Cubs closing in on 100-loss pace

The good news for the Cubs was that the draft continued today, giving the team and its fans some hope, at least for the future. As for the present, it’s not looking too good. The Cubs are 23-35 heading into tonight’s game against the Reds. That puts them on pace for a record of 64-98. As I’ve said, I disagree with Big Z’s assessment that the Cubs are a Triple-A team. They look more like a first-year expansion team. Maybe we can call the train to 100 losses the Choo Choo Coleman Express, in honor of the catcher on the 1962 Mets, the team emblematic of expansion-team failure. The lineup, as tweeted by the Cubs out of Cincy: Fukudome, RF Barney, 2B Castro, SS Pena, 1B Ramirez, 3B DeWitt, LF Campana, CF Soto, C Davis, P Tyler Colvin has found the bench after an 0-for31 skid. He doesn’t have a major-league hit since April. The Cubs are riding a seven-game losing streak, and they've lost nine out of 10. We'll catch up on some stats of various players and do a quality-start update later in the week. Heard Mac and Spiegs talking on the Score today about Starlin Castro's OBP getting dangerously close to his batting average. For the season, Castro is at .306/.328/.412. Here are the monthly splits for Starlin: April: .348/.375/.461 May: .287/.310/.407 June: .182/.174/.182 on 4-for-22 hitting Just for fun, here was the opening-day lineup for the ’62 Mets: Ashburn, CF Mantilla, SS Neal, 2B Thomas, LF Bell, RF Hodges, 1B Zimmer, 3B Landrith, C Craig, P One respectable first-year expansion lot was the 1961 L.A. Angels. Here’s their opening-day lineup: Yost, 3B Aspromonte, 2B Pearson, RF Kluszewski, 1B Cerv, LF Hunt, CF Brickell, SS Rice, C Grba, P So much for the past and present. After the Cubs took shortstop Javier Baez in the first round yesterday, they took a host of interesting names in subsequent rounds. Thanks to all of you here for keeping that going on the previous blog. Feel free to keep that discussion going there or to take it here. We’re going to hit 200 posts on a blog one of these days. Here are some picks: 1B Daniel Vogelbach (the Cubs list him at 6-1, 240) CF Ezekiel DeVoss RHP Tony Zych RHP Tayler Scott C Neftali Rosario 1B Trevor Gretzky (Yes, the Great One’s son) CF Taylor Dugas RF Garrett Schlecht SS Daniel Lockhart CF Shawon Dunston (Yes, Shawon’s son; I remember a lot of people wanting the elder Shawon to move to center field.) LHP Jacob Lindgren CF Trey Martin RHP Dillon Maples From the Cubs on a few of these kids: Vogelbach, 18, batted .459 (39-for-85) with six doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 50 RBI and 40 runs scored in 32 games in 2011 for the Bishop Verot High School Vikings. He was named by Baseball America as the third-best power hitter among all high school eligible players in the draft. DeVoss, 20, is a draft-eligible sophomore for the University of Miami (Fla.). In 2011, DeVoss batted .340 (73-for-215) with 13 doubles, three triples, two homers, 27 RBI, 59 runs scored, 57 walks, a .491 on-base percentage and 32 stolen bases in 42 attempts, leading the Hurricanes in most offensive categories. The five-foot-10, 171-pounder was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 38th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, but did not sign. With the club's fourth pick (129th overall), the Cubs selected Tony Zych, 20, out of the University of Louisville. The right-handed pitcher is from Monee, Illinois and a graduate of St. Rita High School. He was originally drafted by the Cubs in the 46th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, but did not sign. Scott, 19, was selected by the club in the fifth round (159th overall). He went 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 26 walks in 11 games for Notre Dame Prep High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. The 6-1, 175-pounder moved from South Africa to Arizona a few years ago in search of being the first South African to break into Major League Baseball. MINOR-LEAGUE ROUNDUP Not much of note in yesterday’s games. We get word that 12 players from Class AA Tennessee team were named to the Southern League All-Star Game. Steve Clevenger, Ryan Flaherty, Marwin Gonzalez, Brett Jackson, Blake Lalli, DJ LeMahieu, Rebel Ridling and Matt Spencer will join teammates Marco Carrillo, Rafael Dolis, Trey McNutt and Rob Whitenack on the North Division roster at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn. for the game on June 21. Those players promoted or hurt will not participate. Class A Peoria made these roster moves: RHP Angel Guzman added from extended spring training; IF Brandon May added from EST; IF Pierre LePage activated from DL; IF Elliot Soto (Dundee-Crown High School) placed on DL (hamstring) retroactive to June 3; D.J. Fitzgerald sent to Boise Hawks of the Northwest League. Iowa fell 3-1 to Omaha. Jay Jackson worked 5 innings, giving up 9 hits and 2 earned runs. He’s 2-5 with a 6.15 ERA Tennessee fell 4-2 to Jackson. Chris Rusin worked 6 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 runs, 1 earned. He’s 2-2 with a 4.12 ERA. Daytona beat Brevard County 10-9. Justin Bour hit his 15th homer, and Jae-Hoon Ha hit his seventh.