Tag / Jeff Samardzija

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Single Game Pitching Leaders Revisited Revisited

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersIt’s been 3 years (to the day) and 121 games since we last looked at the single game leaders in pitching categories for all the games I have attended in person.  There are some new names of the list that weren’t there when we first looked in 2012 and again in 2015.  Keep in mind that, for pitchers, leading a category can be a bad thing in some cases.

Innings Pitched

Name Total Date
55 tied with 9 Most recently on 7/12/2015

Hits

Name Total Date
Homer Bailey 15 7/26/2008
Jose Lima 13 5/2/2000
Glendon Rusch 13 5/12/2003
Carlos Silva 13 4/23/2006
Mark Buehrle 13 7/2/2006
Carlos Zambrano 13 8/14/2007
Tommy Hanson 13 6/22/2010
Gavin Floyd 13 9/9/2010
Edwin Jackson 13 9/11/2010
Roy Oswalt 13 7/3/2012

Runs

Name Total Date
Mark Buehrle 11 7/2/2006
Jeff Suppan 11 4/30/2008
Roy Oswalt 11 7/3/2012
Jose Lima 10 5/2/2000
Clay Hensley 10 4/16/2007

Earned Runs

Name Total Date
Mark Buehrle 10 7/2/2006
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2015 Final Pitching Leaders

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersLast Friday, we looked at the leaders in the 39 games I attended this year on the offensive side of the ball.  It’s now time to wrap up our look back at the 2015 season with the pitching leaders, starting with everyone’s favorite pitching statistic:

Wins

Name Total
Chris Sale 5
Jake Arrieta 3
Carlos Rodon 2
John Danks 2
Zach Duke 2
David Price  2
Kyle Gibson  2

Losses

Name Total
Jose Quintana 4
Chris Sale 3
Jeff Samardzija 3
John Danks 2
Jon Lester 2

ERA (> 10 IP)

Name Total
Kyle Gibson 0.57
David Robertson 0.68
David Price 1.13
Chris Sale 2.89
Jake Arrieta 2.95

Strikeouts

Name Total
Chris Sale 76
Continue reading →
by admin

Single Game Pitching Leaders Revisited

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersThree years ago, we took our first look at the single game statistical leaders for all of the games I have attended.  Last week, we focused on the offensive side of the ball.  Today, we shall look at the pitchers, keeping in mind that in some cases, leading a category can be a bad thing.

Innings Pitched

Name Total Date
55 with 9 Most recently on 7/12/2015

Hits

Name Total Date
Homer Bailey 15 7/26/2008
Jose Lima 13 5/2/2000
Glendon Rusch 13 5/12/2003
Carlos Silva 13 4/23/2006
Mark Buehrle 13 7/2/2006
Carlos Zambrano 13 8/14/2007
Tommy Hanson 13 6/22/2010
Gavin Floyd 13 9/9/2010
Edwin Jackson 13 9/11/2010
Roy Oswalt 13 7/3/2012

Runs

Name Total Date
Mark Buehrle 11 7/2/2006
Jeff Suppan 11 4/30/2008
Roy Oswalt 11 7/3/2012
Jose Lima 10 5/2/2000
Clay Hensley 10 4/16/2007

Earned Runs

Name Total Date
Mark Buehrle 10 7/2/2006
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2015 All Star Break Pitching Leaders

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersYesterday, we looked at the leaders in the 21 games I attended in the first half of this year on the offensive side of the ball.  With the second half slated to kick off today, let’s look at the first half pitching leaders:

Wins

Name Total
Chris Sale 4
Zach Duke 2
Carlos Rodon 2
13 tied with 1

Losses

Name Total
Jose Quintana 3
Jon Lester 2
16 tied with 1

ERA (> 6 IP)

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 0.00
Tommy Milone 0.00
David Robertson 0.00
Jake Arrieta 1.00
David Price 1.00
Corey Kluber 1.00

Strikeouts

Name Total
Chris Sale 52
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You Get A Prospect! And You Get A Prospect!

chi-russellApparently, the joy of calling up Kris Bryant on Friday wore off for Cub nation, so they decided to dip in to the well one more time on Monday when they decided to call up Addison Russell, the stud shortstop prospect they acquired from the A’s in the Jeff Samadzija trade.  Russell, who had been moved to second base last week, replaces Arismendy Alcantara, who kicked off the prospect parade last summer but had struggled in limited playing time this year, on the roster.  Like Bryant, Russell struggled in his major league debut, going hitless in 5 at bats and garnering 3 strike outs.

AP INDIANS WHITE SOX BASEBALL S BBA USA ILNot to be outdone, the White Sox also decided to call up their top prospect on Monday.  Carlos Rodon, the team’s first round draft pick last summer, was slated to join the starting rotation at some point this season, but instead was brought up to head to the bullpen.  He also made his debut Tuesday night, and it was also a rocky one.  He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks in 2 and a third innings.

Chances are both will bounce back and help their respective teams this summer and for years to come.  The hopes of an entire city lie on their shoulders.

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Crosstown Competitors

cws-chiLast Saturday, Geovany Soto and Jeff Samardzija became the 25th and 26th people I’ve seen play in person for both the Cubs and the White Sox.  Here’s a look at those players, in alphabetical order.

DavidAardsma2David Aardsma

After posting a decent season with the Cubs in 2006, Aardsma was traded to the White Sox for Neal Cotts.  Aardsma lasted one season with the Sox, where he was unable to duplicate his success from the year before.

Jason Bere

Drafted by the White Sox in the 36th round in 1990, Bere debuted with the big league club in 1993, finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting.  After an All Star selection in 1994, injuries marred the remainder of his tenure on the South Side, which ended in 1998.  He resurfaced with the Cubs in 2001 and had a decent season, but he went 1-10 in 2002 before being let go.

Neal Cotts

Acquired by the White Sox in the Billy Koch trade, he debuted with the team in 2003.  He was a key contributor in the bullpen during the 2005 championship season, and was the only relief pitcher to appear in all 3 rounds of the playoffs that season.  Following the 2006 season, he was traded to the Cubs for David Aardsma, and he spent the next 3 injury filled seasons on the North Side.

scott_eyre_autographScott Eyre

Joining the White Sox organization in a 1994 trade with the Rangers, he debuted with the big league team in 1997.  He split the next 4 seasons between the rotation and the bullpen, not to mention between Chicago and Charlotte, before being moved to the Blue Jays following the 2000 ALDS loss to the Mariners.  He joined the Cubs as a free agent for the 2006 season and enjoyed 2 seasons of relative success, before falling apart in 2008, when he was traded to the Phillies.

Kosuke Fukudome Continue reading →

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Vacation Recap – Arizona Part 1

0Z9A0170Three weeks ago, this year’s Reach for the Stars trip started off just as last year’s ended: with a flight delay.  Thankfully, this time the delay was only a little over an hour, so we made it to Arizona early in the afternoon on Wednesday.  Rather than take part of the pool or some other activity at the lovely Phoenician  resort, my travel companion decided a nap was in order, so I got to start an exciting book prior to the evenings activity, dinner on the quad of the resort.

Thursday was the day of the company sponsored activity, and I chose a rafting trip down the Lower Salt River.  After some trepidation followed by reassurances that the rafting was rather low key, a last minute audible was made to attend said trip, and I must say it was the right decision.  To give the day a water theme, we did finally hit the pool once we got back to the resort.  That night was the gala dinner, where we got to shake hands with the big boss man.

sloan

Friday, my own personal plans for the trip started in force.  March in Arizona means spring training, and the Cubs were doing battle against the White Sox this fine day at their newly re-christened facility in Mesa.  There were a few other folks from the resort who were also headed to the game, so we shared the cost of a car and commuted together.  The Cubs managed to get the best of their former teammate Jeff Samardzija on this day.  Following the game, we returned to the resort in time to head out to the night’s farewell dinner, which was held offsite at a ranch of some sort.  A good old fashioned ho-down was on tap.

The conference came to an end on Saturday, but things were just starting for me.  In the morning, we checked out of the resort and caught a shuttle to the airport, where a rental car was waiting with out name on it.  Little did we know that waiting was the key word.  But that we will cover tomorrow, in part 2 of this little adventure.

by jim

Winter Dealings

Samardzija5 months ago, the Cubs shipped pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the A’s.  As of yesterday, both were back in Chicago, as Hammel signed a free agent deal to rejoin the Cubs and Samardzija was traded to the White Sox.  The south siders also bolstered their bullpen, signing free agent closer David Robertson, late of the Yankees, while the Cubs looked to improve behind the plate by acquiring catcher Miguel Montero from the Diamondbacks.

Jeff Samardzija comes to the White Sox, along with minor league pitcher Michael Ynoa, in exchange for Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Josh Phegley and minor league first baseman Rangel Ravelo.  Samardzija will slide in to the White Sox rotation between ace Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, giving the Sox a rotation that should match up with any other in the American League.

At the other end of the game, David Robertson, who has agreed to a 4-year, $46 million deal pending a physical, should bolster a bullpen that was one of the worst in the game this past season.  By having a lock down closer in place, along with the earlier signing of Zach Duke, the returning younger members of the bullpen should find themselves in less stressful and better defined positions, which should enable them to be more successful.

On the north side of town, Continue reading →

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Blockbuster

SamardzijaAs we head towards the trade deadline at the end of the month, everyone expected the Cubs to move both Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel.  I don’t think anyone expected them to go as part of the same deal.  Which is exactly what happened Friday night, when word leaked that the Cubs would send both pitchers to the A’s in exchange for Addison Russell, Billy McKinney, Dan Straily, and a player to be named later.

Russell, a shortstop, was the A’s first round draft pick in 2012 and the top prospect in their system.  The 20 year old, who has been compared to Barry Larkin with power by one scout, joins the collection of middle infield prospects the Cubs have assembled, including Javier Baez, 21, and current starter Starlin Castro, who is still only 24.  Assuming everything pans out, the Cubs will have flexibility to use their surplus at shortstop to fill other holes, most likely in the rotation.

McKinney, the A’s first round pick in last year’s draft, is an outfielder who was the 2nd rated prospect in the A’s system.  Straily garnered some support for AL rookie of the year last season, but struggled with Oakland this year and was back pitching in Triple A at the time of the trade.

Samardzija had been with the Cubs since being drafted out of Notre Dame in 2006.  He made his major league debut in 2008, working out of the bullpen for the division champions.  He moved in to the starting rotation in 2012 and has been the ace of the Cub’s staff ever since.  Hammel was signed as a free agent this past winter with the intention of flipping him to a contender, should he have a good first half.  He certainly held up his end of the bargain.

Samardzija’s numbers in a Cubs uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
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by jim

Class Act

CubKonerkoPrior to last night’s finale of this year’s Crosstown series on the north side of town, the Cubs honored Paul Konerko, who is retiring at year’s end.  Jeff Samardzija, who hit Konerko in the head during a 2012 clash at Wrigley Field, presented Konerko with a number 14 from the scoreboard.  Despite not getting in to the game, Konerko finished his career at the Friendly Confines with a .311 average, 7 home runs and 26 RBIs in 35 games.