Jun 13 2013 07:01 PM
The New York Mets took two of three from the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field four weekends ago. Since then, the Cubs have lost 13 of 21, making them an almost perfect match for the Mets as they arrive at Citi Field for a three-game set. After outlasting the Reds, 6-5 in 14 innings on Thursday — sure are a lot of marathons going around — the Cubs are 26-38, while the Mets are 24-37.
Try not to get too excited by what you’re about to see Friday night at 7:10 (Marcum vs. Edwin Jackson); Saturday afternoon at 1:10 (Niese vs. Scott Feldman); and Sunday afternoon at 1:10 (Hefner vs. Matt Garza). Or get as excited as you like, but realize these are two decrepit franchises in quest of getting crepit. A couple of black cats would really liven things up.
Apparently, the Cubs might be a team on the verge of better days by the reckoning of Dan Szymborski in an ESPN Insider article someone kindly shared with me as proof that franchises can rebuild for the long term yet make decent short-term moves in the interim:
| The Cubs aren't yet a contender or even a good team, but Epstein has already made some key moves, some of them classic "Moneyball"-esque transactions, that have brought the Cubs to the very edge of respectability despite coming off the franchise's first 100-loss season since 1966. Nobody will confuse this year's Cubs with a World Series contender, but with the team almost at parity in the runs scored/runs allowed ratio (248-to-255), Chicago is real competition rather than a doormat. The Cubs' 25-36 record might look more like their 30-31 Pythagorean record if Carlos Marmol's control had not continued to deteriorate, to the point that he'd have trouble targeting the ground if he dropped the baseball. The Anthony Rizzo acquisition looks to be Epstein's crown jewel move with the Cubs so far. Rizzo had a previous history with Epstein and Hoyer, being a former sixth-round pick of the Red Sox and part of the price tag Boston had to pay for Padres star Adrian Gonzalez. San Diego's acquisition of Yonder Alonso in the Mat Latos trade made Rizzo -- and his dreadful .141 AVG/.281 OBP/.242 SLG initial stint in the majors -- a less expensive deal. Fast-forward to 2013, and Rizzo is one of the cornerstones of the Cubs. He signed a very team-friendly contract through at least 2019, cheap enough that he doesn't have to come close to matching his six-year ZiPS projection of 23.3 to be worth the money. This isn't the first time Epstein picked up an underappreciated young first baseman to serve in the heart of the lineup. Last time, it was David Ortiz, non-tendered by the Twins because they focused on what he couldn't do rather than what he could. That one worked out pretty well. It hasn't stopped with Rizzo. Cubs third basemen have a .787 OPS and 11 home runs this year; the position has been manned mostly by Luis Valbuena and Cody Ransom, both claimed off waivers from their previous team. The right fielder, Nate Schierholtz, is hitting .293/.320/.524 on a one-year, $2.25 million contract. Ryan Sweeney, possibly the best fourth outfielder in the majors, got very little attention and was still unemployed at the end of March before finding his way to the Cubs. Epstein also had the patience to realize that Alfonso Soriano, with a contract that could best be described as a monumental flop, still has enough to contribute that it's not worth eating most, if not all, his contract to get him off the roster. The bargain-basement shopping with the rotation has been even better. Carlos Villanueva and Scott Feldman combine to make just over $10 million this year, while Travis Wood fell out of favor in Cincinnati despite an 11-10 record and 4.18 ERA through his age 24 season. Those three have combined for a 3.18 ERA in 211 2/3 innings. The calculated gamble to give Jeff Samardzija another shot at the rotation before 2012 has paid off, as well, as the Shark has 3.18 ERA this season, leads the NL in K/9, and is making an argument that he's a borderline ace now that his dreadful command issues seem to be in the rear window. Even if there's some drop-off, that should be compensated by Edwin Jackson, one of the league's best innings-eaters, recovering from a dreadful start. And the best thing of all this? Chicago's shopping is absolutely no hindrance to the team's rebuilding. The Cubs made sure to spend freely internationally in advance of the changes to the collective bargaining agreement that capped team spending. Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Jorge Soler and Arodys Vizcaino all remain Cubs, and Keith Law listed the team's farm system as the fifth-ranked organization in the majors -- a massive improvement from being ranked 20th in 2011 and 2012. |
But the Cubs suck at the moment. Rizzo leads their furry ranks with 10 HR and 39 RBI; his OPS is .778. We won’t see the highly vexing Travis Wood, but Scott Feldman was a pain in the ass last time we faced him. Jackson was, too. Garza we didn’t see. He’s 1-1 with a high ERA in five starts. Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro still lead the league in best names for a DP combination but are having horrible offensive seasons. Ex-Amazin’ Scott Hairston continues to have trouble adjusting to his new surroundings. Nate Schierholtz and Wellington Castro strike me as candidates to leave us grumbling by Sunday.
LaTroy Hawkins gave me my second-fondest Mets-Cubs Shea memory nine years ago when he gave up a ninth-inning game-tying home run out of absolutely nowhere to Victor Diaz, shutting up the probably half of the stadium (probably more) that was rooting for the visitors. LaTroy Hawkins is advised not to attempt an encore.
My fondest Mets-Cubs Shea memory, incidentally, is the 6-5 win Willie Randolph masterminded from down 5-1 in the ninth in 2007. I nearly left. I stayed. I was thrilled. SNY shows it every couple of weeks. Catch it if you can.
Faux-reigner, I think a commercial has noted four million times, plays after the game Friday night. They’ve been around almost as long as Hawkins. Dads can obtain a t-shirt on Sunday if a special offer is followed. The Mets are very big on special offers. They’d be better off just lowering ticket prices and giving out their merchandise with no strings attached.
So anyway, here comes the bear. Good luck, duck.