The 2009 Chicago Cubs Grades

Here are my grades for the 2009 Chicago Cubs along with the nicknames I use when I am at the ballgame for each player. I will always take suggestions for players I have not nicknamed as of yet. Also I am sticking to players that are still with the organization. So, you won’t see grades for Kevin Hart or Joey Gathwright.

Mitch Atkins (I) – Atkins only appered in 2 games so it is tough to grade him.

Jeff Baker (JB) (B+) – Baker came over from Colorado and gave the Cubs some nice offense from the 2^nd base position. He hit .329 as a Cub with some occasional pop. I am all for bringing him back next year but, as a bench guy. I think with everyday at bats he gets exposed.

Justin Berg (A) – No one may have noticed since it was late in the season but when Berg got a chance to pitch he was pretty damn good. He pitched 12 innings as a Cub and gave up 1 earned run. I think Berg has a chance next spring to make the team as a reliever.

Andres Blanco (Andy White) (B ) - Blanco is on the field because of his glove. And in that respect you can’t argue with the results as he makes some truly amazing plays in the field. His bat is very Nefi Perez like. Thankfully Lou Pinella is not Dusty Baker and won’t subject us to 400 AB’s from the guy.

Milton Bradley (Uncle Miltie) (D) – For the most part everything that needed to be said about Bradley has been said. Most Cub fans (me included) questioned this move and we sadly were proven right. The god news is Bradley has probably played his last game on the north side.

Esmailin Caridad (A) – This guy has filthy stuff. If he keeps his head on straight and stays healthy he is going to be a big part of the Cubs bullpen. I love that he only walked 3 guys in 19 big league innings. Hopefully Rothschild can work with this kid because I saw a lot of funny swings against him.

Tyler Colvin (I)- Not enough AB’s to fairly grade him. I did like his stroke from the left side. Probably needs another year at Iowa though.

Neal Cotts (F) – If I never see Cotts in a Cub uniform again that will be fine by me. I feel bad for the guy as he blew out his arm at Iowa after he was sent down. Another member of the 2005 White Sox who had a career year that season.

Ryan Dempster (The Dumpster) (B) – After it was all said and done Dempster didn’t have the same type of year he did in ’08. But, he always keeps you in the game and was pretty good after the All Star break. I am also cutting him some slack since he was pitching with a lot on his mind early this year with his daughter’s health issues.

Mike Fontenot (Fonte Yes) (D) – I think we can all agree that he is not an everyday player. I also think Lou didn’t do him any favors by sticking him at 3^rd when Ramirez went out. Still, I think we all hoped for better then a .236 average and only 9 bombs.

Chad Fox (I) - Please Mr. Hendry no more.

Jake (The Snake) Fox (B-) – I think Jake Fox if given an opportunity to play every day could hit 25-30 homers and drive in 100. Hell, he drove in 44 in only 216 AB’s this year. The issue is where do you play him? The Cubs were a little slow in calling him up and I thought he did a credible job at third when they put him out there. If the Cubs went into 09 with Jake as their Right Fielder I would be fine with it.

Kosuke Fukadome – (Fuki) (C+) – Most will look at his average and see that it only went up 2 points. But, he slugged 40 points higher and reached base at a .375 clip. He is also out of position in center. He was much more consistent this year than last and since we are stuck with him, we have to hope he can be even better in 2010.

Sam Fuld (Crash) (B+) Fuld is never going to be an everyday player in the show. However, he would make a great 4^th or 5^th outfielder as he plays a mean D. He also can steal a base for you off the bench. He made the most of his opportunity this year. With our outfield D, we are going to need him.

Tom Gorzelanny (C-) – Gorzelanny is nothing more than a 5^th starter or long reliever. He made a couple of nice starts and a couple that were a disaster. He will probably be in the mix next season for the 5^th starter’s job. He is no Jason Marquis.

John Grabow (B+) – Grabow is a very good LOOGY. He came over and did pretty much what we acquired him to do. He is not sexy but he does his job. I have no problem if he is brought back next year.

Kevin Gregg (KG) (D-) Boy, I wanted to give him an F, but he did have a nice run in late May and early June. That is all I can say positive about the guy. Gregg will go down with Mel Rojas and Doug Jones as some of the worst closers in Cub history. Good bye and take your 89 MPH fastball with no movement with you.

Angel Guzman (Blue Balls) (A-) – I may have to come up with a new nickname for Guzman as he finally at long last lived up to his hype and talent. He was arguably the most consistent reliever we had this year when he was healthy. The 8^th inning may be his role in 2010 and I can live with that.

Rich Harden (Dick Harden) (C) – Harden at times was dominant. Then at other times you would pull your hair out watching him throw 100 pitches by the 4^th inning. He is probably a goner for 2010 and I have no problem with that.

Aaron Heilman (The Gas Can) (C-) Heilman pitched in a lot of garbage time in the 2^nd half and that is a good thing. He is absolutely brutal in tough situations. For some reason Hendry has had a man crush on this guy for a couple of years and had been trying to acquire him for awhile. He finally got his wish with very mediocre results.

Koyie Hill (The Pond) (B) – On the surface Hill’s numbers underwhelm you. But, Hill is everything you would want in a backup catcher. He is defense first and he calls a great game. He carried this team in July when Soto was out and in my mind it was no coincidence that is when the Cubs played their best baseball. Hopefully he is back in 2010.

Micah Hoffpauir (Mike Power) (C) – I think we saw why this guy was in the minors for so long. He definitely has some pop in his bat but he strikes out to much and cannot hit lefties to save his life. He is a decent lefty bat off the bench but, nothing more.

Reed Johnson (RJ) (C+) – Reed kind of had a lost year as he had to make 2 trips to the DL. Still, he always gives you everything he’s got and is a nice 4^th outfielder. He is a free agent at the end of the year, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him back next season.

Derek Lee (D-Lee) (A) – The only reason he doesn’t get an A+ is he got off to a slow start. Otherwise Lee was the balls this year. He carried the team offensively and his glove at first saves a ton of errors every year. I was a little sour on Derek coming into 09 but, he shut me up.

Ted Lilly (Tedly) (A) – If the Cubs had 25 Ted Lilly’s they would be division champs every year. I think you have to see this guy battle every 5^th day to really appreciate what he gives you. He had a much better year than his numbers would indicate. When healthy Lilly was our best pitcher this season. I was lukewarm when they signed him 3 years ago, but he has proven to be one of Hendry’s best.

Carlos Marmol (Los) (C+) – Marmol had a very frustrating year. Most of the time he gets out of the jams he creates, but man does he infuriate you with his walks. Teams hit .170 against him so if he could ever straighten out his mechanics he would be lethal. Maybe he does some work in the winter and figures it out next year.

Sean Marshall (Seanie) (C-) – Marshall seems like a nice enough guy, but let’s face it. He is never going to be a big winner at the Major League level. His numbers as a relief pitcher were much better so he may be better suited for being a middle reliever. Still, he never complains about his role and will always battle out there.

Aaron Miles (Rudy) (F) - If there was a grade lower then F that is what this waste of a roster spot would get. What an abysmal season he had. Stick a fork in this guy, his career is done. Do you realize he slugged .242 this year. That is an embarrassment. The Cubs should pass the hat at the convention and ask for donations to pay off the money he is owed. I would throw in a sawbuck.

David Patton (The General) (D-) –Really it wasn’t Patton’s fault as he just wasn’t ready to pitch at the big league level. I don’t see what the Cubs brass sees in this kid, but who knows. Maybe a year at Iowa helps him and he comes back and can contribute.

Aramis Ramirez (Big Cock) (A-) - At long last most Cub fans finally realized what I have been saying for three years, Ramirez is our best clutch hitter. It took him being out two months for Cub fans to appreciate his value. It still amazes me that you will see more Jeff Samardzjia jerseys in the stands at Wrigley then Ramirez. In just over 300 AB’s he still drove in 65 and hit .317 all with a bum shoulder.

Jeff Samardzjia (Frat Boy) (F) – What does a 1-3 record with a 7.39 ERA get you, in my book a big fat F. I’m sorry but I just don’t see it with this guy. He has one pitch that he can control and big league hitters will murder him. The only reason he gets called up is because of his signing bonus. He is not even close to being a major league ready pitcher. Maybe he will be one day, but I am doubtful. (Must be my anti-Notre Dame bias.)

Bobby Scales (AARP Card) (D) – I love the Scales story as much as the next guy, but from what I saw he belongs where he has been the last 10 years, in the minors. Scales hit a robust .242 with a little pop. He can play a number of positions, but none of them well. He did show some proficiency pinch hitting so maybe he sticks that way.

Alphonso Soriano (Fonzie) (D-) – Talk about a lost year. When you hit .241 and slug only .423 and make nearly 18 million you need to be arrested. Soriano is the most frustrating player on this roster. If he ever learned to just swing at strikes the guy would be a monster. Sadly, he has less plate discipline then Shawn Dunston. He is also the worst defensive left fielder I have seen since my Burbank little league days. Want some more bad news, we have five more years of this.

Geovany Soto (Geo Suave) (D-) – I am willing to give Geo a mulligan for his 2009 season. However, if he does not dedicate himself this off season to a conditioning program and comes in fat again next spring, I am done with him. I am going to go out on a limb and call for a big bounce back year for Geo in 2010. I think he is still a pretty good catcher.

Jeff Stevens (D-) - Stevens had a couple of nice outings when he first got called up and then the roof caved in on him. He was one of the three “prospects” we got for St. Mark De Rosa. He looks like nothing more than a bad version of Michael Wuertz.

So Taguchi (I) – Not really a big enough body of work to evaluate him.

Ryan Theriot (The Riot) (B) – Theriot had another pretty solid campaign. He hit .284 and reached base at a .343 clip. I personally would like both those numbers to be up about 20 points but, you can live with what he gives you. I still don’t think he is a leadoff hitter and I also think he should be playing 2^nd. However, the guy is a winner and you need players like Theriot to do the little things.

Jason Waddell (I) – Does anyone even remember he was on the team?

Randy Wells (A) – Wells came out of nowhere to win 12 games and post a 3.05 era in 27 starts. I don’t think anyone had him on their radar this spring. To me Wells is more of an indictment of Cubs management. You didn’t hear one peep about this guy for the last two years and he comes out and pitches great. On the other had the guys the Cubs tout like Samardzjia, Felix Pie, Corey Paterson and so on always suck.

Carlos Zambrano (Big Z) (C) – I am willing to cut Z some slack as well. Yes, he can get on my nerves with his antics and his propensity to implode in the middle of an inning. Still, before this year he won 14,18,16,14,16 games in his last 5 seasons. And this year despite it all his ERA was still a respectable 3.77. Is he over paid, probably. Is he a number one starter, maybe not. But I will take on my team. I still think he has a huge Cy Young type year in him.