Okay, so it's been a while since I've gotten around to posting again. I blame schoolwork, but of course, that hasn't kept me from WATCHING the Cubs, so I shouldn't really use it an excuse for not writing about them.
Continuing the Around the Horn theme, (previously highlighting SP Ryan Dempster and 3B Aramis Ramirez), we move back to the mound and take a long hard look at SP Theodore "Ted" Lilly.
In late 2006, the general managers, managers, owners, et al. met up in Orlando, FL and kicked around trade rumors, free agents and generally made some of us salivate and chomp at the bit. The Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who has pulled of incredible deals such as the deal for the aforementioned Aramis Ramirez and the most recent blockbuster for fireballer Rich Harden, decided to make a questionable deal and sign free agent Ted Lilly to a 4-year, $40 million deal. And shame on us for doubting him.
Sure, recently, Lilly has gone through some ups and downs. In his last start before the All-Star break at home vs. Cincinnati, Ted Lilly got spanked for a couple home runs (7 ER I believe), in 2.2 IP. Not one of his better showings. but before that pitiful start, Ted had really been stringing together the effective starts. He started slow, losing the first 3 or 4 starts to the season. His fastball was topping out at a pedestrian 88 mph, he couldn't command his big, slow curve, and the slider he so loves to hrow to the backdoor was utterly hittable. The only pitch working for him it ANY capacity was his changeup, which is realtively easy to throw early in the season, because it doesn't really wear out your arm. And hitters could sitt on a slow, straight pitch or wait for the break on his slider and tee off. Not what you want from your legitimate number 2 starter. But witht he emergence of All-Star starter Ryan Dempster, the majority of the pressure was taken off of Ted Lilly, and he settled into a nice groove, and steadily improved from 0-4 to something like 7-5 or so, and became the dominating, crafty lefty veteran we've come to know and love.
And all his struggles and triumphs this year should not distract us from what he gave the Cubs last year. OK, so his one start in the NLDS was.... disappointing. After that one homer by Chris Young, Lilly lost his cool on the mound, slammed his mitt down, and the entire state of Arizona knew that Ted Lilly could be unnerved. It was a high-pressure series for the Cubs, with everyone expecting the Cubs to do something in the playoffs. But he was nearly lights-out during the season, stabilizing an otherwise young, ineperienced rotation and being the stopper and the rock when Carlos Zambrano couldn't hold it together. While Carlos Zambrano will always be known as the ace with the mercurial mood, Ted Lilly will be known as the quiet lunch-pail guy: knows what he has to do, and goes out there every 5th day trying to do just that. With Rich Harden and Ryan Dempsters now ahead of him in the rotation, Ted slides back to the number 4 spot inthe rotation, which takes a considerable amount of pressure off of him, and allows him to go out, pitch his heart out, and enjoy the wild, winning ride the Cubs have been on all season.
You've earned it Ted, but the ride ain't over yet. Don't get off before the rest of us have had a chance to enjoy the ride
On deck: Jim Edmonds; In the hole: Mark De Rosa
Keywords: 2007, 2008, Chicago Cubs pitching, starting pitching, Ted Lilly
