First Star - Aramis Ramirez (.582)
Second Star - Ryan Spilborghs (.457)
Third Star - Ryan Theriot (.248)
Top Play - Ramirez home run in the top of the 9th, scoring 2 (+.640)
It’s starting to get dangerous, how hot we’re playing. Can I tell you a secret? I’m starting to think we’re going to win the World Series. What I need to remember, though, is that no team or player is as good as when they are hot or as bad as when they are cold. We’re not going to beat up the ball for runs a game all year, but it’s certainly fun right now.
Rich Hill looked better until he seemed to hit the wall in the 6th. It’s an improvement, but not quite the start I would’ve liked. I mentioned a couple of days ago that I don’t make any changes until May. For Hill, that means one more start. He needs to make it a good one or I’m off his bandwagon. Whether or not Lou Piniella feels the same way remains to be seen. I tend to think he’ll be a little more patient with him.
Kerry Wood blew a save and, what do you know, a blog says he sucks. Come on people. Relax a bit. Kerry Wood is our best option right where he is. Give the guy a break. Everyone blows games. No closer is going to go the whole season without screwing things up every once in a while. We’ve seen Bob Howry look really good since coming here at times and really bad at times. We’ve seen Marmol blow innings he’s pitched. Everyone does it. There is no reason to panic and start changing things that are working. Let’s not forget that we won the game, which is the ultimate goal.
The offense continues to dominate, with Geo narrowly missing a cycle and Ramirez once again coming up clutch. Every day someone on this team is getting the big hit and it’s exciting to see that some of those are coming in late and extra inning situations. Championship teams take care of business in those situations.
Misc. Notes
- I was surprised to hear that since this team’s beginning, the team record all time has never dipped below .500. That’s impressive.
- At the beginning of the game, when they showed the lineup for the Cubs, all 8 starters had OBP above .400. Yowza!!!
- Rich Hill had three at bats. All three resulted in a weak groundball to second.
If you had the option right now would you trade Alfonso Soriano, and eat salary, to the Yankees for a lefty like Hideki Matsui to provide the lefty power needed to allow Fukudome to slot into the number 2 spot? You give up age, but you gain a piece that seems to be sorely needed.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Hell I would trade him for Godzilla, J.D. Drew, or Gary Mathews Jr. I think Fonzie is a long term liability. At least these overpaid players contracts are shorter term.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I agree with fan4cubs. We are going to regret signing Afonz. He will never be the 40/40 player we thought we were getting. The problem is who would want him? I think he will become a 25/10 player. We are stuck with him and he is only going to get worse.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I mentioned a couple of days ago that I don’t make any changes until May. For Hill, that means one more start.
What?!?! First of all… Hill was one of the better pitchers in baseball last year. Second of all, Hill currently has an ERA of 3.79, and you think he should only get one more start?
He gave two runs… IN COLORADO!!! To a very good hitting team in an extreme hitters park.
Rich Hill will be fine.
I am more worried about Ted Lilly than I am about Rich Hill.
As for trading Soriano for Matsui? No thanks. Soriano will be fine, just as he was fine last year, and helped carry this team in September. He is one of the best players in baseball? Probably not. Is he worth his salary? Not really, though contracts like Sarge Jr, A. Jones, T. Hunter, etc would say that Soriano IS worth his contract.
The Cubs can afford him. There is no reason to trade him.
you gain a piece that seems to be sorely needed.
It is? The Cubs are leading MLB in runs. I wouldn’t say anything is really sorely needed. What they really should do is put Soriano 5th, and it would solve the problem. Or if you want Soriano leading off, Put Fukudome 2nd and Soto 5th.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Can you tell me who thought we were getting a 40/40 player? Soriano has hit 40 or more home runs exactly one time in his career, at the age of 30. It’s called a career year. I don’t know anybody who thought we were getting a 40/40 player. What we are getting, for the first 3-5 years of his contract, is one of the best left fielders in baseball. Who cares what the salary is? I’ll save my complaining for when he’s no longer one of the best left fielders in the game. Until then I’ll just be happy we have such a player and didn’t waste money on Little Sarge or JD Drew.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I’ve never particularly enjoyed watching Rich Hill pitch, but the fact that he is a very good pitcher far outweighs my flawed opinions.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Also, Soriano has averaged 32 stolen bases per season and 34 home runs. Considering his age, expecting him to be a 30/30 player was probably not reasonable expectations. 40/40? He’s been that one time and just barely.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I didn’t mean to say that Hill should be out after the next start. I simply meant that that was the first time I would start looking into it if he continues to struggle. You can’t just look at an ERA. Keep in mind that his starts are taxing the bullpen, and at times have seen him fall apart in a hurry. He’s supposed to be in the top 3 of our rotation, so he needs to be held to a higher standard.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Joe,
I just posted a diary disagreeing with you on Hill…and I couldn’t disagree more.
I do agree with almost everything else that you say, though!
April 24th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I don’t think Hill needs to be held to any higher standard than any other starter. His control has been awful, but part of the problem with his taxing the bullpen is Lou’s quick hooks. As I said before, for some reason I’ve never really liked Hill, but the numbers clearly show he’s a very good pitcher, probably the 2nd best starter on the team so you do what you have to do to get him right because you don’t gain anything by replacing your 2nd best starter with someone like Lieber.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Lieber is not a bad pitcher. He’s not dominant, but he keeps the team in the game.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Everyone needs to settle down calling for Sori’s head on a stick. The man can hit and play with the best in the league. The only thing that he needs to do is take a clue like everyone else has had learn how to take pitches. Watch Fukudome Sori! Believe me, when the man starts jacking homeruns and stealing bases again everyone will be happy. HOW BOUT THEM CUBBIES!!!!!!!!!!
April 24th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Lieber is not a bad pitcher. He’s not dominant, but he keeps the team in the game.
Lieber is not a good pitcher though. And he isn’t nearly as good as Hill.
I still think that Lieber is a solid pitcher, and will play a valuable role on this team, but he is not nearly the pitcher that Hill is.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
The two sides on Soriano each bring different focuses to the table. On one side is the numbers side: “Look at his numbers. Look what he does. He hits home runs and hits for a .300 average and throws out like 20 guys a year.”
The other side is the role side. “We can’t win with him because he doesn’t know how to fill his role. He cannot lead off. He hits solo home runs but fails in crucial situations. He is not a smart fielder.”
Both sides are taking different perspectives. I tend to agree with the second one. I want us to go to and win a World Series and I fear that Soriano is not the guy to lead off to get us there. So I would trade him. Soriano did not show up against the DBacks last year as a hitter or fielder. He is abysmal against the one or two starters on a team- I know everyone’s numbers drop against the better starters but his plunge big. And these are the starters you face in the playoffs…especially a best of five. He has a history of playoff struggle with Joe Torre dropping him in the playoff batting order because he wasnt producing.
Finally I have tired of the guy who hits a lot of home runs and puts up big numbers but doesnt fill a strong role on the team and being a team player. I know a lot of fans like this person and it sells a lot of jerseys but we have had a number of those guys and no rings and few playoff experiences.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Finally I have tired of the guy who hits a lot of home runs and puts up big numbers but doesnt fill a strong role on the team and being a team player.
I would love to see evidence of how Soriano has not been a team player since coming to the Cubs.
I keep hearing people say Soriano is not a team player, but I have not seen one shred of evidence for this assertion.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Where in that goatriders article that you linked does he say kerry sucks? I think you should read a little more carefully.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
First of all, there aren’t two different perspectives to take with Soriano. He’s a very good player and nobody can argue otherwise. As for selfish, not team player, etc., I’ll leave that to someone else because I, like you, don’t have a clue when it comes to whether or not he’s selfish, whether or not he’s a team player, whether or not he eats cheesecake or whether or not he sleeps on tummy.
Frankly, it’s a tired argument that fans make because there’s something about that player that isn’t appealing to their eyes. It’s also tired because it’s constantly made about very good players as a way to bring them down a level. Not one of us here knows whether he’s selfish or not, but it’s being repeated as if 89% of the ballplayers in the game have said the same thing, when in fact, it’s often said he’s one of the friendliest and most intelligent players in the game who brings his big smile and excitement and energy to the rest of the team.
You’re more than welcome to stick with your elementary psychiatry diagnosis with no evidence whatsoever or you can just look at what we do know for a fact. What we do know for sure is all that matters. And nobody here can tell me they know something about Soriano’s personality.
And what we do know is that Soriano is a very good ballplayer. One of the best left fielders in the game. There really is no argument to be made that is fact-based so why get involved in talk radio like conjecture which is nothing more than an attempt to get people to call in to your show?
As dave said above, show me just one piece of evidence that he’s not a team player. If it can be said so freely, surely you have a fact-based piece of information to share.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I think he was sold to us as 40/40 guy. I know that he only did that once in his career, but that does not matter to me. We were sold that this is a guy who can hit 40 HR and steal 40 bases. I do not see him doing that or even hitting more that 25-30 HR and stealing 15-20 bases. What we are seeing is a player who has maybe three good years left in him and a bunch of average years afterwards. At $18 MM a year for at least 3-4 unproductive years, that is unreasonable and makes this a bad signing. The first reaction is that “I do not care what we pay him”. Well we should because those are funds that we can leverage against better players. We do not have an unlimited source of funds. We may be a big market team, but we still need to spend wisely for our LONG TERM success.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
10 - Innings to win the game
100 - Lou’s 100th Cub victory
10,000 - Cub’s 10K win
7 - Lucky number 7, # of runs scored to win the game.
I think the stars are aligned!! We’re going all the way this year!!
April 24th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
…and all this after 21 games (7+7+7)! Hehe!
April 24th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
…and add the zero’s in 10, 100 & 10,000. Another Lucky number 7!
April 24th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Adam, you have too much time on your hands.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I know! LoL!…WAYY too much time!
April 24th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
…one last one, we scored the only run in the 7th inning!
April 24th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
What I wrote about being a team player was not about how much he gets along with his teammates. It is about how he fills his role on the team. A guy who must lead off to produce even though he does not fill the roles necessary to being a lead off hitter, is a problem when it comes to building a team. And what he does and does not do that a lead of hitter needs to do is well documented. It is oblivious to ignore that he is not a guy you want leading off. I think he is well liked, I dont think he is a big ego guy. But I do think he is lazy in the field at times, I think he is boneheaded at times, and I think he is afraid of the wall in the outfield. Outfield assists are not the only measure of a good outfielder…but they are one of the only measurables and not surprisingly people fall in love with them.
I know there are home run lovers who become enamored with those stats. How often did the Cubs lead the league or were they at or near the top of the league in home runs in the past two decades? What did that get them? The problem is that they built bad teams. Now they have a well built team. They have guys who can get on base, guys who can move runners and take pitches, small ball guys. They also have home run hitters who can dirve big numbers in. You need them all.
You also need a guy at the top of the order who sets the tone, gets on base, and plays smart. Not just a guy who hits home runs.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
And I think an “elementary psychiatry diagnosis” is to believe that Soriano is one of the best left fielders in the game (Apparently we are not watching the same games). I believe that hopping and injuring yourself is questionable…especially when it hurts your team.
Soriano seems to have a good personality. He does not complain when he is moved down in the order. Yet he does not produce and believes that it is because he is batting down in the order. He doesn’t fill his role. He is not a bad teammate. He is a bad piece of the team. He doesn’t fit where he feels he needs to be to produce. Hence the term “bad team player.” This term was probably misused in that it is usually defined “bad teammate.” But he needs a new role on the team.
And I write from the perspective of hoping to build a team that can win a World Series. A good lead off man is crucial to that pursuit. So how does Soriano stack up in the post season? Averages: .276, .118, .225, .143. On base percentage: .333, .211, .267, .200. K’s in the post season average at least one per game. BB’s average less than on for every four games. Remember this is from your lead off hitter.
I appreciate the bravado and the challenge to back up why he is not a good player for where he wants to fit in on the team. I think there are many places to find this. If you are looking for more than just home runs and smiles.
He is a leadoff hitter whose highest on base percentage has been .351. His higest career walk total was 67 in 647 at bats. This was when he played in Washington and had no one hitting around him. He has over 100 strikeouts in every year of his major league career. He can be a good hitter. But he does fill his role on the team as a lead off hitter.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I second that Rob. I’m not a big fan of Sori either. And did you notice that gaudy diamond earring he’s been wearing IN THE DUGOUT and IN UNIFORM? Ughh. He just rubs me the wrong way.
Also, too many fans look only at the statistics and ignore the intangibles. Baseball is the ultimate team game and there are so many other factors that never show up in the box score. That’s why I would never want a guy like A-Rod. Sure he puts up spectacular numbers but how is he in the clutch? How many game winning RBI’s and HR’s does he hit? And what are his numbers in the playoffs? Not so good.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Rob comment #13 - “The other side is the role side. “We can’t win with him because he doesn’t know how to fill his role. He cannot lead off. He hits solo home runs but fails in crucial situations. He is not a smart fielder.”
Both sides are taking different perspectives. I tend to agree with the second one.”
Rob comment #25 - “But he does fill his role on the team as a lead off hitter.”
Huh??? Maybe I don’t agree with you Rob. Your statements are contradictory.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I meant to say “he does not fill the role on the team as a lead off hitter.”
April 24th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Ok, for those that want to get rid of Sori let me ask one question to you. Who is going to take him? Better question, who will take the contract. Tom Hicks is not running this team. We will not pay another team $15 million a year to take him. We have him and are not getting rid of him. Let’s use him like we should. Left field and batting #5 or #6. Leadoff is out of the question. He needs to understand that as long as he free swings he has to bat later in the order. If he doesnt like it….tough. If he wants to be a team player then do what is right for the team, get himself well, bat 5th or 6th and play his butt off. That is what the rest of the team is doing!
April 24th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
What did Baltimore want for Roberts? Anyone know why that deal was killed?
April 24th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Find me a series of comments where the Cubs implied Soriano was going to continue being a 40/40 player even though he had only done it once. Besides, in order to be sold something, you have to buy it. If the Cubs did try to sell it, it’s your mistake for buying it because organizations talk up everybody they sign. It’s up to us, as fans, to look at the facts and determine what’s right and what isn’t.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Rob, what are the necessary attributes of a leadoff hitter? You say he doesn’t fulfill his role. I say nonsense. The goal of a leadoff hitter is to create runs. Alfonso Soriano creates a lot of runs and that is the singular goal of the leadoff hitter. The Cubs had more first inning leads than any team in baseball I believe and although Soriano isn’t responsible for all of them, he bats first and is responsible in some way to many of those so how has he not done his job?
The idea that a leadoff hitter be speedy, steal bases, etc is an antiquated belief. The leadoff hitter should create runs. I don’t care how he does it. Neither should you.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Sorry, Rob, but saying that Soriano is one of the best left fielders in the game is in no way, shape or form a psychiatric diagnosis. Nowhere did I say anything at all about his mental state. I stated a fact that can be backed up by a heck of a lot more than you can produce to back up your argument, which is only based on opinion, which is based on your ability or inability to make psychiatric diagnosis without ever having met the player, spent time with him, or been around him while he’s working out with this team.
I’m fine if one wants to speculate what might be going on, but passing this off as if it’s true is simply unacceptable to me. The fact is that you do not know anything more about his personality than I do and I am in no position to make statements of fact about anything relating to the mental issues with regards to Soriano, or any other player in the history of baseball. Neither are you.
I don’t mean to sound like an asshole, but it’s really irritating to continue reading Cubs fans bashing one of their better players and providing not one single piece of evidence to support what they’re saying. And in the next breath they’ll argue why Ryan Theriot or Mike Fontenot are great players. I’m sorry. I really am, but this Soriano bashing nonsense is about as enlightening as a talk show and about as fact based as one as well.
Last year it was the psychiatrists who showed up offering Zambrano boos and some online bashing. Now it’s Soriano. Ramirez will get his turn when he fails to run out a grounder. Theriot is exempt.
I’m done with this. It just pisses me off that people who root for the team that I do act in his way. It’s embarrassing.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Outfield assists are not the only measure of a good outfielder…but they are one of the only measurables and not surprisingly people fall in love with them.
Except Soriano ranked as one of the best LF in almost every other defensive metric also.
You also need a guy at the top of the order who sets the tone, gets on base, and plays smart. Not just a guy who hits home runs.
Heh. I would rather have a leadoff home run than a leadoff walk/single.
That’s why I would never want a guy like A-Rod. Sure he puts up spectacular numbers but how is he in the clutch? How many game winning RBI’s and HR’s does he hit? And what are his numbers in the playoffs? Not so good.
Are you kidding me? You wouldn’t want A-Rod on your team? Lets look at his career splits:
RISP: .305/.402/.558
Post Season: .279/.361/.483
Yea… he really sucks. Are you kidding me?
Sorry… but I have to question any person’s baseball acumen who would say that they wouldn’t be interested in A-Rod.
By the way… do people realize that last year, Soriano had a higher OBP than Theriot? And saw more pitches per at-bat?
April 24th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Ha… I still cannot believe that someone would not want Alex Rodriguez, one of the best players to EVER play the game, on their team.
Unbelievable.
And I still cannot believe that someone would say that Alex Rodriguez does not do well in “the clutch.”
We need more Theriots!!!!
April 25th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I would repeat that I am not calling Soriano a bad teammate. I am not talking about something psychological and unmeasurable. I am saying that I think he views himself as a leadoff hitter and that he doesnt fit well in that role.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I’ll take A-Rod.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:12 am
maddog,
please hear this…I am not referring to how Soriano gets along with his teammates. I should not have used “team player.” that was a bad term because I am talking about his play as lead off hitter, and fielder and not personality or compatibility with the team.
I dont think Theriot and Fontenot are amazing either. I dont want Theriot to lead off and it is possible that all things considered Soriano might need to lead off. But I just dont think we can win in the playoffs with him leading off.