Call it regression to the mean. No team is as bad as the Cubs have looked over the last 4 weeks. Eventually they had to have a game where hitting, fielding, and pitching all happened at a major league level.

The Cubs are now 6-21 in May. Broken down by starting pitcher (team record):

Zambrano (3-2)
Marshall (2-4)
Wood (1-2)
Ryu (0-1)
Guzman (0-3)
Hill (0-4)
Maddux (0-5)

If Dusty sees that list, his keen statistical mibd will conclude that Maddux is 5 times as bad as Ryu. Too bad the kid can't be recalled for another 10 days or so.

Maddux was the victim of at least 2 of Dempster's implosions, IIRC.

So with Ryu gone, and Guzman, Hill, Williams, and everyone else tried, does this mean the return of Glendon Rusch to the rotation is imminent?

I might as well get a head start on the June list.

Rusch (0-5)

The Piazza 3-run homer was on Dempster, but the other four were all Maddux. Seriously, the only thing that has surprised me about this season is that we didn't sign Maddux to a 2-yr $15 million extension when he was 5-0.

Zambrano (3-2)
Marshall (2-4)
Wood (1-2)
Ryu (0-1)
Guzman (0-3)
Hill (0-4)
Maddux (0-5)

We should probably wait until he pitches tonight before giving Maddux that fifth loss for the month:

Maddux in April: 5 games, 5-0, 1.35 ERA, 33.1 IP, 23 H, 1 HR, 6 BB, 24 K (4:1 ratio), 1.67 GB/FB, 5 quality starts
Maddux in May: 5 games, 0-4, 7.81 ERA, 27.2 IP, 40 H, 4 HR, 10 BB, 17 K (1.7:1 ratio), 2.18 GB/FB, 1 quality start

A number of things at play there, but it looks at least in part like Maddux went from lucky to unlucky.

does this mean the return of Glendon Rusch to the rotation is imminent?

Len and Bob were discussing that yesterday and wondering whether, with Thursday's off-day, the Cubs would start everyone on their normal days (thus delaying any final decision) or whether he'd be slotted in this weekend in St. Louis.

They suggested he might be held back for Houston. His W-L against the'Stros was deceptively good last year, which could sway Dusty, but it came with a mediocre ERA and he had the good luck of the draw to face Wandy Rodriguez about a zillion times.

We should probably wait until he pitches tonight before giving Maddux that fifth loss for the month:

That record indicates that the team has lost all 5 games that Maddux has pitched, not that he has 5 losses on the month.

That record indicates that the team has lost all 5 games that Maddux has pitched, not that he has 5 losses on the month.

Ah, of course. Anyway, I'd call his chances of ending up 0-5....decent.

im so very glad i have to work and get to miss this

20 miles north of Chicago right now and it's raining buckets.

And now it's sunny.

Anyone want my tickets? I don't feel like going. Not sure why that is.

Cuz you don't want to watch a bunch of losers?

Cuz you don't want to watch a bunch of losers?

Hmm. That hadn't occurred to me, but you may be on to something.

The 90 degree temps with high humidity don't motivate me much, either.

I love that the protest Saturday drew all of six protester. I bet that got the Cub's attention...

Cub Lineup tonight:

J. Pierre cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234
T. Womack 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .367
M. Murton lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286
A. Ramirez 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .238
T. Walker 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .309
R. Cedeno ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .288
J. Jones rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .273
H. Blanco c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .051
G. Maddux p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .211

Another lefty, another Jones appearance in the lineup. Really, Maddux should be batting 7th. At least someone would have a chance to drive in Walker and Cedeno if they get on base.

Blanco? We're going to see more than enough of him when Barrett is out.

7 through 2 does not promise much offense tonight.

Murton hitting third, huh? I believe this means he's batted everywhere but first and ninth this year.

Changes--is that you, SSR?

If things go well tonight, I'm going to have to add listening to "The Air That I Breathe" to my long list of rituals before and during each Maddux start.

I take special pleasure watching Valentin make outs against Maddux.

Jacque Jones just needs to be shot.

Another quality throw from Jones. He might as well just run it in.

Ron: "Pat, Jones has a good arm."

Ron's insane.

Has Jones made a good throw all year? It seems like 50% are into the ground and 50% are airmailing everyone.

Here I was bitvhing the game wasn't on WGN, and I discovered it on the HDTV network. Just in time to see Jone's throw to the wall behond the plate.

This team is so ####### stupid.

What? A Cub thrown out on the bases?

Our resurrection of good play lasted all of 1 game.

Lefties are hitting .094 against Claussen, but Dusty wanted to get Scattershot Jones's defense on the field.

At least Ramirez running into the double play meant that Jones's strikeout didn't lower the team's numbers with RISP. It's that kind of team play that wins games.

Lefties are hitting .094 against Claussen, but Dusty wanted to get Scattershot Jones's defense on the field.

Ans there are no RH second basemen. What's that you say, Jerry?

You know, a lot's been made of Jones vs LHP, but:

Jones: .103/.133/.207 vs LHP
Pierre: .175/.200/.222 vs LHP

Pierre has no business out there either.

Changes is quiet pleasure - thought it was time for me to change that...

Good to see the same mental mistakes happening all around.

Maddux is standing on his head.

Is Dusty ever going to figure out that Pierre is the club's worst possible lead-off man? Would Hendry dare point it out to him, or can he only talk about "the need to improve clutch hitting" leaving Dusty to read between the lines (i.e. your batting order stinks)?

Anyone in Chicago - how's our weather looking? Pat and Ron are just about to head for the storm cellar, but they tend to get jumpy whenever the sun dips behind a cloud.

I think they huddle up before the game to think up today's lame excuses.

Dammit.

Hard to say, storms were expected tonight - 70% chance of rain, and it is really coming down as I type...

A rain delay is the worst thing that could possibly happen. Every pitch thrown in the tunnel to stay loose is a pitch that can't be thrown in the game, and Maddux needs to go the distance to have any realistic hope of getting two runs of support.

Ron Santo? Cub fan.
Steve Stone? Cub fan.
Ryne Sandberg, Jody Davis, Chip Caray? Cub Fans.

Andy McPhail? Business man, PR and profit fan.
Dusty Baker? Fan of formerly successful players.
Jim Hendry? Yes man, corporate-line fan.

This may come off sounding convoluted, but for me it explains why management is so hopeless. The people running the team put their friends and associates ahead of the good of the team. If an actual die-hard, lifetime Cub fan were running the team the W-L record would probably improve because there would be a lot less "charitable" player contracts and playing time decisions. The players would see their roles diminish based on *gasp* recent on-the-field failure. Basically everyone down the line is either a good ol' boy or a big softy, when the team needs a little ruthlessness when it comes to choosing personnel. When's the next protest?

what is a protest of even a couple thousand going to do?

Dusty Baker? Fan of formerly successful players.

And guys, like Neifi Perez and Tony Womack, who've sucked balls their entire career and are even worse now.

A rain delay is the worst thing that could possibly happen. Every pitch thrown in the tunnel to stay loose is a pitch that can't be thrown in the game, and Maddux needs to go the distance to have any realistic hope of getting two runs of support.

I take it all back. Rain delays that mess up the opposing pitcher are awesome.

Jaque Jones - dumb but lucky.

I'd rip Blanco for failing to clear the pitcher's spot with his shoddy baserunning, but it's not like Pierre and Womack are getting on base to start the fifth, anyway.

At least he wasn't picked off.

So, the throw had him beat by two steps, but it's a hit?

I happen to turn on WGN Radio for part of the rain delay, and heard about half of an interview of Andy MacPhail by David Kaplan over the weekend. From what I heard, Kaplan was asking some pretty pointed questions . . . and you can probably guess MacPhail's responses.

Still, the full interview is available as a podcast on the WGN site. I downloaded it and plan to transcribe/paraphrase it -- probably on the "Deep Thoughts" thread.

that was about that interview, and McFail really didn't answer much of anything, nor did Kaplan bother following up looking for a better answer...

Way to hurry on out there, Dusty. He almost made it to fair territory by the time everyone else was on the way back to the dugout.

If Juan Pierre can't hit, and he can't judge a ball off the bat, exactly what is his purpose?

He scares the opponents with his speed. At least he is one of the few that actually runs hard on ground balls.

The old Cubs are back. Two innings in a row, mn on 3rd no outs. No run.