Hey, hey brothers and sisters. Hope you're enjoying the beautiful Tuesday that has been laid out before us. I just got back from dropping my girlfriend and her two friends off at Midway Airport as they are now heading to Seattle for eight days. It be just me and my cat Skiba (yes, I'm a grown man with a cat...didn't I already make fun of myself for this?). Big, BIG day for me today. Just kidding, but I do have my radio softball league championship game this evening...so there's that. We're going to try and make it nine wins in a row to close out the season/playoffs. We're like the 2007 Rockies (only hopefully with a better end result). The Mix (our opponent) ain't no Boston Red Sox either.
In tragic news...Kevin Gregg just absolutely murdered me last night (along with the Cubs' chances in 2009). It was one of those games that I just knew that they were going to lose. It seemed like it was every inning from the 4th inning on that they were stranding the bases loaded or two guys here and two guys there. With each wasted opportunity, you just got the feeling that the baseball Gods were going to make the Cubs pay...and they did...in the form of Kevin Gregg.
I guess that Lou has finally "had it" and is going to make a change in the ninth inning spot. I haven't listened to any sports radio yet today, but I'm sure that this is the natural topic of the day (who should be the Cubs new closer down the stretch?), and I guess that it's a FAIRLY interesting discussion, but to think that it's going to make a significant difference for this average team I think is a bit of a stretch. Who do you want in there, Marmol? The fact that he has a very average WHIP (1.47), can't consistently throw strikes (52 BB's in 55 2/3 IP, which is why his WHIP is so high), and leads the Major Leagues among relievers with 11 hit batters, leads me to believe that he doesn't make for a great recipe when it comes down to closing out ball games. He's scary as hell in the 8th inning, I can't deal with that in the 9th. How about John Grabow? He's left handed (not sure if that's an advantage or a disadvantage?), his WHIP is a little bit better than Marmol's (1.44), and his ERA is much lower (2.98 compared to Marmol's 3.51). He might be a decent fit. The problem with doing that is that if you put him in the closer's role, you're now back to it just being Sean Marshall as your only left handed reliever in the pen (not to mention that Grabow has zero experience as a 9th inning guy, to go along with zero experience pitching in a high pressured playoff race...spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. Not his fault, but a fact none the less). I'd probably just leave him be. He has a lot of value in the middle innings for this team.
I guess MY pick would have to be Angel Guzman (wow, I never thought that I would make a statement like that back in spring training). Angel is pitching with a ton of confidence right now and it's showing. He has a staggering WHIP (0.98), a career best (and best of the three mentioned) ERA of 2.42, and he doesn't give up the long ball anywhere near the rate that the old "Cub Killer" himself Kevin Gregg does (Angel's given up 6 HR in 52 IP). Yes, I'm aware that he has no experience. I'm also aware that this weakens your 7th/8th innings exponentially, but you can't keep giving away ball games late, especially while the Cardinals continue to keep stealing games themselves in come from behind fashion. It's bad business.
I am glad however, that I'm NOT the one making this decision because I feel that you're almost HURTING your team as much as helping them by changing up the entire make up of a pitching staff in mid-August. I mean, let's say Lou does decide to put Guzman into the closer's role. By doing that, you're taking a kid that is tasting his first amount of success at the Big League level and throwing him into a pressure cooker situation that he's never experienced. How many chances are you willing to give him? Let's say that he goes out there and blows the save in his first chance, do you risk completely draining all of the confidence that took him so long to gain by immediately pulling him out of the spot, thus ruining him as a 7th/8th inning guy as well? OR, do you leave him in there, all while risking that he'll continue to act like a first-time closer (which he'd be) and blow his share of big ball games in the mean time? Not to mention, you'll now enjoy Kevin "Kyle Farnsworth" Gregg as your new set up/7th inning guy where he'll continue to give up a staggering amount of home runs that will probably cost you just as many games as when he was your closer (Scott Linebrink-esque). What a messy situation the Northsiders find themselves in.
What am I going to do you ask...?
Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to put this season completely behind me and hope that the GOD DAMNED sale of this team finally comes to fruition so WE can get back to acquiring key players at the God damned trade deadline! How embarrassing that a major market team like the Cubs had to sit and watch a little dump of a town like St. Louis acquire big name player after big name player thus, making their slightly above .500 team legitimate contenders in the National League while OUR slightly above .500 team continues to be exactly what they've been...a slightly above .500 team.
Any time now Mr. Ricketts...
Hit me up on facebook, www.myspace.com/theskyfall or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to "No Exceptions" by Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves. Great band out of Gainesville, FL. Drinks of Choice: GF's gone, whiskey time.
BTW...thank you very, very much to those who took the time to check out my acoustic songs that I posted on "The Skyfall" myspace page (if you haven't, what are you waiting for?...J/K, you're not missing much). There have been nearly 1,200 plays in the short week that they've been up there, and that means a TON to me. Thanks again, and I'll be playing some shows in the very near future.
XOXO,
Webby
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