Mr. Consistency
Rich Harden had remarkably similar statistics with both the A's and Cubs last season.
With A'sWith CubsGames1312IP7771W-L5-15-1ERA2.341.77K9289The Cubs acquired Harden from Oakland on July 8. He was the losing pitcher in Game 3 of the NL Division Series on Saturday night as the Cubs were swept in three games by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 26-year-old Harden went a combined 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA in 25 starts for the Athletics and Cubs this season. Harden, who has battled arm problems throughout his career, was 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 12 starts with the Cubs.
He underwent an MRI arthrogram Tuesday that revealed no tears in his rotator cuff or labrum, general manager Jim Hendry said.
Hendry said Harden has been bothered by rotator tendinitis and some subtle instability in the shoulder. Harden will undergo an offseason conditioning and rehabilitation program to strengthen the shoulder and should be ready for the start of next season.
"If you told me today we are going to get 24, 25 good starts out of Rich next year and we're going to have to push him back or miss a start or two here or there, I'd do that in a heartbeat," Hendry said.
Harden, who broke in with the A's in 2003, has made six trips to the disabled list in his career. He was acquired with reliever Chad Gaudin for outfielder Matt Murton, right-hander Sean Gallagher, outfielder-infielder Eric Patterson and catcher Josh Donaldson.
"If Rich Harden had no issues at all from a medical standpoint, you would have never even come close to being able to acquire him," Hendry said. "Seven million is an investment -- it's a lot of money -- but in this day and age if Rich Harden gives us ... and maybe he'll do more, maybe he'll have better success after the offseason program."
The Cubs brought Harden in to solidify an already capable rotation featuring Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly. Harden had five double-figure strikeout games for Chicago.
When they acquired him, the Cubs knew they would have to be prudent with Harden because of his history of injuries.
Harden reportedly had a cortisone injection in early September. Chicago gave him extra rest in the final month when he made only three starts, throwing 17 innings but averaging nearly 100 pitches per outing.
"He's had to take care of this for a long time," Hendry said, adding he appreciated Harden's effort late in the season. "I'm sure there were times he pitched with some discomfort."
Against the Dodgers in Game 3, Harden allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings and the Cubs were ousted quicker than any team in the playoffs after having the NL's best regular-season record.
After that loss at Dodger Stadium ended the short playoff run, a pipe in the Cubs' dugout was broken, flooding the walkway to the locker room, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday.
Hendry acknowledged that an incident occurred, though he didn't witness it firsthand.
"I guess it was just a nozzle knocked off the piping of the wall and it's probably in a convenient spot when you're leaving the dugout to smack it," Hendry said, adding that he told Dodgers management the Cubs would pay for anything that needed to be fixed.
"There was no permanent damage done to the facility," Hendry added. "Honestly, major league players that won a division and lost the way we played and then we're three and out, I certainly would have been disappointed if some people, if they weren't angry either at themselves or angry at the results."
Hendry said he doesn't know who broke the nozzle.
"No idea and I don't have any interest in finding out," he added. "To me it's not even an issue. Believe me, if I'd been in uniform, it might have been me."
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