Monday, May 31, 2010

MLB Stars and Stripes Caps 2010


For the third year in a row, all 30 MLB teams will be wearing stars and stripes caps for Memorial Day, July 4th, and September 11th.  The 2010 cap, shown left for the Cubs, is white with a red or blue brim and the team logo in stars and stripes with a red outline.  Don't really understand why the Cubs chose their secondary color in red instead of navy this time around, but it does look cool.  In 2008, the first year of this tradition, all teams wore navy blue caps with the team logo in stars and stripes and the 2009 cap was the same but in red.  This cap is very interesting because there are currently not white caps in baseball.  There haven't been any white caps in baseball in a long time, and they look cool with the modern uniforms.  I was hoping the brim and outline would be navy, but this looks cool, too.  The Cubs did not look good in this caps last year because of the annoying red, but look cool this year just like in 2008.  I like these hats a lot because of the fact that all teams wear them and the logos in stars and stripes, a very interesting method to depict national pride.  Baseball is our national pastime, so it makes sense seeing our beloved teams in the colors of our nation. 

Pujols Smashes, Bashes, and Slashes

Albert Pujols has always liked playing at Wrigley Field.  This has been evident by his production there especially over the last few years.  With the Cubs 3-2 on the homestand heading into Sunday, the Cardinals were looking to continue the inconsistency of the homestand with a big win.  They did just that, on three home runs by Albert Pujols.  Amazingly, it was his 4th career three homer game, but his first since 2006.  In the 9-1 Cardinals win, the Cubs finished 3-3 on that homestand and got their three wins all on shutouts, outscoring opponents 9-0 but being outscored in losses 24-8.  Now the Cubs, after losing today in Pittsburgh, play two more there and then head off to Houston and in this five game stretch, I believe the Cubs really need to win four.  Absolutely win the next two against Pittsburgh, and then hopefully two more in Houston.  The scuffling offense needs to start hitting because Lou Piniella is running out of moves he can make.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Lights Out Performance by Tom Gorzelanny

On Wednesday against the Dodgers, Tom Gorzelanny got rocked by the Dodgers who ended up winning 8-5, their only win and only runs in the series.  However, Gorzelanny performed lights out.  Literally.  A power outage in the top of the 4th inning delayed play for 18 minutes due to an electrical fire that triggered a shut down of a certain power grid, including Wrigley Field.  The power failure, the third at Wrigley Field during a night game (when it actually matters) before two games against the Brewers in 2003 in separate series, was received with the following call by Len Kasper from the WGN TV booth: "...excellent week weatherwise for this homestand against the Dodgers and Cardinals and...the lights are going out...and they've all gone out!  A power outage here at Wrigley Field.  As DeWitt took the walk some of the lights went out, then pretty much all of them did.  There are about-as I can see-eight or nine lights bulbs that are still actually working.  And we see more light from the cameras taking pictures, I don't ever recall a power outage at Wrigley Field."  Len Kasper and Bob Brenly did great improv work as always with unexpected circumstances.

Blake DeWitt, at the plate with a 3-1 count at the time of the outage, took ball four while the lights were going out.  Gorzelanny was disappointed but took what he got.  "The lights went out during the pitch," Gorzelanny said. "It's kind of brutal. You're in the middle of a pitch. The guy ends up walking. There's nothing you can do about it. I begged for the pitch back, but they wouldn't give it to me.  The good thing about that was I actually did well the rest of the inning," he said. "It's one of the uncontrollable things that ballparks do to you."

DeWitt couldn't see the ball after seeing some flash of light and took his eye off it, luckily it was ball four.  "Thinking back, I wish I had hit a pop up," DeWitt said. "It would've been a good time. I would've had an inside the park home run in the dark."  However, the Cubs players were a little worried and confused.  An inside-the-park home run pop up might have been too hard to deal with for some of the players.  Ryan Theriot was asked what he was thinking at the time of the outage.

"Get the heck out and get off the field as soon as I could," Theriot said. "That was a little scary. I didn't know what was going on."

"It was a little crazy," Alfonso Soriano stated.  The Cubs went on to lose 8-5, but shut out the Dodgers in the other two games of the series in impressive fashion 3-0 and 1-0.  Randy Wells didn't record an out through six batters against the Cardinals on Friday, and was promptly yanked after giving up five runs.  James Russell pitched four impressive scoreless innings after that, but the offense could only muster a pinch-hit solo shot from Tyler Colvin, losing 7-1.  Carlos Silva looks to go 7-0 against new guy Adam Ottavino at 3:10 this afternoon on FOX.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Interleague Play!

June has nearly rolled around, and baseball fans know what that means.  Interleague Play, played annually with between 12 and 18 games for each team, plays one weekend series in May and then takes up most of the schedule in June.  Because there are two more NL teams than AL, there are always two NL teams that play each other and not the opposite league.  This year the two were the Pirates and Braves, but last year the Cubs played the Padres.  From a big Interleague Play fan, it sucked playing a regular old San Diego team instead of some team might haven't seen in half a decade.  Luckily, the Cubs got the play the Rangers this year in May.  The last time the Cubs played in Texas was 2007, the series highlighted by Sammy Sosa hitting his 600th homer against the only team in baseball he hadn't homered against, the Cubs.   Fast-forward three years to this series, and the Cubs dropped the opener scoring only one run in arguably the best hitters park in the game.  The Cubs took the next two thanks to more clutch hitting and fundamental baseball, including this skill called fielding.  The Cubs didn't really look they knew knew how to do that, but apparently they can field a bit.  The series left the Cubs with a winning percentage of 48.6%, from a record of 92-97. 

I root for the National League every year.  Unfortunately, the NL has won more games only four out of 13 years, the last being 2003.  The overall advantage for the AL, however, is less lobsided than it would seem at 1,693-1,556.  The NL also hasn't won an All-Star Game since 1996.  This has been very frustrating, as every AL team since 2003 has known that they can cruise into the World Series with however bad record and still earn home field advantage.  ESPN SportsNation polls have shown that the fans weren't ever in favor of MLB's poor effort to make the All-Star Game worth something.  What if the Interleague Play record of each league decided the World Series home field advantage?  That would be a much truer measure of the better league and now those players who complain about having to face players they've never seen before will have more motivation instead to win those games. 

The Cubs and Sox play six games each year, three at each park.  The reason there are two series is because they qualify as a rivalry matchup and therefore get the extra series at the other park.  Some other examples are: Houston-Texas, New York (Mets)-New York (Yankees), Florida-Tampa Bay, Los Angeles (Angels)-Los Angeles (Dodgers), San Francisco-Oakland, Boston-Atlanta, Cincinnati-Cleveland, St. Louis-Kansas City, and Milwaukee-Minnesota.

So next up for the Cubs will be the Sox, at Wrigley early in June on a weekend.  For the next two weeks the Cubs will play the remaining three teams in the AL West besides the Rangers, playing the A's and Angels at home and then the Mariners on the road, wrapping it up with the Sox at US Cellular.  We get to play an entire division this year, 18 games!  Although the Cubs and the rest of the NL are, as mentioned before, not usually as good in Interleague Play, I still love watching it because it is so unique and a great change.  And the Cubs-Sox games are, Cubs-Sox games.

Friday, May 21, 2010

The Uniform Post

In this post we will go over the Cubs uniforms.  The current uniform set, basically the same since 1997, is very classic and cool.  The three main ones are the home pinstripes, the blue alternates that can be worn with either pants, and the road grays.  

My favorite is the blue one at home like in the picture, but the pinstripes are cool too.  There have been some changes to the uniforms since 1997, when the blue one was introduced.  In 2000, the MLB logo was added to the back of all uniforms just below the shoulder in team colors, adding league appearance.  In 2005 and 2006, the names came off the jerseys at home, meaning the pinstripes and when they would wear the blue alts at home.  This was a horrible move and they brought the names back in 2007.  In 2007, though, the blue uniform was not worn at all.  I don't really get that move and I think it's good to switch it up a bit.  In 2008 the blue jersey at home with names on it appeared for the first time since 2004.  Also in 2008, the Cubs had a throwback day with the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley wearing 1949 uniforms.  In 2009, the Cubs unfortunately stopped wearing the red-billed Cubs hat on the road, reserving that for merchandise sales.  They stopped wearing them because it was a pain on the equipment team.  It isn't the Cubs to wear all blue and gray on the road, they're looking more and more like the Dodgers.  In 2010, there don't appear to be many changes, but the Cubs haven't yet worn the blue at home, only on the road.  The Cubs have now played 21 home games, all in pinstripes.  I haven't heard any official word on the matter, but will let you know if I do. 

I like the uniforms the Cubs have and the blue fits extremely well with that logo, I give the Cubs a lot of credit on that one.  I have an idea for a new one too.  This uniform, worn from 1994 to 1996, is referred to as a Cuba jersey because it uses the same style the Cuban national jerseys do.  Imagine that in clear, pinstripe-free white changing the word Cubs to blue.  The shoulder logo would be replaced with the current alternate logo, but the rest would be the same.  This would give the Cubs a terrific, non-pinstripe alternate to wear at home because this comes with white, non-pinstripe pants.  The finished product would sort of look like this Phillies alternate jersey minus the cream color and of course the colors.  Also, this script would look much nicer and incorporate red into the road jersey.  In fact, it was used back in the 1950s.  I would also like to see this logo somehow incorporated back into the scheme, it's very cool.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

CSN or WGN?

The Cubs are one of the few teams around that don't really have one dominant TV home.  WGN has been showing Cubs baseball for over 60 years now, a stat that doesn't compare to CSN's five.  Comcast SportsNet Chicago is a young network, taking over for Fox Sports Net Chicago in 2005.  WGN is not, having been around forever.  Both WGN and CSN show something around 77 games a year, evenly splitting the weekends and home games and Sox games and such.  The annoying things for Cub fans like me is that it takes a while to find the Cubbies sometimes.  There are nine possible channels the Cubs could be on: WGN, WCIU (produced by WGN), CSN, CSN+, CSN+2, ESPN, TBS, FOX, or MLB Network.  Usually one of the first five.  Well, I wanted to come up with the better one between WGN and CSN, so I graded them on individual aspects.

Tradition: What history does it have with the Cubs?
Edge: WGN
No-brainer here.  WGN has been covering the Cubs forever, and had Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray on the air.  Most of the big moments in Cubs history from around the 1950s to the 2000s took place on 'GN.  Heck, Steve Goodman even mentions the former Superstation in the celebration song, "Go Cubs Go" played after every home win.  The lyric: "You can catch it all on WGN."  Can't argue with all that.

Stat Analysis: Which is more in the game?
Edge: CSN
Because it is a modern sports network, CSN is more observant to specific stats, the kind that are good for TV.  I'm not talking everyday stats like 11 HR on the road, I'm talking something like 11 HR with runners on and two outs.  This has to do with the next section.

Screen Graphics: Style and Stats?
Edge: CSN
The new style they implemented in 2009 is not as good as the past one in my opinion, but is still cool and now they even show more stats.   It is certainly better suited for sports than the blue stuff WGN has, implemented in 2008.  The blue looks good, but is neither Cubs blue nor a good blue and instead looks like a Royals broadcast.  WGN focuses more on the fans and the pace of play so therefore less on screen graphics and stats.

HD: Available and Clear?
Edge: Even
Both networks broadcast all games in HD, conveniently even on the additional channels (WCIU, CSN+).  Both are crystal clear.

Camera Angles: Unique and Interesting?
Edge: CSN
A very close one here.  As far as game angles and views of players, CSN has a big edge, capturing players from all angles with cameras going beyond the normal shots.  For covering the stadium, fans, and atmosphere, WGN has a slight edge but it isn't big enough to upset CSN.

Extra Coverage: Are there pre- and post-game shows?  Regular coverage on the network?
Edge: CSN
Little doubt on this one.  CSN has pregame and postgame shows with a rotating anchor and Todd Hollandsworth for almost all Cubs game except when an all Chicago sports show like SportsNite is on before, which is no problem because the Cubs are always given extended discussion in those time blocks.  Great analysis is given on these shows.  WGN sometimes does its Lead-Off Man and 10th Inning shows, but those just list obvious stats for 15 minutes that are more commercial than show.  Most of the time the analysis is just three minutes on the WGN News at 10.

WINNER: CSN 4-1

And rightly so.  CSN has really turned itself into a premier network as one of 10 Comcast SportsNet affiliates in the country, the underdog to the regional sports networks of Fox Sports Net.  WGN is just the channel when the syndicated CW shows are shown and runs nightly news that is amongst the least popular of the five main Chicago news channels.  CSN is all sports all the time, even if it means boring Wisconsin outdoors shows.  The three daily sports news programs, SportsRise, SportsDay, and SportsNite do a very good job of covering Chicago sports with great anchors and graphics along with a good story selection.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Death in Philadephia


My hate for the Phillies is represented very well in this photograph.  I hate everything about the Phillies.  I can't believe I used to root for them like in 2006 just because of Ryan Howard.  What did your baseball coach in 4th grade tell you?  Follow through on your swing!  Utley hasn't done that on a single swing in his life and yet has ESPN covering his trips to the bathroom.  And he's not even the worst.  Raul Ibanez was a nobody in Seattle but a very effective power hitter, collecting 100 RBIs for a few seasons out there although getting no recognition.  Then he goes to Philadelphia and is some kind of hero.  Sure, the Mariners weren't winning and that factored into it, but he was an All-Star and you don't need to win to get to the All-Star Game, as Ichiro Suzuki has shown.  His swing is also annoying and I hate seeing it after he hit a three run homer against the Cubs last year when the Cubs went to Philly.  And he isn't even the worst.  Shane Victorino, center fielder, is my least favorite player in baseball.  And I know a lot of players all of whom are subject to my disliking if they fall out of my favor.  His swing is the worst, wild and roundabout.  When he runs he never seems to get off base and is near impossible to get out.  He is just a whiny player in general and got ejected from center field in a game last year for arguing balls and strikes.  Victorino is not the type of player that deserves to be a major leaguer.  He has some talent, but I just wish he would leave.  I'm telling you all this because after another bad series loss to Pittsburgh and a two game sweep of Colorado at Wrigley, the Cubs are playing twice in Philadelphia.  In 18 games Cubs games at Citizens Bank Park since its opening in 2004, the Cubs are 6-12.  They haven't even won a series, losing every one 2-1.  At least this time it's a two gamer and so the Cubs could tie it with just one win.  Citizens Bank Park is a tough place to play because of the fans, who have sold out the stadium 61 straight games including tonight.  But don't let ESPN exaggerate about the power of the Phillies; this is absolutely the best hitters park in the National League and it doesn't hold anything.  Howard, Utley, and Ibanez have plenty of power, but would probably have some taken away in a league average park.  I must apologize to fans about my recent lack of posts.  I pledge, just like Marlon Byrd pledged the Cubs will be in the playoffs Monday, that more posts will fill up this blog especially when summer begins.  Go Cubs!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Pledge Your Allegiance

On September 29, 2004, the Montreal Expos welcomed a season-high crowd of 31,395 fans into Olympic Stadium for the final time.  Livan Hernandez, Jamey Carroll, and Claude Raymond each did the honor of thanking the fans for their 'support' over the years and that was it.  In 2005, the Washington Nationals popped up at RFK Stadium and sped off to a 50-31 start.  After a mediocre second half, the Nationals didn't really see any winning until 2010.  Five years and a stadium later, the Nationals, led by sluggers Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, and Josh Willingham, are tied for second in the NL East at 20-19 with a lot of young talent.  The Nats have been on my baseball radar since they opened Nationals Park in 2008, but had two really awful seasons in which they were an interesting team but just had no pitching whatsoever.  This team is in a small-market, has nothing to lose, and are having fun.  That's what I like to see in teams.  Dunn has all the power in the world, 26-year-old Zimmerman has a great glove and a steady bat with pop, and Willingham has a smooth swing with good patience.  Livan Hernandez, back to the franchise, has been the luckiest pitcher in baseball and dealing with a 1.46 ERA.  John Lannan, Tyler Clippard, and Scott Olsen apparently are adequate enough to win games with a no name bullpen.  Matt Capps has been dominant in Washington, and he's still without a blown save in 14 opportunities.  The ballpark and logo are awesome.  The swirly 'W' is classy and cool, incorporated nicely on the uniforms and caps.  The color combination is perfect for the setting, Washington DC, and so the fans have plenty to cheer about.

Still only 46.5% of seats have been sold this year at Nationals Park, but the fans will come around.  With the Orioles not exactly contenders, the entire Baltimore/DC market will probably make the shift from not caring about baseball to waking up all the fans to watch the contenders they have in Washington.  If they could just acquire an arm or two sometime this summer, go watch them stay in the wild card race until at least July.  Look at how far this franchise has come.  They went from a dysfunctional team who never won anything (one playoff appearance in franchise history, since 1969) even though they sometimes fielded some all-star talent (Vladimir Guerrero, Livan Hernandez, Orlando Cabrera, Michael Barrett, Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez) and had a list of over half a dozen possible future destinations (Las Vegas, Portland, OR, Washington, DC, Richmond, New Jersey, Norfolk, and more) to a team with a new stadium, young talent, leading veterans, fun, and a growing fan base.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

D-Lee and Rami Aren't Hitting

Somehow, Aramis Ramirez has not been mentioned in any of my posts so far this season.  This is a mistake.  Aramis is the hitting worse than any other player on the team.  His fielding hasn't been great either.  I mean there is just so many problems with his swing right now.  He's late on everything to begin with.  He loves breaking balls and sits on them, but ends up being blown away with fastballs.  When breaking balls are thrown, he either waits too long or thinks he's seeing a fastball and swings too early.  This in between combination is very bad for a hitter.  If there is just one pitch you can hit, you could be in business.  If I'm a dead fastball hitter and haven't been getting hits off breaking balls at all lately, at least I can take advantage of the fastballs I am getting.  Aramis likes fastballs like any other guy, but even Bronson Arroyo of the Reds admitted in Sporting News that he is the best curveball hacker in the entire league.  So far, Ramirez has hit neither.  In fact, he hasn't been a factor for an extended period of time since 2008.  His average is only .159 and has only three home runs, in addition to qualifying among the leaders in strikeouts for a while.  I'm really disappointed.  If he doesn't start hitting now, I propose we bench for Jeff Baker at third base three times a week.  Nothing wrong with a little competition.

Derrek Lee still has my confidence.  He is a true leader like you found out a few posts ago.  A leader should also lead by example, so maybe hitting would do the team some good.  His defense has been good and his bat has come around a little, but really?  .229 with four homers and 16 RBI?  He can do better.  When the Cubs hit slumps, he's the guy they need to get them out and from June onward he was one of the best hitters in the National League last year.  His approach is the same as always, I don't see what the problem is.  He isn't injured.  He hasn't lost confidence.  He started similarly last year.  Maybe he just isn't being aggressive enough.  He has 21 walks and 28 strikeouts, the kind of ratio and patient hitter has.  My solution for D-Lee is:  Relax and swing.  Don't take strikes just to work the count farther to possibly get a walk.  Be aggressive.  Go Cubs!  

Saturday, May 8, 2010

(Marlon) Byrd's the Word

Guaranteed amusement comes from the famous Family Guy episode where Peter Griffin basically has a seizure about the Bird is the Word.  If you haven't seen it a million times, there's a first for everything: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184.  The Cubs have a Byrd in center field.  He swoops over the grass and takes flight to catch fly balls, animal instincts few center fielders possess.  I was thrilled at a Qdoba Restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin when the ESPNEWS ticker informed me a linebacker had just been signed by the Cubs. 

Marlon Byrd, all 6'0", 245 lbs. of him, became a popular figure in Cubdom from his first Cubs at-bat by hitting a three-run homer, just like Starlin Castro.  He has been very consistent and very important in the 29 games since then.  Byrd has already bonded well with Fukudome and Soriano in the outfield and has proven himself so far to a fan base that, because of hotheaded outfielders past, has become quick to pounce on and criticize outfielders.  His 23 RBI and .339 BA in 30 games make up a big part of the following stats in the next paragraph.

Despite the inconsistencies of the team altogether, the Cubs have gotten their offense closer to 2008 levels than 2009 levels.  The Cubs have (MLB rank followed by NL rank): 148 runs scored (10th of 30, 5th of 16), 280 hits (7th, 4th), 37 HR (5th, 2nd), 455 Total Bases (5th, 3rd), 146 RBI (7th, 4th), .273 BA (7th, 3rd), .348 OBP (6th, 2nd), .444 SLG PCT (6th, 3rd), and 113 BB (9th, 4th).

I mentioned in an earlier post that center field is the most important position on the field, in my opinion.  The Cubs haven't really had great leaders at center the last few years (Corey Patterson, Juan Pierre, Jacque Jones, Felix Pie, Jim Edmonds, and Kosuke Fukudome), even if some were good players.  Byrd is an aggressive player and undoubtedly the commander the outfield.  When you have a guy like that, it spreads and everyone wants to be in on the fun.  Tyler Colvin must be getting a lesson from him and regulars Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano must be enjoying themselves more than before.  Marlon is such a positive influence I bet he would increase 'Fun' for the Cubs if that was a baseball stat.  Go Cubs! 

Shining Starlin

What can I say about these Cubs?  Here I am trying to profile what they're like this year and it seems like with each series they flip the tables around the surprise everyone.  Cub Nation let out a collective groan after the Cubs' offense was stymied by the worst pitching staff in baseball by far, that being Pittsburgh's.  Unbelievably, the Cubs were swept.  In that series, no one swung the bat well.  Fortunately, with the more aggressive Lou Piniella of 2010, another change was made in bringing up highly-touted prospect Starlin Castro from AA and sending down Chad Tracy.  It's about time.  Tracy never deserved to make this team and although he is a good player, Kevin Millar should have beaten him out of Spring Training.  Instead, the Tracy experiment failed and Millar is working as a studio analyst for MLB Network.  However, the positive out of all this is that Castro is now with the team. 

In his first career game, Castro not only got a start, he was a bigger story on ESPN networks than the Yankees-Red Sox game!  Theriot has moved back to second base to start full time there for the first time since 2006.  I made sure to watch live as the current pride of the Cubs' farm system stepped in for his first at-bat.  First swing in the big leagues, a three-run homer off disappointing Reds prospect Homer Bailey.  Does the homer-in-first-at-bat thing sound familiar?  Jason Heyward did that against the Cubs on Opening Day, also a three-run homer.  Castro, however, one-uped Heyward later by driving in three more on a bases loaded triple.  He was the third youngest player to hit a home run in his first at-bat, the youngest Cubs shortstop ever, and his six RBI set a major league record for a player in his first game.  All that, a two-run homer by Marlon Byrd, and a grand slam by Mike Fontenot highlighted a 14-7 rout of the Reds.  Where was all of this offense in Pittsburgh?  In fact, the 14 runs Friday almost tripled the Cubs output of five during that entire series.

There hasn't been this much excitement for a prospect since Mark Prior back in the day.  I have been a big Castro fan from day one of hearing about him and I'm very impressed.  This guy can do it all!  Right away he looks like a slump-proof hitter with his compact swing and great bat speed.  His stance is good, and we evidenced his ability to drive the ball to the opposite field on the homer.  He's very speedy and a sound fielder.  Also, he's humble and won't cause any problems on the team.  What's not to like?  Oh yeah and how old is he?  20?  Am I telling you the guy can smoke major league pitching and rule ESPN for a night then not be able to celebrate with a beer afterward (legally, of course)?  That's exactly what I'm telling you.

I hope Ryan Theriot isn't upset by his move to second base, but it is in the best interest of the team to do so.  Theriot, 30, is a decade older than Castro.  I admire Theriot's good range and strong arm from short, but the throws can get a little wild and he's had a lot of errors saved by three-time Gold Glover Derrek Lee.  He is a better fit at second.

On the bright side of Theriot moving to second, his fielding now should be spotless and we will still know the Ryan Theriot the Cubs have relied on for the past three years.  Theriot has 25-steal speed and Castro probably 30-steal speed and both are good fielders, so I think we will be seeing the best double-play combo the Cubs have had in a while.  Go Cubs!     

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Moody Bats

Even though they don't get any days off on weekends, the Cubs appear to enjoy sitting back and hitting over those series for the past two weeks.  After Kosuke Fukudome's first career grand slam represented the only hope in a 13-5 blowout loss on Thursday, the Cubs rebounded with three really solid wins over the weekend against the scuffling DBacks.  Alfonso Soriano got on one of his famous tears not seen since last May and contributed each day to the 11-5, 7-5, and 10-5 final scores with at least a homer in each game.  The pitching wasn't exactly great, but good and when the offense is hitting like they had then it isn't as important.  Doing what needs to be done to win is the most important thing.  If we give up 9 runs in a game, the assumption is that was a failure.  If the Cubs score 10 in that game and win, though, it's a success although obviously more must be done by the pitchers.  The Cubs did that this weekend.  The bottom line: Despite not playing perfect baseball (see: Milwaukee Massacre), the Cubs are doing plenty to win games and enough to sustain their methods all season.

Well, the Cubs just have to go out and play so well in front of the home fans only to take a day off and then just score two against the lowly Pirates at PNC Park.  I don't know when the bats will decide to stick around permanently, but it's clear that the way the Cubs play ball requires offense.  Home runs by Soriano and Geovany Soto were our only offense and that just isn't acceptable.  Mike Fontenot, most overrated player on the Cubs (don't worry, you'll be hearing more about him later) struck out to begin the 9th and the Cubs failed to create a rally.  Another good outing by Ryan Dempster was wasted and apparently he was outdueled by consistent old Paul Maholm.  Charlie Morton, starter for Wednesday's game, is a ticking bomb every inning out there because it's only a matter of time until the opponent's hitters clobber baseballs that look fatter than a beach ball out there.  Ted Lilly is on for us.

Coming soon are posts about Marlon Byrd (Wrigleyville's new spark plug) and why it's time to jump on the surprise bandwagon of the year: the Washington Nationals.  Go Cubs!   

Saturday, May 1, 2010

A True Leeder

Since finishing 3rd in MVP voting in 2005 after winning the batting title and belting 46 HR, Derrek Lee was looked upon as a disappointment from 2006-08.  In 2009, he revitalized himself as a power hitter in the middle of the Cubs lineup, hitting 35 HR and 111 RBI.  Although I have always been a fan of the 6-5 Lee, I admit there were times I became very frustrated with him grounding into double plays and not being able to push the fly balls over the wall.  In 2008, it appeared he was back because he hit around 15 HR in April and May combined, on pace for an impressive 45, but the power hit hibernation over the summer and he finished with only 20.  The one thing Cub fans forget, however, is the how important his presence is on the Cubs.  He is a calm, cool leader in the clubhouse and many young players coming through the system have learned a lot from his practice on and off the field.  Many atheltes in professional sports refuse to watch ESPN or read the Sports section of the local paper because it keeps a more positive influence around your mind and the rest of the team.  This is understandable; you wouldn't want to read articles that criticize what you do for a living and make judgements about your career and motivation, etc.  However, Lee doesn't care and reads it anyway.  He doesn't take offense or allow his opinions to be changed from the media, but rather reads it like a fan.  If there is an article the questions his ability, I'm sure he either uses that as motivation to try harder or he ignores it and keeps doing what he does.

In my opinion, first base is the second most important position on the field, behind center field.  The first baseman, first of all, needs to be physically able to get outs and help his defense by picking balls out of the dirt and having enough size to reach and snag errant throws, saving errors and baserunners.  Second of all, he needs to lead the team.  This means doing what Lee does every day; setting an example on defense, giving a jolt of spirit to the guys even when being destroyed out there, listening to each and every individual player, not being afraid to give advice when deemed necessary, and knowing that winning goes before fame and money.  In other words, understanding the winning is the number one priority of everyone involved in the game and the team, and doing everything possible to achieve that goal.

Having doubts about the importance of first base theory?  I can't blame you.  But I looked around at teams that have had success recently, and it is apparent that there is plenty of truth.

-The Rays, surprise AL Pennant winners of 2008 and perennial winners for some time to come, have been anchored by powerful 1B Carlos Peña, and he leads the younger nucleus of Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Ben Zobrist, and Evan Longoria.  Until the 2008 transformation, the Rays never came close to a winning record.  Peña arrived in 2007.

-The Phillies, back-to-back NL Champions and the Rays' opponent in the 2008 World Series, certainly have a gift in 1B Ryan Howard.  The Phillies popped back on the baseball radar in 2006 after consistently winning all decade but usually not sniffing the playoffs because of the Braves' ridiculous streak of divison titles.  In fact, the Phillies hadn't made the playoffs since their 1980 World Series run and naturally the Philly fans were never happy.  But then this kid named Ryan Howard comes along and sends 58 baseball into orbit (or the bleachers) and now the Phillies really had some potential to upend the Braves and the Mets, who had won the division in 2006.  Sure enough, the Phillies have won three division titles in a row and Howard is the face of the franchise.

-The Cardinals were a no-brainer here.  Albert Pujols is the best hitter to set foot on this planet, unquestionably the leader of the Cardinals.  They were usually among the NL's best throughout the early and mid 2000's, except for a bump in the road called 2006.  At just 83-78 (ironically the Cubs' 2009 record), the redbirds marched into the playoffs with horrible momentum.  Oh yeah, they also happened to win the World Series that year.  Now with Matt Holliday in the order, the birds might be flying high for a while.

-The Yankees have Mark Teixeira.  Not too bad.  Possibly overlooked because of the Yankee legends that still inhabit Yankee Stadium, this dude is a key cog in the winning formula.  The first year he arrived, they won the Series.

-Who doesn't love the Swinging Padre logo that the Padres hold sacred?  The Padres are always an interesting team because of their ability to harvest young talent in a hurry and make all their pitchers look like aces in Petco Park.  The Padres were never the team to win 100 games and lead the NL in a whole bunch fo categories, but I'm pretty sure 1B Adrian Gonzalez had a lot to do with the Padres making the postseason in three straight years from 2005-2007 (I consider the one-game tiebreaker with the Rockies in 07 as playoffs).  Okay, fine, I know Gonzalez wasn't called up for real until 2006.  Still though, there is a point.  Now the Padres are leading the NL West and continue to prove doubters wrong with every step as more young talent pours into Petco and they all get schooled (in a good way) by the man, Gonzalez.

-The Twins, completely overpublicized because of homegrown Joe Mauer, probably have the most underrated first bagger in the league.  Justin Morneau is a patient (through 21 games, he leads baseball with 21 walks and a ridiculous .490 OBP) and powerful (22 or more homers the past five seasons) hitter and a great defender, and that skill is also overlooked.

-Although this era has ended in Flushing, the Mets run from 2006-2008 was very successful and was sparked by the big three: David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Delgado.  Delgado was getting old when he arrived in New York, so of course the media was all over him about it.  He quickly became a fan favorite in 2006, then an enemy after a disappointing 2007, then a hero in 2008 after a series of clutch hits.  In the tornado of negativity that was 2009 for the Mets, Delgado had to sit back and watch while his team surprisingly lost 92 games.  The Mets now lead the NL East, but Delgado is gone and a partial new generation has been welcomed into Citi Field.

None of the guys on this list are troublemakers and all are critical to their teams.  First base has never been more important to baseball teams, and the Cubs are extremely lucky to have a guy like Derrek Lee.  Resigning him after this season, his free agent year, is absolutely the number one priority in the offseason.  Go Cubs!