Yesterdays Heroes

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Cubs take wrong turn with new GM
Chicago pension companies to get welcome boost

By Mark Gonzales

CHI - It had been an announcement in waiting ever since the news that Theo Epstein had decided to quit the Cubs in pursuit of personal goals that he 'and I quote' "couldnt fulfill whilst in Baseball". The rumour mill had gathered pace with names such as Billy Beane heading the list of becoming the next high paid decision maker at Wrigley Field.

However today the Cubs presented a new face to the press, an unexpected face. Little known Baseball scout Al Veteran was unveiled as arguably the cheap option for the organisation to take. With the press room a little taken aback by the arrival of Veteran to the chair, it would be the new Cubs GM that did all the talking.

After the initial introductions and speel about Cubs and their grand history came the moment that will stick in the back of every throat to do with Cubs Baseball. Veteran said "I am here to win and to do that and to achieve that we will take the route that experience wins ball games" he would add "I have no doubt in my mind that the younger players will play a part in Baseball history, but my motto is, if you are under 32 you dont play for my team"

Further clarification of that statement basically meant that the Cubs would only sign, trade or play players that are 32 or older and anyone in the organisation at MLB level that didnt fit that criteria would be traded or waived to allow the club to bring in the right type of player.

Now the obvious questions about the Cubs minor system cropped up and although Veteran stated that the system would continue, he added that "Its a case of our minor league teams being trade bait, I have no use for those players other than that. We want veterans, leaders and players who know baseball and thats how we will win Championships"

So there you have it Cubs fans, the future of Chicago is not Castro, Baez or Bryant. Its not even Rizzo, Lake or Samardzija... it will be a bunch of guys looking for a last paycheck wearing the Cubs pinstripes until the owners get fed up with this latest circus sideshow that is being a Cubs GM.

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Old Faces; New Places
Cubs expand treatment room; Hip replacements placed on backorder

By Mark Gonzales

CHI - It has been nearly a month now since Al Veteran has come into Chicago and waved his power around in order to rebuild the Cubs into his vision. Well that vision is almost complete as bar any late signings or trade deals, the Cubs today announced their 25 man roster, complete with an array of players ranging from former All-Stars, to Baseball nomads just happy to pick up a gig every year.

The trades have been baffling with the likes of Starlin Castro heading out to Colorado in return of 41 year old LaTroy Hawkins. But the Cubs have added players who will be able to craft out a season or 2 that will be of benefit to the team.

Welcome back! 10 years since he last appeared in a Cubs uni' 41 year old Hawkins will once again don the Chicago pinstripes

Veteran said this week "I dont think we have been able to get all the moves we wanted done, there have been constraints financially and also some guys just didnt want to buy in to our project. But overall we have to be pleased with the business and its a good bunch of guys that can win games"

I and other Cubs followers still feel like this could be a bad dream... but its not. This is the reality and with the season upon us, its what these guys can do out on the field for 162 games that count and only then can we really judge if this project is doomed to fail or not.

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Chicago Cubs 25-Man Roster (Opening Day):

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The Month in Question:

It has been a tricky opening month to the season with results primarily a low point and in particular heavy losses that include a 1-10 reversal to the Pirates, followed up by a 5-14 loss the next night to the same team.

Things picked up toward the end of the month as we collect our first 3 game series win over the Reds (our only other series win was a 2-set in the Bronx). However statistics have gone against us and we can only hope the slow start is due to rustiness in the old bones.

Looking at the numbers we are pretty much last in all categories on offense or at best bottom 3. A team slashline of .244/.294/.348 sums up all thats gone wrong so far, whilst just 18 home runs and a 3rd highest 208 strikeouts leaves a little to be desired.

On the mound things fare a little better, but a team ERA of 4.36 will need shaving sooner rather than later. Our BABIP of .336 is the leagues worst, whilst 73 walks ties us for 5th for giving up a free base.

Player Microscope:

If we start with the bad, things should improve as we analyze, however it would be hard to better (or worse) the effort put in by Starting Pitcher Tsuyoshi Wade, who in his 5 starts has managed a total of 19IP. Combine that with an ERA exceeding 10.00 and a meagre 4Ks, its not likely that the Cubs can continue with such a showing.

38 year old Hudson impresses and leads the team in ERA and Ks as the Ace of the staff

On a positive note, Tim Hudson at 38 has been a horse and managed to post a 3.07ERA from his 6 starts, which easily beats anyone else in the organisation. In relief Choate and Balfour have shared closing duties collecting 2 saves a piece.

With our offense ranked so low in all categories its not surprising that just 2 players are hitting above .300 that are regulars. John Baker (C) and Miguel Tejada (3B) are rolling back the years to give the Cubs a platform at the back end of the lineup. With regards to production its 41 year old Ibanez with 4HR and 13RBI that leads the team, whilst Figgins with 10BB could well be a hidden gem.

What Does it Mean:

With April in the books the Cubs are 10-17, 5th in the NL Central and 6.5GB of the lead. However the recent 3 game winning streak is something to build on, although improving on a 3-10 home record will be essential for any future success.

Roster Report:

There are no changes planned however Relief Pitcher Koji Uehara is on the 60 Day DL with a Torn Meniscus and the Cubs could well call upon a move in free agency to add another arm option in the Bullpen.

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The Month in Question:

On a bright note we beat the White Sox 3 out of 4 to retain City pride, however thats as good as it got in May as the veterans project is erring toward disaster as the Cubs now sit 17 games shy of .500 and 12 back in the division.

The teams slashline has worsened and at .231/.283/.339 is becoming a real issue, whilst just 36 long balls is by far the worst in the League.

With regards to pitching the teams ERA has improved to below 4.00 and the Bullpen now at just over 3.00 is becoming one of the better NL crews. However 45HR allowed, 152 walks given and a BABIP of .323 shows all the signs of 'improvement needed'.

Player Microscope:

Raul Ibanez and Juan Uribe have really come to the fore this month, both have over 20RBIs each and lead most of the teams offensive categories so far. The team urgently needs some more power hitters and moves will have to be made in order for the Cubs to put up better numbers in the coming months.

One of the teams biggest areas of concern is a lack of Outfield consistency. Only Ichiro has showed signs of life, with Wells, Bay and Pierre all sharing and platooning roles whilst not offering enough in return. The Cubs may well be looking to address that situation come the trade deadline.

Hudson and Colby Lewis continue to lead the Starters as the Cubs main men, but its Jose Veras who has impressed with his role as Closer and a 2.34ERA since the change.

Another move has seen Wada taken out of the rotation and Joel Pineiro bought in.

Ibanez continues to shine at 41 and has signed a 1 year extension with the Cubs through 2015

What Does it Mean:

The Cubs are now 19-36 a NL worst and are on a 6 game skid as we head into June. A whopping 12 games back of the pace in the division, we need a few big months to make a move or we could well be done by July.

Roster Report:

Aside from Pineiro coming in to replace Tsuyoshi Wada in the rotation, we signed Denny Reyes from free agency on a 1 year $500,000 deal. He is likely to be placed in the Bullpen due to Uehara's absence, however will remain in Iowa for the time being.

Other news is that Fujikawa placed on the DL due to Tommy John Surgery could well return sooner rather than later and may pitch again this season if required.

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Veteran: 'Still Convinced'
GM not about to pull plug on policy; expects new faces for June

By Mark Gonzales

CHI - Its a case of out with the old, in with the old for the Cubs in the coming month as Al Veteran is determined to stay on his path of 'experience wins over youth'. Now you would be forgiven if you believed he was ready to back track and try to re-tool the Cubs roster by selling off his veterans as teams get ready for a playoff push, however its the opposite for the Cubs as they are likely to shift the old guys for some more.

There remains little belief that the Cubs can achieve anything whilst heading down this route, however that wont stop Veteran as he stated "We will always be looking for new players, its not a case of get a bunch here and thats that, there are always guys out there who can do a better job"

Case in point appears to be moves lined up to bring in Outfielders Xavier Nady and Johnny Gomes. A pair of acquisitions that could actually help, given that Ichiro is the only Outfielder performing right now. Alongside that changes in the pitching staff may well be on the cards as Octavio Dotel is being courted as a free agent, along with other options.

Whatever happens the Cubs are almost at deaths door for 2014 and anything other than getting the maximum out of their guys in the dog days of June/July, could well see this becoming embarrasing.

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The Month in Question:

June is in the books and after a positive start to the month that saw us entertain a winning record including seeing us snag 6 from 7 games against Pittsburgh. Alas those highlights soon faded in the memory as a season high 8 game skid to end June reminded everyone that this is actually 'The Cubs' once more.

An interesting stat to note is that the team are 19-43 against Starting RHP, yet 12-9 against LHP, something that needs to be addressed within the lineup strategy. However all round the offense is still dismal and there is just nothing positive to actually state.

Slashline now sits at .235/.287/.345, with 57HR and just 191 walks. Flipside that and the team is 3rd in the NL for strikeouts with 600 and it seems as if the older guys have less patience than their younger compatriot.

Unfortunately the pitching staff have had it just as bad as the Team ERA has crept up to 4.20 and the Bullpen has added almost a run to its previously sound mark in May.

Player Microscope:

Ichiro has been one of the highlights for the Cubs in recent weeks as he now holds a team high BA of .276, whilst he has added to his run production to clock in 26RBIs.

Ibanez became the first and so far only player to break into double digits for long balls with 13 and again leads most important categories including 31RBis and the OBP and slugging charts.

Onto pitching and Tim Hudson is by far the most dominant in terms of Strikeouts as he breaks the 100 barrier, the closest to him in the staff is Colby Lewis with just 65. Hudson also entertains a team best ERA of 3.40 and is the only player to have pitched more than 100 innings at 119IP.

In the Bullpen Veras now has 9 saves and has cemented his role in the team, whilst Choate and Balfour are slowly turning things back around after mixed starts to the season.

Ichiro a potential HoFer, starting to produce for the Cubs and become a key part of the anemic offense

What Does it Mean:

Well at 31-52 the halfway report isnt looking to good. Realistically if the Cubs can reach 70 wins I think it would be an achievement. The 6 wins over Pittsburgh in June was a highlight but at 15.5GB in the NL Central its like climbing a rope with no arms for this team.

Roster Report:

Xavier Nady and Johnny Gomes both join as trades are made to add the veteran outfielders to the roster, with the Padres and Red Sox (who obtain Randy Choate in the deal) happy to move on their contracts. Both players will instantly slot into the outfield as Wells and Johnson make way.

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The Month in Question:

It is what it is... and that is miserable. A measly 6 wins in July has basically put the team in contention for laughing stock. Over 100 losses is pretty much nailed on now and the fact that not even one player came close to being named an All-Star just about sums up the status of the club.

A quick rundown see's the team slashline at .235/.287/.343. Only 13HRs were added to the total this month to move us to 70 so far, whilst an improvement to 21 stolen bases leaves us tied 14th in the NL rankings.

Pitching is just as bad now with our Starters ERA creeping up to 5.00 as it sits at 4.72. We have given up over 1000 hits, just shy of 500 runs and at 773 strikeouts are firmly bottom of the rankings.

Player Microscope:

Its hard to put positive news in here, so lets start with the negative and thats Gomes and Nady are just as bad as their predecessors and have not improve the team at all. Ibanez still tops HR and RBI lists, whilst Uribe now has 12HRs.

Colby Lewis has probably been the standout of the pitchers in a dry month as he now has 100Ks and shaved his opponents AVG to under .300. Hudson still maintains most categories but is being pushed, however the rest of the rotation is awful and barely worth a mention. Case in point being Barry Zito who is 4-12 with an ERA of over 5.00, he is barely deserving of a paycheck.

Colby Lewis shows signs of improvement which is rare in difficult circumstances

What Does it Mean:

We are now 37-71 and playing for any sort of pride. The division is long gone as we are 24GB and are 99.9% locked in to end at the foot of the NL Central. Its unlikely to get better but the challenge is to avoid a 100 loss season....

Roster Report:

Fujikawa is back and available, but other than that it is a case of plodding on with what is there and seeing who could (if anyone) make a contribution in 2015.

[MarkInCincy]

awesome idea and great writing, though the Cubs need to trade for Adam Dunn....

[LondonYankee]

An interesting premise. I'm intrigued to see how you get on.

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Originally Posted by MarkInCincy

awesome idea and great writing, though the Cubs need to trade for Adam Dunn....

Originally Posted by LondonYankee

An interesting premise. I'm intrigued to see how you get on.

Thanks for checking in lads, appreciate you taking the time to read and also post feedback.

Id love Adam Dunn but couldnt get any deal over the line for him at the start and I doubt he fancies joining us in this state... 2015 free agency is the big one for me, there should be more options for the club hopefully!

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The Month in Question:

If I said 'from bad to worse' you would probably think that there had been something to cling onto previously... well there wasnt and there isnt, it just become diabolical in all sense of the word.

A second straight month with just 6 wins on the board, this time 6-23 is abhorrent but thats where we are right now. Its not a case of us being shelled and infact in 1-run games are 19-20 which says alot for both good and bad, however we are losing and are not able to get over the line when needed.

Our updated slashline is .232/.281/.338 whilst the team ERA now sits at 4.47. We are now also dead last in the NL for all major offensive categories (and probably more) whilst our strikeout total of over 1000 is 4th worse in the league.

Player Microscope:

Lets look at some of the good things done by Cubs players so far this season:

• Jose Veras has 15 saves from 15 attempts and 76Ks in 69IP
• Juan Uribe has been the most consistent player over time and his .259AVG along with 15HR and 46RBI puts him as one of the top productive bats in the club
• Raul Ibanez at 42 is 2HR shy of a 20 season and again he still remains atop most offensive lists in the team
• Tim Hudson with a 3.59ERA and 161Ks is still the staff ace and will break the 200IP for the first time since 2011 with the Braves

Juan Uribe has continued to impress since he arrived from the Dodgers

What Does it Mean:

Its the end of the road, the run in to the playoffs (for others) and the only role we can play is as spoiler to upset the hopes of those in contention. At 43-94 we are odds on to break the teams worst season record of 59-103 and also clock up a 2nd 100 loss season in 3 years.

Our record since the 22nd June is 12-50.... no explanation needed.

Roster Report:

Starting Pitcher Barry Zito became a loss for the season as he was diagnosed with Bone Chips in the elbow and will not return in 2014.

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The Month in Question:

So there we have it, the season is done and we set a new Cubs record for futility, winning 50 games whilst losing 112. There are very few positives that you can take out of this season to placate even the most pessimistic of Cubs fan, yet its the first season of a new direction and the hope that better more capable veterans will join, could well bear fruit.

Just 7 wins this month and it could have been worse but for a end of season sweep of the Brewers in Milwaukee that pushed the Cubs to the 50 game win mark.

Statistically as a team its been a shambles, the season ending slashline of .233/.282/.340 is barely worth a mention, whilst the Starting Rotations ERA of 5.04 is not something to be proud of. Also with just 104HRs all season, its almost worth bringing back a 'juiced' Sammy Sosa to humble the rest of the roster.

Player Microscope:

Individually no one achieved anything of real note, Ibanez ended up with the same 18HRs to be team leader, 1 ahead of Uribe. Uribe also drove in a team high of 61 runs and his BA of .259 edge him ahead of Ichiro to collect the Cub 'Triple Crown'.

As expected Hudson would end up leading the team in Starting pitching ERA and Ks, but Jose Veras and his 20 saves is probably the best stat for a Cub.

Fujikawa looks like he has the potential to contribute all being well with his health in 2015, whilst Cordero posted a 1.80ERA in 10 outings and 15IP as another bright light in a dark season.

Will Cordero remain a Cub in 2015, his effort has attracted more suitors for the 39 year old

What Does it Mean:

Season over, 50 wins is way short of expectation, let alone respectability, so there is a huge amount of room to improve in 2015. A whopping 44 games out of 1st in the NL Central is something that hurts and making the same mistakes in 2015 could well signal the end of this project.

Roster Report:

There will be room for alot of renewals this off-season as well as the chance to move players on without salary impact. The Cubs will need to be active in the free agent market to get better veterans onto their roster, however after stripping their system last time out, there is little in the farm to entice any major trade deals.

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A Valuable Lesson
Veteran to learn from mistakes; Shaping the 2015 roster has already begun

By Mark Gonzales

CHI - It was always going to go either way with this project, a resounding success or an absolute shambolic mess... unfortunately for Cubs fans it was the latter and a 50 win season is probably the least of their problems.

Al Veteran still insists that his plan to take a team of aging baseball players to success is the way forward, not just for his team but for anyone looking to win in baseball. His attempts to merit his claims come from Girardi managing a gaggle of veteran Yankees to a World Series, whilst Boston also used experience to overcome their curse back in 2004.

However the Cubs are along way off those teams and their roster is filled with journeymen and players who havent made it big in any sense of the word. The mish-mash came home to roost last season and the Cubs were in the cellar from opening day till the end, but if anything Veteran appears more convinced.

He said "Season one was always going to be tough, its harder to re-shape a roster in such a short space of time. Teams have inked their Vets' and we were left with players on the fringes, rather than being integral" continuing he added "We are ready this off-season to make bigger and better moves, improving all aspects of the team, whilst consolidating the focus we bought into the locker room in 2014"

Cubs fans will wonder how long this can continue on for, but as long as the ownership are happy, this GM will have things his way and the Cubs will continue to be the club for the 'Good old boys' of Baseball.

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MLB Season Wrap

Standings





League Leaders



Playoffs

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Chicago Cubs 2014 End of Season Breakdown

[Big T]

A very interesting dynasty... Good luck next season...

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Could It Be?
The most beautiful team in the world....

By Mark Gonzales

CHI - Its unlikely that this team will ever be considered the most beautiful team ever assembled, however after all the negativity surrounding the Cubs last year with the news that they will become a 'Retirement Home', this years complete overhaul of the roster gives out some hope.

This off-season has been wild and crazy for the Cubs, transactions, sign and trades... you name it, I dont think a day passed where by a new signing was announced or a new name came to the surface of the rumor mill.

The Cubs lineup for 2015 is completely new and includes 'studs' such as Adam Dunn, the beefy slugger who will add huge amounts of power to the lineup. J'Roll (Jimmy Rollins) who won it all in Philadelphia and now becomes the Cubs Shortstop and leadoff hitter in the new era.

Dunn out to prove he is far from done, as he swaps across town to the Cubs

Another massive bat signed by the Cubs is Joey Bats himself, Jose Bautista as the Cubs signed Max Scherzer to instantly flip him to the Blue Jays for their hard hitting outfielder. Raul Ibanez is the only player to remain in position for 2015 and its Grady Sizemore who will slot in the middle of the outfield to complete the set.

Bautista will need strong shoulders as he will be looked to carry the Cubs offense after a dire 2014 showing

The same overhaul happened with the pitching staff as we have a new rotation, partly as Tim Hudson decided to call it quits at age 39, but also because the Cubs were able to acquire 5 solid starters. The Josh(s) of Johnson and Beckett are likely to be the most prominant of the signings, although Ervin Santana, Jason Hammel and Alfredo Simon complete an interesting rotation.

In the Bullpen the Cubs traded for Glen Perkins to be the new closer, whilst Jason Motte, Matt Thornton and Carlos Marmol are the pick of the new relievers in a revamped staff.

Al Veteran said "Its been busy but this is the sort of lineup I had hoped to get into Chicago, this is the premise my vision is built on and these are the guys I promised to bring to the Cubs fans. Last year was tough, but we now have a good bunch to be able to achieve our goals in the coming seasons"

It is certainly alot harder to disagree with the focus of Veteran after he put in such hard work to assemble a roster that actually looks as if it can compete on a daily basis in this league, however as we saw last year, veterans may work in a small number, but you get a roster full of them and the Disabled List will fill up sooner rather than later.

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Originally Posted by Big T

A very interesting dynasty... Good luck next season...

Thanks for checking in mate, appreciate it.

Yeah this season should be better as we have been able to put the plan into place by getting better Vets etc

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Chicago Cubs Lineups 2015: