Cubs Trade Tyler Colvin to Rockies; Acquire Ian Stewart

New Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart

The Cubs are shuffling the outfield deck for the second time in a week.  On Thursday afternoon, just as the world was in the midst of Albert Pujols shock, the Cubs and Rox closed the Winter Meetings with a deal that sends Colvin and infielder D.J. LeMahieu to Colorado for Stewart and right-handed reliever Casey Weathers.  The deal comes approximately a week after the Cubs made their first major move of the offseason in signing David DeJesus who is now undoubtedly going to be the everyday right fielder.

At first I was very skeptical of this trade, and I sure didn't expect Colvin to be traded out of our surplus of outfielders.  Before this trade, there were four outfielders that demanded regular playing time: Colvin, Tony Campana, Marlon Byrd, and Alfonso Soriano.  That also doesn't include infrequent visits from Blake DeWitt and prospects soon to arrive like Brett Jackson, who will demand playing time upon arrival.  However, it was Colvin who was dumped.

Ian Stewart has been the Rockies third baseman for about four years, but injuries derailed his 2011 season. At his best in 2009 and 2010, Stewart hit 25 and 18 home runs, respectively, but for a very low average.  He does strikeout plenty but also walks a decent amount, raising his OBP around 80 points higher than his batting average.  He hit only .156 in his 122 at-bats last season without a home run, very similar to Colvin's demise.

Which player will recover more effectively?  I couldn't answer this question, and neither could my quick research, so I turned to the media of all places for some reaction.  MLB Network's Clubhouse Confidential show, which examines the offseason and players via sabermetrics, declared Stewart the better player and more likely to rebound because of his better career walk rate in the minors (.373 career minors OBP compared to Colvin's .315).

The Cubs' top draft pick in 2006, Tyler Colvin's Cubs
career is finished after just 221 games.

Now that we've got that figured out, let's get to the bottom of the minor pieces.  LeMahieu, still only 23, took only two years from being drafted in 2009 to reach the Majors in 2011.  He didn't show much in his brief trial, but his minor league records are more notable.  A .317 career hitter in the minors, his 11% strikeout rate opened plenty of eyes.  Even though he has been a great contact hitter in the minors, that often changes quickly in the Majors against power pitchers never faced before.  LeMahieu was projected to get some playing time at third or around the infield in 2012, but overall, not a big loss.

Weathers, on the other hand, could be a decent pickup for the Cubs.  The 27-year-old Weathers, who has never played under the big league lights before, had major control issues in 2011 at AA Tulsa for the first time in his professional career, walking the same amount he struck out.  He has terrific strikeout stuff, but continued control problems will not make him an asset at all.  The Cubs will just have to hope it was a fluke.  In my initial reaction to the trade, I figured Weathers would stay in AA and AAA for most of the season.  Apparently he's being invited to big league camp in Arizona and will compete for a bullpen spot on the Major League team.  We'll see what happens.

Overall, this is a good trade.  Theo & Co. like guys with a high OBP, and they got another one here.  Stewart plays a decent defensive third base (better than Aramis Ramirez), and his home run balls will reach Sheffield on multiple occasions.  When he really squares up an inside fastball and gulfs a home run, his swing looks pretty awesome.  The loss of LeMahieu isn't anything to stress about, and Weathers has lots of upside.  So we've got that goin' for us, which is nice.

Road Trip Analysis: St. Louis, San Diego

It's been a tough season for the Cubs, but you won't hear
National League hit king Starlin Castro complaining.

Record: 2-4
Final Record: 71-91

Starlin Castro just narrowly missed his 200th hit of the season at home, but he didn't waste any time in St. Louis as he singled to center to lead off Friday's game, making him the youngest Cub ever to get 200 hits and only the second Cub to do it since Ryne Sandberg in '84 (Juan Pierre also did it in '06).  Castro finished this season with 207 hits, tying him for the 9th-most hits in a single-season by a Cub.  He is the third Cub in seven seasons to be the NL hit king after Derrek Lee in '05 and Pierre in '06.

Ryan Dempster kept the Cubs in that game which was a 1-1 tie in the 8th when Alfonso Soriano blasted a three-run homer into the left-center bullpen off Kyle McClelland.  Castro, not to be overshadowed on his special night, hit an RBI single in the 9th.  The Cubs won 5-1, putting a big dent in the Cardinals' wild card hopes, but as we found out later, it wouldn't matter.

The win did matter for the Brewers, however, who watched the end of the game with their fans on the scoreboard at Miller Park.  With Carlos Marmol closing out the game, the Brewers won the NL Central.  The Brewers don't often root for the Cubs, but this was a worthy exception.  I thought it was pretty cool that we were the team to down the Cards and basically give the Brewers their division championship.  I guess that's our one gift to them in exchange for our fans invading their ballpark to watch the Cubs crush the Brewers on their home turf for most of the last decade.

On Saturday, the Cardinals were down to their final strike multiple times in the bottom of the 9th against Marmol and down 1-0.  Marmol walked three, walking in the tying run and allowing the winning run to score on a wild pitch.  A loss for the Cardinals would have meant the end of their season in all likeliness, and looking at the way things played out, if Marmol had just thrown strikes and gotten the save, the Braves would have been won the Wild Card.  So in a way, the Brewers and Cardinals are both indebted to the Cubs for helping them out with their postseason aspirations.  I just wish they could've slammed the door on the charging Cardinals to get some pride back, because they have basically walked all over the Cubs this season, winning the season series 10-5.

Two clutch homers late off Randy Wells helped
the Cardinals get into the postseason.

Albert Pujols still hasn't said anything significant on whether or not he will resign with the Cardinals this offseason.  Just in case he leaves, the Busch Stadium fans gave him a standing ovation before his first at-bat Sunday, which could have been the final Cardinals home game of the season.  It wasn't, however, so more standing ovations will come in the playoffs.

For the second straight day, the Cubs blew a late lead.  This time it was on the starter, Randy Wells, who gave up a game-tying homer to Yadier Molina in the 7th and a go-ahead shot to Rafael Furcal in the 8th.  These inexplicable meltdowns on two consecutive days the Cardinals need to win provided all the evidence I require: I can now undoubtedly say that the baseball gods are frowning upon Cubdom, and are punishing its players and fans with the humiliation of letting the Cardinals into the playoffs.  I'm not a very religious guy, but in baseball, I might as well be evangelical.  Play the game right, and the baseball gods shall reward.

The Cubs were shut out by Mat Latos on Monday night in for the 10th and final time on the season, down from 15 times in 2010.  Mike Quade played "the kids" in the lineup, featuring Tony Campana, Bryan LaHair, Steve Clevenger, D.J. LeMahieu, and Tyler Colvin namely.  Seeing as the Padres allowed two hits all night long, the results speak for themselves.

Alfonso Soriano flips the bat watching
his 26th and last homer of the season
Tuesday night in San Diego.

On Tuesday night the Cubs got their 71st and final win of the season.  Matt Garza got back to .500 at 10-10 and Soriano and Aramis Ramirez both hit their 26th homers of the season in the 6-2 win.  Although Garza deserved better, 10-10 is a solid record off which he can build next season.  It was nice to see one final, complete win where the Cubs thoroughly beat the opponent with clean baseball (they committed no errors).

The last game of the season is always an emotional affair for me.  No matter how bad the Cubs are in a season, I have to watch most, if not all, of the season finale.  There's a certain sense of finality in baseball that I don't see in other sports - not a bad thing, but interesting.  Baseball's 162-game season is such a long grind, it's really incredible to sit there on my couch and think about how this team right in front of me has played 161 games already this season.  Even though this season finale was a blowout loss (a season-ending loss for the Cubs for the fifth year in a row) and I was distracted by the historic Wild Card Wednesday, that doesn't mean I enjoyed it any less.  On the last day of the season, I focus on the nuances of the Cubs players and I just listen to Len and Bob, taking in all in the sights and sounds of my team to last me a long and cold Chicago winter.

Smiling in the dugout always means something good
but there wasn't enough of it in 2011.

The game itself was a nice sendoff for the Padres, who decided to break out the bats despite scoring the second-least runs in the National League in 2011.  Nick Hundley's three-run homer and Wil Venable's grand slam were more than enough to finish the Padres season on a winning note.  Interesting enough, the Padres win totaled their season record at 71-91.  What was the Cubs' record?  Guess.

Now that the regular season is over, my coverage of the postseason will dominate blog entries this month.  Not to be overlooked, however, will be my 2011 Cubs: Season In Review and the 2011 Cubs Awards posts coming up in the next few weeks.  For all of those who have been reading my rants and babbles and complaints and thoughts and whatever other noun you can come up with to summarize my posts on the Cubs this season, I thank you all!  Record readership is a signal to me that I must've done something right.  While you have the spare time, check out my latest creation on Sporcle!

Jim Hendry Walks On; Randy Bush New Interim GM

Jim Hendry walks the concourse for the last
time as general manager of the Cubs.

Late August has become a time of change for the Cubs the past two years.  Last August, Mike Quade replaced Lou Piniella as manager.  In a move I never thought would actually happen in season, GM Jim Hendry was officially fired yesterday, ending his 9-year stint with the Cubs.  Assistant GM Randy Bush has taken over on an interim basis but will not be considered for the full-time job as the organization searches for someone outside the organization, said chairman Tom Ricketts at the press conference.

Being general manager of a big market team requires standing up to a lot of scrutiny.  Sometimes you have to make move, regardless of whether you want to or not.  But Hendry was in a very odd spot.  Ricketts told him that he would be fired in mid-July but that it wouldn't be announced until August, after the deadline to sign draft picks and after the non-waiver trade deadline.  So Hendry had to sign all the remaining picks, including top pick shortstop Javier Baez, and make a trade in the Kosuke Fukudome trade, while knowing he was going to be fired.  Now that's loyalty.

Hendry was choked up during his interview at the podium, and he shouldn't be ashamed.  The Cubs under Hendry went 749-748 during his tenure, but he was still their most successful GM in over half a century, building them to three division titles with essentially two different teams.  He brought in two high profile managers in Dusty Baker and Piniella, both of whom had a sizzling start in their first two seasons but faded in their next two.  Hendry, with Baker, came five outs from getting the Cubs to the World Series in 2003.

Interim GM Randy Bush

Despite all the success Hendry had, many fans thought it was time for him to go and the team to get a fresh start.  I can see understand the viewpoint, and although I didn't necessarily agree, I think the move sent waves in the form of a wake up call through the organization, specifically the players.  The next GM will be a high profile guy as well, which is a good thing.

The reason I didn't think they should remove Hendry is because, seeing the tough position Hendry was in the last two offseasons because of the large payroll, the Cubs have a bright future.  Of course, the payroll was Hendry's fault, but the draft class this year is one of the deepest they've ever had and lots of ending contracts should make this a bullish offseason.  Hendry was also prepared for the big free agent frenzy also, possibly going after Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder.  But if Hendry had to go, now is the right time.

Right now is a crucial time to get the Cubs back on the winning track, at least at the GM's desk.  With the draft picks signed, it's up to the GM (Bush, for now), scouting director Tim Wilken, VP of player personnel Oneri Fleita, and all of their staff to develop them and get 'em to the bigs as soon as they're ready.  While that is the focus for the next few years, the Cubs obviously have the opportunity to add more this winter in free agency and a new GM will want to prove himself by making a big splash such as a Pujols or Fielder.  Success or failure in these moves will decide the Cubs' success over the early 2010s.

Now the big question everyone wants the answer to is who the next GM will be.  Lists of candidates have already been thrown out there in the media and blogosphere.  Although Ricketts made clear in the press conference that the evaluation process will not be public at all, he did say he wants an experienced executive who comes from a winning culture.  This could include, but is not limited to, Josh Byrnes, Padres VP of baseball operations and former Diamondbacks GM who impressively built the 2007 NLCS team, Jerry DiPoto, Diamondbacks Senior VP of scouting and player development, or Rich Hahn, White Sox Assistant GM.  But if it was up to me, I'd go a different route.

Rays GM Andrew Friedman:
scouting and development master

The turnaround of the Tampa Bay Rays was been constructed by scouting and development.  They went from a 66-96 team to a 97-65 team overnight, and at the helm was GM Andrew Friedman.  In the process, Friedman mastered the art of winning from scouting upwards.  That combined with the free agent buying power and overall resources that the Cubs have, and Friedman could be the best in the business in no time.

Friedman is still the GM of the Rays, but reports have stated that, with the restrictions of the limited revenue sources the Rays have, he wants out.  Time to pounce!  

Changing Landscape on the Central Front

The Milwaukee Brewers are 19-2 in their last 21 games and now hold a seven-game lead in the NL Central over the Cardinals, a 12.5-game lead on the Reds and 14-game lead on the Pirates, but the story was drastically different not even that long ago.  On July 24, all four teams were within four games of first place in what was MLB's tightest division.  Now, however, the trade deadline seems to have separated the leaders significantly.

The Brewers, who acquired Francisco Rodriguez most notably before the deadline, are the obvious favorites to win the division now.  The Cardinals swung Colby Rasmus to the Blue Jays in a three-way trade that landed them Edwin Jackson.  In my opinion, this was a very bad move.  While Jackson could be  great rotation depth for a team that has lacked it this season and seasons past, Rasmus was too good to be traded, whether he gets along with manager Tony La Russa or not.  The Cards also acquired Rafael Furcal as a rental to start over Ryan Theriot.  The Pirates released Lyle Overbay after he was replaced by Derrek Lee and acquired Ryan Ludwick in two moves that appear to have backfired as they have dropped out of contention.  The Reds did pretty much nothing at the deadline and have dropped out of contention.  

What does all this mean?  It means that the Brewers should be the only team of the four to make the playoffs.  But if the Brewers don't make it far into the playoffs this season, they might not get another chance.  In case you haven't heard, Prince Fielder will be a free agent after this season, and the Brewers have little to no chance of resigning him.  According to sabermetrics, teammate Ryan Braun is actually slightly more valuable now to the Brewers than Fielder is (since 2007, Braun's 24.8 WAR beats Fielder's 19.1).  But sabermetrics, or any kind of metrics for that matter, can't measure clubhouse influence.  Fielder has played in Milwaukee since 2005 (two years before Braun arrived) and is the heart of soul of an underrated Brewers team.  Fielder showed real promise as a rookie in 2006, then broke out in 2007 with 50 homers, nearly winning MVP and putting his team in contention most of the season.  He nearly single-handedly woke up the Brewers from their early-to-mid-2000s slumber, and his loss to this team would be huge.

Just seven hours down the road is St. Louis, home of Albert Pujols and the Cardinals.  Pujols' WAR since 2007 is 38.0, making Braun and Fielder look mediocre.  Pujols is the longest-tenured player on the Cardinals and probably has been the best player in baseball since entering the league in 2001.  His consistent power and plate discipline for an entire decade has gone untouched until this year, when he landed on the DL in June.  But Pujols is still the best player on the team and one of the best in the league, and his upcoming free agency is a bigger story than Fielder's.  

Although the Cardinals have a better chance to sign Pujols than the Brewers do to sign Fielder, something tells me that Pujols has not been totally pleased with the loyalty shown to him by his front office in recent years.  The exclusive free agent period open for resigning players is not very long after the World Series, and I highly doubt a deal with any team will be done before he's officially open on the market.

The future of the NL Central will be dictated to a certain extent by where Pujols and Fielder land.  If they both walk in free agency, their teams will take a big hit and the power balance in the division will shift.  But the question is, who will be ready to take it?  The Cardinals will still have Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman to control the power department, while the Brewers will still have Ryan Braun and Casey McGehee, but the key cog would be missing on both teams.

Meanwhile, the rest of the division has an opportunity here.  The Astros don't have any talent ready to win, so they won't be taking advantage.  The Pirates got too many unexpected seasons from their pitchers to expect to compete again next year, unless they get some major help from the minors or free agency.  The Reds were supposed to be much better this year behind the power duo of reigning MVP Joey Votto and Jay Bruce.  If they could just add some pitching, they could take the division back next season.  That leaves just the Cubs, who aren't expected to contend next season but could if they sign Fielder or Pujols and add the correct mix of youngsters to the group.

The bottom line is that with Fielder and Pujols possibly on the move this fall, the NL Central, baseball's unfairest division, will be slightly evened out, at least for a couple years.   

              

Road Trip Analysis: St. Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia

Record: 2-8
Final Record: 25-39

As the Cubs finished this road trip, they watched their spot in the standings drop to becoming one of the NL's worst teams.  The last loss to Philadelphia Sunday afternoon left them 3-13 in their last 16 games.

Albert Pujols didn't help the Cubs in their quest to return to .500 at all.  Walk-off home runs on back-to-back days at Busch Stadium propelled the Cardinals to a sweep.  The first homer, off Jeff Samardzija, was a well executed changeup below the knees.  The pitch was a ball, but Pujols homered anyway.  A moment like this mandates a sportsmanlike tip of the cap.

But on Sunday, Pujols had a much easier path to victory.  Rodrigo Lopez left him a fastball right down the middle, and Pujols had no issues driving it out of the park to become just the second player since Ron Santo in 1966 to hit walk-off homers in back-to-back games.  The Cubs were just simply beaten at the end of the day, although having been beaten in such a preventable manner was disturbing.  If Pujols can hit Cubs pitching that well, imagine the damage he could do in batting practice if he came to play for the Cubs.  Not that he will or anything, but an interesting thought.

The team showed a variety of ways to lose on this trip while the injury bug continues to infect the entire roster.  The Cubs were without Alfonso Soriano for the entirety of the trip, and weren't too impressed with the continued return of Randy Wells.  Giving up grand slams to scrubs like Miguel Cairo can never be a good thing.  And the only two bright spots on the entire trip were the highlights of the two wins.  Ryan Dempster shut down the Reds in seven innings, Carlos Pena launched a 443 foot blast to right field in Cincinnati, and Tyler Colvin hit what should have been the go-ahead homer in the opener of the Philly series, breaking an unbelievable 0-for-34 slump.

Besides these things, there weren't many positives that came out of this trip for the Cubs.  So I won't bore with complaints about the losing, because it's become more routine.  At least we know what we're getting here.  Nowadays, the phrase goes 'bad teams find a way to lose'.  With this brand of baseball, it appears Cubs fans will just have to Wait Till Next Beer yet again.  

Cardinals, Pujols Strike Out Looking

In what will be the most anticipated free agent in baseball history, Albert Pujols will probably become a free agent after this season just nine months after LeBron James served the same title for basketball.  Pujols and the Cardinals were nowhere close to a deal when his deadline of Wednesday at noon came and passed.   Pujols is looking to cash in the biggest deal in baseball history, which was not what the Cardinals were offering.  Pujols could very well likely become the first player ever to earn more than $30 million per season.

Statiscally, Pujols deserves the largest contract in the history of baseball especially considering that inflation has caused the dollars to mean less.  However, this is still disappointing to me to the point where I cringe when I hear Pujols could be paid $32 or $33 million per year.  To the point where I scowled violently at former Braves manager Bobby Cox last season when he suggested Pujols should earn $50 million a year.  Future Hall of Famer or not, I can't help but wonder if Pujols is worth any of these figures.  He has led the National League in the last two seasons, but had never done it before that.  Ryan Howard, who has actually outhomered Pujols by 22 since 2006, will only be making near $25 million per year on his new deal.  Sure, Pujols is a better average hitter with a much better eye and doesn't strike out much, but is that worth the near $10 million extra he will be paid?  Or is it just part of the fame of being a free agent in such a position of power?  Even with Pujols, is it arrogance?

I think Albert Pujols is a great person and although he isn't the funniest or most interesting guy to listen to in a press conference or interview, that's not a bad thing.  Pujols has never been pegged as arrogant before and isn't one to get into confrontations with anyone, including opposing players.  But with this stubbornness about getting the largest deal ever, I can't help but to be disappointed that he is turning down this path of greed and selfishness that many free agents go down.

Luckily for the Cubs, the ridiculous $32-$34 million price range could be money the Cubs would be willing to spend.  With plenty of money coming off the books after 2011, including the bloated contracts of Kosuke Fukudome and Aramis Ramirez, there will be room in the budget to go after Pujols.  Signing Albert Pujols would be unbelievable, and the media attention that would follow would rival insanity.  In case you were wondering, the contract with Carlos Pena is for only one year, leaving room for the Cubs to go after Pujols or their Plan B, Prince Fielder.  Was this an intention move by GM Jim Hendry for exactly that purpose?  Food for thought.  Many fans will be happy to see Pujols be paid 'what he deserves', but I won't be one of them.  I don't know how much money Pujols really 'deserves', and nobody does.  Nobody can.  But two-time MVP, World Series Champion, future Hall of Famer or not, $33 million a year is hard to stomach.

Also: Read Mike Wilbon's article on why his hometown Cubbies should sign Pujols.

Hot Stove Buzz #6

After a sad start to their offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays have turned it around and made some moves to possibly keep themselves in contention after all.  After watching the majority of the talent on the 2010 Rays leave in Rafael Soriano, Dan Wheeler, Carlos Pena, Randy Choate, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Dioner Navarro, J.P. Howell, Brad Hawpe, and Carl Crawford all leave via free agency, the outlook for the 2011 Rays looked bleak.  But in the last week, the Rays and their fans have gotten some hope in the form of the signings of Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, and Felipe Lopez.  Damon and Ramirez, former teammates on the Red Sox, both won World Series rings in 2004.  Damon got another one with the Yankees in 2009, although both have been all over the postseason in the past decade.  Lopez has never been in the playoffs, but has the same winning attitude that Damon and Ramirez have which is exactly what the Rays are looking for.  While I think Damon and Ramirez have a lot more potential remaining for offensive production, the motivation and confidence of the two have come into question in recent years.  Lopez has not had these problems, but definitely doesn't bring as much to the table at the plate or in the field.

When first reading that the Rays were close to signing such big names as Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, clients of superagent Scott Boras no less, I was surprised.  I'm sure many other fans were too, seeing as they are the Rays and have only been mentioned in the same breath as winning in the past three years.  However, after further review, the Rays actually have a history of going after high profile veterans.  Remember which team Wade Boggs got his 3000th career hit with?  Which team sluggers Jose Canseco and Greg Vaughn played on together in 2000?  Which team was the front runner to sign Barry Bonds after his finish with the Giants in 2007, although a deal was never reached?  Prior to now, it would be hard for me to see why a free agent would want to come to Tampa Bay considering how bad they were for the majority of the 2000s, but perhaps it was seen as a rebuilding challenge for an old veteran wanting a challenge.  Other recent news and notes:

-Jermaine Dye would rather retire than play in the Minors, a preference he also had last winter.  The Cubs and Brewers both gave him Major League offers last winter, but he didn't sign with either and sat out the season.  "I'm still working out.  I'm still in shape.  I'm still motivated," said Dye, although many teams aren't sure motivation is enough for him to earn a Major League contract offer.  Now 37, many scouts aren't sure Dye can hit well enough to deserve a full time job.  After a strong first half, Dye's second half of 2009 was very bad and that doesn't help his cause now either.

-In Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com's chat with fans regarding the Cubs and White Sox, there were a few interesting ideas thrown out there.  A fan asked Levine if the Cubs were "any closer" to signing shortstop Orlando Cabrera, to which Levine replied that he hadn't heard anything suggesting so.  But this sparked that idea to me; why not sign Orlando Cabrera to play second base?  Currently, the Cubs have three potential seocnd basemen in Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker, and Darwin Barney.  DeWitt is only 25 but has little potential, Baker is 30 but never really had any potential unless he's facing a lefty, and Barney has potential but has little experience.  In a wacky and wild idea, the Cubs could dump DeWitt and Baker to anyone who will take them and let Cabrera and Barney man second base.  Just an idea.

-Albert Pujols on the Cubs?  Another idea from that chat is to have the Cubs make an aggressive push for Albert Pujols next winter.  Quite an interesting idea, especially considering the Cubs will have the financial flexibility to do it.  Prince Fielder will also be a free agent and has actually been realistically mentioned by experts as someone the Cubs could go after.  Could signing one of these two be the reason Carlos Pena was given only one season?  Will Tom Ricketts be aggressive enough to go after one of these two?  And finally, with Derrek Lee, Carlos Pena, and Micah Hoffpauir gone after 2011, who else would play first base in 2012?

-While the Cubs wanted to upgrade defensively at first base by signing former Ray Carlos Pena, the Rays also wanted to upgrade defensively by signing the best defensive first baseman of all time in Casey Kotchman.  That's too bad, because no matter what they'll have to downgrade after Kotchman.

-Alexei Ramirez was handed an extension of 4 years, $32.5 million with the White Sox.  At around $8 million per year, Sox fans are calling it a bargain.  It might be considering his offensive production power-wise is great for his position, and although he doesn't steal bases too well he is great defensively.      

The Projected Power Rankings 2011-2020: Top 50 Players

Matt Trueblood of Bleacher Report published a slideshow on Saturday of his projected top 50 players over the next decade.  I think this brings up not just a few, but many debates.  Such a topic is very hard to predict considering that we probably have never even heard of most of the next decades' stars.  For example, there's no way anyone knew the potential of Hanley Ramirez in 2000.  The following rankings are his, followed by my spin on the ranking.

Honorable Mention: Players 60-51

60. Brett Jackson, OF, Chicago Cubs: I'm glad Jackson made this list, but I think the Cubs' top pick in the 2009 MLB Draft deserves a higher spot.  Even Trueblood acknowledges that he has "plate discipline, speed, defense in either center or right field and the potential to hit 25-30 homers."  Seeing as Jackson will be only 22 in 2011, I think Jackson will have a great decade.

59. Justin Verlander, SP, Detroit Tigers: Verlander is an ace as of now, which means he won't be an ace in 2020.  However, he should put in a bunch of great seasons.

58. Mike Montgomery, SP, Kansas City Royals: Hasn't debuted in the Majors yet, which explains your head scratching.  Has looked great in the minors though, with a 2.27 ERA in 245.2 innings.

57. Ryan Kalish, OF, Boston Red Sox: Did debut in 2010, playing in 53 games.  He's developed power in the minors the last couple years, so he could be a 20-20 threat with the speed that he has.

56. Daniel Bard, RP, Boston Red Sox: He didn't leave much to complain about in his 2010 stat line, a 1.93 ERA in over 70 innings of relief.  One of the hardest throwers in baseball, it won't be long before he overtakes the overemotionally inconsistent Jonathan Papelbon.

55. Brian McCann, C, Atlanta Braves: Probably a 'half-decade' star for the late 2000s and early 2010s, much like Mike Piazza ten years before.  It's easy to forget he's still only 26, but let's see if his high workload takes a toll on him in his early 30s.

54. Zack Greinke, SP, Milwaukee Brewers: Many fans would put him higher, but he doesn't seem to be stable enough.  I agree with this ranking because he is already 27, was really bad to start his career, had depression issues early on, and still doesn't have a great attitude.

53. Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers: An appropriate ranking here, too.  Braun has flashed major power (37 homers in 2008) and not major power (25 in 2010).  He'll be a lock for 25 homers for a while, but I don't know that he'll be that great.

52. Michael Pineda, SP, Seattle Mariners: A big time prospect, Pineda should be in the Majors soon.

51. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies: Sort of a surprise to me.  Gonzalez just had a monster season and Trueblood writes this one off due to the Colorado effect among other things.  But Gonzalez's power goes to all fields, including center where Coors Field measures 425 feet.  And don't forget the infamous humidor for the baseballs.  I don't think the Colorado effect really makes a difference anymore.


The Main List (Top 50):

50. Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers: Speed, defense, hitting for average, a fan base that loves you, why not?

49. Joakim Soria, CP, Kansas City Royals: Often overlooked, Soria should be a great closer for a long time.  He is just 27 but has 132 saves in four seasons.

48. Brian Matusz, SP, Baltimore Orioles: If you're a believer in hype, then believe it.  I'm not sold on Matusz because he didn't have a standout year and hasn't proved he can be anything special in the Majors.  He won't deserve this rank if he repeats 10-12, 4.30 ERA seasons.

47. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies: Like I've always preached about Jimenez, he's a tick below the league's top pitchers and will be until he cuts down on the walks.  But his 15-win first half of 2010 was unbelievable, and his fastball velocity should zip him higher on this list.

46. Brett Lawrie, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays: A speedy infielder, he should cut down on the strikeouts and work on contact before he can earn this rank.  A .285 average at AA isn't ideal for a speedy infielder.

45. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals: Smashing 20 homers in A and AA ball in 2010, the Royals' first round pick from 2008 should be in KC sometime this summer. 

44. Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees: Already 27 having only recorded one full season in the Majors, Gardner is in his prime right away.  You'll be seeing his scrawny 5'10" frame on ESPN for the next half-decade, until he loses his speed and therefore any value to anybody. 

43. Yovani Gallardo, SP, Milwaukee Brewers: Already a star, I think Gallardo should be in the 30s at least.  Now without the pressure of being a forced ace at age 23 (in 2009) when he probably wasn't ready for it, I think he'll thrive in his #2 role.  His on-the-job ace training has been successful even though he still has areas to improve on, like walks.

42. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves: It sounds like a name computer-generated for a video game, but the name Freddie Freeman is one you'll hear about plenty.  This dude is a big power hitter who had his best season in 2010 and is simply an RBI machine.

41. Gio Gonzalez, SP, Oakland Athletics: Some baseball experts are picking the Oakland A's as a surprise pick in the AL West to upset the incumbent Texas Rangers, but here's the way I look at it: no Gio, no go.  Gonzalez had his first decent season in the Majors in 2010, posting 15 wins after two partial seasons where he showed potential but struggled.

40. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox: It seems like this guy was forgotten down the stretch of 2010 due to his injury and the fading Red Sox.  But people shouldn't yet forget about the 2008 AL MVP because, if nothing else, he's just a good hitter.  Pedroia will probably pick up where he left off.

39. Kyle Drabek, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: And the displeasure of having to deal with Pedroia will be something Drabek will face, a stud starter and the crown jewel in the Roy Halladay trade.  No problems with this rank.

38. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Boston Red Sox: 'Gonzo' will be a half-decade star for sure because of the short right field line distance and Green Monster at Fenway, as Gonzo is a terrific opposite field power hitter. 

37. Dustin Ackley, 2B, Seattle Mariners: I'm not sold on Ackley, a highly touted prospect in the MLB Draft last year who didn't hit well in the minors.  He should develop though, as he was rushed forwards by the Mariners in the minors and he deserves a higher spot on this list.

36. Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers: Fielder is one of the most underrated players in the game because besides his 50-homer season in 2007, the Brewers haven't contended at the same time as him having an elite season.  A change of scenery could put him on the map once again, seeing as he's a free agent after 2011.

35. Starlin Castro, SS, Chicago Cubs: For more on this dude, read the post right below this one.  But without bias, he deserves a higher spot on the list.  Scouts have noticed Castro has the correct work ethic and although he hasn't put it all together yet, he has the raw talent to be like a slightly less speedier Jose Reyes-type player.  But because he was rushed to the Majors, he still needs to put it together himself soon.

34. Jesus Montero, C, New York Yankees: In this day and age, the traditional, three-outcome (homer, strikeout, or walk) kind of DH has fallen out of favor with baseball executives; players like Jim Thome and Frank Thomas are becoming more uncommon in favor of tandems of fielding players to get them 'a day off'.  All this means Jesus Montero is swimming against the current.  Trueblood notes Montero could hit 35 homers a season in the Majors, although his defense as a catcher isn't good enough to justify him fielding.  One of the few traditional DHs we will see in the 2010s.

33. Martin Perez, SP, Texas Rangers: Definitely not.  Although he looked to be a great up and coming pitcher in 2009 with a sub-3.00 ERA, he didn't look at all in 2010 as that number climbed over 5.00, including a 10.9 H/9 ratio.  Although he will be a good player in the next decade, let's not jump the gun here.  Also, he does play in the bandbox that is Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

32. Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: Hellickson has a stat line to drool over in the minors, with a 2.71 ERA in six seasons of Minor League ball covering 580.1 innings.  In those innings, he has 634 strikeouts to just 137 walks.  His career 4.63 K/BB ratio is the new meaning of 'control freak'.  He got his first taste of the Majors with four starts last year.

31. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates: A multi-tooled star, this is probably the right spot for him because he has less power than some of the standout 20/20 talent-caliber five tool players of today.

30. Mat Latos, SP, San Diego Padres: Latos had a breakout season in 2010 at the age of 22, and there is no reason to think he shouldn't continue.  Playing in Petco Park is an advantage for him, but it also hurts his offense and this may result in him having lower win totals than some other top line starters.  Not to worry, Latos has the tools to make the 2010s great for the Padres.

29. Dominic Brown, OF, Philadelphia Phillies: A 20/20 talent in the Minors, 23 year old Brown didn't hit well in his playing time with Philadelphia in 2010.  Brown is overrated and will make some noise with Philly, but he's going to need to hit Major League pitching first.

28. Carlos Santana, C, Cleveland Indians: In the summer of 2008, the Dodgers traded Santana and prospects to the Indians for Casey Blake and other prospects.  While Blake has had just a disappointing 10.2 WAR in two and a half seasons in Los Angeles, Santana produced a 2.2 WAR in just 150 at-bats at the Major League level in 2010.  Santana is the next Victor Martinez-style power-hitting catcher who should become a star in Cleveland, proving the winner of that trade.

27. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals: Yes, another Kansas City Royal.  The stats speak for themselves, but they're so incredible I'll speak for them anyway.  36 home runs?  Who does that in the Minors?

26. C.C. Sabathia, SP, New York Yankees: Trueblood notes here that although Sabathia has already played a lot of baseball and is 30 years young, if anyone is capable of being the best in the next decade it's him.  This guy is a workhorse who has won at least 12 games in 10 straight seasons, never throwing less than 188 innings.  Sabathia has a better chance than anyone at winning 300 games, especially with his run production from the Yankees.

25. Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota Twins: With his salary, Mauer better be this good.  His surprising power vanished in 2010, but that wasn't what made him famous in the first place and he should have at least five more elite seasons.

24. Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco Giants: Lincecum is no freak, but the hitters freak when they have to face him.  This should stay the same for most of the 2010s because any time you make the hitter uncomfortable in the box, you have an advantage right off the bat (no pun intended).

23. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers: Many baseball experts and fans were buying big on Kershaw after his impressive first full season of 2009.  I was not one of them.  Once again, I am not a buyer on Kershaw because of his alarmingly high walk rate of 4.2 BB/9 IP in his career.  

22. Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves:  Teheran's highest level in 2010 was AA but he's sure to be moving up soon with his strikeout stuff.  Remember this name, definitely.

21. Jon Lester, SP, Boston Red Sox:  Already a star, Lester is one of the most effective starters in the game right now.  Trueblood is spot on with this ranking; just wait till he really gets paid.

20. Mike Stanton, OF, Florida Marlins: If you follow baseball, you know about Stanton.  The new stadium of the Marlins which opens in just over a year is slightly larger than Sun Life Stadium, but this will prove no issue for one of the best power hitters in the game for the next decade.

19. Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants: A World Series-clinching victory may have jumpstarted his career, and he's definitely proved he can deal with pressure.  The next step is to adjust to hitters adjusting on him, and he'll have no trouble avoiding a sophomore slump.

18. Josh Johnson, SP, Florida Marlins: Johnson looked like a Cy Young candidate for much of the 2010 season before fading at the end.  But he should be in contention again soon, especially with that new ballpark in Miami just mentioned with Stanton.  A certain star of the 2010s.

17. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals: A scout told Trueblood "he's so much better than David Wright at this level" which is not an opinion you hear everyday about New York's golden boy.  Remember Zimmerman's 30 game hit streak in 2009?  A prime example of what a fixture he is in the Washington lineup.  With an improved team this year, Zimmerman could be primed for his best year ever.

16. Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks: Upton had a quiet year in 2010, but this isn't the same kid called up to the Majors at 19 years young in 2007.  He's been around the block a few times and should be ready for an even better season this year.  This will be his 5th year in the Majors, at 23 years old.  So don't worry, because he has plenty of time to turn on the tools.

15. Tommy Hanson, SP, Atlanta Braves: With the Braves' history of pitching, Hanson is a welcome addition to a team looking to improve on a playoff team from 2010.  Him and Tim Hudson will make a great duo.  Definite future star.

14. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels: With a .428 OBP, he got on base a lot in 2010 in the Minors. But you won't often find him at first base.  Yeah, he just stole second, that fast.  His super speed (56 steals in A ball in 2010) will zoom into the Majors in about two years, and then watch out.

13. Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds: Votto got his first MVP award in 2010, but it probably won't be his last.  Watch for Votto and Albert Pujols to go at each other for the entire next decade, and Votto will succeed Pujols as the best hitter in the division at some point.

12. Aroldis Chapman, SP, Cincinnati Reds: His speedy debut came quickly for a Reds organization that pulled a surprise in signing him.  Believe the annoying hype; he's here to stay and for real.  The definite future ace of the Reds once those old guys step out in Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo.

11. Bryce Harper, C, Washington Nationals: The first pick in the 2010 MLB Draft by the Nationals, Harper should be a Buster Posey-type player.  The jury is out, because we haven't seen much of him.

10. Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners: Imagine what Hernandez could do if not for that historically horrible Mariners offense.  Hernandez should have won around 20 games based on his pitching, and would have won 24 with a team like the Yankees.  However, baseball finally got something right and gave him the AL Cy Young.  If he could get off the Mariners, he would be widely regarded as the best pitcher in baseball at 25 in 2011.

9. Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins: 2010 was supposed to be the season where Ramirez put it all together, but he put up yet another season that left people wondering how he hasn't yet unleashed his full potential except for a dynamite 2007 season.  As Trueblood points out, anytime you hit .300 and hit 21 homers, stealing 32 bases and still being told you're having a down year, you know you're good.

8. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays: Longoria's production will go down with the absence of Carl Crawford and run producing former teammate Carlos Pena, but Longoria will still hit for average and play good defense.  He may be a bit overrated here, though.

7. Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves: 'J-Hey' is getting star treatment in Atlanta, but didn't finish the 2010 season very well.  Watch for Heyward to get better, but he'll need to put in the work first.

6. Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants: Most rookies on championship teams contribute behind the core of established players.  At 23, Posey was arguably the most important piece to the World Champion Giants.  Expect big things out of the biggest Giant of them all.

5. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies: The Rockies gave 'Tulo' a big extension just because this is exactly what they think he'll become.  During a stretch with "video game" stats (14 homers, 31 RBI in 15 games) in early September, it became clear that Tulowitzki is capable of carrying the Rockies.  However, he had only 6 RBI after that and the Rockies missed the playoffs.  If he can carry his team into the playoffs, he will earn this rank.

4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers: His entire career, it seems Cabrera has been flying under the radar .  His monster seasons have come when his team wasn't contending, and therefore he hasn't received the publicity he deserves.  Cabrera already had 126 RBI in only 150 games in 2010, meaning he's at the top of his game right now to enter the new decade.

3. David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: Price gained a lot of popularity in the 2008 playoffs, and with good reason.  Price was one of the top candidates for AL Cy Young and will be the ace of Tampa Bay for a long time barring a trade.  Look for Price to finish the next decade in the top 10 in wins.

2. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals: Red flag.  I will never, ever again trust a young hardthrower with major surgery complications in just the first year of his Major League career.  So maybe he will come back and blow away the league, but be very, very careful about expecting this out of him.  Plus, the fact he showed signs of vulnerability in his rookie season.  There's a lot of pressure on him, so we'll have to see what he can do in the future.

1. Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals: At 31, Pujols is one of the oldest guys on this list.  But he is absolutely the favorite to be the best player of the 2010s after being the best of the 2000s.  His consistency is incredible, and ten more equal seasons will give him the all time home run crown.  He has never been stopped consistently, so just watch him go.

Hot Stove Buzz #5

NOTE: This is the 100th post in the history of the Cubs Insider blog!  Thank you!

-If there's Cubs news out there, it should come first.  And here it is.  Reed Johnson, the defensive whiz Cub fans love from his tenure at Wrigley between 2008 and 2009, has been signed by the Cubs to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.  Despite seeing action in just 174 games and getting just 560 plate appearances between the two seasons due to injury and his bench role, he still quickly became a fan favorite for his hustle and unbelievable otherworldly defensive skills.  While his arm isn't the best by any means, he covers a lot of ground and almost seems to enjoy diving and crashing into stuff to make a catch.  For intense Cub fans, the catch he made in the top photo will be remembered for quite some time.  Actually, so will the photo below that.  The bottom line is, it looks like the Cubs have their fifth outfielder.  Fernando Perez looked like the favorite to be the team's fifth outfielder if five outfielders where going to make the roster; that being in spite of the fact that Perez likely needs more seasoning in the minors.  It will be hard to find Johnson playing time in a five man rotation with four guys already dying to play everyday, but don't be surprised to see Johnson sneak his way in the lineup from time to time.
-In other news, baseball's all-time saves leader in Trevor Hoffman retired today.  With 601 saves, he is the only man to reach the 600 mark but likely will be overpassed by Mariano Rivera, who got 500 in June 2009 and has 559 heading into 2011.  Hoffman had a really, really bad 2010 and although he was able to get to the big 600 mark, it's sad to see players once so great struggle like this.  Ken Griffey, Jr. went through the same thing in 2010, and it's just sad to see players who used to mean so much to fans just kind of fade off into retirement after a bad year and few people wanting them to come back.
-The Yankees have been looking at outfielder Andruw Jones for a while.  Jones went way under the radar in 2010, hitting only .230 but also hitting 19 homers in slightly more than half a season's worth of at-bats.  If he were given the keys to a starting job, with the Yankees or the also-rumored Rays, I believe he could shine once again just like back in the day.  He's only 33 and has shown he has a lot of power still.  I worry though, that at his age and that he has played in an average of only 88 games per season since 2008, he could lose interest and confidence in baseball if he doesn't get the chance to contribute to a winning team.  At 407 career home runs, he could easily make it to 500 with a few good seasons.
-The Cardinals are "hopeful" that they can resign first baseman Albert Pujols to a big deal before the season starts, at which time Pujols will no longer negotiate until after the season.  If the Cardinals don't get a deal done this spring, they will have a very short exclusive time to negotiate in the fall before Pujols hits the open market- a scary thought to all Cardinals fans.  Well I think they'd better hurry up and give the man the money he wants or just not do it at all, because he has made the franchise over the last decade and should be given the decency to know his fate.
-The Tigers will gamble on starter Brad Penny for $3.3 million, most likely filling their #5 spot in the rotation.  The Tigers could use a reliable veteran in the rotation, and Penny did well in nine starts for the Giants in 2010.  After five good years with the Dodgers, Penny was a bust for the Red Sox in 2009, but has always pitched well in his season and a half for San Francisco.  The question that remains is, how will he adjust to this change?  We'll see soon enough.

"Oh, Boy"

"Ronnie will forever be the heart and soul of Cubs fans," said Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts Friday.  The passing of Ron Santo late last week means so much more than the death of a radio broadcaster.  It means so much more than a former Cubs player.  It means more than even his fantastic career and retired jersey flag flying among the retired numbers on the foul pole.  It means the loss of the spirit and character that embodies the franchise unlike any other in sports, the Chicago Cubs.  Ron Santo was, undisputedly, the world's biggest Cub fan.  The legendary Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, doesn't even have that title.  This embodying spirit could be heard on WGN Radio between 1990 and 2010, and while he wasn't going to win any broadcasting excellence awards, this is exactly what made him so popular with Cub fans.  After a big home run or big play late in a game, Ron would often simply call out, "YES!  YES!  Alright!"  These words flowed into the heart of the listening Cub fans, and soon enough Ronnie became their voice as a fan.  After a bad play or important homer for the opposing team, Ronnie might go, "Oh, boy.  Oh, man."  And that would be it, leaving an undeniable signature silence on the air until play-by-play man Pat Hughes broke the silence.  Sometimes, Santo would provide the background fan commentary while Hughes was calling a play.  For example, Hughes would say something like this, "The 2-2.  And there's a high fly ball, at the track is Soriano and this ball is gone, a home run for Albert Pujols and the Cardinals have the lead," and Ronnie would repeat his line at the same time, like a heartbroken kid, "Oh no, Pat.  Oh, boy.  Not good. Not good."  One of Santo's most famous calls, in a crucial game down the 1998 stretch for the playoffs at Milwaukee, Cubs left fielder Brant Brown dropped a routine fly ball that cost the Cubs the game, a game they needed to have which prompted Ronnie to scream, "NO!!! NO!!!" Santo took losses harder than the players.

As time passed, especially in the 2000s, Santo's declining health became a factor in his job, or at least it should have.  Eventually he lost both his legs but didn't want to stop following the Cubs.  Santo never complained to anybody about his injuries, not until a certain announcement from his doctor.  Ron was told, sometime in the late 2000s, that he should not be traveling with the Cubs on each road trip, and that for some he should stay home.  Trying to separate the Cubs and Santo was like trying to separate a positive and negative end of a magnet, possible but very resisting.  Cubs TV play-by-play announcer Len Kasper told the media he was often wondering, with all the traumatic and disabling diseases he suffered over the years, "How does he do it?  How does he do it?"  In 2010, Santo was asked if he planned on returning for radio broadcasting in 2011.  He replied, "What else am I going to do?  Doing the Cubs games is like therapy for me."

Ron Santo wasn't elected to the Hall of Fame.  He is not a member of it, and never will be by the rules of induction to the Hall.  However, he's not taking it too hard.  In his speech in 2003 when his jersey was retired by the Cubs, he made something clear to Cub fans.  I thought you had to be in the Hall of Fame to get that done, Santo explained pointing at his flag on the foul pole.  He went on to explain that he didn't care about the Hall of Fame as much as having his jersey retired by the Cubs and that meant that much more to him.

Unfortunately, Santo wasn't able to see the day when the Cubs will break their well-publicized streak of championship-less seasons come to an end, but who knows when that will be.  It's entirely possible that no one reading this right now will see the Cubs do it.  It's even possible that your grandchildren won't see that day.  But for Santo and Cub fans, that's not what is most important.  The Chicago Cubs, a team like no other, would not be everything that it is today without Ronnie.  Ron Santo, without debate in my mind, is the most important person in the history of the Cubs, the eternal face of the franchise.  Without Santo, there would've been less identity to putting on the Cubbie pinstripes.  Without Santo, the Cubs would be missing a huge, heart-warming peace of their history.  Most importantly, they'd be missing an excellent guy who always put others first, but above all wanted to see nothing more than his beloved team win.  Thanks, Ron.        

Homestand Wrapup: Philadelphia, Houston, St. Louis

Record: 6-4

Final Record: 45-54

Games Behind First: 10 GB

The Cubs caught fire on this homestand.  The record may not show it, but the Cubs really started to put everything together in this week of 10 home games, the longest homestand of the year.  With two of the three teams in playoff contention for the past few years, the Cubs would be put to the test.  Ironically, they went 5-2 against those two teams but struggled against the 5th place Houston Astros.

The Phillies came to town after the All-Star Break pretty beaten up.  They're missing Chase Utley, their All-Star 2B, Placido Polanco, Jamie Moyer, whose future in baseball is now in question at 47 years old, and they're also missing consistent production from 38 year old Raul Ibanez.  The Phillies were falling behind the Atlanta Braves and were just trying to hang on until their stars return which will permit them to make a run at it.  Starlin Castro was credited with a steal of home on what should have been a wild pitch to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead Thursday night, and they never looked back.  Homers by Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, and Geovany Soto and two two-run doubles by Aramis Ramirez allowed the Cubs to cruise to a 12-6 victory despite the unreliable Bob Howry giving up four in the ninth.  He gave up two RBI singles and then a two-run homer to Ryan Howard, his second such homer of the night.  Ramirez, already on a hot streak at the time, came up in the clutch Friday.  Trailing 3-1 in the 6th, Marlon Byrd hit a two-run homer to tie the game and then two innings later Ramirez gave the Cubs the lead with a homer of his own.  The Cubs once again overcame a homer by Howard to win.  Saturday had the kind of game that you can't lose when you are a team trying to get back in the race but down a whole bunch of games.  Excitingly scoring in a scoreless ballgame was Starlin Castro in the 7th and the Cubs looked for a shutout.  Carlos Marmol was brought on for the save and the wrong Marmol showed up that day.  He beat himself rather than letting the Phillies beat him allowing five walks to just one hit in only two thirds of an inning.  Four runs came around and just like that Brad Lidge shut the door in a very frustrating loss.  Moving onto Sunday night the Cubs knew a win would be tough off Roy Halladay.  However, the Cubs impressively jumped on him supporting Tom Gorzelanny with a homer from Soto in the second, a four-run inning.  Later, Soriano homered to drive in two including himself.  The Phillies made it 6-3, but a five-run 7th opened the game wide open.  Halladay went just six innings, an unusual low for the veteran, as the Cubs took three of four from Philly.

The Astros aren't having a season to remember.  Filled with a few overpaid veteran contracts with guys past their prime and minor leaguers with little talent rushed to the bigs, the Houston franchise is pretty out of sorts right now.  Years of neglect to develop talent in the minors is hurting them badly as the franchise is in 5th place.  The Cubs really wanted a series win against a poor team like this.  Carlos Silva struggled badly in the 1st Inning of the game Monday night, allowing five in his only inning pitched.  Jason Castro hit a three-run homer in the 3rd, his 2nd career homer and that gave the Astros an unbelievable 8-0 lead. Soon enough, however, the Cubs offense started to piece together a rally.  Two runs had already scored for the Cubs in the game when Tyler Colvin hit a solo shot, followed by Aramis Ramirez launching a two-run homer that really was amazing in the moment because the Cubs offense didn't usually fight back like they did Monday.  Four runs put the game out of reach including a homer from Chris Johnson, his first Major League homer.  Tuesday night the writer witnessed the best home game for the Cubs all season.  The Astros, in their red alternate road uniforms like always, got another early lead this time for six runs.  Ramirez hit a solo homer to chip into the lead that looked somewhat meaningless at the time.  Chris Johnson hit another homer, his second in as many days, and that negated Ramirez's cut into the lead.  Wesley Wright, making his first career start for Houston, really ran into trouble in the 5th.  A passed ball after a strikeout of Xavier Nady brought in a run, and then a Starlin Castro RBI groundout, and then another homer for Ramirez, this time a three-run homer.  Just like that, it became a 7-6 game.  The Cubs took advantage of their momentum now with Geovany Soto hitting a huge tater to center over the Batters Eye lounge (447 feet!) to tie it up.  But the Cubs weren't done yet.  Derrek Lee picked up three RBI over the next two innings and Alfonso Soriano added an RBI single, and that set the stage for history.  Coming up with a 11-7 lead, Aramis Ramirez batted with two on and an excited crowd backing him for what would happen next.  Another fly ball went zooming into the night, and Ramirez incredibly got his third homer of the night!  He is the first Cub to do that since Alfonso Soriano did it in Cincinnati in 2008 after he did it in Atlanta in 2007.  Ryan Dempster joked after the game about not getting the win despite watching his team score 14.  For the finale the Cubs became frustrating again because they were not able to get a hit when they needed to.  Tied at 1 almost the entire game, the Cubs put runners on base in the bottom of the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th including multiple runners in all except the 10th.  If they had scored in any of the first three innings mentioned, it's game over.  But no, the Cubs did like they always do and they let the other team just sit and hang around until they come back and beat you.  Interestingly Soto hit a two-run homer in the 12th but it was too late and the Cubs lost by one.

A frustrating series loss to Houston gave the Cubs an off day to stew in their anger before the rival Cardinals came to town.  These games would prove to be crucial with the Cubs chasing them in the division, down by 11 games at the start of the series.  On Friday afternoon, Randy Wells gave the Cubs pure greatness forgetting his catastrophic start his last time against the Cardinals.  He allowed hits to the first five batters and didn't record an out back in May.  Wells went seven shutout innings to earn the win supported by homers from Colvin, Soto, and Soriano all of whom appeared pretty hot this homestand.  Colvin hit another leadoff homer on Saturday, pretending to be Soriano, but the lead didn't last long.  Tyler Greene singled in two runs, but that lead didn't last long either.  Starlin Castro hit his first Wrigley Field homer to give the Cubs the lead again 3-2.  A critical wild pitch in the 5th with a ball that was thrown away proved extremely important as the 6-3 lead would prove necessary as the Cardinals crawled their way back to 6-5 in the 8th.  The Cubs pulled out the nail biter however, Carlos Marmol picking up the save.  If the Cubs could sweep Sunday night on ESPN then they would be just eight games back of the Cardinals.  After an early 2-0 lead for St. Louis, the Cubs came back with rallies in the 4th and 5th.  Albert Pujols homered in the 6th to tie it, locking up the score for extra innings.  Again the Cubs wasted opportunities and Felipe Lopez burned them with a go-ahead homer in the 11th for the win.

The Cubs could have easily been 9-1 on this homestand.  The only game where they were truly beat was the one on Monday night against the Astros, and even then they put up a great fight.  But little issues like Carlos Marmol on Saturday and offense hitting with runners in scoring position didn't allow the Cubs to make as much progress as they would have liked.  As I said before, the Cubs to are looking better and beginning to put things together but the Astros series this week in Houston certainly isn't promising.  They'll be put to the test against a good team in the Rockies this weekend at Coors Field, where the Cubs are 38-36 all-time.

First Basemen Front and Central

The first basemen of the central divisions of baseball may be as stacked as they ever have been in the history of baseball.  Ferocious power hitters and tenacious defenders, these guys have their names all over the offensive leaderboards.  All eleven of the eleven central teams have a great first baseman.

National League
The first basemen of the NL Central have combined for 69 homers this season, including 15 by Albert Pujols and Joey Votto each, 10 by Garrett Jones and Derrek Lee each, 6 by Lance Berkman and 13 by Prince Fielder.  St. Louis' Pujols, a three-time MVP of the NL, can be counted on for consistent power production like this for years to come.  Votto is one of the NL's top young stars, leading the Reds in their push for first at age 26.  Fielder, also only 26, has had great power for years now and became one of few Milwaukee Brewers to hit 50 home runs in a season back in 2007.  Derrek Lee, who mashed 46 HR in 2005 and 35 HR in 2009 on the Cubs, really hasn't hit as well as anyone would've liked him to in 2010 but he got hot this last weekend and looks to keep his roll going.  Lance Berkman is on the downside of his career at 34 but still is the main run producer for a failing Houston Astros offense.  Jones took Pittsburgh by storm in 2009 after his summer call-up, a thrilling young talent who, with Andrew McCutchen, has given something for Pirates fans to root for.

American League
The first basemen of the AL have combined for 65 home runs, including 7 by Billy Butler, 17 by Paul Konerko, 8 by Travis Hafner, 19 by Miguel Cabrera, and 14 by Justin Morneau.  Butler is the offensive face of the Kansas City franchise, a young slugger with dominant power still in developing stages.  Paul Konerko is having a big comeback year, flashing back to his 40 HR days of old.  Morneau is leading the AL in walks and has become a perennial fixture for the Twins.  Hafner's career has been damaged much by injury, and he hasn't played a full season since 2007 but could be getting back to his old productive self.  Cabrera has been the best offensive player in the American League in 2010.  If the Tigers make the playoffs, he is my surefire MVP.  His 19 HR and 60 RBI lead the AL, and the .328 AVG ain't too bad either.

Significance?  69 HR by NL 1B, 65 HR by AL 1B.  What's the big deal?
Well, many scouts and baseball personnel like Ryne Sandberg agree, power at the corners is crucial.  Ryno's theory is simple: power in the corners (1B, 3B, RF, LF) and speed and defense up the middle (C, 2B, SS, CF).  There is more power in the Central than any other division in both leagues, where there are 59 HR from the NL East (Ryan Howard, Ike Davis, Adam Dunn, Gaby Sanchez, and Troy Glaus) and 44 HR from the NL West (James Loney, Aubrey Huff, Todd Helton, Adam LaRoche, Adrian Gonzalez).  In the AL, there are 49 HR from the AL East (Kevin Youkilis, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Pena, Lyle Overbay, and Garrett Atkins) and 26 HR from the AL West (Daric Barton, Mike Napoli filling in for Kendry Morales, Justin Smoak, and Casey Kotchman).  While steals are on the rise in today's game, the home run ball is becoming underrated as the home run in critical in the winning formula.  With no power, there are no wins.  With no power, you get the 2010 Seattle Mariners who are last in the league in home runs and their home run leaders are Milton Bradley and Mike Sweeney with a whopping six.

The Final Home Run Stats
AL East: 49
AL Central: 65
AL West: 26

NL East: 59
NL Central: 69
NL West: 44

Want more on home runs?
Check out hittrackeronline.com and tatertrottracker.com for all the stats you want.

Pujols Smashes, Bashes, and Slashes

Albert Pujols has always liked playing at Wrigley Field.  This has been evident by his production there especially over the last few years.  With the Cubs 3-2 on the homestand heading into Sunday, the Cardinals were looking to continue the inconsistency of the homestand with a big win.  They did just that, on three home runs by Albert Pujols.  Amazingly, it was his 4th career three homer game, but his first since 2006.  In the 9-1 Cardinals win, the Cubs finished 3-3 on that homestand and got their three wins all on shutouts, outscoring opponents 9-0 but being outscored in losses 24-8.  Now the Cubs, after losing today in Pittsburgh, play two more there and then head off to Houston and in this five game stretch, I believe the Cubs really need to win four.  Absolutely win the next two against Pittsburgh, and then hopefully two more in Houston.  The scuffling offense needs to start hitting because Lou Piniella is running out of moves he can make.

A True Leeder

Since finishing 3rd in MVP voting in 2005 after winning the batting title and belting 46 HR, Derrek Lee was looked upon as a disappointment from 2006-08.  In 2009, he revitalized himself as a power hitter in the middle of the Cubs lineup, hitting 35 HR and 111 RBI.  Although I have always been a fan of the 6-5 Lee, I admit there were times I became very frustrated with him grounding into double plays and not being able to push the fly balls over the wall.  In 2008, it appeared he was back because he hit around 15 HR in April and May combined, on pace for an impressive 45, but the power hit hibernation over the summer and he finished with only 20.  The one thing Cub fans forget, however, is the how important his presence is on the Cubs.  He is a calm, cool leader in the clubhouse and many young players coming through the system have learned a lot from his practice on and off the field.  Many atheltes in professional sports refuse to watch ESPN or read the Sports section of the local paper because it keeps a more positive influence around your mind and the rest of the team.  This is understandable; you wouldn't want to read articles that criticize what you do for a living and make judgements about your career and motivation, etc.  However, Lee doesn't care and reads it anyway.  He doesn't take offense or allow his opinions to be changed from the media, but rather reads it like a fan.  If there is an article the questions his ability, I'm sure he either uses that as motivation to try harder or he ignores it and keeps doing what he does.

In my opinion, first base is the second most important position on the field, behind center field.  The first baseman, first of all, needs to be physically able to get outs and help his defense by picking balls out of the dirt and having enough size to reach and snag errant throws, saving errors and baserunners.  Second of all, he needs to lead the team.  This means doing what Lee does every day; setting an example on defense, giving a jolt of spirit to the guys even when being destroyed out there, listening to each and every individual player, not being afraid to give advice when deemed necessary, and knowing that winning goes before fame and money.  In other words, understanding the winning is the number one priority of everyone involved in the game and the team, and doing everything possible to achieve that goal.

Having doubts about the importance of first base theory?  I can't blame you.  But I looked around at teams that have had success recently, and it is apparent that there is plenty of truth.

-The Rays, surprise AL Pennant winners of 2008 and perennial winners for some time to come, have been anchored by powerful 1B Carlos Peña, and he leads the younger nucleus of Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Ben Zobrist, and Evan Longoria.  Until the 2008 transformation, the Rays never came close to a winning record.  Peña arrived in 2007.

-The Phillies, back-to-back NL Champions and the Rays' opponent in the 2008 World Series, certainly have a gift in 1B Ryan Howard.  The Phillies popped back on the baseball radar in 2006 after consistently winning all decade but usually not sniffing the playoffs because of the Braves' ridiculous streak of divison titles.  In fact, the Phillies hadn't made the playoffs since their 1980 World Series run and naturally the Philly fans were never happy.  But then this kid named Ryan Howard comes along and sends 58 baseball into orbit (or the bleachers) and now the Phillies really had some potential to upend the Braves and the Mets, who had won the division in 2006.  Sure enough, the Phillies have won three division titles in a row and Howard is the face of the franchise.

-The Cardinals were a no-brainer here.  Albert Pujols is the best hitter to set foot on this planet, unquestionably the leader of the Cardinals.  They were usually among the NL's best throughout the early and mid 2000's, except for a bump in the road called 2006.  At just 83-78 (ironically the Cubs' 2009 record), the redbirds marched into the playoffs with horrible momentum.  Oh yeah, they also happened to win the World Series that year.  Now with Matt Holliday in the order, the birds might be flying high for a while.

-The Yankees have Mark Teixeira.  Not too bad.  Possibly overlooked because of the Yankee legends that still inhabit Yankee Stadium, this dude is a key cog in the winning formula.  The first year he arrived, they won the Series.

-Who doesn't love the Swinging Padre logo that the Padres hold sacred?  The Padres are always an interesting team because of their ability to harvest young talent in a hurry and make all their pitchers look like aces in Petco Park.  The Padres were never the team to win 100 games and lead the NL in a whole bunch fo categories, but I'm pretty sure 1B Adrian Gonzalez had a lot to do with the Padres making the postseason in three straight years from 2005-2007 (I consider the one-game tiebreaker with the Rockies in 07 as playoffs).  Okay, fine, I know Gonzalez wasn't called up for real until 2006.  Still though, there is a point.  Now the Padres are leading the NL West and continue to prove doubters wrong with every step as more young talent pours into Petco and they all get schooled (in a good way) by the man, Gonzalez.

-The Twins, completely overpublicized because of homegrown Joe Mauer, probably have the most underrated first bagger in the league.  Justin Morneau is a patient (through 21 games, he leads baseball with 21 walks and a ridiculous .490 OBP) and powerful (22 or more homers the past five seasons) hitter and a great defender, and that skill is also overlooked.

-Although this era has ended in Flushing, the Mets run from 2006-2008 was very successful and was sparked by the big three: David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Delgado.  Delgado was getting old when he arrived in New York, so of course the media was all over him about it.  He quickly became a fan favorite in 2006, then an enemy after a disappointing 2007, then a hero in 2008 after a series of clutch hits.  In the tornado of negativity that was 2009 for the Mets, Delgado had to sit back and watch while his team surprisingly lost 92 games.  The Mets now lead the NL East, but Delgado is gone and a partial new generation has been welcomed into Citi Field.

None of the guys on this list are troublemakers and all are critical to their teams.  First base has never been more important to baseball teams, and the Cubs are extremely lucky to have a guy like Derrek Lee.  Resigning him after this season, his free agent year, is absolutely the number one priority in the offseason.  Go Cubs!