Kuzul

Yes, the Washington Nationals rookie phenom set a record with 32 strikeouts in his first three starts, and with his strikeout of the Royals Scott Podsednik today he passed Herb Score for the most strikeouts in the first four starts of a career.

And yes, Score was Rookie of the Year in 1955.

Still, all that does not equate to an All-Star nomination for one Stephen Strasburg.

So why is this man not worthy to make the roster July 13 at Angels stadium?

Because hype and a small sample size do not equal an All-Star nomination.

Look, even baseball managers aren’t immune to pressure from the hype machine.

I’m sure that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel will be feeling the heat to select Strasburg, especially if the Nationals rookie keeps up his current pace.

But here’s hoping that Manuel takes former President Reagan’s advice and just says no.

This is not to say that Strasburg isn’t going to go on to a great 2010 season, nor that he is not the best pitching prospect the majors has seen in a long time.

Rather, this is a position born of calm rationale.

In other words, relax baseball fans. If he’s truly this good, he’ll get his due in time.

Strasburg will pitch in many All-Star games in his lifetime, assuming he lives up to his potential.

But this is simply not his time.

Strasburg has made just four starts, yet if you listen to some national media it would seem that he should be anointed to the team just based on potential alone.

Hey, skip the All-Star accolades…why not just put the kid in the Hall of Fame already?

Meanwhile, Strasburg does not even show up when searching for players in Bleacher Report’s database!

From David Clyde to Mark Prior, there have been a myriad of talented starters in the majors who have failed to live up to lofty expectations.

That doesn’t mean Strasburg will be one of them.

But can’t we let the kid pitch, oh, let’s say, ten or twelve starts before we jump to conclusions?

Now, don’t discount the value of the dollar when considering whether Strasburg could be chosen to represent the National League in this year’s game.

For whereever the Wonderkid goes, he sells lots of tickets.

And don’t think for a minute that Bud Selig doesn’t want the extra attention and, more importantly, the television revenue that Strasburg could generate.

For Strasburg isn’t just a pitcher, he is a brand.

But from a strictly baseball perspective, he has simply not done enough to warrant a selection.

Sure, Strasburg has had a Top Ten list on David Letterman’s show, but in the MLB, he has started just four games.

True, he has been as advertised during those four games.

He has struck out 41 in just over 25 innings, while walking just five.

His WHIP is 0.95.

Heck, President Barack Obama has attended one of his games.

The baseball world is excited and it should be.

The kid has been amazing thus far.

But the All-Star game is supposed to be about the most worthy players of the season since its start.

And Strasburg didn’t make his first start until June 8, through no fault of his own.

Now, that rediculous rule requiring every team to have an All-Star could make a more compelling argument for Strasburg.

But Nats reliever Tyler Clippard is 8-3 with a 1.58 ERA, striking out 53 in just over 45 innings.

And Livan Hernandez has been surprisingly stellar all season.

Pudge Rodriguez is hitting .316 as a catcher in a weak NL market, and Ryan Zimmerman has 13 homers and plays outstanding defense at third base.

Also, Adam Dunn has clubbed 17 homers with a .367 OBP, and Josh Willingham has hit 13 homers with an impressive OBP of .406.

So it’s not as if Washington is lacking in candidates.

It’s fine to continue to wallow in Strasburg’s achievements, his 100 mph fastball and be awed by his unparalleled potential.

Let’s just not get too carried away, okay?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s the start of the summer solstice, so it’s getting hot. OK…not that kind of “hot”, but…well, I admit it — the pic is just a gratuitous photo to get your attention.

But it is June 21, and the Chicago Cubs sit seven games behind the division leading Cardinals, in third place at 31-38. It’s no longer early, and it’s no longer too soon to panic.

Now before we get caught up in unrealistic proposals here, let me start by saying that Alfonso Soriano is going nowhere. As much as the Cubs would almost certainly love to dispose of the remainder of that $136 million contract, it’s not even worth talking about.

Likewise, nobody wants Aramis Ramirez, who makes a lot of money, gets hurt every year and is off to his worst start ever.

Even someone like Carlos Silva, who is enjoying an almost astounding revival with the Cubs, is probably too rich for most teams blood, especially teams that don’t believe he can sustain this pace.

Meanwhile, forget about guys like Chad Tracy, Mike Fontenot and the like. They don’t make enough money nor would they garner enough in return to be of interest.

So that leaves, in my estimation, five players who might be of interest should they be made available on the trade market to contending teams. Let’s take a look at each player and where they might be headed.

Begin Slideshow

This current Chicago Cubs team has shown the unremarkable ability to lose in many different ways, most often due to a lack of so-called clutch hitting.

And yes, this team has certainly had its share of bullpen issues along the way, just to add insult to injury.

But one thing has remained constant throughout the Jim Hendry era: a lack of fundamental baseball.

Remember when we blamed Dusty Baker for a lack of attention to fundamentals as his teams kicked around the ball and couldn’t ever seem to do the little things that win games?

Well, isn’t it funny how that has continued, despite the fact that Baker is no longer here?

The point is, you can now blame Lou Piniella all you want, but you can’t continue to change managers every three-to-four years, see the same results, and say the blame falls solely on the manager.

No, at some point you have to look at the root cause being an organizational failing.

Look, Cubs fans are right to be frustrated that Lou, until recently, trots out the same guys no matter how they play and then raises his hands in the air and says ‘what the hell can I do’?

But why can’t fundamentals be taught at the minor league level? Why can’t fundamentally sound players be drafted? For it’s not just players acquired from other teams that refuse to play fundamental baseball for the Cubs.

Not only that, once a player does come to the team, shouldn’t the organization stress the right way to play the game?

Some teams have marketed their way of baseball.

The Dodgers used to have videos on the subject back in the day, and the Red Sox continue to stress an offensive baseball philosophy focusing on not making outs that is pervasive throughout the entire organization.

Instead, Jim Hendry flies by the seat of his pants. If the Cubs had an organizational philosophy, it would be inconsistency.

They don’t stress on-base percentage, as Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Ryan Theriot, Josh Vitters, Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro will attest to.

They don’t seem to teach hitting to the right side to move along runners, or how to bunt, or even when to hit a cutoff man and when to throw home.

In short, they don’t teach winning baseball.

Because if they did, how could so many of their kids come up not knowing what to do in these situations? You mean to tell me it’s a coincidence?

I don’t believe in coincidences, sorry.

You keep chaning managers and changing players and end up with the same result.

Sure, there’s the occasional Geo Soto who seems to understand the offensive value of getting on base, but those kids are rare.

And if you don’t think that stuff matters, you only have to look at the bad signings Hendry has been forced to make when he sees players who fill those needs.

Lack of OBP?  No problem, let’s throw $48 million at Kosuke Fukudome.

Sure, he’ll get on base, especially in the first half of a season, but in the end his numbers aren’t worth even half of the money he’s making.

Lack of a draft philosophy valuing speed? Again, no problem, we’ll simply give $136 million to Alfonzo Soriano, though I’m not blaming Hendry for failing to know that Soriano would suddenly fail to steal bases.

The list goes on.

You have to have an organizational philosophy that is carried out throughout your entire organization, from the type of player you draft, to the kind of player you acquire.

Then, you continue to reinforce that philosophy all during development so that when a new player comes to town, his teammates will take him aside and say, hey, this is the way we do things around here.

But that is lacking with the Cubs and has been for a long time.

Not only is it lacking, but so is leadership in the clubhouse.

It has been long acknowledged that Derrek Lee is the de-facto leader of the Cubs. Yet he hardly even talks to his teammates.

Meanwhile, a lot of Cubs fans have pinned their hopes on the arrival of new owner Tom Ricketts, mainly based on the fact that he is a purported Cubs fan.

Yet Ricketts’ only hire in the baseball operations department is a stats guy.

Now, how many Cubs fans, if they had the chance to take over, would already have had a baseball man in place or at least a knowledgeable baseball man to help evaluate things?

Ricketts admits he is no baseball expert. So shouldn’t he have one at his disposal?

Hey, Ricketts has Crane Kenny.

Ouch.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the 16th selection in the 2010 MLB draft, the Chicago Cubs pick…Hayden Simpson? Who?

That’s exactly my thought process when I heard of this very strange and unexpected decision by Cubs Scouting Director Tim Wilken.

The only thing more surprising would have been if the Cubs had picked Homer Simpson.

Even ESPN’s Keith Law was stunned, saying that “For one thing, it’s not scouting director Tim Wilken’s style; he loves athletes and hard throwers, guys with upside who have the chance to become stars.”

But the other issue is that, even if Wilken and the Cubs liked Simpson that much, he almost certainly would have been there when the Cubs made their next pick in the second round.

According to Law, many teams had Simpson, a diminutive diviion II pitcher, going in the fourth or fifth round.

Meanwhile, as noted in my piece yesterday, there were several players who seemed to fit the style of Wilken and yet he chose to pass on them.

While Delino DeShields, Jr. was snapped up at no. eight by Houston, Justin O’Conner, who was Law’s pick for the Cubs, stayed on the board until no. 32 by Tampa Bay.

Simpson is a RHP from Southern Arkansas has good command and control, but his pitches are very average, so he has little upside.

Of course, the Washington Nationals, as expected, grabbed Bryce Harper with the first pick, and the next two selections went as planned, with the Bucs taking Taillon and the O’s going for Machado.

The White Sox made a questionable pick with 6’6″ LHP Chris Sale out of the Florida Gulf Coast University. Sale has a good fastball, but the knock on him is his arm slot — he tends to sidearm the ball which makes scouts think he will be a reliever. 

The Cubs next pick is no. 65 in the second round today.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs hold the 16^th selection in the 2010 MLB draft, which starts today.

So which player will they pick? Well, that depends on which players the teams take before them, obviously.

But one can make a general statement about what type of player they are looking for by examining the types of players that Cubs Director of Player Personnel Tim Wilken likes.

Wilken came to Chicago in 2005, with a long and successful track record for Tampa Bay and Toronto. In Toronto, Wilken saw the Blue Jays graduate 12 consecutive first-round picks to the big leagues.

So what kind of players does Wilken prefer? Here’s what he had to say when interviewed back in 2007:

“In some circles I’ve been given the tag of preferring high school players over college, but I don’t feel that I lean that way. I do like guys who can hit, and I like up-the-middle guys. Middle guys are usually the best players on the field, so you can move them more easily if the need arises. I know that in Toronto we had 10 of them in instructs (instructional league) one year that went on to play in the big leagues. Some, like Michael Young , Orlando Hudson , and Cesar Izturis , are still there, but others, like Casey Blake , moved to a corner or the outfield.”

Keith Law, who works for ESPN and is familiar with Wilken through his time spend as assistant to the GM in Toronto, says that W ilken, “Loves athletic kids who play multiple sports or who play as both position players and pitchers.”

With that in mind, Law is predicting that the Cubs will select Justin O’Conner, a high school catcher out of Cowan high school in Muncie, Indiana.

O’Conner had come into his senior season as a man without a clear position. Since his move behind the plate, O’Conner has established himself as a first round pick, with a strong arm and a quick release.

His hitting has been suspect, despite good bat speed. His power potential is in question due to mechanics, but as a catcher, his offensive shortcomings can be overlooked.

Prior to the latest mock, Law has the Cubs picking Alex Wimmers, RHP out of Ohio State. He is slight in build and may not hold his velocity well, but has two plus offspeed pitches in his curve and change.

If for some reason he slips and is available when the Cubs turn comes around, look for Wilken to give Nick Castellanos strong consideration as well.

Castellanos is a high school shortstop who will likely switch to third base or the outfield when he reaches pro ball. He isn’t fast but he is athletic for his size, with power.  

Another intriguing possibility is Delino DeShields, Jr. Yes, he’s the son of the former major leaguer and he fits the mold that Wilken seems to like: a very athletic two-sport star.

The main knock on DeShields is his size. He’s listed as 5’8” but is the fastest runner in the draft and projects as a solid center fielder, though he currently plays second base.

The Cubs would desperately like to hit on their first round selection, as they haven’t had a home-grown position player become a star during GM Jim Hendry’s tenure, though Starlin Castro could become the first to do so.

This year’s draft would be a great place to start.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s now June and the Cubs sit four games below .500 and six games behind the Cards and Reds.

With 52 games in the books, the season is getting dangerously close to one-third over. So all the cries not to worry because it’s early are starting to ring hollow.

Meanwhile, we know that Jim Hendry doesn’t have money to work with, and is stuck with expensive, long-term contracts that have no-trade clauses. So any suggestions must work within these limitations.

So while I’d love to suggest we go out and obtain Roy Oswalt, we need to be practical here.

So here is one man’s opinion on some quick, basic changes that can help begin to turn the season around in a positive manner, before Lou Piniella loses his cool.

(Actually, on second thought, that may not be a bad idea).

So, without further ado, as Pat Hughes would say, away we go…

Begin Slideshow

On the one hand, the Cubs have Mr. Gorzelanny to blame for losing the game yesterday, as he allowed seven runs in five innings.

But at least it solves one dilemma; it solidifies the decision as to which starter will be replaced by Carlos Zambrano next week.

While the offense continues to struggle scoring runs (three runs in Tuesday’s win, three of their five runs yesterday were scored after the game was 7-2, and only two hits through seven innings today), Gorzy never really gave the Cubs a chance to win.

Still, he doesn’t necessarily deserve to be booted from the rotation, as he had been pretty good this season. Not to mention that the Cubs need another lefty in the bullpen like they need more no-trade clauses. 

Yet it does appear that if he can’t be traded, Gorzy will move to the ‘pen to make room for Zambrano when he returns to face the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Not that this is any surprise, as Gorzelanny has been the odds on favorite since the announcement that Big Z was returning to a starter’s role.

I mean, we know the Cubs aren’t going to move a guy who is 6-0 and making big money to the bullpen. Er, I mean a guy who is 6-0; we already know the salary wouldn’t prevent that from happening.

And while some have suggested moving Ryan Dempster, since he has previous bullpen experience, that doesn’t make any sense either, as he is pitching solid baseball.

Meanwhile, at least the ridiculous experiment is over, and what a failure it was. It not only gave the public yet another chance to ridicule the Cubs, it was absolutely pointless.

What did it prove that we didn’t already know?

I’m not suggesting that Zambrano will pitch any better than, or even as well as, Gorzelanny.

But if you can’t move his salary, you have to start a guy who makes $18 million per season. That is, unless you eat his contract, something the Cubs don’t have the appetite to do.

Jacking around the rotation is about all this crazy “college of coaches” type of move accomplished.

Until today’s outstanding performance, maybe the Cubs could have placed Ted Lilly on the DL, but that no longer seems like an option.

So, barring injury or trade, it does appear that Gorzelanny will be the sacrificial lamb for Zambrano.

Hey, we Cubs fans are supposed to be optimists, right? So, while his performance was brutal yesterday, at least it did accomplish one thing.

It created the fall guy.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s one thing to be in a slump. It’s quite another thing entirely if a player is trying to play through an injury.

Today especially, Aramis Ramirez looked to be favoring his thumb and if so, he should be on the disabled list until he is healthy enough to play.

Look, he isn’t producing anyway, either in the field or at the plate. So if he is hurt, trying to play through it is the wrong thing to do.

I know to some it may seem admirable for a player to continue to play through an injury. But in reality it’s a rather selfish thing to do, for it only hurts the team in the long run.

Ramirez struck out four times tonight, the last time with the bases loaded. But his hitting has been terrible all season.

For a while, we suspected that it was his shoulder. Then it was his wrist. Now he has a bad thumb. Yet through all this, he insists he is healthy enough to play.

He also doesn’t really think he needs the help of hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, since he is his own hitting coach.

But until he starts producing, I would push him down in the order or sit him on the bench. The same thing applies to Derrick Lee.

I don’t care what these guys have done in the past. I would risk hurting their pride by moving them out of the middle of the lineup, because it’s not fair to the rest of the team.

On the one hand, you can say that the Cubs won’t go anywhere unless they start producing.

Even so, you can’t have them batting together, especially in run-producing slots. Not right now.

Lou has been moving them around but watching Ramirez tonight really drove the point home. He shouldn’t be playing, plain and simple.

For Lou can’t put one or two players above the team. It’s not the Ramirez or Lee Cubs, it’s the Chicago Cubs.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I know it’s way too soon in the Chicago Cubs ownership career of one Tom Ricketts to say too many things about him, good or bad.

All anyone can do is evaluate the man on what he says and, more importantly, what he does.

He says he’s a Cubs fan, and that’s a positive of course. He even met his wife in the bleachers supposedly.

All well and good.

He wants to win by building through scouting and development.

Another “attaboy” there Tom, that’s a solid plan.

He thinks the seventh-inning stretch guest conductor thing is “a nice tradition.”

Um, personally I think it’s long since run its course, but it’s not a big deal either.

He understands the need to draw additional revenue and put it back in the team. Things like potential naming rights and the Toyota sign, etc.

More reasonable stuff here.

Ricketts wants to preserve Wrigley Field and understands the need to make improvements.

OK, it doesn’t really matter to me; I just want to win—someplace, anyplace—but he knows that Wrigley is a cash cow.

Smart businessman.

He fully supports manager Lou Piniella and general manager Jim Hendry, and thinks both are doing a fine job.

Wait. One. Second.

New owner, say what?

“The fact is we like Lou, we support Lou,” Ricketts said on Wednesday on “Waddle & Silvy” on ESPN 1000. “He’s done very well for this team. He wants to win. He’s the kind of guy you want leading your team. The players respect him and he’s doing a good job.”

I have to tell you, here we disagree.

I think it’s time for a fresh voice, a change in the manager’s chair. Lou isn’t the Lou I thought he was.

However, I can live with this as a Cubs fan. But what really gets me going is what Ricketts had to say about Hendry.

“We’ve got a guy we trust, who has put together some pretty good teams over the years, and we’re going to back him.”

Now, I understand the part about backing him, and allowing him to make his own decisions so that he can hold him accountable.

That’s smart.

But what I don’t understand is how anyone can walk in as the new owner, say they have been a Cubs fan, and not already know that Hendry is simply not a very good GM.

If I’m the new owner, I already have a baseball guy in mind to lead the franchise when I take over. It was a long process, it’s not like this was an overnight fire sale.

At the very least, I move aside Crane Kenney and hire a truly knowledgeable baseball man to make that evaluation for me.

I certainly wouldn’t have Hendry continue to report to a suit like Kenney.

Some say it’s smart not to make changes right away.

I say that’s only true if you don’t know what you’re doing. Yet if that’s the case, there’s even more reason to get a real baseball guy in to help you.

I mean, is Ricketts really qualified to make that decision? Sure, he has the right and the power as owner to make that evaluation.

But is he baseball savvy?

Even Tom says no to that one.

Look, anyone can judge a team by wins and losses, but a lot more goes into the evaluation of a GM than that.

For example, does he have an organizational plan?

We know Hendry tends to fly by the seat of his pants, changing his philosophy from year to year.

Does he embrace new ideas and the latest metrics?

Hendry is not one to believe in advanced metrics. That’s too bad, because they could have warned him when a player’s BABIP is artificially high and that his luck is due to run out.

No, Hendry is the kind of GM who still thinks a pitcher can be judged by wins and that RBI matter.

Is he a good evaluator of talent?

Well, judging by his stint as farm director, I’d say no.

Is there a consistent message being driven throughout the entire organization?

Well, if so, then it must be that walks are bad, because we keep on getting young players with poor plate discipline.

Geo Soto appears to be an exception, but prospects like Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin, and Josh Vitters walked very little in the minors.

And Corey Patterson and Felix Pie can blame at least part of their failure on not knowing the strike zone.

And those are just the guys we are familiar with.

Hendry hasn’t developed a star position player ever. Perhaps Castro will be the first, but that remains to be seen.

But even if the win-loss record is the bottom line, Hendry’s teams have been inconsistent, despite a high payroll. Hendry’s teams have lost eight consecutive playoff games.

In the meantime, we lost the opportunity to hire a really smart and savvy young GM in Jed Hoyer, who went from Boston to San Diego over the winter.

Meanwhile, by saying he will let Hendry decide Lou’s fate, Ricketts is essentially ensuring that Hendry will be back next season, since he expects Lou to finish out the season. 

So where is that accountability?

It sounds like the decision to retain Hendry has already been determined, regardless of what happens this season.

Otherwise, why would you allow a GM you don’t want to make such a key decision?

Ah, such is life as a Cubs fan. We all wish we could own the team, then a guy who is actually a fan comes along and buys the team, and all is well.

Or is it?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Look, Carlos Zambrano makes a hell of a lot of money. If he is going to provide any return on that investment, it has to be as a starting pitcher, not a reliever.

You don’t pay relievers $18 million per season. Plus, he isn’t doing a good job in that role anyway.

If the Cubs had listened to my advice two years ago and again last year, they would have traded Big Z when they had the chance.

When I wrote the articles, many Cubs fans said no way you trade Zambrano. And even the ones who thought it made sense wanted a king’s ransom in return.

My premise was to move his contract and not care about what they got in return. At the time, I was vilified for suggesting that.

Well, how badly do you think the Cubs would love to make such a deal now?

Hey, this isn’t an attempt to write “I told you so.” Rather, it’s a plea to Lou Piniella and Cubs GM Jim Hendry to end this silly and pointless exercise in futility and move Zambrano back to his rightful place as one of the five starters in the rotation.

Why? Let me count the ways.

First, Tom Gorzelanny is not a very good starting pitcher. Neither is Carlos Silva, but since he is pitching well, Piniella can leave him in the rotation for now. But replace Gorz with Big Z, please.

And when Silva inevitably returns to form, and he will, you will need someone to fill the void. Hopefully, by then, Zambrano will have re-adjusted to the role.

I understand that Zambrano may pitch just as badly in the rotation as he has as a reliever. But at least the Cubs would be utilizing their investment in the manner in which you paid the big guy to perform.

And, if he pitches well and the Cubs continue to fall out of the race, at least they may have built up his trade value and can move him before the deadline.

Meanwhile, no matter how he pitches as a reliever, they will never convince another club to take on his immense salary.

Hendry really has to answer for creating a situation where Piniella has to resort to such a drastic move as this. It is Piniella’s way of calling out Hendry’s inadequacies in providing him with a right-handed relief pitcher who can set-up Carlos Marmol.

What a mess. If I was the Cubs new owner, I would have come in with my own general manager.

If Tom Ricketts is the Cubs fan he claims to be, how can he not know how badly Hendry has performed?

It really boggles my mind.

I have tried to remain positive in the face of the Cubs early season struggles, but I can’t help but question whether this team will be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

And if they are sellers, it would be helpful if they could sell Zambrano as a starter as opposed to an $18 million dollar set-up man.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com