Cubs heading to playoffs! Who is going to be on the 25 man roster?

Congratulations to the 2008 Chicago Cubs on being back to back NL Central Division Regular Season Champions. Now after the bubbly is gone and it is the aftermath of the celebration, certain players are going to be battling hard to get on that 25 man roster. Here is my 25 man playoff roster-

1. Zambrano
2. Dempster
3. Harden
4. Lilly
5. Marquis

6. Soriano
7. Theriot
8. Lee
9. Aram
10. Soto
11. Edmonds
12. Fukudome
13. Derosa
14. Johnson
15. Cedeno
16. Font
17. Blanco
18. Ward
19. Hoffpauir

20. Wood
21. Marmol
22. Marshall
23. Cotts
24. Gaudin
25. Samardzija

Players that just miss the list are Angel Guzman, Kevin Hart, Weurtz, Howry, and Pie. Howry has been awful all year. The only reason I see him being on the roster is that maybe his "veteran presence" helps the Cubs, yeah right!!! With Guzman, Weurtz, Hart, and Pie they just do not have enough consistency to stay on the 25 man roster.

With this 25 man roster it gives you 11 pitchers, in which Z, Demp, and Harden will be used as starters in the playoffs and Lilly possibly getting a start in a 7 game series. Marquis and Gaudin will be used for a safety net in case of injury or a pitcher imploding. You have two situational lefties in Cotts or Marshall. 3 power pitchers in Samardzija, Wood, and Marmol which should help in the late innings. The Cubs might go with 12 pitchers but I would go with 11.

With having only 11 pitchers you can stock up on bench players and your normal starters. This way Lou can really tinker with the lineup and do a lot of late innings defensive replacements like he has been doing with the extended roster. Hoffpauier gets my final spot on the team. You run the risk of two players that are basically identical but he deserves to be on this team in the post season. The rest of the position players are a give in because they have been on the roster for most of the year. Nothing too shocking on this roster.

Next Wednesday the rosters go to 25, so it should be interesting on what Lou and Jim come up with.

Cubs win in walk off fashion, magic number down to 2!

The Cubs lowered their magic number to 2 today and could clinch with the Brewers losing 2, Cubs winning 2, or the Cubs winning one and Brewers losing one. Which means they could clinch the division by Friday when they play the Cards and the Brewers playing the Reds. My bet is they clinch by Saturday.

Great time for Cub Fans!!! GOOO CUUUBBBBSSSS!

Z a no-no! My thoughts!

Carlos Zambrano was the first Cubs pitcher since 1972( Milt Pappas) to throw a no hitter. Not only that the Cubs' ace was one BB away from a perfect game and he was the first pitcher since 1900 to pitch a no hitter on neutral site.

I want to say that is was a great game, not just because Z gave up 0 hits, but for these reason-

- Carlos finally proves that he is healthy and is back to himself. He is the NL player of the week!

- He has his strike out and velocity up along with command of his fastball and slider. Things he was missing this season.

- Soto, a rookie, called a great game and deserves as much credit as Z does for the no hitter. Not only was he rookie of the month for the 2nd time this year, last month, he caught a no-no. He is your ROY! Here is a good read-

http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/soto/

- The Cubs now have momentum and a commanding lead in the NL Central with the Magic # to win the Division down to 7!

All in all it was a great night for Cub fans. Keep it GOING!!!

All I got to say is Amen!

The Cubs have finally won 2 in a row and I am back posting on my blog. A lot has happened from the last time I posted til now. Lou benched Fukudome then took him off the pine and started him, the Cubs actually started playing good defense, and Harden pitched masterful with Zambrano set to pitch this weekend but may not because of the hurricane.

There has not been a lot of news worthy stuff but it is my duty to try to put something on here at least weekly to keep my readers interested. Just want to let everyone know that my wife is 7 months pregnant and doing fine. I appreciate all the congratulations and best wishes, Thank you!

Since not to much news, here is a little video that if you are a Cubs fan you will appreciate!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=cubs100

Decent news on the Harden and Z front.

Thanks to the Sun-Times for this-

Carlos Zambrano has undergone an MRI today on his right arm, and Cubs general manager
Jim Hendry said he has rotator cuff tendinitis and if things go well will pitch in Houston during the series between Sept. 12-14.

The Cubs' right-hander was supposed to take the exam yesterday, but he couldn't do it because of family reasons.


Zambrano took himself out of Tuesday's game because of an arm problem. He had missed a start Sunday to rest his arm.

Cubs Nation is starting to wonder about World Series expectations as the Cubs have lost five in a row for the first time this season. Fortunately for the North Siders, the Milwaukee Brewers also are slumping.


Combined with Zambrano's situation is the fact Rich Harden also is complaining of discomfort in his right arm and won't pitch until Wednesday.

That is some of the best news that Cub fans could get. It seems there will be not DL stint unless he has a set back. He will likely miss 1 starts in which case Marshall will replace him in the rotation. As far as Rich Harden, I think people are blowing this a bit out of proportion, especially the media in general to sell papers and to get hits on their sites. Here is what Lou and Harden have said-

Harden, he's had some some discomfort also," Piniella said Wednesday.


"I'm feeling pretty good, but I guess I've had a little bit of discomfort, nothing serious," Harden admitted. "Really, it just seemed like a good time to miss a start. They told me that's what they planned on doing before I even came here,"

Could he pitch sooner if needed?


"Yeah, I could," Harden said. "(But) they want to make sure I'm stronger and ready to go down the stretch. It's the most important time. Coming off these couple extra days I'm feeling really strong and I'll be able to go every fifth day."

It seems the panic that I, along with 90% of Cubs fans, felt was unnecessary. I think this all is just a precautionary move for the Cubs and Harden and I agree with it.

Cubs add 6 players.

The Cubs have called in some reinforcements. The rosters could go to 40 today but the Cubs have chosen to call up 6 players. They are the usual suspects of Jon Lieber, Angel Guzman, Micah Hoffpauir, Koyie Hill, Michael Weurtz, and Casey MaGehee. These players should give more of our regulars some time off during this last month of the season. A couple of surprises are that Kevin Hart and Felix Pie, but that is why Lou makes the decisions and not me.

On another note, Carlos Zambrano will pitch Tuesday night.

Cubs pitchers need more rest, Zambrano scratched today.

Carlos Zambrano is going through a dead arm stage, which almost every pitcher goes throughout the year. Some bad like Brett Myers went through, and some not as serious like Marmol went through before the break. Larry and Lou will give guys like Dempster, Harden, and Z some extra days to be fresh for later in the month and hopefully in October.

Carlos, Ryan, and Rich have all recently been struggling with control and their speed on their pitches. With a 5.5 game lead in the Central and important series later in the month against the Brewers, Mets, Stros, and Cards, they need their rotation. This is a good as time as any to give them a rest. They have 3 with Houston and 3 with the Reds in the next 8 days with 2 off days. That should be enough time to give Harden, Z, and Dempster each 2 extra days of rest between starts.

This is a very good move by management considering how heavy we count on those 3, the depth we have in the rotation, rosters expand tomorrow, and the importance of the month of September, it could not have happened at a better time. Expect Marshall, Guzman, Lieber, and some other guys to get starts in Sept., especially if the Cubs get a 8+ game lead in the Central.

Check out this new pitch and other nasty stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40t_caBnV3c&NR=1

Satoru Komiyama invited this pitch called a shake. It is pretty impressive and could really fool hitters. It is as drastic as a curve but with a slower speed. Pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN360eNvuZA

Now this is a Gyroball. It looks to be held like a cutting slider but released at the side arm angle. It should be noted that the guys palm is facing toward the sky when he releases the ball. I do not know how he controls it and how that does not hurt his arm but it is NASTY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRgbc3FbukE&feature=related

Nice bugs bunny curveball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVk0OJyfmbA

Masaki Hayashi has the best movement on his pitches I have ever seen! Anyway we can get him on the Cubs!?!?!

Who will get called up September 1st??

A lot of players have the goods to get called up when roster expansion takes place on September 1st, but here is a list of the players I think will be called up-

1. Micah Hoffpauir- Lighting it up in AAA. There is no reason why the power hitting lefty does not get called up.

2. Koyie Hill- To give Soto and Blanco time off and rested for a possible playoff run. He is a switch hitter and decent behind the plate. He has been doing well in Iowa hitting .274, 16HR, and 63 RBI. He will get the call.

3. Micheal Wuertz- Was with the big club for majority of the year but lost command. He will get the call for extra arms in the pen and give some of the righties time off.

4. Kevin Hart- Spent some time in Chicago. He has been doing well down there with a 4-2 record and a nice 2.91 ERA.

5. Angel Guzman- This guy has been a stud during his rehab. He could get some starts in Chicago if the Cubs build a big enough lead in the division. In Iowa he 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Lou has already said he will get the call.

6. Felix Pie- I think Lou will bring him up again, mainly to showcase him for other teams so they can trade him this winter.

Now here are some guys on the fence in my opinion. There are guys also on here that I think should be called up. It is still unknown how many will get the call.

1. Bobby Scales- This guy has been Mr. Production in Iowa, hitting .320 with 15 homers and 59 RBI. He also post a robust .415 OBP. Not to mention he is a switch hitter. The thing that does not help him is the amount of MI we have.

2. Josh Kroeger- This guy is better than Pie and is a really good defender. He has hit .306 with 14 homers, 64 RBI, and 12 SB. I can see it being a toss up between Felix, Josh, and Torres.

3. Andres Torres- I think this should be the one outfielder that the Cubs should call up. I watch him throw out a guy at third when he was 10 feet from the track in CF on the fly. He is a hard worker, hit hits well posting a .302 Avg., 11 homers, and 49 RBI. He also posted a .384 OBP and stole 24 bases. He is my pick.

Honorable Mention= Jason Dubois and Jose Ascaino

The guys I would have in Chicago on Sept. 1st are-

Torres
Hoffpauir
K. Hill
Weurtz
Hart
Guzman
Scales
Pie

Big Z spitting teeth, Dempster in Cubs uniform next year, and more.

- Big Z broke a molar and a half Thursday chewing gum on the mound. He had the trainer come out after he was noticeably in pain while Z was spitting out the remainder of the tooth as the visited with the trainer. Big Z said ""It's the gum, it has a lot of sugar, and I keep telling my daughter not to eat a lot of gum. I'm not a good example."

The "tooth injury" should not effect his next start.

- It seems Dempster would like to say with the Cubs next season. Dempster is a free agent after the season and could see 4-5 years 48 to 60 million next season if he hits the open market. The Phillies, Braves, Yankees, Mets, and Blue Jays are all really interested in Ryan.

"I want to play for the Cubs and will just see what happens," Dempster said. "I'm just trying to win a World Series more than anything else."

It is also expected that Wood will be back in Chicago Cubs pinstripes next season. They are both a vital part of the team this year and would be a good part of the team next season if Jim can get them locked up. I can see Wood getting a hefty contract like 4/40 million( similar to Cordero) if he goes on the open market. I feel if the Cubs offer Dempster 4 year 44 million and Wood 3 years 28 million they would take that deal to stay in Chicago. I also would not be surprised if Derosa gets a contract extension considering how valuable he is to this team!

I do not think the Cubs will offer a contract to Howry because of his stuff has not been good this year. I also think Ward will not be offered a contract since the Cubs have a younger, better option in Micah Hoffpauir. I do see Edmonds being a 50/50 shot that the Cubs offer him a contract considering they do not have an everyday option in CF. Reed Johnson will be in Chicago next season but he may not be an everyday player.

If the Cubs do decide to let Edmonds go and do not feel they have a good starting CF in house they could move Fukudome to CF and have Derosa/Hoffpauir platoon in RF. They could also sign either a guy for CF or RF and have Fukudome play either RF or CF. Here is a list of potential outfielders that could work for the Cubs-

Bobby Abreu- Good left handed bat, good defense, might be too expensive
Rocco Baldelli- Great club house guy, good speed, health issues, would like to see any combination of Rocco, Soriano, Fukudome, and Johnson.
Pat Burrell- Lots of power, hits well at Wrigley, is actually a LFer but could be used in RF if you want to take a gamble.
Adam Dunn- Same as Burrell above. Plus cost would be way too much!
Raul Ibanez- Average player, decent power numbers. Cubs had interest in him at the deadline.
Mark Kotsay- A left handed version of Reed Johnson, could be a nice platoon in CF.

Either way the Cubs are in decent shape next season. They have many options and things they could do to keep this team as good as it is now. Should be another interesting offseason, hopefully we will be coming off a World Series Championship!