If you haven't noticed lately, the Chicago Cubs aka the Waveland Street Champs, are looking for a new closer. Applicants may apply at the corner of Clark and Addison beginning today. That's because Carlos Marmol, you know, the guy with the "lights out stuff", has forgotten how to get anybody out thus redefining the term "closer" . Let me bring you up to date.
In the just completed 4-game series with the Florida Marlins, Marmol was brought on in the 9th inning of game one Thursday to save a shutout with the Cubs leading 2-0. Well, the 9th inning suddenly started looking like the 19th hole as Marmol walked the first three batters, gave up a bases-clearing double, and retired nobody as manager Mike Quade watched helplessly from the dugout. Cubs lose 6-3.
Switch reels to Friday, game two. Same situation. 9th inning; Cubs leading 2-0. Marmol comes in to close it out, right?
Wrong.
After walking a batter, hitting a batter, throwing a pitch to Des Plaines, and giving up one run, Quade says enough is enough and yanks Marmol thus preserving the win 2-1.
On Saturday, Marmol's "services" were not required since Big Z (Carlos Zambrano) was coming off the DL and all was well in Wrigleyville.
Final score: Marlins 13- Cubs 3.
Yesterday (that's Sunday for all you UC Santa Cruz Community Studies majors), the result was the same. Marlins 7 Cubs 5.
"Ah wunnerful ah wunnerful ah"
So now, Marmol has been reassigned to a new role in the Cubs' bullpen.
At first I was going to say you were stooping too low using your stock Hitler photo in a piece on the Cubs. But after reading the article, I can't argue with the logic. That kind of closing could have changed the outcome of World War II.
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