The bullpen in the past few years has kind of been like the Cubs in the past few decades. It's been so terrible that we just stop expecting it to be good. So when it finally has a decent year we get all excited and pretend like it's amazing. It didn't have to be this way though.
The list of Cubs closers in the past is actually pretty impressive. Joe Borowski, Flash Gordon, Rod Beck, LaTroy Hawkins, Antonio Alfonseca, and Rick Augilera, to name a few. And that's all in the past 10 years. Sure there were a few good years, Rod Beck had 51 saves in the glorious '98 Wild Card season, Borowski had some really good streaks in 2003 and pulled off 33 saves, but the rest were terrible. And most of them were good pitchers before they came here. I guess there's just something in the water.
Here's hoping that this years bullpen gives me something to talk about a few years down the road.
A face only a mother could love. Or thousands of high school girls.- Salary: $825,000
- Key Stat: 1.94 ERA in 2005, 5.17 ERA in 2006
- Comments: First things first, Neal is fresh from the Black Sox. So I should hate him. But he's got a couple things going for him. First of all, he had an amazing year in 2005 when the Sox won it all, which shows me he can pull through and he knows what it's like to play for a winner. Secondly, he's cheap. No extravagant spending tag for this guy. Plus, he makes the ladies swoon. Wait, that's a reason why I would hate him. And I hate him because he was horrible last year, and the Cubs seem to have a thing for picking up pitchers hoping they will return to their former greatness.
"Maybe I suck. But at least my name isn't Kerry Wood."- Salary: No idea. I'm guessing he's cheap.
- Key Stat: 7.39 ERA
- Comments: Guzman and Cotts are both basically failed starting pitchers. Both tried to get a spot on the rotation, both failed, and both are now sitting in the bullpen. But whereas Cotts is normally a reliever anyways and he doesn't suck, Guzman was bred to be a starter and well, he does suck. Badly. I have no faith in the kid.
Even in Iowa, Ohman was a stud.- Salary: $900,000
- Key Stat: 2.91 ERA in 2005
- Comments: I like Will Ohman for some reason. His career has been rough, he missed a solid three years in the majors due to a couple of elbow surgeries but followed that up with a stellar 2005. And last year he had stretches of greatness, mixed in with some horrible games. So I have high hopes for him this year.
"Wow it's hard to pitch when you're constipated."- Salary: $380,000
- Key Stat: 2.66 ERA in 2006
- Comments: Wuertz is the workhorse of the bullpen. All through last year, he was the reliable reliever, the one you bring in when the bases are loaded and you need that last out. Which is why I don't understand how he only pitched 40 and 2/3 innings last year. But that does help explain why we fired Dusty Baker.
"I have a tie. And a goatee. Therefore, I'm cooler than you."- Salary: $3.5 million
- Key Stat: Has only allowed 18.5% of inherited runners to score since 2002 (lowest in the majors)
- Comments: Eyre is one of the two quality setup men that we picked up before the 2006 season. He's probably one of the more consistent pitchers we have, which is especially rare to come by with this organization. Probably one of the best setup men in baseball, which would be really great if we had a decent closer than could finish off the games.
Why does everyone have to be from the White Sux?- Salary: $4 million
- Key Stat: 2.82 ERA over the past three seasons
- Comments: Howry is the other quality setup man that we picked up before the 2006 season, and he's an anomaly because he was actually pitching well the year before we picked him up, and not five years before. Likely our best reliever, I honestly believe we could fix a lot of problems if we put him at closer, used Wuertz and Eyre as setup men, and sent Dempster down to AA ball. That's right, it's West Tennessee for you buddy. Which brings us to the man himself.
...I cannot describe this with words.- Salary: $5 million
- Key Stat: A paltry 24 saves last year
- Comments: I feel bad for Dempster. A former starting pitcher with decent stats, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery and had the unfortunate luck of having the Cubs take a chance on him. I'll give credit where credit is due though, in 2005 he was solid. Last year though, he was 24-33 in save opportunities. That's 72%. Basically one in every four games where the Cubs were ahead by three or less going into the ninth, he would blow it. I understand he wasn't working with the best team last year, but come on. A 4.80 ERA? Are you throwing the other team wiffle balls?
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