The View From The Bleachers

First Star - Ryan Dempster (.352)
Second Star - Alfonso Soriano (.068)
Third Star - Derrek Lee (.067)

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First and foremost, Ryan Dempster is an Ace. There is a very calming feeling as I watch Dempster pitch. Perhaps it is that little glove wiggle, but whatever it may be, I find myself very secure that he will continue to throw with the command, control and confidence that will bring many more W’s our way.

The Jim Edmonds experiment did not take off as well as many Cub fans would have liked. I am not yet willing to throw in the towel on this experiment; however there seemed to be an uneasiness… a lack of confidence that hovered over him, especially with bases loaded. Perhaps it was the expectations…the pressure…that made him swing at some rather questionable pitches. Let’s hope that we soon see the Jim Edmonds of the early 2000’s.

It was extremely satisfying to see D. Lee get himself out of the mini-slump that had been silencing his bat over the past few games. But the difference between this Cubs team and those of the past is the way in which the rest of the lineup can easily pick up the slack. Our offense continues to forge ahead, even when our stars struggle. This is truly a team that understands what it means to win, and more than that, they have the confidence to do so.

Inning by inning recap

1st – Dempster has a very quick inning. Only through 9 pitches. Soriano singles, however Theriot hits into DP. D. Lee continues to struggle at the plate. Lets hope that ends VERY soon. (0-0)

2nd – Another quick inning for Demp. Only 7 pitches. Ramirez continues to hit the ball well. Lead off double. Bad bounce on a wild pitch = Ramirez out at home. Jim Edmonds would have had his first Cub RBI. Nice at bat for Edmonds. Ronny C. continues to remain hot. Blanco is robbed of a hit by a great catch in center. (0-0)

3rd - Quick inning for both Dempster and Maddux. (0-0)

4th – Dempster is looking CYTASTIC…1-2-3 inning once again. Lee bounces out. Ramirez and Fukudome are stranded after Edmonds hit into an inning ending DP. (0-0)

5th – Dempster continues to throw a 1-hit shutout. Very Nice…Cedeno continues to hit the ball well. The hit-n-run produces. 1st and 3rd…no outs…Dempster singles in Cedeno. Soriano singles. Bases loaded. Theriot sac fly. D. Lee breaks his hitless drought by smacking a 2-run double to deep center. Ramirez flies out. Fukudome walks, but Edmonds flies out. (4-0)

6th – Dempster gives up his 1st walk of the day, but no worries. Still throwing a 1-hitter. Cedeno walks. Dempster lays down an interesting sac bunt. Cedeno stranded on 2nd. (4-0)

7th – Dempster gives up his 2nd hit of the game. But settles back in with two groundouts and a very big strikeout. D. Lee singles after a k by Theriot. Ramirez singles. D. Lee to 2nd. Fukudome walks. Bases loaded for Mr. Edmonds. Big K by Edmonds. Cedeno flies out to deep right. (4-0)

8th – The Padres threaten with two singles, but instead of pulling a Marquis and imploding, Demp gets 3 big K’s. The Cubs go down 1-2-3. (4-0)

9th – Giles doubles off Dempster to start the 9th. Gets his 12th strikeout of the game, however gives up a single. Wood replaces Demp. Two big K’s for Wood. (4-0)

Last month I wrote about my concern that the Cubs were a good team that would make the playoffs. Yet i was concerned that the Cubs were unable to hang with the ace pitchers of a playoff team and pull out a win. Last night the Cubs bested Jake Peavy, one of the best pitchers in baseball. They are looking good. They are stepping up and hitting well and are hanging with the best teams and the best pitchers in baseball. Soriano is beginning to hit a hot streak and his average has jumped by like 60 points since returning from the DL. The whole team, including Adolpho, is taking more pitches and is taking walks consistently. They are second in the league in walks. The Cubs ARE SECOND IN THE LEAGUE IN WALKS. This is a good sign and one that has in my estimation only taken 31 years to get here…or longer I only have 31 years of experience with the team.

On a note of update: Jim Edmonds has been signed as Joe mentioned and he will bat against right handers probably beginning today against Greg Maddux. He will bat in the five hole and that will allow Fukudome to move into the two hole. Sounds pretty good to me. I am having a hard time understanding why people are against the Edmonds thing. What on earth does it hurt to try? He’s old…yes. But what can it really hurt?

And on a final note: It hit me today that if Jim Edmonds does fail then we have the privilege of releasing him and ending his career. All is not lost.

First Star - A. Soriano (.218)
Second Star - T. Iguchi (.135)
Third Star - K. Fukudome (.133)
Top Play - Alfonso Soriano singled to left (Liner). Kosuke Fukudome scored. Reed Johnson scored. Ted Lilly advanced to 2B. (+.153)

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Rather than write a recap, here is the story you want to talk about anyway:

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs today signed outfielder Jim Edmonds to a 2008 contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. To make room for Edmonds on the 25-man roster, outfielder Felix Pie was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after tonights game.

Edmonds will wear uniform No. 15 and will be available for tomorrows 1:20 p.m. game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. Chicagos 40-man roster now stands at 39.

Edmonds is a four-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner during his 16 major league seasons with the Angels (1993-99), Cardinals (2000-07) and Padres (2008). The 37-year-old outfielder has appeared in the post-season six times, advancing to the World Series in 2004 and 2006. In 2004, Edmonds won a National League Silver Slugger Award after batting .301 (150-for-498) with 42 homers and 111 RBI.

The left-handed batter and thrower owns a career .286 batting average with 397 doubles, 363 home runs and 1,127 RBI in 1,840 major league games, including 1,639 games as a centerfielder. Edmonds boasts a .989 career fielding percentage in centerfield, the fifth-best mark among active players (minimum 1,000 games in centerfield). His 125 assists in his career rank second among all active outfielders behind only Ken Griffey, Jr. (148).

Edmonds joins the Cubs leading all active centerfielders with a .377 career on-base percentage, ranking second with a .526 slugging percentage and third in hits (1,817), home runs and doubles.

The Fullerton, Calif., native was traded to San Diego from St. Louis on December 15, 2007 but began the 2008 season on the disabled list recovering from a right calf strain. Activated April 5, he batted .178 (16-for-90) with one home run and six RBI in 26 games before being released on May 9. Edmonds joins the Cubs having batted .278 (5-for-18) with a .381 on-base percentage in six games in May after batting .153 (11-for-72) with a .235 on-base percentage in 20 games in April.

Edmonds boasts 10 seasons with 20 or more home runs and four seasons with 100 or more RBI, including his career-bests in 2004 that led to his Silver Slugger Award. He has been slowed by injuries the last three seasons, including post-concussion syndrome and injuries to his right shoulder, lower back and groin in 2006-07 and the right calf strain at the start of the 2008 season. Nevertheless, Edmonds averaged 123 games played per season between 2005-07 with an average of 20 home runs and 71 RBI per campaign.

Pie had been with the Cubs since Opening Day and is batting .222 (14-for-63) with one home run and seven RBI in 30 games for the Cubs this season.

Jake Peavy pitched well enough to earn his fifth victory of the season in his last start on Friday against the Rockies, allowing three runs on seven hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He had a costly throwing error in a three-run sixth inning as the Rockies forged ahead for good. Peavy even had a double and scored the Padres’ lone run of the game.

• Has a lethal arsenal of pitches that leads to strikeouts by the bushel. Is a workhorse and a great leader of a pitching staff. Can dominate on the mound.
• Left-handed hitters have more success than righties, relatively speaking. Injuries are still a concern, especially because of his taxing workload.
• One of the best starters in baseball.

Ted Lilly spent most of Spring Training working on his changeup, and in his last start, the effort paid off. Lilly struck out 10 for his 11th career double-digit strikeout game and beat the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks. In the game, Lilly gave up three hits and walked two. He helped himself, hitting a game-tying RBI single in the fifth. Lilly used his “Will Clark” stance, according to teammate Derrek Lee. Whatever works.

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• Sam Zell has rejected the IFSA offer for Wrigley Field - (Source)
• When does a starting pitcher lose his stuff? - (Source)
• Where do these GM’s come from, anyway? - (Source)
• Ryno has a bit of a temper - (Source)
• Cub’s Minor Leaguer takes a line drive to the face. - (Source)
• Breaking down the 2001 (Mark Prior) Draft - (Source)

News & Notes

• Marco Carrillo pitched 7.0 scoreless innings
• Micah Hoffpauir was 2-for-4 with 5 RBI
• Kyle Reynolds was 3-for-6

Tracked Player Results

Organizational Roundup

(AAA) - Iowa Cubs - Won vs. Portland (5-2)

(AA) - Tennessee Smokies - Lost vs. Huntsville (2-3)

(High A) - Daytona Cubs - Lost vs. Brevard County (0-3)

(A) - Peoria Chiefs - No Game

(SS) - Boise Hawks open their season June 17th

(RK) - Arizona Cubs open their season June 22nd

View the full organizational report courtesy of First Inning here.

First Star - T. Hoffman (.209)
Second Star - C. Meredith (.204)
Third Star - K. Green (.195)
Top Play - Greene’s Home Run in the 4th (+.212)

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Edmonds vs Pie - Is there a way we can just avoid talking about this? I guess if I don’t, I probably shouldn’t be a blogger, right? That’s our role. We talk about the rumors and transactions and things of that sort. With that being said, it’s probably best for me to weigh in that I’m torn on the idea of signing Edmonds to play CF. On one hand, you’ve got a guy that can be signed for the prorated minimum salary, because of the Padres picking up the $4 million he was owed this year when they released him. From that standpoint, it’s worth the risk, right? At the same time, at some point, you’ve got to make a decision on what the plan is for Felix Pie. This team has to decide what they want to do with him. I truly believe they’re scared to give him a chance because they believe he’s not as good as they once hoped. It almost seems as if they’re desperately hoping they’re wrong in that assessment, but are afraid to confirm it because it would mean they get nothing for him in a trade. That’s what prospects are, though. They’re guys that might develop into what you think, but they might not. If you’re cutting your losses on Pie, then move him in a trade now, because his place is not on the bench in the Majors. That is doing absolutely nothing for him from a developmental standpoint. Regardless of whether you give the at bats to Reed Johnson or Jim Edmonds or even someone like Coco Crisp, who was once rumored in a deal, looking for a player to play CF when you have someone that’s ready for a chance shows that you’re not fully committed to him. That’s the most disappointing thing for me about the situation. There is a reason why we’re not usually bringing up big time talent for position players. We mishandle them. The team misused Corey Patterson, hyping him up and then trying to turn him into a player he wasn’t meant to be. We’ve mishandled Pie by doing similar things. They’ve been overly cautious with Pie, almost afraid to give him a chance, all the while putting him in the middle of the order in the minors. Pie is not and never will be a middle of the order guy. All this time, he should have been hitting at the top, learning his role and how to fulfill it. The Cubs haven’t done that and now they wonder why his stroke is long and he’s not the leadoff hitter they imagined him to be. Guys don’t magically figure these things out. That’s what the development process is for. Until this team learns that, Pie is better off as trade bait. So bring in Jim Edmonds if you want, just decide Pie’s fate once and for all already.

• I think I remember someone having a question about what the rule is for a dropped third strike and when the runner is allowed to run to first. It came into play tonight in the 4th as DeRosa took off for 1st base only to be called out while he was running. The rule is as follows: A hitter can attempt to take first base on a third strike that is dropped by the catcher with less than two outs and 1st base unoccupied OR with two outs, regardless of runners on the bases. DeRosa was the second out of the inning, but Geo was on 1st at the time, hence the dropped third rule not being in effect. Hope that helps. I enjoy taking a peak into the rule book, so don’t ever hesitate to ask your questions. I will certainly do my best to interpret the book.
• Mad props to Marquis in the 1st when he snagged a line shot that would have otherwise hit him square in the ribs. Len and Bob described it best when they said “The ball caught him”.
• USA Today ran a preliminary rookie of the year vote, with Geo and Kosuke coming in 1st and 2nd. In case you forgot, the last time that’s happened was in 1989 when Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith did it. Let’s hope this years rookies don’t turn into those guys.
• Aramis is throwing the ball a lot better of late. He threw from his knees to get Edgar Gonzalez in the 2nd, which is a far cry from the terrible throws he was making at the beginning of the year.
• I predicted Soriano would get red hot this month and one comment laughed at me and actually said he wasn’t going to read any more. Hmm, I believe I had that one right.
• Wuertz deserves a mention for keeping the team in the game in his multi-inning call of duty. Well done, sir.

First Star - Alfonso Soriano (.172)
Second Star - Jody Gerut (.147)
Third Star - Ryan Theriot (.098)
Top Play - A. Soriano’s homerun in the 5th (+.198)

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Fresh off the sweep of the team with the best record in baseball the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Cubs begin a four game series with the San Diego Padres, the team with the worst. The Cubs dominated this one and though they fell behind 2-1 in the top of the fifth it never seemed like the Cubs were in danger of losing this game.Prior to and during the game there were rumblings surrounding the pitching and the hitting. Jon Lieber was moved back into the bullpen after his really bad start against the Reds last week. This paves the way for a number of potential moves. The Cubs pitching staff has a lot of TBD even for the remainder of this homestand. Tomorrow night Lou will pitch Jason Marquis. I think it is possible that tomorrow night’s start could be a last chance for Marquis. If he has another bad outing I look for Lieber to get another shot to gain a spot in the rotation. For now Lieber enters the ‘pen once again to make room for a lefty such as Sean Marshall who was sent down to get “stretched out” or maybe the return of Rich Hill who has improved since going down. Lou wants another left hander to get some starts and those would be the options. After a pretty good start yesterday afternoon Sean Gallagher might also get another start to become the number five guy.

The other big news is that according to multiple sources the Cubs seem poised to pick up Jim Edmonds once he clears waivers after being released by the Padres. His numbers on the year were poor- batting in the .170’s- at 37 Edmonds might be done. However, it doesn’t seem to hurt for now with Reed Johnson’s numbers dropping and Felix Pie continuing to struggle. The readers are divided on the best plan for Pie with many believing that Pie should be given the opportunity to sink or swin once and for all. Look for Edmonds to be signed this week and join the team with Pie being sent down again. It is very possible that Pie will now be seen as less “untouchable” and could be included in trade rumors. A reader posted that San Diego papers are suggesting that the Padres might be interested in trading Pie for Khalil Greene. I have not heard this but it is intriguing. The Padres were interested in getting an outfielder and were talking with the Cubs about getting Matt Murton in the off season. Would the Cubs make this deal? Theriot “The Scrappy”, as I will now refer to him, had another big game tonight both at the plate and in the field. When does he deserve some “everyday player” love from the average Cub fan?

In the first couple innings of the game I thought it was possible that Big Z would make a run at finally garnering the elusive Cubs no hitter. A few years back he had one stolen from him in the ninth inning of a game against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. He began the game in good form with 1-2-3’s in the first and second with only 19 pitches. Zambrano’s control has been stunningly better this year with only 16 walks in 62 innings. He is almost at only 1.1 WHIP and 3 K/BB ratio. Much…much better. He has become a better pitcher and hopefully will continue to make a Cy Young run if Brandon Webb would ever lose. By the way did you know his ERA on the year is 2.03? It appeared that he might be cramping up again in the third when he gave up a run and the trainer needed to come out to check on him. The Cubs fell behind in the top of the fifth when former Cub Jody Gerut (remember him?) crushed a homerun onto Sheffield Avenue. It was his first home run at Wrigley Field which is not good since he was a former Cub. Zambrano’s line on the day: 7ip, 6h, 3er, 2bb, 5k…and another good day at the plate: 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Insert deep announcer voice here: “He continues to help himself out at the plate.”

The Cubs scored in the first when Theriot singled and scored on big Lee’s double. The offense poured forth in the fifth and sixth innings to the tune of 11 runs. Z began the fifth with a double and scored on Alfonso Soriano’s home run to center. Soriano was 2 for 5 with 2 rbi and 2 runs scored tonight. He is hitting better and might be entering a groove. Theriot walked and Lee and Ramirez followed with singles to score the Riot. Kosuke Fukudome walked to load the bases and Soto scored two with a single. DeRosa gets an rbi single scoring Fukudome and the Cubs lead 7-2. Johnson comes up and hits into a double play- the first outs of the inning. Zambrano strikes out to end the fifth. Soriano begins the sixth with a double and Theriot walks. The Cubs continue to be patient and take pitches and walk. With one out Ramirez walks to load the bases and scores on a bases loaded walk by F-Dome. At this point a wild play happens that caused me to turn to my wife and say “How am I gonna explain that?” DeRosa hits a routine grounder on a 3-2 pitch with the runners moving and the bases loaded. Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff takes it to the bag but A-Ram beats him there. Kouzmanoff then fires to first but first baseman Adrian Gonzalez cannot catch the throw and no one bothers to chase the errant ball. The Cubs keep running and the bases are cleared. Cubs lead 11-2. Johnson drives in DeRosa and the Cubs have a dozen. Eyre and Howry close the game and the Cubs win.

Lou rests the big guys after the big lead in the sixth. I love Lou. All weekend I was saying to my wife “This guy is amazing. He almost always makes the right move and he outmanages all the other managers.” This is a nice change. Especially watching Dusty Baker blow another double switch yesterday and lose an out when his guy batted out of order. I like Dusty as a person. I like him as a manager in the other dugout. “Dusty please bring in Clement in game 7 in the ‘03 NLCS. He is warm and Kerry is done for the day. Please, we have the lead. We can do this thing. Look McKeon is doing it you should be doing it too. Oh well, wait til next year.”

Tomorrow the Cubs face off against Shawn Estes. Estes is one of my Cub icons. In 2003 the Cubs were battling for the division and it was coming down to the wire. Estes had been removed from the rotation because he couldn’t win. Yet in a critical game against the Reds in the September playoff race Estes pitches a ballsy game in a spot start and gives the Cubs a crucial victory. He and Jacque Jones will be similar Cubs heroes throughout my life for being clutch even when everyone was down on them. (BTW he is also available if you’re interested in aging outfielders.)

Incidentals:

If there ever is a no hitter I will no longer be allowed to write on the site because I will break the rules by writing about it in the eighth just to prove that the don’t jinx the no hitter rule is ridiculous on all levels. People really believe this. I heard Sox fans yelling twice this year when the announcers “caused them” to lose no hitters by talking about it late in the game.

Mark Prior is hurt again. The Padres were hoping that he would be pitching by now but he has been sidelined with shoulder problems. I guess I am glad they moved on from him.

Tonight the Jersey Boys sang the seventh inning stretch and sounded real good. Especially compared to Tony Romo yesterday, who gave as bad a rendition as it gets. He was booed. The whole concept is old and dead and I wish they would get rid of it and just play a recording of Harry Caray. Any concept that prolongs the public exposure of Tom Arnold should cease immediately.

Finally, in an atrocious scheduling move, the Cubs will play their first three games of this series at 7pm. This uses 3 of their 30 night games in May when it is 70 degrees out and not in the summer when it is 100 degrees and energy zapping. I hate this. It’s all about money and ticket sales and is another reason the Cubs should move out of Wrigley and build a new stadium in the suburbs where they can play as many night games as they want. Did I just say that? I guess I did. Seriously try to move and see how flexible the Wrigleyville neighborhood and the City Council become.

It appears that Eric Gagne listens to “The Pitch” because he’s given up on the idea of his Brewers having a closer, too. Instead, his Milwaukee club will go to a bullpen-by-committee approach to closing games — something The Pitch community emphatically approves on the Monday edition of the show.

The program does not, however, condone the pre-meditated use of a batting helmet as a mound-charging weapon, as Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson employed at the close of MLB’s Week 6 against the Rangers. The guys ask “If there’s room for fighting in baseball, where is it?”

And the guys can’t escape giving props to the streaking Florida Marlins, who — fresh off a seven-game winning streak — put their sights on a 6-year, $70 million deal for Hanley Ramirez.

The rest of the weekend action is recalled, along with an update of “The Pick-off” scoreboard going into this Week 7 Monday edition of “The Pitch.” Interact via e-mail at thepitch@mvn.com or via phone at 360-450-MVN3.

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