Heading Home: Cubs vs. Pirates Preview, Tuesday 9/29, 7:05 CT

by Al Yellon on Sep 29, 2009 5:00 PM CDT in Chicago Cubs Game Threads

Ryan Dempster is a class act, as we all know -- but today, Gordon Wittenmyer tells us more about what Dempster had to go through after his daughter was born with a rare congenital disease, and notes that the toughest person on Ryan Dempster is... Ryan Dempster:

Dempster has a hard time accepting that he didn't pitch better when things were most upside-down.

"Sometimes just not knowing how to handle it all," he said. "Just life in general. I had a 3-year-old that's running around doing his thing and you're trying to give attention to him but at the same time, that's your daughter lying there with the tubes in and out of her and surgeries and all kinds of stuff.

"I wish I could have handled things a little bit better, especially when I came to the field, and tried to separate those two. At times it was a little bit tough."

As recently as a few starts ago, Dempster's most recent rough start coincided with another hospital procedure for Riley.

"He's human," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "And he handled it better than most people. But that doesn't mean it didn't have an effect. It did. Clearly."

I'm glad the Cubs signed Dempster to a four-year deal. He's exactly the kind of guy you need in your clubhouse -- and I'm sure that now that his family situation has stabilized, he'll be back stronger than ever in 2010.

Bruce Miles writes today about Jake Fox and what he's going to do this offseason to help himself improve. And Bruce notes that Jake (given name "Jacob") shares a name with a Hall of Famer:

Fox shares the same first and last name of White Sox Hall of Famer Jacob "Nellie" Fox. A native of Indianapolis, the Cubs' Fox says it's a coincidence, but one he enjoys.

"I knew that," he said of his name. "My grandparents went to Cooperstown when I was real young, and (the Hall of Fame) sells those little cards in the gift shop.

"They brought me one back of Jacob Nelson Fox. Jacob Nelson 'Nellie' Fox. So I always knew there was a Jacob Fox in the Hall of Fame. I thought that was really cool. I still actually have a card at home, but I always thought that was really cool."

It's a good story, but Jake Fox couldn't have been "real young" when that happened. Jacob Nelson "Nellie" Fox was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 -- when the Cubs' Jake Fox was 15.

Today's Starting Pitchers


Ryan Dempster Cubs	vs.	Kevin Hart Pirates

10-8	W-L	4-8
3.68	ERA	5.38
156	SO	47
62	BB	40
21	HR	11
vs. Hou	--	vs. Cubs

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Ryan Dempster	10-8	29	29	0	0	0	0	186.0	185	89	76	21	62	156	3.68	1.33

NOTE: Kevin Hart's stats below are with the Pirates only. See the pitcher box above for his full-season stats.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Kevin Hart	1-7	9	9	0	0	0	0	49.1	68	41	38	8	22	34	6.93	1.82

After pitching fairly well in four starts for the Cubs (with a large number of walks), Kevin Hart has thrown... really badly in nine starts for the Pirates, going 1-7 with a bad ERA (6.93) and worse WHIP (1.82). This includes this game vs. the Cubs on September 9 in Pittsburgh, his only career appearance against his former team, in which he walked six in five innings and allowed four earned runs and a homer to Micah Hoffpauir.

The September 8 start in Pittsburgh was Ryan Dempster's only really "bad" start of the month; he allowed four runs in 6.1 innings, but got the win anyway. Since that start he has been lights-out in three starts, throwing 23 innings with a 1.17 ERA and only three walks and 16 K's. For those three starts he has a win and a pair of no-decisions. Since August 1, Dempster is 5-3, 2.75 in 11 starts, similar to his production of last year. He needs 14 innings to reach the 200-inning mark for the second year in a row, and he'll get tonight and Sunday to try to reach that milestone.

Today's game is on WGN and FSN Pittsburgh. For other games today see the MLB.com Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout. They seem a little lonely over there.

Overflow comment threads will post today at 8:15 and 9:15 pm CDT.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

0 recs | 88 comments

Comments

Does anyone think Colvin will play tonight?

Or maybe more Scales?

TJ11 - September 29, 2009 reply

If the wind's blowing out...

…Jake Fox should be in left field (assuming DLee’s OK). Maybe Colvin will make his Wrigley debut in CF.

daver - September 29, 2009 reply

Agreed

My guess is both will be out of the lineup.

TJ11 - September 29, 2009 reply

ESPN radio

said that Colvin might be shelved for the year because he’s already played so many games this year.

Allie - September 29, 2009 reply

and yet wells continues to pitch...

what has the world come to

jesus christos - September 29, 2009 reply

They don't know what they are doing.....

TJ11 - September 29, 2009 reply

Lou just wants to see more of Scales in the OF

If they were going to do that, why bring him up at all?

TJ11 - September 29, 2009 reply

No idea

I was just repeating what I heard.

Allie - September 29, 2009 reply

I ♥ Dempster

Personally, I would’ve taken the year off if I went through what he did. I wish him and his family nothing but the very best.

Bleed Cubbie Blue