CUBS - 6/11/02

LATEST TEAM INFO: 25-37, Fifth in National League Central.

The Chicago Cubs’ uneven, roller-coaster season continued with more losses to NL Central cellar-dweller Milwaukee, stunning performances by Mark Prior and pitiful offense and rocky bullpen work.

And, despite ALL of that, the Cubs were one win away from tying division favorite Houston Monday for fourth place. I’m not positive if that would have been a good or bad thing.

Rotation:

Mark Prior has been as advertised. He’s had his expected rough outing, and responded very well. After pitching well in his first two games against Pittsburgh (6 IP each, 7 H, 4 W, 3 ER and 17 K combined), Prior was roughed up by Houston (3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 W, 7 ER, 5 K). But in his first interleague game, Prior blanked Seattle for seven innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out 11. The Cubs (and Prior owners) would be very happy to have a set of four outings like that every three weeks or so.

Matt Clement has been the Cubs’ most consistent starter this season. Over the last two weeks, Clement has been outstanding – in three starts, the righthander is 2-0 with 18 K, a 2.33 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. Unfortunately, he just misses another start against the Astros, but instead faces the White Sox at home on June 14th.

Jason Bere looks as if he may salvage his season after all. After being a candidate to go into the bullpen when Prior was called up, Bere has pitched very well. After a stretch of six straight losses, and eight straight appearances that resulted in Cub losses, Bere pitched well enough to win against Houston, but lost, 4-1. Then, the Cubs broke that losing streak, 5-1, against Milwaukee, on a late rally, resulting in a no decision. But in his last two starts, Bere has a 1.93 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP.

Jon Lieber also had a personal and team losing streak going over the last month. After poor performances at Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, Lieber stopped the four-game losing streak (and seven-game team streak) with a complete game victory at Seattle. Lieber scattered 10 hits, allowed one run and struck out five while walking none. Over the last two weeks, Lieber is 1-2, with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP with 12 K. Lieber has a shot at keeping the good fortune going. In six career starts against the White Sox, Leiber is 2-0 with 3 CG, a 2.68 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.

Kerry Wood, who was pitching very well the first two months of the season, has hit a dry spell in his last three starts. Over the last two weeks, Wood is 1-2, with a horrendous 5.93 ERA and 1.76 WHIP with 16 K. Wood has three career starts against the White Sox, who he will face Sunday, and is 0-2 with a 4.05 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. So, he may continue to struggle for a while more.

Bullpen:

The Cubs welcomed Kyle Farnsworth back to a struggling bullpen, and Farnsworth has responded by not allowing an earned run and posting a 0.31 WHIP and 5 K in 3.2 IP. Antonio Alfonseca has picked up three saves in the last two weeks while accumulating a 3.53 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Juan Cruz has performed very well since going to the bullpen. In five appearances, Cruz has picked up a hold while posting a 3.38 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP while striking out 10 in 8 IP.

Maybe no one’s happier to see Farnsworth than Joe Borowski, who has been a victim of overuse in the first two months (27 appearances in the first 42 games, a record pace). Over the last two weeks, Borowski posted a 12.27 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP. Understandably, Borowski has been shut down since June 3rd.

Infield:

The big news in the Cub infield is the rumored decision by Don Baylor (www.firebaylor.com) to return Bobby Hill to AAA when Delino Deshields comes off the DL (more about this below under Local Perspective). Yes, Hill is hitting .182 with 10 BB and 27 K. But in the last couple of weeks, he’s only been playing in 2-of-every-3 games, and is constantly moved from the No. 1, 2 and 8 spots in the line-up. What can you expect with that kind of inconsistency?

Over the last three weeks, Fred McGriff has hit for a .325 BA with 7 HR and 17 RBI, raising his BA from .205 at the end of April, to .256.

Bill Mueller and Alex Gonzalez continue to stink it up at the plate from the left side of the infield since returning from the DL. Mueller has painfully improved from a .192 BA through May to a .216 BA in the first seven games in June. That’s still .200 for the year, though, folks.

Gonzalez went from hitting .310 on April 25th, to .259 when he went on the DL on May 9th. Since he returned on May 26th, Gonzalez is hitting .155 (9-for-58).

Todd Hundley, at his healthiest all season, has been given the bulk of the duties behind the plate recently. He's still hitting .200 since his return, but has added 2 HR and 5 RBI to his production.

Outfield:

The outfield hitting is even in worse shape over the last two weeks: Sammy Sosa, despite hitting four HR and driving in seven, is hitting .229 (11-for-48), matching Corey Patterson’s BA output. In addition, Patterson has scored only five times and is without a SB in the last two weeks. Moises Alou, for once, is at least making contact. He has only hit 1 HR, scored three times and driven in three runs, but he is hitting .298 (14-for-47). At least, that’s something.

INJURIES:

Tom Gordon – Throwing on the side with the Cubs on their visit to Houston this week. If he does well there, Gordon may be activated shortly thereafter.

Delino DeShields – Expected to come off the DL on Wednesday after recovering from an inflamed hip joint.

Ron Mahay – Was put on the DL for shoulder tendonitis and is working on a new delivery to ease the strain on his shoulder.

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE:

Regarding the Hill situation mentioned above, when asked if the issue was Hill’s trouble in adjusting his swing in the majors, Baylor said that Hill won’t correct that in a matter of days. When probed further, Baylor rhetorically asked whether you continue to send Hill out there and continue his slump or send him down? The exclamation point was Baylor saying that Hill was called up only to fill a need.

Corey Patterson spent last season shuttling between Chicago and Iowa, and thought that was a good thing for him because he was swinging late or out in front of a pitch. He was all over the place. But Patterson does not think that sending Hill down is a good idea, though, because he doesn’t think there is anything he wrong with his mechanics, and that he just needs to play.

And in a stunning display of class, of being a team player, of being smarter than Baylor, DeShields has stated that he does NOT want to be activated from the DL at Hill’s expense. That says a lot about the character of DeShields that he would rather ride the bench than hurt the development of a young player. He feels that Hill is ready, that he really isn’t making many mistakes and that if it were up to him, you’ve got to stay with Hill and let him put his offense together. The only place you learn is in the majors. Wow.

Baylor said Sunday he plans to talk today with Andy MacPhail and seek his approval to re-hire physical trainer/motivational guru Mack Newton to sharpen the Cubs' hearts, minds and bodies. Unfortunately, the player who needs him most (Hill) will probably be gone. The move would show one of two things – either by hiring Newton, it would be an indication that Baylor’s job is secure at the moment, or that Baylor is gambling on going with Newton, setting off alarms that Baylor may be reaching for straws. And, as with most things, there are opposing views: Sosa is for it, Wood is against it.

Catcher Robert Machado has been traded to the Cubs’ JV (i.e. Milwaukee) for OF Jackson Melian. Melian was assigned to Class AA West Tennessee. The outfielder, 22, was originally signed by the Yankees as a Venezuelan free agent in 1997. He was traded by New York to Cincinnati in July of 2000 with Drew Henson for Denny Neagle. Melian played in the Southern League with Chattanooga last year, hitting 16 homers and 22 doubles to go along with a .237 batting average. This season, Melian was batting .223 with six homers in 56 games for the Stars.

And poor Jeff Fassero is whining about being left out of the mix in the bullpen situation. The Cubs do need him, as he is the only left-handed reliever, but he prefers to face right-handed hitters, despite the fact that the BA against him has increased from both sides of the plate since last year (from .247 to .310 for lefties and .228 to .250 to righties). It appears that Class AA West Tennessee lefthander Steve Smyth will be called up soon because Fassero doesn’t fit the traditional lefthander reliever role.

He’s even campaigned himself to the coaching staff to keep him from facing lefthanders. Except the ones that he thinks he can get out, like Barry Bonds, he said. Uh, huh. I guess a lifetime average of .296 with a home run, four RBI and six walks is what he considers getting Bonds out.

ON THE FARM:

Class AAA Iowa:

Angel Echevarria (1B/OF) – There had been talk about bring up Echevarria when Machado was traded, but, for now, he’s still at Iowa. On the season, the versatile hitter is hitting .299 with 11 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR and 40 RBI.

Julio Zuleta (1B) – If the Cubs want to go another direction at 1B or LF, Zuleta has had a few trips to the majors. Zuleta is hitting .291 with 12 HR and 33 RBI at Iowa.

Hee Seop Choi (1B) – But more than likely, it will be Choi that would see time at 1B. Choi has improved his BA to .280 while hitting 11 HR and 42 RBI.

Class AA West Tennessee:

Dennis Abreu (SS) – The brother of Bobby Abreu is playing well, hitting .290 with 9 2B, 2 HR, 23 RBI and 11 SB.

Tony Schrager (2B) – Schrager is showing a lot of pop from the 2B spot, with a .254 BA, 13 2B, 9 HR and 31 RBI.

Steve Smyth (P) – The left-handed specialist has started six games for the Diamond Jaxx, with a 2-2 record and a 2.48 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.

QUICK VIEW:

HOT:

Prior, Clement, Farnsworth, McGriff
NOT:

Wood, Borowski, Gonzalez, Mueller, Sosa, Patterson