The 2013 Chicago Cubs as I see it today

The Chicago Cubs 2013 opening day lineup as I see it today: 

1. David DeJesus – CF
2. Nate Schierholz – RF
3. Anthony Rizzo -1B
4. Alfonso Soriano – LF
5. Starlin Castro – SS
6. Ian Stewart – 3B
7. Wellington Castillo – C
8. Darwin Barney – 2B

Puke inducing.  There isn’t a much better way to describe this diatribe-inviting lineup. 

The Cubs starting rotation though, looks much better:

1. Matt Garza
2. Jeff Samardzija
3. Edwin Jackson
4. Travis Wood
5. Scott Feldman/Carlos Villanueva

DL. Scott Baker

When Scott Baker returns this spring from Tommy John surgery he will join Edwin Jackson as another solid #3 MLB starter in this rotation.  Travis Wood, Scott Feldman and Carlos Villanueva each have the potential to be #3 big league starters as well, but each also has experience in the bullpen giving the Cubs plenty of flexibility.

Bottom line: the Cubs should have a deep and effective starting rotation. Good pitching, solid defense and anemic offense.  Do I smell the number two wild card in the Cubs future?  If absolutely everything goes right, it could happen. Cubs fans are at least allowed to dream.  

Year end lists

There's nothing like being completely overwhelmed by year end lists chalk full of songs you've never heard.  It's always fun to root for certain songs that you've become fond of to see if and where on the list your song will appear.  Reading these lists is obviously a lot more fun when you've dutifully been paying attention to the music scene over the course of the year.  This year, that was not the case for me. But the lists are still fun and it's always nice to see what you missed out on, what hidden gems may be waiting to be listened to and enjoyed.

Just for fun, I wanted to take a snap shot of my most listened to songs on my iTunes.  No thought required, just a simple list of my most played songs.  Therefore, what should be my "favorite" songs.  Making a year end list is always so difficult, I never feel like I get it right in the end.  So while I try to come up with my favorites of this year, (and this is really just for me to see how it changes over time) here are my most listened to tracks on iTunes over the past five years:

1. 134 plays: Washed Out - Hold Out
2. 126 plays: Cut Copy - Out There on the Ice
3. 106 plays: Animal Collective - The Purple Bottle
4. 98 plays: The Tough Alliance - Miami
5. 97 plays: Cut Copy - Lights and Music
6. 94 plays: Air France - Collapsing at Your Doorstep
7. 92 plays: Gauntlet Hair - I was thinking...
8. 91 plays: Little Dragon - Feather
7. 88 plays: Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire
8. 84 plays: VEGA - No Reasons
9. 82 plays: Animal Collective - What Would I Want Sky?
10. 80 plays: Of Montreal - I Was Never Young
11. 79 plays: Of Montreal - The Party's Crashing Us
12. 78 plays: Animal Collective - Grass
13. 78 plays: Cut Copy - Saturdays
14. 78 plays: Neon Indian - Terminally Chill
15. 75 plays: Animal Collective - Winter Wonder Land
16. 75 plays: Animal Collective - Water Curses
17. 75 plays: Blood Diamonds - Grins
18. 74 plays: LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations
19. 72 plays: Gold Panda - Marriage (Star Slinger Remix)
20. 72 plays: Memory Tapes - Plain Material 

Marmol Watch

The 2012 Marmolade has not been as delicious as Cubs fans had previously come to expect when they tossed back a frosty mug of Marmol's finest in years past. However, after coming off the DL in late May, Marmol has once again looked like his old self.  According to Muskat Ramblings, "Carlos Marmol is 6-for-6 in save opportunities in his last nine outings with a 1.04 ERA, giving up one earned run over 8 2/3 innings, walking five and striking out 15."

That may be due in part to this hilarious note I came across at Bleacher Nation:

I knew the Cubs’ coaching staff didn’t like Carlos Marmol shaking off the pitches that his catcher was calling, but I didn’t know they were this serious: since he came back from the disabled list in late May,Marmol has not been allowed to shake off his catcher. If he shakes off a sign, he owes pitching coach Chris Bosio a case of wine. Not coincidently, Marmol has been excellent in the last month and a half.

What to make of the Cubs lineup

Dale Sveum is losing sleep over the order of the Cubs lineup, according to this ESPN Chicago report, and it is not hard to see why. The Cubs best hitter, Starlin Castro, had 10 home runs a year ago, leaving the Cubs with no consistent run-producer, or a prototypical leadoff man. If Alfonso Soriano can continue his hot spring, he at least seems like a logical choice for the cleanup spot in the order. Likewise, if Darwin Barney translates his improved offense this spring to the regular season, he would be a good candidate to hit second. David DeJesus was signed with the thought of his high on-base percentage working well in the leadoff role, however he has had a slow spring coming off a bad 2011 season. In the end though, his proven OBP track record and limited pop may work best leading off games.

Here is my opening day lineup if I were Dale Sveum:

1. David DeJesus

2. Marlon Byrd

3. Starlin Castro

4. Alfonso Soriano

5. Geovany Soto

6. Brian LaHair

7. Ian Stewart

8. Darwin Barney

Bullet of the Day

Courtesy of MLBTradeRumors.com:

"On this day in 2002, the Yankees released outfielder Ruben Rivera, who allegedly stole teammate Derek Jeter's glove from his locker at the club's Spring Training complex and proceeded to sell it."

Bullet of the Day

This one comes courtesy of Bleacher Nation's Brett Taylor, writing for Bleed Cubbie Blue:

The Tampa Bay Rays have picked up a new mascot: a giant cat, dressed like a DJ. Dubbed "DJ Kitty," the mascot started as a scoreboard gimmick, and has evolved into a fully-formed excitement-provider. All other teams are jealous.

2012 Outfield Values

Check out an article I wrote for Vigilante Baseball on values you can find in the outfield based on early average draft position data: http://vigilantebaseball.com/2012/02/2012-outfield-values/

Favorite Albums of 2011

10. Yuck – Yuck

Just solid, throwback indie rock.

9. The Antlers – Burst Apart

There doesn’t seem to be a wasted track on this album. It is chill but engaging at the same time. The music stays in the forefront of your mind, never seeming to drift into the background.

8. Radiohead – King of Limbs

Abruptly dropped on the world with five days notice earlier this spring, it was hard to know what exactly to make of this eight-song mini-album. This is not vintage Radiohead, and doesn’t evoke the same level of emotions as In Rainbows. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a gem of an album, with a rightful place in the Radiohead discography.

7. Friendly Fires – Pala

The Friendlies strike again and they do not disappoint. Similarly to their debut, Pala rolls off one impressive song after another providing that highly sought after replay value. There’s no Jump in the Pool or Paris here, but more than a few songs come close.

6. Washed Out – Within and Without

Earnest Greene had a lot to live up to as he released the debut Washed Out full length, after releasing a plethora of strong songs in the form of an amazing EP, the impressive High Times cassette and a quality tour CDR. Despite the pressure to deliver, Within and Without is a cool, confident release. While it is somewhat toned down, Greene effortlessly nails the mood he sets out to achieve. I have the feeling the next Washed Out album will sound completely different.

5. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes usually take a little growing on my ears before I really realize how good the music is, a worthy follow up to their debut.

4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Just something about these guys, it’s a refreshing sound to hear.

3. Panda Bear – Tomboy

A pleasure to listen to, this album flows cohesively despite the unique nature of each song.

2. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

This arguably had a stronger set of huge singles than Zonoscope, but doesn’t quite top Cut Copy as a whole in my book.

1. Cut Copy – Zonoscope

Simply the most replay-able album of the year, with multiple signature songs.

Headline of the Day: "Cardinals Sign Koyie Hill"

I cannot wait for Cubs pitchers to face him for the first time. Three curves, three strikes, find some pine. Have fun Cardinals.

The hits keep coming: Cubs acquire Anthony Rizzo

It is one good trade after another so far for Theo and Jed as the Cubs trade for highly regarded 1B prospect Anthony Rizzo and pitcher Zach Cates (who?) from the Padres for former first round pick Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na. 25-year-old Cashner is a flame thrower and will be missed--but only if he can manage to stay healthy. Shoulder surgery derailed his 2011 season and his rehab was littered with setbacks.

My first reaction to this trade is wow, how did the Cubs just acquire Anthony Rizzo for only Andrew Cashner?

Heading into the 2011 season Cashner and Rizzo were pretty equally regarded, Cashner having made his Major League debut in 2010 as Baseball America's #95 overall prospect. Rizzo entered the 2011 season as BA's #75 overall prospect and also made it to majors, but was demoted after a horrendous showing of .141/.281/.242 in 153 AB. While this is obviously terrible, it is a small sample size for a 21-year-old in his first big league exposure. Rizzo went on to tear up triple-A to the tune of .331/.404/.652 and his stock looked to be sky high heading into 2012.

While Andrew Cashner has star potential, clearly so does Rizzo who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston a year ago. With Cashner's injury and Rizzo's dominance at triple-A this looks like a small price to pay for Theo and Jed as they continue to rebuild the Cubs with one solid trade after another. The previous trades leading up to this all look to be wins for Chicago, but this trade is the huge steal in my opinion.

The pieces are falling into place, slowly but surely, as the Cubs inch closer to respectability.

So long Big Z, you were my boy, but the Cubs had no choice but to put you down like Old Yeller

According to reports, the Cubs have traded former star pitcher Carlos Zambrano, better known as the Big Z, to the Miami Marlins. The Cubs will absorb $15.5 million of the $18 million owed to Zambrano for the 2012 season. In return the Cubs receive 25-year-old Chris Volstad, a former first round pick who is arbitration eligible and under team control through 2014.

Yes, it would have been nice to receive a larger amount of salary relief in this deal. In fact, that seemed to be the whole point of trading Big Z. However, the Cubs made their current and future team better by receiving a major league quality starter in return who has his best years ahead of him.

Sadly, Z's best days are well in the rear view mirror. Volstad, on the other hand, has shown signs of improvement over the past three seasons despite what his bloated 4.59 career ERA may suggest. In addition to posting a career best xFIP of 3.64 in 2011, Volstad has steadily dropped his walks per nine innings after debuting with the Marlins in 2008:

• 2008 - 3.84 BB/9
• 2009 - 3.34 BB/9
• 2010 - 3.09 BB/9
• 2011 - 2.66 BB/9

Volstad's improved control is paired with a high rate of ground balls and a strikeout rate that has hovered around 6 K/9 but peaked at 6.36 k/9 in 2011. His ground ball profile fits quaint Wrigley Field nicely and Volstad's progressively improving K/BB ratio bodes well for his future.

Incredibly, Volstad is an even bigger dude than Zambrano, sporting a 6' 8" 233 lb frame. It seems a player with that kind of height may take a few years to perfect his delivery and improve his command. This is exactly what the Cubs witnessed with 6' 7" Sean Marshall who developed into the best left handed reliever in the league after struggling initially in the majors.

I loved the Big Z. I still do love Z and wish him well with Ozzie Guillen in Miami. From his incredible 2003 rookie season nearly powering the Cubs to their first World Series in decades, to the Gatorade cooler desolation and finally the epic moment when Zambrano threw the home plate umpire out of the game. There never was a dull moment with Carlos Zambrano and I will still proudly wear his jersey. However, this trade was necessary and improves the Cubs both in 2012 and moving forward.

Theo, you've done it again. I will sit back and enjoy the rest of your tenure with the Cubs. This is going to be fun.

Favorite Songs of 2011

Yeah, it is a little late for this list, and I am very interested to hear what 2012 has to offer. There were some impressively catchy songs released this year, but the offering as a whole was a little lacking in depth compared to previous years. A songs list is also just so difficult to finalize because songs are constantly being shifted. Really, a list like this should probably never be made, as music is meant to fit certain moods with one song sounding amazing in a certain setting, and out of place in another. For some reason though, year end lists seem to be built into our DNA. They're also just fun to make. So without any more rambling, here are my favorite songs of 2011.

1. Radiohead – Separator
2. Cut Copy – Need You Now
3. M83 – Steve McQueen
4. Washed Out – Amor Fati
5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – How Can You Luv Me?
6. M83 – Midnight City
7. Panda Bear – Slow Motion
8. Cut Copy – Take Me Over
9. The War On Drugs – Come to the City
10. Yuck – Operation
11. The Antlers – No Widows
12. Hooray For Earth – Sails
13. Panda Bear – Alsatian Darn
14. Phantogram – Make a Fist
15. Radiohead – Codex
16. Gold Panda – Marriage (Star Slinger Remix)
17. 1, 2, 3 – Riding Coach
18. Cults – You Know What I Mean
19. Blood Diamonds – Grins
20. Twin Sister – Bad Street