Swollen Dome » Chicago Cubs

Carlos Zambrano Place on DQ’d List: Final Straw?

admin — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:00:19 +0000

By now, you’ve heard the tale … or you saw the stat line and threw up a little.

Zambrano surrendered five home runs in a dismal start and then tossed inside twice on Chipper Jones, hit him and got run. He cleared out his locker and talked retirement, prompting the Cubs to place the mercurial starter on the Disqualified List. Basically, Jim Hendry and the club said “Enough!” and suspended him for 30 days without pay.

Is this Carlos Zambrano’s final act in Chicago?

The union is set to appeal on Monday.

Jim Riggleman: Walking the Earth Like Caine in Kung Fu

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:26:58 +0000

Respect.

You know the song. The image of Aretha Franklin belting out her classic hit likely filled your brain.

Everybody wants respect … to feel that their contribution will be appreciated, supported and, as appropriate, rewarded.

Everyone wants respect. Not everyone has the ability to make a brief statement and walk away from their job.

That’s precisely what Jim Riggleman did on Thursday following a 1-0 win over the Mariners, the team’s 11th win in its past 12 games. The win moved the Nationals to a record of 38-37. That’s right. Riggleman had gotten the team above .500 despite the absence of Stephen Strasburg and the early-season injury to Ryan Zimmerman.

Riggleman was working in the second year of a two-year contract. He wanted his option for 2012 to be picked up and to have an opportunity to manage what the Nationals are set to become down the line. The prospects are coming, and fast. We know of Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Pitcher Brad Peacock has dominated Class-AA.

In an age of 10% unemployment, many people probably threw up their hands and wondered what he was thinking. Riggleman owned a career .445 winning percentage across four teams, so the climb to .500 doesn’t quite seem like the proper jump-off point.

Did he pull a Nicholson and wonder, “Maybe this is as good as it gets?” Seriously, the job is only half-done. I admire him for sticking to his guns and walking away. He set a date, GM Mike Rizzo didn’t flinch and Riggleman walked. It’s a bizarre set of circumstances, to be sure.

Riggleman is the second manager to resign in the past week. Edwin Rodriguez resigned on Sunday in the midst of the Marlins’ free-fall. Eighty-year old Jack McKeon returned to the Florida bench.

I can’t help but think of the old standard, “You’ll never work in this town again.” The old adage rings true here. Riggleman’s managerial career is probably at its end.

I would have liked to see Riggleman attempt to lead this underdog through the stretch run. The Nationals are a .500 team. The Pirates are a .500 team. The Indians, though fading, are still above .500.

At the same time, I do like that his competitive spirit prompted the clash with Washington management. Managerial stand-offs just might be handled a tad differently going forward.

Inside The Swollen Dome, Episode 2

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:37:01 +0000

Harmon returns with another batch of musings from Inside The Swollen Dome.

Included in this episode:

- NBA Finals, Game 4

- Watching the Gates — Where are the MLB fans?

- USC Stripped of their title. Is Ohio State next?

- Von Miller’s tattoos

- “The Informant” DVD review

- Fantasy Man-Crush of the Day

Check out Inside The Swollen Dome, Episode 2

Inside The Swollen Dome: The Return

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:09:06 +0000

Harmon relaunches “Inside The Swollen Dome.” In his first extended ranting session, he rambles on about the NBA Finals (and the LeBron sub-plot), NHL Final, myriad baseball topics (Carlos Zambrano) and the glorious entertainment world.

Inside The Swollen Dome, Episode 1

A Walk Down Memory Lane: Harry Unloads on Cracker Jack

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 06:40:54 +0000

I got nostalgic a little bit this morning and went to find a clip of legendary broadcaster Harry Caray singing a little 7th inning stretch. Instead, I found this gem in which Harry goes off on the makers of Cracker Jack and proposes a full investigation of false business practices. Yes, he’s salty about missing out on prizes in his youth – and it’s a fantastic two minutes.

The Cubs Lose Their Biggest Fan: Ron Santo Dies at 70

admin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:23:48 +0000

I woke up early this morning on the West Coast and started the normal routine. Flip a light, start making coffee and fire up the radio.

In my half-awake state, I heard the final sentences of a topic on The Dan Patrick Show on FOX Sports Radio. I heard the words “Hall of Fame posthumously.” It didn’t take much to deduce that he was talking about former Chicago Cubs third baseman and longtime broadcaster Ron Santo. Santo was a fixture in the booth and the Chicago community, a great ambassador for the team who wore his heart on his sleeve. Of course, he’s also in the discussion for the title of “the best player not in the Hall of Fame.”

Santo finished his 15-year career (14 in Cubby blue and one on the other side of town) with 342 home runs, 1,331 RBI, five Gold Gloves and nine All-Star appearances. Despite these numbers and accomplishments, Santo never appeared on more than 43.1% of ballots cast for the Hall of Fame, something that certainly weighed on him heavily.

Whatever you thought of his homer-ism and overall performance in the booth, you couldn’t deny his love of the game or his team. That will be missed when the Cubs return to action in the spring.

I Gave Up Too Early

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:04:41 +0000

I recently had a link forwarded to me that took me back to the sandlot.

I was a crafty southpaw and slap hitter as a youngster, far earlier than anybody should have carried either of those tags. The decision was made that contact was better than the big fly, hence I didn’t make full use of my ass-ets. I hit well, but the glory of the scoreboard-shattering blast eluded me.

On the mound, I never learned to harness the power that laid in what would later be dubbed Quad-zilla. I never found that sweet spot between power pitching and control and, in my youth, you could still get people to chase if you mixed things up … although drilling a few more batters might have been good for releasing frustrations.

Regardless, I wasn’t fleet of foot. I wasn’t the statuesque portrait of a ballplayer. I wasn’t, well, I just wasn’t … but the combination of being a lefty and this means that perhaps I should have kept going.

It’s not too late, is it?

Check out the article here .