Punching Bag

The Cubs managerial search dominated the discussion of the offseason for fans on the North Side. Some favored bringing in a big name manager with experience while others wanted the team to hire Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. While the Cubs elected remove the interim tag and hire Mike Quade, the decision to bring in a new pitching coach may have been the more impactful decision.

Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild was a frequent target of animosity from Cubs fans. When a Cubs pitcher went down for an injury or failed to come back as quickly from the DL as predicted, fans hurled their frustrations at the long time pitching coach. He survived the constant barrage of criticism outlasting Don Baylor, Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella. Finally, Rothschild had enough and packed his bags for the Big Apple.

Mark Riggins, the rookie pitching coach for the Cubs, has had his hands full this year and the results have been awful. The Cubs currently rank dead last in the National League with an atrocious 4.69 team ERA and a paltry 30 quality starts. While the Cubs have dealt with injuries, there is no excuse for that level of performance.

Meanwhile, Larry Rotchshild seems to be getting the most out of his injury plagued rotation. Former flamethrower Bartolo Colon boasts a solid 3.10 ERA with an impressive 1.07 WHIP. Veteran Freddy Garcia has posted a surprising 3.28 ERA.

While Brian Cashman certainly deserves credit for picking up Colon and Garcia, Kudos must be given to Larry Rothschild. While Mark Riggins seems to be overmatched at the big league level, Larry Rothschild seemingly has found a home.

Bottoming Out

Bob Verdi, a venerable former Chicago Tribune writer, once proclaimed that “when a team is at the bottom, the problem is usually at the top.” Verdi, was describing the state of the 1970’s Cubs, but it the description certainly fits the current inhabitants of Clark and Addison.

After a disastrous sweep to the last-place Astros and a less than stellar showing against the Pirates, the Cubs find themselves dangerously close to the bottom of the NL Central. The losses featured the usual cavalcade of botched defensive plays, runners being stranded on base and a blown save from the normally reliable but often wild Carlos Marmol. Some local media members have already turned on rookie manager Mike Quade by questioning his loyalty to slumping veteran Aramis Ramirez. Although Quade is still learning on the job and far from perfect, the issue goes beyond the first year skipper.

While Cubs owner Tom Ricketts believes injuries are the culprit, the roster just simply isn’t good enough. Whether Ricketts is prepared to make significant changes in the front office remains to be seen. The Ricketts family has taken a liking to general manager Jim Hendry and don’t appear to be in a hurry to start looking for a replacement. With empty seats piling up at Wrigley Field and seagulls seemingly outnumbering fans late in games, one has to wonder whether the Ricketts family will remain patient.