Carlos
Marmol, the embattled closer who ranks third in Cubs history with 117
saves, was designated for assignment Tuesday after the team decided it
had enough.The Cubs recalled outfielder Brian Bogusevic from Triple-A
Iowa to take his spot on the roster.General manager Jed Hoyer said they
have tried to deal Marmol since last August, but there are no takers.
The right-hander posted a 1.52 ERA after the All-Star break in 2012 and
opened this year as the closer, but lost the job after struggling in the
first week. He blew a three-run lead in the ninth on June 16 against
the Mets that resulted in a 4-3 loss, made one more appearance Thursday
against the Cardinals, in which he was efficient, throwing 11 pitches
(nine strikes), and that was it."He had a really good second half last
year,cheap men's tshirt wholesale and
no one bid at the August deadline, and we didn't have any offers other
than someone else's undesirable contract for ours," Hoyer said. "There
was a lot of talk about trade value and things like that, but that's
something we'd given up on long ago."He did provide value for us
pitching in the middle of the game. He had struggles that frustrated
people at the end of the game. We held out on this move for a long time
in part because with his salary, he was providing solid innings in the
sixth and seventh. The decision really came down to it had become a
distraction. It became hard to pitch as well as he could because every
time he threw two balls, he'd get booed, and I don't think that's easy
for anybody."I think it became difficult for his teammates, because
there was a little bit of a sideshow mentality to it. We felt it was the
right time. It had become a distraction and he wasn't able to pitch
late in the game for us. That was really the decision."Cubs manager Dale
Sveum said Marmol handled the news Tuesday morning professionally and
thanked the Cubs."Obviously, he hasn't had the slider he had when he
first was closing, so it's more difficult to close out games, but
there's something there that can still help people and maybe a change of
scenery can help," Sveum said.Kevin Gregg, who is 11-for-11 in save
situations since taking over the job, said he hoped Marmol could find
another team."He was kind of beating his head against the wall here,"
Gregg said. "The chance to get that fresh start, I think, will be good
for him.
"He's a great guy, a stand-up guy.velour tracksuits wholesale He
wears his heart on his sleeve. He's great with fans. You always see him
signing autographs, you always see him interacting with everybody. It's
part of the game. It's unfortunate. I think he'll be able to turn the
corner and get his feet underneath him."Marmol replaced Gregg as the
Cubs' closer in 2009, and now they've switched places."I could
sympathize with him," Gregg said. "It's a tough position to be in. When I
was in Baltimore last year, it was the same thing for me. Getting my
feet underneath me and a fresh start was all I needed."Gregg, who began
this season with the Dodgers, then was released because they didn't have
a roster opening, knows only too well the roller-coaster ride closers
go on."We do our job and nobody says anything; we don't do our job, and
everyone puts you under a microscope," he said.This season,cheap abercrombie wholesale Marmol
was 2-4 with a 5.86 ERA in 31 games, and 2-for-5 in save opportunities.
Win or lose, save or not, he was always present in the clubhouse to
answer questions post-game.Sexy Lingerie Factory"The guy gave four really,Wholesale Lingerie Sexy Lingerie really
good seasons to the Cubs," Hoyer said. "It kind of bums me out when I
read some of the comments people make about his career in Chicago,
because they forget how dominant he was for four years. Frankly, I feel a
lot of his ineffectiveness now is related to the fact that he was
ridden so hard when he was at his best."He gave a lot to the Cubs and
had a really good Cubs career."The Cubs now have 10 days to either place
Marmol on waivers, release him or trade him. Gregg is hoping Marmol
finds a new team."I'm excited for him," Gregg said. "I think it's what
he needed. He wanted to do it here. I think this is going to be good for
him. As a friend, I think this is his chance to step back and look at
himself in the mirror and say, 'I can still do this,' and that little
breath of fresh air will help him out."
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