A W is a great way to start off the holiday weekend…
By Dan Newman | May 23rd, 2008 | Posted in General
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
It is great to see our offense come to life on the road. The Cubs got to Duke early and often to reach a season best 19 hits. I find it extremely relaxing to watch a game in which our boys in blue play so well…from start to finish. This team is so explosive that they can quickly silence opposing fans.
I must express my opinion on something that has really been getting under my skin this season, and please feel free to express your thoughts on this as wel. After every loss, you can go to any Cubs sports site, and find Cub Fans expressing extreme pessimism and all-out-dread in respect to this team and their future. I am by no means going to throw this season away because we lose 2 out of 3 at Houston. To be extremely blunt, “give me a break”…They are going to lose some games…they are going to look very bad from time to time, but reading things like “the season is over” or “these Cubbies can’t win”, is extremely depressing. I believe that too many fans jump to the immediate conclusion that a tough/sloppy loss = lost season. If we continue to lose these series in August and September, then concern is warranted. But to jump off the building now…I just don’t get it!
If you were Jim Hendry, how would you make this seem better? Who would you add? Rumorville was buzzing all spring about Brain Roberts. Personally I would feel much better if we added another starter to our rotation. Gallagher was decent in his last outing, however one bad inning leaves us with questions. But is he really the pitcher you want pitching game 4 or 5 of a playoff series? I could very well eat those words in 5 months, but as of right now, I would like just a bit more security. Our relief pitchers have been throwing near perfect, therefore, lets see if we can get another starter that can go at least 8 strong innings. (WHAT A GREAT PICK UP IN RESPECT TO REED JOHNSON)
And let’s look for a moment at the many wasted hours spent debating whether or not Soriano is a leadoff hitter. A player only leads off once a game, then it all depends on how the rest of the order bats. Our 6-7-8 hitters have been getting on base, so having Soriano (Well healthy Sori that is…) seems to be smart thinking to me. I think we are beating a dead horse with this topic. Anyone else agree?
1st – Soriano looks likes a wounded duck running out a double. D. Lee gives us the lead. Luck seems to be going our way this inning. Another run scores. Very quick inning from Big Z. (2-0)
2nd – Very pleased to see Reed get back in the swing of things with a lead off double. Big Z helps his own cause with an RBI single. Another error by the Bucs. Big Z gets 2 K’s. (3-0)
3rd – Very nice double by DeRo to get Ramirez across the plate. 1-2-3 for Big Z. (4-0)
4th – Big Z now batting over .300…very nice to see…very poor defense by the Bucs…should have gotten more than one run off of bases loaded and no outs. GREAT GREAT inning for Big Z. After a leadoff triple (although there was fan interference), mows them down 1-2-3. (5-0)
5th – I LOVE REED JOHNSON…3-run dinger to left field…Big Z gets his 3rd hit…Soriano looks extremely labored as he runs…should have beaten out that DP ball…Bucs finally get to Big Z with 2 runs. (8-2)
6th – For the 6th consecutive inning we score a run. Why is Reed not starting every game? His defense has been stellar, and his bat is much better than Edmonds…Hoffpauir replaces Soriano…Very wise decision…Big Z rolls through 6 (9-2)
7th – I really like this Hoffpauir guy. Watching him play in spring training was very exciting…Well you can’t score every inning…Big Z still looking good…Nice to see him rebound from a bad previous outing…(9-2)
8th – Nice to see Ramirez continue to hit the ball well…Great hitting by our guys on the road…Big Z continues to shine at the plate…4 for 5 and 2 RBIs…3 more Cubs cross the plate…Ascanio replaces Big Z…gives up a run, but looked pretty good out there…(12-3)
9th – Wood comes in to finish the Bucs off…(12-3)
May 24th, 2008 at 2:28 am
If I’m Jim Hendry, I don’t do anything. The team is especially competitive right now, you’re getting good pitching — at least from your first three starters — and you’ve got some options at the back end of the rotation that probably deserve another month before you really might look to make a move.
But toward the deadline, I would think you’d see a move toward some starting pitching. Just off the top of my head, I’d think you’d see the likes of Millwood, Byrd, and Hernadez types available if the back end continues to be a problem.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:51 am
A quick question to the peanut gallery: Have we already found our center fielder in Reed Johnson?
May 24th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Please not any of those pitchers you named (Millwood, Byrd, and Hernadez). They are all on the tail end of their careers, and would give us nothing better than the young options we have (with the possible exception of Livan Hernandez…who can figure that guy out?). If we could make a big splash with an actual quality pitcher, it’s worth it, but replaces mediocre young pitchers with mediocre old guys with big contracts does not make sense.