Winning road trip

It's a good thing to win the road trip -- but Piniella is right when he says that this team could be, and needs to be better than it is to win it all. That's the best Marquis has looked all year. Fukudome needs some time off. He's pressing and not getting good swings.

Suddenly, only Theriot is batting over .300 (well, not counting Zambrano) -- why is that? Team slump? Patience issue? League pitching us different? Better pitching teams on the schedule right now? Thoughts? Just a couple week ago, we have most everyone at .300+ and now...well...not.

Fukudome should not bat fifth. That's not his ideal spot. 2 or 6. Maybe 7. Not five. No power at all.

Aramis Ramirez should hit third everyday. Look at the stats. Power hitter, high OBP -- and doesn't strike out much. Get him an at bat in the first inning. Put Lee 4, or acquire a true power hitter to hit behind him. No, I don't know who. Maybe some other morning. Maybe Soriano.

Lee has been off on offensive. Not making solid contact, and that power stroke he had early is all but gone again.

There is talk of a trade with Cleveland -- and that we get CC Sabathia in the deal. I like it...if we don't give up way too much. Like Marmol. Like Gallagher. Like thirteen young guys who might be the future of the Cleveland franchise...be careful with those kinds of deals.

js

First things first

Congrats to the Buss family on the new additions! Good stuff! Too bad you had to miss the game yesterday, but you'll miss lots of stuff now. And besides, it was a shitty game.

On to the rant --

that game blew for so many reasons, I can barely comment. But I will. If Theriot cannot catch the fucking the ball on stolen base attempts, then get a shortstop who can. I don't care what he's hitting. That hurt. Two dropped. Add to that the two throwaways at first by Aram and Z. And those sissy Dodgers bunting their cleanup hitter. And the biggest problem yesterday -- other than we are going back to our old ways of taking strikes and swinging at everything else -- Big Z pitched like a pussy. There. I said it. He was trying to a finesse guy and locate and throw those slow curves to guys with slow bats. He's a power pitcher and he needs to get people out with power. Fastballs with movement. Sliders that bite. That's it. Shelve that other crap and pitch the way you hit, dammit. Pathetic game. Dodgers should not score seven against us in four games. Fuck.

They'd better win tonight or I'll be really pissed tomorrow.

Once again...Happy Birthday yesterday to Courtney and Kendall. Welcome to Cub nation.

Sherm

Enough already

No. I am not referring to the Cubs. I'm talking about Vin Scully. Shut up, already. Is he still talking? For God's sake, someone stop him.

DeRosa played a great game. Defensively, especially. Fukudome...clutch hit. Hey, was that Jim Edmonds with two hits and an amazing run scoring diving catch in centerfield? I think it was.

So when did Kerry Wood turn into Mitch Williams? What the hell was that? Hitting Tiffee with a 1 and 2 count and two outs? Then walking Pierre? Then blowing Kemp away. A save is a save, I suppose.

So...Jeff Kent? Juicer? Came up as a little stick figure second baseman. Went on to some 40 homer years. Thoughts?

Soto looks overmatched in a lot of at bats. Drop him in the order...now -- he should not be hitting 6. He's a rally killer right now.

Is Scully still jawing? Shut the fuck up! "Aramis's mother is an accountant" -- who cares? He probably makes all that shit up anyway. "Theriot owns a batting cage" -- so what? Shut up! And it's pronounced "Dose Kay" not "Do Sue Key" for crying out loud. It's "Ar-a-mis" not "a-RAM-is", dammit.

Twice he went on about Soto spells "Geovany." So what? What's so strange about that? Ask Jhonny Perhalta. He didn't name himself anyway. Who cares? Shut the fuck up! Is he still talking?

I gotta go.

JS (Sherm used to play little league in New Jersey and was once sponsored by the local ice cream shoppe) aargahhhhhhhh -- now I'm doing it!

they're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

Hey, I saw the old Cubs last night. The ones who won't take a pitch. Hopefully, it was just for one game.

Afterthoughts --

1. Seemed like Lilly had first and third every inning. Why start him in the 8th? Especially with Giles coming up?

2. Apparently we cannot hit a change up -- even when we know it's coming.

3. What's Trevor Hoffman now? 53? Here's a tip. He throws a change. All the fucking time. His fastball? It's a change, too.

4. I'll take 9 of 10 anytime. Nice run of games and wins. But we are better than that.

Time to start winning again. Tonight.

Sherm

Maddux tonight

There is not much to say about last night's game. Bats won it. Pitching got bailed out. Marquis too wild. Walk and balk the opposing pitcher? C'mon. Hart wasn't sharp, but first game back and with a big lead he may have been a little off. Pitching can go awry when we score 9.

I love the 6 stolen bases against Michael Barrett. Just their way of saying "you suck defensively"

Let's crush Maddux tonight. I predict Fukudome has a big game. Theriot, too. We need to see the Ted Lilly who gets people out every now and again. In my opinion, he's our number 5 right now. Or tied for 4 with the aforementioned J. Marquis.

Question -- when Ward is healthy do you bring him back? Or let him go and use Hoffpauir for the LH pinchhitter and spot starter?

Let's go for double digits tonight. Make it ten straight, Cubbies.

Oh, yeah...and I'd start Fontenot at 2b. Give DeRosa a rest.

js

8

Okay, so Marmol is human after all. At least it didn't cost us the game. Wood saved it, like he is supposed to do in those situations.

Hey, wasn't that Jim Edmonds with 2 more doubles and 2 more rbi's? Couldn't tell from here. Could it be that he was a great pickup? Hmmm?

This just in. Carlos Zambrano can hit. Maybe he should bat higher than 9th.

Just a thought, but if you are the Red Sox, and you just found out that David Ortiz is out indefinitely with a wrist injury -- would you consider signing Barry Bonds as your DH until he returns?

DeRosa needs a day off. Play Cedeno at 2b tonight.

Go Cubs. Let's make it 9. Time to score some runs for Marquis. He's been good enough to win a few games and has gotten no decisions...

js

Holy Cow

Harry would have loved this!

Nice catch by Soriano in the first -- almost got DeRosa injured. Gotta like the way the guy is heating up with the bat, but jeeeeez...catch the ball, Sori.

I know this'll catch me so serious flak -- but I'm becoming an Edmonds fan. The guy can flat play centerfield, I don't care what the detractors say. I don't sweat balls to left center anymore. He gets as good a jump as anyone I've seen. (Did you see the double to left center yesterday? Edmonds got close to it...Soriano wasn't even in the PICTURE. Where the hell was he? I yelled that question at the TV, and my son in law says "maybe he was playing the line." Good one, smartass. I mean if Smitty's in left, he gets in the picture.)

Saw Ralph and Smitty on TV during fancam. That was you in the tube top, right Smitty?

Soto has a lot to learn about hitting. Every at bat is not a swing as hard as you can at bat. Sometimes you have to move a runner, or hit a fly ball...whatever. Situationally, he's not too smart yet. That'll come -- hopefully soon. I don't like watching him whiff in important situations. He needs to watch Reed Johnson bat.

Speaking of Edmonds -- another nice offensive day yesterday. Double, triple, huge walk...couple ribbies. We have a pretty nice centerfield platoon right now. (I know, I know...Edmonds is pretty and Johnson is nice.) And it cost us basically nothing. Little cash, no players. Good job, Hendry.

June 1 -- and you have to love the results and the spark that this team has. Let's keep it up. Need a big road trip -- prove that we can also win on the road.

Since the Pitt. meltdown...KWood has looked real good. Think he got a "talking to" or just changed his approach? Whatever...it's working.

Go Cubs.

Sherm