Yes, there are fifteen of them (I made sure to count).
Cubs pitchers brought their strikeout shoes to the ballpark Wednesday night; Ted Lilly, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood combined for a season-high 15 strikeouts and the Cubs beat the Padres 8-5 in one of those "wasn't as close as the score indicated" games, made closer because Wood wasn't sharp in the ninth inning, allowing three hits and a run to score after two were out.
The big news from yesterday, is, of course, something we have discussed to death here: the Cubs' signing of Jim Edmonds and optioning of Felix Pie to Iowa. There isn't much more to be said: it's done. He's here, will start today, and if he does well and helps the Cubs win, I'm all for it. Now, let me say that on the face of it, I'm against this signing because it makes little sense from virtually every standpoint (baseball: he seems to have little left; clubhouse chemistry: he's acquired a reputation as an aloof loner; and fan support: virtually every Cubs fan hates him). All I can say is that if he indeed is as done as I think he is, that Jim Hendry won't waste any time releasing him and bringing Pie back.
The rest of this recap is happier: the Cubs' offense clicked last night. Everyone except Derrek Lee (and maybe he needs a day off -- he looked tired and went 0-for-5) got a hit and scored a run. Biggest contributors: Geovany Soto with an RBI single and two-run HR, and Alfonso Soriano, a leadoff HR and two-run single.
BCB reader drewishdrewid and his wife Laura joined us last night; nice to see you again, and also Jessica, now known here as Doggie Stalker, in from New York for the weekend. She ate her traditional good-luck tuna sandwich in the bottom of the first inning, and spent much of the rest of the game "visiting" her "other" seats in the terrace reserve, section 209, and staring at the ground. I expect her to do a lot of that this afternoon, when Greg Maddux takes the mound for the Padres.
We can afford to do silly stuff like that now, right? The Cubs are 16-7 at home, are playing well, and despite the fact that we all love Greg Maddux, I want nothing more today than to beat his team (he doesn't have to take the loss, after all). I'll have a game thread up in about three hours. Until then, here are some photos from last night's win.
Kosuke Fukudome doubles in the second inning
Reed Johnson about to catch Khalil Greene's long drive in the 5th
Ryan Theriot rounds third and scores after Aramis Ramirez doubles in the 6th
Padres CF Jody Gerut dives but cannot catch Johnson's double in the 7th
Fukudome & Johnson celebrating the win
Fukudome & Soriano celebrating the win
Click on photos to open a larger version in a new browser window. All photos by David Sameshima
0 recs | 285 comments
1st
Yes, great game last night, and I don’t think we have to worry. If Edmonds fails, it should not take very long for him to go.
adam316 - May 15, 2008
Yes, let Maddux pitch well
but then pound the bullpen
Ihatethecards - May 15, 2008
No Pie for you!
Well, the Edmonds signing seemed inevitable.
I just hope Cub fans will let this one play out and not make his life at the ballpark a bad experience. There’s no sense in that. Perhaps it will be like Bill Laimbeer- when you played against him you hated his guts, and when he was on your team you LOVED him.
Let’s hope and support the latter scenario.
And if he stinks, let’s hope it doesn’t cost us too many wins.
I feel for Felix. I really hope the Cubs haven’t given up on him. I watched him play regularly in Lansing with the Lugnuts, and while he was a very raw player, he certainly showed that the talent is there.
I hope we see him again.
Zeke - May 15, 2008
I am with you...
As much as we all love Pie and wished he was the starter, i think it would be in the best interest of Cub fans to not boo him today. even if he goes 0-4). Give him a few weeks before we go postal on him. We cannot forget he did not put himself on the team, or management wanted him and for whatever reason went after him. Booing him today would feed into everything that we have heard about Edmonds. This could totally drag the team down if he is booed. I just hope it doesnt happen.
Good thing is Edmonds has 17 career homers in Wrigley!
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
Actually, he DID put himself on the team...
He didn’t have to sign with the club, after all.
Other than that, I agree.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Bill Laimbeer was decent though
Bricks and Ivy - May 15, 2008
Over/under on Edmonds first error
5th inning. I will also count balls that drop right in front of him or over his head while
he stands around. ( no error will be charged as he won’t touch them) The fact that
he has been hitting below the Mendoza line is not was has made me so angry at this stupid signing, it is watching him field this year. Enjoy your “veteran” Dusty , I mean Lou.
Doggie Stalker - May 15, 2008
According to
this story, Lou is going to bat Jimmy Baseball 9th, after the pitcher. This should make Ted Lilly happy, anyway. One guy who might not be happy about this is our ace, who declined comment.
jasoniniowa - May 15, 2008
interesting editorial license at Yahoo
I read the article and it states that Lou will bat Edmund’s 9th and attributes the story to the Tribune, when you read the Trib it says Edmund’s could bat 5th. Yahoo must have a mad Cub fan…..regardless our opinions matter little now because all opinions will be determined by the play on the field going forward.
As for Z….I expect this initial tribal reaction, the important one is Wood and Lee’s who are the leaders of the team and locker room.
Ivy Walls - May 15, 2008
Nice catch
It appears Lou was being facetious. And as a matter of fact, they DO have a “mad Cub fan”.
jasoniniowa - May 15, 2008
Uh, yeah, Lou was joking.
daver - May 15, 2008
Pinella was joking with the press…
“Edmonds has a career .286 batting average, and could be slipped into the Cubs’ lineup to break up the right-handed hitters, which would allow Piniella to bump Kosuke Fukudome up to No. 2. Asked where he’ll hit, Piniella, weary of lineup questions, smiled.
“He’s going to hit ninth,” Piniella said. “I’m going to move the pitcher to eighth, and hit Edmonds ninth.”
That’s not likely to happen. Wherever Edmonds hits, the Cubs were eager to have him in the mix.”
Schizo - May 15, 2008
Maybe those comments were...
a friendly jab at his buddy LaRussa…
Yes, Fukudome to the 2 spot, Edmonds at 5, Soto 6…
I am against this signing, not saying that I want Edmonds to fail, but if he has that last extra I’m all for it. Probably the feeling of the majority here, IMO.
crw89 - May 15, 2008
It might actually make sense to bat Theriot 9th though...
to increase the odds of men on base for Soriano.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Except men on base are distracting to Fonzie.
californiachicagoan - May 15, 2008
Al, this might be a stupid question but
you have season tickets right? Where are they at. I will have to look out for you when i go to the games
MJMars - May 15, 2008
As I have posted here many times...
... LF bleachers, section 301, top row closest to the foul pole. See you there.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Hard to predict locker room chemistry
Good chemistry is all about winning, playing well and not blaming others and ultimately selfless play. Baseball players know what this is in the consequence of the game. The obvious things are hitting behind the runner, giving oneself up to score a runner from 3rd Base et cetera. But there are others that the stat heads have picked up, taking BB, going deep in the count—-meaning working the pitcher, making good throws to the cut off man, not show boating arms, getting the sure out or pitchers not having to strike out batter with perfect pitches.
The thing is this could be Edmund’s last chance EVER-—being a loner or aloof is not a bad thing, that is simply personality, but being destructive-negative-selfish-whiny is another. He has to fold in on the club (his second in a less than a couple of months. IIRC he was hurt in spring training which his injury proneness is the most concerning.
What he needs is to have a good start like Johnson did and he will be a fan favorite.
Now for DLee this is why I thought DeRo was supposed to be doing to intercept this situation. Should Piniella play DeRo at 1B and then play Fonty or Cedeno at 2B (or SS).
My guess is that Piniella might want to play the entire bench today—-play Blanco, Cedeno, Fonty and Ward and see how they do.
Ivy Walls - May 15, 2008
I know someone asked you this yesterday.
But are you misspelling Edmonds’ name on purpose? You do it in every post.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Thank you...
it’s a pet peeve of mine, but I didn’t want to be the grammar police. :)
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Yeah man, he's not British...Edmounds?
dtpollitt - May 15, 2008
Wards on the DL, no?
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
That is a great picture of Theriot
rounding third. It’s hard to capture speed and action in a photo and that looks great. The play looked pretty darned good on TV as well.
Dare I say scrappy
N Oakley - May 15, 2008
Scraptaculous
TXCub - May 15, 2008
he scored from first on that play
he was MOVING.
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Two things
First, Maddux is a competitor, probably as big as there is in the game. He wants nothing more than to stuff the Cubs today. Thus, no matter whether he’s a good guy, a Cub with a place in history or any of that, I want nothing more than the Cubs to pound him into submission today. Just like you want to beat your brother more than your neighbor, same goes for Maddux. And trust me, he wouldn’t want it any other way either. Get to him early, get to him often and continue to lay it on. That’s the only way to play baseball.
Second, despite all the hand wringing and wailing, the Edmonds deal has virtually no down side. Why not take a chance with him? If he fails, he fails. He’s not going to cost the Cubs games in CF and he’s not going to slow down the offense at the plate. He’s a bit part with a legitimate upside if there is anything left in the tank. If not, you move on. It’s that simple. Maybe he is done but if so, he’ll show that in due time. If he’s not, it’s an absolute steal. But let it play out.
krummy12 - May 15, 2008
part of the offensive success
is the merri-go-round that has become our lineup. dome, soto, dersoa all take walks in the middle of that lineup and keep innings alive. edmonds will crush that if he starts striking out like he’s capable of. if you bat edmonds behind dersoa, then it wont disrupt the offense. if you bat him in front of soto, that makes zero sense. soto has 24 walks this year, that kind of on-base ability needs to hit IN FRONT of the run producer, not behind the K-king.
kylejo - May 15, 2008
The only problem I see
is that while Edmonds and Pie were hitting with virtually identical numbers in the last few weeks, Edmonds has the chance to be more destructive since he is likely going to be hitting in a more important spot in the batting order (presumably 5th as opposed to 8th where Pie batted). If he doesn’t improve, Edmonds could kill a few rallies and leave a lot of guys on base.
gwood - May 15, 2008
exactly.
kylejo - May 15, 2008
Let's hope
that Hendry and Piniella recognize this and if it starts happening, they dump him quickly.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Al
We know Lous no dummy. If he doesnt have it he will be gone. IMO, this is a 4 week tryout.
Hammer - May 15, 2008
Would have been nice if Pie had gotten a 4-week tryout...
I know, I know, it’s in the past now. Can only look forward.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
He got one last year didnt he?
californiachicagoan - May 15, 2008
I think he means four weeks of starting every day (or almost every day).
I’m pretty sure this didn’t happen last year.
daver - May 15, 2008
Or
You could chicken-and-egg this thing to death as the flip side of what you’re saying is that perhaps hitting behind Ramirez and in front of Soto, Edmonds would get much better pitches to hit than he had been in the ragamuffin lineup thrown out there by San Diego on a nightly basis. Yes, he could be a rally killer. Yes, he could get better pitches to hit and thrive. We’ll just have to wait and see but I am pretty confident that he won’t be as bad as his numbers in SD suggest although still not the Edmonds of the late 90’s and early 00’s. We’ll see.
krummy12 - May 15, 2008
If you get poor pitches to hit
take the freaking walk. Thats what Kosuke did in the 5 hole. If that isnt what Edmonds does he will hurt us.
californiachicagoan - May 15, 2008
When Maddux went back to Atlanta for the first time
after pitching there 11 years and being worshipped by fans and teamates alike some
reporter asked him before the game if he was going to visit some of his old teamates and
he snapped back something like ” We can have dinner AFTER the game, now I just want to beat them”
This may be Maddux’s last start at Wrigley and I think he is one of few pitchers who really appreciates
both the park and day baseball. I figure he will get a standing ovation when introduced . He deserves it.
I think all posters well back to the YAHOO group know he is my favorite baseball player of all time
but as I am sure he understands better than anyone we just want to beat him. Unearned runs
and bad bullpen would make it better for me but a win is a win.
Doggie Stalker - May 15, 2008
This...
... will be his third start against the Cubs at Wrigley since he left in 2006, both with SD last year. The Padres won both those games. Time to reverse that.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Did anyone else
listen to the San Diego commentators last night? They absolutely hate the Cubs and the fans.
adam316 - May 15, 2008
what were they saying?
MJMars - May 15, 2008
Comlaining about balls and strikes all night
Then saying Reed Johnson acted inappropriately when questioning on of his calls. Showed a couple Cubs fans with their shirts off, referred to them as “drunken yayhoo’s” because they had their shirts off in “40 degree weather”. I cannot even remember all the stuff they said. I bet they slammed something about the Cubs at least 15 times throughout the game. Talked about curses. Showed slow-mo replays of Lilly taking a swing as he kind of hops. They were just rude. They obviously didn’t seem to care if Cubs fans were watching.
adam316 - May 15, 2008
Consider the source.
Matt Vasgersian, the PBP guy, is one of the worst, if not THE worst, in the game. Thank heavens for Len Kasper, because from what I heard, Vasgersian was the Cubs’ next choice if Kasper hadn’t taken the job.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
So far
He is by far THE worst that I have heard yet. He whines and complains and makes fun of the other team, but adds virtually nothing for valuable insight or knowledge.
adam316 - May 15, 2008
Terrible
I can’t think of anything specific except for when Lilly struck someone on a fastball away, that was probably a bit outside, but they were saying it was a ball even before it left his hand. All night it was terrible, they are horrible, especially when compared to len and bob.
Wad - May 15, 2008
Reed
Just remembered one, they basically killed Reed for taking the first pitch the whole way and then supposedly glancing back at the umpire. They contention was that if he is taking a pitch what does he care if its a strike or not. Just Ridiculous.
Wad - May 15, 2008
heres another one of his sayings from last night
when dome was up and check his swing he started crying like….well u know!! he then said if he would have hit that it would have been a double. immediately after he said that dome smacks one off the cf wall. sounded like he swalled a softball in dismay.
cubsluver22 - May 15, 2008
Actually...
... I was under the impression that Vasgersian was the Cubs preference once they could not get Dave O’Brien out of his ESPN contract. Vasgersian had more time remaining on his Padres deal, but whatever the reason, I thank the baseball Gods that Vasgersian is not with the Cubs. He has been my least favorite baseball announcer (behind Ken Harrelson) since Vasgersian was with the Brewers and I was a student at UW. The man simply is horrible, the opposite end of the spectrum from the consummate professional, Pat Hughes.
Our friend from San Diego can confirm that the Padres have some of he worst announcers in the game. Along with Vasgersian, Ted Leitner, their lead radio PBP is self absorbed and loves hearing his own voice. Jerry Coleman, while at one time a true gem of an announcer has really lost it.
DmL
dmlichte - May 15, 2008
Yes
Kasper was the Cubs third choice, after O’Brien and Vasgersian. Although if Vasgersian could have gotten out of his Padres contract, the Dodgers were hot after him too—wanting to install him as, believe it or not, the heir apparent to Vin Scully.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
Scully
I actually switch to dodgers games a lot just because of Scully.
He was really the only good part of the movie “For Love of the Game”
Wad - May 15, 2008
Does Scully always go solo?
I don’t watch the Dodgers a lot, but when I do, it seem that Scully is alone in the booth. Is he always alone?
Ihatethecards - May 15, 2008
always
When i listen, its great, never have an awkward silence, you know when its quiet he is just watching the game, or using the bathroom…
Wad - May 15, 2008
Thanks
The silence is refreshing at times.
Ihatethecards - May 15, 2008
Yes
Scully refuses to work with a partner.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
Kasper
He ended up being a hell of a pick-up and has developed such good chemistry with Brenly. I imagine if BB doesn’t land another managerial gig in the next year or two, he’ll be here for the long haul and we could see this broadcast team together for quite a while. Its interesting that the Cubs were going after the big names at that time and in the end never even considered Charley Steiner, who ended up with the Dodgers that year.
DmL
dmlichte - May 15, 2008
Good on Steiner
who is boring in the booth, despite doing the greatest SportsCenter commercial of all time. (“Follow me! Follow me to freedom!”)
I really don’t get the Vasgersian love from the industry. I guess he’s not Thom Brennaman, so that’s a plus.
Of course, Vasgersian not being able to get out of his contract led to Rick Sutcliffe’s drunken rant about “What are you still doing in San Diego, Matt?” that I’m sure Rick would like to forget, if he even remembers it.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
was gonna post this
they kept forgetting the ending to their sentences and saying stuff like peavy is really struggling
i think its from pause pause pause throwing bad pitches. oh really?? they were horrendous. how they have jobs i havent a clue. their worse than then the reds announce team and are pretty close to the sunday night crew.
cubsluver22 - May 15, 2008
I am starting to think...
That the opposing announcers and fans are becoming more and more threatened by the new Cubs.
I think we are starting to see people get upset and angry that the Cubs are putting a good team together, throwing a lot of runs up on the board, and winning.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
The Drunk Yahoos
comment was tongue-in-cheek. That wasn’t malicious. But yeah, the rest of the night they were godawful. They were bitching about every ball and strike call, every check swing. I’m pretty sure the color guy was Mark Grant, and he was saying on every check swing that didn’t get called a strike on the Cubs “That’s a double if he hits it.” He said that exact sentence three time.
They took the time to start bitching about the Chicago media. OK, we do that too, but what Vasgersian was upset about was someone (I have no idea who) wrote that the Cubs might want to re-acquire Greg Maddux because “The Padres are going nowhere.” He took great offense to that and argued that the team with the worst record in baseball is not going to be selling off its players and how dare they start coveting our players.
They did praise Geovany Soto a lot, but the one other thing they did take the time to praise, and over two innings as well, was HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED. They actually talked about what a great Wrigley tradition HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED is.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
Did they infer that Soto might be on steriods
...like our buddy Thom in Cincinnati?
Couldnt resist….
JB 23 - May 15, 2008
No thank god
I remember that piece of crap from Hellspawn Thom.
I will say though, I think George Grande is a great announcer in Cincinnati. That they’re cutting him back for Hellspawn says a lot about the Reds as an organization.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
George is one of the best
I asked him for his autograph several years ago as he was coming into Wrigley. I mentioned that I saw him on a “History of ESPN” special (he was the first anchor when ESPN went on the air 9/7/79). He added the date to the ball and then spent several minutes talking with me about the early days at ESPN. What a great guy. Nice as can be and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.
ballhawk - May 15, 2008
I wonder how Thom and Marty
were doing when Cordero was BLOWING IT.
Hammer - May 15, 2008
Well
Were they worse than Farmer, Harrelson and DJ? Because those three guys bitch about balls/strikes all the time. They also are always taking offense to things.
Hammer - May 15, 2008
I think
they were just as bad, but they perhaps weren’t quite as loud as Harrelson. They kept their voices down.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
Hawk and DJ are the worst EVER.
Oh my lord I can’t believe how bad they are. Posted this in last night’s game thread:
Still believe every word of it. Perhaps the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard said about baseball.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
Wow. Hawk Harrelson is just...amazing.
And when I say “amazing” I mean “a complete idiot locked in a death spiral of desperation and ignorance.” Sometimes I think the ‘05 Championship was the worst thing that could have happened to him. He’s going to spend the rest of his career trying to feel that important again.
daver - May 15, 2008
To be fair...
...it may well have been DJ that said it. Anyone who cares enough to check, it was during the inning where Quentin hit the grand slam. (And that was one heck of a hit by him, I have to say.)
cwyers - May 15, 2008
Quentin
was a Huge pickup.
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
Not only is that stupid, but...
... the hitter wouldn’t get his base anyway, as the rules say that you have to make an effort to get out of the way of a pitched ball. Hawk, in fact, has seen this personally as I remember Joe Crede NOT given a base when he was hit a year or two ago when the umpire ruled that he didn’t try to avoid the pitch.
Harrelson, 20-25 years ago, used to be a good announcer (yes, believe it or not) who would discuss strategy in an intelligent way. Now, he’s a caricature of himself. He is nearly 70 years old. He ought to retire.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Or go back to golf.
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
Yeah
I saw your post from last night. I’m at a loss for words. Although to DJ’s credit, I think it’s hard to be any sense of credibility w/ Hawk as your partner.
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
Hawk and "Deej" have the creepiest relationship
I’m sure everyone has noticed Harrelson’s tendency to clam up when the other team is scoring runs on “the good guys”, but has anyone noticed that DJ has started to automatically go into play-by-play mode when this happens lately?
As soon as the ball leaves the yard, Jackson will start calling the action while Hawk sits there and sulks. He’s like a petulant child. Then he’ll bring up a blown call that happened 3 PLAYS AGO as evidence that everyone is just being mean to “our” Sox.
Worst. Announcer. Ever.
jasoniniowa - May 15, 2008
Yeah, I couldn't believe that...
If they said that the HARS was a crappy Wrigley tradition I could have gone along with it. I can’t believe they were looking for him for two innings. The opposing announcers don’t bother me that much normally, but these guys sounded like sour grapes all night.
LT - May 15, 2008
Awful
It was like listening to a couple of loudmouth drunks at a sports bar comment on a game.
At least the Braves announcers are kind enough to be so laid back (i.e. boring) that you can catch a nap during the game.
AlabamaCubFan - May 15, 2008
Like the Reds' commentators they hate the Cubs more than any other team
because their home stadiums are packed with Cubs fans when they play there.
The venom will be spewing in June when Petco is jammed with Cubs fans on their west coast tour.
JFCubFan - May 15, 2008
Edmonds. One of the last players I would ever
want on the Cubs. Normally, a guy comes to the Cubs, I’m ready to become a fan. Not Edmonds. I don’t think I can even bring myself to root for him. I hope he fails and departs soon. He is really going to have to impress to win me over.
I will say this: the guy will take his walks, which could help the lineup. But, I think his bat and his flailing uppercut hack are done.
buckmulligan - May 15, 2008
So what.....
The question is not the fan’s feelings because this guy was a SOB playing against, it is being a SOB on our side now, playing against other opponents.
Ivy Walls - May 15, 2008
Just like was mentioned above
its the Dennis Rodman affect. I absolutely hated him, unless he was playing for the Bulls and doing to our opponents what he did to us while he played for the Pistons.
If Edmonds can do to our opponents what he did to us and make our opponents’ fans hate him as much as we hated him while he was with the Cardinals, I am all for rooting for him.
gwood - May 15, 2008
Affect = verb, “to influece”
Effect = noun, “a result”
Dan
dtpollitt - May 15, 2008
Damn grammer police
;)
Always get those two mixed up, they are the bane of my existence
gwood - May 15, 2008
Oops
Grammer = actor on “Frasier”
Grammar = language
:)
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
From here on out
I am only using words that don’t have other words that are similarly spelled but mean something different ;).
gwood - May 15, 2008
Although the Grammer police are considerably more ruthless
As is proven out by the canceling of his latest show.
AlabamaCubFan - May 15, 2008
where is their next concert??
LT - May 15, 2008
I saw them last night
in Omaha. Great show. Olrando on Friday night is next for them.
Ihatethecards - May 15, 2008
LOL, how appropriate that you misspelled "Orlando"...
...when referring to the Grammar Police.
daver - May 15, 2008
I read somewhere that those two are the ones most screwed up.
Done w/ grammar back to thinking baseball.
Madison Cub Fan - May 15, 2008
I'm a graduate teaching assistant...
...as part of my doctoral stipend. And undergraduates confuse this so much it’s becoming the bane of my existence, especially during finals.
Dan
dtpollitt - May 15, 2008
That mistake at least understandable
My favorites are “For all intensive purposes;” it’s a “doggie dog world” and “He was a Roads Scholar.”
My big pet peeve is not knowing how to use the apostrophe. Using it in plurals or in “its” when it’s the possessive, not the contraction “it is.”
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
I never heard "doggie dog world" before.
That one is funny.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Not a Snoop Dog fan? :)
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
LOL
Nope.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Aw, you beat me to it!
daver - May 15, 2008
The picture was better than my post though...
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Well you clearly ain't been listenin' to me. What's up with that?
daver - May 15, 2008
I'm guessing you rarely see
“I am a Roads Scholar.” Irregardless, it seems to be a mute point.
californiachicagoan - May 15, 2008
I have a feeling...
...that this is going to be less of the Rodman effect, and more the John Starks effect.
Starks got booed relentlessly after the Bulls signed him, unfair as it was. He took the fan abuse with a decent amount of class, but the team eventually released him because it just wasn’t going to work out.
I think the difference between the two is that Rodman became a sideshow that totally eclipsed his “evil Detroit” history. I’m not sure that Edmonds is going to bring much to the table that will provide that kind of distraction.
Shawon O Meter - May 15, 2008
IF he steps up his play
that will be plenty of a distraction.
gwood - May 15, 2008
thoughts
i dont want edmonds either but he’s here and i’m about to throw up in my mouth but guess i’m rooting for jim freaking edmonds now.
i woke up last night and have decided whole heartedly that i want greg “maddog” maddux back now!! dont give a crap who has to be pushed aside but i want nothing more for him to retire a ws champion chicago cub. please dear god in heaven if your reading this contact the right people and make my dream come true.
cubsluver22 - May 15, 2008
Never say never.
I wouldn’t think Maddux would have ever come back, but right now I think the possibility does exist, if the Padres continue to tank the season. There are only three places Maddux would agree to be traded to (and I am not sure if he has a no-trade clause, but you can bet the Padres would ask him first, as a courtesy to a future Hall of Famer): LA, Atlanta and the Cubs.
It all depends, of course, on what they’d want in return.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Cesar Izturis
n/t
MikeJ - May 15, 2008
A few times recently...
...I’ve thought about the fact that Maddux asked to be traded to a contender in ‘06, and now he finds himself right back in the basement again. If he’d been a little more patient, he could have waited out the dismal ‘06 season and been on a contender in ‘07 and, dare I say, again this year.
Don’t get me wrong—I respect Maddux immensely. I’m rooting for him to pile up a few more wins (though not against the Cubs, of course) just to surpass Clemens on the all-time wins list. It’s just too bad he couldn’t have stuck around to share the Cubs recent success.
daver - May 15, 2008
Well, maybe he'll be back.
Stranger things have happened. Like today’s acquisition, for example.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
It was more than 06
Remember when he came back in 04 it was suppossed to be THE YEAR
He was gonna be the 3rd starter to help Wood & Prior. We all know how that turned
out. He had been to the post season 11 straight times in Atlanta so as much as
I sincerely believe he likes both Chicago. Wrigley , Cub fans etc it was time to escape
He really had wanted to play on the west coast all along and had the Dodgers not been
dysfunctional at the end of 03 I believe he would have gone there. When he says he wants
to be near his family it is not a contract ploy.
If the Dodgers stay in contention I would be pretty sure that is where he would end
up by August. Atlanta and Chicago are long shots especially the Cubs. They may
be the best of the three but they are actually the least in need of starting pitcher.
Just enjoy watching him while you can wherever he plays.
Doggie Stalker - May 15, 2008
I'd love another starter
especially Maddux. Slot him in as #4 immediately! Jessica – have fun watching Maddog today.
Ihatethecards - May 15, 2008
Sure,
Michael Barrett could soon be catching Marshall or Hill once again.
JFCubFan - May 15, 2008
That would be
pretty sweet, wouldn’t it?
adam316 - May 15, 2008
Observation...
Great win last night but i made a few observations:
1 – This is a pure observation, not stats to support it, but does it seem to you guys as well that the opposing teams always seem to score in the 3-5th innings? I am starting to get a feeling that our pitchers are becoming predictable with their pitch sequences and the other teams are picking up on them the second and third time through the order.
2 – I have said this many times over and over, why do we march out our closer in NON SAVE situations. I understand he needs his work blah blah blah, but honestly i would much rather have him throw in the bullpen than have what happened last night. It is not needed, being a closer is all about a mind set and clearly Wood doesnt have that mind set when he comes into 8-4 games. I dont get it. If today is a close game (and typically day games followed by night games are, we are now out Marmol (who also had really no business throwing 2 innings last night – albeit they were quick but still) and Wood can throw today, but my guess is Sunday would be the next day he is free if he throws today. I just dont understand how we are managing the bullpen, it is not going to fair well in the later months.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
sort of agree on wood
but he hadnt pitched in a few days. the bigger question is why the hell waste marmol with 2 innings? the guy probably cannot pitch today, that was just a huge head scratcher. im starting to think lou is losing it with some of his decisions.
kylejo - May 15, 2008
Marmol threw 21 pitches.
He could probably go today if necessary.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
How many did Wood throw?
Did we really need both of them to throw last night? I dont think personally.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
Probably not.
Marmol’s 21 pitches were in two innings. Wood threw 27 in ONE inning. He’s probably not available today.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Agreed.
I understand he hadnt pitched since Sunday – but a night then day game coming up, they are typically low scoring games. And usually, Pittsburg plays us tough (usually) so there is a good chance he would have been used these next few days.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
I noticed something...
...last night with Wood.
When he throws a breaking ball, he fidgets in his glove for a longer period of time to get his grip straight. I don’t know whether other teams have picked up on it, but it was pretty obvious to me last night.
MPH73 - May 15, 2008
Good catch!!!
Could explain why he seems to get rocked sometimes.
McRipper - May 15, 2008
Yeah, that would do it.
Hope someone else notices he’s tipping his pitches.
Isn’t that why we have a pitching coach?
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Does someone have
Rothchild’s email? ;)
gwood - May 15, 2008
Could try the cub's writers
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/help/email.jsp?c_id=chc&primarySubject=Other&secondarySubject=None&dest=fanfeedback@cubs.mlb.com
Schizo - May 15, 2008
Cubs email addresses...
... generally take the form
firstinitiallastname (at) cubs (dot) com
I don’t know if the players and coaches have team email, though.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
this is not unprecedented in a sense...
...Didn’t the blog, USS Mariner point out that Felix Hernandez was tipping a certain pitch after he had been getting shelled a few outings in a row?
The Mariners pitching coach fixed the flaw and later admitted he read about the tipped pitch on the blog…
JB 23 - May 15, 2008
It was plain...
...as day last night. I was able to guess right every pitch he threw.
MPH73 - May 15, 2008
If thats the case, you can be sure
..the advanced scouts have caught it….time for Larry to get to work
JB 23 - May 15, 2008
Good catch!
Looked at the splits, and you’re pretty much correct – it’s the fourth, fifth and sixth, actually, but VERY good observation.
There are some explanations for this – teams tend to do better each time through the order against the starter, and teams tend to use their worst pitchers as their middle relievers. So I don’t know if it’s meaningful or not.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
Yeah, I guess Lou felt Woody needed the work.
And I saw Kerry’s outing as a good news/bad news kinda thing. The bad news, of course, is that he got into trouble in a nonsave situation, which always seems to happen. The good news is he fought through it and gave up only one run. I think he gained some valuable experience.
daver - May 15, 2008
Obviously he didn't have the dominant stuff
but he bulled through it and we got the win. I agree, I think it was a valuable experience.
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Odd game last night
Lilly had the “stuff” that you shake your head and say” How in the world did he give up four runs”. Soto was sitting inside all night and I can recall at least 4 pitches Lilly go’s outside and Padres rip him.
I agree, I know Woody needed some work, but damn, Lou had Fox up, put him in the ninth or Howry.
Had no problem with Marmol going 2 innings, had two days off I believe.
My last Pie rant, why he wasn’t in last night who knows, Yes I know Johnson ripped a double, and Felix after the game was packing bags, but goodness, the guy can’t even get a rip at the plate before leaving town.
Don’t like Edmonds, never have, but he is a Cub and hope he does well, just don’t think this is necessary, Our 4 and 5 guys in the rotation is the concern.
Grockcubs - May 15, 2008
Edmonds signing
It is what it is but he better be shown the same amount of tolerance that Pie was shown, which was virtually none, if he doesn’t come out the gates hammering the ball. What did Pie get, 4 games? Then it was scratch starts and defensive replacements. Edmonds better get the same treatment.
McRipper - May 15, 2008
i'm interested to see
the 1st big z interview.
cubsluver22 - May 15, 2008
Supposedly
He declined to comment… which could mean anything, but to me it sounds negative.
daeviant - May 15, 2008
i am going to say...
this was to avoid an issue. Chicago media works like this…
Zambrano: “He hit a long home run off me and i didnt like the way he looked at it so i told him to stop looking at it and run the bases”
Chicago media Interpretation: “He doesnt hit home runs, he doesnt run the bases, so why did we get him, so i have to look at him?”
I think Z knew no matter what he said they would tweak it around to make some sort of controversy between them.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
It would be nice if...
... Edmonds would pull Z aside privately to clear the air between them. That’d be the classy thing to do.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Let's just hope
it’s not after he makes an error in the outfield.
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
or before he makes his first error...
...which will happen…gotta cover your bases!
JB 23 - May 15, 2008
Here's a link...
...to a Trib article detailing Big Z’s reaction. It’s kinda chilling, actually. I would think Carlos would want to quickly let bygones be bygones in the name of team unity, chemistry, etc. But it seems like he’s going to expect Edmonds to make the first move toward reconciliation. I think this is fairly consistent with Z’s behavior in the past—he looks at the Cubs locker room as his territory and Edmonds as an interloper who’s going to have to extend the olive branch.
daver - May 15, 2008
Ward's probable DL Stint...
Surprised more of us aren’t whining and moaning. At the least it gives us an overall better option at 1st with D. Lee looking tired.
astroview - May 15, 2008
I was really hoping
that Ward would get the start at first today. DLee could probably use a day off.
gwood - May 15, 2008
who comes up for him?
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
HOFF-POWER
RIOTSHIRTS.com - May 15, 2008
Agreed
n/t
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
Interesting read from Rosenbloom
http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/rosenblog/
adam316 - May 15, 2008
God help this site if Edmonds goes 0-4 tonight.
Sigh…
Fukumania - May 15, 2008
God help our team, too
dtpollitt - May 15, 2008
Sort of like how Lee was last night in that loss?
Oh wait…
Fukumania - May 15, 2008
I wouldnt be shocked...
If Maddux throws him a few meat balls today. I am not saying he will make it public but i wouldnt be shocked if he ‘assisted’ Edmonds with his new team.
It has been done before.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
you mean like that going away meatball Cal Ripken was served in his last all-star game? ;-)
ballhawk - May 15, 2008
I'd be shocked...
Maddux is a competitor first. He’s trying to help his team win games and get back into the playoff race. Helping a former teammate probably rates a lot lower on his list of priorities.
Furthermore, it’s not like Maddux has this longstanding friendship with Edmonds. He’s been a teammate of Edmonds’ for like 3 months. If they were old friends and this game didn’t matter much, he might do it. But I’d be surprised if Maddux put an opponent’s comfort above his own team’s success.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Honestly...
It will depend on timing really. bases juiced no one out probably not. Cubs winning 5-0 2 outs no one on – maybe.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
Again, I'll be shocked...
your scenario still presumes that Edmonds and Maddux are in fact friends. If it’s an absolute blowout (either way) and Maddux and Edmonds are friends, maybe it happens. But that’s a pretty small window. And even then, I’d be pretty surprised.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
I apologize if this has been previously mentioned
But what are the possibilities if any that we score Maddux again for one last hurrah?
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
Really?
Come on Maddux wants to win and IMO Maddux will exploit all of Edmonds weaknesses.
Hammer - May 15, 2008
He definitely wants to win...
But like i said if the situation suits itself he just might.
I am not saying it will definitely happen, all i am saying is that i will not be shocked if something like that happens. if he makes Edmonds look like an idiot – then so will I! :)
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
Maddux
has admitted to throwing meatballs in the past if its suits him. I remember reading about a situation where his team was out of the game already, so he threw a meatball to Piazza, which Piazza then hit out of the park. He threw the pitch on purpose to set Piazza up for the next time Maddux pitched against him.
gwood - May 15, 2008
The man is great
Hammer - May 15, 2008
Not True
There was a story told by his former catcher Eddie Perez that he did something like this
to Jeff Bagwell. Rob Neyer went through the stats and found no game which met with
Perez’s version and Maddux has said nothing.
He has been widely thought to have played with guys in Spring Training in
terms of setting them up for the season but again Maddux will say nothing
on the subject. He certainly had no such situation with Piazza
Time for the most recent why I love Maddux story. He started against
the Marlins about two weeks ago.LouisGonzalez OWNS Maddux. He has
always hit him and the highest BA against him of any player ( nearly
.500 I believe) After the game Gonzalez told this story. He had hit
a single up the middle. As we was running towards 3rd after another hit
Maddux shouted at him from the mound ” You were suppossed to pull
the ball”
Doggie Stalker - May 15, 2008
Ha ha...that's awesome.
daver - May 15, 2008
I will never forget...
My first friggin day on the job, i was headed out to the cage and Maddux said to me, do you plan on striking anyone out? I said no i plan to get rocked. And he said well that is good.
Finished up pitching came back in and he looked at me and said – did you strike anyone out? I said no. He then said did you break any bats, i said no. He said, well that is a good thing. And Matt Murton was staning near me Maddux pointed at him and said what about him? You should try and break some of his bats.
But clearly something i will never forget is being in the clubhouse and saying good bye to him on his last day as a Cub.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
You have to be kidding
Maddux wouldn’t throw a meat ball to his brother Mike if Mike was gonna get cut the next
day if he did not get a hit ( even if he was a pitcher) Also I assure Maddux has no special
relationship with Edmonds. ONE OF THE REASONS I HATE THE GUY SO MUCH is how
he played when MADDUX pitched. He screwed up big time in fielding, rarely got hits and
ran the bases badly. Ya I am sure Maddux loves him for that
Doggie Stalker - May 15, 2008
Who'd have ever thought
that in a Maddux vs. Edmonds scenario we’d be cheering on Jimmy? Dear lord…
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
Are we back
in bizarro world?
gwood - May 15, 2008
Up is down!
Left is right!
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
Well Ed is here-
My prediction for the score of the game last night was pretty close. I guess I’ll pat myself on the back, ha…ha. Can’t wait to see Ed in the line-up today, just to see if he has anything left. I know he is a proud player, so hopefully he realizes that this is his last chance- and really does something with it. If not, bye-bye.
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
Do people really call Edmonds "Ed"? Serious question.
daver - May 15, 2008
As far as I can tell...
only this poster does. I could be wrong though. It seems like a strange nickname.
I prefer “J-Ed” personally. :)
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
So...Jed?
daver - May 15, 2008
I hope my sarcasm came through...
I prefer Edmonds, or Jim. I’m not a fan of the name shortening.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Oh, it did. I just couldn't resist the temptation to post another pic.
daver - May 15, 2008
I've seen several references to Edmonds having great numbers at Wrigley
I was just wondering…
So when Edmonds comes up in a key situation, it is okay if we just put a Cubs pitcher out on the mound? You know, just to make him feel more comfortable. Could give new meaning to the term LOOGY… ;-)
ballhawk - May 15, 2008
Well, we'll have an EX Cub pitcher on the mound today.
Close enough?
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
Zing!
Good point. haha
Fukumania - May 15, 2008
Actually I was kinda hoping we could stick Lieber out there when Edmonds is up
seeing as how the only Edmonds homer I have came off of Lieber on August 25, 2001, which by the way, turned out to be a Cubs victory, 6-4. Lieber went 8 1/3 and got his 17th win, and our ol’ buddy Tom “Flash” Gordon registered his 26th save of the season that night.
But that Edmonds homer…. man oh man. He crushed it. The ball cleared Waveland on the fly – yes, Waveland, i.e. opposite field – and bounced up against the fence in front of the Budweiser house. Many lefties have hit opposite field homers out of the park over the years, but this was the longest one I’ve ever seen, by far.
ballhawk - May 15, 2008
Off topic
I apologize if this isn’t typical BCB protocal, but I just read the Brewers are signing Braun to a huge 7 year deal, any thoughts on having this guy in our division for that long?
CubsFan87 - May 15, 2008
Smart move
the guy is a BEAST at the plate.
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
Yes but how will that change...
When they dont sign Prince to a deal and he leaves.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
The Brewers
will sign him to a lesser deal than Braun but load it up with incentives. ie. All you can eat tofu nights for every game with a HR. Kankle removal surgery for 100 rbi seasons. PETA sponserships…. etc.
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
Prince
shouldn’t be signed to a long-term deal. He’s going to be great as long as he’s young, but guys with that body-type burn out early. He’s a young player with old person skills. He’s going to flame out early.
Think Boog Powell. Powell was one of the best players in baseball as long as he was in his twenties, but once he turned 30 his career was pretty much over.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
Prince Fielder...
... should be able to hit at least into his mid-30’s. But he won’t likely be able to play the field within 5 years. He’ll have to go to an AL team where he can DH full-time.
Boog Powell is a good comp, though Fielder’s a better hitter now than Powell was when he was in his early 20’s. Powell did have one last big year at age 33 with Cleveland. Had there been a DH rule earlier in Powell’s career, he might have stuck around longer, or hit more HR at a younger age.
Al Yellon - May 15, 2008
The Brewers
really should trade Prince this offseason. See if they couldn’t get a #1 starter from someone for him. See if the Mariners would trade Felix Hernandez for him or something.
Their #1 prospect is Matt LaPorta, and he looks like he’s going to be a monster. Ten HRs in the Southern League already?
The problem is that he’s a first baseman. They drafted him with the idea that he could play left field, but then they had to move Braun off of third base. They’re playing him in right field now, but from what I understand, an outfield with La Porta and Braun in it would give the Kingman/Martin/Thompson outfields of my youth a run for their money in incompetence. Mike Cameron would sue if he had to play CF between those two.
The Brewers need to trade the Prince. LaPorta will be ready to play next season and they need to make a spot for him.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
LaPorta could probably play this season if need be.
And the CF in that arrangement would be Corey Hart. Call them the Keystone Cops?
cwyers - May 15, 2008
He could
but the Brewers would be better off for roster and contractual reasons to leave him in the minors this year.
He’s got nowhere to play in Milwaukee and it would just start his arb clock.
You know the Cubs drafted LaPorta out of HS as a catcher, right?
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
The Brewers would, sure...
...but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s probably ready for the majors. Which becomes an important point if the Brewers look at trading LaPorta instead of Fielder.
Didn’t know that, actually.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
It makes more sense
to trade Fielder. He’s got a big payday coming up and teams are usually much more willing to cough up the big names for a proven star, especially one who has already hit 50 HRs in the majors.
I’d say trade Fielder to the Yankees right now, except the Yanks won’t part with Chamberlain, even for Fielder, and Hughes isn’t worth it. I don’t think the Yankees have anyone worth parting with Fielder for other than Joba.
Maybe the Red Sox would be interested for Clay Buchholz, assuming they could move Lowell and move Youkalis back to third. Maybe Ortiz is on his last legs.
The Brewers need starting pitching. If any is available in the trade market this offseason, they’ve got to dangle Fielder to get it.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
Fielder has an enormous insecurity about his relationship with his father and money...
...and is going to hold out for as much money as he possibly can get. There will be no hometown discounts, no buying out his arbitration years at a discount. His is going to seek out the Giant Stinking Contract of Doom and some absolute headcase of a GM will give it to him.
But his desire to show up his father – and his firsthand knowlege of just how quickly all that money can disappear – means that there’s no settling for less for him. He wants that one big payday.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
Right
I hope his Father ends up with better numbers. Im sure there is good reason (ive read about it) for Prince to be pissed but you know what I dont care about your family problems. If DLEE wants to talk about his daughter and be positive and bring his family life into the light for a good reason Im all for it. I dont care about your relationship with your Dad Prince. Maybe you should thank him for the genes he gave you and exposure he gave to you the game early on.
Hey Prince, who cares, shut up
Hammer - May 15, 2008
It's really a fascinating and tragic story.
For me, stuff like this really adds a dimension to the game. If you don’t care, fine. But he’s a person just like the rest of us, and obviously this matters greatly to him. He shouldn’t have to forget he’s a person just because it annoys you.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
True
But I dont need your sob/revenge story. I dont care who it is. Im at work and not crying about my family.
Hammer - May 15, 2008
i like it....
i like having solid players in our division. ei Pujols, Berkman.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
Speaking of Berkman
he’s on my Fantasy team. Speaking of my fantasy team, I don’t think I’ve checked it for at least 2 weeks. DOH
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
Benched
it would be funny if you had him benched that whole time because he had an off day the last time you checked.
Wad - May 15, 2008
additionally
wasn’t Fielder upset earlier this year about his contract? did that ever get that fixed for him? if not, do you think it upset him that Braun was given a long term deal ahead of him?
CubsFan87 - May 15, 2008
He was upset about something but i dont remember what...
Prince will move to the AL when is contract is up. This move will probably anger him more, and want out right away.
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
I just looked at his contract and the Brewers got a STEAL!!!!
8 years 45 mil????
HIGGY - May 15, 2008
They sure did...
...and quite frankly, I am surprised they got Braun to sign that deal.
By the way, great stuff on Maddux above, thanks for sharing.
MPH73 - May 15, 2008
My two cents - optomisim
IF (and its a big if) Edmonds is able to have some success with the Cubs, I believe it’s going to be partially because he’s back in the NL Central. He has seen alot of these pitchers and teams for many years. I think that will go a way in helping hopefully get back on track, if at least for only the next few months.
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
Since the grammar police is in full force...
it’s optimism, not optomism. :)
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
noted....
ass :D
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
Sorry... I deserve that!
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Haha
I’m the same way, just got into work and am still tired…
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
I probably have an hour's head start...
living in eastern time. You just have to get that cup of coffee in the system!
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
MT time
Denver Colorado. Just getting to that coffee. Already counting down the minutes until game time.
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
I'm predicting
Maddux beans Edmonds twice, the latter which will result in an ejection. He’ll then walk off to a standing O.
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
bwawwaa
NICE
Hammer - May 15, 2008
someone please post a pic of Edmonds
in our uniform later today…I don’t know how i’m gonna used to seeing him out there for us.
SoTxCub - May 15, 2008
OT: Manny Ramirez
The guy never ceases to amaze. Last night he apparently caught a fly ball while running back toward the wall, high fived a red sox fan in the front row, and then threw the ball to the cut off man who got a double play at first.
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3396400&categoryId=2378529
gwood - May 15, 2008
I saw it
He almost high fived the guy, the most impressive part was the great throw he made.
Hammer - May 15, 2008
Agree on Manny..
He’s another guy who I’ve always chosen to dislike and refused to draft on my fantasy team. But this year, my eyes have been opened to some incredible stat feats of his that prove him to be one of the great hitters of all time (don’t ask me to repeat them) and that play last night….I don’t think any of us have seen anything like it in any sport.
It’s like a Lambeau leap and then running out on the field and doing a quick kick or maybe diving into the seats in the NBA to save one from going out of bounds and having it go into the basket.
cubfever7 - May 15, 2008
The whole Manny being Manny thing
does somewhat hide his career numbers. The 500 HR’s should make him a 1st ballot HOF’er.
rlpete - May 15, 2008
THAT was freakin' awesome!
daver - May 15, 2008
Thats pretty awesome
I’m not a Manny fan, but thats great! High-five and then double the guy off. He didn’t need to climb that wall (took 3 extra steps).
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
Did you see him and some of
the other Red Sox watch the replay in the dugout afterwards? They all got a kick out of it. Manny being Manny, and I enjoyed it.
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
Didn't see that
Sports entertainment
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
They
were watching the replay on one of the cameras near the dugout
gwood - May 15, 2008
That was fun...
...and although I loath guys who cost themselves a base by admiring their hits, it’s hard not to like Manny. I think what makes him different is he appears to be 100% genuine in most everything he does.
MPH73 - May 15, 2008
It was certainly a fun play, but...
anyone see ESPN.com’s headline link to the game story?
“Manny’s snag, high-five steal O’s thunder”
More love for their Sawx. Can anyone tell who actually WON by this headline?
jbau - May 15, 2008
it was a great game
Al, and thanks for making the tix available. Laura and I are now 3-0 on the left-field side of the stadium, so you can bet we’ll be sitting there for the duration of our other games.
Also, I promise not to leave the stands to get food when the opposing team is batting anymore; I walked away right before Lilly gave up three, and came back just in time for Soto’s 2-r HR.
Jessica asked me what the last play of the game was; she really was looking at the ground. :D
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Thats precisly why
I bring my headphones. I listen occasionally during the game to catch what I might have missed but mostly like to listen to the crowd. BUT, when I go to the washroom my eyes may miss it but at least I can hear it.
Hammer - May 15, 2008
Ok I get a little nervous ( a lot)
But remember when I LEFT go see Kasey the Cubs SCORED the runs.
Doggie Stalker - May 15, 2008
by the way
I lost your card. Email me at drewnmt AT yahoo DOT com so I can get that list from you, ok?
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
oh and
no disrespect intended. I had every appendage crossed in the top of the 9th, especially when Woody loaded the bags.
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
I don't know if people really call him Ed...
But, I do. I like it. Do you like it? It just seems to fit. Comes from my time as a journalist; always referred to the Editor as Ed. Besides this, we could call him Mr. Ed. Although I think it’s Bonds that took all the hormones designed for cows and horses…
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
I don't care for it personally...
I’ve never been a fan of the name shortening thing. But you can call him whatever you like.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Sorry, I'm not a big fan of calling him "Ed."
It just doesn’t work me. And, as fate would have it, I’m an editor and wouldn’t want to be called Ed either.
daver - May 15, 2008
I think you have to bat Edmonds.....
7th or even 8th in this lineup. I keep reading 5th, but until he proves ANYTHING, why push Soto or Theriot (if indeed Fuku moves to 2nd) down?
carmen_fanzone - May 15, 2008
unfortunately
it’s simply because Edmonds hits left handed. Lou wants to break up the right handed bats, and he wants to move Dome to the #2 slot.
gwood - May 15, 2008
I want
to move Dome to the #2 slot too. I just don’t want Edmonds batting #5.
Josh Timmers - May 15, 2008
Agreed
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
+1
gwood - May 15, 2008
I agree...
but I suspect that Piniella now envisions Fukudome as a #2 hitter (which would be correct), and thinks of Edmonds as a guy who’s capable of providing power in the #5 spot (which is probably incorrect at this point in Edmonds’s career).
In the long-term, I suspect that moving Theriot down to the 7th spot (or 9th spot) makes sense as I don’t think he’s going to come close to maintaining his current pace, and I definitely think Fukudome is suited for the #2 spot and not the #5 spot. But I don’t think Edmonds is the guy to provide the LH power bat to make that happen. Theoretically, Soto could be the #5 hitter, DeRosa the #6 hitter, Theriot the #7 hitter, and Johnson/Edmonds the #8 hitter. But Piniella also has it in his mind that the middle of the order HAS to have a LH bat to break up the RH bats. So that lineup isn’t going to happen.
SouthernCub - May 15, 2008
Ok Editor.
Call him what you like. What are you editor of?
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
I'll probably call him...
...”Jim Edmonds?!” until I finally come to accept his presence on the team. And I work for a marketing consulting firm.
daver - May 15, 2008
Wait
Can we call him “Editor”? Or is that an insult to your profession?
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
I think JIM...
sounds fine.
SoTxCub - May 15, 2008
Hmm...I dunno.
Calling him Editor might imply he’s a stickler for details and does all of the little things that help teams win games. I’ve never really gotten that impression of him. We may not need to call him anything if he doesn’t hit well.
daver - May 15, 2008
Haha
I love it.
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
Jim Edmonds sounds good to me.
Are you located in Chicago?
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
Are you asking me? If so, yes.
(You can just click the “reply” link at the bottom of each post to indicate that you’re replying to a previous comment. This makes it easier to tell who’s talking to whom.)
daver - May 15, 2008
I don't think it's an insult...
I think it’s just a matter of preference. What do you think Daver?
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
Jimmy
just a request and not trying to be a jerk, but . . . use the ‘reply’ feature, it’ll make things easier when you are trying to have a conversation with a particular poster. Thanx
gwood - May 15, 2008
See above.
daver - May 15, 2008
Looks like Edmonds
will bat 6th today per Gordon Wittenmyer’s Twitter update..
soriano lf
theriot ss
D Lee 1b
Ramirez 3b
Fukudome rf
Edmonds cf
Cedeno 2b
Blanco c
Dempster p
lance dickson - May 15, 2008
Strange
That we would have the 2 southpaws batting back to back.
salparadise23 - May 15, 2008
Yeah
Wasn’t the point of inserting another lefty was to break up the lineup?
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
agreed
definitely strange, we’ll see how it works
lance dickson - May 15, 2008
Sometimes I think Lou enjoys driving us nuts with his lineup choices.
daver - May 15, 2008
He's throwing some red meat to those of us who like players who still have...
...defensive range by putting Cedeno out there, though!
cwyers - May 15, 2008
Do righties
do better against Maddux or something? I am surprised Lou doesn’t have the much beloved Fontenot out there against the right handed pitcher.
gwood - May 15, 2008
Without bothering to look it up, I'd doubt it.
Jessica probably has this memorized, so I’ll just wait for her to rattle off the splits.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
I bought her season tickets for my mom and sis today
She’s already at the game trying to catch Maddux during BP
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
sitting DeRosa
but not Lee?
WTH?
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Another Edmonds Quote
from wittenmyer”s twitter post
Edmonds on friction w/ Big Z being long settled. “I’m sure there are a lot of guys that hate each other more than he and I do”
hmmmm…..
lance dickson - May 15, 2008
Well that's confident and upbeat!
cwyers - May 15, 2008
Yeah
that sounds really positive. Hopefully Edmonds takes it upon himself to change this.
gwood - May 15, 2008
Remember
we haven’t had a dugout brawl yet. Maybe Z came to Hendry last week and was all, “Hey, can you sign that Edmonds dude so I can, um, punch his face in our dugout?”
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
Brilliant!
cubzfan - May 15, 2008
I don't think Wittenmyer's right.
Although I could be wrong…
I think it’ll go like this, or at least it should, (in my opinion):
“Fonzi”
“Welcome to the” Fukudome
Mr. Lee
Ramirez
Ed
“Han” Soto
DeRo
Johnson
Dyan Rempster
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
Wittenmyer gets the lineups from the team when they hand them in.
There could be a late scratch, but if not, that’s the lineup.
Also, your lineup lacks a shortstop. Therefore, I think Wittenmyer has you beat.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
Maybe
Ed’s going to play short?
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Lot of left-handed shortstops in the world, aren't there.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
sure
but they’re all 37 and wear cut-off shirts.
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
The whole bloody game
is, well, handist. We lefties get no respect.
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
hey, I'm a Lefty
but I never tried to play SS.
Nor will I wear the cut-off shirt.
It’s a very small demographic, the pro-ss lefty cut-off-shirt constituency…
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Hit a ball? Chug a beer.
Get to first? Chug a beer. Then there’s the beer inning…
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
You kidding me?
There’s a lot more lefties in MLB than in the general population.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
I shall make my sarcasm more apparent next time.
But I’ve always claimed, in a jokingly serious manner, that the game favors righties. Leaving the batter’s box, running counterclockwise, infield positions all cater to right-handedness.
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
Right but
when growing up WE lefties didnt have the opportunity to play more than a few positions. The fact that there are more lefties in the MLB than in general is a tribute to WHY LEFTIES ARE BETTER. :)
Hammer - May 15, 2008
Yup.
In addition, the high propensity of lefties in the Majors in relation to the overall populance is not based on fielding, it’s based on two things: the ability to pitch left-handed, or the ability to hit left-handed.
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
Right when trying out for my college team
I was told “We are looking for lefthanded pitching, thats it”
Hammer - May 15, 2008
Was trying to run out the door to go to a quick meeting off-site...
Knew I forgot something, like a SS- Duh! Two lefties together usually doesn’t make a difference, if it’s against a righty. I could be wrong though. Oh, I forgot today is a afternoon game. I thought Wittenmyer was speculating instead of getting it straight from “the Lou’s” mouth.
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
And why don't Ramirez and Johnson get nicknames? No fair!
daver - May 15, 2008
I'll use the reply feature now.
Just figured out how to use it. I’m new to posting here. Couldn’t think of anything, and the boss was tooting the horn to go to the quick meeting. We can call Aramis “Rami” and Johnson- let’s say “the Goat”, for that nanny goat facial hair he refuses to shave…
Jimmyeatworld - May 15, 2008
thats, uh, four outfielders in the line-up.....
philadelphiacub - May 15, 2008
"Rubberarm" Marmol for team MVP!
I’m seriously going to chant M-V-P every time he comes in the game.
Jerry Mumphrey - May 15, 2008
Edmonds just addressed
the media a couple of minutes ago
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
And said...?
n/t
neverAcquiesce - May 15, 2008
Recap?
Bump Bailey - May 15, 2008
Bits and pieces....
“Always admired this ballpark and team….”
“Think it’s going to be a fun time”
“From the minutes I walked in last night, I could the excitement was there, something I’ve been missing the first couple months….”
Jayo525 - May 15, 2008
boy
he already sounds like a tool.
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Oh, c'mon.
Haven’t you seen the part in Bull Durham where he gives the kid the important cliches? These are the important cliches. They don’t mean anything.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
the kid
was a tool too, remember?
drewishdrewid - May 15, 2008
Bit more fan-friendly than "I'm washed up and desperate for any team that'd still have me."
Probably a bit less honest, but you’ll have that.
cwyers - May 15, 2008
"Thank you for taking me in"
”....my rent is due in a week!”
Lou In Blue - May 15, 2008
"Always admired this ballpark and team..."
LOL.
daver - May 15, 2008
hahahaha
SoTxCub - May 15, 2008
shi@
someone check to see if the guy still has his cardinals jock strap on!could be disastrous! one day our felix will hit for a better than .225 clip.one day!
slc_cubsfan23 - May 15, 2008
Most opposing plapyers probably do yearn at least a little.....
....to play at Wrigley and have the kind excitment that’s generated there, be behind you rather than against you. I feel strongly that he’ll welcome the challenge of trying to win over Cubdom.
cubfever7 - May 15, 2008
I'm glad the Cubs didn't have 3 strikeouts...
it would have made for a rather uncomfortable Post Title.
digitalbenjamin - May 16, 2008
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