By Jesse Rogers


Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Garza left the field with an apparent injury to his left side as he prepared to throw batting practice during the first full-squad workout for the Cubs on Sunday.

Garza was warming up on the mound but left with a trainer while stretching out his left side.

Garza missed most of the second half of last season with a stress reaction in his right arm. He was expected to be dealt at the trade deadline until suffering the July 21 injury. His season ended with a 5-7 record and 3.91 ERA.

Garza is in the final year of his contract and can be a free agent at season's end for the first time in his career.

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Gotta Give Jessie Credit!

I was about to post this as my guy texted me just as it happened...very impressive jessie...Usually we dont get shit from Spring Training!!

My guy is about 20 feet from Garza as he drops the "Ow" grabs his side and leaves!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

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This is why long term contracts especially for pitchers is not good. I just want this clown to stay healthy long enough to dump him.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Bruce Levine made it sound minor

Why wouldn't you want him to stay healthy and live up to his potential of a #2 type starter?

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Team Cutler.

I would take one MLB ready 4th starter ans a good AA arm for him.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Shocked face:

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Because on a good team, he's not a #2. It just sucks that between last year's injury problems and this happening right away in spring training, it's gonna be impossible to move him until he proves he's healthy.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Blah bloah blah....heard this so many times. It's just stating the obvious. Of course it's a risk and yes, many pitchers get hurt, but heard this so many times.....AFTER A GUY GETS HURT...

Why didnt anyone say this about Buerhle? Because everyone says he doesnt get hurt....and he doesnt because he has a fluid smooth throwing motion...

Now google up the player who everyone said has the smoothest perfect mechanics throwing technique and see Mark prior.

Yeah, it's a risk...it's part of the business

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Before his career is over Garza will likely have a year or two where he's about as good as anyone. He's certainly capable.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Agreed. His 3 year stretch in TB certainly alludes to that. Even his first year in Chicago was quite good.

He's not really a guy that has an injury history. He had 4 straight years where he made over 30 starts and threw over 180 innings, 3 of them throwing over 200. Still expect him to be just fine

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Team Cutler.

On a good team a #2 should win 17-18 games and have an ERA in the low 3's. I'll bet you a round of golf (if you golf) that Garza does not win 17 games in either of the next 2 seasons. Obviously, this bet will take some time to resolve, but I will not forget it and I doubt you will either. Gotta respond that you accept the wager. Has to be an 18 hole course and must be a decent track, not some goat field.

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Go Cubs!!!!

He's not on a good team.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Oh, using wins to discuss how good of a pitcher a guy is. How 1970's of you.

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Team Cutler.

He's got good stuff (when healthy). But the wrong approach. He tries to show everyone how great a pitcher he is and challenges hitters far too often. If a hitter is willing to get himself out by swinging at pitches he can do nothing with, let him. But not Garza.....no, he wants to challenge the hitter and gets burned too often. He's got the stuff, but not the right mindset.

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Go Cubs!!!!

That's something that a good pitching coach can change hopefully.

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Team Cutler.

Okay, how about betting on his ERA? I say it will be above 3.70 each year.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Okay. I say in at least one of the next two seasons his ERA will be below 3.70.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

You might think so, but I don't believe it's true. It's about ego. He needs to show everyone how dominant a pitcher he can be. If a guy is willing to swing at crap in the dirt, take advantage of it. Why challenge him and risk getting hit around the yard? Let him get himself out. If a guy was truely outstanding, don't let him beat you. Throw on/off the corners and if he takes a walk, so be it. But don't challenge a guy just to show you can best him in the at bat. Sometimes ego results in a superior pitcher losing. With Garza, it happens far too often. He dominates a while but then challenges the wrong guy one too many times.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Okay a round of golf on it.......I set the ERA at what I think is a very reasonable level, because saying his ERA will not be under 3.20 just means he won't be a cy young contender. You do play golf, don't you?

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Go Cubs!!!!

And Ill bet some GM will be willing to overpay for that chance

I wouldn't doubt that. but I certainly hope Theo is not that GM. Unfortunately, with his recent injury history, his value on the trade market is down. He needs to pitch well for 2-3 months and stay healthy for that to revert to where it was before and perhaps they get a good prospect for him.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I disagree.

If he puts together a string of good starts in june/july teams will be salivating over him.

Your statement that a string of good starts will have teams salivating over him by June- July, does not represent disagreement with my opinion really. I said he needs to pitch well for 2-3 months and stay healthy to get his value back where it was before......that would be June-July.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Not well.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

I dont think it would even take 2 months. He throws back to back shutouts in july and the derby is on.

bernstein was suggesting yesterday that the Cubs may hang around long enough to "tease the stupid". Of course, as a Really Smart Fan he's never wrong about anything. But I do agree that it would only take a few things for the Cubs to contend in that horrible division. I certainly wouldn't pick them to win or even finish second, but if they did take the division with, say 86 wins or something, it's not like that would be an upset of Buster Douglas proportion. Shit like that happens all the time. Look at the great Angels team with Albert Pujols, Torii Hunter, and the best player of all time in the lineup that lost to a bunch of guys nobody ever heard of in Oakland.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Yeah, but the A's had strength in young pitching.

Sure its possible, but not likely. I think the Reds are going to be very good.

84 and 89 teams were supposed to be real bad but won divisions. Stranger stuff has happened. 97 team lost first 14 games and never recovered.. 98 team made wildcard.. shit happens... Wow my typing has morphed too 312 player level.....