Lilly Has A Bum Shoulder ... And It's Not Even 2010 Yet

I nonchalantly dismissed Ted Lilly's shoulder surgery after initial reports of it being a minor scope.  Then I read on, minor scopes don't take pitchers down through April.

Yep, you've got it Cubs fans.  Less than one day after the baseball season comes to an end, the Cubs are already screwing themselves out of next year's pennant race.

Rage after the jump.

Stat Boy Learns That Pitchin' Ain't Easy

So much has been written about the Cubs' lack of hitting, that sometimes people overlook the guys on the bump.  To the naked eye, it looks like the Cubs got waxed in their three-game set against the Cardinals.  But to the wise observer, the Cubs starters should be showered with praise after handcuffing one of baseball's best offenses.

Cubs starters Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano combined to eat up 21.2 innings over the weekend.  That's $37.75 million worth of starting pitching earning their respective paychecks.  Lilly and Big Z each allowed two earned runs, while Dempster only allowed one -- on the Brendan Ryan home run with the assist from Bobby Scales' mitt.  The trio's collective WHIP over the weekend  was 1.037.

Those are the kinds of numbers that pitching coaches dream about seeing.  Too bad Larry Rothschild won't get any credit for this.  It's safe to assume that had Dave Duncan been working with this bunch, Teddy, Demp and Big Z would have thrown 27 innings of perfect ball.

More drool-inducing numbers after the jump.

Ted Lilly Heading To The DL

While Matt Holliday is headed to St. Louis, Ted Lilly, the Chicago Cubs' lone All-Star, is headed to the disabled list.

Ever since the All-Star Game:

• Lilly had his start against the Washington Nationals pushed back because of his knee.
  
• In his start against the Phillies, Lilly allowed 9 runs (7 earned) on 8 hits (2 HRs) in 4 innings
  
• Paul Sullivan writes there's a problem with Lilly's throwing shoulder.

And all of a sudden, the North Side Nine has a need for a pitcher like Roy Halladay. Just saying.

It looks like the Cubs are back to the days in which they lie to the public about their players' injuries. Is it a coincidence that Dusty Baker is back in town for three games?

Probably Not.

Cubs' Lilly Headed To Disabled List [Chicago Tribune Hardball]

Oh, There You Are Ted Lilly. We've Been Looking For You

When Ryan Dempster was walking everyone in Dodger blue during Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS, Cubs fans searched for help in the bullpen.

Help could have came in the form of Theodore Roosevelt Lilly. The solid southpaw was not scheduled to make a start in the series and could have been the cure to what plagued the Cubs early. He never got into that game (or into any game for that matter) and the rest is history.

Monday, a well rested Lilly threw 6 2/3 hitless innings en route to a 4-0 Cubs win on Opening Day.

Maybe Lou Piniella just wanted to save him for the home opener. If that's the case, I'm glad it worked out.