What Will You Give Me for a .300+ hitting Catcher?

Michael Barrett is a bad catcher. I have been saying this since last August, and following his sucker punch and earlier this season. He must go, or the Cubs will never do anything close to sniffing the postseason and World Series. He is not currently or certainly the only reason, but he is a key guy for the Cubs to move.

Tonight, Big Z was pitching and was eight-up and eight-down before Zambrano struck out Brewer pitcher Dave Bush, but Bush reached on Barrett's NL-leading ninth passed ball. Brady Clark followed with his first homer since June 7.

Carlos Zambrano (12-5) lost his second consecutive start after going 9-0 with two no-decisions in June and July. He gave up six runs -- four earned -- five hits and four walks in 4 2-3 innings.Zambrano had been 10-0 in 15 road starts since losing to the New York Mets on Aug. 7, 2005.

Agreed, Big Z should not have lost his composure, and should have sucked it up, but this is not a team that can afford these defensive lapses, and as the stats indicate, Barrett is a butcher.

Rick Morrissey can blather on all he wants about what a great hitter he is, but all the batting titles in the world cannot make up for his bad defense, and bad catching, whether it is handling pitchers or throwing out stealers.

I would bet his trade value is at an all-time high. Certainly, another catcher can be found that is not such a liability. What about Hank White?

Just as Zambrano got killed by Barrett today, Greg Maddux was often the victim of shoddy infield defense. A pity that he never had Cesar Izturis playing behind him. After ten days, you can already tell he is a great defender. He made an over-the-shoulder catch in short center look routine, and his range is sensational. Very fluid. Even if he doesn’t hit a lick, he is worth watching him play shortstop.

Also: Dusty Baker says something hilarious.

Bad News for Dusty?

The Cubs haven’t signed a manager for next year. Everybody loves Joe Girardi. Thing is, he is the manager of the Marlins, and after what he has done so far with them, they wouldn’t want to let him go…

Unless Girardi and the Marlins' owner, Jeffery Loria had a “heated conversation” Saturday after their game, which no one now wants to discuss…

The pic is Joe telling the crowd about Darryl Kile's drug overdose.

IU Police Blotter

He is no longer an IU guy, so this officially does not reflect poorly on the university, but Marco Killingsworth was arrested for physical harassment, which, the cops say, is different than assault. So, as I see it, he is a jerk, but the cops got there before he could hit the female complaintant.

Meanwhile, IU receiver James Hardy

Apocalypse Now

They just did the wave at Wrigley.

Right after Ronnie Cedeno hits a 3 run homer, and Rich Hill is pitching real well.

Say Goodnight, Gracey

Mark Grace cannot help himself. As quoted by Barry Rozner in today’s paper: “I think the fans thought of me as one of them. I didn’t have a posse and didn’t travel with ‘security guards,’ or have private booths around town. I tried to always be available to the fans.’’

Yes, he famously (to my group of pals) bought a round of beers in Cincinnati, while trolling for skank in Covington, Kentucky with Luis Gonzalez and Brian McRae, all the while smoking, the record reflects that as great as individual player he may have been, his teams did not win with him as their best player, and he did not make the players around him better.

His reputation with the fans and media is solidified by his beer-buying and agility with a juicy quote, but he was not a winner. 2000-plus hits, but no 100 RBI seasons.

He burned his bridge with me when, seconds after winning the 2001 World Series, took the occasion to rip the Cubs and their management, saying “I'm not good enough to play for the Chicago Cubs, but I'm good enough for the World Champion Diamondbacks." Congratulations on winning the Series, Gracey, celebrate that, don’t take shots at the team and its fans who provided you with all the strange you could handle.

And, of course, let's not forget his dalliance with B-actress, Janine Turner.

Hail Cesar

The Cubs acquired Cesar Izturis for Greg Maddux.



I know some won’t be unhappy to see him go, and while it was fun to see him win #300 with the Cubs (that's him in the background), we did get the 2004 Gold Glove shortstop, though he has had Tommy John surgery since then.

He appears to be not much offensively, and is hitting a robust .196 this year during day games.

The Dawn of the Jose Ceda Era

The Cubs acquired Jose Ceda in exchange for Todd Walker in a trade that will help neither side.

Walker blamed the trade on Bob Brenly.

Ceda is 6’4”, 207, and has had 114 strikeouts in 89 innings as a pro. Of course, we will probably never hear from him again.

Good trade. More playing time for Neifi, who is a key part of the 2007 Cubs.

*The picture to the right is not Jose Ceda.

Cardinals Make Great Guests

The Cubs sweep a four game series against the Cardinals for the first time since 1972, and are now 10-3 against the hated Cardinals, including 7-0 at home.

A wonderfully hot and sticky weekend, capped by Carlos Zambrano outpitching last year's Cy Young winner, Chris Carpenter.

Of course, momentum is tonight's starting pitcher, and Arizona has Brandon Webb going.

The Cubs' built-in excuse for losing tonight? Last night's Kerry Wood Strikeout for Cancer or whatever it was last night....

Lemonade, That Cool Refreshing Drink

From Froomkin today:

On the way out of a fundraiser in Charleston, W.Va., yesterday, Bush's motorcade stopped by a conveniently located lemonade stand, for some nice pictures.

Just in case you had any delusion that this was anything other than a cynically staged photo op, Dave Gustafson and Anna L. Mallory write in the Charleston Gazette: "Charleston attorney John Miesner's 8-year-old daughter, Mary Melinda, set up a lemonade stand at their home on Bedford Road, but moved it Jim and Jean Miller's property on Loudon Heights Road after the Secret Service asked them to move it."

And, even more telling: "Bush did not drink the lemonade himself, telling the kids he had to watch his weight since he turned 60, Miesner said."

Big Z is 11-3

He is surrounded by underacheivers, and he still plays his heart out. Every time out.

Yes, this team is going nowhere, a potential sweep of the Mets notwithstanding.

Big Z's next few projected starts:

July 30 vs. Saint Louis
August 4 vs. Pittsburgh
August 9 at Milwaukee
August 14 at Houston
August 19 vs. Saint Louis

You get the idea...these are the only Cub games worth attending...