Crystal Ball for June 2007

June

Cubs Record: 41-36

Games out of NL Central: 5 (St. Louis)

Games out of Wildcard: 2.5 (San Diego)

Games of Note:

June 21, 2007 – Ohman has a great month allowing no runs this far. He goes two innings against the Cardinals and strikes out five allowing no hits a single walk.

Ohman’s stats through June:

ERA 3.44

IP 55

K 44

BB 32

W-L-S 6-1-1

Coming Summer 2007

Crystal Ball for May 2007

Continuing with the Baseball Mogul simulation for 2007 . . .

Cubs Record: 25-25

Games out of NL Central: 6 (St. Louis)

Games out of Wildcard: 5 (San Diego)

Games of Note:

May 1, 2007 – In a shootout 14-12 loss to the Pirates Ohman gets tagged for three runs in two-thirds of an inning.

May 11, 2007 – Will wins his first game in the ninth inning of a 2-1 win over Atlanta in Wrigley. Derek Lee knocked in Izturis from second.

May 18-19, 2007 – Ohman wins his third game in the eighth against the Phillies and follows it up with his first save of the season the next day. Striking out the side in the 9^th.

Ohman’s stats through May:

ERA 4.38

IP 35.1

K 30

BB 22

W-L-S 3-0-1

Cubs sign Cliff Floyd

It is no secret that the Cubs have coveted home-town hero (?) Cliff Floyd for some time. Now I have nothing against Floyd and if he knows his role on the team, and is played properly by Sweet Lou, he will be a valuable asset to the Cubs. However, if he is used in a platoon with Murton it will be a disgrace. A platoon should be used when Batter A and Batter B either excel or struggle at hitting left or right-handed pitching. This is a great way to strengthen line-up with a positional weakness. However, in the case of Murton and Floyd we have one, younger, hitter who hits better that the other against both types of pitching. Last year's stats can be found on the left.
There split stats show Murton hit almost as well off righties in every category except for power (.295 avg, .356 obp, .426 slg, 51 K, 27 BB, 43 rbi and 7 HRs in 319 AB) that Floyd. Floyd can't hit lefties. Ever. Last year Floyd only managed 248 AB last year and hit better off them in 2005 so I will use 2005 stats to prove I am fair. Floyd hit well (.290 avg, .382 obp, .533 slg, 61K, 53 BB, 73 RBI and 25 HR in 407 AB) off righties, but not that much better than Murton. I like the OBP and the homeruns are nice. However, my problem is that you have this talented young kid in Murton. He is hitting well off of righties because . . . he is facing him. Having him face only lefties will cut his at-bats down to almost nothing. Let his see pitches. Dusty is long gone so we don't need to cater to the seniors. I think Floyd will be valuable. Especially if he . . . . . . spells the OF, as he can play all three positions, . . . spells D.Lee because he can play first. . . . hits well off the bench. . . . becomes an everyday OF if we trade Jacque Jones . . . hits himself into the line-up. This could happen. In the last three years Floyd's stats are (.396 avg, .522 obp, .682 slg, 151K, 125 BB, 161 RBI and 51 HR). Stats Inc. has a scouting report on him that reads he took little advantage of hitting around Mike Piazza and Richard Hidalgo in the Mets' line-up in 2005. Pitchers used Floyd's aggressive approach against him, with southpaws owning the left-handed hitter by limiting him to a .239 average. (This means he will be glad to never have to face Ohman's slider!) He also did not show the improvement he had made with his patience in recent years. While he continued to hit well at Shea Stadium, Floyd struggled on the road throughout the campaign. He has above-average pop in his bat and can drive the ball from gap to gap. However, despite his chronic heel problems, Floyd maintains decent speed both on the base paths and in the field. He reads pitchers well when attempting to steal and does a good job of taking an extra base. Floyd gets good jumps on fly balls in left field and is adept at holding runners to singles on balls hit down the line. His arm strength is above average for left. With his injuries, Floyd might benefit from an eventual move to first base. It is a fair scouting report and I hope Floyd flourishes as a Cubs, just not at the expense of Matt Murton.

20 days until Spring Training

It is the best and worst time of the year. In Ottawa it is freezing cold and baseball season seems miles away. However, the Cubs have yet to start their annual, mind-numbing exercise in futility. This year the signing of a certain reliever is a definite Ohman of the times changing, but then again I try not to count my Soriano's or staring pitchers before they hatch.

With the silly season nearing its end. I thought I would see what the wonderful baseball sim Baseball Mogul thought of the Cubs offseason moves. This includes everything up to yesterday's signing of Cliff Floyd (sigh that is another blog altogether). I simmed through 2006 and made the same moves as Pac-Man Jim Hendry. I set up the sim and I let it run through. Here are the findings on a month by month basis. I did no tweaking. I simply monitored the results and completed the sim only once. Good luck Mr. Will Ohman, good luck.

April 2007

Cubs Record: 12-11

Games out of NL Central: 4 (St. Louis)

Games out of Wildcard: 3 (San Diego)

Games of Note:

April 5, 2007 – Cubs lose on Opening Day 1-0 to the Reds as Zambrano tosses seven innings with one run on seven hits. Will Ohman goes two innings striking out one and allowing no runs.

April 8^th 2007 – Cubs lose 5-2 to the Cardinals, but manage to take two out of three from the Red Birds. Ohman allows one run in the sixth. A solo shot from Y. Molina.

April 24^th 2007 – Ohman strikes out a batter in the seventh and eighth as the Cubs drop a 5-4 game to the D-Backs.

Ohman’s stats through April:

ERA 2.76

IP 16

K 15

BB 9

W-L-S 0-0-0

Will Ohman the person . . .

Besides being a great player, why is Will Ohman the subject of this blog?

Lets count the reasons.

He has a great last name.

He has brought a fire and intensity often missing mild-mannered Cubs in the last two years (excluding the great Carlos Zambrano).

Also, Ohman seems like a great guy. I’ve have always seen him talking with players and fans on and around the field, but focused and serious when he is in the game.

If you didn’t know Will Ohman was born on Saturday, August 13, 1977, in Frankfurt, West Germany. Ohman was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 19, 2000, with the Chicago Cubs.

He was drafted after the 1997 and 1998 seasons with the Pepperdine Waves. He met the woman who would become his wife at Pepperdine University.

Regarding his choice of number Ohman hasn’t revealed too much. He switched from Number 50 to Number. 13. During the 2006 campaign the number 13 was being worn by Nefie Perez, until his trade to the Detroit Tigers, exactly one week after Ohman’s 29^th birthday.

Ohman had Number 13 early in his career, then lost his number while rehabbing from his elbow surgeries. Perez took it when he came to the Cubs.

There's no luck -- good or bad -- associated with it.

"It's simply the number of choice," Ohman told Cubs reporter Carrie Muskat.

During the winter of 2006-2007 things looked bleak for Will Ohman’s career as a Cub. He had been looked at as a trade candidate with the Cubs adding Neal Cotts earlier this offseason. He recently signed a two-year deal and although this doesn't rule out a deal, it looks like the Cubs are planning on keeping him in their bullpen.

Things started rough the spring of 2005 for Ohman as well. He pitched his way off the Cubs' big-league roster that spring, frustrating the Cubs who had a vacancy they expected him to fill.

Eight games at Class AAA Iowa to open the 2005 season was enough. Ohman was recalled in late April and seized the opportunity. That year he finished with a 2.91 ERA for the Cubs and help opponents scoreless in 58 of his 69 appearances.

Ohman has also battled back from 2002 elbow surgery proving he insint the type of player to just give up in the face of adversity.

"I'm not going to take anything for granted and assume I have a spot on the team," he said in a 2006 interview with the Chicago Sun Times. "But as opposed to trying too hard to impress, I feel I belong after having a decent level of success. I'm treating this spring as getting ready to compete at that level, rather than hoping I can."

He is also a team player. He said that the 2006 team had a lot of guys that are accessible, guys who are willing to talk with you. You can glean a lot of information and strategy off them.

Also proving that he is never satisfied with his game he spent 2006 trying to learn to throw an effective changeup. Cubs Pitching coach Larry Rothschild told him he might be brought in to start more innings rather than used only to retire one or two left- handed hitters.

In terms of issues, walks and control are two problems Ohman has been battling with.

Here is to hoping that 2007 is a great year for the Cubs leftie.

I know if he is on the team when the Cubs finally win the World Series that Mr. Ohman will have a great deal to do with that championship banner flying at Wrigley.

Will Ohman the pitcher . . .

So you may ask yourself. Who is Will Ohman and how will he help end the Cubs championship drought. Well he is an outstanding specialty reliever who just slaughters left handed pitching. He is also rumored to be an excellent clubhouse guy with a competitive streak.

What’s so great about Ohman?

In the last two years lefties have hit just .173 and .158 against him. He is a solid pitcher who has been known the throw in the mid-90s. He also has a slider that is filthier than K-fed and that makes him really tough on left-handed hitters. He is always ready to go on back-to-back days and is one of the few Cubs’s pitchers who isn’t rattled with runners aboard.

What are his weaknesses?

He had elbow surgery in 2002. Often throws the first one or two pitches for balls. This leaves him behind hitters too often. He also has trouble with his release point and tens to leave the ball up in the zone. This can be a problem when the wind is blowing out in Wrigley. He allowed 4 HR in 2006 and 3 in 2005 while throwing from the bump at home.

How will a relief pitcher be a difference maker in the Cubs 2007 World Series run?

In all honesty he probably won’t. This site is really like Little League – all about having fun and enjoying the game of baseball. However, I think Ohman will win a few games for the Cubs. Quite a few more than his stat line will read at the end of the year. He can go out and have a .093 ERA against lefties and it will help the Cubs win games. If the Cubs are competitive then Ohman will do his job.

Welcome to The Ohman

Welcome to The Ohman. The source for everything on Will Ohman and the Cubs from another fan's point of view. Cub fans have waited many years for something to bring the World Series back to the North Side. I don't believe there is a "Curse" against the Cubs. However, if there were a "Curse" the one thing needed to begin breaking the "Curse" is one hell of a good Ohman.