9 shows some promise down the road.

Roberto Rivera: A 5.21 ERA and 39 K vs. 37 BB in 74.1 IP is awful. He's 27 and stuck in AAA for a reason, even with the unlucky .319 BABIP.

Mike Hubbard: A 25 year old Catcher who is sticking in AAA after a .225/.284/.315 season in which he walked 7.50% of the time. That's still better than some of our starters.

Miguel Cairo: Young and 22, he has speed and is a decent slugger for the 2B position (.348 in 250 AB). He had a .305 OBP though so until he can make contact, he'll stay in AAA.

Rey Sanchez: Ugh. 29 year old SS but hit .208/.270/.250 in 288 AB last season. I don't care how good his defense is, that's keeping him in AAA.

Brooks Kieschnick: The immortal pitcher turned hitter is 24 years old and an interesting prospect for the Cubs. He doesn't have much patience (.311 OBP in 200 AB) but he did manage to slug .415 and put up a .726 OPS as a result. I'll keep an eye on him during the year.

Pedro Valdes: 23 year old outfielder who is much like most of the Cubs starters in that he has no sense of getting on base but can show some power. He's young so his .293 OBP isn't damning and his .375 SLG is promising I guess.

Robin Jennings: The 24 year old version of Pedro Valdes. Another .293 OBP but he managed to slug .370 too. Another guy I'll be keeping an eye on throughout the year.

[DawnBTVS]

Given the lack of minor league options, I've been scouring the waiver wire and free agency. I've also noticed several trades happening around baseball, with the biggest probably being between Detroit and the White Sox. Chicago acquired Orlando Miller who smacked 16 HR at SS while giving up Albert Belle.

But since I'm in charge of the Chicago Cubs, that other team here, the fruitful laboring hasn't yielded much in the way of options but there is a small, pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel. I offered a minor league contract to 28 year old Matt Mieske. He's a poor hitter with no plate discipline but he has slugged over .400 in each of the past three seasons with 24 HR in 655 AB the past 2 years. He proceeds to deny the contract offer and he's not worth going after on a major league deal.

Since we're also in need of able pitching, I'm surprised to see Rick Helling on the market. He had a 1.98 ERA in 4 starts with Florida and had a great 8.63 K/9 rate. Only concern is that he had a 6.00 ERA with Texas in 21.0 IP but he can strike guys out and he's only 26. He wants $395,000 and I can't offer the contract fast enough. He's signed and will likely take over the last rotation spot, letting Telemaco and Batista stay in relief.

I also spy with my little eye Doug Bochtler. He had a 3.05 ERA in 65.0 IP last season. He can keep the ball in the park and like Helling, has a penchant for striking out hitters as he's struck out a batter an inning the past 2 seasons. He has a little issue with control but he wants a 2 year contract at $355,000 a year. I offer him the 2 year deal. He too is only 26 and getting into his prime. He signs, helps bolstering my relief corps.

The Phillies offer me Mike Lieberthal for Brian McRae and $547,194 in cash. I entertain the offer for all of three seconds before rejecting them on the basis that Lieberthal is not an upgrade at C, especially with his .305 OBP.

I send down Larry Casian and Kevin Orie to make room for our two new pitching options.

[DawnBTVS]

Another big trade occurred, this time with the Colorado Rockies sending Vinny Castilla to the Toronto Blue Jays for Pat Hentgen. Vinny had 34 HR last year and Pat Hentgen went 23-8 with a 2.50 ERA.

Another trade proposal has been offered to me by the San Francisco Giants. This one, however, does pique my interesting a little bit, namely because it involves Jose Hernandez who, while quite the slugger, can't get on base at all. San Fran is offering Mark Lewis who is making a little more at $425,250 but he's 27 and is signed for 2 years. He had 10 HR and a .682 OPS compared to Hernandez's 10 HR and .670 OPS. I choose to reject it, mainly because Hernandez put up similar numbers in only 330 AB while Lewis did his in 533 AB for Detroit.

Remember Mike Lieberthal? Well he got sent packing to Houston for Luis Gonzalez and $1.38 Million in cash. Guess the Phillies fared pretty well after my rejection.

Colorado continues their splurge, sending Andres Galaragga and his 40 HR along with $583,608 to Pittsburgh for Esteban Loaiza and his 4.56 ERA in 10 starts.

I am looking at the waiver wire and see Tony Batista listed. He can make good depth at AAA and did have a .751 OPS in 250 AB last season. I put in a claim and hope to snag him. A couple days later and the Cubs have ourselves yet another middle infielder, this time a 23 year old second baseman with a bit more promise. Turns out he is out of options but Jose Hernandez isn't. I send him down to AAA to make some room.

Since I can never have enough pitching, I take a gander at Tim Worrell who has just landed on the free agent scrap heap. He got unlucky in 1995 and posted a 4.28 ERA but he pitched well last year, even if it was 119 IP while getting some time as a starter. I offer him a 2 year contract at $425,000 which he accepts in short order. I opt to send down Amaury Telemaco who's 23 and can afford to spend some time in the minors.

[DawnBTVS]

We've finally come upon opening day, which means we surmise just how many losses the Chicago Cubs can obtain from other teams.

The Cardinals finished 1st at 88-74 and didn't make many moves. Their starting rotation is stronger after adding 22 year old Matt Morris although adding Lance Painter's 5.86 ERA to the bullpen doesn't seem very smart. But they won 88 games and we didn't so who am I to question them? They have six players who gave them OBP's of .340 or higher last year including a .348 from Willie McGee and .342 from Moneyball luck pioneer John Mabry.

The Astros finished above .500 and as such they stuck with their strong pitching and solid hitting. Mike Hampton gave them a 3.59 ERA while going 10-10 and sticking Sid Fernandez and his 4.27 ERA in the bullpen seems to be an attempt at going the opposite of turning any old reliever into a starter as we'll see later. Offensively, the Killer Bees remain intact along with the callup of 23 year old Bobby Abreu who hopes to avoid the wrath that the Phillies fans rained down upon him.

The idea of turning a reliever into a starter seems popular as the Reds turned Mike Remlinger's 5.60 ERA into the #1 starter on the rotation. Kent Mercker and his struggles as a starter in Baltimore don't phase Cincinnati because he's been named as the #5 starter, despite the 7.76 ERA in 12 starts. Speed's the name of the game for the Cincinnati offense and they also have some dangerous pop in Reggie Sanders and Barry Larkin.

The Pittsburgh Pirates despite finishing 3 games back of us made a couple moves, acquiring reliever Chuck McElroy and his 2.95 ERA in 40 games along with the 47 home runs supplied by The Big Cat. Jason Schmidt and his 4.06 ERA should be a helpful addition to the rotation and Francisco Cordova has been named the #1 starter after a 4.09 ERA in 99.0 IP. They don't have much on offense outside of Galaragga and Kevin Elster's 24 home runs with Texas last year.

Finally, the Chicago Cubs completely revamped the pitching, acquiring players such as Tim Worrell, Doug Bochtler, and starter Rick Helling. The Cubs are hoping Helling's 1.95 ERA with Florida in 4 starts was not a mirage. On the offensive side, they don't have many threats outside of Sammy Sosa and his 40 home runs along with Mr. Cub and his 25 home runs at age 36.

Predicted Standings
St. Louis Cardinals (88-74)
Cincinnati Reds (81-81)
Houston Astros (77-85)
Chicago Cubs (73-89)
Pittsburgh Pirates (67-95)

[captaincarl]

That's a great write up on the team. How is your defense shaping up to be? Really good up-the-middle defense will certainly help your pitching staff.

Also, you might want to use brown instead of yellow for the Pirates. The yellow is very hard to see with a white background.

Good luck with the Cubbies and changing history.

[DawnBTVS]

Originally Posted by captaincarl

That's a great write up on the team. How is your defense shaping up to be? Really good up-the-middle defense will certainly help your pitching staff.

Also, you might want to use brown instead of yellow for the Pirates. The yellow is very hard to see with a white background.

Good luck with the Cubbies and changing history.

Thanks for the comments. I'll admit that I'm greatly influenced by cknox0723 and his Pale Hose Dynasty. The defense is alright if not a bit suspect as Tyler Houston has a poor throwing arm but he's mainly being used for his ability to slug. Ryne Sandberg is a decent enough 2B although his range is somewhat limited but he is 37 so I'll be happy if he can still dive without tweaking his back. Tony Batista is a great defensive replacement for late innings though. Shawon Dunston is an above average SS and his offense is an added bonus.

Overall, defensively we aren't that strong a team at 1B, 3B, or LF (although Brant Brown is a serviceable defensive replacement). So this team will be riding the slugging ability of the offense and the control of both the rotation and the bullpen if we want to start seeing victories.

I'll likely have the results of opening day posted later.

[DawnBTVS]

Opening day pits Kevin Brown and the Florida Marlins as the Chicago Cubs start the 1997 season off with an away game. Steve Traschel is our opening day starter.

Mark Grace sets the tone for the first inning, working a full count into a game leadoff walk down to first base. Mike Lansing commits an error at second and suddenly Dave Clark joins Grace on the base paths. Brian McRae works another walk, giving me optimism that the Chicago Cubs may just have learned the importance of on base percentage during the cold winter months. Swing For the Fences manages to get out of an 0-2 hole, working another full count before striking out to give the Fish their first out of the inning. Tyler Houston unfortunately slaps into the 6-4-3 double play to not only end the inning but end the threat as well.

Steve Traschel manages to get Bonilla to fly out and strikes out Moises Alou but has Sheffield and Floyd on thanks to walks. Traschel keeps his poise and strikes out Charles Johnson to end the first inning at 0-0.

Steve Traschel helps his own cause in the second with a single, sending Shawon Dunston to third with 2 outs. Another missed opportunity though as Mark Grace strikes out to end the threat.

The next few innings go by without any major instance, although both pitchers have now surpassed 60 pitches. Through 6 innings it has turned into quite the pitcher's duel although there is some concern on the end of the Chicago Cubs as Steve Traschel has walked 5 batters.

Kevin Brown gets injured after fielding a ground ball and goes out in the 7th inning. John Cangelosi breaks the game open with a single scoring Morman who had swiped 2nd base after reliever Doug Bochtler was brought in. The inning ends with Tim Worrell coming in and inducing a groundout leaving the score at 1-0.

Tim Worrell comes up big in the 8th inning, striking out Mike Lansing after getting runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 out. In the top of the 9th though, with runners on 1st and 2nd all Dave Hansen can do is strike out in a 1-2 count from Jay Powell to end the game.

CHC 0 FLO 1
WP: Brian Boehringer (1-0)
LP: Doug Bochtler (0-1)
S: Jay Powell (1)

Game Ball goes to Kevin Brown who not only shut us down but did so with 8 strikeouts before coming out with an injury. The injury is said to be a strained back muscle and he is currently day to day.

Overall Thoughts: A bit of a heartbreaking loss considering how well Traschel pitched. It doesn't surprise me at all that Swing For the Fences struck out 3 times. What's more disconcerting is that as a team we struck out 13 times as opposed to drawing only 3 walks. Tyler Houston did go 2-4 but the SB ended up being the crushing blow. He did throw out Sheffield though.

[DawnBTVS]

Game 2 saw Terry Mulholland squaring off with Livan Hernandez. Mark Grace again starts the game off on the right foot for us with a double. He gets moved to 3rd on a ground out by Dave Clark. Brian McRae picks up the first RBI for the Chicago Cubs on a ground out but the important thing is that Grace scores. The inning ends on a strike out by Swing For the Fences.

Edgar Renteria opens the bottom half with a double but Wily Ace gets a strikeout and groundout. He gets out of the jam with a big strikeout of Gary Sheffield.

Tyler Houston starts off the second inning with a single but Mr. Cub strikes out after a good, lengthy at bat. Dunston grounds into the fielder's choice and Dave Hansen grounds out to end the second inning. The only good news is that the Cubs are working the count, Livan's up to 35 pitches.

Well, Wily Ace walked Cliff Floyd and would pay for it as Mike Lansing doubles him home after Charles Johnson struck out. He manages to get a couple groundouts to end the inning with the game now tied up at 1.

The 3rd inning starts off strong with Wily Ace avenging himself with a single. With 1 out, Dave Clark raps a double leaving runners on second and third for Brian McRae. He flies out but up comes our star, Swing For the Fences who actually works the count into his favor 2-0 before whacking a 2 Run Double. The Cubs take the 3-1 lead. Tyler Houston then flies out.

Wily Ace is pitching his old heart out as he makes it through the 3rd inning unscathed although his pitch count is almost at 60. He does have 5 strikeouts though.

The top of the 4th is unenventful but the Marlins strike back as Cliff Floyd lines a triple down the line past Dave Clark. Charles Johnson follows that up by ripping the common hit of the night, a double plating the 2nd run. Wily Ace can't close the door just yet as he walks Morman and gives up the game tying single to opposing starter Livan Hernandez. The barrage of runs continues as Edgar Renteria smacks another single, driving in Morman from second. Bobby Bo grounds out to end the onslaught.

Mark Grace gets left stranded on second base and we head to the bottom of the 5th inning, with Wily Ace at 82 pitches. The danger alarm screams after a single and double has Moises Alou and Gary Sheffield on 2nd and 3rd base with 0 out. I opt at this time to use my managerial smarts and bring in Terry Adams. He at least gets the out as Cliff Floyd grounds out but it scores the 5th run. Charles Johnson follows suit with another RBI groundout and suddenly my squad is down 3 runs. The inning ends on a groundout although an error sent Mike Lansing to 2nd just prior.

While I'm in the dugout having sweat perspiring off of me, I get to watch my anemic offense try and score another 3 runs. Needless to say, they do nothing of consequence in the top of the 6th inning and I'm forced to scramble and call in Kent Bottenfield. I despise using my relievers so much but Wily Ace decided he didn't want leave me too much choice in the matter. When it rains, it pours because Bottenfield gets injured on a flyout. I sigh, shake my head, and call in Miguel Batista with 2 out and hopes that he can go the 7th inning as well and possibly the 8th. His 1st pitch is a wild pitch, sending Edgar Renteria to 2nd. Moises Alou snickers and preys on Batista with an RBI single. Batista proceeds to immediately compound the issue with walking Gary Sheffield and I'm stucking wishing I had 14 pitchers in my bullpen. I call on Mr. Superstition to try and do something beneficial. He gets the fielder's choice and the inning gratefully ends. Now if only this game would.

The score is now 7-3 entering the 7th inning. Mr. Superstition managed to keep 0 runs from crossing the plate although our offense did nothing in the top so it all means squat to me as manager.

Mark Grace strikes out to start the 8th inning off. Dave Clark follows it up with his best impersonation of the guy hitting in front of him because he also strikes out. McRae gives me a little bit of hope with a single, bringing up Swing For the Fences. A groundout comes out of my optimism and I sink back onto the bench in disgust.

Bobby Bo delivers a leadoff double in the 8th, forcing me to call in Bob Patterson our resident bullpen lefty. He gets a ground out but gives up an RBI triple to Gary Sheffield as if it's his patriotic duty not to be left out. He gets a big strikeout but then Charles Johnson strikes with an RBI single to give Florida 9 runs on the night. The inning ends mercifully after yet another walk and a strikeout.

I doubt we'll score 6 runs in the top of the 9th. My offense keeps my prediction and we finally get to go back to our hotels where I can drown myself in Jack Daniels.

CHC 3 FLO 9
WP: Livan Hernandez (1-0)
LP: Terry Mulholland (0-1)

Yet again the opposing pitcher gets the Game Ball after going a complete game with 6 strikeouts. Kent Bottenfield suffered the same injury as Kevin Brown and will be DTD for 1-2 weeks. I hope he can back shortly.

[DawnBTVS]

The final game of our set sees the premiere of Rick Helling on the Chicago Cubs taking on Alex Fernandez.

Our offense does nothing and I get to watch Helling implode against a good offense. Sheffield and Bobby Bo strike immediately with back to back singles. A sac fly scores the first run and a walk instantly follows because Helling seems to think that toying with the manager is the idea of the game. A flyout brings us to 2 outs before Cliff Floyd swipes 2nd to remind me that Tyler Houston has no arm to speak of. A groundout ends the inning with us only down 1-0 and I breathe a sigh of relief that that's all they could muster given yesterday's ambush.

We don't do anything offensively in the 2nd but the important thing is that they don't either. Helling had been run up to 30 pitches after the 1st but seemed more composed, although a sacrifice bunt by Livan Hernandez is always nice to see.

The next inning goes by with nothing of note and the 4th inning starts out with Mark Grace offering the first hit of the game for us. Dave Clark and Brian McRae keep up the tally with 2 more strikeouts, giving Alex 7 now. Swing For the Fences, much to my astonishment actually works a full count and gets a walk out of it. With 2 men on and hope rising, Tyler Houston dashes it with a ground out.

Rick Helling has really settled down, not allowing a run or much of anything else since the 1 run first. Unfortunately, it looks like the Chicago Cubs have decided that they don't need an offense and can rely on Rick's arm the whole game. Oy. He's sure trying though as he goes through the 5th inning with ease despite a double from Moises Alou.

Not much of note in the 6th inning although Gregg Zaun picks up his 2nd infield hit of the night and promptly steals 2nd base. You better start slugging your weight around here, Tyler.

Swing For the Fences flies out and Noodle Arm proceeds to strike out, giving Alex Fernandez 10 on the game. Mr. Cub then strikes out... just because he can.

I call in Doug Bochtler to start the 7th inning off. He proceeds to make my decision wise by walking the opposing pitcher and giving up a single to Sheffield. Bobby Bo smacks an RBI single and I'm forced to bring out Terry Adams with Bochtler not even recording a single out. Terry issues a walk to load the bases and then gets a strikeout and an RBI fielder's choice groundout. He strikes out Cangelosi and I'm lucky to only be down 3-0 entering the 8th inning.

Shawon Dunston strikes out but Dave Hansen squeaks out an infield single and I call on Brant Brown to pinch hit. He then grounds into a double play and I wonder if I can grab a cab right now but first I need to call in Tim Worrell.

The dismay continues as Zaun goes 4-4 with another single. After a couple outs Sheffield whacks a double. Tim Worrell buckles down and strikes out the final batter to end the inning, leaving me with 3 runs to tie and 4 to win in a 1/2 inning.

Mark Grace and Dave Clark spend 6 pitches, both grounding out leaving it all up to Brian McRae. He strikes out on a 1-2 pitch from Jay Powell and that's the ball game.

CHC 0 FLO 3

WP: Alex Fernandez (1-0)
LP: Rick Helling (0-1)
S: Jay Powell (2)

Surprise, surprise on the Game Ball because Alex Fernandez went 8.0 IP with 12 K and allowed only 1 walk. What really stings is that Rick Helling went 6 IP with 1 ER but has nothing to show for it.

[DawnBTVS]

After losing all three games to Florida to start the season, our road doesn't get any easier as we travel to Atlanta to take on a team who currently have a -2 run differential, which gives me hope until I remember that our team is boasting a differential of -10.

Game 1 pits Kevin Tapani against a man I don't relish having to face in Tom Glavine.

Needless to say I'm shocked as the start of the game is underway with a Dave Clark single and Noodle Arm continues to be one of the few bright spots on offense for us as he brings him home with a double. Suddenly we're up 1-0 with one out because Noodle Arm thought it genius that he could stretch a surefire double into a triple. Imagine that, Cubs fans! Of course my team couldn't be smart enough to see that zero out and one on at second is actually more beneficial. But never fear as the offense is suddenly finding it's stroke and it couldn't come at a better time. Mark Grace walks and Swing For the Fences follows it up with a Two Run Home Run that barely clears the fence at 350 feet. That's all we get but I'm ectastic.

Tapani sets the Braves down in order and our offense continues to chug along with a double by Shawon Dunston to lead off the inning followed by an RBI double from Dave Hansen. We only score that 1 run after stranding runners on first and third but it's alright because we're actually scoring runs... off Tom Glavine!

Unfortunately, my joy is short lived as Javy Lopez starts off the bottom of the inning with a solo HR. He'll turn out to be a constant nuisance to our squad throughout the game. Ryan Klesko thought it rather cool and smacks his own solo home run, a 449 foot blast to make the score 4-2. Three straight outs with no further damage though and the offense is back up to try and make some more noise.

The fourth inning the Atlanta Braves storm back to tie the game up thanks to a two run home run from Javy Lopez after Chipper Jones got an infield hit. I'm quite unhappy at the sudden turn of events but not altogether shocked as relying on the arm of Kevin Tapani pitching league average at any point this season seems but a dream.

Promise is shown in the fifth inning though as we chased Tom Glavine off, allowing Noodle Arm to smack a double and after a couple outs, Swing For the Fences drives him in with his own double off Mike Cather. We take the 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth and I get the feeling this is going to turn into which team can out slug the other. I'm just amazed we have a lead over a squad that made it to the World Series.

I had hope after a scoreless fifth but then with runners on second and third in the sixth inning, who else but Javy Lopez connected with a sac fly to tie it up at 5 apiece.

I pull Tapani in the eighth inning and replace him with pinch hitter Doug Glanville as we have runners on first and second with only one out and Brad Clontz on the mound. He flies out but Shawon Dunston scampers to third base as Dave Clark steps up. A ground out ends any chance at taking the lead and I wonder how we can hit so many singles but not score any runs.

I call on the arm of Mr. Superstition: Turk Wendell and hope he can get through the eighth inning where the top of our lineup can be effective in the ninth. Of course, we're facing the heart of the Braves lineup which means encountering Javy Lopez again. Bad news immediately as Chipper rocks a double and a walk follows leading Ryan Klesko to the plate. I motion to the pen for lefty Bob Patterson. He gets a big fly out but Fred McGriff hits the sac fly after a double steal. A strikeout ends the inning with Atlanta up 6-5 now.

Noodle Arm makes up for his lack of even attempting a throw on the double steal by getting a single but Mark Grace shatters any optimism with a double play grounder. Swing For the Fences is the final hope and he hits a weak grounder to end the game, yet another one run defeat.

CHC 5 ATL 6
WP: Brad Clontz (2-0) 1.0 IP, 2 HA, 0 ER
LP: Turk Wendell (0-1) 0.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB
S: Eric Gunderson (1) 1.0 IP, 1 HA, 0 ER

The Game Ball goes to Javy Lopez who went 2-2 with 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, and 1 BB.

[DawnBTVS]

The first inning nothing going for either team but that wasn't the case for the second inning. Unfortunately Castillo happened to be on the mound when Mark Lewis drove in a run off a seeing eye single after Chad Kreuter scored, advancing to third off a wild pitch and groundout. A fly out ends the inning though, with us down 1-0.

I start getting a sinking feeling as the next few innings go by scoreless with neither team being able to drive in the respective runners that actually do manage to get on base. This changes in the bottom of the fifth inning when Noodle Arm sends a wayward throw to second on a steal attempt, allowing Kenny Lofton to score, now putting us down 2-0 with our anemic offense doing nothing.

Still down 2-0, it amazes me that only Noodle Arm seems to be swinging the bat well but even then, it's largely been singles and nothing else as is the case with the whole team.

Kevin Millwood continues our strikeout woes as he leaves with nine after six innings of work but crafty Frank Castillo has impressed, matching him almost pitch for pitch despite 2 runs.

In the eighth inning, we get our best opportunity to score some runs at that point as we chase off a reliever and get the bases loaded with Dave Hansen up to bat. There are two outs and despite nine hits on the game, zero runs. The man with the save last night, Eric Gunderson is now toeing the rubber. As luck wouldn't have it, Hansen gets greedy and grounds out on the very first pitch he sees.

I call in Miguel Batista after runners are put on first and third with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. He gets two consecutive fly outs and allows our offense a chance to breathe in the top of the ninth inning.

Since I need a pinch hitter, I call on 23 year old phenom Tony Batista to lead the inning off. He works a full count but finally flies out. Mark Grace steps up and as he's done all season... in 5 games that is, he gets on base with a single trying to spark the rally. Dave Clark steps up, hitting .143 on the year but that doesn't matter because he knocks the ball to short and beats out the throw like the Devil's on his heels! Runners now on first and second with only one out and Brian McRae at the plate. A sharply hit ball to short and a double play later, the game ends with another rally snuffed out in the ninth inning. I have a feeling that situation will be a common theme epitomizing the season for us.

CHC 0 ATL 2
WP: Kevin Millwood (1-0) 6.1 IP, 0 ER, 9 K
LP: Frank Castillo (0-1) 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 K
S: Eric Gunderson (2) 1.1 IP, 2 HA, 0 ER

The game ball goes to Frank Castillo for being gutsy and giving us 7.1 innings of great pitching while the offense squandered any and all opportunities by leaving 22 men on base. Our offense really needs to start picking things up as we out hit Atlanta 11-7.

[DawnBTVS]

Steve Traschel will close out our series. He went 6.0 IP with 0 ER in his first start and I’m hoping his arm can keep the magic touch for today’s game in front of 41,659 fans. Also of note is that Scott Servais will be starting in place of Noodle Arm making me wonder if it’s a smart move to get better defense in place of our best hitter.

Things start off well as Mark Grace and Brian McRae both single, allowing Swing For the Fences to drive in a run with a groundball laced single of his own. A sac fly from Shawon Dunston plates a second run and Scott Servais smacks a double to score the third run of the inning. Talk about taking advantage and striking fast. This is what the offense is capable of but need to do more consistently.

Only Chipper Jones can muster a response in the latter half with a solo home run, cutting our lead to two runs but I’m oddly not that concerned, perhaps it’s because I have a small ounce of faith in the abilities of Steve Traschel to give us a tightly pitched ballgame.

Third inning arrives and Brian McRae offers us some insurance as he hits a 427 foot solo bomb to push the lead back to three. Swing For the Fences follows that up with another home run, and like his first of the year, it barely clears the fence at 357 feet making me wonder if he forgot to bring his steroids on the road with him. Greg Maddux is subsequently chased in only the third inning. Way to go offense! We get an RBI triple(!) from Scott Servais who seems to be channeling his inner Noodle Arm and we have the largest lead of the year at 6-1. A groundout scores the final run and we’re now up 7-1. No team can squander this kind of lead, right?

Well, the Chicago Cubs aren’t your ordinary team. Traschel allows a two run home run to Michael Tucker and teammate Mark Lewis follows that up with his own solo home run. Our lead that once looked good is now cut down to 7-4 in the fourth inning.

We’re fine through the fifth inning but then we implode in the sixth inning, in large part to two costly errors and a single by Jeff Blauser allowing a tie game at 7-7 and me to throw my cap down in disgust.

I call on Mel Rojas since I have a hard time believing that he’ll ever get a save opportunity and he has the loosest arm in the bullpen. He manages to pitch through the seventh inning with ease and I opt to pinch hit Brant Brown against new arrival from the pen Alan Embree with two out and Dave Hansen on first base. He works a full count and draws a walk, letting my second consistent hitter in Mark Grace walk up, bat on his shoulder, grit in his teeth. He grounds out on a 3-2 curveball and I’m stuck tied at 7-7.

I tap my arm for Tim Worrell and his 3 strikeouts in 2.1 IP of work to get us through the eighth inning with a chance to win the game after ceremoniously blowing up. He is absolute money, striking out the first two hitters he faces and inducing a ground out leaving us a chance to score just one, minuscule run in the top of the ninth to win our first game of the year. Easy, right?

Dave Clark starts things off ominously with a strike out, standard course for the squad but then Brian McRae comes up with a huge triple! I’m finally off the bench, actually excited at the prospect of winning and Swing For the Fences is up to bat so it’s all good. He gets intentionally walked, which pleases me because that means no out but that also means a double play opportunity with Mr. Cub up to bat. I scan the bench and see my best hitter there, Noodle Arm whom I quickly send in as a pinch hitter with the plan to bring in Tony Batista as a defensive replacement. There’s only one out and runners on first and third. A lefty against a lefty. While it’s not spectacular, a fielder’s choice scores Brian McRae and the Chicago Cubs have got the lead!!

Time to bring in last year’s closer, Bob Patterson to face the heart of a hungry lineup looking to make me want to jump in front of a Mack truck. Chipper Jones grounds out and I can feel the anticipation in the air. A strike out and it’s all down to Andruw Jones pinch hitting with two out and nobody on. He hacks at the first pitch, easily fielded, and he’s out at first!

It takes us six games but the Chicago Cubs win game 1 on the year!

CHC 8 ATL 7
WP: Tim Worrell (1-0) 1.0 IP, 0 HA, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
LP: Alan Embree (0-1) 1.1 IP, 1 HA, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
S: Bob Patterson (1) 1.0 IP, 0 HA, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

While I’m tempted to give the Game Ball to a pitcher, Brian McRae gets it for not only getting 3 hits but also coming up when we needed him most with a triple to give us an easier chance at scoring what would be the winning run. A great way to head into an off day.

[DawnBTVS]

Note: If you want any information on a player/team, just let me know. Also I learned that the Spritze/Garlon DB is set up so that players have career totals based on a normalized 715 run league environment so some of the stats may be off compared to real life.

Entering our off day, let’s have a look around Major League Baseball starting with the Chicago Cubs.

The National League Central hasn't started out that hot for any team, which is comforting for us even if we are dead last in the division.

National League Central
Team                 W L Pct    GB
St. Louis Cardinals  3 3 50.00% 0.00
Cincinnati Reds      2 4 33.33% 1.00
Houston Astros       2 4 33.33% 1.00
Pittsburgh Pirates   1 4 20.00% 1.50
Chicago Cubs         1 5 16.67% 2.00

Through 6 games (using a complex mathematical formula detailing expected runs) the Cubs should currently have 20 runs, realistically we have scored 16 so we are underachieving a little bit offensively but that's what I expected with this squad.

Pitching wise, we aren't exactly good but there is some hope as opponents have been hitting 0.283 and we have a BABIP of 0.333 which should drop as the season goes on.

The current hitting stars on our team...
C Tyler "Noodle Arm" Houston: 0.429/0.429/0.524/0.952 in 21 AB with 2 RBI. He has 0 BB vs. 3 K.
RF Sammy "Swing For the Fences" Sosa: 0.261/0.320/0.609/0.929 in 23 AB with 2 HR and 7 RBI. He has 2 BB vs. 8 K.

[DawnBTVS]

Looks like we’re finally home and we’re in for another series with Florida. They are the worst team that I could face as they are second in team OPS at 0.803 and first in opponent BA at 0.172.

Stepping to the mound is Terry Mulholland otherwise known as Wily Ace for his age and pitching prowess. He was unlucky in his first start despite an 11.3 K/9 so we’ll see how he does this go around. Good day for baseball with 41,637 showing up for the home opener.

First inning and the top of second go by without any runs although quite a few strikeouts are notched for both pitchers. That changes in the bottom of the second inning though when Shawon Dunston laces a double off Alex Fernandez and Dave Hansen follows that up with a 2 Run Home Run to give us a 2-0 lead. Two errors and a single by Dave Clark and the offense is hitting well. We’re up 4-0 now and I’m pleased with that.

Through four innings, the Cubs have seen the score dwindle to 4-2 thanks to a single and a solo home run from Charles Johnson.

Unfortunately, I have to turn to my bullpen as Wily Ace has reached 107 pitches after only five innings of work but he does have four strikeouts and two earned runs so he’s done well enough despite the lack of being able to give me a couple more innings.

I bring in Doug Bochtler in hopes that he can improve u