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25 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
2005-03-22 12:50
by Alex Ciepley

Borowski's injury shakes a few things up on the potential 25-man roster. Here's my most bestest guess at where things stand right now:

***OFFENSE***

C: Barrett, Blanco
IF: Lee, Walker, Garciaparra, Ramirez, Perez, Macias
OF: Hollandsworth, Patterson, Burnitz, Dubois, Hairston

QUICK TAKE: I can't imagine this shaking out any other way. I suppose Baker could decide to go with only 11 pitchers, opening up one spot, but it seems the Cubs could use the extra arm with all the injury questions on the staff.

LEFT OUT: Kelton and Hansen. Kelton's had a good spring, but he's been unimpressive in the minor leagues for several years running now.

MY DRUTHERS: Drop Macias, add Hansen. Drop Perez, trade for... anyone.

***PITCHING***

SP: Zambrano, Maddux, Wood, Prior, Rusch

QUICK TAKE: Rusch wins the 5th starter spot by default, because his excellence last year is more important than the 11 innings he's thrown this spring.

LEFT OUT: While Dempster and Rusch compete to have the worst spring on the Cubs staff, Sergio Mitre is sitting on the outside looking in. Mitre's only likely to start with the team if either Wood or Prior has to hit the DL.

MY DRUTHERS: 33 starts each from Zambrano, Maddux, Wood, and Prior.

RP: Hawkins, Remlinger, Dempster, Fox, Leicester, Randolph, Wuertz

QUICK TAKE: With Borowski out, the closer spot is back in flux. Dempster? Hawkins? Fox? The last three spots could go to a whole host of characters; Leicester, Randolph, and Wuertz have the shiniest ERAs, so their names are slotted in for now.

LEFT OUT: Will Ohman gets cut because... I dunno, he's not Stephen Randolph? It'll be a tragedy, but one I fully expect. Todd Wellemeyer is the most highly touted of the Wellemeyer-Leicester-Wuertz group, but has the worst track record, both in spring and otherwise. He still could make the team, as could Jermaine Van Buren.

MY DRUTHERS: Boot Randolph, keep Ohman. Keep Dempster far away from the closer role. In fact, drop him altogether, and add Van Buren.

Comments
2005-03-22 14:53:42
1.   Jody Moulton
Alex, I like your druthers and not to take anything away from your analysis, any self-respecting Cub's fan should!
2005-03-23 06:23:00
2.   John Hill
Dave Hansen underwent an emergency appendectomy on March 13th. The guess was that he'd miss at least two weeks, by which, if my maths is correct, is about three or four months.

If he is healthy in time though, I think I go with Blanco, Perez, Hansen, Hairston and whichever one of the remaining outfielders isn't starting on the bench. Perez has his uses, his glove's excellent, I don't see a reason for cutting him beyond preventing Dusty from using his bat. If Hansen's not healthy in time, I'd give Kelton a shot.

I really can't make my mind up on Dempster. One moment I despise his presence on the roster, the next I'm actually not that far from optimism, the next I'm fearing the worst, the next I'm not, the next pretty happy to have him, the next I wish he'd just clear off back where he came from.

Anyway, if I go along with the fact that Dempster's the fifth starter, my bullpen with Borowski out and assumed unreplaced is Hawkins, Fox, Remlinger, Wuertz, Leicester, Ohman and Rusch.

At the end of the day though, it doesn't matter what I'd do. Unless I acquaint him and tell him all my plans on a fishing trip.

2005-03-23 13:30:55
3.   Alex Ciepley
John, that pretty much echoes my thoughts mostly, though I disagree with Perez having his uses: I think his fielding is overrated, and certainly you can scrounge up a fielding-first shortstop who cost less and aren't quite the disasters at the plate.

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