Cubs in trouble if it's serious.

[Gainesville Red]

I'm watching the Cubs @ Dodgers, Furcal bunted down the first base line, Scott Eyre dove for it, tried to flip it from his glove from the ground to Derrick Lee. The flip led Lee right into Furcal, who bulldozed him. He got up shaking and holding his wrist, and left the game. Meanwhile, Scott Eyre looks like he messed up his leg somehow on the same play, tried to throw a warmup pitch, couldn't do it, had to leave also.

They're in trouble if Lee's serious.

[harangatang]

Yikes, hopefully the injury bug stays in Chicago and out of Cincinnati

[savafan]

The Cubs were already in trouble with their pitching

[Gainesville Red]

D. Lee: Sprain of right wrist, X-rays inconclusive, flying back to Chicago for more X-rays
S. Eyre: Knee contusion, day to day.

per cubs tv guys.

[kyred14]

That lineup is bad enough with Lee. Without him, Cub fans can go ahead and start discussing next year.

[GridironGrace]

I'll take those wins............. lets hurry and play em all our games b4 he's back :) lol

[LincolnparkRed]

They are still getting it done with that smoke and mirrors pitching staff. I think if anyone thought that they cubs would be half a game out of first without wood, prior & no wins from Zambrano then I want some of what you are smoking. I think the cubs can hang around for awhile but losing Lee isn't going to help much.

[flyer85]

just goes to show how one injury can change everything. Imagine the Birds without Pujols.

[Blimpie]

D. Lee: Sprain of right wrist, X-rays inconclusive, flying back to Chicago for more X-rays
S. Eyre: Knee contusion, day to day.

per cubs tv guys.Usually means that the swelling is still too significant to get a decent image to judge. Not sounding very good for Lee.

[flyer85]

Usually means that the swelling is still too significant to get a decent image to judge. Not sounding very good for Lee.A wrist injury is usually a very serious issue for a hitter. Maybe they could use Aurilia or Hatteberg for Wuertz and another player.

[UPRedsFan]

I was thinking the same thing and wondering if Krivsky smells an opportunity.

Aurilia for Williamson?

[icehole3]

I was thinking the same thing and wondering if Krivsky smells an opportunity.

Aurilia for Williamson?

Yuk

[Gainesville Red]

Yuk


Gotta give Aurillia some credit, I remember when we used to give him the Womack treatment. (Trade him for a bag of balls.) Now we have people on the board turning down trades.

[LincolnparkRed]

Gotta give Aurillia some credit, I remember when we used to give him the Womack treatment. (Trade him for a bag of balls.) Now we have people on the board turning down trades.

part of that was because he was blocking Felo at the beginning of last year but this year he seems like a whole different guy so most people have warmed up to him. Not too many like him batting 3rd or 4th in any lineup but at least not everyone cringes when they see him listed.

[KronoRed]

They should trade their pitching and rebuild.

[blark11]

Lee is out for 6-8 weeks

[Reds Fanatic]

They now say he will probably be out 8 to 10 weeks. He will be in a cast for at least 6 weeks.

[KronoRed]

He was my 1st round pick in fantasy ball, I knew something would happen..last year it was Oliver Perez..I can curse em! next year I'm going after Pujols :evil:

[Matt700wlw]

Derek Lee out 8-10 weeks....that hurts.

However, this is the Cubs we're talking about...they were never in it :)

[Ibleedblue]

I think it's clear what needs to happen...


http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/4853/rookieoftheyear8tu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Outshined_One]

Not like they have anyone in their farm system who can be called up to fill in and attempt to take over. Former uber-prospect Brian Dopirak broke a bone in his foot about two weeks ago and likely won't be back in action for the next 4-6 weeks. Brandon Sing is struggling down in AAA, although projects to be a decent right handed power hitter off the bench.

The current talk is that Michael Restovich will be added to the 40 man roster with some one either getting thrown on the 60 day DL (Lee or possibly Prior if things are bad for him) or with Freddie Bynum getting DFA'd. Restovich has had some experience playing 1B...but the interesting part might be if Todd Walker is moved to 1B with Neifi Perez or Jerry Hairston taking over at 2B.

Along with Lee's offense, his defense is also going to be sorely missed. Ramirez and Cedeno are both pretty good in terms of their range and glove-work...but their arms get really erratic. Having a freakishly tall first baseman can really help matters when it comes to handling their throws.

However, the good news for the Cubs is that Lee's right wrist was injured. For a right handed hitter's swing, the right hand is used to guide the bat while the left wrist is used in the rotation. He still will have some trouble getting back to 100%, but if it were his other wrist, he would be getting exposed on inside pitches pretty easily.

Needless to say, though, this has the potential to get ugly. The Cubs' offense was already questionable before Lee's injury...now it looks to be in trouble, especially with Ramirez struggling. Their starting pitching needs to step up if they want to keep in the race.

However, considering Glendon Rusch is prominently involved, this likely will not happen.

[Blimpie]

I'll bet Carlos Pena (now playing on a Yanks minor league contract) is starting to look pretty attractive to the North side of Chicago.

[smith288]

Cubs suck...with or without Lee.

Just Sayin' (because i can)

[beb30]

Yikes, hopefully the injury bug stays in Chicago and out of Cincinnati

The injury bug has been here since 2000 unfortunately......

[Chip R]

http://www.rossistudios.com/goat4x4.jpg

[KronoRed]

That goat looks a little stiff

[Chip R]

That goat looks a little stiff

What are you, a goat expert? Hmmmm, you seem to know a lot about goats. Someone with that type of knowledge could only be a Cubs fan!

[KronoRed]

That's a flame

http://home.comcast.net/~burrowses/Suspects/Duel-1.jpeg

I challenge the!

[Chip R]

That's a flame

http://home.comcast.net/~burrowses/Suspects/Duel-1.jpeg

I challenge the!

You challenge the what?

[OldXOhio]

Dusty Baker Not Worried About Cubs' Hot Start
April 13, 2006 | Onion Sports
CHICAGO—Despite their impressive 4-2 start and the fact that their pitching and offense appears to be clicking on all cylinders, Cubs manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that he has "no doubt" that his team will be able to turn things around in time to miss the playoffs.
"I know things look good right now, and you hate to see Cubs fans get encouraged early, but I'm certain that things will straighten themselves out and we'll be in third place by early May," Baker said at a press conference Wednesday. "With the talent and drive we lack, it's foolish to think that this team can continue playing at this rate all year."
"If it's September and we're still atop the division standings? Then we'll start panicking," Baker added.
In their disappointing series sweep of the rival Cardinals last weekend, the Cubs did all the little things right, winning ballgames with a combination of solid pitching, good defense, and timely hitting—fundamentals that Baker says his team will eventually ignore as the season goes on.
"The guys are in a bit of a groove right now, but they'll snap out of it," Baker said. "It's early yet. There's still plenty of time to get back off track and give the fans the kind of season they've come to know and expect."
"I'd love to go out there and lose all 162 games for this city, but both the players and the fans know that's not possible no matter how bad you are," he added.
Longtime Cubs fans have echoed Baker's sentiments, saying that, despite the emergence of Derrek Lee as a triple-crown threat and the acquisition of a top leadoff hitter in Juan Pierre, they still have complete faith that the Cubs have what it takes to make it all the way to October without ever factoring into the playoff picture.
"Sure, other teams may look just as awful on paper, but the Cubs have all the intangibles—the inability to play as a cohesive unit, management that always seems to make the wrong moves, a storied history of crushing, tragic defeats despite favorable odds," said Chicago-area resident Matt Grant. "No winning streak can get that lose-at-any-cost mentality out of our Cubbies' heads."

"This is the year," Grant added. "This is the year we extend our World Series drought to 98 years."
Baker cited several other reasons he thinks the Cubs will work into a slump and quickly get back under .500, including his inexperienced pitching staff returning to their usual form, his plan to rush injured stars Mark Prior and Kerry Wood back to action in time to inflame their injuries and cause enough arm damage to make them miss the entire season, and the fact that his son Darren is now older and larger than he was in the 2002 playoffs, and therefore capable of more effectively obstructing the basepaths while his team is trying to score.
Although his harshest critics say that the Cubs appear to be doing everything right so far, Baker points to Tuesday's 9-2 drubbing at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds as a clear indication that his team is moving in the right direction.
"Tuesday's loss was a prime example of the kind of baseball this team is capable of playing on a regular basis," Baker said of the game in which the Cubs managed to score only two runs while leaving 15 men on base and allowing six home runs. "The key is that this was a balanced attack against us. Any team can allow a big inning—as we did in the five-run sixth that featured a grand slam—but the Reds also scored a run in each of the first four frames. If we can consistently take that kind of well-rounded beating—and if any team can do it, it's us—I truly think we can lose 90 games."
Baker said that, although the box scores show that the Cubs won four of the first six games, in reality, they had the opportunity to lose "any or all of them."
"Unfortunately, we just happened to get some lucky breaks, some good bounces, and had some calls go our way—over the course of a long season, that's gonna happen to any team a few times," Baker said. "We'll be fine, though."

[Blimpie]

You challenge the what?:laugh:

[smith288]

You challenge the what?
He!

[oneupper]

Derek Lee out 8-10 weeks....that hurts.

However, this is the Cubs we're talking about...they were never in it :)

Actually, it probably is the best time for the cubs. Their May schedule is weak, with lots of NL West teams (SD, SF, Ari), the Marlins, Pit etc.

Expect them to muddle through.