For those casual Cubs fans that do not know why I would worry about a relief pitcher with an incredible slider and a terrific 10.6 K/9 ratio, let me remind you that this guy has been a head case for years. He is a converted outfielder/catcher that three years to prove himself in a setup role and already lost the closer job once in spring training.

For those of you that want statistical proof, look at Marmol’s splits and scroll down to the situational numbers below his performance against players on the right side and left side of the plate, below his monthly performances, and far below his performance against each team.

Look at his performance with bases loaded and scoring position with two outs. Pitching with the bases loaded in a position (where it is impossible to pass the buck) he held runners to a .077 batting average…but allowed runners to walk across home plate six times in 19 plate appearances. That means he allowed an on base percentage of .350. This is pitiful compared to the league’s top closers and is awfully close to one of last season’s worst, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Brad Lidge.

His numbers become even more terrifying when he is presented with the too often predicament of having runners in scoring position with two outs. He was in this position 50 times in 2009. He walked the batter 12 of those times. Combined with the nine hits he allowed, he allowed opponents a .442 on base percentage or an almost 50 percent chance of keeping the inning alive.

Now, if we had a terrible starter I could avoid purchasing Chicago Cubs tickets to his start (if I did not have season tickets, which I do not); however, if our closer is a head case who loses control of his pitches every time the pressure kicks up a notch I cannot avoid catching an end of a blown game. Hopefully I am reading a little too much into the nitty-gritty and the 15 saves in 19 opportunities is a far more relevant and telling stat.

Closer: Guzman

Set-Up Man: Player from another team

Left-Handed Specialist: Marshall, Grabow

Middle Relief: Heilman, Player from another team

Long-Reliever: Marshall, Heilman

Ball Boy: Carlos Marmol

Peanut Vendor: Gregg

Annoying Guy Who Keeps Showing Up to Parties Even Though No One Invited Him: Samardzija

The bullpen thing is only one issue among many.  This division race is over.  I’m usually a guy that stays pretty upbeat about my team’s chances, especially the Cubs.  Unfortunately as they fade farther and farther back in both the NL Central race and the Wild Card, I am becoming more and more skeptical, and angry.  I’m sick of defending Milton Bradley and Kevin Gregg.  I’m tired of Zambrano’s endless drama.  I want to punch Hendry in the face for his off-season circus that resulted in more money spent and worse performance on the field.

And the one man I never thought I would tire of, Sweet Lou has pushed me past the tipping point.  His mismanagement of this bullpen has been glaringly obvious, even more so than his refusal to drop Soriano in the order, preach intelligent baserunning, or make adjustments when big-name players were struggling.  If you are any kind of baseball enthusiast, you have to be questioning not whether Lou’s stubborn refusal to change things that aren’t working may be the sign of an old man that has lost his grasp on baseball and even reality.  The guy has heart, wants to win, and I love him, but his decision-making is piss-poor.  Anyone with half a brain knew it was time to get Marmol out of the set-up role weeks ago, instead of “letting him work it out”.  Its been three months!  Let him work it out on his own goddamn time, when its not costing us leads in the 7th and 8th.

I can’t talk about this anymore.  And to those of you who have my gchat, please don’t IM me to see “what I thought about last night’s game”.  It f#$%ing sucked, ok?  That’s what I thought about it.

1st Base (Derrek Lee, Micah Hoffpauir): Derrek Lee started slow but has come on extremely strong since the middle of May.  Hoffpauir has been superb in a back up role.  Personally I think the Cubs need to get this guy more at-bats, but he has filled in admirably for Lee during stretches and mashes the ball when he gets the chance.

Grade: A-

2nd Base (Aaron Miles, Bobby Scales, Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, Andres Blanco): What a ragtag bunch at 2nd base.  You know its bad when this many guys have played the position, and no major injuries were a factor.  Fontenot was supposed to be the guy this year.  And by “the guy” I don’t mean Ted Williams, I think most people were just hoping for say .250/.333/.430 instead of .230/.307/.358.  Just terrible.  The other guys are all marginal major leaguers at best.

Grade: D

Shortstop (Ryan Theriot): Okay here is someone having a better season then he was expected to have.  In fact, the little power surge of his in early May makes his season arguably better than expected.  He is hitting about .300 and has mostly returned to his non-walking ways, but he has committed slightly less TOOTBLANs.

Grade: B+

3rd Base (Aramis Ramirez, Mike Fontenot, Jake Fox): Jake Fox! He has started a few games at 3rd and the guy can just rake the ball.  Unfortunately for our 3rd basemen grade, most of the at-bats went to Fontenot, who we discussedis having a terrible season.  With Ramirez on the pine, this position was a black hole at the plate for the most part.

Grade: C-

Catcher (Geovany Soto, Koyie Hill): Soto had a sloooow start, got high, then got injured.  Hill has been just so-so.  Soto needs to come back after the break and show us something, because he looked nothing like the all-star catcher he was last year.  I would say he needs to find his power stroke, but that would neglect to take into consideration his inability to make contact with the ball at all.  At least he’s walking I guess.

Grade: D

Outfield (Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Reed Johnson, Milton Bradley, Jake Fox, Micah Hoffpauir): The only things saving the outfield from an F is Fukudome’s C- season and Soriano’s ridiculously hot April.  Bradley sucks, Fonzy sucks, and Reed, Fox and Hoffpauir aren’t getting enough at-bats to save the position.

Grade: D-

Starting Pitchers (Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Harden, Wells, Marshall): The Cubs one huge strength has been their starting rotation.  Wells, Lilly, Zambrano and Dempster are sporting 2.70, 3.18, 3.53, and 4.09 ERAs respectively.  Marshall did fine in his starts earlier in the year as well.  The only real major concern has been Rich Harden, who has given up 16 home runs in just 74 innings.  His strikeout numbers have been there, but his weakness to the long ball is a problem that needs to be corrected.  Randy Wells has been phenomenal and made most Cubs fans forget about Jake Peavy trade rumors.  If this staff can stay strong, the Cubs have a shot at the Division and maybe more.

Grade: A-

Bullpen (Marmol, Gregg, Heilman, Guzman, Cotts, Patton, Hart, etc.): Angel Guzman has been a pleasant surprise.  Also, Kevin Gregg is doing very well.  He is performing far better than Kerry Wood by pretty much any measure you use, and his 16/19 in saves is better than expected.  That’s it for the positives.  Marmol has been inconsistent at best and whether he can’t hit the strike zone, or just won’t hit it, his ability to turn it around will be key to the Cubs second half.  Oh, quick random fact I bet you didn’t know: Aaron Heilman is 0/5 in save opportunities.  Yeah, Aaron Heilman.  I didn’t even know he had any opportunities, and it looks like he really took advantage of those.

Grade: D+

Coaching (Lou Piniella, Larry Rothschild, Alan Trammell, Von Joshua/Gerald Perry): I hate to do this to you Lou, but things have been terrible.  Reluctant to move Soriano down in the order until too late, unable to help Bradley feel comfortable with the team, refusal to use Hoffpauir, Fox, and other young guys when overpaid players are slumping, mismanagement of the bullpen, and a misplaced belief in “being aggressive on the basepaths” even though the individual players on the team are terrible base stealers (32/51 on stolen bases and countless other TOOTBLANs).  I love Lou and it’s easy to judge him from here in the peanut gallery, but I think he would agree that he hasn’t been at his best this season.

Grade: D+

Cubs Overall Grade: C-

Monday: The Cubs went to Atlanta for a one-game makeup.  The Braves are a decent team this year, but definitely not a team that should scare the Cubs.  The Cubbies, however, did something amazing that hasn’t been done by a Cubs team in 20 years.  They got 10 hits but scored no runs in a 9-inning game.  The last time that happened was against the Astros on August 29, 1990.  Oh and this completed a 4 game stretch for Dempster in which he was 0-2 with a 2.10 ERA.  So at least he’s not the problem.  Milton Bradley: 0-1, 1K.

Tuesday: The Cubs head to Detroit to play a 3-game set against a tough Tiger squad.  The only good thing in this game was Marmol’s 1-2-3 inning.  Gregg blew the save on a walk-off home run to Ryan Raburn and the Cubs lost a nailbiter 5-4.  Milton Bradley: 0-2, 2BBs, 1K.

Wednesday: Okay, so the Cubbies lost the opener but it was a close game.  Well they lost a close one on Wednesday too, but this time they stranded 13 runners, which makes me sort of nauseous.  Carlos Marmol was back to his walking ways, walking in a run and throwing only 7 of his 16 pitches for strikes.  Tigers won 5-3.  To this point in the week, the Cubs had scored 7 runs and left 31 men on base.  Yikes. Milton Bradley: 0-2, 3BB, 2Ks.

Thursday: Would the Cubs get swept by the Tigers?  The answer should be obvious at this point.  One thing before I get all negative about this game.  JAKE FOX!  That kid can rake.  Lou needs to get him in the lineup as soon as possible and as often as possible.  He was 3-4 with a home run and a double.  Hoffpauir also had a big home run.  The Cubbies lost, however, 6-5.  The bullpen held up alright, but Lilly gave up 6 runs which was insurmountable with this Cubs offense.  Also allegations of Soto’s marijuana use came to the front this day.  Lou admitted he’s tried pot one time, but “couldn’t tell you the difference between a steroid and reefer.” Milton Bradley: Day off.

Friday:  The Cubs headed to the South Side for a crosstown showdown with the White Sox.  This was actually the one game the Cubbies won this week, although it may have been the worst game of the week for Cubs fans.  Marmol was flat out awful.  He could not find the strike zone, or even come close.  He went 2/3 of an inning, with 2 hits, 3 walks, and 2 earned runs.  Only 10 of his 24 pitches were strikes.  Soto did homer (hell he can get high everyday if he’s going to hit like that), and Fox hit another bomb to help the Cubs overcome Marmol’s trials.  The big story, however, was Milton Bradley.  After flying out in the 6th, he expressed his anger about his struggles by doing what all Cubs seem to do, taking it out on the Gatorade cooler.  Lou had had enough though, and told Bradley to change and leave the ballpark.  Great.  Milton Bradley 0-3, 2Ks.

Saturday: Lou decided not to discipline Bradley any further, putting him back in the lineup.  He was hardly the story, though, as this game was an exciting one down to the finish.  In a game the Cubs lost 8-7, no home runs were hit by either team until Podsednik’s walk-off in the bottom of the 9th.  Marmol of course struggled, as did Marshall and Heilman (not Heilman so much, but he did give up a run).  Milton Bradley: 1-5, 1K.

Sunday: At least Zambrano made this one interesting, although its not exactly professional to bean one guy because another guy stole home on you.  Though “class” hasn’t exactly been our M.O. this season so far, Z usually takes the cake.  I would be pretty upset if I was him too.  Its got to suck to know your team won’t give you the run support you need, and that a 4-0 hole is pretty much a loss.  They ended up losing 6-0.  Oh and good news everyone, Chicago favorite Mark DeRosa, who should never have been dealt and is having a very good year in Cleveland, was traded to the Cubs arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals.  Hooray.  Milton Bradley: 0-3, 1BB, 2Ks.

What a terrible week.  Marmol is losing it, Gregg blows a key save, the offense only scores enough runs to lose, Soto smokes pot, and Bradley can’t hit anything except a Gatorade cooler.  In a battle between on-field issues and off-field issues, I’m going to have to give a split decision to off-field issues this week.  Somehow the Cubs have managed to hang around .500.  Before this last week, it felt like if they hung around long enough, eventually things would turn around.  This week definitely made me feel much worse about it, though.  Someone needs to slap Bradley and make Marmol do 100 push-ups every time he throws a ball.

Bulls (The Coming of Age of A Legend):

After waking up early and returning from the Farmer’s Market (I bought some amazing honeycrisp apples), I popped on the Bulls game.  The Bulls started off playing very well.  Unfortunately Tyrus picked up two quick fouls and found himself on the bench until about halfway through the 2nd quarter.  In spite of Brad Miller’s terrible defense, they managed to put together a 16-4 run in the 2nd quarter and went into the half up 9 points.  Rose looked like he was having another great game, scoring 13 points while dishing out 7 assists.  It was a good half and the Bulls really looked like they could control the game.

Then everything just went crazy.  The Celtics quickly closed the gap in the 3rd quarter, but Rose would not give an inch in what was fast becoming a battle for the ages.  As Rondo and Rose dueled throughout the second half, trading baskets since neither was quick enough on the defensive end to stay in front of the other, the momentum switched back and forth.  The game had more lead changes than I could keep track of, and you could feel it on every play.  With some help from an energized Noah, some no/yes buckets from Tyrus, and a crucial missed free throw by Paul Pierce, the Bulls were able to send this game to overtime and eventually win it.

Before I get caught up in Derrick Rose’s unbelievable night (36 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds), other credit/blame is due.  Noah played the best basketball he has all season.  He scored 11 points and snagged 17 rebounds, but more importantly he played high-intensity basketball every minute he was on the floor.  He added a steal and 3 blocks to that and as NQTC reader Gavin pointed out to me during the game, he was doing all kinds of things that weren’t going to show up on the stat sheet.  Hinrich also contributed in quiet ways, coming in defensively to help shut down Pierce and Allen.  Both of those guys had terrible days, and that can be attributed in part to the job done by Salmons, Hinrich and even Gordon.

Now about Derrick Rose.  His 36 points tied the record for a rookie playoff debut.  Not only did that tie him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but it pushed him past the 2nd place man on the list at 35 points, Michael Jordan.  To truly appreciate what he did, I recommend reading Henry Abbott’s breakdown of Rose’s game.  His ability to get his teammates the ball in a position to score or make something happen is phenomenal.  He isn’t Chris Paul yet, but on a day like yesterday he could have been.  He was also able to knock down the open midrange jumper, making 5-7 from beyond 15 feet.  His explosive move to the basket was leaving the Celtics arguing with each other about missed assignments.

I think the question about whether he is merely a star or the next great superstar has been laid to rest.  Tonight was a coming of age for Rose.  He has had great games in the past, but on this stage, in an extremely hostile environment, he showed the confidence, leadership, and skill it takes to be great in this league.  I think with the right pieces next to him, he may even win a championship.  For some reason it makes me think of this video, sent in by NQTC reader Frank the Tank:

After the final whistle and getting off the phone with every single member of my family and about 5 other people, my adrenaline was still pumping.  Then I got a phone call from my friend Golan.

Cubs (Aramis Does It Again):

Ring ring.  It’s my phone, but I barely notice it from across the room as I’m jumping up and down screaming and freaking out.  The time is 2:40 p.m. and I just witnessed something that should never have happened.  The Bulls winning.  I finally run across the room and pick up the phone.

Golan: “Are you gonna watch this game right now?”

Me: “Which NBA game is on now anyways?”

Golan: “No I mean the Cubs game.”

Shit, I completely forgot about the Cubs game.  It started at exactly 2:40 though, so I popped it on.  I was having trouble sitting down and staying calm for most of the game.  My adrenaline was still pumping from the Bulls and I was getting excited for the Hawks game that night.  The first couple innings of the Cubs game barely caught my attention as I was chattering about a mile a minute about the Bulls to Golan, who had stopped by to watch the game.

In the 3rd inning Dempster started showing some cracks, giving up 3 runs and causing me to pay a little more attention to the game.  (This would not be Dempster’s last appearance in my story, by the way)  Nothing was going to bring down my mood though.  The Cubs got one back on a Fukudome double in the bottom half and I was confident we could come back.  Then in the 5th inning we did come back and tied it up 4-4.  We got another run from Miles and went ahead 5-4.

I had two notable conversations with Golan before he left around the 5th or 6th inning.  Both foreshadowed how the rest of the game would go.  The first was Golan thought Aramis Ramirez was one of the great clutch hitters in the league.  I gave him my usual spiel about how there is no such thing as clutch-hitting, but Aramis is a great hitter in any situation.  The second conversation was an argument where I tried to say the bullpen hasn’t been that bad this year with guys like Heilman and Marmol being pretty good and other guys like Gregg and Guzman rounding into form.

In the 7th inning, Cotts came on and walked the first 2 batters he faced.  Lou brought in Marmol who slammed the door on the Cards comeback attempt, retiring all three batters he faced.  Then he melted down.  He came on to start the 8th and gave up two doubles and hit Khalil Greene.  Thankfully Kevin Gregg had his good stuff (yeah apparently he has good stuff), and he got two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat.  Unfortunately the Cards had tied it up 5-5.

I had a minor problem.  I had to get to my friends house so we could head down to the Hawks game.  I set my phone on 15 second refresh on ESPN.com and ran to the bus.  The Cubs weren’t able to win it in the 9th and I arrived at my buddy’s in time to see the 10th and 11th.  Golan, I want to apologize to you for our earlier disagreement.  I was completely wrong.  Aramis Ramirez is clutch, end of story.  When he stepped up to the plate in that 11th inning, I just kind of knew, and so did Aramis.  With one gigantic swing of the bat Ramirez did what he has done for the past 8 years: put on his hard hat and carry his lunchbox to work everyday and hit the ball really hard.  He has more home runs as a 3rd basemen than anyone in all of baseball since 2001.  It’s time he got his due as one of the greatest 3rd basemen of our generation.  He has quietly compiled some monster stats and deserves much more recognition than he receives.  Chicago teams were 2-0 so far.

Chicago Blackhawks (Toews Wins My Heart)

After arriving at the Hawks game we grabbed a beer and took our seats.  There was a sort of energy in the building that was intangible and yet you could cut through it with a knife.  I had been to the United Center many times and even seen a few Hawks games there, but this was different.  They always say playoff hockey is insane, but you have to actually experience it to truly understand.  After my ears almost exploded from screaming throughout the national anthem, Coach Ditka came out to drop the ceremonial faceoff puck and the game was under way.

The screaming had gone from essentially the beginning of the montages through the end of the national anthem (about 20 minutes) and my throat already hurt.  Then the first period started and the Hawks gave my sore throat a much needed rest.  They played some of the sloppiest hockey I have seen and made me question whether they were ready for the playoffs.  Calgary was more physical, more controlled and all around better.  It showed on the scoreboard too, where the Hawks trailed by 2 goals.  My understanding of hockey playoffs is that there aren’t a lot of goals scored because of how physical it is and how great the goaltending is.  We were all pretty disheartened and a collective melancholy had settled over the crowd.

Then the 2nd period started and everything changed.  Toews was able to score a pretty-looking goal early in the period during a power play, but the Hawks still started off slow and gave the Flames way too many shots on goal.  The Flames were still far more physical than the Hawks, however.  Everytime Burish came on the crowd would get excited for the Hawks to finally fight back.  The problem is Burish is terrible at hockey.  Every time he touched the puck he would make a bad pass or give it up.  Also whoever this Walker guy is, why is he on the team?  He is the worst player I have ever seen.  Anyways as the period wore on you could tell the Hawks were poised to break through.  They were starting to play more controlled and finally it happened.  On an amazing pass by Kane, Sharp just tapped it into the net in another gorgeous, crisp-looking goal that tied the game 2-2.

Even though the Flames were playing far more physical, the Hawks were clearly dominating the entire second period.  Toews scored another gorgeous looking goal in the waning seconds of the period and as the 3rd period started the waiting game began.  Quick note, Ryan Dempster was the celebrity contestant for the hockey puck shot game between the 2nd and 3rd period.  He wore a crazy looking plaid sport coat and was introduced as a Canadian.  The Sox-heavy crowd booed him but he was actually very good at handling the stick and almost made the impossible shot.

Anyways, the waiting game was brutal.  Besides one altercation that resulted in a 4-on-4, it was pretty much an excruciating 20 minutes.  I felt like that scene in Miracle where the US team is just counting down the clock and praying that the Ruskies don’t score.  And just like that movie, the Flames could not convert.  They had some decent chances early in the period but the Hawks clamped down for the rest and marched to a 2-0 lead in the series.

Jonathan Toews is everything I’ve heard about and more.  This kid is amazing.  His goals were beautiful and his energy and focus were admirable.  Sharp and Kane were also fun to watch.  This team is young and exciting and could make a run deep into the post-season.

Now before I end this Hawks game discussion, there is one thing I didn’t mention the whole time that may be the most important key to the Hawks win.  Khabibulin.  All I heard all season was about how the Hawks have two extremely expensive, yet average goalies in Huet and Khabi.  On this night, though, Khabi made some amazing saves.  Not one or two, but again and again from the drop of the puck to the final horn he was blocking the puck with everything he had.  One save actually looked like he knocked it off the blade of his skate.  If he can do what he did last night coupled with the Hawks high-powered offense, they are as good as any team in the playoffs right now.

Conclusion:

About halfway through the Hawks game, my friend asked me to check the White Sox score on my phone for him.  The White Sox?  I had completely forgotten about them in the craziness of the day.  Sure enough, the Sox had beaten the Rays 8-3 to make it a perfect 4-0 for Chicago sports teams yesterday.  Rose, Ramirez, Toews and Khabibulin all made my day amazing.  I don’t know when the next time 4 Chicago teams will win 2 playoff games and go 4-0 overall on the same day will be, but for now, I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.  So what are you up to today?

Some of the teams I considered major contenders-Japan, Cuba, Venezuela, the United States-advanced, but one major favorite bowed out early when they lost to Netherlands.  Isn’t that weeeird?!

The Dominicans lost to the Dutch twice!  That’s unbelievable.  Just goes to show how unpredictable a short series is. Right?  Too soon?

Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol picked up his second loss of the WBC when he gave up two runs in the 11th inning after the Dominicans had taken the lead in the top half of the 11th.  He gave up a double, then after the runner was moved to third there was a single to score him, then Marmol had a wild pickoff throw sending the runner to third.  First baseman Willy Aybar took some of the heat off Marmol for the loss when he botched a line drive that would have ended the inning, but instead allowed the winning run to score.

To give you an idea of the upset: the Dominican Republic had 21 more MLB players than the Dutch, earned $83 million more in MLB salaries, and are just generally worse at baseball. Netherlands will now go on to play Puerto Rico to determine the winner of their pool (both teams have advanced).

After staring at their website for an hour, I finally understand how this thing works.  For example, in Pool C featuring the U.S. and Venezuela: even thought the U.S. is 2-0 and Venezuela lost to the U.S. and is 2-1, the two teams will still play one game to determine the winner of the group. That game will be at 6:30 et. tonight by the way, and the winner will play the loser of Puerto Rico and Netherlands, while the loser will play the winner of that game.  Whew.

The U.S. has looked great so far in the tournament, actually falling behind in games against Canada and Venezuela, but coming back strong in both contests for wins.  If I’m not mistaken it will be Ted Lilly on the mound for the U.S.

Anyway, we’ll try to be more up with the times when it comes to the WBC and bring you the coverage you desperately yearn for.